Sunday, August 31, 2014

A son's love

I was grateful for this story, because it is true that the love of family can be stronger than anything that comes against you. That is what family is what suppose to be about isn't it?
Watch this and see what you think yourself...it is sweet, but be warned ...you will need a tissue, or tissues!

A son's love for his Mother...watch it HERE:
Good night dear friends!

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Only two weeks left!

With all the preparations for the wedding, Jeff and I are still trying to find time and moments to get away together. Trying to have mini Date Nights, so we can regroup and check and see how the other one is doing under such pressure. Not that the pressure of a wedding is bad or anything like that but...it is still pressure and so it helps when we can get away for a moment every now and then and check in.
We have 2 weeks today till the wedding, we are so excited but tired too! I think we almost have it ready, and then I remember something else we haven't done yet. So glad that Krystal and Kai will be coming a week early to help out ( and so is Lee ). Can't wait to have my house full again with our kids and grand kids! 
So yes, we have only 2 weeks to get everything done...wish us luck. But for now, I am just going to try and enjoy every MINI DATE I can get with my BEST FRIEND!
z
Speaking of best friends, so glad that Lauren is marrying hers!
Good night dear friends!

"If someone's meant to be yours, eventually they will be."

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Gratitude, exhaustion, gratitude!


I am already missing this little girl, soon she will be heading back to school and won't be able to do very many sleep overs, so we are trying to enjoy every minute.
 I didn't post yesterday because I wasn't feeling very well last night, but since Angie was here for a 2 day sleep over and here is what we did...

She wanted to make some sleeping bags for some cute animals. Two of them she gave to a couple of her friends that she hasn't seen for awhile... and the cute Monkey is going to her cousin ( our little grandson Kai ); so he has a little traveling buddy to come on the airplane with him next week when he comes!
.Gotta spend the day today with Lauren ( who is still sick ) shopping for her wedding decorations. I love Fall decorations, so excited we get to do that for her wedding
 
Found this cute sign at the store, while shopping with Lauren for. I don't talk a lot about my roots, but there is a certain language that I speak...thought it might help you all!
What a beautiful view tonight on our deck for dinner! Gotta love this place and this time of the year!
I feel so loved and grateful!
I

Great Gift to Nana. Word can be changed to any other, as well.    I never knew how much love my heart could hold until by nlcorder




Monday, August 25, 2014

Pink, Penguin, Popcorn Party?

Last week was Jenny's 5th Birthday. Wow, we sure love this cute red head of ours!
Since Lauren has been home, we have been head down and going non stop on the Wedding stuff, but I didn't want to forget to write about our little Jenny!


Jenny has a ton of faces and moods! She is a bundle of energy and there is no way that you can guess from one minute to the next what you will get with her. .You never have to worry about being bored around her. She is always making us laugh. We sure love this girl!


She is crazy about her little sister, and no matter what she ever she is doing, she is never too busy to go get Audrey's blanket or share some food with her. She is a great Big Sister!

She gets excited about the littlest things and is always always discovering something new!

So for her Birthday party ..she wanted to have a Pink Penguin Popcorn Party, and so her talented Mom really made her dreams come true!


What a party, with a ton of kids dressed as Penguins...playing games and eating popcorn!





















Thanks to Lauren( our Photographer), we have cute photos of her on her real Birthday!
Life is crazy and a bit wild with Miss Jenny, but we wouldn't have it any other way! We love you Jenny!

Google Image Result for https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijU2cYfAU-IhxB_7CDncj0suF1f2N9bfDOgf1npS9xyhXxzstOrfx475F3LJwID9_wHrWEPOBCbGu3unHrZZUwiMjWsNi4Hfl7_z-mur6t-laX3KkaNWyCN0k9zliUf5DfGkIbeY4ack/s1600/kate-spade-birthday-584x1024.jpg

Esther's Courage

I watched this video about the story of Queen Esther in the Old Testament HERE:

It was just what I needed to see and hear today. I am struggling right now with a trial that I survived already once in my life...yet here I am confronting it again. I can't mention any more than that, but am reminded that sometimes even though you have fought a battle... doesn't mean you won't have to fight it again. I learned that quickly when I had Cancer for the 2nd time.
No, I am not battling Cancer again or anything like that, but life does throw us some trials over more than once. Obviously there is something still there to learn.

