Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. What am I saying...Valentine's MONTH! From the first sign of hearts and doilies in the stores to the end of the month is Valentine's Day to me! I begin dreaming of the various little things I will do to put smiles on the faces of the people I love.
Because there are so many wonderful people in my life
I must choose simple inexpensive ways to show them I
love them. Often I worry that it was too simple of a gift-
that they deserve more -like a ruby ring or at least a lovely
store bought surprise.

Valentine's Day began in the most lovely way. I attended the
bridal shower of my darling niece, Rachel.

I looked so forward to this morning. Not only would we be celebrating the love of
Rachel and Zack but Shannon and Kelli and my mom and sisters
and their daughters would be there.







We all had the most wonderful surprise. Another of my nieces,
Lauren, had become engaged the night before! She was able to
show off her beautiful diamond ring to us all.
Later in the month all of the gals in my family will be celebrating
Valentine's Day by our traditional luncheon. We have been gathering
in celebration of our love for about 20 years! Each year, as the nieces
get older another one or two join us. We are up to 15 this year.

After the wonderful bridal shower I went home to my LOVE. We
would have the remainder of the day together. Ahh, I couldn't wait
to be with him.

The night before as we were out making Valentine deliveries he
bought me flowers I love, pink carnations. As my sister, Suzi, says
there is just something so feminine about carnations AND they last!


When I walked into the house that Saturday afternoon Craig told me
that I would just have to go from room to room looking for my
unwrapped present.

On the kitchen counter wrapped in a red ribbon was a Bose CD/Radio
with 4 CD changer. YIPPEEE! Now I can listen to my favorite music
as I cook and clean in the kitchen. It's sound is crisp and clear.


Craig and I LOVE music. A stereo was the first purchase we made
together when we became engaged (after the ring (well we didn't
really purchase the ring (that's another story))).


Then we went to an early movie...Shopoholic. We smiled and laughed
all the way through it. We recommend it, by the way.
A yummy dinner
was next followed by a lovely evening at home. Heavenly day!

My next Valentine's gift arrived Sunday after church on


Jan, my sister by friendship, came for a 2 week visit!

That's another post...

Happy Valentine's Day to each of you.

Micah made this Valentine
at preschool for his mother.
Ahhh melt my heart.

"I plead with you
to control your tempers,
To put a smile upon your faces,
Which will erase anger;
Speak out with words of love
And peace, appreciation, and respect.

IF you will do this,
your lives will be without regret.
Your marriages and family relationships
Will be preserved.
You will be much happier.
You will do greater good.
You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful."

President Gordon B. Hinckley
October 2007
His last conference

The Draper Temple

My daughter -in law, Lori and I took Micah (4 years ) to the Draper Temple Open House. He wondered why he needed to wear his church clothes on a Monday. We tried to explain that a temple is a special place but how do you explain to a little one? Micah had been stricken with a bout of silliness lately and I wondered how this experience would go.

The temple is set between 2 mountain peaks on a ledge above the valley, just south of Salt Lake City.



It is beautiful outside as well as inside. Adorning the walls are beautiful paintings and murals each depicting the Savior in various ways. Jesus Christ is clearly the center of the temple.


As we walked through the rooms Micah would have questions and comments.
He was very curious about the baptismal font sitting on the backs of 12 oxen (he thought they were goats).



The instructional rooms had gorgeously painted walls of Utah mountains and valleys in the green summer and the yellow fall.



Sensing the reverence and holiness Micah suggested that we fold our arms as we walked.
His most memorable remark was, "this church is cool."

You are right, Micah, this is a cool church. I feel so grateful to be a member of it. It is my dearest blessing to have been married in a temple of God for time and all eternity to the man of my dreams. Pondering the significance of the temple blessings in the life of our family makes my love and appreciation for Jesus Christ boundless. Together with Heavenly Father, He has provided a way for families to return to God's presence to dwell for eternity.
That is truly, "cool."

This is the precious family that I visited for 2 weeks. Lori had her tonsils removed (OUCH!) so Grandma came to the rescue!

First of all---I must say----
This is the longest Craig and I have been separated in 32 years-
except when he left me for 6 weeks to go to Officer School for Chaplains-
We had 4 children~2 of them were 2 months old!!!!

I digress..

So, here are a few of the highlights from playing Grandma

We made banners to decorate Mommy's bedroom.


Micah needed my eye glasses to find the recipe for Mommy's favorite crepe recipe.

We worked together to make meals

We went to the Fire station with Micah's preschool class.
Micah was disappointed they didn't get to go for a ride on the truck.
That would have been fun.

One of my favorite experiences (which happened twice while I was there) was attending family night. Joel gave the lessons. He has obviously been teaching his children about the gospel on a regular basis. These little ones were very involved and able to answer difficult review questions that many of us would have been nervous about.

"There is no spirit but what was pure and holy when it came here from the celestial world...He is the father of our spirits; and if we could know, understand, and do his will, every soul would be prepared to return back into his presence and when they get there [this is my favorite part] they will see that they had formerly lived there for ages, that they had previously been acquainted with every nook and corner, with the palaces, walks and gardens; and they would embrace their father, and he would embrace them and say, 'My son, my daughter, I have you home again.' And the child would say, 'Oh my father, my father, I am here again.'" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 4:268)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I must have read this many years ago because it has become part of my soul. I yearn to have this memory restored to me; to walk the gardens and remember every nook and corner. Most especially I yearn to be in the arms of Heavenly Father and to see His face and hear His voice. Sometimes when in the temple these images come to mind and the yearning only deepens.

God Loves you

Throughout February I will share
beautiful words of love.
Words that inspire and lift the soul.
Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're the children of God

and as his children there is no attribute we ascribe to him that we do not possess,
though they may be dormant or in embryo.
Now this is the truth,
we humble people,
we who feel sometimes so worthless,
so good for nothing,
we are not so worthless as we think.
There is not one of us but what God's love has been expended upon.
There is not one of us that He has [not] cared for and carressed.
We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes and in the eyes of others,
but truth remains that we are the children of God
and He has actually given His angels
-invisible beings of power and might-
charge concerning us,
and they watch over us and have us in their keeping."

President George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Canon (quoted by A.G. Kapp, You are Better Than You Think, p. 42)

It's February!
My favorite month of the year.

The month of lace, pink, and frills.
The month when aisles in stores
are filled with hearts, sparkles, and
Valentine cards that express love .

The month when no one expects a gift
so giving a little token of friendship and love
is just a fun surprise.

THE MONTH OF LOVE

G-od
O-ffers His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to

M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!


And so do I

P.S.

How could I forget to mention

the most important thing about Saturday?

It was the
37th anniversary
of our engagement!

I remember that day Oh So well.

Do you know that I still have the
12 red roses he sent me that day?

One Fine Week

MONDAY-- Craig and I joined Shannon, Derek and their 2 boys for family night. They had a family fire drill. We ran to the 'safe spot' to practice our skills. Corbin threw in a couple of earthquake drills too. He also loved the Stop, Drop and Roll drill.

TUESDAY-- The first few verses of the Epistle of James were the content of my scripture study class. It is in inspiring to consider that the very words written by the brother of Jesus took Joseph Smith to the grove to meet the Saviour and the Father.

WEDNESDAY--After a lovely morning in the temple I met an angel at the airport. 90 year old Beth sat by me on the plane to Utah. She also serves in the temple, is a widow of 27 years, has been on 5 missions and is a health enthusiast. She taught me wonderful ideas about health and zest for life. It felt like Heavenly Father placed an angel in my life for a brief moment. YOGA here I come. She stands on her head everyday for 14 minutes ! What do you think?

THURSDAY--How sweet to watch my son give a priesthood blessing to his wife before taking her to the hospital for a tonsilectomy.
For me it was a day with 2 adorable grandchildren. We decorated Momma's room, made cookies, read lots of books, and played games.

FRIDAY--Another day of play. In the evening I went out on my own to explore. How fun to buy a couple of books to help Shannon with ideas for Primary at COSTCO! Utah is amazing.

SATURDAY--Joel took over the family for the day and I went to visit Craig's mom. I took down the Christmas decorations that I had put out. We had a delightful visit.

SUNDAY---SNOW! At first it looked like the snow on Lura's website. After church the snow began to stick. Beautiful beautiful snow....so long as you are warm and cozy inside.

I will give a Prize to anyone who can tell me why
the post below has the font changing sizes!
I DID NOT DO THIS. HELP

LEMONADE AWARD

Thank you, Nancy, for this lovely award.

It is given when an Attitude of Gratitude is
displayed on a friend's blog.

Pres. Thomas S. Monson said in October General
conference: "May we be found among those who
give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If gratitude
be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among
the noblest of virtues. Despite the changes which come into our lives and
with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days-as much as we can-with
those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and
express our love to them in word and in deed."

SO, I would like to give this award to

President Thomas S. Monson, the President
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
for his inspiring teachings and love.

Laurie-not long after her beloved husband died of a long bout with cancer I heard her
say that both he and she would not change the outcome of that experience if it meant
surrendering the things they had learned and the blessings they had received. With the
help of the Lord she has made lemons into delicious lemonade.

Jan-my friend/sister. Our friendship has blossomed into a sisterhood. She has many
reasons to express 'sour grapes'. Her life is not the one she has dreamed of in many ways
yet she continues to look for the silver lining. A few years ago while undergoing tests for
possible cancer she expressed thanks to Heavenly Father for her situation and felt His love
as she did. At a moment when most of us would ask, "why me?" she accepted her 'lot' by
expressing gratitude for what God had planned for her.

Shannon- My darling daughter is delightfully appreciative of the experience of
being a mother of 2 preschool boys. She definitely has her hands full and delights in
every aspect of her day. Often when we are together I marvel at her sweet voice and
patient ways. Corbin (age 4) has some difficulties and requires extra help but she is
always adorable with him.

Lori-My daughter-in-law. She also has 2 little ones. She is views motherhood in an adorable way. She sees humor easily in the crazy things the children say and do. Lori works from home. Both she and Joel have jobs that have been hurt by the lousy economy. She thinks carefully about how to ensure they are safe financially. I admire her wisdom.

CONGRATULATIONS
to all you Lemonade Makers

Have you ever wondered :

WHO made the cameras for the amazing space photos you have seen on TV or in National Geographic?




Or how 'in the world' those cameras could sustain the changes in atmosphere, temperature or impact?



Or who is the person solely responsible for those cameras to be in focus?


Lloyd Adams, my mom's first cousin is the MAN!

I attended his funeral yesterday. He worked at JPL for 40 years. He was the anchor man for every camera that left the ground---Mariner, Voyager, Surveryor, Galaleo...they were ALL in focus.

He opened our eyes to God's heavenly creations.
May he now see with his spiritual eyes.

Now you know.

Attention Edward Cullen Fans!

This article captures his qualities and applies them to marriage beautifully.


www.meridianmagazine.com/familyconnections/090114mastery.html

Honest Scrap

A Good Thing and A Bad

This Coveted Award was given to me by Lura, a dear friend. It is given to bloggers you feel are honest in their words and dealings with others. I consider it an honor and thank Lura for it. That's the Good Thing.

The Bad Thing is that it comes with responsibility. Now I must divulge 10 things that others may not know about me. It isn't that I am not willing to share it's that it takes time to think!
This 'assignment' came a few days ago... sorry to be so slow, Lura.

1. I wish that I was more meticulous. I am a 'that's pretty good' kind of person.

2. I have dreams of being a Dancer, Singer, Writer, Artist, and Jewelry Designer

3. I wish I were a better friend to all my children, sisters and friends. There are so many times when I think to call and chat and just don't want to. I love the silence and get so tired of having a phone attached to my head.

4. I don't really enjoy going out to lunch because I hate to spend the money on food that will just make me tired and fat. I'd rather have an Isagenix shake which leaves me with energy. But, I love to be with friends...so I go.

5. And, if I want to get fat I would rather eat a Hagan Daz vanilla ice cream bar coated in chocolate and almonds!!!!!!!!

6. I LOVE to go to the fair. A dream vacation is to go to the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs.

7. The sound of shuffling feet is a pet peeve. Once while walking the boardwalk along the beach someone followed my for MANY minutes shuffling their feet loudly. It was all I could do to not turn around and SCREAM at her to "pick up your feet!!!!" But, I didn't.

9. Reading is delicious. There are so many books waiting for me in our home that I am anxious to get to BUT for some crazy reason (not my Mom or Craig's fault, in the least) I believe that reading is a reward for having all your chores done. Since they are NEVER done (the list in my head in endless) I feel guilty to stop and read. This is unreasonable and I force myself to NOT believe it. It's hard though.

9. Ditto above only change out reading for playing the piano. Isn't this sad? Hey, I'm gong to stop right now and go play.....




Proof that I am not meticulous....
1. I can't edit the size of the fonts on this post....it won't let me for some reason
AND
2. Did you notice there are 9 instead of the required 10 haHA!

The 12 Night Holiday Slumber Party

The 12 Night Slumber Party just ended.
It began December 23rd when Joel, Lori and their 2 children arrived for Christmas.
The party ended this morning as they drove back to Utah. They were followed by our Arizona family-the Jarman's.
How do Grandma and Grandpa feel? Sad. I cried.
Tomorrow we will clean the house.
Today we will enjoy the little evidences of their visit such as
used towels,
strewn toys,
scrapbooking scraps
and leftovers in the fridge.

Some things I want to remember:

Steele (12 years) babysat 5 children so the adults could go out to dinner and a movie. All the children thought he was fun... he led them in a talent show and then performed magic for them.


















Slater (8years) "I want to sit by Grandma."














Carter (age 8) laughs so enthusiastically and his toothless grin!



















Makayla (age 6) Has a sweet temperment even when tempted otherwise by her little brother. While he was making loud noices I asked her if she ever got tired of her little brother. "No," was her sweet answer.














Italia (age 5) kissing my arm, as we made dolls together, with little precious pecks and saying, "Grandma, I love you."

















Corbin (4 years) gives the best hugs and makes sure everyone gets one. Oh--and the way he drops a bowling ball on the lane with such power!


















Micah's (4 years ) little high pitched voice coming up the stairs saying, "Grandma, where are you? Grandma, I need you."


















Cooper (20 months)wanting me to hold him and then telling me he had a headache and an earache and sure enough he did!

AND

Bowling
















Scandia
















Sea World


















New Years Eve




















The Museum




















Going to Kelli's