Baby Shower, with Hostess Missing!

Well, as many of your know I have been down...really down, with pneumonia for 3 weeks now. Before Christmas and before I got sick, I made plans with a dear friend (who is expecting her baby first part of February) to do a baby shower for her in our home. I thought that would be wonderful, because each year I tell myself that I would like to keep some of the greenery, lights, berries up and add lots of snowman and snowflake stuff so that January (which is usually pretty dreary ) would at least my house would look quite festive.
So the idea was planted, put on the calendar and I started collecting some things to decorate my house for January and to also go with our Baby Shower Theme which was...Baby it's cold outside! Perfect for a January baby shower right?
Well, everything was going as planned, the house was really coming along ...and then I got sick. As the date got closer, I was sad to think that we wouldn't be able to do it here for my friend. So we did the next best thing, we still had it here... but me ( the Hostess ) well I was suppose to be that, had to stay downstairs with Jeff and Miss Audrey and watch a movie. Amy, and a few other dear friends came to my aid, and became the Hostesses for the shower.
 It was hard to hear all the fun and laughter going on upstairs and not be a part of it. But I really know that I can't take a chance right now being around big crowds, until my immune system gets stronger. The good news is... the weather was great, I was hoping for snow ( to go with the theme, although that would have effected our numbers greatly) or sunny and clear, and that is exactly what we had. The friends came out in big numbers to celebrate. We had 27or so attended... I have only pictures to prove it! :)
Still when my friend left, I feel like she felt very loved and supported...so mission accomplished!!! How grateful I am for all the girls that helped make it a success. It is always amazing to me... how much can be accomplished when so many people help do part of the work....thank you again! Now we can't wait till this new little baby girl arrives! Congrats!

Couldn't believe I found this sign last month!

Loved all the berries and snow decorations!

We had a great variety of food !

Cute favors for everyone when they left!

We also had a Hot Cocoa Bar !

Decorated cookies by a really talented lady!

Lots and lots of friends to help celebrate! 

Happy Safe Delivery soon dear friend!

 

 

"My greatest blessings...call me MOM!"

 

"A baby brings a little bit of Heaven down to Earth!"

 

 

So proud of our son!

Tomorrow we will have 3 out of 4 of our kids together. Brad has been asked to fly back to BYU-IDAHO and do an Art Seminar for the students there. He is so excited, and of course Lee and Lauren are really excited to have 3 days with their big brother.
 It seems like yesterday that we all flew in to see Brad and Krystal graduate. Won't forget that...it was April and nice out... but the night before the Graduation it snowed; so we had to walk in our dresses and shoes in the snow to get there. We should have been prepared for that in Idaho, but in our defense...it was mid April!
I am so proud of Brad, I knew all those nights and weekends that I made he and Amy stay up late... to help me finish painting my inventory for the next Craft Fair... would pay off some day! :) And it did...look at him now, doing what he loves to do!
Not everyone can say that about their work... I feel just as lucky, because I loved being a stay home Mom for 30 years; and now I have my DREAM JOB...teaching at our local Quilt Shop and rubbing shoulders with some amazing ladies each day!

So just 3 short years after his graduation, he is back teaching others about doing what he loves the most Graphic Designs. Good luck Brad, and thank you Krystal... who had helped, worked, encouraged and created with Brad the whole way, to make both of your dreams come true!

 

 Brad had an article written about him, you can see it  HERE:



And of course their  greatest creation is our little grandson Kai. We sure love him, and he really is his Daddy's boy!