Some of the comments that were made in this you tube...hit close to home to me, and I wanted to share them with you....

Here are a few of them, still if you have 3 minutes...watch it, my words don't do it justice!
Just like the story of the courageous Queen Esther who did what had to be done to save her people, the same is true about all of us that are facing trials...like I said ...all of us! I loved what these women (on the you tube) that were struggling said about their experiences.

..."Courage and Faith is what pulled me through"
...Being Brave isn't always about not being scared, but going ahead anyway and doing what has to be done"
..."I pray and realize that trials actually have something to teach us"
..."One moment can change the course of our lives"
..."Stand up for what you say you stand up for and do what you need to do"
..."You don't ever realize how strong you are, until being strong is all you have left"
..."Being brave doesn't mean I'm not afraid"
..."There are many things that we don't want to face but we don't have any other choice"
..." We don't always know what the Lord is trying to teach us"
..." But if we have courage and faith, we can trust that He will always do what is right for us"
..."Brave is just acting in faith, we must just push forward"
..."God's plan is not always easier but it is always better"

Esther's courage saved her people, how grateful I am for her example!
Good night dear friends!


Thursday, August 21, 2014

Faith and Fitness

What a great story of Faith and Fitness!
Read it for yourself...
Good  Night dear friends!


  • .
Ron Williams is talking about fat: How it sometimes seems impossible to defeat, clinging stubbornly to bodies despite exercise and calorie control and even prayer.
The latter is an important point, because Williams is not just a fitness instructor and body builder with international titles. He’s also a man of God, pastor of a nondenominational Christian church who taught himself to read by studying the Bible after he wearied of his way of life and found God in his late 20s.
Recently, standing before the congregation of the Community of Grace Presbyterian Church in Sandy, Utah, as a guest speaker, his well-defined musculature hidden beneath layers of a three-piece suit, he explained the “soul wounds” that send people to food for comfort, as well as the preservatives and other chemicals in foods that make the battle to stay trim a hard one.
He has written a book about lasting weight management called “Faith and Fat Loss” and has been teaching its principles, based on such scriptural truths as self-control, restoration and healing. Ever since Adam ate the apple, he said people have had a complicated relationship with food.
“It’s not entirely your fault,” said Williams, speaking to those who are overweight. “But it is your responsibility.”
That is a statement that could apply to most aspects of his own life. Taking responsibility for change is how Williams has become the man he is today. He has chosen transformation and renewal, moving past early hurts and embracing health in his physical habits and in his relationships — with people and with God.
Rough childhood
Abandonment was the first of Williams' “soul wounds,” which he describes in interviews and in the foreword to his book. He was born in Indianapolis 52 years ago and grew up in a poor neighborhood. His father, who never married his mother, dropped him off at a baby sitter when he was 3 years old and didn't come back for him.
Williams was too young to understand all the details of his abandonment, but he remembers bits and pieces he overheard: The woman on the phone, asking his father to come get him because she already had her own eight kids to feed. When he was a little older, he heard the woman’s husband, then dying of cancer, tell her to raise the boy because no one else wanted him.
Williams stayed mostly with that family, knowing that his was another appetite they could ill-afford. As a result, he developed an eating disorder. Sometimes he was pawned off on others briefly; along the way he was sexually and physically abused. He grew up feeling unloved and, he was certain, unlovable.
By the time he became an adult, he was desperately lonely and sometimes pondered suicide..
You can read the rest of his story HERE:
.

The journey!

