Friday, August 30, 2013

It's Date Night... so enjoy this story called Decades of Love

This was the perfect Date Night Story. Just watch this 96 year old man, talk about his wife of  73 years...she had just passed away only a month ago.
Good night dear friends!



Get out those tissue boxes. This 96-year-old man's love song for his late wife is guaranteed to make you tear up.
Fred Stobaugh, from Peoria, Ill., wrote the lyrics to what he called "Oh Sweet Lorraine" after his 91-year-old wife died last April. The couple met in 1938 and were married for 73 years, according to ABC News.

here:

Thursday, August 29, 2013

How to show up for your LIFE!

Read this article here: and thought what a neat thing all of us should remember. I think when we are children...we are there and present in our life. Somewhere between childhood and now...we might have lost part or all of ourselves. What a neat reminder!
Good night dear friends!


How To Show Up For Your Life
 
I learned this really cool term last week.  “Self abandonment”.  This is when you plan on going to the gym but end up eating ice cream bars and watching hours of stuff you can’t even remember you watched on Hulu.  This is when you don’t want to send that email or that text to that certain someone but you are feeling lonely and act from that place.  It’s when you choose activities that numb you out, take you out of your integrity, or deter you from your true path. 
 
The worst betrayal is when we betray ourselves.  When we betray ourselves, we are treating ourselves as someone who is not worthwhile.  Learning how to show up for yourself will keep you clear, directed, and more able to connect with the people you love. 
 
Showing up is:  to be clearly visible.  Do you allow people to see who you really are?  Can you be authentic in your own life?  Showing up is:  To put in an appearance, to arrive.  Have you “arrived”?  Did your completely present self make it to brunch?  Your body may be there but is your mind and spirit at the table as well? 
 
Are you actually living within your life right NOW?  Or are you living in past defeat and future worries?  When you are really showing up, life feels richer, simpler and more golden.  Small shifts equal big change!  Try these tips to reconnect with yourself. 
 
Awesome wedding day idea - photo of flower girls holding hands on the beach! | Brovado
 Got photo from here:
Drop Your Story  Your life interpreted through the filter of your story means that every negative thing that happens to you cements your downtrodden version of your life.  Change your story and change what you start attracting. 

Do A Media Cleanse
Get off your electronics!  Are you enjoying your dinner or are you enjoying how cool people think your dinner looks on Instagram?  Are you missing out on what’s happening right in front of you because you are so absorbed in what happened 5 minutes ago in someone else’s life
 
Seek Peace & Quiet
Mind noise.  Subway noise.  Street noise.  Social media noise.  It all adds up to constant mental chatter.  Find a quiet place.  Go to it regularly.  It is impossible to tune into what we need if we don’t seek out space for our thoughts to percolate. 
 
Be Aware Of How You Really Feel
Try this powerful exercise for a full day.  Check in with yourself every 15 minutes.  Ask yourself three questions-How do I feel?  What do I need?  What do I want?  Are you tired, hungry, worried?  Do you need a glass of water, to step away from your computer or to connect with a friend?  Taking yourself off autopilot brings you back into your body and mind.  Consciousness around your feelings and desires reconnects you with YOU.
 
Do You
Always be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.” ~ Judy Garland. 
You are the gift.  Even with frizzy hair, even when your skin looks bad, even when you feel nuts.  We can’t connect with your layers of insecurity.  We can’t connect with your puffed up chest or your title.  Strip down the layers and reveal yourself.  You are enough.  You are golden.  We want to connect with the real you.  Allow us to by standing in your power. 
 
(Re)Connect With Your Dreams
Are you living the life you’ve dreamed of?  If not, WHY not?  When did you decide to take this path?  How can you course correct?  You have to know what you want to get it.
 
Your Needs Are Valid.
This can be a daily affirmation or mantra.  Use it when you start rationalizing someone else’s bad behavior.  Use it when you are afraid to have a difficult conversation.  You are important.  You matter just as much as anyone else.  Feel it in your bones.
 
Eat Well and Sleep Soundly
Meet your basic needs every day!  Please sleep and nurture your body with quality nutrition every day.  It is very difficult to stay emotionally even keel when we are exhausted or frazzled from a sugar or caffeine buzz.  Be kind to yourself.

 
Know What You Are Communicating With Your Energy
You are responsible for the energy you bring into the room.” ~ Iyanla Vanzant
Be aware of the energy you are bringing into any situation.  Do you show up with anger, with anxiety, with your mind on other things, with love?  Whether you are with your beloved, your family, or a group of people, your energy contributes to the dynamic.  Look at what you are bringing to the mix and be conscious.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Monopoly... not my favorite game!


First of all let me explain...when I was little I had 3 older brothers, and the one brother that I was closest in age to, is the one that I spent the most time with (obviously). However, we were as different as Night and Day. He loved to play board games...I on the other hand loved to be playing with blocks or creating something with my crayons and paper. Board games always made me feel BORED! But since we were always together, we ended up playing a lot of board games non-the-less.

 Monopoly was my brother's favorite game, he was amazing at it. I on the other hand was always in debt ( to him ) or in Jail...so why would I want to keep playing that game over and over again?
In my defense...I was an energetic child and doing anything that required me to be still and sit for awhile, seemed like torture...unless I was creating something with my hands.
 So when I read this quote the other day, it made me laugh. I remember my Mom telling me "Lynn, the rules are... if you start a game you need to finish the game", so I tried not to start too many of them with my brother who obviously was the KING of Board Games! :) 
Yes, this was another childhood memory that needs to be recorded... in my defense :)
Good night dear friends!


"Nobody ever reads the
rules for Monopoly...
except when an argument
breaks out."

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Won't you be my neighbor?

