Nostalgic and Strange

  

Thirty-seven years, and almost 7 months ago I was married in the Idaho Falls temple in the above shoes.  For months and maybe years, I would go to the temple with my mom and Judy and look at my shoes and say, "I really should get myself some new temple slippers."  Part of me just never got around to it, and another side of me was having a hard time letting go.  Well, a few days ago Judy sent me a belated b-day present and guess what it was, you can see them, new temple slippers. 

  

 While they are very pretty, and much needed, I have to say it was hard throwing away my old shoes.  Amy rescued me in the nick of time.  Thankfully I had thrown them away in one of my many packing garbage's, so no food or gross stuff in it.  She said I should save them put them in a shadow box and hang them up in my sewing room.   I have to say that made me feel so much better about my new shoes, and I love the idea of keeping my old ones in a shadow box. Thank you Amy!!!!

The pic below is my life right now!

                     Even though I am totally excited, happy and giddy about moving, it is strange to take pics off of the walls, empty out my tea party stuff and see boxes everywhere.  We are going to take some down to the house this week and put them in our locked closet because we no longer need it for the rental.  It normally has cleaning suplies, extra pillows and etc. Now I am going to get a little head start and put our extra things that go in our bedroom and bathroom that we don't have to have right now.  I am excited to get rid of a few boxes. 

Well I hit pay dirt last night.  I was doing my last minute shopping at Freddies and asked them if they had any boxes, did they have boxes, YES!!! I was so excited.  I got a ton of banana boxes and some other kinds.  I don't know if that is all I will need, but its a good amount for now.  

My parents are coming tomorrow.  We have our big dinner for Christmas on Christmas Eve, so no packing most likely tomorrow.  Then maybe mom and I will pack some on Christmas, or just be lazy.  I don't know which right now.  Even though it is exhausting, it is stressful to know it needs to be done and I am staring at it!

Even though I might be talking to you all, have a

 VERY MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!!

Started Packing and life's lessons

We started packing!!! Hooray!! We will start moving back officially on December 31st,  2 WEEKS and 2 DAYS.  We are excited we can hardly stand it.  I think that is the only thing that is getting me through NO decorations and no family except my parents for Christmas.   We got all the holiday stuff up in the in our attic at Idaho Street and a lot of other stuff in the high attic there also.  It felt so good. I have packed all the Tea party stuff, salt shakers, and all my breakables in the Sewing room.  I also packed the whole sewing room, except for the machines and some basics in case there is a sewing need before then.  Finished all the Christmas stuff on Tuesday and got it mailed off that day. It felt good.  Am packing every day now, going through and getting rid of things.  Had the back of my van full of bags and boxes that I took to St. Vinnies.  It is feeling gooood!  Almost every day is packing or sorting now. 

We had our Christmas party last night.  The Primary was in charge I found out less than a month ago.  It went wonderful, but next year I will plan a little better.

