Stake YM/YW Activity

Tonight was a get-to-know-you activity at the church with all the youth of the stake. There was a fantastic turnout of youth! Everyone was split up into different numbered tables where they had conversation questions to ask of each other. It was fun to see everyone there . . . and the treats were yummy too. Thanks, Alaynah and Jannelle for helping with the treats.

Erik Goble trying to hard, Angel Arteaga, and another friend.

Here's Laurel Loveless, Alaynah and Taylor Meyers

Jentry McGregor, Amber Earnshaw, Allison Dunn, Jayden Christensen and Sister Marla Stewart

We also saw Jason Bischoff, James West, Tyler Christensen, Brady Earnshaw, Jannelle, Amy, Keeley, Alyssa Hendricks, Kierstin, Kaycee, Alyssa, Jordan and Brad McGregor, Travis Rosier, Meagan and Kelsie Barnes, Jessie Ruesch and many others from both our ward and our old Lake Mountain 2nd Ward. It's always fun to see everyone. Love you guys!

Spring Band Concert

Sister Hein, Sister Nuffer and Sister Bird had a great time this week attending Westlake High's Spring Band Concert. Kynz (along with her brother, Patch) is in the Symphonic Band and they did a fantastic job playing three numbers - with a dramatic one at the end. Kynz plays the saxophone and was front and center for this performance and did fabulous! Our beautiful young women are so talented!

Westlake Choir Concert

Sister Hein and Sister Bird had a great time attending the Westlake High Spring Choir Concert with our very own Allison and Alyanah performing in the Concert Choir. They did a fantastic job and it was fun to see them perform.

At the end of the concert, all of the choirs performed together and we got to see one of our own Preists, Angel Arteaga, as well as our Lake Mountain friend, Bailey Loveless in the A'Capella choirs.

(Hidden Picture: See if you can find Allison and Alaynah)

Cleanliness Activity

We had a fun activity last night learning about cleanliness . . . with our physical bodies, spiritually, and with our language and dress. Our new Beehive Advisor, Sister Sorenson, gave a great lesson on the topic. We are excited to have her join our young women's group!

Then we learned how to make our own bath salts with lots of fun and creative combinations of scents and colors.

Here are Ali and Sister Jones


Juliana and Kiersten making their special concoctions.


Kaycee and Sister Hein were a good team.


Sisters Paytene and Kynz (I swear Paytene was having fun)

Priest and Laurel Cooking Night

The Priests had a cooking night planned and invited the Laurels to help and to eat. It was fabulous! Here is Chef Alex ready to get going.

Angel, Borja and Keeley at the grill making carne asada for the burritos.

Kynz, Jayden and Borja working on the banana chocolate chip muffins. They were awesome!

The story of the burritos . . .

Angel cooking the beans (we learned that the secret is to add a little milk when you mash them.

A taste test is always important.

Here's Angel getting ready to sauce the burritos

And then the final product . . . delicious!

Jayden, Borja and Keeley ready to dive in.

Brother Jones giving a thumbs up on the mango smoothie that Alex and others created.

The Smoothie Team: Keeley, Borja and Alex

Brother Libberton . . . cheers to a successful activity. We are ready to do this every month. Yum!


Alex's Tropical Smoothie

1/2 cup mango nectar (Kerns brand or other)
1/4 cup frozen mango juice concentrate (Hawaiian's own) - we didn't have this
1/3 cup canned pineapple
1/2 mango (we used 1 orange, peeled and segmented)
1/2 banana
2 cups ice

Blend together in blender.

Borja's Banana Chip Muffins
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons chocolate chips)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter and blend with mixer
3. Beat at medium speed. Scrape bowl and continue to beat until mixture is creamy (1-2 minutes)
4. Add bananas, eggs and vanilla. Beat until well mixed (1-2 minutes)
5. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. On low speed, stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Do not overmix.
7. Stir in chocolate chips
8. Spoon into greased muffin pan using scoop. Use rubber scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Makes 12 regular muffins. (we made mini-muffins)
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown or when a wooden skewer is inserted into the middle and comes out clean.

Angel's Burritos
Marinated beef cut thin and grilled
Beans (we had black and pinto), cooked, and mashed with a little milk
Cheese
Flour tortillas
Enchilada sauce (we used green)

1. Cook the flour tortillas over the stove with a little cheese in the middle.
2. Add your choice of beans and spread on top of the cheese in the tortilla.
3. Add pieces of the meat on top of the beans. Fold over the sides and place on a plate.
4. When you have four burritos made, spread some enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave for a few minutes until the cheese melts and serve.

Final LM2 Activity

Before our wards split, we had a final activity with the Lake Mountain 2nd crew. It was pretty cold for flag football, but still a lot of fun to be together. Here is Amy, Keeley, Perla and Arianna.

Perla giving Arianna a squeeze.

Jayden cheering on the flag footballers.

Keeley, Perla, Jentry, Amber and Jayden warming up with hot chocolate and hot dogs.

Talent Night

We had a night to share talents that turned out great. It was fun to see what everybody can do and was willing to share. This is Keeley with her homemade truffles . . . yum! See how quickly that tray is emptying.

Cute Jayden supporting the activity.

Alyssa sharing her drawing talents

Jannelle sharing her storytelling skills. Can't wait to tell some fun stories at camp this year.

Kaycee and Kierstin doing awesome Taylor Swift karaoke. Ward Talent Show here they come!

Paytene and Juliana with a chorographed 80's outfit. Aren't those skirts fantastic!

Kynz sharing her incredible talent for saxophone playing. Isn't her smile the best!

YW Recognition Night

In January the stake hosted a Young Women Medallion Recognition Banquet for all young women who had completed their Personal Progress and received their medallion in the year 2009. There were four girls and our own Allison Dunn was one of them. We hope to have lots more girls at the banquet in 2010! Congratulations Allison!

Allison, Sister Bird and Sister Jensen

Allison and Brother Williams from the Bishopric. Thanks for your support!

Young women receiving recognition in the front. In the back is Stake President Edwards, Sister Kathy McGregor, Sister Amy Monson, Sister Cortni Wilson, Sister Caroline Evans and President Gardiner all of the stake.

Justin Lux, sister Madison, Allison and Nikki Lux

Meagan Barnes and Sister Bird

Movie Night

Our plans to go to Temple Square to see the lights in December changed quickly when we got a large snowstorm. Instead, we headed over to Sister Camille Hein's house to watch Elf and have treats and hot chocolate. Lots of fun!

"P" Personal Progress Party

We met as a group with Sister Jensen, our Personal Progress Advisor, and the other leaders and reviewed our Personal Progress goals. You had to come wearing anything that started with the letter "P". We had purple, pink, pants, pajamas, pigtails, ponytails . . . all sorts of things. Juliana even colored her hair PINK! We stuffed ourselves with "P"izza and "P"ina Coladas . . . yum! And each of the girls got "P" prizes for participating.

Keeley

Juliana

Amy and Kynz

Jayden

Allison Dunn

Perla

Alaynah