Early this morning, my grandpa died. This time, it was my Dad's Dad. He seemed to go quickly too, like Grandma Johnston. He went to the hospital on Sunday and on Friday they said that he wouldn't be around for much longer. Not even 24 hours later, he was gone.
My Mom was staying with him in the hospital last night. Sometime in the night his breathing changed and she woke up. She began singing some hymns to him and then went back to sleep. Five minutes later the nurse woke her to say he had passed on.
Tomorrow everyone will decide when the services should be. I don't know if we can make it down. We will have to see.
Grandpa was often quiet, but there was always a twinkle in his eye. I remember being very young and going to his house. He always had lots of TV's - mostly ones needing repair - around his house. I think that's what he did. I also remember loving to go into his backyard. I remember picking strawberries. :lick: When he and Grandma (Louise) married, they lived in her house. Now there was an even bigger yard and bigger garden. Not to mention the chicken pen. I liked looking for eggs and helping to collect them.
Grandpa was 93(!), he lived a long and full life. I am grateful he is not suffering anymore. This is the first person close to me that has died who wasn't a member of the church. It is very different from the times when people have died who were. It makes me so grateful for the gospel, the Atonement, and for temple work. Grandpa was loyal to his beliefs and his faith. I believe that counts for alot. And I believe he will accept the ordinance work that will be done for him when that time comes.
This has been quite a year. Uncle Gordon, Grandma Johnston and now Grandpa Robarts. I certainly hope we don't add to the list anytime soon.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
A haunting good time!
We had a fun time at our Halloween Party tonight! We had a trunk-or-treat, then games, activities, and food inside afterwards. There was even a magic show.
Here's a photo (not a very good one, but it's the best I got) of Cadi tonight:
And here's a picture of my decorated cake:
Can you believe I didn't win? :lol: Erin May made a 3-D haunted house that was WAY better than ours, she easily won the contest.
Ryan and I were both dressed up...Aragorn and Arwen. We got great responses, people knew who we were - I guess that's a good sign. Everyone loved that I had elf ears. I had someone take video of us, and then I tried to get a picture off of it, but it was too dark to post. Sorry.
Hope you all had fun at your parties. I want to see pictures!
Here's a photo (not a very good one, but it's the best I got) of Cadi tonight:
And here's a picture of my decorated cake:
Can you believe I didn't win? :lol: Erin May made a 3-D haunted house that was WAY better than ours, she easily won the contest.
Ryan and I were both dressed up...Aragorn and Arwen. We got great responses, people knew who we were - I guess that's a good sign. Everyone loved that I had elf ears. I had someone take video of us, and then I tried to get a picture off of it, but it was too dark to post. Sorry.
Hope you all had fun at your parties. I want to see pictures!
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
The curse - Reversed!!!
Tonight the Red Sox became World Champions again, the first time since 1918! They swept the series with the Cardinals. Incredible comeback from the 0-3 deficit in the ALCS against the Yankees! They have won the last 8 games they've played, which is impressive in the post season.
We are happy! Ryan has been a loyal Red Sox fan and it's been a rough ride, but tonight it paid off. Way to go Boston!!!
We are happy! Ryan has been a loyal Red Sox fan and it's been a rough ride, but tonight it paid off. Way to go Boston!!!
Monday, October 25, 2004
What are you going to be?
We just purchased our halloween costumes!
Acadia is a butterfly (possible a butterfly princess, I'm not sure). Of course she has pink wings, there are actually many colors and gold glitter. The costume was cheap at a discount store. She can wear sweats which will be good to keep warm.
Acadia was going to be Cinderella, but we have somehow lost our Cinderella and Minnie Mouse costumes. We had them when we got home from Florida, but cannot find them anywhere now! We are afraid they got donated to the thrift store in one of the many trips we've made the last couple of months. :sad:
But, Acadia had the choice of being whatever she wanted and she chose to be a butterfly instead of Cinderella or another princess. And like I said, the butterfly costume was really cheap.
And Ryan and I...
We are going to be Aragorn and Arwen!!! I am so excited! Ryan even gets a costume sword. (plastic, but still!)
Our ward is having a party on Saturday night. We are combining with another ward who wanted to do the same thing. We are having a trunk-or-treat for the first hour, then everyone moves inside where there will be lots of games and activities. We are bringing 2 dozen cupcakes for the cake walk. There is also a cake decorating contest. Since I just got an e-mail with a great halloween cake that they say is easy to make, I might do it and enter in the contest. It's a haunted house. If I do, we'll take pictures.
We are looking forward to all the fun. What are your plans? What will you be? I'm an enquiring mind...and I want to know!
Acadia is a butterfly (possible a butterfly princess, I'm not sure). Of course she has pink wings, there are actually many colors and gold glitter. The costume was cheap at a discount store. She can wear sweats which will be good to keep warm.
Acadia was going to be Cinderella, but we have somehow lost our Cinderella and Minnie Mouse costumes. We had them when we got home from Florida, but cannot find them anywhere now! We are afraid they got donated to the thrift store in one of the many trips we've made the last couple of months. :sad:
But, Acadia had the choice of being whatever she wanted and she chose to be a butterfly instead of Cinderella or another princess. And like I said, the butterfly costume was really cheap.
And Ryan and I...
We are going to be Aragorn and Arwen!!! I am so excited! Ryan even gets a costume sword. (plastic, but still!)
Our ward is having a party on Saturday night. We are combining with another ward who wanted to do the same thing. We are having a trunk-or-treat for the first hour, then everyone moves inside where there will be lots of games and activities. We are bringing 2 dozen cupcakes for the cake walk. There is also a cake decorating contest. Since I just got an e-mail with a great halloween cake that they say is easy to make, I might do it and enter in the contest. It's a haunted house. If I do, we'll take pictures.
We are looking forward to all the fun. What are your plans? What will you be? I'm an enquiring mind...and I want to know!