Yesterday was an interesting experience.   I wrote about my fast I had, well since then I have been focusing on enjoying the moment and being pretty successful.  I have pretty much accepted the speed with which things are going.  Yesterday at the end of the day I was so happy I could hardly stand it.  As I wrote in my journal, it was a great day!  But as I wrote I realized it wasn't a great day.  I wasn't depressed as I wrote, more amazed at the way the end of the day made the whole day seem great.  It went like this.  I got up and exersized, so far so good, then stared making cookies and brownies (for the Branch Christmas party). Was exhausted so took a much needed break (it was a very physical week) watched a cute Hallmark Christmas movie, kept feeling like I should take my shower then finish the movie-didn't listen to the prompting-then the phone rang.  It was one of our vacation renters, I had forgotten to tell our cleaning lady to go in and it was one of the times they had paid for cleaning.  It was just about 1 1/2 hours before we had to leave to go to the church.  Remember, I hadn't showered since Thursday, and it is Saturday, I had done the elliptical-sweaty- plus greasy hair by now.  I call the cleaning lady and her car is in the shop, no way to get down to the house to clean.  I have to take her.  I jump in the car to her house which is in Newport, about 7 or 8 min away-got back to our vacation rental, remember how I look, go to the door, apologize in person.  Fly back home with 20 minutes to get dressed, no time for a shower, I still have to pack my cookies and brownies.  I call someone else to pick up the Santa suit, because now there is no time for us to do that (I acutally had that all covered then our Santa canceled at the last minute)  I have a tension headache by now.  Now I have about 10 minutes to put on my makeup, clean clothes on my dirty body, (thank goodness I had planed to wear my Santa Hat!!) and roar out of the house with Steve to pick up one of our sweet primary boys that we have adopted so to speak.  Steve drops us off, runs back to our rental to pick up the cleaning lady and take her home.  I start setting up with Merlin (he's my 11 year old adoptee) wondering where my counselors are.  After about 15 minutes one of them shows up, her son helps us and her husband goes to get the Santa suit.  Still no 2nd counselor.  Then we look for table cloths, we find some Christmassy ones that don't really fit, but oh well they work.  We go to get the cups and etc, NO CUPS!!  Debbie my counselor calls her husband to pick up some cups on his way back to the church.  In the meantime my other counselor finally comes in and she has no decorations.  We ask as sweetly as we can where they are, and she said they are supposed to be there.  Nope they aren't.  Oh well too late worry about that.  People start coming we are all set up but no Pianist!  I call Chris and she says "I'm coming"  in a very lackadaisical tone of voice.  Then the party starts, I ask the branch Pres if he is conducting, he says"no you're in charge".  Okay I ask Steve to say the opening prayer, I realize I am going to lead our singing time.  By now I am acutally starting ot relax and having a really good time.  Santa comes in and we hit the jackpot!!! He better never move as long as I am Primary Pres. (his wife is my amazing counselor, so I really don't want them to move).  He was the best Santa I have ever seen.  He actually talked to the kids walked around and talked to the adults quickly and then we all yelled goodbye to him.  Everyone ate, I got to visit with all my Primary kids and the adults.  We had yummy treats and plenty of them.  It was a success.  Everyone loved it and lots of people stayed and cleaned up.  On our way home we took the stuff out of the back of my car that went in the high attic at Idaho street, and kept looking at each other like two little kids on Christmas morning, talking about the move back.  All the way home I kept saying "I am soooo Happy!!!"  I learned that in the end, everything always works out, one by one everything came together just at the right time.  I also thought it was interesting that I had totally forgotten how the day was actually kind of hard.  When the day was over it felt great.  I told the primary kids today in Sharing time that the reason I as so happy, ( I told them a VERY abbreviated version) was because I was serving and when we serve we feel the love and light of Christ.  Our sharing time was  about Christ being the "life and the light". 

I am grateful Heavenly Father loves us so much that he gives us learning experiences.  I love my calling.  I feel privileged to serve these great little kids.  It helps with the grandma ache I get off and on when I look at the blogs. 

love you all!!!

Fasting

My life right now has 3 big things.  Getting ready to move, WW's having a new program and tons of reading, studying, test taking and etc, and last but not least, Primary. 

I found out 2 weeks ago that the Primary is in charge of the Christmas party.  Thank goodness for an amazing counselor who loves the internet and is always coming up with new ideas.  Some days it's overwhelming, but lately I have decided to look at her as my idea woman.  She's my Jarad of the Brother of Jarad story.  It's great I've decided. (I am not comparing me to the brother of Jarad!!!!) Then there is the whole getting ready for the New year, bulliten boards the theme and etc. 

So combine all that with regular chores and Christmas and I  was going to bed crying every night as I would hit my knees to say my night time prayer.  I have all but quit watching TV unless it's a movie with Steve at night. I havn't been able to talk to people as much on the phone, and leisure has disappeared.  So as I would get down to say my prayers I would be so overwhelmed by all I have to do and feeling like I wasn't getting anywhere that it was getting really stressful and quite frankly depressing in a way I haven't been in a long time.

