Today is MaryAnn's Birthday - so like last week this makes this weeks heroine a 'no-brainer.' MaryAnn Kohl has been my friend since we moved to Rhode Island 5 1/2 years ago. Her husband Gary was the first person to greet me in the new ward and she was the second. It is usually that way. If someone new appears and we don't know a name or how long they are going to be here we go and ask the Kohl's because they more than likely met them upon entering the chapel.
MaryAnn and I cemented our friendship when we worked together in the Relief Society Presidency together. She was the first counselor and I was the second. Then Clyde and I were called as Temple Ordinance Workers and deliberately chose Friday evenings so we could attend the same evening as the Kohl's. It has made a wonderful experience even more joyous.
MaryAnn is the mother of 8 wonderful children. I have to come to love her children, daughter-in-laws, son-in-laws and grandchildren by reading their blogs and tracking them on the internet. Plus MaryAnn has wonderful 'grandma' stories to share with me. I have been included in planning of 4 of the Kohl weddings and that has been really fun to share.
MaryAnn's biggest claim to fame outside of her family is her love of family history. Currently she and Gary are regional family history representatives. They go in with this new Family Search and teach it and help people understand it better. She is also the primary substitute secretary for fulltime secretaries at the Boston Temple. She is has a part-time responsibilty at the temple but with her filling in as secretary she can usually take care of her part-time office responsibility then too. If she can't she just goes in early on a Friday before her temple shift in the evening and does it. There are many Fridays that she works from early in the morning until 10:00 when we, as Ordinance Workers can go home (actually later if we have had to run an extra session) and then she has had to be back at the temple at 7:30 the next morning. It takes at least 1hour 30 minutes to drive to the temple (on a very good day!) so it makes for a very hectic couple of days for MaryAnn on those weekends.
MaryAnn is also our nursery leader. Because of her regional calling they have been trying to release her but for some reason people think the nursery is the worst calling in the Church and also feel that they can say no to that calling when they would never dream of saying no to something else. Or better yet, we get assistants called for her and they never come to help. As with every other ward - our nursery is our biggest class though not as large as most wards.
I thank the Lord daily for my friendship of MaryAnn. She has truly been one of the greatest blessings of Rhode Island.
I hate making this so long but I have to add quick little note. This last Saturday I went over to get Ashley to help me decorate the tree. She was running a fever and so sick she had forgotten I was coming (which is saying a lot as to how sick she was!) I spoke with Karyn and asked if I could have Taylor instead. She wondered at my sanity because how could an 8-year-old help? Taylor was amazing. She decorated the tree beautifully. It is a little bottom heavy and there are some limbs where there 3-5 ornaments and other limbs where there are none, but I am not changing it. It is great and because of a cold front that was coming through my arthritis was so bad I could hardly move. The best part was when I took out the little Hallmark village. I thought she was going to die of sheer delight! She carefully unwrapped each little house/shop and examined it and then she set them out. Last year Clyde got tired of people picking them up and knocking 4 or 5 down in the process, so we set them up on 2 large lazy Susan's now so you can see into the backs and the fronts all face in. This will work great for maybe 1 or 2 more and then we will be right back to having to stick a few around other places. I have 22 now! Anyway - Taylor was a joy and at the perfect age because she is sitting on the fence. Since everyone knows that I believe in Santa - Karyn new she would be safe with me. She wants this to go as long as she can since this is their youngest and really probably the last year Taylor will really believe.
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