Service dogs for Children Worldwide

I was touched the other night when I watched this video ...HERE:

Before I got married and a short time after we were married, I worked at a Pre-school Handicap Center in West Virginia. We had actually just finally received the funding for a new and improved Center, and I was able to help prepare and order things for our class room. I wish I had a photo of all my kids, I do somewhere. It was probably one of the most challenging (physically) jobs I have ever had, but the most rewarding one too!
I loved my kids, some had serious handicaps and could only smile or move their head to communicate. Others did sign language, still others only had physical handicaps and could communicate with you, but some came from very dysfunctional homes and some of them were handicap because of malnutrition and abuse in their homes. The hardest part for me was when we did home visits. After seeing the environment these little kids had to live in, it brokemy heart. Every day after a visit I would come home and ask Jeff if we could adopt one our kids from school. Not that they were up for adoption, but to realize what type of life these little kids had to live with on a daily basis was unbelievable.
As I saw more about this organization, I thought what a wonderful idea and only wish some of my kids would have had the opportunity to have a service dog to help them.
So read more about it and just a warning...you might want to get a tissue!
Good night dear friends!

4 Paws for Ability enriched the lives of children with disabilities by providing task-trained service dogs to their families.

Providing Service Dogs to Children Worldwide

4 Paws for Ability enriches the lives of children with disabilities by training and placing quality, task-trained service dogs. This provides increased independence for the children, and assistance to their families. And 4 Paws also works with veterans from recent conflicts who’ve lost the use of their limbs or their hearing while in active combat. In all cases, the results speak for themselves. Lives are transformed.

Read more here:

Summer memories... in winter!

Found this picture and pinterest and loved it! Even though it is winter and cold outside...still this summer time photo, brought back some warm memories with my Grandmother and Aunt Ina. I loved doing laundry with them, loved how the clothes smelled fresh off the line. I loved sitting on the porch in rocking chairs stringing green beans for supper. Now that I think of it, they never just sat around doing nothing..they always had something to do in their hands no matter what. Maybe that is where I get it from ...normally ( not lately ) I always have some to do when I am sitting down. Shoot, I even have projects in the car in case I need them.( like the car breaks down or something )
I am afraid that Jeff is getting excited because for the last couple of weeks I have actually just sat and did nothing as I watched movies with him. But I knew that I was feeling better tonight when I wanted to crochet. I was glad too that I am at least feeling a little bit better.
 Oh my Grandmother and Aunt would be proud of me if they could see me now! :)
Good night dear friends!

Quotes I needed today!

 In a book that I am reading from Emily Freeman called 21 Days Closer to Christ, I found a quote that I needed today...

"Never underestimate the purpose of the trial.
The works of Christ will be made manifest in your life.  It is through adversity that we experience the sweetest parts of the atonement.  It is what allows us to experience the healing power of Jesus Christ.  It is what strengthens our testimony of the reality of Christ and enables us to eventually help lift the hands of another."

Then Lauren texted me these last two quotes...how did she know I needed them today? Sundays at home and alone are the hardest. I love to go to church to fellowship with others. So I tried to fill my day with reading, studying and making cards for others. So glad that I feel better enough to do service in some way. A dear friend brought over dinner tonight, that is 2 nights this week that friends have done that. How can I say thanks enough for thinking of us? Why is receiving service so much harder than giving it? I think there is a lesson to be learned in here! I hope these quotes are something that you might need in your life, or at least for today! Good night dear friends!

"God does not look on the outward appearance. ⁸ I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely."  ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf
You can read more here:

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?"  ~ Neal A. Maxwell
You can read more about it here:

Date night at home!

Well, since I have been quarantined ...we will have our date night at home. Really too tired for anything else. Good night dear friends and thanks for your well wishes, and prayers.

Staying down a bit longer!

Got to the Doctor today, it was a bit nerve wreaking because she is new to me. My original doctor left about a year ago he moved to a different area. So I went to one of the Doctors that took his place. I had only gone to her once, and then she got sick and had to leave for quite awhile. I struggled a bit at once again going to someone new. I had developed quite a trust with my earlier Doctor and he seemed to go above and beyond for our family, during my last battle with cancer. I admired him and trusted him, so starting over was hard.
This new Doctor was nice and very thorough. As I thought... it was pneumonia, but she said that I am on the tail end of it. She was mostly concerned about how hard I was still struggling to breath. That is why I am so tired. So she gave me albuterol inhaler and asked me to stay down for 2 weeks, so that I won't get anything else while my immune system is jeopardized. It is hard for me to stay down usually, but honestly I am so tired that I don't really do much. So I really hope that I can start breathing well soon, so my energy will return  soon.
Thanks for your prayers and concern.
Good night dear friends!