Today we got all set up for our 3rd Annual Neighborhood BBQ. I was looking at the sky all day, and praying that it wouldn't get rained out tonight. Oh, we did get a few sprinkles...but that's all, it went well. So grateful to see so many neighbors come out and spend some time together. It seems like sometimes we get so busy in our every day lives, that we don't get to even know each other well, or know what is going on in each other's lives. So I am glad that we have these BBQs each summer.
 Then in December we have the Christmas Open House for the neighborhood, we have had that for over 18 years. It has been so nice to know get to know all the sweet people that we live so close to! Each time that we have even moved into a new house or apartment...we have always tried to get to know our neighbors right away, and  9 out of 10 times it has been a very positive experience. So tonight was another success and we feel grateful!
Good night dear friends!

I would love this framed in my livingroom!“I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?” Quote by Mother Teresa - Google Search

Monday, August 26, 2013

Using your hands to create something...can soothe your brain....really!


I found this article about how using your hands help soothes the brain and I agree. As long as my hands are working...I feel better, happier and more productive...glad to find an article that agrees with me :)
Here is what part of the article said...

"Women have innately basked their brains in feel good juices since time immemorial to get through tight economic and emotional times. Though dovetailed as woman’s work and not really discussed, for centuries women have enjoyed the calming properties of knitting, sewing, embroidering or even just rhythmically folding or ironing clothes.
When I came across this blog entry from sustainable designer and writer Natalie Chanin, it not only piqued my perception of the positive effects of “women’s work,” but it brought to light a real aspect of how using our hands to do meaningful tasks can benefit our overall health and well being.
Chanin cites neuroscientist Kelly Lambert, author of Lifting Depression:
“Lambert shows how when you knit a sweater or plant a garden, when you prepare a meal or simply repair a lamp, you are bathing your brain in feel-good chemicals and creating a kind of mental vitamin. Our grandparents and great grandparents, who had to work hard for basic resources, developed more resilience against depression; even those who suffered great hardships had much lower rates of this mood disorder. But with today’s overly-mechanized lifestyle we have forgotten that our brains crave the well-being that comes from meaningful effort.”
I asked Chanin myself, with all the women working for her, has she ever heard a remark about how working with their hands helped get them through hardships or that their disposition changed the moment they picked up needle and thread?
We have had several stitchers remark that they just don’t ‘feel good’ when they don’t have a project to work on. I remarked in Alabama Stitch Book that I sometimes use sewing when I have a difficult decision to make or when I need to brainstorm and find ideas,” says Chanin.
So does the physical act of using your hands to “make,” increase some sort of chemical reaction that basks your brain in feel good, all-natural cocktails that can enhance your sense of well ."
 


You can read the rest of the article here:
Desire to create quote via www.Facebook.com/IncredibleJoy








Learning to be your own Heroine in your life!

We just flew home from Austin tonight. It was hard to leave the kids, but felt good that most of their house was unpacked and cleaned; and best of all...it looked like HOME! Little Kai is such a cutie, so glad we had that time with him. Our son and his family are on a great adventure starting off on his own business, together I am sure they will do a great job. Their talents truly compliment each other. They already have some friends there so...that makes us feel good too!
Tonight it is late and I need to head to bed, but wanted to mention one thing. I receive emails too often from people who have suffered from sexual abuse. Most of the problem is, even when they get brave enough to tell... they aren't believed or they are  even BLAMED ( if you can believe that !) Not being believed or blamed, can send you down many self destructive roads IF you aren't careful. I guess the truth is...you have to believe in yourself...before you can start down that road of healing. When you finally realized that every day that you continue to keep quiet, stay a victim, hurt yourself...that you are just continuing to give your abuser...power over you. The moment you stand up and say "NO MORE" is when you life will begin to turn around. You will be able to see things much clearer and you will start taking care of yourself and start protecting yourself. You will begin to get the power that you need to become a SURVIVOR! Then and only then, will your life really start to begin. So please if you yourself have been abused or someone you know is being abused....help them, pray for them and most of all believe them! Help them to read this quote below and realize that they truly can become their own Heroine or Hero in their life.
Good night dear friends!

be the heroine. nora ephron

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Getting ready to say good bye!

Well, this is our last night in Austin. How grateful we feel that we were able to come here and help them out. We got most of the things unpacked and it actually looks like a beautiful home already. I am glad that it does, because it would have been even harder to leave them living out of so many boxes. The hardest part is still being so far away from them, but hopefully we will be able to get together for Christmas...so we are excited for that.


I have been thinking about getting this as a tattoo in memory of my late grandfather, he'd always read Pooh Bear stories to my brothers and I as kids :-)

Friday, August 23, 2013

Disconnect to Connect!

I guess this should be my next post ( this youtube below)...since we have been in Austin we didn't have internet, or even any time to connect even when we did. We flew in to help Brad, Krystal and Kai move in here from Boston. Brad is going off on his own and we are so excited for them.
Our first day here we didn't even have a fridge or a washer and dryer. So we spent most of that day trying to look at all the stores to find what we wanted. The next day Jeff and Brad left early to find the appliances and Krystal, Kai and I unloaded boxes and unpacked the kitchen completely. Then when they got home, we spent the rest of the day getting the appliances in and getting groceries...still the gas won't be on till Monday sooooooooooooo we are taking cold showers each day! We did get a small grill so that we can have some type of hot food.
 Still all in all it has been fun getting to be with Kai and having him get to know us better. Man do I miss this boy! I hope we will continue to get to have moments and time with him, so he knows that how much Nana and Poppa love him.
Tonight we went to downtown Austin, saw the capital and the university. At 9:00 at night it was 98 degrees, I kept thinking when the sun went down that it might get a bit cooler....wrong! But it was 102 degrees today so 4 degrees lower I guess was better?
Saw this youtube video on disconnecting and thought it was pretty important to watch, hope you enjoy it! Good night dear friends!
here:

Photo: Keeva scouting out her new yard! #austin #texas #justmovedHere is their back yard...Keeva is a brave dog to stay out in that heat. Still she is excited to have a place to run around!

