In the Zone

Zone Conferences are in full swing. To which I say, "stop swinging! You're making me motion sick!"  Sorry, I've completely cracked up. 

As evidence of my cracked brain, I was at Costco when someone's phone rang.  I thought it was funny that someone had taken the time to make the exact same ring tone I had made for Thomas.  What are the odds?  Rebecca finally had to take my phone out of my pocket and answer it. 

Because the Zone Conference schedule is off with the extra conferences of Goobye to Old President and then Hello to New President, it has been tricky getting food for all these missionaries.  The stake Relief Societies have been great but with all the schedule changes it has been confusing for everyone.  Between vacations, availabilty and the conferences without enough warning (I told the assistants that if they didn't get the calendar set they would be practicing the Law of Fasting) I am responsible for the food for about half of the conferences.

Now some loca chica (I'm looking at you SWP) would love this.  I don't even like cooking for my family.  So Sister Costco to the rescue.  I'm sure that I am giving fits to the Martha Stewarts out there but I can feed 48 people with 20 minutes of actual work and no table cloth.  Is it a feast to behold? No, it is not.  Does it feed hungry Elders and not-as-hungry Sisters? Yes.  Somewhere, a mission president's wife is feeling a disturbance in the force--like millions of Relief Society presidents crying out at once.  Me? I'm handing out pudding cups. 

Plus, the true genius of my lazy plan is that the zones that are having lovely RS meals will never know their compatriots are having to peel their own oranges.  Well, the assistants will know but since we've already discussed how they figure into the equation, they are glad I didn't follow through on the fasting threat.

On the spiritual side, Ken is doing a great job of  teaching about having the Faith to Find, which of course begins with having Faith.  He is such a great teacher.  He is definitely a Preach My Gospel kind of president which is great if you are a Preach My Gospel missionary (hint: you should be). 

I have a few minutes to give a shortish lesson/thought/message/whatever.  I think I accidentally called a zone to repentance the other day.  It wasn't the plan going in but sometimes you just have to tell it like you get it.  It was an interesting experience. 

I'm still trying to take care of all the school registration.  Good grief people, they're coming to school not taking over the tri-state area.  My favorite form was a health screening that you MUST have or dire things would happen.  Unless you signed a different form saying you didn't want to do the screening.  I opted out of the MUST have and await the dire consequences of not having Matthew screened for lead poisoning.

So wish me luck.  I have three more groups to feed, school counselors and registrars to battle and more trips to Costco to plan.  In the words of Prince Humperdink, "I'm swamped."  But, I am off to read to the kids (and it is really too bad you all aren't reading with us because we are reading some old tandem stories my siblings and I wrote 15 years ago and they are so funny I can barely get the words out).   That is if we can ever get Matthew out of the shower...