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Don't count your chickens before they hatch!
Oh yes...Yankee fans, I'm talking to YOU!!! Just because you led the series 3-0, does not mean you have won it. As you have now learned, it's 4 out of 7 games and those last four games do count.
I liked a sign I saw, "We are down, but we are not out!" That was back at game 5...tonight we watched game 7 and it was anybody's game.
It was anybody's game...until the Red Sox took control and did the impossible (until now!) to come back from a 0-3 slump to win the final four games! The Red Sox are in the World Series!!!
Could they finally be ready to break the curse?
I liked a sign I saw, "We are down, but we are not out!" That was back at game 5...tonight we watched game 7 and it was anybody's game.
It was anybody's game...until the Red Sox took control and did the impossible (until now!) to come back from a 0-3 slump to win the final four games! The Red Sox are in the World Series!!!
Could they finally be ready to break the curse?
Linguine with Peppery Beef Strips
:lick:
I made this for dinner the other night and it was so good, I had to share it. It is a new recipe we tried and I think it might become a regular.
Linguine with Peppery Beef Strips
1 lb lean beef steak
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup beef broth
8 ounces linguine (we used spaghetti, worked just fine)
1 cup julienned carrots
Slice steak into 1/4 inch thick slices. Mix oregano, basil, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and green onions in a shallow dish. Add Steak; toss to coat. (I just stuck it all in a big ziploc and mushed it around so the steak was coated.)
Heat water for pasta. Dissolve cornstarch in broth. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
Remove steak. Stir broth mixture into skillet. Boil, stirring continually for about 1 minute. Return steak to skillet. Add carrots; cook for about 5 minutes.
Drain pasta and add to skillet; toss with steak and vegetables. Serve immediately.
Makes about 4 servings
YUMMY!!! I LOVED it!!! Ryan liked it, but not as much as I did. It is a little spicy, so if you don't like things spicy, cut back on the black pepper. I may experiment with other meats since steak is pricy and we don't have it on a regular basis. So if I want to have this alot, we'll have to see how chicken or ground beef does with it.
If you try it, let me know what you think.
I made this for dinner the other night and it was so good, I had to share it. It is a new recipe we tried and I think it might become a regular.
Linguine with Peppery Beef Strips
1 lb lean beef steak
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup beef broth
8 ounces linguine (we used spaghetti, worked just fine)
1 cup julienned carrots
Slice steak into 1/4 inch thick slices. Mix oregano, basil, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and green onions in a shallow dish. Add Steak; toss to coat. (I just stuck it all in a big ziploc and mushed it around so the steak was coated.)
Heat water for pasta. Dissolve cornstarch in broth. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
Remove steak. Stir broth mixture into skillet. Boil, stirring continually for about 1 minute. Return steak to skillet. Add carrots; cook for about 5 minutes.
Drain pasta and add to skillet; toss with steak and vegetables. Serve immediately.
Makes about 4 servings
YUMMY!!! I LOVED it!!! Ryan liked it, but not as much as I did. It is a little spicy, so if you don't like things spicy, cut back on the black pepper. I may experiment with other meats since steak is pricy and we don't have it on a regular basis. So if I want to have this alot, we'll have to see how chicken or ground beef does with it.
If you try it, let me know what you think.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Pictures: D-D Date, Field Trip, and FHE
First, pictures from a Daddy-Daughter Date last Saturday night...
And now for Cadi's first field trip. Ryan was assigned 3 boys to watch. I had Cadi and Isabell.
We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch...
Everyone got to choose a pumpkin to take home...even the "parent-helpers".
We learned alittle about corn and all the ways that we use it...(Acadia's teacher is the blonde sitting infront of the man holding the corn.)
Then we took a hayride back...
This is Hazel, one of Cadi's friends. On the first day of school, she came home telling us all about her new friend Hazel. Hazel's mom was a parent-helper too, so we exchanged numbers so the girls can get together sometime.
The next thing we saw was how they polish apples after they are picked...
We all got an apple to eat...yum!
Finally we got to go through a maze and then time for a little fun before we headed back to school.
Acadia's first field trip was fun and we were both glad we could be there with her.
Tonight we had FHE with our friends, the Hoffmans. We went bowling and had soooo much fun! Ryan bowled two GREAT games, totally whooped us all! But I did alright too, I had four strikes and quite a few spares. I had second place on the second game. :thumb:
This is Scott setting up the scoreboard with William and RaeAnne...
The twins...
We had lots of fun...hope it wasn't too many pictures!
And now for Cadi's first field trip. Ryan was assigned 3 boys to watch. I had Cadi and Isabell.
We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch...
Everyone got to choose a pumpkin to take home...even the "parent-helpers".
We learned alittle about corn and all the ways that we use it...(Acadia's teacher is the blonde sitting infront of the man holding the corn.)
Then we took a hayride back...
This is Hazel, one of Cadi's friends. On the first day of school, she came home telling us all about her new friend Hazel. Hazel's mom was a parent-helper too, so we exchanged numbers so the girls can get together sometime.
The next thing we saw was how they polish apples after they are picked...
We all got an apple to eat...yum!
Finally we got to go through a maze and then time for a little fun before we headed back to school.
Acadia's first field trip was fun and we were both glad we could be there with her.
Tonight we had FHE with our friends, the Hoffmans. We went bowling and had soooo much fun! Ryan bowled two GREAT games, totally whooped us all! But I did alright too, I had four strikes and quite a few spares. I had second place on the second game. :thumb:
This is Scott setting up the scoreboard with William and RaeAnne...
The twins...
We had lots of fun...hope it wasn't too many pictures!
Sunday, October 17, 2004
My First Show
Last night I had my first PartyLite show. The hostess thought that she'd have 10 people, she only had 5. But it was still good. She is collecting outside orders and will definitely get at least $200 in sales and has a total of 3 booking so far. One of the bookings is her mom who lives in another part of town...out of my circle! (Yay!)
