“Jessica and Michelle Arrington of Kissimmee, Florida,” Friend, Apr. 1997, 32
Making Friends:
Jessica and Michelle Arrington of Kissimmee, Florida
As you can see in the photos, Jessica (9) and Michelle (5) Arrington are very busy. They have two busy brothers—Adam (11) and Benjamin (2). With four children and a fifth on the way, their mother is also very busy. Their father is the bishop of Kissimmee Florida Ward; he is very busy too.
Jessica and Shelley (Michelle’s nickname) do chores, of course, but most of their busyness is in doing things with each other, their brothers, and their friends. For instance, on rainy days the sisters like to dress up and put on plays.
Shelley likes to pretend that she is an animal, and she has taught Ben to pretend that he is an animal too. Sometimes they pretend that Shelley is an animal that is a pet, like a dog, and Ben is the pet’s owner.
The girls keep “spiritually busy” too. They participate in Primary—Jessica is especially busy in the award programs—regular family scripture study, and family home evenings. The family took Dad’s nonmember parents with them to the Orlando Florida Temple open house. And both girls know the value of prayer.
Shelley has a prayer rock that her Primary teacher gave her to help her remember to pray each night and morning. Once she had a terrible nightmare, and after asking for Heavenly Father’s help, she went peacefully to sleep and the nightmare didn’t come back.
Jessica has had her prayers answered too. For example, when a friend lost some very important pictures, Jessica prayed that they would be found—and in less than an hour, they were found!
Both Jessica and Shelley find it hard to not go outside and play with their friends on Sundays, but they don’t because they love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and want to obey the commandments and live with Them again someday.
1. Jessica
2. Michelle (Shelley)
3. “Wrestling”
4. Planting flowers
5. Adam’s tree fort—a wonderful place to play, pretend, and plan!
6. Shelley riding her favorite “bucking bronco”
7. Jessica diving into the pool at the ward Easter party held on Saturday at the Pratt home
8. Near the entrance to the Orlando Florida Temple
9. Cartwheels on the lawn
10. Sister Durfee taught Jessica’s Primary class a lesson on the beautiful world Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ gave us. Then the class made spring flowers with lollipops in the centers.
11. Making a big tent for all four brothers and sisters to play in, in Jessica’s room
12. Brock and Connor Allen live next door. Shelley and Jessica love to go there and help the boys’ mother by playing with them on their backyard play center. Adam and Ben sometimes join them.
13. Sister Brannen’s lesson in Shelley’s Primary class was about the Resurrection. Shelley is helping her by holding up a picture of the resurrected Christ.
14. Adam holding a picture for a family home evening lesson