Throughout my life, I have always tried to take care of my body. But most of the time I was sick. As I got older, I realized how much the mind and body are connected and so... I began the long journey of healing both. The more I got healed on the inside, the clearer life became. Then I realized that it was vital as a Mother... to try to not only feed my kids well (which they have many stories to tell you about ), but to help them understand the Mind Body connection too!
It is a tough thing to teach to someone young, but vital for them to understand throughout their life.
Life is truly a journey!

"Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded."  ~ Goethe

Take it all one day at a time...
Good night dear friends!




Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Feeling Sew Blessed!



Well, the preparations for the wedding are coming right along.
Autumn Wedding Centerpieces. http://memorablewedding.blogspot.com/2014/01/4-fabulous-autumn-wedding-ideas.html
Today my friend and I sewed for a few hours... and took a matching size XL girls dress ( that matches Angie and Jenny's dress), and cut it down and completely reconstructed it to a size 18 months!
 I couldn't have done it without my best friend by my side. She is simply amazing! I learn something new every time I sew with her. Plus, it is way more fun to do something like that with a friend. Now all we have to do is add belt loops ( which I need to crochet and attach on the sides ) to hold our ribbon and bow. I think it will be so fun to have the girl's dresses completely match.

Then the rest of the evening, I spent taking 2 normal size ( extra ties that we bought for the wedding ) and made 2 toddler size ties to match the men. It was way easier than I thought!
















 I tried to even put the label and loop on the back to make it look like normal, because I had to just zigzag the edge, it came out alright. I have to remember that it is only the back!
Now all I have to do is make a new born bow tie for Nick's little nephew who will be born next week! We can hardly wait to meet him too!




After sewing one of the loops on the right side twice, I realized I had been in my sewing room almost 10 hours today...that is way too long. Need to do some of my back exercises and head to bed. But feel great that we are making progress.










"One who makes no mistakes, never makes anything!
This truly should have been my motto tonight for sure!
Good night dear friends!
http://dailyquoted.com/ #creativity #creative #quotes

LOVE is in the air

Fun and full day.
Shopping for jewelry for the wedding!
Dresses for the Mother to be...that would be me. No didn't find one yet!
Friends over to help with the invitations, stuffing envelopes, stamping address
on back, licking the envelopes (dangerous job, lot's of little paper cuts.
Addresses them all, or we tried to. Finally after 10:00 we all got to making
so many mistakes...we decided to quit for the night!
It was a long but Fun day!
Good night dear friends!


"Never forget why you fell in love in the first place."

" The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart" ~ Helen Keller



Monday, August 18, 2014

More of Life's Lessons!

The last few days we have been trying to compile a list of people to send Lauren's wedding invitations too! That is always hard for me, especially as time goes by. There are so many people in our life that have now come and gone, and I am afraid I will forget someone! Please know that this is your ...

INVITATION TO CONTACT ME AND GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS, IF YOU THINK I DON'T HAVE IT!!!

With that said, my heart is so full as I try to write this list. I smile when I see so many of your names and remember the great impact you had on our lives, and in the lives of our children. How can I personally thank you for our time together? I want you to know that we truly love and  appreciate each of you!
I found out a few weeks ago that a dear friend of mine, passed away of Cancer. I might have mentioned it before,  but remembered her again when I read this quote and then saw her name in my address book. She was the sweet, smart and inspired lady who talked me out of getting married at 16 years old. Then 7 years later, she was still the same sweet lady who made my dress for Jeff and I's marriage. How grateful I am for her insight and wisdom, something that this 16 year old girl didn't have at the time.

.
Then I also got to visit this weekend with another dear friend. I have to admit that I have admired her from afar for the last few years. I knew her and loved her, but really never knew her life's story. After
having the opportunity to visit with her, I realized why I had admired her all these years. She is an incredible lady, a fighter and definitely a SURVIVOR!!!
I feel honored to be associated with so many strong and dear women, who daily remind me to keep going, keep trying and do all that we can to help the next generation ....never have to experience some of the things that we had to!
To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful. It means that you are perfectly capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life. - Jill Bolte Taylor





















As you can imagine, we are down to the last few weeks before the wedding...that may be why my posts are a bit irregular at times.
My heart is full, I feel blessed to have so many incredible people in my life!
Thank you dear friends and good night!

