It's Halloweeeen Time!!!

Hi Everyone!

You will be getting an invitation in the mail here soon but we wanted to make sure you mark your calendars for our next FSA activity.

We will be having a HALLOWEEN BASH on Saturday, October 20^that 5:00pm.COUPLES and FAMILIES are invited for this SPOOKTACULAR time!

Start thinking about your favorite recipe because we’re having a CHILI COOK OFF complete with fun prizes! If chili cooking isn’t your thing, no worries, bring a fun treat to share instead! For those little goblins who don’t care for that stuff, there will be hotdogs!

Join us in a game of MUMMY WRAP along with other fun ghoulish ACTIVITIES for the kids!

Wear your COSTUMES! We will be having a costume parade and there will be PRIZES!

We will be door TRICK OR TREATING so bring a BAG of CANDY to hand out at your door!

Please be sure to RSVP with how many goblins are in your family and if you would like to bring chili or a dessert.

You can e-mail us at laytonfsa@gmail.com or message us on facebook

Hope to see you soon!

FSA Committee Meeting

Our next FSA Committee Meeting will be on Thursday, August 23rd at 1:00 pm at the Layton Agency. Everyone is welcome! We will be talking about future activities and what we would like to see happen with our chapter. We would LOVE everyone's input! 

If you would like to be involved but can't attend, please let us know. You are welcome to bring your kids. We will have a few toys and a treat to help keep them entertained.

Family Barbeque

2012 Regional Conference Service Projects

Each person who attends the Regional Conference this year is encouraged to sign up for a Service Project and donate the supplies needed to complete the project.  (Each project will cost approximately $1 - $6 and remember that this year there is no registration fee for the Conference!)

Service Projects will be done Friday evening so don't forget to bring the supplies required to complete your project.  Feel free to sign up for more than one project if you would like!

PROJECT OPTIONS & SUPPLIES:

1. Fleece Blankets

• Fleece (Pick one)

• Child: 1.5 yards of child appropriate printed fabric OR
• Young Adult/Adult: 2.0 yards of fabric suitable for young adult/adults

• Scissors
• Rotary Cutter/Mats (if desired)

2. Journals

• composition book* (8 ½ x 11 paper bound/no spiral please – see attached photo for reference)
• glue sticks
• scissors
• paper cutter (if desired)
• (3) sheets of coordinating scrapbook paper (We need journals for both girls and boys)
• embellishments coordinating with design

3. File Folder Games – “Kids Who Count” will provide copies of the games; you bring the rest of the supplies: 

• colored pencils  
• scissors  
• glue stick 
• (2) sheets of cardstock (any color) 
• (1) manila folder 

*Watch the back-to-school sales for good deals on the supplies!  

ORGANIZATIONS FSA IS SERVING through these projects:

Birth Mother Baskets 

Birth Mother Baskets {bmb} is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers gift baskets to birth mothers who have recently placed their babies for adoption.  These gift baskets hold so much more than just the tangible items inside of them.  They are filled with LOVE, warmth, and support.  bmb provides a loving voice saying, "you are not alone, you are loved, you are brave and yes, someone has felt this unbearable pain before."

Please, help us support these brace women who truly give the greatest gift of all . . . selfless LOVE.

West Ridge Academy 

West Ridge is designed to assist young people ages 9-18 who have a history of emotional and behavioral problems, low self-esteem, academic underachievement, substance abuse and family conflict.  

The purpose of West Ridge Academy is simple: to send a child home with a change of heart. We are consistently able to do this by applying our foundational principles of Family, Spirituality, Integrity, Work, Service and Gratitude. With each student, a Master Treatment Plan is individually developed and implemented, created specifically for each student’s needs 

The Road Home 

The Road Home is a private non-profit social service agency that assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County and along the Wasatch Front. Our mission is to help people step out of homelessness and back into our community.  

Originally established in 1923 to assist stranded travelers, the Road Home has grown to address a spectrum of needs that people experiencing homelessness encounter as they work to restore their lives. In addition to operating the largest shelter in Utah, the Road Home has developed a comprehensive housing program that helps people move into housing as quickly as possible. 