Austin, Texas

My mom is currently in Austin Texas helping my brother and sister-in-law move into their new home. Also with not having internet right away the blog posts might be a little sparse, but hopefully she will get them up and running soon!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Look for the Positive!


I need to remember this more often!

Jason Wright shares a personal experience, and once again helps us to see things through a less judgmental and positive glasses!
 Enjoy! I need to go and get packing, heading to Texas tomorrow to see my grandson and to help the kids move in to their new home. So excited! Night dear friends!

 
   Quit complaining- sometimes things turn out just fine! By Jason F. Wright         
.      . 

It’s hardly breaking news. We live in a world that excels in identifying flaws. We're experts at finding the mote in our neighbor’s eye — checking it for termites and offering advice for emergency removal.
I’m as guilty as anyone.
Have a bad meal at a restaurant? Tell the manager, the server and your friends.
Frustrated by bad service from your local mechanic? Tweet it and post your gripe on Facebook.
Was the hotel bed too lumpy on your latest business trip? Tell the front desk clerk and send an email when you get home. Your back might not feel any better, but your ego might, right?
That’s life. Everything that can go wrong will. Or will it?
What about when things go right? I wonder how often I notice when there's really nothing to complain about at all. In fact, maybe something went so well it deserves public praise?
A few nights ago, my 9-year-old son tumbled out of bed and whacked his head on the wooden edge of his little brother’s trundle bed. The shiner was so big the International Star Registry could have named it.
Because of the size and location of the bump — directly above his eye — we decided he needed a midnight visit to Valley Health's Shenandoah Memorial Hospital emergency room in Woodstock, Va. Naturally we were concerned about a concussion and possible damage to the eye.
Frankly, we were also concerned about the reputation of the emergency room. We’d heard complaints about extraordinarily long waits, understaffing and bungled paperwork. Though I’d never experienced any of those inconveniences first hand.
With his forehead swelling and turning shades of purple I’ve never seen on the color wheel, my patient and I said a prayer and made the short drive to the only option in town for emergency care.
To my surprise, we walked in and were immediately greeted, registered and triaged. In four minutes, we were already in an examination room back in the belly of the ER. He was put in a gown — in his words, a “dress” — and a nurse began asking all the important questions.
Hardly five minutes passed before the doctor entered and began his examination. I noted that I hadn’t even had time to finish blowing up my latex glove turkey.
After a thorough exam and additional questions about the nature of the fall and his medical history, the doctor explained why he was forgoing a CT scan in favor of traditional X-rays. Perhaps another five short minutes passed before a technician was wheeling my wounded warrior to radiology. They took a few quick shots of his noggin and he was traveling back to his room before anyone had time to tease him about his Mario pajamas.
Another 15 minutes passed, just long enough for my son to reprimand me for playing with things and for me to step outside and send a text to his mother. Soon, the doctor invited us around a large nurses’ station to look at the X-rays on a large computer monitor. He walked us through what he thought he saw, and what he didn't. “No concerns,” the doctor said.
We returned to get our patient dressed and ready for home. The nurse was right behind us, giving us final instructions, things to watch for and several handouts reflecting what they’d done. We said goodbye, stopped briefly by billing and walked to the car.
It was impossible to ignore that at every second they’d treated him like the most important patient in the hospital — though we certainly saw others — and those others might say the same.
At every second they’d worked as true professionals, but with an appropriate brand of fun, kid-friendly banter that you only see in commercials.               
They made a potentially terrifying experience for a child with a big bump on his head to nothing more than a bitty bump on the road.
But what about all those complaints? What about the waits? The paperwork nightmares? Wouldn’t a comedy of errors have made for a better column?
In today’s chaotic world, with its 20/20 vision for failure and weakness, I suspect many of us are trained to look for reasons to be disappointed. And when we are, we’re wired to let the world know whom to avoid, whom to distrust and whom doesn’t deserve our hard-earned money in their cash registers.
Today I recognize and applaud the entire team at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital for taking care of one of the four most important treasures in my life. I’ve got no complaints, no angry letters to write and no reason to launch nasty Main Street gossip.
All I have is a feeling that I should do less complaining, because sometimes things turn out just fine. And when they do, I need to recognize those moments, too.
How about you?
As always you can read more of Jason's words HERE:

Monday, August 19, 2013

Trading walking, for the POOL!