Saturday as fast Sunday approached I thought, "what do I want to fast about.  I felt strongly (Holy Ghost telling you strongly) that I was to fast about how to get everything done and not be depressed.  So I did.  I listened carefully to the Testimonies and got some thoughts. Then during the 1st Pres Christmas Message the answer came.  I have noticed for sometime that Pres.  Monson says that it is possible to be happy in hard times, and I have generally looked at life in a positive vein.  But Sunday it hit me in a way it never had, all 3 of them talked about looking for the blessings in a little different way.  I realized that what I needed to do was when I got down to say my prayers and when I write in my journal I need to thank Heavenly Father for all the good things that happened that day.  Not think about all the things I still have to do and what I didn't get done.  Instead I just started thanking Heavenly Father for everything that specifically went well that day, not just the normal things.  I came to know in a way I never have before that when Pres Monson says there are more good things in our lives than bad, he is RIGHT!!!!  I went on and on, and then this morning and through the day I thought of even more things that went well yesterday.  There truly are way more things that go good in a day, not the generic, grateful things that are always there, but lots of little things and big things that don't happen every day.  I woke up with a happy spirit. 

Love you all!!

Thanksgiving

Since Danielle is all grown up and not around to talk me into buying fun holiday things, I have to go around and open my eyes for a change and talk myself into to buying fun holiday things.  I couldn't resist these two.

The holiday season is going to be different this year.  No chillins and grandbabies.  For Thanksgiving we are having my parents and two of my cousins that I have only met one other time.  One is married and has a 10 year old girl, the other is single.  They are 2 of my Aunt Leona's children.  It should be nice.  I am making all the food and my mom is making all the treats.  Which means we will be doing about the same number of things :-).

I won't be decorating much this year as we are moving back to our "beloved" as Steve would say, Idaho Street home!  Yay!!!  So since I like to decorate big, and that takes a week at least and then a few days taking it all down, I won't be decorating much.  I think maybe the tree and a Santa... or maybe 2?  It will be hard for me, but I have lots to do.  I want to go through every drawer, cupboard, and closet so we don't take what won't fit as well as what we don't need!  I am actually excited about that.  I also am going to paint my sewing room down there before we move and a few other odds and ends.  I have primary to do also and of course everyday life, soooo busy busy busy!  Because of that I think with the exception of Scarlet I will be sending everyone a check for Christmas this year.  Well, that's all for today!  Love you all!! 

Breakfast and Misc Pics

I was exercising on my elliptical this morning and was watching Chef Brad do his Thanksgiving Special from last year, when it popped in my head that I didn't have any cooked grains in my pressure cooker or my fridge. I have had eggs the last two days.   Now years ago if you had asked me my favorite breakfast, I probably would have said eggs and toast or a scone.  Now I still love those, but when I think of breakfast now days I think of whole grains.  I have my favorites- spelt, Kumut, farro, oat groats.  But I make all kinds. I feel like I am treating my body to the healthiest thing I can eat.  So after exercising and being entertained and reminded of how to cook a Turkey the Chef Brad way, I went upstairs sad about breakfast.  Then I thought there has got to be a grain that cooks fast.  By now I am very hungry.  I look on my chart and the first one-Amaranth!  So I made some amaranth.  Now I don't know if it's up there on the top of my list, but it is definitely a good one.  I added mixed berries, my flax, which I have to say after several days without my ground flax I felt all warm and fuzzy when I got it out of the cupboard to grind it up, organic brown sugar, coconut oil and ah... as Chef Brad would say, "perfection!"   I am a happy girl!

This is a tea pot that Rebecca's family got me for my b-day.

 When Rebecca and the girls gave me this I thought it was so beautiful, but I was so tired from babysitting that it didn't occur to me the connection of Alice and the " tea party".  I had to laugh at myself that it took me so long to connect the two of it being a tea party scene and I would be using it for the tea parties!
This year I went to a party with some WW friends on Halloween .

 Last but not least, I had to blog these, my mom made them for me for my b-day!  Fun Fun!!

 
 Well, I need to get busy, so I will post the other presents another day.  Love you all!!!

Grains and Happiness Project

Well, I have lots to blog, but am probably only going to blog a little.  Chef Brad has started again...ahhh love that show.  It motivates me to eat well, and to try to incorporate more grains in my food.  Lizzie got me some GREAT grain cookbooks for my b-day.  They are written like a novel.  I love them.  They really motivate me.  I am hoping to start cooking more things like that.