Utah Youth Village 

Utah Youth Village changes the lives of troubled children and families. The Village offers residential care in Treatment Foster Homes and in Group Homes. The Village also offers in-home help through Families First, an intensive program that teaches parents valuable skills. Other programs include Parenting For Success classes, therapy, and privately funded higher education grants for Village graduates. 

Kids Who Count

Kids Who Count is an early intervention program.  Early intervention provides services and support to families with children under the age of three with a disability or a delay in development.  Kids who Count provides services to families living within the Nebo School District. 

2012 FSA Utah Regional Conference- SCHEDULE & KEYNOTES

Have you REGISTERED yet?  Click HERE!

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

Friday, August 10^th

            8:00 - 8:30       Same day registration

            8:30 – 9:00      Check – in

            9:00 – 10:15    Keynote Address: Mark Glade 

                                    Music: Lyndsi Houskeeper

            10:30 – 11:20 Workshops

            11:30 – 1:00    Lunch break

            1:00 – 4:10      Workshops

            4:30 – 6:00      Dutch Oven Picnic

            6:00 – 8:00      Service Project

Saturday, Aug 11^th

            8:30 – 9:00      Same day registration / check-in (for those who are attending on Sat. only)

            9:00 – 10:15    Birthmother's Panel, Door Prizes

            10:30 – 12:30  Workshops

            12:30 – 2:00    Lunch break

            2:00 – 2:50      Workshops

            3:10 – 4:30      Keynote Address: Meg Johnson

                                    Music: Susan Felton

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Mark Glade: Commissioner of LDS Family Services 

Mark H. Glade, current Commissioner has worked for LDS Family Services for 35 years. His assignments have included agency director for five different agencies, including internationally in Birmingham, England. He has been a group manager for the UT South, UT SLC, Europe and Europe East Areas. Before becoming Commissioner, Mark was the group manager over Clinical Support Services. Mark has extensive experience in counseling, adoptive parent and birth parent services, developing professional training programs, and administrative service responsibilities. Mark has received much recognition, including Manager of the Year, The Kaizen Award, and Process Improvement Awards. He and his wife Kyla have six children and three beautiful grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading, outdoor activities, sports, and gospel study.

Meg Johnson: Author of “When Life Gets Hard. . .”

Meg Johnson has motivated tens of thousands of people across the globe with her motto: When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'! Meg fell off a cliff and broke her neck in 2004 and spent four months in the hospital recovering from multiple injuries and returned home without the use of her legs, back, stomach, or hands - a quadriplegic. Wheelchair bound and determined, Meg refuses to sit still. Since she was paralyzed, Meg has competed at the national Ms. Wheelchair America pageant in New York, winning the Spirit Award; founded and directs Ms. Wheelchair Utah; instituted a service outreach program; and authored several books. Her motivational CD, When Life Gets Hard, is available at book stores now. Meg’s newsletter, “Meg’s Monthly Message” is read by thousands in many countries across the globe. Let Meg help you past your own limitations and Keep on Rollin’! 

KEYNOTE MUSIC:

Lyndsi Houskeeper: Singer/Songwriter

Inspirational singer/songwriter Lyndsi Houskeeper has been performing since the age of just three years old. Now the mother of three beautiful children, she finds joy in writing and performing inspirational music. Youth and adults worldwide have come to know and love the hope-filled messages Lyndsi shares through her music and testimony at firesides and concerts. Lyndsi has produced eight of her ten original CD recordings including Let The Light In, Courageous and Strong, Higher, and her current CD for the Youth, Arise and Shine. Her latest collection, Music from a Mother's Heart, celebrates 10 years of Lyndsi's most loved songs, inspired by her sweet children. A highly requested vocalist and performer, Lyndsi shares her powerful, personal stories through song at numerous events for Youth and Women. It is her hope to allow others to feel of the love and assurance that comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has written songs for many other events and organizations including National Cancer Survivor’s Day and the PTA. Lyndsi regards her music as a special gift, and a chance to express her gratitude for the blessings and joy in her life. Lyndsi and her husband, Darin, enjoy spending time with their children and extended family and friends.