I had to remember all these quotes (below) today. For the last week or so, my back has been consistently getting worse. I am doing my walking still, but the pounding on the ground when I walk is giving my poor joints a tough time. My Physical Therapist suggested last Thursday, that I quit walking and try to get back into the pool and start with aqua jogging first.
Ever since Thursday I have been worrying about it and wondering if I could really put a suit on and stick my swim prosthetic in and just do it? I did it last year before my accidents, when I was with Shirley but it was a bit different. First of all I was with Shirley, she is like a sister to me and so I could handle anything with her. Second .... I had just finished a year with my spine specialist and had finally graduated and felt better than I had for years. Third...it was at the motel pools that we were staying in each night as we traveled cross country...no one was ever in the pool and the pool was very little. So it was do able and after each swim, I would just take out my swim prosthetic, throw it to Shirley ( remember no one was there and she was sitting by the pool watching me ) and I got in the hot tub for bit to calm down my muscles...it felt great! ( Sorry if that put a bad mental picture in your head :)
Still I worried about it all weekend, trying to talk myself out of it. Thinking of all the reason I couldn't do it... it takes so much time to swim, shower etc....what if my prosthetic falls out and the whole pool has to stop. to help me look for it?... won't people notice that I look different? ...my left arm is swollen at the top, my chest wall is a bit caved in, what would people think? ...it costs a bit of money to do that each day and on and on went my poor thoughts!
Yes, I had all the reasons I couldn't go and even didn't sleep much last night because I was worried about how deformed my body looked. I know what you are thinking... and you are right, most of it is between my ears...but yet still very real worries to me.
It has been over 10 years since I have swam. I stopped after I hurt my neck, and it gave me migraines to do the crawl stroke and turn my head so often. So our goal now is to have me aqua jog for a month or two to get my neck and shoulders/arms area strong enough for me to swim again! How thankful I was that Lauren came with me, like Shirley...it helped to have moral support and she loves to swim! Once we got there and I didn't know anyone, that helped, and there was hardly anyone in the pool that helped too, and my prosthetic did stay pretty much in the area it was suppose to...so I did it! I was so glad that hurdle was behind me. Didn't do much else the whole day, it took a lot out of me...using muscles that haven't been used in a while. I pray that this will be the answer to my back and neck issues and will bring less pain and much stronger soon!
So I am heading to bed soon...hopefully tonight I won't have the bad dreams about everything that could go wrong in the pool tomorrow! Still I am going to get up, go again, suit up... prosthetic in and hit the water! Wish me luck!
Good night dear friends!


Wise words.I love love this quote!Life quotes

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Teaching kids the value of work!

Today I gave a talk in church, on Teaching Children the Value of Work. So here it is, for anyone who needs a bit of encouragement teaching their kids or grandkids to work!


A traveler passed a stone quarry and saw three men working. He asked each man what he was doing. Each man’s answer revealed a different attitude, toward the same job. “ I am cutting stone,” the first man answered. The second replied, “I am earning three gold pieces per day.” And the third man smiled and said,  “ I am helping to build a house of God.”
 
It is vital that we have a great attitude about the work we do…one might ask WHY?
In a talk given  by J Richard Clark which you can find here:    he says… 
Work is a blessing from God. It is a fundamental principle of salvation, both spiritual and temporal. When Adam was driven from his garden home, he was told that his bread must be produced by his physical toil, by the sweat of his brow. Note carefully the words: “Cursed shall be the ground for thy sake” ., that is, for his good or benefit. It would not be easy to master the earth; but that was his challenge and his blessing, as it is ours.
From the time our kids were little we tried to teach them the value of work. 
Each week at FHE we would pick a (VERY IMPORTANT PERSON) or what we called our V.I.P. 
This child got to pick out the songs and treats for Family night,
they got to pick someone to say morning and nightly prayers,
they got to sit where they wanted at the table,
 they got to pick their favorite meal for one of our dinners
  and most important they got to pick what chore they did.
Usually the coveted chore was the dishes, it was pretty easy compared to sweeping, or laundry so ….that is what the VIP usually picked. One morning after all the kids had gone to school, I was in my room straightening up when I heard an awful scream from Lee  in the kitchen (it was one of those screams that you were pretty sure there had to be blood that went with it ) well, I ran in and found Lee holding his thumb and crying. I looked and he had been doing his dishes ( because he was the V.I.P. for the week ) and he had cut his self with one of the knifes. Now anyone of the younger kids that did the dishes, knew that they did not have to do the silverware …actually they weren’t suppose to….because of the knifes and other sharp objects. And up until that day, it has never been a problem!  Lee said that he thought he could take one of the knives and cut a door out of an old cardboard box he found, so he could have a garage for his matchbox cars. Well, obviously the knife slipped… and cut his thumb.  So off to the hospital we went.
As the nurses were trying to calm him down and clean the wound and prepare him for the stitches, they asked him some questions…
How old are you Lee?...."four"
How did you cut your thumb?..."with a butcher knife"  ( it wasn’t that big but to a 4 year old, maybe it did)
What were you doing with a butcher’s knife?.... sob …"I am the VIP"
What does that mean? …. Between  more  sobs he said   "VERY IMPORTANT PERSON"
But why did you have a knife? …"because I was doing the dishes"
Why were you doing the dishes? …..then will sobbing louder than ever he said…"because I am the VIP"
As I watched the nurses faces, and then saw them turn and whisper to each other, I was wondering if maybe our teaching our kids to work AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE   was going to be seen as something different! Lucky for us everything went fine…and we were able to take Lee home, after a few painful stitches.
 
As a family it was very important for us to remind our children what King Benjamin said in  . Mosiah 2:17  “ When you are in the service of your fellow beings ye are in the service of your God”
Teaching our kids to serve one another was a main goal in our home. We would remind them when they helped with the laundry… everyone in the house would have clean clothes that they could find,
when they needed them.
When they vacuumed, then the floor would be clean, for their baby brother or sister crawling around.
Brad however had a bit of trouble thinking that vacuuming and sweeping had any real purpose, so sometimes I had to get creative. One day after he did a half way job of sweeping and came to tell me that he was all done, I asked…did you find the money?  His reply was What money?  I then said, if you did  a really good job of sweeping, then you would have found the money.  From then on he learned quickly on how to really sweep, which meant going behind the furniture, picking up the rugs and sweeping all along the baseboards. .
 Teaching your kids to work, really takes a lot of thinking and creativity!
Still you might hear the same complaint every now and then that we read about in Matthew Chapter 20 It is the parable that Jesus tells of the laborers in the vineyard, when at the end of the day they are finally given their wages and how some complained …that it wasn’t  fair! Guess it does my heart good to know my kids weren’t the only ones to complain about fairness :)
As we talk to our kids now, they are grateful for their knowledge on how to work. Especially when they have  room mates or companions that don’t know how to do any chores at all.
I still agree with the old saying…
“Tell me and  I’ll forget”
Show me and  I’ll remember
Involve me and I’ll understand.” 
In closing I would like to read this quote that Brother Clark mentions in his talk, about work ….
“If you are poor, work. If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities, work. If you are happy, work. Idleness gives room for doubts and fears. If disappointments come, keep right on working. If sorrow overwhelms you and loved ones seem not true, work. If health is threatened, work. When faith falters and reason fails, just work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead, work. Work as if your life were in peril. It really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully-work with faith. Work is the greatest remedy available for both mental and physical afflictions.”
-- Korsaren
I am grateful for to be a member of this church, I am grateful for the emphasis that our Prophet put on the principle of work .
I am  grateful to know …that in the end, what is really important is…
What we have become by our labors!

