November 24, 2013

Happy Holidays Everyone!  Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?  I'm so excited!  Even though the holidays are a lot of work, I love this time of year.  I guess because there are so many family activities and there truly seems to be a special feeling in the air of love and acceptance. 

I've had a busy couple of weeks.  My dad is still in the hospital it's going on 4 weeks now.  They did operate on his shoulder and that helped  some.  It's kind of been like a domino effect.  They no more than get one thing under control and something else in his body has problems.  I do not relish the thought of getting old.

My son Nicholas had surgery on his thumb.  This would be the one who shot a nail through the joint of his thumb 2 weeks ago.  The nail gun malfunctioned and ricochet into the joint of his left thumb.  Ouch!  The surgeon ended up putting a screw in it.

I found out I'm going to be a grandma again, this will be number 3.  We are all so very excited and thankful for this new little life.  So awesome.

I hope everyone has taken some time to enjoy life over the last month.  And I hope that during this holiday season you will also take some time to enjoy instead of just being crazy with preparations.  Your children deserve memories of mom and dad being happy and having some fun with them, not just crazy rushing.  Your spouse deserves some happy memories of time well spent together.  And you deserve all of those happy memories with them.  If you're not married and/or do not have children  I know there are people in your life who would also love to make some happy memories with you.  There are so many lives we can touch.  Include your neighbors, friends, relatives this season.  If you make  a batch of candy or cookies or even a big pot of soup, share.  You will be surprised what a small act of kindness can create.

The picture of the beautiful German Sheppard above is my Cali girl.  She turned 10 years old in October and she is awesome.  She has such a gentle way about her.  She is so good with the grandkids, with all children.  She loves them.  And everyone around her will be ok as long as they leave her family alone.  Studies prove that petting a dog will actually lower your blood pressure.

Have a wonderful week everyone and a great Thanksgiving!

November 11, 2013

This picture was taken at my brother's house 2 days ago.  We were talking on the phone and they were in his backyard.  He took it and sent it right then, Awesome!  He has put a water trough in his yard because he doesn't want them to get hit crossing the road to get to the river.

This week has been very stressful.  My Dad who is 85 years old has been in the hospital in intensive care.  Long story short, he's diabetic and had a septic should.  Because of his diabetes his white blood cell count was way down and not fighting the infection and it spread throughout his body creating a whole slue of problems.  They had to put a drain in his shoulder and when they did that he started to get better.  He should be out of ICCU tomorrow.

Time is a precious thing, isn't it?  We have but a little time in this life to accomplish what we need to.  When our children are young we're so busy and then in the blink of an eye they're all grown up and a person wonders, "where did the time go?"  I never seem to have enough time to do the things I want to.  Seems like I'm always working.  This is one of the reasons I think we should take just a few minutes every day to enjoy life.  If we don't one day when we get to be my dad's age, we'll turn around and wonder where life went.  I know it's hard and there's always one more thing to do, just do it anyway.  Last week when I talked about sitting on the porch with my husband and remembering all the fun times we had on that porch with our children and how much fun it was, that's what I'm talking about.  Laugh with your spouse, children, siblings, neighbors.  Just enjoy this time you have.  And, in 30 years when you look back will your memories be of a clean house or of how happy your family was and how you made them laugh?

For me, I think I'll take the latter :)   Have a great week!

November 3rd, 2013

What a beautiful week!  For last week's challenge I spent some time on my porch.  I have an older home that has a great big porch.  I soaked up some sunshine and just watched the birds and squirrels.  I talked with my husband and laughed.  We talked about our family when it was young and all the memories of that porch.  It was fun!  I picked up my son for lunch and it was great to spend time with him.

We lucked out with great weather again.  One of my boys bought a puppy German Sheppard.  Her name is Molly and she's about 9 weeks old.  She is a cutie.  They asked us to keep her over the weekend, as they were going out of town.  I have a 10 year old Sheppard named Cali and she is a mother at heart.  She loved having the pup around and just mothered her continually.  It was pretty funny to watch.

We usually always get together for Sunday dinner, it was nice to have them all home today.  I went to church today and I'm so glad I had that opportunity.  I think we all have a tendency to take things for granted in this country.  We have been so very blessed.  Compared to the rest of the world, we have an abundance in everything from our food and water to clothing, housing, and the freedom to worship as we choose.  I am thankful to God for these things and for all the blessing myself and my family enjoy.  And I recognize that it is through His Grace that these and all things are possible.

