Salt Lake City

Last week my mom and I left Sacramento for Utah. We took this journey last year and enjoyed a few days at Temple Square, the Humanitarian Center, and the Church History Museum. My moms not a member of the Church but she loved it. So when Bruce and I were planning another trip to Education Week this year we decided that I would come a week early and bring my mom.  We left Sacramento on Friday and spent the night in Elko and arrived in Salt Lake on Saturday. We've had a great time visiting Temple Square again. We love to sit and watch the new brides and grooms having their picture taken in front of the Temple. It's such a joyous time for the families.

My mom loves to visit with the Sister Missionaries on Temple Square. We toured Brigham Young's home again. My mom loves to learn about the pioneers. We watched several movies about their journey to Salt Lake. This year we watched a movie on Joseph Smith that was incredible. My mom said she learned so much about him. We went to the "This Is The Place" park and learned more about the great Exodus to Salt Lake. Then we headed for St George Utah for a few days. We saw a play at the Tuachan one night that was fantastic. Then we headed for Zion Park.  So mom and I returned to Salt Lake Thurday and had another day of sight seeing then I put her on the plane Saturday morning. It was a busy busy week but I am so glad that I could share it with my mom.

The time we spent here has reminded me how blessed I am to have the knowledge of the Restoration on the Gospel in my life. It was amazing to watch the movie about Joseph Smith and to think about how the Chruch has grown in such a short time. The message of the restoration has traveled all over the world and even reached people in a little coal mining town of Ukraine. Our sweet Ukrainian adopted daughter Olga and her husband are in Kieve right now visiting the new Kieve Temple. Sister Fry our mission President's wife writes and says, that baptisms are up, they have 36 on date for baptisms and several families are traveling to Kieve to be sealed. How blessed we were to be able to travel to Ukraine and see the windows of Heaven open to pour blessings upon the people of Ukraine. This Church is true. I know that with all my heart. I am so blessed to be a member. I love my family. I am so grateful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family.

In a few days we will reunite with some of the sweet young missionaries we shared our time in Ukraine with. I can hardly wait.

another sleepless night

This has been one of those nights when I found myself falling asleep on the couch rather early. I thought,

"oh good, I'm tired, I'll sleep well tonight". So I found my way into my quiet bedroom, pulled back the curtains, opened all the windows and crawled into my big bed. Ahhhhh! and then it began, the tossing, the turning, the thoughts racing through my mind. I tried clearing my mind, a little meditation, relaxing my body, but NOTHING WORKED! So now I'm here, tapping at the keys on my computer wishing I was snoozing in bed.

HOME MADE ICE CREAM

Sunday after church Papa Mark and the Bailey Family came over and we made HomeMade Ice Cream

Yummy!

MY BLOG BOOK ARRIVED

I AM SO EXCITED MY BLOG BOOK ARRIVED

While we were on our mission I kept a blog in which I recorded my impressions and our experiences of serving a mission in Ukriane. I decided to have it printed into a book so that I could have a record of the mission. I absolutely love it!

Home Cooking

There's nothing like a HOME COOKED meal.

And I especially love it when someone else cooks it.

Last Saturday Bruce and I got up very early to go work in the Temple. When we got home he asked me "what should we have for dinner tonight?"

he suggested Tuna Casserole

which means I COOK

I suggested Pasty Pie

which means HE COOKS

I went upstairs to take a nap and when I woke up I found Bruce in the kitchen creating this

beautiful Pasty Pie

IT IS A FAMILY TRADITION HE LEARNED TO MAKE FROM HIS MOTHER,

A WONDERFUL MEAT AND POTATO PIE INSIDE THIS FANTASTIC PIE CRUST

NOW THAT'S MY IDEA OF A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO

THANKS, BABE IT WAS AWESOME

Rascal Flatts

YES, I YELLED, AND SCREAMED, AND STUCK MY FINGERS IN MY MOUTH AND Whistled ALL NIGHT LONG. I DIDN'T EXACTLY DANCE IN THE AISLES BUT I DIDN'T SPEND MUCH TIME IN MY SEAT EITHER. KARRISSA AND I HAD SO MUCH FUN. I THINK WE BOTH FELT LIKE TEENAGERS AGAIN.