It's Date Night!

Marriage quote | Love Quotes Today

Friday, August 16, 2013

What an incredible story!

I read this story and thought what a survivor this girl is! But even after all she has accomplished, she still has huge challenges coming at her. I love her spirit, I love her determination and her resolve not to become bitter because of circumstances that happen beyond her control! What a great lesson for all of us! Read it and see!
Good night dear friends!

Paralympic swimmer banned from competition because of hope she could walk again


.
Victoria Arlen is a paralympic gold medalist, but this week the International Paralympic Committee told her she is no longer allowed to compete in the organization.
The 18-year-old champion swimmer has been paralyzed from her waist down since she was 11 and diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that attacks nerves in the spine.
According to statements released by the International Paralympic Committee, Arlen was disqualified because her condition is no longer viewed as permanent as medical experts found there may be hope for the teen to walk again.
Although her limitations initially came as a shock, for the past seven years Arlen hasn't let it hold her back. The young athlete took to the pool and has since won four medals, including gold, and broke her own record at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
That's why it was a surprise to Arlen and her family this week when the IPC said she is not eligible to compete in the Paralympic World Swimming Championships, after she had traveled to Montreal for the event.
"I'm so heartbroken with what has happened. I feel numb and completely shocked with the turn of events," Arlen wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. "To have trained so hard this past year and come so far only to be humiliated and targeted by the IPC for reasons unknown baffles me. Being penalized for maybe having a glimmer of hope of one day being able to walk again is beyond sad."
The National Post reported that Arlen's eligibility had been cleared in years past, but after the 2012 London Paralympics the IPC requested a more in-depth medical report. IPC spokesman Craig Spence announced that Arlen's medical records had been reviewed by five medical experts who all separately stated her condition could not be referred to as permanent.
Arlen is known for being positive about her circumstances, running a campaign called "Rock your disability." But the news that she could no longer compete has been devastating for the young athlete.
"To be told I'm ineligible only days before World Championships is beyond ridiculous," she wrote online. "Being up in Montreal only to have to head home is devastating. The definite reasons given to make the ineligible decision come to pass were not clear and do not seem fair."
While Arlen is uncertain about the details of the decision, she concluded her statement with gratitude for what she has been able to do and hope that things will work out.
"Although there is not much I can do, I just pray for answers and a reason for all of this," Arlen wrote. "Everything does happen for a reason and sometimes these reasons are hard to fathom and explain. I continue to have the utmost respect for the Paralympic movement and the IPC and hope that this will not happen to anyone else. Nobody should have to go through this."
Others have rallied together for Arlen, including some New Hampshire politicians such as Gov. Maggie Hassan.
"Denying Victoria the opportunity to compete in an event for which she has trained diligently, and at the last possible moment, is unconscionable and patently unfair," Hassan wrote in a letter to the IPC.
"Moreover, the basis for ruling Victoria ineligible — the possibility that she might one day be able to resume use of her legs — is nothing short of disgraceful, undermining the very values of courage, inspiration, determination and equality that the International Paralympic Committee aims to promote."

Happy Birthday dear Jenny!

Today was my granddaughter Jenny's 4th Birthday. What a fun, crazy, silly, happy, serious, crazy, incredible little girl she is. She is one that you have to watch every minute, one who can make you laugh often, one who can stare you down without a smile and one of the crazy little red heads in the world that you could never live without...yes that is our Miss Jenny Paige!

She and her family came over and spent the whole day with us. Then had dinner together too and a family party at Cold Stone's tonight. She was so excited, she could hardly eat her ice cream. Then they finished off their day with a Sleep Over at ....you guessed Nana and Poppa's house.
 Right after prayers and when I was tucking them both into bed she said " this was the BEST DAY EVER!" And I have to admit..it was! Hard to imagine when I look at this picture below of her and Amy ( her Mom ), that she has grown up soooooooooooooo much!
 
 
She is our crazy little sweet red head, how grateful we are to have her in our family! When I read this quote below... I thought of our Jenny!

"As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen!"

 


Happy Birthday Miss Jenny Paige, we sure love ya!
 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Motivating Thoughts!

Gordon B. HinckleyMemory love this quote.

A child that survived!

When I first saw this photo and read the quote, I thought...that is me! I was drawing my Mom said from the time I could sit up and use my little fingers. Now I know a lot of kids who are NOT abused, like to draw and color. But for me, my art was a way to escape without ever leaving my home. When I drew or painted, I was happy. When I created, it made me feel safe and of some worth.
 So even though this little girl may not be a victim of abuse, then again she might be. The fact is there is way too much abuse in the world today and it is our job as friends, family, teachers, and adults to PROTECT them as much as we can. Most will survive, but they usually will have to go somewhere ( even if it is in their minds ) to survive.
I am a survivor of incest, I am an artist ...and how grateful I am for the opportunity to escape my world... as soon as my paint brush touched the canvas.
Good night dear friends!

The creative adult is the child who survived. Ursula K. LeGuin #creativity #quote

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Another good Samaritan... strikes again!