This world we live in is crazy right now.  The good ole' USA has changed.  One thing I know is that everyone is going through something that 's not easy these days.  I believe that the only way for people to get through these trials is prayer and charity.  The hearts of the people in this country need to turn back to the Lord.  We need to ask him to help us and we need to ask what we can do to help others.  How much better would we be as a society if everyone would reach out to others.  Service is where it's at my friends.  You never know what someone else is going through and how a small act of service/kindness might help another.

My challenge this week is to serve someone every single day.  It can be small, it can be a family member, coworker, neighbor, elderly neighbor, or a total stranger.  Do some little thing each day and just see if it makes a difference in the way you feel.  Two things I'd like you to notice - first, pay attention.  Ask God for opportunities to help someone in need.  Second - if you are depressed, having a bad day, feeling down, whatever it is, push through it and do this.  I promise it will make a positive difference in your life.  Have a wonderful week!

October 26, 2013

 

Where does the time go?  I've been gone for awhile, but I'm back.  So many things have changed in my life over the last year.  I have another new grandson, Landon James.  He is 5 months old.  Grant turned 1 in August, I can't believe it. 

 

This is my favorite time of year.  I love to be out in it.  The temperatures are mild and the trees are so beautiful with the changing colors of the leaves.  This season seems to last but a short while and it's gone.  Kind of like some of the season of our lives.  Children are small only for a while and then you blink and they're all grown up and having babies of their own.  I remember when mine were babies and I miss that.  Take some advice and love every minute you have with them, good or not so good sometimes.  Don't be in a hurry to see them grow up, because they will all too soon.

 

Grant is the spitting image of his dad when he was that age.  The only difference is his eyes are brown and his daddy's are blue.  How much I love it though, it's like holding my baby all over again!  I am enjoying this season of my life I never knew how much being a grandma would mean to me.  Even having adult children is great, levels the playing field a little :)

 

I challenge everyone reading this to create a memory this week.  Take a few hours to have fun.  Life is so short and we're all so busy that we miss out.  Take your children, your sweetheart, a family member, or even a neighbor and just go sit outside in the sunshine and talk, laugh, cry, anything.  Turn off your cell phone and enjoy nature.  If you have access to go to the mountains do it.  Tell the ones you are with what they mean to you.  We, as a society, have gotten way too far from what's really important in this life.  I challenge you to take the first steps to start getting the important things back in your life.  Have a wonderful week!





Grant Lee came into the world on August 1st, 2012, weighing in at 7lbs, 20" long.  Talk about a beautiful boy!  Now I know I'm grandma and possibly a little partial, but really, this baby is so adorable!  He has captured my heart in a way I have a hard time putting into words.  I find myself just wanting to cuddle and love him.  And I can't seem to get enough.  My babies were always wonderful and I guess I'm just a baby nut in general. However, this is different.  I find myself bragging frequently and showing pictures on a daily basis, sometimes to complete strangers who look at me like "why are you showing me this?"  The funny thing is I don't even care!  The woman that helps me at the bank thought I was a little strange when I said check this out and put my cell phone in the drawer at the drive through window with a picture of Grant pulled up on it so she could see it.  She kinda nodded her head and said very nice, in a startled kind of way.  I'm sure she's just jealous.  Anyway, it's great to be a grandma! 

"The only way to take the sting out of death is to take the love out of live." Russell M. Nelson
My Mother passed away July 16, 2012 at the age of 84.  She has been living in my home for almost 2 years.
The last 6 months of her life were very difficult for her.  She had uterine cancer and was also a heart patient.  The last few months she was very sick and in considerable pain.  Watching her deteriorate was a very hard thing to do.  When you see someone suffering, you wish they didn't have to and it's so hard.  And although I didn't want to see her in pain and thought I was prepared for her death, I really wasn't.  There's something about losing the person that's been with you since you came into the world, the woman that has loved you, nurtured you, clothed you, wiped your tears, encouraged you, and been there no matter what, that seems to leave a hole in your heart when they're gone, that I don't believe I'll ever get over.  Don't get me wrong, I would never want her to live like that, such a far cry from the woman she was, full of life and a real spitfire.  I know she doesn't hurt anymore and believe she's happy now. But, no matter how old I get, she's still my mother and I love and miss her very much.

Congratulations Century Class of 2012!  Well it official, my baby graduated high school on May 24, 2012.  Where does the time go?  It doesn't seem so long ago that he was just a little boy.  He is a wonderful young man and I am very proud of him.  I am also very happy to be finished with the public school system.  I am entering a new phase in my life having all of my children grown and going to be a grandma.  I think I like it!  I have big plans for the coming years.  Good luck to all the graduates.  Follow you dreams!