Doodle is our star

 Isaac likes to climb trees.  Actually they all do and it seems to be more fun if it scares mom a little.  If you look closely at the top of that big pine tree you will see a little head.  That's my 13 year old. He has been up twice already. He comes down a bit scratched but loves it.  The second time up it was a bit windy and he enjoyed the extra thrill.

 Doodle got to perform with her music and dance group and did a fantastic job. The rest of us are wondering where she go the natural talent.  Some of us must have donated ours to her.  She did a great job and loved it.

 We had a row and a half of fans to support her. Emily surprised us by not only driving the 2 1/2 hours to be here but bringing Elise, Nellie, and Josh also.  The girls put together that beautiful bouquet from the front yard.

 Peter and Rachel also made it just in time.  We even had some neighbor kids come and support Doodle.  I'm pretty sure she felt special.

Grateful:

628 Music, singing, dancing, and developing talents

629 small town groups that invite everyone and make it affordable

630 Sunshine, whispy clouds and warming temperatures.

631 that the smoke alarm finally turned off and the fire I was building to take the chill off finally stopped smoking.  Probably also grateful we are not allergic to smoke.  The delivery men that brought our new couch was sure we were barbecuing.

632  for a beautiful new couch.  Eventually we will have a new fresh living room.

Visit taught today

I went visiting teaching today.  I don't know why getting out to visit is such a challenge.  I enjoy my companion.  I enjoy the sister we visit.  It doesn't take that long and I always have a nice time.  I am sorry that I am not developing better watch-care of my sisters.  I would love to know them better and to serve them.

Today we visited BethAnn. She is a sweet woman whose husband was the bishop when we first came to this ward.  She is retiring in 2 months, has been caring for her elderly mother and has raised a family that she thoroughly enjoys.

Today she shared some of her childhood memories.  It was so fun to hear about our small town and what it was like to grow up here 40-50 years ago.  She talked about rolling Easter eggs down temple hill with all their friends between Sunday school and sacrament meeting (which didn't start until 7pm so that the farmers could finish feeding).  They often went for an ice cream on Sunday afternoons at the Dairy Queen.  It was new and a great place to see friends.  She said they never went grocery shopping on Sunday but for some reason getting an ice cream was OK.

It is interesting the way traditions evolve as we seek to more closely keep the commandments.  I am grateful to be able to see the evolution of a people preparing for the second coming.  I don't think we are any more righteous.  We are just given line upon line, grace for grace, and we all progress together.

She shared that she walked with her kindergarten sister every day to school when she was a senior because the elementary was just through the high school parking lot.  She talked about how fun it was to live on Main Street because her friends would come to her front yard to watch everyone drag Main.

The visiting teaching lesson for last month that we discussed had the story about the wrinkled, beat up, slightly torn 20 dollar bill and the gently reminder that although it was no longer crisp, fresh, and new it was still worth the whole $20 and could be used to purchase the same amount of goods a new $20 bill could.  I'm thinking that it doesn't really matter where and when we do our turn on this great planet.  We are each worth the whole value.  We are each created by our Heavenly Father, in his image.  We are each provided a way to return to him through his son, Jesus Christ.  He also declares our worth and willingly paid the price.  He willingly bought each of us.

Grateful
622 for memories and good stories remembered and shared.
623 Natalie and boys will be here tonight
624 joys shared, whether our own or others, still being us joy.
625 many offers for wedding help
626 that I am not the ward choir accompanist.  Primary is plenty scary and hard.  I'm also glad that the director was so patient.  She even asked me to please use the quiet pedal and explained which one it is.
627 Rachel walked right in and came and found us all upstairs.  I believe she is becoming a part of the family and that thrills me.

Another missionary almost there

It seems to happen so quickly.  Dane received his mission call early Thursday morning.  He agreed to wait until Dad got home that evening and invited friends and family to join us.  They all came to support and cheer his decision to serve a full time mission for 2 years and to find out where the Lord would have him serve.

He will be serving in the Florida Orlando mission and will arrive in August to quickly adjust to the beautiful heat and humidity as well as the amazing people there.  I feel such gratitude for a young man who has remained worthy to represent the Lord and be His messenger in sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It just so happens that he will be serving in the exact same mission as his brother Peter returned from just 18 months ago.  So amazing and exciting.

Dane has been attending an online high school and has friends all over the country. We also have family members (sisters and grandparents) that live too far away. He did a live feed so they could be here and find out with us.  I'm so grateful for technology that erases distance and allows us to share special times.

Unfortunately he used youtube and received some very hateful comments and dislikes.  Already within just one day of his call he is needing to cement his beliefs and defend his desire to serve the Lord and follow the prophet.

