Spread Coziness in the Cold Months!

I read this article in my PCC flyer I got in the mail yesterday!
Spreading Coziness during the Cold Winter Months, what a great idea! Even though Mr. Rogers has passed away, his legacy of helping others...still lives on!

Fred Rogers — the gentle guy behind Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood — began a sweater drive in 1997, before he passed away in 2003. Today, we're proud to help share in his legacy of comfort and neighbors helping neighbors. You'll find sweater donation bins at all PCC stores, so clean out your closet of gently used sweaters and bring them on down! We'll pass them along to local organizations like Wellspring Family Services.

Watch whose lives it has already touched HERE:
 I am going to go through my closets and see if I have some gently warm clothing items to go donate. After you watch the video, you will want to start cleaning out too!

Angels!

Since Sunday I have come down with a cold. I was so disappointed, why? Well, because I have been trying soooo hard these past 8-9 months to learn more and more about my body. To take better care of it and to learn more about more natuaral things that I can do eat and take to make my body stay healthy.
 I think my last DR appt was about 6-8 months ago...that's a big deal for me. Now I know it was silly to think I would never be sick but... I was on a roll! Still I did push my body ( over the holidays ) more than I should have. But still so far, I haven't been as sick as usual, would love to keep it that way!
I just realized the last time that I went to my doctor, that she seemed puzzle on how to help me. We had been doing a lot of things but it didn't seem to be working lately. I also realized that I was relying on her too heavily, to know what was wrong with my body.
Now... ever since our kids were very young, we started doing Homeopathy and learning how to heal ourselves through food, fresh air, positive thinking and other supplements. I worked hard to know and do what was best for my kids, plus I was hopefully teaching them how important it is to learn how to take care and listen to their bodies. I was juicing for them each day, making their natural fruit roll ups, granola, bread and etc. Plus, trying to stay on top of what each one of them needed individually to help make their bodies strong. I think back on all those years as a good time where I was so involved with helping my kids be healthy and sometimes can't believe I did everything I did, plus still run my painting business, cut their hair and sew their clothes. ( I know that doesn't sound like I was taking care of myself much ...well, let's just say I didn't understand the importance of taking care of MOM too..I was too busy)! I know...it caught up with me later... big time!

But when you ask my kids about their "Natural" childhood, you will hear the funniest stories. They tell you of how they felt left out from TRICK OR TREATING, even though I did sew their cute costumes, they didn't think going to PCC to pick out some healthy treats was as fun.:) They still tell crazy stories about what all I fed them, oh well...I was really trying my best. Why is it always the Mother's fault? :)

But a few months ago ... I had the distinct impression to call a lady that I knew ( but not well ) who was brilliant in knowing how to take care of the body and she seemed to doing all the things now in her life...with her family.. what I was doing, some 15 - 20 years ago.
 Wow, what an answer to prayers she has been to me! She has taught me so many things, I have been doing and learning so much and...I have been healthy for quite a few months now ( even with my crazy schedule )!
 I have felt so blessed. I am still learning more, I am trying hard to listen to what my body needs and I am trying to be more accepting of the Stages of Life that I am going through! But it made me realize that through others that  this quote is so true!

" I testify of angels, both of heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face....Always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal." ~ Jeffrey R. Holland

So I am not going to complain about this little cold I have, I am just going to pay more attention to how I am treating my body, keep learning about more about things I can do and take... to keep me healthy ( because "KNOWLEDGE IS POWER "). I am working on being more positive and trying to find the courage to get this business off and running. I'm also going tomorrow to a new DR about my back. It's January right? Need to start doing more!
Good Night my ANGEL friends!

True Beauty!

What a true, true statement!

Good Night dear friends!

HOME!

Just two weeks before Christmas... I was trying to make sure that everything in my home was perfect before the kids came home to visit. It's just a Mother thing I think... I always want them to walk in my house and instantly have it feel, smell and look like HOME! A place they feel comfortable and where their friends feel welcome.

When I was young I wanted to work at Hallmark Stores. I always loved Hallmark Stores, I love the art work and things that they had in their stores. 

 
I also thought Anderson Newcomb Stores ( a home where my Mother would take us to shop some times )would be great to work at too.

 I always loved their window displays and thought that would be a great job to have. I could only find this photo above of the building. But years ago, it was beautiful and to a young child, those Christmas displays were the most beautiful ones I had ever seen!

I always wanted to have a home and family that were happy and safe. I feel like I been blessed beyond measure why?

Because I did get a incredible family and I have been blessed...

to have a wonderful Home that I can decorate and make safe!

Like my Grandmother always said...IF the furniture and things in her home could talk... each one of them would have their own story to tell. The same is true in ours. This corner cabinet Jeff made years ago when we had our business up and running. It was just a small business that he and I did in the evenings and on the weekends, to make extra money. With me being a Stay Home Mom and once we moved to Washington, it was so much more expensive than West Virginia...we had to do something. I had been selling my crafts that I painted or created, since I was 12 years old at Craft Shows. I continued to do them after we were married, and after we moved to Washington. Thankfully Jeff was willing to learn about woodworking and so was able to make whatever I needed him to make, he had a talent we didn't even know of!

He started with small things like the santa plaque at the top of this shelf and then he got into making small furniture pieces like this green shelf, with my blocks on them!