What a great story! Radom Acts of Kindness...I love it!

Good Samaritan note goes viral on Reddi


Andy had been traveling and was asked to pay the mandatory baggage fee. After handing the employee his credit card, Andy was told his card had been declined. Embarrassed and upset, Andy stepped away from the counter to call his bank and double-check his balance.
Upon returning to check out, the man found a note left for him on the back of a receipt. The note read:
"Hey, I heard them say your card was declined. I know how it feels. Your bag fee's on me. Just pay it forward the next time you get a chance. Have a safe flight. :)"

Andy was overwhelmed by the kind act and decided to post the photo to thank the anonymous giver.
"If you're reading this, thanks for making my day," Andy posted online.
But according to Andy, the financial help wasn't even the best part of the surprise note.
"Seriously, reading their note gave me goosebumps and gave me faith that there are still good people out there," Andy told Yahoo Shine.
Many commenters have asked Andy what he will do to pay it forward to someone else. Andy said he hoped to come up with something spontaneously, just as it happened to him.
Many other users on the popular site left comments sharing their own "good Samaritan" moments.
"I was walking down a busy avenue in my city one day and saw a meter maid beginning to write a ticket for a car parked by the road. Obviously the meter was expired. As I witnessed this and approached to pass this event, I reached into my pocket and found some change, I passed between the meter and the maid, casually dropping a quarter into the machine, giving the person a few more minutes of time," one user commented.
"The meter maid was dumbfounded and my group and I paused down the street a bit to see her on her radio requesting advice on what to do. She ended up moving along and not writing the ticket."
Another user described an experience he had when he overheard a young mother describing a problem with her car to a mechanic.
"I heard her ask the counter guy if he could see why her lights were dim on the car. He went and tested and found the battery was dead, but the alternator was charging. I overheard her talking with the guy about batteries, and when she saw the prices, she kept asking if he had anything cheaper/smaller that would work," the user wrote.
"As she was leaving without a battery, I walked over to the guy and asked which one she needed for her car. He pointed. I handed him my card and rang it up. I grabbed the battery and borrowed some tools and walked out the front door just as she had finished buckling the kids in. I asked her to pop her hood, and she at first looked at me like 'What?' and then saw what I had with me.
"She asked me why, and I just said, 'Because someone did something nice for me once.'"
A few weeks ago the Deseret News reported on a similar act of generosity. In Massachusetts, a doughnut store celebrated a 55-person pay-it-forward chain after one customer first decided to pay for the customer behind her in the drive-through.
I read the story HERE:
Teach Your Children To Give Random Acts Of Kindness
 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Talents...everyone has them!

Today in church we talked about Talents and how everyone has them. We talked about how you can be born with some talents, but if you don't use them then you can lose them. We talked about how you may not have been born with certain talents, but could develop them throughout your life time. I love the story in the book of Matthew 25 verses 14-29 about the parable of the Talents.  In that scripture we learn that the Lord totally expects us to use and develop our talents.
6 things that I wrote down today about talents were this...

1. You must discover what talents you have.
2. You must be willing to spend the time and effort to develop your talent.
3. You need to have FAITH that your Heavenly Father will help you in developing talents.
4. You need to learn the skills that are necessary for developing that talent, like ask a friend, read a book or take a class. ( Be pro-active )
5.  You need to practice using your talent. Every talent takes effort and work.
6.  You should be willing to share your talents with others. By using our talents we grow and learn.

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do, not that the nature of the thing changed, but that our power to do....is increased." ~Heber J. Grant



In 1960 the Olympics were held in Melbourne, Australia. There on the winner’s platform in the spotlight one day stood a beautiful, tall, blonde American girl. She was being presented a gold medal, symbolic of first place in worldwide competition. As she stood there, some boys whistled and others were heard to say, “There’s a gal who has everything.”
Tears ran down her cheeks as she accepted the recognition. Many thought she was touched by the victory ceremony. The thing most of the audience did not know was the story of her determination, self-discipline, and daily action. At the age of five she had polo. When the disease left her body, she couldn’t use her arms or legs. Her parents took her daily to a swimming pool where they hoped the water would help hold her arms up as she tried to use them again. When she could lift her arm out of the water with her own power, she cried for joy. Then her goal was to swim the width of the pool, then the length, then several lengths. She kept on trying, swimming, enduring, day after day after day, until she won the gold medal for the butterfly stroke—one of the most difficult of all swimming strokes—in Melbourne, Australia.
What if Shelly Mann had not been encouraged to achieve at age five and to continue and overcome? What a tremendous asset were parents who assisted her in the importance of now and today in preparation for tomorrow.
I found the story HERE:
 
In 1984, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame for her accomplishments.
"Just Because You Can't See It, Doesn't Mean It's Not There"
 
"Our strides of today will determine our locations tomorrow." ~ Marvin J. Ashton 
 

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Being Enough!

Loved this article from one Mom ...about being ENOUGH!

You can read it here:

Friday, August 9, 2013

Life's lessons!

I believe that this quote is really true, even though I never really liked the Wizard of Oz. I do believe that we are born with everything we need... but sometimes it just takes us a while to realize that.
 I hope that as a Nana, I can help my grandchildren realize the power they have early in their lives...so they will be able to do anything they want. I think that is what we are suppose to do as adults...help as many children as we can. I am grateful for the people in my life that helped me realize that I am a daughter of God and that I had infinite worth. Knowing who we are, gives us the ability to handle anything and not only survive, but to become who we need to become! I think of course a pair of red sparkly shoes wouldn't hurt either:)


You've always had the power...(but the shoes need to be silver)unlimited power

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Another great Sleep Over and the Stars!

