"Purple Power"

Purple Power propels positive people! Is our cheer. Also retired a flag, gained a testimony and met new friends.

I went as an univited guest last night to a Stake run Little Philmont. Philmont is the premier Scout training station located in New Mexico and it's amazing. One of the Stake Presidency attends annually the LDS relations seminar. Anyway...the entire stake presidency also attended Woodbadge this year and things have really stepped up a notch since this has happened. So they thought they would do a small training locally for leaders. Overall, a wonderful event. The best I've seen from the stake since being here.

The evening started out by having us in patrols...randomly chosen. Then we needed to come up with a patrol name and a cheer. Then they gave us a few minutes to just visit amongst each other.

We moved into the RS room and had a PowerPoint presentation discussion led by Pres. Brady. He hit all the high points. I believe the most interesting point was about uniforming. It got a little bit heated. One young SM said he hated wearing a uniform when he was a kid and still hates his now and since he's only 27 or something like that, feels badly asking his boys to do something he hated. This point is very important for something that happened later.

So, we learned about why we have Scouting and we also thanked the spouses. It was an important evening so that they could say thank you to the women behind the men. The women who hold the families schedule and activities down on weekends and weeks when the husband is camping or at summer camp. For the sacrifice of giving a week of their vacation to the boys they serve at camp. Pres. brady got really chocked up about that. He also talked about progression from program to program and how we are not giving our youth that progression that they need and want! He touched on how advancement and earning the rank of Eagle is not the end-all, but a method of developing great young men. I rarely made a comment but on that note, I talked about how the 5 presidents within the Venturing program are the same as the positions in a mission presidents office. They raised the bar and expect prepared missionaries, in all aspects of the program.

Then we had a patrol activity of racebuilding and lauchning paper airplanes. It was totally fun and we bonded as a patrol. Every patrol was sure that that their's was the best, of course.

Then we wrapped up with a few reflection moments. Then it was announced that we would be having a closing ceremony with a flag retirement included. What an opportunity! Then we heard who was going to be leading it and I was shocked that it was the leader who not only wasn't wearing his uniform, but didn't wear it that night! Other than that "big" item, it was a beautiful and wonderful ceremony. We all left feeling uplifted and inspired about how to help the boys in the Stake.

God Bless America and may the Lord bless Scouting in our small stake of Zion! We have about 250 boys in our hands.

Planning Conference and Poker?

Howdy ~



I am sitting here thinking about all the things I have to do this week and I am loving it.

We had our annual planning conference this week on Tues and Wed. Usually they drain me but this time I loved every second of it. We had many guest speakers - 3 gentlemen from our Protestant Committee who helped us understand how to talk to pastors and work with churches to strengthen our partnerships. We also had the head of Customer service from Horizon airlines PDX come. She has fabulous. We had a really fun team building exercise which included creating a candy bar and acting oout a commercial for it. It was pretty humorous.

For fellowship that night, I killed two tables with my girlishly skills at poker. I had never played people before and when I got a good hand I would just start giggling like crazy and they, hand after hand, believed that I didn't know how to bluff! Hahaha...it didn't get so fun when everyone was tired of losing and wouldn't play against me anymore. I think they got their wittle feelings hort. Oh, poor babies, lol.hhehehehhehe.

Anway...drove to the gym, had a grt workout and headed to my moms for dinner. Ended up sleeping there and then driving home super early the next AM. Sent a txt msg I feel awful about b/c it was a little bit inappropriate. I guess that's what happen when you're tired. Anyway.

Moving on. Have a great weekend all.

Dancing Queen

Whoo hoo...Friday night a few peeps from my ward got together and we went to a dance down in Salem. The most fun part for me was hanging out with this awesome kid who has been inactive (or never active in his life) and he's coming back, or trying to. His name is Dan and he is just such a nice person. Very easy to talk to and very fun to be around. He smokes and drinks and tells everyone, lol. But he's super cool.

Plus, I met a few guys, got a chance to have a kareoke party down there at one guys house. He's a helicopter instructor but hates his job. I have empathy for him, lol. I love what I do but sometimes I hate some aspects of the job. Who doesn't struggle with that?

Pretty much had a laid back day yesterday. I loved it! I have a lot to do this week, I mean a ton! But...it's the way it rolls. Next week is proving way crazy too. I got word my brother is coming home in two weeks and I have a training Friday night and a full day of training on Saturday out at Camp Meriwether and I will barely have any time to see him! :( I'm so sad about that.

~Sharon

Technology...

I think its freaky ironic that I'm going to complain about technology whilst typing my blog. However, I can only take so much ridiculousness. My office's network is tempermental and I haven't been able to get my redirector to work with my crackberry for like a month now. What is the point of paying for it if it's not working. I haven't been able to access my network folders while logged on to the vpn so I've been using a secure network instead and its still very tempermental. I don't have time for this!

Had a good committee meeting tonight with two new charter reps in attendance. If I could only get them all there at the same time. We'd be able to make assignments and really divi up the jobs. I did get them to agree to do the basics - a calendar, a trained chairman who is going to do the job and support. Let the boys plan the program and you won't need to worry about attendance and they'll bring their friends. Also, they agreed to work with the district and help plan our first ever golf tournament. They are checking with friends and co workers and other church members, etc. I hope by next week we have a way better plan and can get it really going.