I have been reading the Happiness Project.  It is really good.  I realized that I don't do things I really love.  One thing I realized is I do like to cook, but I don't do fun new things.  I just cook boring things.  I watch chef brad make these cool breads and I get all excited and want to do them.  It is weird how hard it is for me to do things I love.  I love to paint, but am afraid to do it on my own unless I am taking a class.  So why don't I take a class?  I love to sew for myself- why don't I?  I love to take pictures, now that it's easier to post them, I need to take pics and post them.

I have decided it is about habits and routines.  At WW's this coming year, one of the things they are going to focus on is routines.  I have thought a lot about that.  I got about 8 pounds above goal for the first time in almost a year.  That really threw me and puzzled me.  When I started reading the new focus on routines I really I realized that my routines were interrupted so many times since June that I couldn't seem to get back into my routine.  I stared to think about routines in general.  If doing fun things are not a part of your routine, you won't do them.  So I am going to try to figure out which thing I want to incorporate first and make it happen.

One of my counselors in Primary (Joy King)  told me that she never does her hobbies unless she wants too.  She say's if she makes herself do them it becomes work.  But it was clear, being in her two room craft area that she does do things she loves.  So normally I would go into the sewing room and sew Mach nine with my hair on fire to finish Brighton's quilt.  But when Joy said that I thought I am going to sew when I am in the mood.  It has been so much fun.  I stopped when I was tired.  I have wanted to sew more than I have, but again I seem to cheat myself of fun.  So that is what I am going to work on this year more than the 50 thousand things she does in her book (the happiness project lady)  I am going to start recognizing and doing things I love.  And I am going to remember I am doing it for me and that is a good thing.

I think when you have a big family and you spend so much time serving, it is hard to change gears and say it's okay to do something for me, or something for someone else but take time to enjoy it.  Plan far enough ahead to be able to enjoy the process.  Well, duty is calling.  love you all!

Mixed emotions

Well, I was doing the dishes after watching Fox News for most of the day feeling very depressed.  Thinking this ranks right up there with one of the most depressing things I have ever experienced, Mitt Romney losing the election.  Then my mind thought, no it's not that bad, but still very depressing.  Then for some reason my heart started to feel lighter.  I thought of some of the things that have happened in our family that have been really bad, Amy's cancer, Danielle, Clay, and Scarlet getting Lyme disease.  There are other things more personal.  I can think of nations that suffer tremendously.  Do I think our country is headed down the wrong road?  YES I DO!  But is the gospel still true? YES.  Do I have a family that loves me and each other? YES I DO!  I could go on and on.  

Pres. Monson Said: "We live in a unique time in the world’s history. We are blessed with so very much. And yet it is sometimes difficult to view the problems and permissiveness around us and not become discouraged. I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness.

My brothers and sisters, the Lord is in all of our lives. He loves us. He wants to bless us. He wants us to seek His help. As He guides us and directs us and as He hears and answers our prayers, we will find the happiness here and now that He desires for us. May we be aware of His blessings in our lives

Let us be of good cheer as we go about our lives. Although we live in increasingly perilous times, the Lord loves us and is mindful of us. He is always on our side as we do what is right. He will help us in time of need. Difficulties come into our lives, problems we do not anticipate and which we would never choose. None of us is immune. The purpose of mortality is to learn and to grow to be more like our Father, and it is often during the difficult times that we learn the most, as painful as the lessons may be. Our lives can also be filled with joy as we follow the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord admonished, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”¹ What great happiness this knowledge should bring to us. He lived for us and He died for us. He paid the price for our sins. May we emulate His example. May we show our great gratitude to Him by accepting His sacrifice and living lives that will qualify us to return and one day live with Him."

The above quotes came from 3 different talks that Pres Monson gave in this last October conference.  It is my prayer that we may all drink deeply of his words.  Let them sink deeply into our hearts and believe our Prophet.  He speaks for the Savior.  I know this to be true.

I love you all!!