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Positive thinking

This quote is a post in and of itself! My friend and I were talking about this very thing yesterday!
Good night dear friends!

Trying to change your spouse?

Read this great article from Jason F. Wright. I love how he took something that the world tells you not to do and explains exactly why you should do just that!
Good night dear friends!


Yes, you should try to change your spouse!

Just for fun, Google this question: “Can I change my spouse?”
Brace yourself. There are more than 5,000,000 results.
What’s the most popular answer? “Don’t try to change your spouse.”
It’s the most parroted slice of marital advice since Adam and Eve said, “I do.”
It sounds snazzy on the surface, doesn’t it? “Just. Change. You.”
Come on, that’s not marital advice. That’s a bumper sticker at a couples’ retreat.
I fell victim, too. During the early part of my 20-year marriage, whenever my wife, Kodi, shared any advice or constructive criticism, the natural man in my head whispered that maybe I just wasn’t good enough. I needed to look in the mirror and change myself into what she wanted me to be.
But through two decades together, I’ve learned that what Kodi really wants is exactly what I want. She doesn’t want a new me; she just wants me to be a better version of the “me” I already am.
Like all couples, my wife and I witness layers of goodness in each other that only we, through marriage, are able to see. It’s one of the great miracles of matrimony.
Kodi knows my talents, tests, strengths and weaknesses like nobody but the Heavenly Father who created us in the first place.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m glad my wife is trying to change her flawed husband. She knows just how much better I could be if I had the same confidence in myself that she has in me.
I bet your spouse feels the same. (About you, not about me. That would be weird.)
I’m not too shy to say that I want her to change, too. Not because Kodi isn’t good enough already — she’s magnificent — but because I recognize potential in her that goes beyond this life and into the next.
If your relationship is sometimes out of tune – no marriage is without an off-key note every few bars - make a list of your spouse’s many amazing attributes. Odds are the things you appreciated when you first married are still standing right in front of you.
Focus like a laser on your partner’s positives. Then, help him or her find ways to magnify those attributes until they’re so prominent, there’s nothing else left.
Identify the good, isolate it, protect it, and feed it until it’s all they are. Use praise to crowd out the negative and quit worrying about trying to change what you think is broken. Instead, help them transform what’s good into something even better.
Is your wife good with people? Tell her.
Encourage her. Help her grow those skills into even greater self-confidence.
Is your husband handy around the house? Tell him.
Encourage him. Praise him for doing what many cannot. Invite him to use his talents to bless neighbors and strangers.
Remind your partner in life, love and trials that you are their chief cheerleader. Let them know that because you love God and them, in that order, you want them to change — for good.
Can you change your spouse?
Sure you can, no matter what Google says. But beware; all this changing your spouse might just be good for you, too.
I found the article HERE:
A great spouse loves you exactly as you are.  An extraordinary spouse helps you grow; inspires you to be, do, and give your very best. #Marriage #Quote  http://ultimatedatingsystem.com/

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

What every women should listen to... and see!

My daughter let me watch this video and listen to this singer and her message.
Grammy Award-winning, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat released her new EP,Gypsy Heart Side A. Her album’s lead single “Try” makes a powerful statement about beauty ideals.

 Very powerful, check it out for yourself HERE:
Good night dear friends!
Real beauty is about looking life in the face and seeing all its magnificence reflected in your own.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Wedding stuff!

We've been doing Wedding stuff all day Saturday and today. Jeff is building some wonderful stuff for the wedding reception and Lauren and I are trying to get the invitation figured out.So grateful for so many friends who helping out too!
 ( Please email us your address, if you can... we need them.)
 Finally I am starting to get nervous about all that we have to do in just 4 short weeks!
Old door repurposed with iron work (repo) from Hobby Lobby and garden tool used for handle.  2007

But yet, we are getting excited too, I can't believe our family is growing again! Yeah!