Grateful:

617 Youth of a noble birthright ready and willing to stand for truth and right

618 The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses lives

619 Receiving a fulness of truth requires keeping God's commandments (D&C 93:27-28)

620 "Light and truth  forsake that evil one." (vs. 37)  Truth does prevail.

621  My son will enter manhood through serving God and his fellow men.

pictures and celebrating Easter

I'm missing pictures.  With so many other social media and places to share I haven't been taking or sharing pictures as much as I would like.  We have a couple of different computers and people using the camera and things are getting spread all over.  I was looking for pictures for Dane's graduation and had a hard time finding anything of just him.  It has been a busy year of studying for him and being more independent.

So here is some catching up with pictures.

Ike and Sim both participated in the piano festival contest and received superior ratings on their songs.  This was Ike's 3rd year of superior ratings and so he also received his first gold cup.

These two pictures are just breakfast time at our house.  I think I would like to catch more of the daily life in pictures.

 We also woke everyone at 12:30 am to watch the eclipse.

P. cousin Easter egg hunt at Grandma's

Elise and her family came for Easter weekend and we loved having them.  Doodle read stories to Nellie and Jack

We colored Easter eggs.  It was especially fun to write on the eggs with the clear crayon secretly and then have the little ones so surprised to see their name on an egg as it came out of the dye.

This little table has sure been a great place for fun eating.

I can't believe that these locals of mine had not hiked Devil's ribs.  

John caught a lizard and let everyone hold it.  He even put it on Ike's ear and let it hand like an earring.

Easter egg hunt at the park.  Actually more of a crazy age-grouped race for candy.

Mom joined us for Easter weekend

Dear friends singing Happy Birthday to me.

We joined the Rowley/Jones family for some crazy fun of egg torturing.  Family brought eggs pack to survive and then the torture began with John shooting each package with his new pellet gun.

The then threw the eggs and those that didn't go far enough go the big hammer.  This was after someone had a try at them with a pick ax. No survivors this year.

Then they shot raw eggs into the orchard. 

Anyone that could catch it and bring it back whole won a candy bar.

We also enjoyed a fun wedding shower with the Rowleys

Finally we are to Easter Sunday

 I love Easter Sunday.  We enjoyed a family breakfast, attended church together and had grandparents join us for dinner.  After Saturday's egg torture our little hunt seemed a bit tame.

Please know that I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  I love celebrating his Resurrection, his atonement, and the hope of eternal life.  I have an elder brother who died for me that I might live again and he did the same for everyone of you.  He knows you.  He loves you.   

Another couple ready to create a family

My first son, my man child all grown up and on his own has fallen in love with a beautiful young women.  They met at college.  He noticed her first and tried out for the same choir she was trying out for.  She didn't make it. He did and felt stuck.  He found her at western swing club and they danced together.  They spent time together in the cold and the mud on a 4 wheeler and enjoyed the Fall.

He waited patiently and would not date anyone else.  He loved her. He treated her like the princess that she is.  He respected her.  Then he asked her to be his for all eternity.  She said YES.  They are young and in love and will make a beautiful life together.

He first noticed her confidence, her feminine ways.  He noticed her modesty and her goodness.  She was worth pursuing and waiting for. She is smart, spunky, and will keep him on his toes.

She noticed his integrity.  She noticed his respect for all women, especially her.  She saw his desire to work hard and provide for a family, to have fun and to protect.

We are so thrilled to have this wonderful woman join our family this spring.  She brings joy to our lives and enriches our family and especially the life and future of my first born son.  I am so excited for them.

Grateful:
610 God's plan of happiness
611 Hope for the future and families combining together in one to multiply and bless others.
612 The joy that saying Yes brings to a young couple
613 for 2 whole months to put together a wedding.
614 for 2 young people who are obedient to answers to prayers and not afraid of the hard work (and fun) ahead of them.
615 that in a changing world truth is truth and happiness is found in family units.
616 I said yes to sharing a candy bar today and I believe the more I say yes to sharing the better I'm going to feel both morally and physically.  This could be a new health strategy.

soup and biscuits for dinner

We are finally getting some rain.  Soup and biscuits seems to go so well with a cool, rainy day.  In our mountain deserts of Utah we are in a drought and praying for rain, snow, moisture of any kind and so we are celebrating answers to prayers and a wet day.

This recipe was shared at a Relief Society event a few years ago and is so simple and delicious that it has become one of my favorites

Colleen Puett’s Broccoli cheese soup

6 cups water

4 chicken bullion cubes

12 to18 oz frozen chopped broccoli

                            

Bring to boil until broccoli is tender

In separate pan melt ½ cup butter, stir in ½ cup flour and a little milk until smooth.  Stir into broccoli

Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

This simple biscuit recipe was a fun find and great with any soup or even for breakfast.  Unless you are worried about garlic breath.