Flipped

 

I have learned over the years that if one of my children is very interested in something I have to investigate, read or watch it.  Now it has moved to a new generation- my grand-kids.  I noticed my mom is like this also :-)  Aliese, Anna and Gracie were so in love with the movie Flipped, I had to see what all the fuss was about.  Now I will probably have to read the book also.  I purposely watched the movie first, because they are never as good as the book.  I loved the movie!  It was so cute and if you were looking, insightful.  Mom, you and dad would LOVE it if you haven't seen it, I saw it on Amazon, so I bet it is on Netflix.
Today was a good day as all Sundays are, this week was more relaxing than last week. Last week  was our program

 It turned out really well, we got lots of meaningful comments.  I don't know if that is because it really was exceptional, or if it's because we have older people who are more thoughtful, but anyway it was a wonderful experience.  We had every child participate, one of the blessings of a branch.  All of our seniors gave talks and our juniors said a sentence.  Even our two autistic boys read a sentence.  It was great!
One day in Primary I found out at the last second our nursery leader wasn't' going to be there, I looked at Steve and said I need you, find another man to help you.  Is this not about the cutest thing you have ever seen!?

 I'm excited for tomorrow and the next day, I am hoping to read a lot.  I am going to buy some fun magazines, and read my library book, the "Happiness Project".  So far I am loving it.

 I am also going to take a novel I bought from Deseret Book.  Dean Hughes latest. I just got done reading a book about Cambodia. If you need to get a grip on reality and how blessed we are read it. It's called the Rent Collector.   It is not the easiest read (it is sad, not recommended for Amy or Rebecca) but is very thought provoking, eye opening and again, makes you put life in its true perspective.  I am trying to read more again.  I am excited for "Time Out for Women"!!  I am going with my Mom, Judy, my cousin and a friend of moms.  There is nothing like going to "Time Out"  with family and loved ones. I am very excited!!  Well, hope you are all well.  If you haven't been reading my blog, I have recommitted, there are 3 blogs below this one, they aren't very long.  Love you all!!

Summer

 

I basically skipped the summer, so occasionally I am going to go backwards.  The Greenhouse was kind of a disappointment this summer.  The sun didn't shine as much as it should, I was gone a lot and so I didn't work in it as much.  It was still a wonderful place, but most of the summer I ended up forgetting or not being able to find my music that I play in there.  So on those dreary days I would basically walk in do what was absolutely necessary and walk out.  My peppers were full of aphids and that is one of my great joys-big sweet wonderfully crunchy peppers.  They grow abundantly in the green house until about the end of November.  One by one I pulled them up and got maybe one pepper.  Sad!  I used a new compost this year, big mistake.  Going back to my expensive one.  My cucumbers which are usually unbelievably productive got some wire worms that attacked the main root and they died early. (I think from the compost!) The moral of the story?  Not be gone as much in the summer, go back to growing all my plants from seed with my awesome plant stand that Mike made me, and lastly go back to my wonderful compost that I usually buy.  Mike made me this wonderful plant stand for growing starts from seed.  He finished it just before we moved.  Not really knowing what I was going to do greenhouse wise, I left it in the greenhouse, which would be great if we lived there.  Sooooo this year I am going to bring it up here, put it in our garage and grow me some amazing tomato, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and I 'm sure something else, oh and herb plants.  The best year and best plants I have had so far since doing the greenhouse was the year I grew my own starts, they are stronger and healthier.  They don't get stressed in the mail or sitting in a nursery until someone buys them.  I am excited!

Well, have a busy and fun day planned.  Monday is my 56th b-day and  my favorite restaurant is closed on Mondays, so we are going there tonight- Aprils.....ahhhhhh.  I am going to sew on my youngest grandsons quilt  and a few other things that are more boring. :-) Oh and I have 2 blogs below also!

love you all!