This table below is my Grandmother's Checkerboard table, that we used to plays checkers on, with white and black buttons. The red and white quilt in the back was a quilt that Jeff's Grandmother made...love it!

Then there is our hutch below which we loving call Sally ( not sure why except that we couldn't remember exactly if we should call it a hutch or a kitchen cabinet thingy.... so we just lovingly called it Sally, plus that was one of our daughter's good friend's name too).

Below is the shelf that Jeff made and the deacon's bench he made also that we have used in our kitchen for years.

Christmas pillowcases that I made for the kids!

Teddy Bears have always been something that I love to collect!

This cabinet/ Shelf Jeff also made for me so that I could display my Aunt and Grandmother's Quilt. 

Below that is my quilt that I made for Christmas!

This shelf he made too, the wooden house and heart he cut and I painted.

Pretend kitchen area for the kids.

The painting above the kitchen area is one that my dear friend painted!

This cabinet below was given to me from a dear friend, you can tell what an antique it is, and of course on it all many gifts that friends have given me through out the years!

Still at the end of my day, I realize that my dreams did come true, I got to create handmade things that makes my home beautiful to me and a safe place to those who enter. 

I truly am blessed!

Spiritual tutoring!

We got up early this morning to get Lee and Caitlin off for Idaho.
The Mother in me had to make sure that they had food, emergency stuff, water, full tank of gas and a family prayer before leaving. Oh how fun it was to have 3 out of 4 of our kids here, but oh how it hurts to say good bye!

In church today, one of my dear friends gave the lesson on the Atonement, she did a wonderful job and reminded us that the Atonement is for everyone. That is is for both the sinner and saint in us. And how the Savior will always be there to help us...but how important it is to have clean hands and a pure heart.
She reminded us that the Atonement of Jesus Christ both cleanes and redeems, it helps us overcome sin and helps us to be sanctified and strengthened.
How grateful I am for my Savior!
Good Night dear friends!

Interview with God!

My dear friend sent this email to me with a you tube that was amazing! the Photography and Music alone would inspire you but the words were perfect. I wrote them down so that I could actually see them and read them over and over.
What a great way to start off a new year! I hope you take time to watch it, the link is at the bottom of this post, but here are the words!
Grateful my friend sent this to me, words I really needed to hear and be reminded of!
Good Night dear friends!

Interview with God!

Photographed and created by... 

Floyd Holdman, Willy Holdman and  Richard Holdman

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

"so you would like to interview me?" God asked

"If you have time." I said

"my time is eternity."

"what questions do you have in mind for me?"

"what surprises for you most about humankind?"

God answered

"That they get bored with childhood.

 they rush to grow up 

and then long ti children again."

"That they lose their health to 

make money and then lose their

 money to restore their health"

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they will never die,

and die and see if they had never lived."

I asked "as a parent, what are some life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God smiled and said "to learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."

"to learn they cannot make anyone love them."

What they can do is let themselves be loved."

"to learn that a rich person is not one who has the most,  but is one who needs the least."

"to learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love,

And it takes many years to heal them."

"to learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness"

"to learn that their persons who love them dearly,

But simply do not know how to express our show their feelings."

"to learn that to people and look at the same thing and see it differently."

"to learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others.

But that they must forgive themselves."

Thank you for your time I humbly said, "is there anything else you would like children to know?"

"to learn that I am here."

"Always"

watch it HERE:

Happy New Year 2016

Today Jeff, Lee, Caitlin and I went to Mukilteo Lighthouse and the beach and Ferry.
Caitlin has never been to Washington and so we wanted to show her how beautiful it is!

We didn't get off till late today but made it just in time for the most beautiful Sunset!

We couldn't stay too long because it was sooooo very cold. About 33 degrees out and getting colder as it got darker.

I think even though 2015 was good, that 2016 is going to better. I just need to make sure that I keep going, moving and stretching myself. This is the year of starting LynnMade... so we have lots to look forward to!

Did I tell you that I think Washington is the most beautiful place on earth? It is or at least one of the most beautiful places to live!

Happy New Year dear friends!

Still more fun is happening around here!

Here were a few photos that I forgot to post.
Before everyone else left on Christmas Day we decided to let Lauren open her Birthday gifts.
Her birthday is January 7th and since she wouldn't be here, we decided to celebrate early!

Amy gave her Fisher Price Disney Princess little people! Kind of a funny joke between her and Amy!

She also got dishes from my neighbor's house...that is what she really wanted! She was thrilled!

Then the next day we took her to her favorite place to eat SUSHI LAND! Nik, wasn't sure he would like sushi, but he did!

Here is the rest of the photos from Christmas!

Miss Audrey trying to tell everyone that they needed her delicious Christmas cookies! :) She is hard to say no to.

Amy wrapped her packages for me in "brown paper paackages wrapped up in string, these are a few of my favorite things." Remind you of a song...right?

Since like every other year, I didn't get everything made. I gave the girls some fabric, Doc McStuffin Bandaids, and a pretend shringes and a coupon from me. Been working on them today!

Tonight Amy, John and girls came over to meet Lee's girlfriend Caitlin ( who is here visiting ), and we all went out to eat and then went to Snowflake Lane in Bellevue ( it is actually called Celebration Lane after Christmas).

Everyone had fun but, boy was it cold outside! Fun night and it was worth braving the weather for!

Smile and look up ... it's snowing!

Good Night dear friends!