The show went well, I think I did alright. Everyone seemed to have fun. So, I feel good. My second show is this week. I'm hoping to make more contacts outside my circle here. It's my friend, Natalie Hoffman who lives across the street. But I don't know most of her friends so it will be good.
Tonight the Sisters were over and really liked the Chicken Wreath I made. They also liked the salads. We went out on splits, but since there wasn't another sister signed up to go out, it ended up being the three of us. That's probably better anyway because we have a new sister. She is brand new from Mongolia and doesn't know that much English yet. She knows alot, but it would be very hard for her to not have her companion with her.
We visited a family where the husband is a member (kind of less-active) and the wife is not. We shared the new "Restoration" DVD. We bore our testimonies of the Gospel, of Joseph Smith, of the restoration, etc. Unfortunately, the wife refuses to change religions because she doesn't want to dishonor her parents. It is frustrating. We tried to emphasize how important it is to gain a testimony that is your own, to find out for yourself if it's true. I hope that she decides to find out for herself.
Well, I'm tired and ready for bed. Tomorrow, Ryan and I will help with a field trip Cadi is going on. It's her first ever field trip! It is to a farm to learn how we get our food. She keeps talking about a pumpkin patch, I don't know for sure if it's the same thing, but I would assume so. I'll try to take pictures, but I don't know if there are any rules about that. If I get any, I'll post them.
The show went well, I think I did alright. Everyone seemed to have fun. So, I feel good. My second show is this week. I'm hoping to make more contacts outside my circle here. It's my friend, Natalie Hoffman who lives across the street. But I don't know most of her friends so it will be good.
Tonight the Sisters were over and really liked the Chicken Wreath I made. They also liked the salads. We went out on splits, but since there wasn't another sister signed up to go out, it ended up being the three of us. That's probably better anyway because we have a new sister. She is brand new from Mongolia and doesn't know that much English yet. She knows alot, but it would be very hard for her to not have her companion with her.
We visited a family where the husband is a member (kind of less-active) and the wife is not. We shared the new "Restoration" DVD. We bore our testimonies of the Gospel, of Joseph Smith, of the restoration, etc. Unfortunately, the wife refuses to change religions because she doesn't want to dishonor her parents. It is frustrating. We tried to emphasize how important it is to gain a testimony that is your own, to find out for yourself if it's true. I hope that she decides to find out for herself.
Well, I'm tired and ready for bed. Tomorrow, Ryan and I will help with a field trip Cadi is going on. It's her first ever field trip! It is to a farm to learn how we get our food. She keeps talking about a pumpkin patch, I don't know for sure if it's the same thing, but I would assume so. I'll try to take pictures, but I don't know if there are any rules about that. If I get any, I'll post them.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
The Word of Wisdom and Me
I have a confession to make...
I have a huge can of coffee in my craft room! And I'm using it!!! Alright, I admit I'm addicted...to candles! I am selling PartyLite candles now and tonight it my first show. Consultants try to provide some coffee for the guests to smell in between smelling each candle scent. I wasn't planning on buying coffee for my shows, but my Enrichment leader offered me some.
Okay, let me explain...she was inactive for over 30 years and just became active about 1 1/2 years ago. So she's had this big can of coffee, mostly full, sitting at her house all this time. She's glad to be rid of it because she still sometimes craves coffee and this way she won't be reminded of it.
My hostess is expecting 10 guests tonight and already has 2 bookings! One is a catalog party she wants to do later next month, the other is someone who wants to do one in December. I'm excited, it's a good start!
Besides my show tonight, not much is going on. Tomorrow the Sisters come for dinner, then I go out on splits with them. I haven't decided what to make. Last time they loved the Spaghetti Diablo. Do I make the same thing again, or do I make something different?
I have a huge can of coffee in my craft room! And I'm using it!!! Alright, I admit I'm addicted...to candles! I am selling PartyLite candles now and tonight it my first show. Consultants try to provide some coffee for the guests to smell in between smelling each candle scent. I wasn't planning on buying coffee for my shows, but my Enrichment leader offered me some.
Okay, let me explain...she was inactive for over 30 years and just became active about 1 1/2 years ago. So she's had this big can of coffee, mostly full, sitting at her house all this time. She's glad to be rid of it because she still sometimes craves coffee and this way she won't be reminded of it.
My hostess is expecting 10 guests tonight and already has 2 bookings! One is a catalog party she wants to do later next month, the other is someone who wants to do one in December. I'm excited, it's a good start!
Besides my show tonight, not much is going on. Tomorrow the Sisters come for dinner, then I go out on splits with them. I haven't decided what to make. Last time they loved the Spaghetti Diablo. Do I make the same thing again, or do I make something different?
Friday, October 15, 2004
It's official!
I got an e-mail yesterday from PartyLite saying that they've received my Consultant Agreement and giving me my ID number. There was a delay in that because my sponsor forgot to sign one of the pages so it was sent back then had to be returned. But that's good because it buys me more time to earn my first bonus. I don't think I'll make it, and I don't really mind. The bonus is: if you hold 6 shows in your first 2 weeks, you get 3 dozen votives. I have 3, maybe 4 shows that will hold during that time.
My first show is tomorrow. I think I'm ready. I had a mock show for Ryan, Cadi, and about 2 dozen of Cadi's stuffed animals on Wednesday. :lol: It was so funny because Acadia would pick up one of her toys, hold it to her ear, then ask me the question the toy wanted to ask. It was cute.
Last night I learned how to can pumpkin! And I got some recipes to use it with. It's actually pretty easy to can. I just don't have the "cold bath". Beckie said that she can get 14 quarts out of just 2 pumpkins! That's alot. And if you like to make pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread, or pumpkin bars, et. then it's a great savings! One pumpkin can cost the same as one can of pumpkin at the store. And the big cans hold the same amount as the quart jar does. I'm thinking about canning pumpkin this year after we are done with the decorations.
