"Purse"onally

One of my callings is Relief Society Enrichment Board Leader. My RS Presidency rocks and I love working with them. Karyn, the counselor over Enrichment found some ideas to use for our March Birthday and we went crazy with them. It was so fun, came together so well, and turned out to be a great party! Our theme was, "Relief Society, take it "purse"onal". We decorated EVERYTHING with purses, pink and brown. We had Ceasar salad with grilled chicken, garlic breadsticks with dipping sauces and chocolate cake. We showed a really over the top silly video about Visiting teaching, sang a purse song, and had some getting to know you games, we also played what's in your purse game, giving points for random items in your purse. At the beginning when everyone came streaming in, we had a scale at the door, and you had to weigh your purse. We gave awards for heaviest and lightest purses. Check out the story "Purse Pursuit" by Marsha Jordan. Super cute everyone loved it. If you have 5 minutes, the Visiting Teaching movie is awesome.

It was a great night and I think everyone had fun. We ended up with over 40 sisters! Success! Here are some pictures.

The invitations were so stinkin' cute. We had fun making them and they were a big hit.



On the tables we had little handmade (we traced, cut, folded, stamped, glued and filled 40 of these) boxes with a magnet and candy inside for each person.

Table decorations.


Each table with a pink balloon attached to a purse box (Target). Little dixie cups for the dipping sauces.

Pinewood Derby

Jacob's first Pinewood Derby was last night. It was a fun night and I was so proud of Jacob. When we left the house, he had kind of a cruddy attitude and said he was no good, and his car would be the worst there. I have to get on him some times about being negative about himself. When we got there, he was doing warm up races and his car was pretty slow, so he came up to me, almost in tears, and said he wasn't going to do so well. The races started and whatdyaknow...his car kept getting faster and faster. The way the races were being run was a little confusing, I don't know how they were keeping track of the races, but Jacob was clearly in the top. He ended up with third place. After every race, whether he had won or not, he would tell the other boy, "good job, great race, or I like your car". I was so proud of his sportsmanship, knowing how challenging it is for Jacob to do, he's very competitive. So, glad it's over, wood shavings on my floor for two weeks, but it was fun, and I look forward to the next one! :)

Abby is 6

Yesterday, March 26, Abigail Marie Ward turned 6...as the saying goes..."time sure flies". What happened? She's a full-fledged Kindergartner, learning to tie her shoes, combing her own hair, and turning 6. Sniff...it's going too fast. Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl, Abby.

GPA: 4.0

I've only been back in college since August 2008, but I'm so proud of me. Okay, so if you don't want to hear me brag any more about myself, sign out, if you want to share in my excitement...read on.

In my program, I take 2 different classes, every 9 weeks, and with my transferred credits from USU, I'll be done with my Associates in Business in January!

So when I started school again, I thought the course work, house work, church work, kids' school work, mother work would not all get done properly. But that's the beauty of going to school in your living room...you get into your class when it's convenient, just making sure assignments are posted by deadlines each week. It's really been no problem and I definitely don't feel that my family or my kids are suffering in the least...although David would say he NEVER gets his own computer time anymore! :) I'll have to update this when we see how easy it is to do the school work in the middle of moving this summer...thank goodness for laptops and wireless internet!

Anyway...I was just using this post to brag that after 6 classes, I have a 4.0 GPA...all A's. Hurray, I am smart! (Well, in my mind I am!) :) I was so excited with the last class I had, Research Writing. Our final project was a 2,000 word paper on an issue of our choice. I wrote about the separation of church and state. I got a perfect score on the paper and out of the class...100%!!!!!! Here's what my professor said about my paper...sniff...I'm so proud of me....(And a big thanks to David...although he refuses to read my paper, he thinks he's not smart enough to give me any feedback...he has supported me all the way!)

Sheila—an outstanding paper! This is the best I’ve reviewed in both of my classes—this is a textbook example of what an effective and well written research paper is, and I wish I was able to show this to the rest of the class as an example of the professionalism and accuracy a paper should be written with (unfortunately, the privacy laws prevent me from showing anyone, but it truly is an example for others to see.) Overall, I enjoyed your approach to this, and you’ve easily maintained a sense of objectivity and allowed the audience to decide what their position is on this topic. Excellent work as usual, Sheila!

VIRGINIA it is...

After 3 months of practicing, driving over two hours, (highway car accident delays), playing for all of 10 minutes on mallet instruments, and two hours of waiting, the audition is over...no drumset, no interview, nothing, it's over and he's on his way home.

So, Virginia, here we come. There must be a reason.

Connecticut or Virginia?

That is the question of the day...or of the past 3 1/2 months. In November, David learned of an opening for a drum set player in the United States Coast Guard. I said, "the Coast Guard?", he said yes, and guess where they are stationed... New London, Connecticut. New London is the location of the Coast Guard Academy and the only CG Band...and only 1 hour from our current home in Middletown, RI. It took me some time to wrap my head around this idea for many reasons:

1. It's out of the Navy, which is all we've known for the past 11 years.
2. It's PERMANENT DUTY...which means we won't move again until we retire.
3. It's Connecticut...which is the East Coast, not a place I planned on staying in for too long.