Alright, gotta run. oh, and go Blazers - beat the Bull's in Cheecago in Double OT! Way to go. And congrats Nate McMillan. I went to his basketball camp when i waa 15 and he let me win 1 on 1 and a free throw contest. Ok, maybe I won the free throw contest of my own accord b/c there are no advantages in that one. Hehehe...

Sharon

Sharon doing YOGA?

Oh, I wish I had a picture of this event. I could see myself in the mirror in some shorts that were a tad bit too tight (at least they were long!). I happened into the yoga class at the gym last night and I did pretty well considering - considering a lot of things. This whole event made me contemplate this AM as I was waking up, so many embarassing moments in my life. There are so many and they all make me laugh my butt off - if only it was that easy! HAHHAHAHAH.

Ah, the power of laughter. I really want to go dancing tomorrow night except i didn't get my expense report turned in on time and so I'm generally BROKE right now and it's annoying.

I have a meeting tonight, the year finally closes tomorrow and then a whole new set of issues begins. Gotta love life!

Good luck Romney!
Sharon

Elijah - day after Thanksgiving w/ Poki

Ringing in the New Year~!

Just a recap of '07!

Since it's 2008 now, I thought I'd better take down my Christmas tree and decorations and sort of get moving into 2008. I have been especially happy during this Holiday season - I cannot exactly put my finger on the "why" but I'm not complaining. I'm grateful to Heavely Father for letting me be happy, not just happy, but very happy. Content. And I'm a little worried that I'll be sad that the season is ending.

It all started on the night I put my tree up. For some reason, I was like a kid in a candy store. I had to wait for my new stand and when it got here, I spent about 2 hrs singing to myself (or along with the Christmas only radio station, which I felt did a pretty good job of playing the right mix of religious songs too). I love the way my tree looks and I am always excited about it because of that.

During December 2007, I have thoroughly enjoyed sitting by my fire, watching my white light Christmas tree spin around, glittering reflections from the ornaments. I attended the Messiah twice and got to spend one of those evenings with my parents. I believe that Christ has really been the center of this Season for me. I have felt the Holy Ghost often and am grateful for that.

I hosted the missionaries and a couple from my ward for dinner and I made an awesome 3o Min meal (brag, brag!), had some friends over and have gone out dancing 3 times. This is probably the most "social" I've been since oh, 2004? LOL...No wonder I feel good.

2007 has been a weird year. Some things just aren't/weren't the way they seem.

Work was not peachy keen this year and was actually pretty rough the first 10 mos of the year, lol. Although I made Chief Scout Executive Winner's Circle in June and successfully ran two day camps - enjoying both immensely in June and July, recruited new volunteers and ended the year with blanaced growth, it has been overshadowed by strained relationships. I pissed off some volunteers and there were lessons to be learned, and yes, it was painful. But I'm grateful for my supervisor who has helped me learn and grow, be brave and learn to speak plainly, stay on topic and just listen.

Our den at day camp with their helmets on! And now you can see their eyes!

August I headed for the East Coast taking in 5 new states. I visited for the first time Washington DC and loved every second of it and could probably do it every year for the rest of my life. Spent an afternoon chasing Amish folks around town in PA (even when we were warned that they don't appreciate it!) I visited Gettysburg and had an intense desire to learn more and more about it.


The latter half of my trip I got to visit NC (Raleigh area) and stay with my friend Julie and her husband Mike and their boys. It was fun to be with a family. It reminded me of Candie and Jason and their boys. And also made me realize how the gospel helps families, using the proclamation to the world on Families.

Probably my favorite part of the trip was riding the train from Raleigh to Charlotte, taking a taxi to the airport and then waiting there for 13 hrs for my flight! Because of the awesome setting at the Charlotte Aiport, like a country porch setting, free wifi, and banjo players entertaining us, I had an awesome time. I am such an explorer! And NC is so beautiful. It's on my "might move to places".

Just when I got home it was Karen and Nathan's wedding. Here's a pic to commemorate the event...

Then it was Fall. I got home the 3rd week of August and it was "hit the ground running". However, things went well because we had 80% of our packs in attendance at our Fall Recrtuitment training and this was an increase of oh, 200% over the two years previous. People left jazzed up and they went and did their thing. I made my membership goal by mid-December and ran ahead the entire Fall. This made my life so much more enjoyable. Jody Hall, the most awesome friend and volunteer has also made me smile again. She is a treasure and I love you gal!

Still, in this job, the job is never done and now I need a chairman!!!!! And a finance chairman and a camp director for Tillamook (Candance can't do it this year but promised for the next 3 afterwards) and, and, and...

Oh, I almost forgot to mention this - I broke down and got a new car. I love it! It's an '03 Mitsubishi Outlander and had only 44K miles when I got it. I've blown that out of the water but I just refied it this weekend and found out it's worth several more K than I paid for it! Whoo hooo.

My nephews and niece are growing up and cracking us up. Aukai and Ikaia run around getting into all sorts of trouble together. As they grow up, they will be two to watch, I tell ya. They are both boys boys and their father's children (not necessarily a plus! haha)

I hope my mom and dad decide to serve a mission this year. It would be the best thing they ever do.

Well, moving into 2008! Here we go, it's another year. And I've bored you enough.


~Sharon