Plus, her wedding is all Fall decorations....I am so excited about that!!!

Autumn decoration.... loooooooooove autumn but right now not ready for it.... gotta enjoy the summer first!!!!!Love Quotes for him


Saturday, August 9, 2014

Through the eyes of a child!

I think one of the biggest blessings of being a Nana (or even just someone lucky enough to be around children) is the opportunity to see LIFE so simply and yet so profound. To see the world through a child's eye is truly a BLESSING! They are grateful for the smallest things...flowers, dirt, bubblegum, stickers, rain, sunshine, family, friends, pets and even bugs! Yes, if your life is getting too busy, too demanding, to overwhelming...then you should go spend the day with a CHILD!
I am grateful for these sweet spirits that have come into our family, and that have blessed our lives... more than I could ever imagine!


"In the eyes of a child, you will see the WORLD...as it should be."

"There's joy and wonder everywhere when you see the world through the eyes of a child." ~ Katrina Mayer
If we all could see the world through the eyes of a child, we would see the magic in everything...

Friday, August 8, 2014

Date Night!


Choose your love. Love your choice.  #danny #lds #quotes

Fairy Tale Life!

What an inspiring story of love and friendship!
Good night dear friends!


Read the story for yourself  HERE:

Utah man once close to death loves his fairy tale life
70 Quotes About Love and Relationships | inspirationfeed.com - Part 2

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

She's home!

Lauren came home last week, and will be here till the wedding. Feel like we can really start getting everything finished up for the wedding now! The girls have missed Lauren soooo much, that they haven't let her out of their sight. And Miss Audrey... didn't take long to feel the same way about her.
I am just excited that the rest of our family will be here soon. I love seeing my kids all together! How blessed Jeff and I feel for our family!
Good night dear friends!


family quotes and sayings - Google Search

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Everyone has bad days!



I loved this article from Jason F. Wright that I found HERE:
It was his response to one of his readers, who claimed that he seemed to never have a bad day, I loved his response. Just as contagious is gloom and doom are, Love and Happiness are even more contagious... and sooooo much better for you!
I wish there was more good stories on the news, just watching or listening it for very long, makes me sad, and apprehensive. Good news on the other hand...leaves me feeling hopeful, encouraged and down right excited for another day!
I hope we all can remember that...everyone has bad days, and that we will be willing to be there with them, and just keep looking forward ourselves.
I appreciate all of you, who have done that for me, on more than one occasion!
Good Night dear friends!



I need to remember this on those tough days

Sunday, August 3, 2014

God's light

What a beautiful story!

Watch it HERE:

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”  -- J.R.R. Tolkien.  For artwork?  Explore extraordinary quotes on the journey from creative spirits such as John Denver, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, John Steinbeck, Pat Conroy, and others at http://www.examiner.com/article/travel-a-road-of-literate-quotes-about-the-journey
Hope you had a wonderful Sabbath!
Good Night dear friends!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

What goes around...comes around!

It was another fun filled day with the family. Erica went with me to work...I taught the 3rd Day of Christmas today, then Amy and the girls came over. Jeff and family went to Seattle and the Zoo, so they had a great time too.
Then tonight we all went and got dinner and took it to the park...what a great visit this has been with my brother and his sweet kids.
Then right before it got dark, we decided we wanted to run by Michaels the craft store and get a few things for the girls while they were here. It was important that we get them as addicted as we could to sewing, crafting, scrapbooking. What fun!

I loved this video that my daughter sent me of someone who truly understood what the quote " What goes around...comes around" meant. Watch it and see, it's only a couple of minutes but you will need tissues...Just sayin!
What goes around...goes around...Here:

I have watched this video a few times, and cry each time. What a wonderful reminder that life is short and that each day we have a chance to change someone's life for the better!
Good Night dear friends!
Gotta do what you can - how about using this platform; http://nextlevelx.com/index.php?siteid=smile


Friday, August 1, 2014

Judging Others!

