I'm game Kaye. Let's start a subject going. Okay, I'll pick a topic. Family Home Evening I have two young children at home a 3 year old and a 5 year old, both girls. I'm always looking for Family Home Evening Topics. Our FHE usually lasts about 10 minutes because the attention span isn't any longer than that. I do try to talk about the FHE subject all week just in general conversation with the girls. (That way they get a lesson without realizing they're getting a lesson.) With the recent passing of two of our apostles this gave me a great opportunity to talk about apostles. I also have an LDS clip art CD that I print a picture out for the girls to color as part of the lesson. They like that a lot. I'd love some ideas of what others are doing for FHE with young children. Okay - you're turn. Melody

Hi Kathy - My name is Melody and I live in Shoshone, Idaho. Thank you for sharing a little about your life and congratulations on doing what you needed to do to become re-acquainted with the church. When I was 17 years old my family moved from Southern California to Rupert, Idaho. I hated it! LDS were a minority in the town I lived in, in California so we were expected to set a good example. When I moved to Idaho, the LDS were a dime a dozen and the kids my age bragged in church about the drinking and partying they did the night before. I felt like I wasn't in the same church anymore. None of the other youth in the new ward even acknowledged I was present, let alone spoke to me (being fat certainly didn't help my popularity). I went to Ricks College - loved it but went back to Rupert and back to the same uncaring, unfeeling ward. This led me to be inactive. As a result I married a non-member. My husband threatened to divorice me if I went to church. I had really low self esteem because of my weight and I believed him. When our third child was 7 years old I decided that I needed to take these children to church. My husband and I moved from Rupert to Shoshone. The ward in Shoshone was awsome. Much like the ward I left in California. I told my husband that we were going to church and he didn't care. I'm sad about all the years I wasted by not attending church. My husband even let all three of our children get baptized. My husband is real supportive of the children going to church (although he has NO interest in going with us). When my son turned 12 and time to receive the priesthood, my husband refused to allow it. In the church my husband attends the mature men are deacons. My husband saw how some of the 12 year old boys acted (like 12 year old kids) and he thought that was being disrespectful to the office of the deacon in a church. We have since had 2 more children. My husband has been very supportive of our going to church. He even gave permission for me to receive my temple endowments. My son stopped going to church when he wasn't able to participate fully in all the activities of the young men (passing the sacrament, doing baptisms for the dead, etc). My son is now turning 21 and isn't interested in the church (breaks my heart). My other 4 children are all girls and they are very active in church. My children have paid an awful price for my marrying out of the church. We have NO priesthood in our home. I miss it terribly. Reads like I've written a book. I'm looking forward to visiting with you and getting to know you. Melody

Thanks for sharing - it sounds like your visit to Nauvoo was wonderful! I went there 200 years ago when I was 12. (ok it was only 23 years ago but it feels like 200) but so much has changed since then!! I am an 8th generation member of the church. I have 3 wonderful but very challenging kids - one with autism, one with bipolar disorder, and one with extreme ADHD - A challenge a minute, but a reward an hour. I had open RNY on 3/2 of this year and have lost 102 lbs so far. I feel great. I just got a new used car that is the nicest car I have ever driven (leather interior, cd changer, etc.) and I feel like a million bucks in my thinner body, nice car, new used clothes from other wls buddies, etc... I have never had this much confidence!! (I have gone from a size 34 to a size 18-20.) Well, I need to run - my youngest (the autistic one) is yelling and my oldest (the bipolar one) is going nuts about it... she cant deal with noise in the morning. Take care, Sherrie

Donna, Welcome home!! Glad to hear things went well. The walking will come with time. I am 1 month out today and JUST starting to walk in a routine (whatever that is). Get some rest. Love, Gala

You know Kaye you have a really good point. I am not sure what I would do. I know that I dont' like going to enrichment and haven't went in over a year. Heck it has been much longer than that. I have had a really hard time with going to church since we moved to this branch. I grew up in the branch (well fromt he time I was baptised as a teen ager) and I was very skinny. All of the kids I grew up w/are all off and gone. However, their parents are still here. Our branch has grown and isn't just "older" people. But I still feel very uncomfortable. I am 1 of maybe 2 very overweight members of the branch (Not including my husband who also just had WLS). And extra activities like enrichment are something that I stay away from. Really I always have. But since moving here I think I have went 1-2 times in 2.5 yrs. So...I am thinking my advice on this one wouldn't be the best. Gala