Education Week

Back in 2004 I had the chance, thanks to my spectacular mother, to go to Education Week. This year, thanks to my spectacular mother-in-law, I've been able to go again. Except this week, so far, it has been like Education Week on steroids; I've gotten there at 9:30 and made it home tonight (after a necessary stop at the Creamery for some amazing graham cracker ice cream) at 9:00. It's an amazing experience to go and have your bucket filled until you don't think it can hold any more, but it's only Tuesday!

Hansen Planetarium

For the 3rd grade field trip we got to go to the Hansen Planetarium! The best thing about not working is being able to volunteer for things like this!

Enrichment...

In the interest of full disclosure I'm going to admit something... I generally don't attend Enrichment Meeting! Sometimes it just seems to be one more meeting (that happens to land on the same night as scouts), so since we've moved (a year and a half ago) I only went to one meeting until December when I was asked to help on the committee (possibly because I had only been to one meeting). Then this month I was asked to help again, so naturally I attended the Relief Society Birthday Party. Even being on the committee I did not realize what an amazing night had been planned. Everyone was invited, brothers also, to a dinner and then to hear Sister Gracia Jones speak. Gracia Jones is the Great Great Granddaughter of Joseph Smith and the first of his descendants to be baptised when she was 18. She's written two books; Joseph and Emma, as well as Emma and Lucy. She told us of her conversion and of her desire to share the gospel, especially with all of Joseph's descendants. She read a couple of things that Emma had written that were so touching and profound. I'd never thought a lot about what Emma's life had been like after the saints traveled west and she stayed in Nauvoo. Sister Jones encouraged everyone to watch the movie Emma Smith: My Story and pointed out that when Emma stayed she cared for Lucy Mack Smith, whose health prevented her from traveling west with Brigham Young although she would have gone otherwise, also, she preserved several homes that are still standing, and also had something to do with the preservation of the Kirtland temple. She had several artifacts, including a small tea pot, that had been owned by Emma and Joseph and an enormous roll of paper that had the names and information of 1100 of their descendants (she told us that the family organization now has 1800 names).

More than truly just enjoying this speaker, I realize that there might be something to this Enrichment stuff after all! Who knows, this could turn into a habit!