Susan Felton: Singer/Songwriter/Birthmother

SUSAN FELTON lives in Dallas, Texas, where she is about to start her first year of teaching. She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with her Bachelors of Science in Music, with a minor in Educational Psychology. Susan is a birthmother and has enjoyed an open adoption relationship for almost 10 years. She loves any opportunity to sing, and is a jack of all trades, filling her time with everything from baking and making cards to tiling and remodeling homes.

2012 FSA Utah Regional Conference- REGISTRATION OPEN!

This Conference is FREE and open to anybody touched by adoption!

DATES: August 10th and 11th

LOCATION: University of Utah Institute Building
1780 E. South Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, Utah

ONLINE REGISTRATION INFORMATION: http://www.regonline.com/utahfsa*

*To ensure sufficient quantities of food on Friday night, please pre-register by July 31st. Each conference attendee will need to sign up for the classes he/she wants to attend at the time of registration. Details and class descriptions will be available on the registration website. Registration for individual classes is first come, first serve. Classes will fill up fast, so register early!

 NOTE: Our purpose in registering for specific classes is to give us an idea of how many people will be attending each workshop so we can put them in appropriately sized classrooms. Classrooms in the Institute Building are much smaller than classrooms in a conference center. We encourage you to register early so we can make accommodations to meet your needs. To ensure getting a seat, please move to your selected classes quickly.

DRESS: Business Casual

CHILD CARE: No child care will be provided. Babes in arms are welcome; please make arrangements for older children.

MEALS: Lunch will be on your own.  A Dutch Oven Picnic will be provided on Friday evening.

QUESTIONS? Please Contact us at utahfsaconference@gmail.com

2012 FSA Statewide Conference- Utah

Beginning this year, the Families Supporting Adoption National Conference will be replaced by conferences held on regional or state-wide levels.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the FSA Statewide Conference for UTAH!

DATES:  August 10th and 11th
LOCATION:  University of Utah Institute Building
                                  1780 E. South Campus Dr.
                                     Salt Lake City, Utah
Details to come!

2011 Adoption Walk With Me

Chat Night with Kerstin Daynes

2011 Family Barbecue

Thanks to our wonderful Activities Committee and all who helped out, our recent Family Barbecue was a success!

Click HERE to see a slideshow of pictures.

Click to Enlarge

Family Barbecue

2011 FSA Conference- Registration Open!

“ROOTED IN LOVE"

2011 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

WHEN: August 12-13th

8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Banquet, August 12th, 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Davis Conference Center

1651 North 700 West, Layton, Utah

COST: $40.00 per individual (EACH ATTENDEE MUST REGISTER INDIVIDUALLY)  Cost will increase to $45 after July 15th

QUESTIONS:  Peggy Shepherd, 801-240-6052

shepherdpl@ldsfamilyservices.org

REGISTRATION:

www.regonline.com/familiessupportingadoption  

LODGING INFORMATION:

http://www.hiltongardeninn.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=SLCLAGI

Group Code:  LDSFAMILY

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Julie B. Beck, Relief Society General President Friday, August 12, 9 a.m. Julie Bangerter Beck served on the Young Women general board and as first counselor in the Young Women general presidency. She currently serves as the Relief Society general president. As part of her responsibilities, she is a member of the Church Board of Education and the Boards of Trustees for Church schools and universities, and she is on the executive and general councils for Church welfare and the Perpetual Education Fund. She is the mother of three children and is the grandmother of 14.  Dr. Karyn Purvis Saturday, August 13, 9 a.m.  Dr. Karyn Purvis has spent the past ten years developing research-based interventions for at-risk children. She is the coauthor of the 2007 book The Connected Child: Bringing Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family, and her projects have been featured on Dateline NBC and in Newsweek, Parents Magazine, and other popular magazines. Dr. Purvis is a former foster mother and speaks frequently to national and international groups.           Special Guest Charles "Chuck" Johnson August 12, 5:30 (Banquet) Chuck Johnson is president and CEO of the National Council For Adoption (NCFA) and director of the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Initiative. He is the primary editor of NCFA’s Consider the Possibilities curriculum and of the Adoption Advocate, a monthly publication of NCFA. He is also the project manager and editor/writer of the Intercountry Adoption Journey: Hague-Compliant Training from NCFA. He is a father by adoption.