CHRIS YOUNG was the opening act. He was AWESOME, then came Kellie PICKLER. Karrissa watched Kellie on American Idol so she was excited to see her. I MADE KARRISSA GET UP AND GO RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE to take her picture AND Karrissa  KIND OF STOOD OUT A BIT WITH A BRIGHT YELLOW SHIRT ON AND HER WHITE HAIR AND KELLIE WALKED RIGHT OVER to the edge of the stage AND SMILED AND WAVED AT HER. She waved at my daughter. It was so fun. She came back to her seat just grinning from ear to ear.  Then came RASCAL FLATTS and we were right there in front of the stage. OH MY GOODNESS were we excited. THEY ARE SUCH GOOD ENTERTAINERS. THEY ALSO WALKED BACK AND FORTH ON THE STAGE AND WAVED AT THE AUDIENCE. WE HOLLERED AND WAVED AND WENT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE TO TAKE PICTURES. ONE GUY GOT REALLY MAD AND STARTED YELLING AT EVERYONE TO "BACK THE blank up"  There was security people nearby who only allowed the people with tickets in our section to go up to the stage but only to take pictures so we couldn't stay there long. They sang all the songs we listened to on the car ride up to Tahoe, and we sang along. Did I say, fun? It was amazingly fun. Can't wait to do it again.

Mormon.org

Wow, the new mormon.org went live today. Check it out. What an amazing way to learn about who we are and what we believe. While our backgrounds and experiences are diverse, we share a deep commitment to Jesus Christ, to each other, and their neighbors. Watch these stories of faith in the everyday lives of Mormons.

Rascal Flatts

I am so excited my daughter, Karrissa and I are driving up to Tahoe this week-end to see Rascal Flatts. We are going to Harvey's outdoor arena and have really good seats. I love, love, love them. I am so looking forward to the concert. I hope I don't embarrass my daughter too much with my singing along and dancing in the aisle.
(Did I mention it's outdoors?) maybe we really will see them singing "These Days" in the rain.  Can't wait.
I'm going out to buy a CD tomorrow so I can practice singing along. I feel like I'm 16 again. Well, maybe 20ish. Anyway, I'm excited. I haven't been this excited about a concert since I saw Willie Nelson. I know that really dates me doesn't it. Hey, at least I didn't say, Wayne Newton. No offense Wayne but I'm a Country Girl.

"These Days" - Rascal Flatts Official Music Video DON'T FORGET TO PUT MY MUSIC ON PAUSE

"These Days" - Rascal Flatts Official Music Video, posted with vodpod

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

Monroe and I went shopping for a new dress the other day.

She is one little girl who can "work it"

The Grands are getting older now and yet they still run out the front door to greet us when we arrive. It's so sweet because they see us almost everyday but each time they greet us it's with open arms and BIG smiles on their faces. When it's time to say good-bye someone almost always ask if they can spend the night with us. It's so sweet. Bruce and I cherish this time when they are young and sweet and full of love for their family.

Last week I got out some old videos and we were watching a video of Nathan (our 25 year-old son)  when he was in Kindergarten and his class went to a Nursing Home for a visit. Nathan was so sweet. It was fun to hear his little boy voice as he cautiously walked around the room looking for someone to give his handmade card to. He smiled and said hello as he passed the old hunched over men and women looking for someone who would return his smile. He stopped to pick up something that had fallen at the feet of an old woman and gently handed it to her with a smile on his face. Soon Nathan and his little friends were gathered in a little circle munching on cookies and milk discussing the responses they had received as they handed their cards out. Nathan was happy. He giggled and smiled as his friends shared their experiences.

This past year our Grandson Wyatt started Kindergarten. He is going to the same school his mother and Nathan went to. I occasionally go and work in HIS classroom. As I sit and watch Wyatt in Circle time I reflect on the days that I joined my children in their classrooms and

 I am amazed at how quickly life passed. When your a young parent life can be difficult and sometimes mundane. You feel as if all you ever do is prepare meals, wash dishes, clean sticky hands, pick up toys, and do endless piles of laundry. The days blend into weeks, and weeks into months and it seems you are celebrating another birthday. Now we are Grandparents and our perspective has changed.

WE KNOW that this won't last forever.

The laundry, the dirty dishes, the bruised knees, the battles with homework, the bedtime nightmares, the endless piles of laundry.

WILL ONE DAY END

and all that will be left are the cherished memories of your

precious babies, the way they smelled in your arms,

how their little hands felt in yours,

how their giggles made you smile,

that sweet little smile that greeted you when you walked into

their room in the morning,

or the butterfly kisses at bedtime,

the squeals of laughter that filled the air when they played with daddy

ONE DAY YOU'LL COME HOME AND THE HOUSE WILL BE EMPTY

AND THE QUIET IS DEAFENING.

AND YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

AND THE EMPTINESS SEEMS ENDLESS AND YOU CAN'T IMAGINE ANOTHER LIFE

WITHOUT THEM FILLING THE SPACE

AND THEN

ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND

LIFE HAS CHANGED

GOD BLESSES YOU WITH NEW LITTLE ONES TO ROCK TO SLEEP, AND TAKE FOR WALKS, AND LAUGH, AND RUN, AND PLAY WITH.

there are still dishes to wash, and laundry to do but this time it's different because

YOU KNOW