Tonight we are going to a baby shower for a family that used to live in our ward. She had a baby in January, a cute little boy. Then somehow (!) she got pregnant right afterwards - just two months later! THEN!!! They found out it was TRIPLETS!!! :blush: All identicle girls! She will have 4 babies under the age of one by the holidays!!! Can you believe that!?! Mom is on bedrest and living at her mom's house so Grandma can take care of baby Toby. Jennie is on complete bedrest and is exhausted all the time. It's sometimes hard to breath. Poor thing. But the doctor says she and the babies are all doing fine and are hopefull that she can hold them longer than they first anticipated. Because all the babies are identical and sharing the same placenta, it will eventually run out of nutrition for them and they will need to take them early.
Obviously the big need is diapers and wipes! And also onesies as the doctor has said just keep them in onesies and wrap them in blankets. It's too expensive to buy clothes for all of them just to have them outgrow them within a few weeks. I'm heading to the store this morning to get premie diapers and cute pink onesies.
Because Jennie is on bedrest, she hasn't met many people from her ward. We have told her that our ward considers those babies OURS, they were conceived HERE, she drank OUR water! So we want her to let us help her! Just think 4 babies!!! And the oldest one is mobile! How do you do anything or go anywhere? You NEED help - 24 hours! Thankfully she has family, but she also has a ward that still considers her family (even if they don't actually live in our boundaries anymore) and she's going to need all the help she can get!
Her husband is working and going to school. He suggested taking a break from school, but she said absolutely not! "We're going to have four babies...you need to get that degree to support them all!" They have incredibly strong faith and are very calm about the whole thing. They trust the Lord and know it will all work out.
It will be great seeing her tonight...I hear she is just HUGE!!! I guess that isn't really nice to say, but what do you expect when you have three babies growing inside of you?
My first show is tomorrow. I think I'm ready. I had a mock show for Ryan, Cadi, and about 2 dozen of Cadi's stuffed animals on Wednesday. :lol: It was so funny because Acadia would pick up one of her toys, hold it to her ear, then ask me the question the toy wanted to ask. It was cute.
Last night I learned how to can pumpkin! And I got some recipes to use it with. It's actually pretty easy to can. I just don't have the "cold bath". Beckie said that she can get 14 quarts out of just 2 pumpkins! That's alot. And if you like to make pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread, or pumpkin bars, et. then it's a great savings! One pumpkin can cost the same as one can of pumpkin at the store. And the big cans hold the same amount as the quart jar does. I'm thinking about canning pumpkin this year after we are done with the decorations.
Tonight we are going to a baby shower for a family that used to live in our ward. She had a baby in January, a cute little boy. Then somehow (!) she got pregnant right afterwards - just two months later! THEN!!! They found out it was TRIPLETS!!! :blush: All identicle girls! She will have 4 babies under the age of one by the holidays!!! Can you believe that!?! Mom is on bedrest and living at her mom's house so Grandma can take care of baby Toby. Jennie is on complete bedrest and is exhausted all the time. It's sometimes hard to breath. Poor thing. But the doctor says she and the babies are all doing fine and are hopefull that she can hold them longer than they first anticipated. Because all the babies are identical and sharing the same placenta, it will eventually run out of nutrition for them and they will need to take them early.
Obviously the big need is diapers and wipes! And also onesies as the doctor has said just keep them in onesies and wrap them in blankets. It's too expensive to buy clothes for all of them just to have them outgrow them within a few weeks. I'm heading to the store this morning to get premie diapers and cute pink onesies.
Because Jennie is on bedrest, she hasn't met many people from her ward. We have told her that our ward considers those babies OURS, they were conceived HERE, she drank OUR water! So we want her to let us help her! Just think 4 babies!!! And the oldest one is mobile! How do you do anything or go anywhere? You NEED help - 24 hours! Thankfully she has family, but she also has a ward that still considers her family (even if they don't actually live in our boundaries anymore) and she's going to need all the help she can get!
Her husband is working and going to school. He suggested taking a break from school, but she said absolutely not! "We're going to have four babies...you need to get that degree to support them all!" They have incredibly strong faith and are very calm about the whole thing. They trust the Lord and know it will all work out.
It will be great seeing her tonight...I hear she is just HUGE!!! I guess that isn't really nice to say, but what do you expect when you have three babies growing inside of you?
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
A Terrific Tuesday
Last week Ryan and I were planning on visiting the temple and having lunch to celebrate our anniversary. When we changed our plans and went down to Ft. Bragg for my grandma's funeral, our anniversary was postponed.
Today we went out to breakfast and then went to the temple. It is always beautiful in the temple, especially Portland. I really enjoy seeing all the temple workers. Everyone is happy and content. It really is a place to escape the world. I especially love seeing people I know there. There is a sweet couple in our ward who work there regularly and the last couple of times I've gone I have seen them in one place or another. I love the feeling I have while in the temple and it usually carries over into the rest of my day.
We picked up some DVDs at the distribution center there before coming home. "The Restoration". We watched the copy that came in our Ensign last night for FHE. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it! It is great! We gave one to our friends who watched Cadi after school for us. They (our friends) are starting to come back to church but don't get the Ensign and hadn't received a copy of the DVD yet.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I've been striving to have the spirit with me more throughout my daily activities. Through prayer, fasting, and reading the scriptures I have been feeling the spirit more and more. I love the feeling of peace, love, and happiness it brings. It gives me the desire to constantly improve and grow closer to my Heavely Father.
I can't remember the quote exactly, but in last week's lesson from the teachings of Heber J. Grant there was a line that really impressed me. It says something like: Don't do anything that you cannot pray for your Father in Heaven to help you with.
Isn't that great? It makes me stop and think of how I am spending my time. Am I filling my time doing things that I wouldn't feel comfortable asking the Lord to support me with? It helps provide a guide on what things to do with my time and what things I should do without.
I love that in the church we are constantly growing. Every person can progress no matter where they are in their life spiritually. You can always move forward. And the church is designed to help us do that. The purpose of the Relief Society is to help the sisters grow closer to Christ. It is the same with the other auxilaries. Our goal is to grow closer to our Savior and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is organized to assist families and individuals as they strive to reach that goal.
I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life and to be a member of the true church of Jesus Christ.
Today we went out to breakfast and then went to the temple. It is always beautiful in the temple, especially Portland. I really enjoy seeing all the temple workers. Everyone is happy and content. It really is a place to escape the world. I especially love seeing people I know there. There is a sweet couple in our ward who work there regularly and the last couple of times I've gone I have seen them in one place or another. I love the feeling I have while in the temple and it usually carries over into the rest of my day.
We picked up some DVDs at the distribution center there before coming home. "The Restoration". We watched the copy that came in our Ensign last night for FHE. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it! It is great! We gave one to our friends who watched Cadi after school for us. They (our friends) are starting to come back to church but don't get the Ensign and hadn't received a copy of the DVD yet.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I've been striving to have the spirit with me more throughout my daily activities. Through prayer, fasting, and reading the scriptures I have been feeling the spirit more and more. I love the feeling of peace, love, and happiness it brings. It gives me the desire to constantly improve and grow closer to my Heavely Father.
I can't remember the quote exactly, but in last week's lesson from the teachings of Heber J. Grant there was a line that really impressed me. It says something like: Don't do anything that you cannot pray for your Father in Heaven to help you with.
Isn't that great? It makes me stop and think of how I am spending my time. Am I filling my time doing things that I wouldn't feel comfortable asking the Lord to support me with? It helps provide a guide on what things to do with my time and what things I should do without.
I love that in the church we are constantly growing. Every person can progress no matter where they are in their life spiritually. You can always move forward. And the church is designed to help us do that. The purpose of the Relief Society is to help the sisters grow closer to Christ. It is the same with the other auxilaries. Our goal is to grow closer to our Savior and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is organized to assist families and individuals as they strive to reach that goal.
I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life and to be a member of the true church of Jesus Christ.
Saturday, October 9, 2004
Isn't genealogy great?
Check this out:
George Bush and John Kerry are related...distantly! It's true. Here's the family tree. It goes way back, to the 1500's.
I find that interesting. Don't you?
George Bush and John Kerry are related...distantly! It's true. Here's the family tree. It goes way back, to the 1500's.
I find that interesting. Don't you?
A letter from a soldier.
We just received an e-mail from a friend who is currently deployed and thought that it must represent the feelings of many men and women who are currently serving our country. I decided to share it with you so we can all remember the sacrifices that are being made for us.
"Hi all,
I decided to make this a mass email because I have so little time to write, and when I do find time to write no computers are available.
All is going well. We have pretty much finished up our training here in the states and will be shipping out overseas very soon.
When I left home I thought that our unit was handed an easy mission. Now that I have been through training and have a better idea of what to expect, "easy" would be a very poor, and incorrect adjective to use. I expect this to be the most demanding and stressful experience I have experienced or ever will experience in my life.
Being away from home sure gives one a greater appreciation for family and friends. Not much else occupies my mind other than those two things. I am greatfull for you, your love and your support.
Well, I can't talk or write about what they have me doing here so I really don't know much of what to say other than I am doing well and thankfully have had no injuries.
The weather has been really good except for the first few days when it decided to dump on us. Thankfully we were in the classroom for most of it.
I want you all to know that I am greatful and honored for the opportunity to serve my country. All that is near and dear to me is largely made possible because of the freedoms we enjoy here.
I also want you all to know that I know there is a God in heaven, who is our Father, that loves us and watches over us. I have felt his presence and love very strong this last month. I know that his son, Jesus Christ lives as well. I know it, there is no doubt in my mind, and I put my trust in him.
-Joe"
Joe is a good friend of ours from our years spent in Idaho. He and his family now live in California (near Auburn). They are a wonderful family and we keep them in our prayers.
We also know others serving...friends and family members. We are grateful for all of their sacrifice. For their love of their country and fellow Americans. They serve us daily, often times putting their lives in harms way to protect our rights and freedoms. What would our lives be like if it weren't for these brave men and women?
Remember them, pray for them and support our troops!
"Hi all,
I decided to make this a mass email because I have so little time to write, and when I do find time to write no computers are available.
All is going well. We have pretty much finished up our training here in the states and will be shipping out overseas very soon.
When I left home I thought that our unit was handed an easy mission. Now that I have been through training and have a better idea of what to expect, "easy" would be a very poor, and incorrect adjective to use. I expect this to be the most demanding and stressful experience I have experienced or ever will experience in my life.
Being away from home sure gives one a greater appreciation for family and friends. Not much else occupies my mind other than those two things. I am greatfull for you, your love and your support.
Well, I can't talk or write about what they have me doing here so I really don't know much of what to say other than I am doing well and thankfully have had no injuries.
The weather has been really good except for the first few days when it decided to dump on us. Thankfully we were in the classroom for most of it.
I want you all to know that I am greatful and honored for the opportunity to serve my country. All that is near and dear to me is largely made possible because of the freedoms we enjoy here.
I also want you all to know that I know there is a God in heaven, who is our Father, that loves us and watches over us. I have felt his presence and love very strong this last month. I know that his son, Jesus Christ lives as well. I know it, there is no doubt in my mind, and I put my trust in him.
-Joe"
Joe is a good friend of ours from our years spent in Idaho. He and his family now live in California (near Auburn). They are a wonderful family and we keep them in our prayers.
We also know others serving...friends and family members. We are grateful for all of their sacrifice. For their love of their country and fellow Americans. They serve us daily, often times putting their lives in harms way to protect our rights and freedoms. What would our lives be like if it weren't for these brave men and women?
Remember them, pray for them and support our troops!
Friday, October 8, 2004
Have I mentioned my dog is dumb?
Simon is so pathetic! He has reinjured his tail. And has also acquired a sore on his cheek. It's about the size of a quarter and he won't leave it alone! :mad: So I put a cone on him. He HATES it! He won't even go to the bathroom with it on. If I take it off so he can eat, drink, or take care of business, he starts to scratch his sore. FRUSTRATION!!! Today I noticed that just to make my life even more fun, he had thrown up and had vomit on the cone and dripping down into his fur.
Will someone please tell me why I love my dog so much?!?
The good news is that after having the cone on for a couple of days the wounnd on his face is healing. I hope we can take that darn cone off soon!
Will someone please tell me why I love my dog so much?!?
The good news is that after having the cone on for a couple of days the wounnd on his face is healing. I hope we can take that darn cone off soon!
Thursday, October 7, 2004
Pictures
Here are the pictures of Cadi's hair in curlers...
She looked so cute with her curly hair!!!
Now here are some pictures from this past weekend in Ft. Bragg...
Cadi baking with Aunt Lainee:
Ryan took Acadia on a walk down to the beach.
Isn't Cadi strong? :lol:
Playing Chess with Chad. Or as Cadi called it, Chest. :blush:
To see more photos from this weekend, click here.
She looked so cute with her curly hair!!!
Now here are some pictures from this past weekend in Ft. Bragg...
Cadi baking with Aunt Lainee:
Ryan took Acadia on a walk down to the beach.
Isn't Cadi strong? :lol:
Playing Chess with Chad. Or as Cadi called it, Chest. :blush:
To see more photos from this weekend, click here.
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Exciting Stuff *sarcastic*
I don't really have anything to say. But I felt like "blogging"...
Today is Acadia's first school picture day. I put her hair in curlers again last night so her hair is really cute this morning. Did I ever post the pictures from when she had her hair in curlers last time? It was only a week or so ago. Well, if I can find the camera and memory stick then I'll post them.
I didn't know how big of a package to get for the pictures. Originally I was just going to get the very smallest, I still hope to get us to Sears for our annual portraits. Since I don't get to choose the school picture that we end up with I didn't want to buy a huge package. But Ryan convinced me to get a decent package: "It's her first school picture...you can't replace that." I ended up getting enough to give a 5x7 to our parents and maybe some litte ones to a few other people. We'll still go to Sears soon. If the school pictures are really bad, we can refuse them and get a refund.
Today I meet with my "sponsor" (PartyLite) to go over my starter kit. I had gone over basics with the unit leader last week. But there are so many things that I still don't know what to do with so I asked my sponsor to help me out. She'll go over all the forms, helps, etc and help me place my first supply order. That's supposed to be in 20 minutes.
Later I need to pick Acadia up from school, go to the post office, and also meet with my visiting teaching companion to take a card and goodies over to one of our sisters for her birthday. She is less-active and we haven't managed to get in to visit her lately. Either she is really busy or is avoiding us. We'd really like to find a way to get through to her and let her know we really care and want to be her friends. Hopefully we will see her today.
I just got a call from Acadia's school nurse. Cadi got her hand caught in a door today and her middle finger is sore and swelling. She can bend it and squeeze the nurse's hand. The nurse says it should be fine, but very sore. She suggested that Acadia could stay and finish school but I should keep my eye on it when she comes home. I talked to Cadi, she says she wants to stay. Pictures haven't been taken yet, I asked if she would still be able to smile and look pretty for the picture even with her "owie", she said yes. I told her now she had a story to tell Daddy about when she got hurt. (She often will ask him to tell her stories of when he got hurt as a boy.)
Mount St. Helens is being boring today. Yesterday she had an erruption and earthquakes did resume, but today the earthquakes have decreased alot. They still expect she will continue to have activity for awhile. But only time will tell. Today is a good day for her to rest since it is rainy and none of the cameras can get a very good shot of her anyway. :lol: Up until now, it has been bright and clear out. It should be cloudy off and on for a few days at least. We'll just wait and see.
I guess that's enough for now. I need to get ready for Sharon to come over. And I just realized I never ate breakfast.
Today is Acadia's first school picture day. I put her hair in curlers again last night so her hair is really cute this morning. Did I ever post the pictures from when she had her hair in curlers last time? It was only a week or so ago. Well, if I can find the camera and memory stick then I'll post them.
I didn't know how big of a package to get for the pictures. Originally I was just going to get the very smallest, I still hope to get us to Sears for our annual portraits. Since I don't get to choose the school picture that we end up with I didn't want to buy a huge package. But Ryan convinced me to get a decent package: "It's her first school picture...you can't replace that." I ended up getting enough to give a 5x7 to our parents and maybe some litte ones to a few other people. We'll still go to Sears soon. If the school pictures are really bad, we can refuse them and get a refund.
Today I meet with my "sponsor" (PartyLite) to go over my starter kit. I had gone over basics with the unit leader last week. But there are so many things that I still don't know what to do with so I asked my sponsor to help me out. She'll go over all the forms, helps, etc and help me place my first supply order. That's supposed to be in 20 minutes.
Later I need to pick Acadia up from school, go to the post office, and also meet with my visiting teaching companion to take a card and goodies over to one of our sisters for her birthday. She is less-active and we haven't managed to get in to visit her lately. Either she is really busy or is avoiding us. We'd really like to find a way to get through to her and let her know we really care and want to be her friends. Hopefully we will see her today.
I just got a call from Acadia's school nurse. Cadi got her hand caught in a door today and her middle finger is sore and swelling. She can bend it and squeeze the nurse's hand. The nurse says it should be fine, but very sore. She suggested that Acadia could stay and finish school but I should keep my eye on it when she comes home. I talked to Cadi, she says she wants to stay. Pictures haven't been taken yet, I asked if she would still be able to smile and look pretty for the picture even with her "owie", she said yes. I told her now she had a story to tell Daddy about when she got hurt. (She often will ask him to tell her stories of when he got hurt as a boy.)
Mount St. Helens is being boring today. Yesterday she had an erruption and earthquakes did resume, but today the earthquakes have decreased alot. They still expect she will continue to have activity for awhile. But only time will tell. Today is a good day for her to rest since it is rainy and none of the cameras can get a very good shot of her anyway. :lol: Up until now, it has been bright and clear out. It should be cloudy off and on for a few days at least. We'll just wait and see.
I guess that's enough for now. I need to get ready for Sharon to come over. And I just realized I never ate breakfast.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Home again, in one piece, ... and no tickets!
That's what Ryan said as we pulled into the driveway late last night.
Late Saturday morning we left for Ft. Bragg, CA to attend my grandma's funeral. We took Sarah (my cousin) down with us, she came back with her siblings. We got to Ft. Bragg a little before 9 p.m., which surprised most of the family who have decided Ryan is the fastest (and therefore craziest) driver of the family. We did take it fast, even the windy, coastal roads (Acadia and I were doped up on Dramamine to eliminate any car sickness).
We stayed at Grandpa's house. Aunt Kris, Lainee, and Vicki were staying there too. We stayed up with Lainee and Kris for a couple of hours visiting. Sunday morning, we got up and dressed. We watched conference on Grandpa's TV. Acadia spent much of her time "helping" Aunt Lainee with various chores while they listened to the conference talks. I enjoyed watching Cadi have a special time with Lainee.
At some point on Sunday, Kris and Lainee gave me an envelope from Grandma. It contained a beautiful Amethyst ring. It fits my middle finger nicely so I don't think I'll need to resize it or anything. Later when Lainee and I were talking, she told me how Grandma had spent the last couple of months carefully selecting which ring to give to which granddaughter (every one of her granddaughters received a ring, with the exception of Chelsie who received earrings). She placed each ring with a labeled piece of paper so that it would get to the right person. Unfortunately, after they had been carefully organized, the rings were accidentally knocked over by Grandma's wheelchair. She managed to pick up most of them and put them in the appropriate place, but somehow there were a couple that were not clearly marked when my aunts went through them to distribute after her death. They prayerfully assigned them to their spot and hope that they were guided in placing the remaining rings.
In any case, I feel grateful to have such a special momento from my grandma. I feel like I received the ring that was meant for me. Of the rings that I saw this weekend, this is the one that I would have chosen for myself if it had been up to me. Mostly because it is simple but still elegant and beautiful. It is something that I would (and will) wear daily. All of the rings I saw were absolutely beautiful and are wonderful gifts. Giving each of her granddaughters something special was one last way of letting us know she was thinking about us and loved us so much. I love the ring she chose for me and I hope that all my sisters and cousins feel the same way.
Sunday was a wonderful, healing day for me. Between receiving my ring and the different conversations I had with Lainee, Kris, Chad, and others I felt love and peace. Sunday night ended with an impromptu hymn sing-a-long. Chad said he wanted to sing, so I played hymns as he and Jay selected them. Slowly, one by one others began to join in. It was a special experience and I think everyone who participated appreciated the closeness we felt.
Late that night, we heard the doorbell and expected to find my family arriving from Sacramento. But instead it was Lainee's kids! Jacob with his wife, Amanda and their son, Adam and Levi with his girlfriend, Carrie. I hadn't met Amanda, Adam or Carrie and was so glad to see them! Of course, seeing Jacob and Levi was great too! Adam is one of the most adorable babies I have ever seen! (Note that I said "one of".) Amanda is very sweet and I can see that she and Jacob are wonderfully matched. Immediately when I saw Carrie, I loved her. We didn't get to talk a whole lot since it was late, but her spirit is kind and gentle. I hope the best for her and Levi. I am looking forward to getting to know her better.
Shortly after the Carolin arrival, my family arrived too. Lainee distributed the rings for my sisters, went over the items that my mom was to receive, we visited for awhile, then everyone started to go to bed. In addition to the quail that my mom really wanted, she has also been willed my great-grandmother's wedding ring. It will first go to my great-aunt Robin, but will go to Mom when Robin passes away. This may be awhile, and that is good and wonderful because we love Robin very much and don't want to lose her anytime soon. But Mom was very touched to learn that Aurora's ring is meant to be hers someday.
Monday morning was a blur as everyone got ready for the funeral. Most of us were also getting packed up to leave for home straight from the church. But we all got to the Chapel in time for the viewing. We carefully talked to Acadia about what to expect and explained it was her choice whether or not to look at Grandma. She chose to look. Her comment was that Grandma looked old. And she did. I was not prepared for how much she had changed since the last time I had seen her. But she was beautiful and had been lovingly dressed in white.
Ryan was asked to lead the family in a family prayer before the casket was closed. My mom, Lainee, Kris, and Vicki assisted in some final touches to Grandma, then Grandpa closed the casket. The funeral services were nice. The speakers loved Grandma and accurately described her in their talks. There were many humorous moments, which was wonderful and there were also many tears shed.
Following the funeral, the ward had prepared a lunch for us. There was so much food! And it tasted wonderful. The love extended to us was very touching and I felt their love for Grandma as they served us.
I am so glad that we made the trip down. It was a special experience and I feel it was important for me to be there. (Even though at first I didn't think I wanted to go.) I can't expressed how much it meant to be there with my grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course my immediate family. We didn't want to leave, but we needed to get back home. We finally pulled away a little before 1 and as I stated already, we arrived home in one piece and with no tickets!
Late Saturday morning we left for Ft. Bragg, CA to attend my grandma's funeral. We took Sarah (my cousin) down with us, she came back with her siblings. We got to Ft. Bragg a little before 9 p.m., which surprised most of the family who have decided Ryan is the fastest (and therefore craziest) driver of the family. We did take it fast, even the windy, coastal roads (Acadia and I were doped up on Dramamine to eliminate any car sickness).
We stayed at Grandpa's house. Aunt Kris, Lainee, and Vicki were staying there too. We stayed up with Lainee and Kris for a couple of hours visiting. Sunday morning, we got up and dressed. We watched conference on Grandpa's TV. Acadia spent much of her time "helping" Aunt Lainee with various chores while they listened to the conference talks. I enjoyed watching Cadi have a special time with Lainee.
At some point on Sunday, Kris and Lainee gave me an envelope from Grandma. It contained a beautiful Amethyst ring. It fits my middle finger nicely so I don't think I'll need to resize it or anything. Later when Lainee and I were talking, she told me how Grandma had spent the last couple of months carefully selecting which ring to give to which granddaughter (every one of her granddaughters received a ring, with the exception of Chelsie who received earrings). She placed each ring with a labeled piece of paper so that it would get to the right person. Unfortunately, after they had been carefully organized, the rings were accidentally knocked over by Grandma's wheelchair. She managed to pick up most of them and put them in the appropriate place, but somehow there were a couple that were not clearly marked when my aunts went through them to distribute after her death. They prayerfully assigned them to their spot and hope that they were guided in placing the remaining rings.
In any case, I feel grateful to have such a special momento from my grandma. I feel like I received the ring that was meant for me. Of the rings that I saw this weekend, this is the one that I would have chosen for myself if it had been up to me. Mostly because it is simple but still elegant and beautiful. It is something that I would (and will) wear daily. All of the rings I saw were absolutely beautiful and are wonderful gifts. Giving each of her granddaughters something special was one last way of letting us know she was thinking about us and loved us so much. I love the ring she chose for me and I hope that all my sisters and cousins feel the same way.
Sunday was a wonderful, healing day for me. Between receiving my ring and the different conversations I had with Lainee, Kris, Chad, and others I felt love and peace. Sunday night ended with an impromptu hymn sing-a-long. Chad said he wanted to sing, so I played hymns as he and Jay selected them. Slowly, one by one others began to join in. It was a special experience and I think everyone who participated appreciated the closeness we felt.
Late that night, we heard the doorbell and expected to find my family arriving from Sacramento. But instead it was Lainee's kids! Jacob with his wife, Amanda and their son, Adam and Levi with his girlfriend, Carrie. I hadn't met Amanda, Adam or Carrie and was so glad to see them! Of course, seeing Jacob and Levi was great too! Adam is one of the most adorable babies I have ever seen! (Note that I said "one of".) Amanda is very sweet and I can see that she and Jacob are wonderfully matched. Immediately when I saw Carrie, I loved her. We didn't get to talk a whole lot since it was late, but her spirit is kind and gentle. I hope the best for her and Levi. I am looking forward to getting to know her better.
Shortly after the Carolin arrival, my family arrived too. Lainee distributed the rings for my sisters, went over the items that my mom was to receive, we visited for awhile, then everyone started to go to bed. In addition to the quail that my mom really wanted, she has also been willed my great-grandmother's wedding ring. It will first go to my great-aunt Robin, but will go to Mom when Robin passes away. This may be awhile, and that is good and wonderful because we love Robin very much and don't want to lose her anytime soon. But Mom was very touched to learn that Aurora's ring is meant to be hers someday.
Monday morning was a blur as everyone got ready for the funeral. Most of us were also getting packed up to leave for home straight from the church. But we all got to the Chapel in time for the viewing. We carefully talked to Acadia about what to expect and explained it was her choice whether or not to look at Grandma. She chose to look. Her comment was that Grandma looked old. And she did. I was not prepared for how much she had changed since the last time I had seen her. But she was beautiful and had been lovingly dressed in white.
Ryan was asked to lead the family in a family prayer before the casket was closed. My mom, Lainee, Kris, and Vicki assisted in some final touches to Grandma, then Grandpa closed the casket. The funeral services were nice. The speakers loved Grandma and accurately described her in their talks. There were many humorous moments, which was wonderful and there were also many tears shed.
Following the funeral, the ward had prepared a lunch for us. There was so much food! And it tasted wonderful. The love extended to us was very touching and I felt their love for Grandma as they served us.
I am so glad that we made the trip down. It was a special experience and I feel it was important for me to be there. (Even though at first I didn't think I wanted to go.) I can't expressed how much it meant to be there with my grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course my immediate family. We didn't want to leave, but we needed to get back home. We finally pulled away a little before 1 and as I stated already, we arrived home in one piece and with no tickets!
Friday, October 1, 2004
Mt. St. Helens Erupts!!!
YAHOO!!! It is so awesome to be here and a part of this!!!
There has been a tiny little eruption. (One hour ago.) There was a small plume of steam and some ash that has already disappeared. I looked outside and you can't even tell there was an eruption at all.
The news is showing live shots where you can see the hole where the eruption source was and there is a bunch of black ash on the glacier. They are saying there might be more similar eruptions again...I hope so, I'd love another chance to see it live. I didn't get to see it live today, just all the news footage.
I absolutely LOVE Mt St Helens! It is so neat to see her reminding us that she is still there. I am hoping that she is building that lava dome up. It is cool to be so close and to witness the mountain rebuilding herself!
There has been a tiny little eruption. (One hour ago.) There was a small plume of steam and some ash that has already disappeared. I looked outside and you can't even tell there was an eruption at all.
The news is showing live shots where you can see the hole where the eruption source was and there is a bunch of black ash on the glacier. They are saying there might be more similar eruptions again...I hope so, I'd love another chance to see it live. I didn't get to see it live today, just all the news footage.
I absolutely LOVE Mt St Helens! It is so neat to see her reminding us that she is still there. I am hoping that she is building that lava dome up. It is cool to be so close and to witness the mountain rebuilding herself!
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