Amanda's Buttery Garlic-Cheese Biscuits
2 cups flour (I used my sprouted wheat flour)
2 Tbs sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbs butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add milk and cheese; stir just until combined. Divide batter amount 12 muffin cups,
3. Here's where it gets really yummy. Mix together melted butter and garlic; drizzle over biscuits. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

This recipe is from Family Feasts for $75 a Week.  I got this book at the library and then my dear granddaughter got it, ripped a page really well and I ended up buying it from the library.  It actually has been a fun one to have.

Grateful:
607 home made food for dinner
608 dinner hour when everyone is home and they wish I had made more biscuits. Next time I'll double it.
609 my Saturday chores are done and the house is clean for this moment.

secrets?

I have a blogging friend.  Whether she knows it or not I consider her a sweet friend and someone I learn from and cheer for.  She shared some of her secrets recently and challenged others to do the same.  It has been an interesting thing to think about.  I do have things that I would rather not share at times.  I often subscribe to the 'fake it 'til you make it' idea and hope that I really will make it.  Sometimes it is in the becoming real and allowing our walls down that we are able to really get to know others and let them in to our life. So with that goal of become more real, kind of like the Velveteen rabbit and all its worn out spots, here I go.

I love sweets.  Not just enjoy but love them and sometimes it takes a bigger spot in my heart than my family. Today I hid and ate a just caramel milky way.  I had the idea to share it with my husband but decided I would enjoy it more.  Selfish and silly.  Food is very important to me and good food sometimes makes me hoard and binge.

I think adult children are one of the very hardest to parent.  For our family, teenagers have not been difficult. There were/are moments that are challenging but I usually felt grounded and had direction. I felt like I knew my job and position and where I fit in. With adult children I feel the need to tip toe around.  I'm trying to juggle being a parent, being available, being a cheerleader, not being a judge.  I would really like to be a friend but I don't always feel like I have what it takes to 'be in the club'.  Don't get me wrong.  They are each wonderful, amazing, loving, successful adults who are moving forward with righteous goals and decisions.  My son recently got engaged.  My daughter asked if I knew Rachel very well.  I don't.  I feel really good about her.  She is a very good person, treats my son well, and I know they will be happy together, but I don't really know her very well.  I admitted this and the next words out of my mouth were that I don't really know my sons-in-law very well either. They are also amazing, great men who are taking great care of their family, working hard and leading in righteousness.  I would love to develop a closeness with all of my family but I feel like a social retard at times.

I don't use shampoo.  I have been using  primarily baking soda for 3 years now.  I save money. My hair is healthy and clean. I avoid chemicals and I like finding something different that works.  There have been a few times that I thought it wasn't working anymore and I would occasionally use a natural shampoo bar but for the most part I have been successful and felt good.

I am a slow reader.  I love good books. I value quality reading.  I do not get enough time or energy to read all the things I would like to read.  I wish I were faster and I wish I could stay awake when I read.

I don't like to swim.  I don't want to get wet, look ugly, be cold, and have to get all dressed up again.  I prefer getting all the way dressed and ready for the day in the morning and just being done with it.

I don't like A Christmas Story movie. Some consider it a classic but I do not enjoy it.  Once was enough for me.

My dog needs better training than I am giving her.  I can't wait until she gets past the chewing stage. She is a year old and still gets into stuff she shouldn't or takes off and scares people at the park.  Any suggestions would be welcome.

I realize that I am a highly sensitive person.  I recently found this article about habits of highly sensitive people and I have felt those things.  I took the test and found I scored rather high.  I don't want to use any of this as an excuse but it does help me understand why when I  plow forward and meet with an obstacle I get so thrown. I find noises and smells irritating. I hate the idea of failing and let that keep me from trying.  I also realize that I feel judged by people.  Chances are very good that the reason I feel this way is that I am judging.  My desire is to learn to love unconditionally.  I want to learn to accept people (including myself) where I am and just love them, enjoy them, serve them, and be grateful for them.

confessions.

Now you know a little more about me.  Maybe you would enjoy sharing a few unknown items.  Please be gentle with me.  I don't know if you feel any closer to knowing me but I feel like I have exposed a bit of me and hope that it will only bring understanding and a closeness as I continue to share my life and thoughts written here in black and white for anyone to read.

I think I'll post a recipe or something more soon just to keep this from being top of the blog.

May you remember that you are of worth simply because you exist. You were created by God to do great things and you are here now.  Do not doubt that you have value.  Any other interests, talents, abilities are just icing on the cake.

grateful:
606 blogging continues to stretch and challenge me