Now that I've had time to think about it, and seen how excited David is about it, I'm on board. It would be a great gig for him, he deserves to play with a band like this all the time. We, me and the kids, deserve to have him home a little more.

BUT...we decided long ago that we would go where the Lord wants us. We choose to let the finger of the Lord point the direction for us. So...

Tomorrow, David will audition for the Coast Guard Band. IF he does not get this job, we are confident and at peace with the fact that this is just not what we are supposed to do. David is absolutely qualified and COMPLETELY prepared, so the outcome is no matter now.

If CG is a no, then we will pack up anyway and go to Virginia. The one time that we are not really looking for orders and the Navy is on the ball, go figure. We have Navy orders in hand right now, for the whole family to go with David to the School of Music in Norfolk, VA. David would be attending a 9-month leadership class. After the 9 months, we go where the Navy sends us. Ideally, we would stay in Norfolk, and David would go to the Band there, but, the detailer said the other day, "Yeah, you can most likely stay in Norfolk after the school, but maybe Jacksonville, FLORIDA."

Again, the waiting game. I'm used to it now, and I find myself not really worried about this move, except...

I've grown to love the people in Newport. I have made friends here that I adore and cherish. We've only been here for 20 months, a full 2 years short of anywhere we've previously been. It's too short, yet, it's all right. We know that we are being guided, to where is the question, but guided none the less.

So...bring it on...another move, another town, new friends, new responsibilities. I am just so grateful for this life journey, for the people who have touched my life and made permanent impressions on my heart.

Update on the answer to today's questions in the next few days...stay tuned.

Here's a link to the Coast Guard Band Web site.

INSPIRING!

Whether you create color, love, happiness, smiles or anything else, you are a daughter of God!!! Love this, enjoy!

Sheila Marie BEE Ward

Yes, that's my full name. I decided when I got married that I would keep my maiden name because I liked it. I think it's a unique name and it's been fun to have, so I keep it. I loved my maiden name and was proud of it.

I love bees and the colors usually associated with them. It's a fun way to decorate. My kitchen is decorated with red, black and yellow. I have many friends who have given me gifts of bee things, and I have all those in my kitchen. It's fun. So, when I found this background, I had to do it, for a while anyway.


I also wanted to put on a quick post about my dad Jack Parks Bee, II. This month, my dad was going to retire. With the job market and the economy the way it was a few months ago, he decided he wasn't going to be able to. Well, with the economy going even further backwards than expected, the details of retirement for my dad have proven to be perhaps the best they're going to get, so, after much thought and I'm sure prayer, my dad is going to retire on June 1. I think it's proper for a tribute from me, since his work over these last 30+ years has allowed me to go to school, mission, marriage, and many other things.

Dad in Kyoto, Japan, 2006


Dad has worked his whole life. When I was a little kid, he was a police officer. I don't remember that, other than the pictures. But, I think that this career was hard on the family and dangerous, too. Through friends and networking, he landed a job with State Farm Insurance. He has worked pretty much every department of the insurance business, but the man has climbed about a JILLION roof tops in his career. I wish he would've counted, that would be an amazing number. He has a special relationship with his ladder, and I've never known my dad's work car to not have a ladder in the trunk. He is an insurance adjuster. He gets to tell people how much $$$ they will or won't get from the company. I remember so many stories my dad has told me of the people he's met, the homes he has been in and the loss he has seen. I'm sure he's also given his share of counseling sessions when he has to find the value of a home that has burned to the ground or been flooded beyond saving. What a job, really. I also know that he has made life long friends through his work.

I guess the best thing to say about my dad and his career is that he works so hard, and yet he gives so easily. He has always made sure that if one of us kids needs a visit, he visits. He and Judy have 11 children between the two of them, and all of us are pretty scattered around the country, and yet, they visit the kids, and grandkids whenever possible.

Dad playing with Jackson, Thanksgiving, 2008


So, now? Well, he kids around that he's going to go be a greeter man at Wal-Mart, or perhaps flop some burgers somewhere? Regardless of what is next, I'm pretty sure that even retirement won't keep my dad down. I'm sure there will be another adventure coming soon. I think that the Lord's vineyard will be the ultimate place for my dad and his lovely bride. They will make incredible and faith building missionaries and I can't wait to be the one that says, "I have a missionary(s)"!

Dad and Judy, Newlyweds on the Shinkansen, 2006

Dad and Judy being silly, Prescott Valley, 2007

I'm proud of you Dad, you have taught me about hard work and dilligence. Thank you and Happy Retirement!!!...(Please don't ever wear flowered shorts with black socks!)

Dad, Judy, and David's parents at Jacob's baptism, 2008

Scenty in March!

My sister-in-law, Briana, is a Scentsy Consultant. I have tried the Scensty products and LOVE them!!! I think it's way better, and prettier than candles. Here's the link to her website and blog. Check it out!

Briana's Blog
Briana's Scentsy Website