Wind at my Back

I did my DVD's today for the first time in about a month.  That means Sunday I will be hardly able to walk.  The second day always fools you into thinking you are in good shape, the third day is when you know what kind of shape you are in.  I can feel my gluts though.  It was a lower body routine.  They say that, but you also use hand weights so my back will be sore too!  I'm thinking even my stomach.  About half way through I am looking at the minutes left  of the video and I think, you have got to be kidding me, I am only half way through.  Then when we are doing a killer exercise she will say "I love this one, I do it every day, that's why I include it."  I want to reach through the screen and strangle her.  But by the time I'm done, I feel so empowered, and buff.  I put on my sweatshirt and grab my phone (its my timer and camera) and out the door I go.  I love it, I feel like someone has just cleaned out my brain and I love my Heavenly Father and the Savoir  soooo much.  It is a great feeling.  Well today it was windy and I knew it could start raining, but I am "macho woman" so I can handle it!  I go down my street to the beach access, the one with the stairs and I  hit the beach.  The wind is blowing at my back.  "Wind at my back" takes on a whole new meaning.  I am literally being pushed down the beach.  Now having been raised in Oregon and have been on the beach as far back as I can remember, I know that when I turn around to go back home it is not going to be easy.  But I'm tough, I can do it.  Well my phone goes off and tells me it's time to turn around.  I turn around and MAN!!! I have now gone from a moderate walk to an intensive walk.  I have to pass our path to get down to where I started and it is all I can do to not go up the path.  But I finally make it to the steps, up the small hill and finally relief, hardly any wind and a nice gentle up and down street to my house.  1st pic the moving sand, second the wind behind me, the last one, facing the wind.  My hair is not wet, the wind is just making it look that way.  My face is very accurate as to how I am feeling.

It was a great day.

Challenge

I was reading Danielle's blog and she put a challenge to post a pic a day.  She is going to learn her camera better.  I would love to do that also, but I'm not ready to learn my camera, but I do want to learn everything my i pad can do, sooooo I will blog a pic a day, and spend 5 minutes doing the tutorial for my i pad.  I have a hard time not taking a pic and blogging it everyday. I feel like everyone would say, "how many sunsets can you blog, another ocean scene! But I am excited about blogging a pic a day.  That will get me blogging again!!! And that is something I really want to do!! I think of all kinds of things I want to blog, but don't because I think I have to catch up!! I have soooo many pics and videos to post. Maybe I should just blog one pic a day and that would be WAY better than none!

I loved conference this year.  I loved Pres Monson and Pres Uctdorf's talk.  I have started asking myself if I will "regret it" if I don't do "this"?  I wish I could tell you that I succeeded every time that I think that question, but at least I'm starting to think about it.

I took a pic of me in front of my laptop, I hate to say it but it sure makes me look old!! Oh well, I am almost 56!  I actually feel very young for that age.

 

A week ago my visiting teaching partner go married.  It was a sweet wedding out by the beach.  It was small and quaint like the church recommends if you aren't getting married in the temple.  I fixed the color on these pics in Picasso but it didn't show up when I transferred them over!? I blogged these because Danielle knows both of these people and it shows my hair.  I haven't blogged my hair yet.  I am liking it and have gotten lots of compliments on it.

 
We  had a realtors open house today.  Four realtors showed up, so that is 4 more that have seen our house.  Hopefully Romney will win and then people won't be afraid to buy house.  Our realtor said that her clients are waiting to buy until after the election.  So who knows maybe we might get someone to see our house  in a couple of weeks.

Been working on Brightons quilt.  I am so excited about it.  will blog it when I get done with it.

We had our Primary program this last week.  It went really well.  We got some really wonderful comments from people.  Because our primary is so small, everyone got to speak.  All of our seniors and one junior got to give a talk.  Even our autistic boys said a line.  It was great.

Well, Steve and I are going on a small trip for my b-day.  We are driving down to Yachats and staying down at our house on Idaho street!  I know that sounds dorky, but we are going to leave our work at home, watch movies, walk on the beach, get me a present at the little kitchen store and maybe go to Florence.  We are going to stay two nights.

Had a great time babysitting Lizzie's kids, spending time with with Rebecca and her girls when they came to Lizzie's, seeing Amy's new house and helping her to organize her kitchen (Amy, and my weird obsession that gives a high :-) ). great time at Megans after Brighton was born, my sister visiting, the reunion, Rebecca and Steves sealing. playing with Miles and Ruby when Jacob and Steve went fishing. A busy and wild summer.  I am sure I forgot something, but it was a very busy and fun filled summer.

  Well, love you all!!

Visit to the Arnolds

Back in June, I went to Jake and Lyndsey's for a couple of days.  We went to the Japanese gardens in Portland by the zoo.  It was really beautiful.  I had never been there before.  It is amazing how old you can get, living in the same place basically all your life and never see something like that!

They had this fun thing where you could hunt for different things and get a bookmark if you found them all.  Ruby and Miles got one. :-)  Miles is all boy, I love it.  We built a house or structure out of these cool Styrofoam blocks.