Great reminders for all Moms, or anyone else sick out there!

Stayed in all day today, my Amy girl brought Jenny and Audrey by to see me. Had another friend stop by and so it was a slow and low impact day to say the least. As I have talked to other friends, I realize that there are a lot of people who got this way worse than I did. I need to count my blessings. Hard part is ( which is not like me at all ), I have no desire to do anything. Jeff and I were just sitting watching a movie tonight, I didn't have anything in my hands to work on...I just sat there ( I never do that ever ) and I wondered when I was going to start feeling better so I would do something. I told Jeff " I can't believe that you can just sit here like this over and over and just watch a movie doing nothing?" He just started laughing really hard, not sure what that meant... but I can guess!
Hope this post is a good reminder for us all to have these things on hand during the cold and flu season.
Good night dear friends!

10 Things Moms Need to be Prepared for the Cold and Flu Season!

I think most people would agree that being a busy mom is a tough enough job as it is, and it takes a wonder woman to make it through the cold and flu season every year while still keeping up and being on the go.

Even though my kids are pretty healthy and we can normally trudge through minor sniffles, there is usually at least once a season that a cold, or even the flu, gets us down, and the little ones just need to stay at home to recover and get well.

Here are 10 things that I always keep on hand and think that every mom needs to have standing by during the cold and flu season:

• Kleenex : I don't know what we would do without plenty of Kleenex tissues nearby. They are gentle on tender noses and come in handy strategically placed in every room! I always stock up at the beginning of fall so that we always have enough on hand. Right now if you head over to Target you can get a $1.00 off of a 4 pack of Kleenex if you use the coupon HERE.

•  A thermometer. Most of the time the kids will just need a day or two of rest and they'll bounce back. But sometimes with the flu that nasty fever will hit, and its important to monitor it and make sure it doesn't get too high.

•  Electrolyte drinks. Electrolyte drinks are very important to have on hand, especially if your kids are having any vomiting or diarrhea. Monitoring temperature and encouraging fluids are super important!

•  A humidifier. Sometimes, its just an upper respiratory infection going on, and a humidifier can help de-congest and aide in comfort while breathing, thus creating a better nights sleep for your child, and you. Sleep is very important when you are sick because your body needs rest to heal!

•  Books. No matter what kind of sickness your kid has come down with, a new book to read is something that will keep them occupied. Try and have one stashed away that is a special book or buy them a new one to help keep them entertained.

•  Tea with honey. Wonderful for sore throats, and if your kids are too young to appreciate the flavor (and the health benefits) of tea, keep it for you and sip on some to sooth your tired body.

• Throat Lozenges. If your kids have a sore or itchy throat, having throat lozenges on hand is a wonderful lifesaver. Word from the wise with kids, none of mine will touch the ones with menthol, so you might have to opt for the non-menthol vitamin C ones.

•  An activity box. Keep a little box or container with simple and quiet activities that sick kids can do while lying on the couch. Fill it with crossword puzzles and coloring books with crayons. Perhaps little toys other activity books to keep them occupied in between periods of resting.

•  A simple soup recipe. Chicken noodle, Chicken broth, Chicken and rice...you need a light go to meal recipe to keep everyone fed. If you don't have one you can check out our family's HERE.

• Patience. It's exhausting having sick children, and its even worse when you are sick too. I've learned that if I start to get short tempered or crabby, I'll take 5 minutes to myself and literally lock myself in the bathroom to regroup. It helps - believe me.

Raising a family is one of the toughest jobs in the world out there when they aren't sick, just always remember that you are appreciated.

Your love makes a difference.
found the information Here:
Found recipe for homemade electrolyte popsicles and holders Here:

 

 

Lessons of life!

Sorry, still feeling pretty sick tonight. But I love this quote. What a powerful statement and so true. The hard part is sometimes you have to learn this lesson, over and over again in our life time.
Good night dear friends.

First Family Night as Empty Nesters!

Well, I guess you can tell that I have been sick, because most of my posts are just quotes that inspire me. I do feel a bit stronger and better each day, however that changes... if I do much of anything. So I am trying to start over again on my New Year's Resolutions!
 Tonight Jeff and I started our Family Night again. We have done them ever since we were married, when we were newly weds we just sat down and went over the weekly calendar and then talked about our goals and what we could do for each other to help accomplish them. Then the next year Amy came along, our Family Night consisted of telling her stories and still doing our calendar but that was fast and easy. As the other 3 children came along, Family Night got to be a really big deal and very important. Aside from Sundays, that sometimes was the only night we were all together because of school activities, sports and music lessons. We almost accomplished Family Dinners each night most of the time and that was such a blessing, to be able to eat together and talk about everyone's day.
Family Night we always knew was very important. Finding time together as a family, working on problems together, organizing our home, chores and calendars together. Having quality time to teach them and learn together, truly was our life blood as a Family. Of course there were many Family Nights in those 30 years that were crazy, unsuccessful and I think we even had a little bloodshed on the really bad ones ( of course that is because someone was wrestling around when they were suppose to be listening and then there was always someone who got a bloody lip or something. Many Family Nights, we were just grateful that everyone was alive! :) Humor, with a  family of 6 you have to have HUMOR!
 I felt like because we took the time to do that each week, that we at least kept in touch with the kids and no matter how bad life got...we always knew we had each other. So here we are again, back to the beginning, just Jeff and I for Family Night...weird...very quite and very short. Still I was glad that we at least started going over our goals again, I need all the help I can get!
Good night dear friends!

Had to remember this quote when I was so sick!

25% better today... think I am on my way back to health...Thank You!

Date Night

This was the perfect quote for me tonight. I have been struggling with my thoughts and feelings, and I know it is because I feel so bad. I am usually a upbeat, happy and half full type of girl but...this bug or whatever it is ...has been tough on my thoughts and feelings. I just really feel bad and I am struggling to breath and that wears you out too!
Hope to start feeling better soon.
Tonight is Date Night and I think we are going to stay home and just watch a movie, no complaints from me. Grateful to just have the time together.
Good night dear friends!

When did she grow up?

A couple of days ago it was Lauren's 23rd Birthday, how and when did she grow up that fast? I still can look at this photo of her at the hospital holding Lee when he was born, and remember all the crazy things she would do. She never stopped moving, getting into things, making deals, complaining, laughing, teasing and she was only 2 at the time! My friends still call me and ask me to tell them a Lauren story...we have so many good ones, I should have written a book on that girl!


Now years later, she and Lee are still the best buds ever. He is bigger and can carry her but I tell you he is lucky to be alive after all the things Lauren tried to do with him when he was just a baby. She was in time out a lot, for tying things ( anything, yarn, shoestring or cords ) around his neck so she could pretend he was her puppy. Yes, Lee is lucky to be here...really! :)



She and her cousin Bethany have always been great friends. Below is a photo of them playing in the her back yard. Between the two of them, they had quite the imagination. But if there was mischief...usually it was thought up by...you guessed it Miss Lauren! (And she looks so innocent in these photos! )



 Now a year ago, here she is at Bethany's wedding. Yes, time has flown by. I thought I would never live long enough to see Lauren grow up, we thought she was going to be the death of us ( joking sorta ). Then by her teenage years, all that crazy mischief, meanness and everything else seemed to have worked itself out, and she has been pleasant every since...how grateful we have been for that!

We love our Lauren girl, we can't imagine life without her! She still makes us laugh a lot. We love that she is a photographer, we have always said that others should see things and life through Lauren's Eyes...because it is way more interesting! Now it is fun to have her photography all over the house, seeing the world as Lauren sees it...is quite the blessing!
Happy Happy Birthday dear Lauren, make it the best year ever!

Abundant Life

Read this quote by Thomas S. Monson and thought...oh that is so true!


"Living an Abundant Life
A ...have a positive Attitude
B ... Belief in yourself
C ...Face Challenges with Courage

For some reasons the last week has been extra challenging. Probably because my family was all together for the holidays and I came down sick with this cold. I haven't had nearly as bad as many of you have, but... I still have been wiped out from it.
I got up and just showered first thing this morning before I almost had time to ask myself how I felt. Then on of my kids was in need of my attention and so my Motherly Instincts and Protector came out and I seemed to have enough adrenaline to keep me up and going. Then I went right to work and I always ( no matter how I seem ) seem to get more energy GOOD energy when I am there surrounded by all that FABRIC! Sounds more like an addiction right? Don't answer that. Still I could tell my body was getting pretty worn out when it was time to go home. Even though I was really dragging by the time I got out of there, I still didn't go home. I stopped by a store to just look around and kill time till I knew Jeff would be coming home. I don't like coming into an empty and quite house. I know I will get use to it but remember, it has only been a week.
So when I saw this quote it just made me think of my life.
First I think I do have a very ABUNDANT LIFE
but A...sometimes I have to make sure my attitude is positive and not dwell on things that are wrong or what I didn't accomplish today. Then B...I have to always remember to like what I see in the mirror and belief in myself and my abilities. Last C... I know that I need to round out my Courage to do the things in life that seem so hard. Yes, this quote reminded me of my day, of my family and of myself!
Good night dear friends
Found this photo here:

Do as I say, not as I do!

This past week since I have been sick, I have been going over and over in my head, what I have done wrong to have my body so run down that I got sick. Now you are probably thinking "Lynn, don't you remember the days when you got sick a lot?" Well, I do and I actually changed a lot of things in my life to focus on taking care of myself. I learned that through doing that and being more in balance and not running faster than I should, that I was a lot healthier and able to actually serve and give more. Now fast forward that 3 years... and here I am doing a LOT of things, and not actually paying attention to myself or my needs as much. Still all the time requiring a lot out my physical and emotional bank account. Those two things are not a good combination for me or my body and so ....here I am a week later and still feeling bad with this cold.
So when my daughter sent this quote to me the other day, it made me realize that someone probably wrote this for me or maybe even knew me. Or at least she sent this to me because she knows that her Mother hasn't quite learned this lesson yet. Smart girl, just hope she learns from her MOM to do as I say and not as I do. At least until I start doing the right thing in the future.
Good night dear friends!


"I want you to think of your life as an hourglass. You know there are thousands of grains of sand in the top of the hourglass; and they all pass slowly and evenly through the narrow neck in the middle. Nothing you or I could do will make more than one grain of sand pass through this narrow neck without impairing the hourglass. You and I and everyone else are like this hourglass. When we start in the morning, there are hundreds of tasks which we feel that we must accomplish that day, but if we do not take them one at a time and let them pass through the day slowly and evenly, as do the grains of sand passing through..., then we are bound to break our own physical or mental structure."

Time, reflection...years!

A dear friend sent this to me today, I was grateful to her, for this sweet reminder!
Good night dear friends!

Photographer Tom Hussey created a series of pictures that will speak to you, no matter your age, race, beliefs or occupation. The Reflection photos illustrate just how much we change in our lives and how it seems to happen all at once, no matter how many years actually go by.     Reflection gives insight into the former lives of these senior citizens. Tom spoke to a veteran right before his 80th birthday. His quotes inspired him to create the series.   “I can'’t believe I’'m going to be 80,” he told Hussey. “I feel like I just came back from the war. I look in the mirror and I see this old guy.”   “It'’s a universal condition — at some point in your life, you look in the mirror and say, ‘Wait a minute, how did I get this old?’” said Tom.   “The idea for doing these images was a person looking in the mirror and seeing what they remember.”   “When you look in the mirror every day, you recognize yourself, but when you go back and look at a photo of yourself 20 years ago you say, ‘Wow, I really have changed.’”   “You get to some milestone — age 20, 40, or 80 — and you can'’t  believe that much time has gone by.”   Take time to appreciate every day, because these years will be gone before you know it.