I read this quote and remembered something that happened the other night.
be glad
Our two oldest granddaughters had sleep over, it was late but they were so excited to do a sleep over... that they were pretty hyper and just couldn't seem to get their giggles out. Desperate Lauren, Lee and I just went and laid outside on the deck and turned off all the lights. Then we all just looked up at the stars...it was incredible. I love this place that we live. How fun it was to show the girls where the Big Dipper was, what a planet looked like and even to guess every now and then if they saw a shooting star.
At one point we saw something go across the sky and it had flashing red and white lights.  Angie said..".on Christmas eve, I saw two lights" Then Lauren asked "what do you think they were?" Then Angie with her totally serious look and voice said, "Lauren it was Christmas eve, it had to be Jesus and Santa Claus!" Then Jenny leaned over and said " I think that is just a plane!"
Oh how I love my little grandchildren. I love how they see the world, how they love life, how they enjoy every little thing...yes, every day I thank my Heavenly Father for another day with my family. I can hardly wait till Kai and Audrey get old enough to come and do Sleep Overs at Nana and Poppa's house, and listen to all the wonderful things they will tell us too!
As I went outside tonight and saw the same star filled sky... I smiled and felt BLESSED!
Good night dear friend!

 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Never give up on yourself



I learned a lot from my two teachers that summer. I got better at math and learned to solve problems without the help of Texas Instruments. I got better at writing fiction and wrote a lengthy piece that was read aloud in class on our last day of summer school. I got better at balancing home stress and school responsibilities.
I got A’s.
I learned a lot at home that summer, too. I learned that my parents loved me deeply, even though I’d let school slip. I learned my three older siblings believed I was capable of anything. I learned to take more responsibility for my actions and to look inward at problems and upward to heaven for solutions.
I learned to pray.
I sailed through the next year and did well as my father lived cancer-free until my junior year of high school. When it returned and later claimed his life during the winter break between semesters, I easily remembered the lessons of 1984.
It's summer again and every year I spend some time counting and reflecting on those lessons. I suppose I also count my failures since that heavy report card, and I find there have been many. But, thankfully, I’ve also been blessed with just enough successes like summer school to remind me that I am not defined by the failure, but by the response.
Sometimes I think I hear the voice of that nervous 13-year-old boy reminding me that with faith, love, perseverance and by forgiving myself, I will always be capable of advancing from one trial to the next with straight A's.
He tells me that I am not destined to be retained.
Neither are you.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Good Advice to remember!

Someone sent me words of advice, since I forgot to write on Sunday, (because my 2 Granddaughters did a unplanned Sleep Over), I thought it would be a good post for today.
Hope you enjoy it! Night dear friends!

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble,
but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2. So why is a car's windshield so large and the rear view mirror so small?
Because our past is not as important as our future.
So, look ahead and move on.

3. Friendship is like a book. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes
years to write.

4. All things in life are temporary. If it's going well, enjoy it, that won't
last long. If it's going badly, don't worry, that won't last long either.

5. Old friends are gold! New friends are diamonds! If you get a
diamond, don't forget the gold! Because to hold a diamond, you
always need a base of gold!

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end,
God smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a
bend, not the end!"

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities;
when God doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in your
abilities.

8. A blind person asked St. Anthony, "Can there be anything worse
than losing eye sight?" He replied, "Yes, losing your vision!"

9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them;
sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that
someone has prayed for you.

10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes
away today's peace.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

A Place to find Peace!

On the way to our daughter's house, along the side of the road there is this miniature chapel. We stopped one day and went in. It did my heart good to see that there is a place for just anyone to come and stop and pray and have a place to go... no matter what.

 It reminded me of when I was going to the hospital  5 days a week for 3 months having my Radiation, as I was battling cancer. As I was leaving from one of my treatments one day, I found the Chapel ...it was just newly built there in that wing of the Hospital. As I walked in I found incredible effort had been made to make this as close to a sanctuary in a hospital, that anyone could need while they were spending so many hours there for their treatments. When I first walked in there I noticed there was a Prayer Journal where so many family or friends could write in it. As I read it, I was touched on how many people desired to have God in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones who are struggling with Cancer. It did my heart good to know that so many people believe or at least wanted to believe!
I was grateful that my daughter Lauren noticed it too the other day, and stopped to take a photo of it, what a sweet thing!
Below the photo of the chapel, and what I wrote about it ...years ago. It still brings back good memories.
Hope you all have a place like this ...to find the peace and hope that the world could never give! I have, and it has made all the difference!
Good night dear friends! 



"What I will miss the most, is that beautiful chapel... where there was such a wonderful spirit. I can't say thanks enough to all the people who were involved in creating that incredible room. I went in there today and wrote one last time in that prayer journal. It was definitely the highlight of my experience there, how I wish I would have known about it sooner. "

"WE ARE HERE TO DO, AND THROUGH DOING TO LEARN; AND THROUGH LEARNING TO KNOW; AND THROUGH KNOWING TO EXPERIENCE WONDER; AND THROUGH WONDER TO ATTAIN WISDOM; AND THROUGH WISDOM TO FIND SIMPLICITY; AND THROUGH SIMPLICITY TO GIVE ATTENTION; AND THROUGH ATTENTION TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE"   ____Ben Hei Hei

"THERE ARE TIMES WHEN SILENCE IS THE MOST SACRED OF RESPONSES."      ____Eugene Kennedy


Friday, August 2, 2013

Listening to your Child!