                   Ruby is growing up, watching Music videos on the computer!

Jake has chickens and built his own coup.  He grew a patch of different greens for them that he grew for 6 weeks or so, and I guess the chickens ate it up in a few days. 
We also ate out at a fun organic restaurant.   All in all a great and fun trip!

It's been so long...

I'm tempted to just blog pics.  I'm kind of brain dead right now.  When I went to Lizzie's in June I bought a new cupcake pan (I know shock that there is one I don't have!!) It was Snow White and the 7 dawrfs.  I also took my Avengers one that Lizzie gave me for Christmas or some holiday.  While I was at William Sonoma, we saw these cool decorating things.  It showed pics of 3 year olds using it and Lizzie and I read the reviews and it said that they were great.  So we bought some anc boy were they great!!!! Worth every penny.  A pain in the rear to clean up, but so worth it!  It is so much easier for the kids to decorate those detailed cupcakes. These are before we bought the cool things to put the frosting in.   Tanner and Kate 

                      Aliese and Anna after the new tools for frosting

 

Gracie

 Tanner

 Kate

 We decided that it would look better if Snow White and the Dwarfs were made from white or yellow batter, but the kids wanted chocolate!  I will post the frosting things tomorrow.  Well, I am tired, more tomorrow.

It's that time of year....

Steve went tuna fishing today.  His goal was to bring home 10.  Heavenly Father knew better, I could only handle 5.  I am trying to get the house ready and clean for the realtor to come on Saturday morning. I have been a little stressed to put it mildly.  So here I am sitting in the garage at 11:34 minding the pressure canner.  I am actually very grateful.  I love having a ton of canned tuna in my pantry.  It makes me feel very secure. I love sharing it with my family also.  i have a few close friends that get it also.  There is also a good 2 1/2 hours of set up and prep time to get the tuna in the jars.  It is much nicer at our other house because I can go back and forth from the house to the kitchen and do a few things in the early stages.  I have to admit, it is nice to not be able to leave the canner also.  I watched almost a whole season of a tv series one year.  It's one of those what I call guilt free zones.  You can't do anything else so you sit mind the canner and watch a movie or as I am doing now catching up on my blog.  Now if I weren't so tired I would probably do WW work or Beach house work, but a girl has to take a break once in a while!

Well, the last month has been a very busy one.  Almost one month to the day ago, Rebecca and Steve were sealed in the LA Temple.  It was very special.  The Lord blessed them with a wonderful sealer.  He was soft spoken and taught us some wonderful things. I had a hard time picking pics so enjoy... this is after the sealing.  They look so happy!!

 Here is Elle... too cool for school!We got to see Amy, Mike, Rebecca and Steve of course, the Leslie girls, Lizzie and Shad, and their kids.  It was wonderful. Lizzie's kids made their bed and put all their animals on there bed! Elle with Grandpa (Steve)Then I stayed for another week with Lizzie's fam and Rebecca and the girls came out for a couple of days also.  It was so fun.  Hours in the pool with me being the monster.  We made cupcakes -cool ones- Spider-man and the avengers and Snow White and the dwarfs.  Altogether we did them 3 times.  I bought the coolest decorating things.  If you decorating with frosting with kids you have to have these, they are the best.  The 4 year olds could use them.  One day later in the day Lizzie and I went shopping.  It was soooooo much fun!!!  I got some new clothes that I loved for the first time in 3 years or more!  I have felt so cute lately! The best part was that they were almost all on clearance or dramatically on sale.  I also got some cute wedges!  I wore them to WW's today and got lots of fun comments. WW's does alot for my ego.  Then when Rebecca was there the three of us went to get our nails and toes done.  That was heavenly.  Afterwards we went to dinner.  It was great!  Then home again home again jiggety jig.

After I got home I had 4 days to get everything ready for the family reunion.  It was my turn this year.  I figured out that because I traded with Megan, Steve and I won't be in charge again for 20 years!!! Is that too crazy or what!!!  I will be 75 years old.  That is just too crazy and hard to think about!!!!