Celebrating Adoption Walk

Click Image to Enlarge

Eric and Heather's Adoption Journey- Part Five

Eric and Heather are a prospective adoptive couple who are sharing their experiences in a series of guest posts about what it’s like to go through the adoption process with LDS Family Services. Eric and Heather hope that by sharing their experiences others will feel the same peace and support they have received and gain a better understanding of how the adoption process works.

Click on the following to read their previous posts:

Eric and Heather’s Adoption Journey- Part One

Eric and Heather's Adoption Journey- Part Two

Eric and Heather's Adoption Journey- Part Three

Eric and Heather's Adoption Journey- Part Four

Part Five:  The Adoption Education Classes

We really didn’t know what to expect when we arrived at the adoption education classes. We had talked to a few other couples who had attended other classes in years past but no one we had talked to had ever done courses over an entire weekend. I guess the classes used to be held one evening a week for eight consecutive weeks. For us, doing it in one weekend worked really well because I serve in Young Women’s and Eric is the Scout Master so often times we have other commitments during the week.

The classes were for three hours on Friday and then all day on Saturday. Honestly, we thought that this could quite possibly make for some really long days, but we were pleasantly surprised. By the end, I was actually kind of disappointed how quickly it all went by.

On Friday, we spent a good majority of the time just getting to know the other couples in the class. We had a fairly small group with about ten couples. We started by introducing ourselves and providing a brief explanation of what brought us to LDS Family Services. It was amazing to me how almost instantly we had a bond and connection with each couple in the room. It was so comforting to be talking and listening to people who were in the same situation as us. After we got to know each other a little better, we spent the remainder of the evening talking about what we were expecting throughout the remainder of the adoption process and learning a little more about LDS Family Services.

During breakfast on Saturday, we were able to take some time and get to know the other couples and members of FSA a little better before starting the actual classes. We spent the first portion of the morning going over Blue Step. Blue Step is the online program that each couple provides information on their background, family, and preferences. Each social worker took some time to go over each portion, provide input and answer questions. This was really helpful for us because after hearing how the program works and hearing the social worker's perspective about certain things, Eric and I actually went through and made a few minor changes to our profile.

Throughout the rest of the day, there were a variety of panels who spoke about their adoption journey, and we had the opportunity to hear the perspective of some children and teenagers who were adopted, and even learn about other alternatives, such as international and special needs adoption. I found these panels to be so incredibly helpful and each person had a different story and a different perspective and that was really beneficial to hear. It made us realize how we are all in very similar situations but everyone’s story is so unique and every person handles things different. 

My absolute favorite part of the entire weekend was when they brought in these three absolutely incredible birth moms into the room. We had the privilege of inviting family members to come listen and I am so grateful for that we could have some of our family be there with us. When these three beautiful women walked in, a very sweet spirit followed them. As we sat and listened to their stories, everyone in the room could feel of their incredible strength and their love for their child. I honestly can’t even begin to describe the feelings that I felt and the love that I felt for these women who I didn’t even know. Each of them had an amazing story and I know that it took so much strength for each of them to come share that with us and be willing to answer questions. These three women left a lasting impression on Eric and I and they have inspired countless conversations about these amazing young girls and women who have placed their child for adoption. Before the classes we had discussed how much we admire and respect women who have the courage to do what these women have done, but neither Eric nor I have ever really known or talked to a birth mom, making this experience so tender to both of us. This truly was an invaluable experience that I know we will cherish and remember forever.