When You Listen to a Child


when you listen to a child #handsfreemama
My younger daughter and I were the first ones to arrive home from an evening swim meet. Although I knew my husband would be arriving shortly with my mom and older daughter, my heart was heavy that I had to come home first.
I had an overwhelming feeling of dread about what I might find.
My dad, who was visiting from Florida, had fallen ill that afternoon and was not able to go to the meet. Although he’d promised not to descend the stairs while we were gone, I couldn’t help but worry about my 74-year-old diabetic father during the swim meet.
That feeling of angst I’d endured for hours was now going into overdrive as my daughter and I ascended the stairs. We expected to find my dad sleeping soundly, but his bed was empty.
My perceptive child knew what she saw was not good. “Uh-oh. Where’s Paw Paw?” she asked with wide eyes and concern in her voice.
I swallowed hard.
“Oh, I am sure he is around her somewhere,” I said forcing myself to sound light-hearted even though the feeling of panic in my chest was now nearly suffocating. “Why don’t you go to your bedroom and put on your pajamas while I look for Paw Paw?” I suggested, not knowing what condition we might find my dad in.
After putting up a brief protest about wanting to help look for her grandpa, my child obliged. As soon as she reached her bedroom, I bolted down the stairs.
I immediately noticed the front door was unlocked—which was not how we left it.
My mind immediately imagined my dad wandering the neighborhood in a disoriented state or lying face down in the grass.
I quickly scanned the street and yard but saw no sign of him. Now more worried than ever, I fought the urge to scream my dad’s name like a maniac. Instead I returned to the house and searched every room.
When I’d run out of places to look, my eyes began to water. But I knew this was no time to cry or fall apart. I willed myself to stay calm, and that’s when it hit me. My dad’s favorite place to sit was the back porch. Even on the hottest afternoons in the south, my dad would sit there contentedly gazing at the trees and catching a catnap.
I raced to the backdoor and immediately felt fear’s intense grip release from my racing heart.
There sat my dad, hands folded and head bowed in peaceful slumber.
My hand hastily reached for the doorknob, but I didn’t turn it. I just stood there for a moment reciting a prayer of gratitude—thankful for one more day with my dad.
As tears of relief spilled from my eyes, words written by my dad came back in full force. I’d received an email message from him a few months into my Hands Free journey. While telling me he was proud of my decision to transform my distracted ways and be more present in my children’s lives, he had his own difficult truths to share.
“I am sorry I was distracted while raising you and your sister. I wasn’t as Hands Free as I could have been. I am deeply sorry for that. I hope you always knew how much I love you,” he wrote.
My dad didn’t go into detail about what he was sorry for—he didn’t need to. I knew. I remember.
But I remember something more.
I remember walking across campus to my dad’s office everyday after school for over a decade. And upon my arrival, I would find my dad sitting at his desk amid piles of papers and books.
Although the empty chair sitting beside him was probably for a colleague in need of curriculum guidance or a college student seeking scheduling assistance, I always believed that empty chair was for me.
Dad would look up from whatever he was doing and greet me with a smile. Then, as if on cue, he’d place the cap on the black felt tip pen he always used to grade papers or draft notes. The pen cap gesture was my signal. It meant my dad wanted to hear about my day. Sometimes I told him a few things, other times I went on and on about something exciting or dramatic that happened at school.
This was the routine. From first grade through my senior year in high school, I had after school chats with my dad. I can’t remember a time when he said he couldn’t talk right now—even when he was working on his dissertation, dealing with difficult faculty issues, or facing budget cuts. When I spoke, my dad was there. All there.
My dad wasn’t perfect. He lost his temper sometimes. He worked too much. He experienced periods of depression. But even through the rough patches, my dad always listened to me.
My dad was never too busy, too distracted, or too desolate to listen to what I had to say.
Even in the rough patches.
And despite what the critics say—that giving a child our undivided attention creates a child who thinks the world revolves around him or her—I believe otherwise.
Having a parent that listens creates a child who believes he or she has a voice that matters in this world.
And when you believe your voice matters, you have the strength to say, “Let me out of the car,” when you feel like you are in a dangerous situation.
When you believe your voice matters, you have the courage to say no to harmful substances that can affect your ability to make decisions and prematurely end your life.
When you believe your voice matters, you have the bravery to admit you made a mistake and will use that experience to learn, grow, and do better next time.
When you believe your voice matters, you have the confidence to write down your most difficult truths and publish them in a book so someone else doesn’t feel alone in his or her struggles.
In these moments I could have suffered in silence, but instead I spoke up. Why? Because my dad listened to me as I grew.
And what this means is there is hope, great hope, for anyone struggling today.
My friends, perfection is not expected on this parenting journey.
You will have days when you are dealing with heavy, soul-crushing issues.
You will have days when nothing you do seems to be good enough.
You will have days when smiles don’t come easily and harsh words are spoken too quickly.
You will have days when you can only do the basics and nothing more.
On those days, I urge you not to say things like, “I am a failure,“ or “I am a bad parent.”
Instead, I urge you to garner the strength, the patience, the resolve to do one thing … just one thing.
Listen.
Listen when she wants to tell you the (many) reasons she chose the pink shoes instead of the red ones.
Listen when he tells you (in agonizing detail) how he built his giant Lego skyscraper.
Listen when she tells you how that pesky ant made that (barely visible) mark on her arm.
Listen when he confesses he is struggling in Mr. Johnson’s pre-algebra class.
Listen when she reveals her fear of being bullied on the bus.
Listen when he admits you are his only hope.
Listen with your eyes, ears, and heart. They know. They know when you are listening. And it matters; it really matters.
Because someday our children will find themselves in a difficult situation and they’ll have a choice—either to suffer in silence or speak up. And perhaps that is the moment they will remember your eyes, the nodding of your head, your thoughtful response. And suddenly they will be reminded that their voice holds value.
And when you believe your voice holds value … well, let’s just say, that belief can make a life changing difference.

my all-time favorite picture of my dad doing what he does best ... listening and loving
my all-time favorite picture of my dad doing what he does best …
listening and loving!
 
Found the story here:
Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you no matter what If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff | Anonymous ART of Revolution