The reunion was really fun.  There were 24 people counting Maddie.  Unless someone hid it from me, we had no fights or disagreements, it was wonderful.  We tried it a different way this year, we went much more simple with the food and it made all the difference. Plus we didn't do as many activities.  And most of the activities didn't start until after lunch.  It was so much more relaxing.  We had way more time to visit and hang on the beach.

We had a sandcastle contest.  That was really fun.  Way more fun than I thought it would be. We went to the spit and watched fireworks.  Had a bonfire, roasted hotdogs and made smores.  We then went further out on the beach and did our own fireworks.  We went to Strawberry hill to look at tide pools, but decided after the fact that it was a family activity, not a reunion activity..to dangerous.  But we did have fun there.We  had a fun craft for the kids one afternoon.  Someone had built a cool fort before we got there, I wish it would be there every year.  The kids had so much fun with it. Steve took all the grandkids out on his boat out into the ocean to pull up crab cages.  They all got a turn driving the boat. It was a great time.

Then they all came to our house for another night.  Sunday they all left except for Amy and Mike and Danielle and Clay.  They left on Sunday afternoon and late afternoon.

Then it was wash,wash, clean and try to put my house together and clean it so we can put it up for sale.  I have been hurrying because Megs baby is due any day now.  Pretty busy summer. But all good stuff!

I'm losing one of my counselors in Primary. That is always hard in a little branch like ours.  There are so few people that can do a calling like that.  But I'm sure the Lord will provide.

Well it is very late and I think my canner is cooled down.  So I will post more pics later.  Love you all!

Well, I have been sitting here trying to post for about 20-30 minutes and it wouldn't open up a new post! Now it is late so will be a short blog about my hair. I realized when the girl  was done with my hair that I had given her mixed signals.  But it's fun doing something different. Have gotten lost of compliments, lots of "oh my you're blond, I mean I like it, but wow you're blonde!"  Not sure about those ones.  The funniest one was like the comment I just made, and the lady standing behind her was mad at the lady for making such a big deal of my hair, she went on and on about how different it was. So the lady behind her mouthed "you look beautiful!!  I had a hard time not busting out laughing, I just smiled at her.

Love you all!

My cold didn't last long, that was nice.  It gave me a needed rest.  Gotta look at the positive.  Have been working in my greenhouse.  That is always nice, especially when I remember my music.  I forgot my music the last few times and it isn't the same, especially if the sun isn't out. The lettuce on the right hand side is volunteer from last year! Fun! The next pic is a before and after pruning Herbs. Happy me in my greenhouse!

The closer it gets to when we can put our house up for sale the more I ache when I'm down there at the greenhouse.  I always go in the house if it isn't booked.  It is always hard.  Then I read a conference talk and feel sad for not being grateful for what I have now.  It's a weird thing.
We have been talking about chickens ALOT lately.  I think when we go back to Idaho Street we are going to try our hand at chickens.  We are going to try letting them roam the property during the day.  We'll see if that works or if they get carried away by some bird or animal.  I hope it works I think it would be cool to have true range free, organic chicken eggs.  We would have to eat more eggs though!
The sun came out yesterday and today.  I hope it lasts, we have had more than our share of wind and rain this year.
I am going to start getting the house ready to sell.  Lots of sorting and giving away and throwing away.  It is amazing how many things you can disorganize and collect in 3 years!
Last month seemed like such a busy month.  I felt like I never got caught up. I watched more news than I think I ever have before. I feel more educated about my political choices than I ever have before.  It would be so amazing to have an active Priesthood holder in the White House, I hope it happens.
I have changed my exercise DVD's to a more intense set, and I overdid it and could hardly walk from Wednesday on.  I MEAN really truly could hardly walk.  My glutes were killing me.  needless to say I am going to back off a little.  I was shaking and almost throwing up after the workouts on Monday and Tuesday.

My fingernails are long again!  That is exciting. I got my hair cut and colored.  I finally had her dye all my roots.  My gray was showing up too much for my comfort level.  She got it lighter than I wanted, but that was my fault.  I really like it though, its something new.  Meg told me to have her put in more layers and it looked so good today.  I wanted to take pics but Steve was slow so we didn't have time.  I took some with my phone but they look darker than my hair really is.  Well, I'm tired, I think I will post more pics and info later. Love you all!