Finding our purpose in life!

Didn't make it to church today with this cold that I have. I wish I could have gone, it is hard to be here alone so much. When you get so used to a house full of noise, voices and energy...it is hard to go back to it being so empty and quite. I miss my kids, I am happy for them and all that they are doing and pursuing in their lives, but oh to have such a quite home is hard.

For Christmas, my sister in law gave me a movie called "The Letter Writer". Jeff and I watched it last night and it was wonderful. Now I have to admit, it seems when you have a very clean and wholesome movies that some times the acting isn't maybe as good as most, but the message...was incredible and I loved it! I love the idea that we all have a purpose here on earth. Finding that purpose is what can bring us the most incredible joy there is. I am grateful to my sister in law for that sweet reminder of something that I know is true! Giving to Others is what we are suppose to do!
Good night dear friends!
 

Gratitude

This is a neat project that my daughter just told me about...love it!

The Original  365 Grateful Project

It all began back In 2008. I was feeling really down. It seems strange now to say that because I can't think of a good reason why I should have been, but I know I felt incredibly out of sorts with life. It was like I knew in my head I had it good but I really wasn't enjoying myself!

I started seeing a Nun who did life coaching and counselling. She was brilliant and told me the secret to happiness. According to her it was all about reflection and gratitude. She asked me to try it out each night and write something down about my day that I was grateful for. So I did.

It really surprised me how quickly I began to notice things that I otherwise would have missed. I remember sitting on my bed one night and realising that the little moments I was thinking through were really special and if I had not taken the time to notice them they would be lost forever.

It shocked me how much I had missed so I started to take the project seriously. I got a beautiful album and ordered enough polaroid film to see me through a year! (and lucky I did!) Taking one photo every day for a year of something I was grateful for really re-programmed my brain. I couldn't believe how much gratitude affected my life. Seeing and celebrating the good in my life affected not only the way I felt spiritually and physically but it improved my relationships with others too. It was not long before it was hard to only take a single photo each day. The more I noticed and took photos the more I began to notice the good and great moments in my life and want to capture them.

I shared my first polaroid project on Flickr. From there a group was formed and others began their own version of this project.

The idea was spread by articles in FRANKIE and NOTEBOOK magazines. It has been amazing seeing other people interpret the idea in their own way and find similar results to me.

I have had so many emails and chats with people who also find the practice of celebrating the now, the good, the special moments so, so enriching. I am now very excited to begin the big journey of filming and sharing the stories of some of these incredible people while discovering more about the power of gratitude.

Happy New Year 2014

Today we went to LaConner, to just do some sight seeing with Brad, Krystal and Kai before they leave to go back to Texas tomorrow. It started out pretty weather and then became cloudy and rainy. The only bad part was that so many of the cute shops that we wanted to go in, were closed for the holiday...go figure!
New Year's has always been a tough one for me. It seems like the world which was all about making memories, comfort foods, enjoying the family traditions for the holidays and all that ...have now changed all of a sudden to ...look at yourself, don't you need to lose weight, get better organized and more fit.
It makes me realize that the world of marketing is so hard on everyone in January, when it seems  how you are right now ...is never enough. It seems so sad after all the Holiday Cheer that we have for almost 3 months!
Still a New Year, is some times daunting for me because of my yearly check up that I have to do. Five years and holding, and yet I still get tripped up a bit about these up coming appointments. So what do I do to get excited about the New Year 2014? I start remembering how blessed I am to have had Christmas with my family and not focus so much on all of them being GONE by tomorrow! I start thinking of new ideas for my CLASS DEMOS at the shop this coming year! I thing about seeing all my kids together again in 4 months at Lauren's College Graduation! I think of having some fun one on one time with Jeff again. So that is how I am trying so hard to be Happy on this New Year! 2013 taught me a lot and I am grateful for that!  I look forward to another year of learning, growing and sharing with my family and friends!

Had to put up both of these photos since I will still have Christmas Decorations up for a bit!