This story by Jason Wright is so true, I need to remember it more often. Everyone has a Story!
Went to Port Townsend all day with our family...what a beautiful place we live in!
Good Night dear friends.
.
cheriphoto2There was just something about her.
The woman behind the Handy Mart counter had worried eyes and a tired smile. I suspected the reason her smile was exhausted had nothing to do with using it all the time. It was just tired of lying.
It was 6:40 a.m. in the quiet convenience store and I’d planned to buy a newspaper and enjoy a donut and juice before heading to my office. And, because I’m a serial talker, I’d hoped to chat with whoever might be working or simply passing through the combination gas station and Dunkin Donuts.
I paid for my breakfast and decided to try to pry a smile with a joke that was outrageously funny in my head, but in the real world? Not so much. The clerk, Cheri Romick, grinned anyway, wished me a good day and returned to her routine.
I went back a couple times a week for several months and was met with the same polite but disconnected smiles and the obligatory, “Thank you,” and, “Come again.” No matter the hour and whether I was alone or with my crazy kids, her mood never seemed to change.
jason-cheriOne morning, after a long trial and after examining the evidence, I appointed myself judge and issued a verdict. “She’s just not very friendly,” I decided. “Plus, she’s grumpy and definitely not a morning person. Oh, and she probably hates her job, too.”
And so, with judgment in hand, I moved on.
Though I’d given up on Romick, by then I’d become friends with the other employees and continued visiting the store. The others were kind, engaging and funny, and despite the occasional presence of their perpetually miserable coworker, I enjoyed stopping by.
Then one morning as I filled a fountain drink, the manager came over to say hello and to wipe down a nearby counter. I sidled up next to her and, noticing that Romick apparently had the day off, finally addressed my curiosity. “So, tell me about Cheri? She sure doesn’t seem very happy. What’s her deal? She’s never been very friendly.”
The manager lowered her eyes and put her hand on my arm. “You don’t know?”
“I guess not,” I thought, and the lump in my throat quickly became a pit in my stomach.
“She’s had a really hard year,” she said softly. “Both her parents just died. She was living with and caring for them. She lived with them her whole life.”
My breakfast didn’t taste very good that morning.
A few days later, I returned and spent a little more time than usual at the counter. I asked some casual questions and for the first time ever, I saw her.
I really saw her.
The once grumpy, grouchy and unfriendly clerk was gone. In her place stood a daughter of God who’d been tested and challenged in ways she’d never imagined.
Cheri Lynn Romick and her parents moved into the house she still calls home more than 30 years ago. She never married, did not have children and made caring for her parents her top priority. They had a lawn and garden business that kept them side-by-side and as tight as family can be. When her mother, Lucy Romick, began struggling with health problems in 2010, they closed the business and turned their attention even more to what matters most.
On Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, her mother fell and fractured her pelvis. Three days later, Cheri and her father put Lucy to bed. When they checked on her the next morning, she was gone.
I asked Cheri, now a good friend and one of the kindest people I know, what she remembers about that moment. “To this day I can see my daddy standing in their bedroom asking me, ‘What are we gonna do without her?’ ”
Yes, while I was worrying about why she didn’t think my jokes were funny, she was worrying about life without her mother.
Five months later, her father, Harry, had a stroke and was transported by medical helicopter for emergency surgery. He never saw his home again; he died in November.
In nine months, the woman I judged as unfriendly, grumpy and grouchy buried the two people she loved most in this world and was left alone in the house that raised her.
Today, Romick savors every moment. “Jason, I’ve learned that life is too short to worry about stupid things. You just never know when your last day will come.”
I love my trips to the local Handy Mart more than ever. No, it’s not the only convenience store in town, but it’s the one where I am reminded that the person behind the counter, or on the street, or on the other end of the phone doesn’t need to be analyzed or judged. They need to be seen.
Why?
Because there’s just something about them.
Found the story Here: