Things I don't want to Forget

Thank you Dan and Liz for recording this moment in history! I loved this day and all the memories I have!! I don't want to forget that!

These are great guys - who wouldn't want to pick one of them up from the temple!!??! I don't want to forget what incredible guys they are - - thanks for being worthy! I don't want to forget that!
Our newest - baby Hero!! Such cute grandbabies!! I sure don't want to forget them! They grow so fast - I cherish their cuddles and grins. Don't ya melt when their little eyes sparkle? When they reach out for you or just want a hug it's the best. I'm blessed with 6 awesome little bugs. I don't want to forget that!


I don't want to forget the Miracle of March! How smart first graders are in March... they can read! They can write!! They have incredibly wise thoughts and they wonder! I don't want to forget that.

All the fun and games of Spring break! It was a blast sleeping an hour or two more each day, reading for a few minutes in bed and then hitting the ground running with Jennie. I can honestly say that we shopped til we dropped. We cleaned and organized, crafted and talked. It was terrific! We have a million more ideas now and want more time to play. It always happens to me. Spring Break whets my appetite for the lazy days of summer. (Plus I was forced to go computer-less for the week so I really read a book!! WOW!) I don't want to forget those days...

I am so grateful for good friends. Ones to go to lunch with, laugh with, serve with, work with, and share with. I don't want to forget the sacrifices of good friends - how they help me whenever I need a hand. I want to remember that friendship is precious and not to treat it lightly. I want to make sure that my friends know that I won't take them for granted. How grateful I am to have friends wherever I go. I feel blessed!! Please, I don't want to forget that!

I want to remember the simple pleasures of Family Game Nights. It's not about who wins or loses but it's about the relationships we are building!! I don't want to forget that!

I don't want to forget how much fun I have with my best friend - Rich! I'm glad that we've always dated and spent time together. I don't want to forget the sacrifices he's made to be with me. We carpool together daily( my colleagues are so envious as he watches me walk into my classroom.) We support the other person's hobbies and enjoy car rides and shopping; if we're together. We are certainly two very different people with different interests and passions but that's what makes our life so grand. I don't want to forget that!

Finally I don't want to forget the privilege of living so close to the Temple. We've been challenged to go three times before Stake Conference - I don't want to forget that!!!

I'm a list maker - I guess this is just a small list of things I don't want to forget - today!!
Are there things you don't want to forget???

Spur of the moment Saturday!

Spur of the moment Saturdays are great!! How great to have the time and abilities to enjoy them! An email from a favorite hangout (the Poisoned Pen Bookstore) inspired our Saturday jaunt - south to Tucson to take in Tucson Festival of Books. The first ever Tucson festival was a resounding success! Over 450 authors were scheduled with more than 200 presentations, lectures and signings! Can you say, "book lover's heaven"?? Wow, the campus was prettier than ever, it was wonderfully laid out and well attended. The weather truly showed off it's colors as well!! There where spectacular clouds, a few sprinkles, cool temperatures and then gorgeous spans of sunshine! Boy, the Chamber of Commerce must be bustin' their buttons!
The scenery was lovely! Don't ya just love those clouds?!?!?I was tempted to plop right down and devour a few pages....

Rich even gets in the spirit! He truly likes talking to others about their books and interests. He's the perfect guest at these events because he is curious! Everyone wants to talk to him! He's my perfect companion for festivals~ He is willing to attend any lectures that I want or go off on his own.
I am finally taking photos of Rich. It always seems that he is the one behind the camera and not in front of it. Today he is my proof that we were there!!
My favorite presentation of the day was by a favorite author, Thomas Perry, and another new author (to me), Peter Leonard. They were well suited to each other and the topic was entertaining. I loved the fact that they shared tips and strategies as well as little known, behind the scene facts about their books. You felt like a best friend to these men! A verbal handshake as we talked and visited. It was wonderfully personal, even when held in an old Chemistry class in the Science Building!!

A trip to Tucson any day of the week requires a trip to Eegee's!! Fries with a side of ranch and a large strawberry eegee's really hit the spot for me!! Jennie loves this so much that we even served it at her wedding reception!! Now that was the largest order I've ever had there, that's for sure!! Eleven party packs - tangerine and strawberry! Yum! Today it was just the two of us so the order was much more sane, but we brought extra home for others!!

This Spur of the Moment Saturday was the perfect start to Spring Break week!! Party on, dude!!

March Madness

Wahoo! Photos of the wedding are trickling in and they make me smile from ear to ear when I see them. What a great gift they are. Good friends, digital cameras and captured moments.... enjoy a taste of it with me today!!

The look on their faces is priceless - it's all worth it!

Family - it's what it's all about!!
(MIA - two brothers, Paul and Drew, there in spirit if not in body! They were missed!)

A great heritage!!! Kissing!!

I know you can't see the tears - but they were there!
Rich and I were so happy for them. Proud as punch!!

Was she afraid they would dump her in the grass?
You bet!! That's what brothers are for!

Footsteps and flowers....

Life in March is miraculous and maddening....

• The miracle of March is evident in my classroom. Readers, independence, great growth - they just start to really "get it" and it's incredible. This year as I teach the non-English speakers it feels even more gratifying!
• The madness of schedules! It feels overbooked and hectic when in reality I am ready for Spring fever, naps in the afternoon, swinging in the hammock and a good book.
• The miracles of friends, of those who serve without qualms, helping hands and gentle hearts.
• The madness of report cards, district cuts, student numbers and allocations and the unease of whether we have jobs. Where will we be next year? Who said that education was a safe place to be?!?!
• The miracle of spring!! Spring break! New grass, babies, discovery and re-birth!

Ya gotta love March Madness~~~~
(Gosh, and to think basketball is next!! Yippee!)

All Because Two People Fell in Love...

Well, they did it!! Jennie and Kyle finally got married! It was wonderful and I cried from beginning to end!! Yep, perfect!

Days rushed by and all too soon it was like Christmas, it was coming whether I was ready or not. It seemed like I blinked and it was here. We rushed and rushed and the house was taken over by the wedding fairy.... we are just now beginning to reclaim the floor!!

We have wonderful friends to than, family who supported us, and a peace and contentment now that they are Mr. & Mrs.

I was hoping to have photos of the bride and groom (they were gorgeous!) to post by now, but you will just have to envision it with me. Just remember that I will look like a vision of loveliness. Not like the short, pudgy and polka-dotted person I'm afraid I truly resembled!! Imaginations, please! Instead today I blog with photos of setting up. Just to remember a bit of all the blood, sweat and tears....

Decorating is NOT, let me repeat that, NOT my forte!! Thank heavens for great friends, tulle and twinkle lights!! Everything looks better with them! Of course when you add about 450-500 people, lots of presents and food it even looks more romantic and festive!



The wedding was in the temple at 9:45 so preparations started early!! Jennie's roommate from college drove down from Utah to do her hair (and it was FABULOUS!! Wow!) Makeup was done by Jennie's cousin, Noelle, who really should do the makeup for the celebs! She rocks! I couldn't believe that we even had time for a light breakfast!

The temple wedding and sealing was incredible!!!! Yes, I cried!! And cried!! Kyle and Jennie are perfect for each other and to see them kneel and look into each other's eyes it made perfect sense that they had found one another. I loved the tenderness of Kyle. It seemed that he was happiest when next to her, touching her hand or waist and enjoying the day with her. His parents have raised such a caring and tender man!! After the wedding in the temple we went outside to take TONS of photos. The day was great. We had loads of family there and it certainly was a celebration!

Kyle's folks hosted a luncheon at a local restaurant and Jennie wowed the patrons when she arrived in her wedding gown! She then added an apron and proceeded to eat and enjoy lunch all dolled up!! When they left with the photographers to spend the afternoon taking photos the whole restaurant started applauding and wishing them well. It was a blast! We all revdezvoused back at our Stake Center for the reception and a ring ceremony later that night.

A ring ceremony was held for those who were not able to go into the temple and it was sweet. Our little granddaughters Emma, Ariel and Gracie were so cute in blue dresses and carrying daisies. They were perfect for the job! Ring bearers were cute, little Noah and Brinton, but it was a good thing they didn't really have rings - - two year olds are about as trustworthy as groomsmen (good joke, Dan, Kevin and Kevin!!)

The reception seems a blur now, but we can all remember long lines, bounties of good wishes, hugs and dancing. The reception line was to have been 45 minutes, but 2 1/2 hours later the kids finally got to their dancing!! We were blessed to have so many come and wish the newlyweds well. We felt very honored and priviledged to host such a party. Again, did I cry - you bet!
We sent the happy couple off with bubbles, hoops and hollars and my heart went with them. It was weird waking up and not having Jennie here. Could it be that time flashed by so fast? Indeed it did!

A Heart Full of Love

Valentine Blessings!!!!

I feel ever so blessed tonight! It's been a busy and blessing-filled day! I will forever smile when this day comes around again! It will be hard to top this year....

• Planning a wedding; the hustle and bustle
• Family gatherings - grandbabies, friends, and loved ones!
  
• Temple blessings with my family!! Yep, it tops them all!

Being Jennie's escort in the Mesa Temple today was a dream come true for me. When Ben and Jenn came up for the day it made it even more sweet. Seeing Jennie with Kyle, well, it just makes my heart just about overflow with love. WOW!! This is such an awesome thing!! I know what it is like to be married to your best friend and Jennie will have that opportunity too. Married in the temple for time and all eternity, yep, just about perfect!!

There were no chocolates, roses, or little cards, but real emotions, hearts full of service and caring for one another; affection that ran deep. Two families are joining together and we are creating another "Forever Family!" It's awesome.

I count my blessings as family, friends, and my relationships - both earthly and eternal. Wow, I really am rich in the love department!

Bountiful Blessings

Twice a month we get two baskets of great fresh produce with an organization called Bountiful Baskets. It's been a great blessing for us; providing us with terrific produce for virtually pennies; $15.00 for all of the above produce! This group is non-profit and based on volunteers who participate in a buying co-op and anyone in the valley can participate. Every two weeks we meet at a near-by park early in the morning and pick up our goodies! It kept our grocery bill down a lot this last summer when our garden was supplementing us as well. I made a deal with myself to stick to what I got from BB and not buy any additional produce. It helps me ration it out, use it up, or plant other things in the garden!!It's awesome. The organization is growing like crazy in these economic times but it seems there are still people out there who don't know about it.
My new calling has offered me many blessings through service this last month - hence no blogging time!! I am so thankful to be able to notice and appreciate my blessings. Even more, I am grateful to be able to have enough in my own "well" to share my time and service with others. I attended a seminar in January that spoke to the healing power of service. One counselor stated that he regularly prescribes "5/50" of service to his patients who suffer with depression. It includes the following prescription:

One act of service be done daily
It can last no more than 5 minutes
Cost no more than 50 cents
It must be totally anonymous and illicit no recognition
It must be written down.

The patient then re-reads the service journal entry each day, re-reading the past days of service until 50 entries have been made. The therapist stated that service actually (chemically) affects the brain and allows people to grow in their own self worth! What a great by-product.
I am assisted in serving others both by my great husband and by terrific women who model for me what true compassion and caring looks and feels like! I am humbled by their caring and concern. I recognize my own heart and see that I have a long way to go to be like those whom I serve with.

Wedding warning - - - fast approaching!! I can't believe that Jennie and Kyle's big day is SO close! Yikes!! They got their marriage license this week and Jennie is going to the Temple this coming Saturday!! Wowee! She celebrated with a terrific bridal shower a week ago where she was literally "showered" with gifts from great friends and family. The food was amazing - thanks Jenn (Jennie's sister-in-law!) and the games and fun were just perfect (thanks Barbara and Catie!) I guess this is really happening now. Jennie and Kyle have a wedding "chain" that they count down everyday. I should probably get one myself! I love watching them. I will miss having them around all the time. Can't Kyle just move in upstairs?!?!?! Truly, the plans are moving along quickly. The familyroom is overflowing with items and we are adding to it daily. Wow, there is a lot entailed in giving a big party!! What fun!
Jennie is indeed one of my Bountiful Blessings. I am so proud of her, happy to be with her and amazed at her! I see pieces of me in her and I want her to rise above me and be better than I am, I see portions of her dad in her and smile that they are so much alike. And finally I see her Heavenly Father in her and see the potential that she has.

Day-planners, calendars, to-do lists.....
It seems I am always looking at, writing in, carrying one, or checking on the next task. What did our fore-mothers do without one?!?! I am grateful that I am willing to set them aside and enjoy days like.....
The Saturday we dropped everything and ran away to Oatman and enjoyed the bed-races!! Day-planners and calendars are a great tool, but building relationships bring far more blessings than a checked-off list!! What a blessing it is to realize this!

It's the Holidays!

Belly laughs, cuddles with Opa, a great dinner together and no electricity and you have our Gingerbread house making night!! The whole neighborhood lost power for about 45 minutes to an hour! In an all electric house we couldn't even get out the garage!! Needless to say dinner was a tad bit late - but the party went on! There's not much that can go wrong when you combine graham crackers, frosting and a lot of candy!

Some houses become structural masterpieces while others require a little more frosting!! The concentration level for everyone goes up and the candy consumption by the tiny ones soars through the roof.

A finished masterpiece!!
The little ones enjoyed building trains instead of houses and squealed with delight at being together. (I must admit that with tile on all the floors that the noise level is a LOT higher but cleanup is still a breeze!) They were probably pretty "high" on all the candy that was dropped on the floor but no one complained.
Christmas came all too soon for us!! I was in a flurry of Christmas buying and Rich worked hard on two oak wagons for Noah and Jase. Long hours in the new "man cave" (shed) were worth it all when the kids spent the morning loading the wagons up and pushing and pulling them everywhere. Each wagon can hold 3-4 kiddos!! Of course they were well tested Christmas morning as Quentin pulled the tribe down the block!!

Christmas came with all the trimmings and the good family feelings. Unfortunately Paul and Ben were not feeling the best, but they were troopers and good daddies so they pretended that all was fine. I'm sure they both just wanted to be in bed (with a good book and a cup of cocoa though! Colds are a bummer!) I love the kindness of everyone! We all played games, ate cinnamon rolls and talked. Presents were a hit as always!! It's fun to see what everyone has plotted and planned for each other. This year the kids all drew the name of one other person to buy for instead of giving to everyone. I know that some were concerned about it but it was wonderful. Each person tried to be so tuned into the person they were buying for and I was so intrigued with how they got the perfect present for them! Gracie can recognize the "G" in her name so was especially interested in what presents were hers!! She helped me be "Santa" this year and pass out all the gifts. Kyle joined us and I'm sure that he thought we were a wild a rowdy bunch! So true! The kids were so generous to me. Jennie and Kyle even gave us a "Photo shoot" for our present!! It's to recreate our "engagement" pictures that never turned out 32 years ago!! I hope I turn out looking like a "young engaged couple" then!! I will definitely need a new hairstyle, new clothes and ... oh heck, a new me!!

The rest of our Christmas day was quiet!! It's a new discovery for us as our nest in emptying. All the kids and their families journeyed off to other celebrations - even Jennie!! A big rainstorm hit as well and we spent the rest of the day napping, reading, and watching movies together. It kind of reminded me of our first Christmas together 32 years ago. We were married at Christmas time and spent Christmas day in Greer in a snowstorm!! This Christmas seemed almost as quiet and laid back!!

I spent 6 hours with a dear friend this week as she oriented me to my new calling! Can you guess what it is?!?!? I was so touched by her compassion and concern for those she has served and for ME! She knew everyone by name and situation and could spend 5 minutes telling me about each and every person! I fed her lunch, we hugged and cried together and I now wear a heavier mantle of concern for those I serve and love.

To complete a few days of play and parties we journeyed to Tucson to help celebrate Emma's 6th birthday. I was so touched that all she wanted for her birthday was a day with us! We partied hearty at Peter Piper Pizza, went to the movies and then home again for a Spaghetti dinner, cake and presents!! The weather was ever so chilly as we bundled up and cruised the neighborhood in the new wagon! Emma smiled, laughed and loved having us over to "play"! She has grown into such a sweet and kind young lady. I feel it an honor to be her "Big Moma"! Although I miss having them so close it is wonderful to see them all blossoming in Tucson. Thank heavens for highways that are widening, good gas prices and a great car to travel in style!

Rich and I are still on vacation!! Each day we have something fun planned - - good books, good food, good friends and family and so many blessings to count. It's awesome!!

I'm excited to welcome in 2009! Ready for some football and nervous for planning a wedding but that's what keeps life exciting and interesting. I am spending my days with my best friend .... what could be better?!?!