General RS Meeting and Dinner

Okay, in August I was up in Utah at a restaurant and saw this darling balloon flower at another table...and snapped a picture with my phone.

I came home and told my presidency we just HAD to do this for the RS dinner coming up. They all looked at each other like, oh boy, that looks like a lot of work...but despite the hesitation we pressed forward and figured out our color scheme based on the fact my counselor just had a wedding reception done in red/black and white. We found out a friend in our ward was a balloon animal expert and he accepted the challenge to help us. He taught Calla and our secretary how to make some while he assembled the others. I stood at the grocery store while a girl aired up the balloons with helium (that took 2 1/4 hours). My counselor and another helper drove the balloons (put in big plastic church garbage bags) to the Church as we got ready. The green stems weren't filled with helium, just hot air from Bro. Shumway's lungs.

So we used all of her table decor, adding the balloon flowers to the other tables and Jerusalem artichoke (yellow) flowers to add the final touch. So CUTE!

SIDE STORY: Okay, this was not a stress-free day. The first 3 flowers that were blown up with helium did not have a special "goo" put in them to make them last all day, and they weren't aired up as full as the other 7. So about 3 p.m. when I ran back to the church to add the fresh flowers, the three of them were laying down on their tables. ACK! Luckily, I had filled up some extra balloons and they were in a bag in the multi-purpose room, already on long strands of ribbon. Phew! I put 3 together and replaced the "dead" flowers. I sat the dead flowers on the stage and floor and they still looked so cute.

ANOTER SIDE STORY: Okay, again, there were little stresses. Like, Calla accidentally bringing a lone balloon into the cultural hall and playing with it. Only problem was, she lost her hold and it floated to the ceiling. That was my biggest fear that day. I DIDN'T want any free-spirited balloons floating up on the ceiling. I looked at her in frustration, then the wheels started turning. We got in the car and ran and got Calla's BB gun. Yes, we brought a firearm into the Church. Calla is a "one shot wonder." Got it her first attempt. Yeah Calla!

I confessed to the Stake President that night...he finished my story before I could. I said, "How did you know?" He said the Lord told him. Gulp. He laughed.

Homecoming Parade

It's a tradition each year to end school half-day on the Friday of Homecoming, for a little parade featuring the high school football team, cheerleaders, royalty, band and class floats. Calla was excited to ride on a fire truck. She threw Tootsie rolls out to the onlookers and at some football players on the truck in front of hers.

We beat St. Johns at the game that night, and the cheer squad performed their "state" competition routine for the first time. Homecoming week has other traditions, one of which had Calla decorating two of the football players bedrooms with streamers, confetti, candy and a new pillowcase. Mark and I went to the big assembly Friday morning and watched her perform there also. Fun times!