familysearch.org

Remember how Lon/Janice/Pat and I found treasure in the sand?
If you have nothing to do, try searching for more important treasure.
It's great fun and so much more exciting. Go ahead... try it and see what you find!

For Audrey and her Mother

Audrey and Her Mother

This beautiful little flower,
rests in my arms today.
A wonderful gift from heaven.
In my heart will always stay.

As I hold her tenderly,
her future fills my mind.
How can I help this little one,
avoid the pains that have been mine?

I will show her every day,
by the way I live my life.
I will be your closest friend,
through your toils and pain and strife.

Years from now, when life is gone.
I will still be Audrey's mother.
This union is Eternal.
As her mom, there is no other.

Take a closer look

Nice bottom turn, Grandpa!

Then there were three?

Am I living a dream? There is excitement in the air again. Lon and I thought we'd get a two year break before this would happen again; but no.

Kacey has the cutest love story to be told. Her children will want her to retell this story over and over. It will be the timeless story of friendship then love.

"Happy Birthday Amy"

I'm not stretching the truth when I say; I adore this daughter in law of ours. She is so important to our family. She is the best wife and mother and daughter and friend. We love to watch her in action because she is so fun, loving, kind and patient. Yesterday we tried to celebrate her birthday and nothing went as planned. I bought the cutest balloons and candles but could I find them?? NO, (still can't!) So this is the boring dry cake she got. Then both Lon and I had to leave early but luckily Kellie and Brett and Sarah and Bryant and family and Kacey and JJ and grandma Hess were all here to make it worth while. (I heard Sarah and Bryant broke out in song) Sorry I missed that!

The best part is that Kristi and I were able to make up for my mistakes by taking care of this little girl that we love so much while Kyle and Amy spent a day together. "Happy Birthday Amy" I hope you believe me when I say; we do love you!!
Sorry I had to steal everyones photos. My camera broke.

~ Food for thought~

Brownies With a Difference

Many parents are hard put to explain to their youth why some music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for them to bring into the home, for their youth to see, or hear.

One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute. He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn't very bad.

Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying "No". He just said, "No".

It was a little bit later that evening, that this same father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the families favorite recipe and added something new. They asked what it was. He calmly replied that he had added dog poop. He stated that it was only a little bit. All the ingredients were gourmet quality. He had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one.

The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them to act so stubbornly. He assured them that they would hardly notice it if at all. They all held firm and would not try the brownies.

He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies. Satan tries to enter our minds and our homes by deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter. With the brownies, just a little bit makes all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product.

He explained that even though the movie people would have us believe the movies which are coming out are acceptable for adults and youth's to see they are not. Test your movie and see. Would you be comfortable taking Christ with you to see the movie? Now when this father's youth want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special dog poop brownies and they never ask about that item again

What about you?

As a teenager I day-dreamed about who my husband would be, what would he look like, and what kind of person he would be?

I remember wondering about how many children I would have and would I EVER really be a grandma?

Here I am at age 50. (Still in shock) I have a very handsome, outstanding, supportive, loving, surfer husband. Four creative, fantastic, giving, caring, children with two more added through marriage and guess what? I MADE IT TO GRANDMA!! Is'nt she beautiful?

"My dream came true"

mormon.org

When I'm on the computer this is where I spend a lot of my time. "I love it"

Who knew?

Thursday Lon and I were invited to meet Pat and Janice (Lon's sister and brother in law) at San Onofre State Beach for the day. We arrived early so Lon could surf (I forgot my camera for that photo shoot) Then we took a nice walk along the beach, got back to the cabin and visited and decided to go to town and look around then later went back to fix dinner (A great dinner of steak, onions, mushrooms, salad and bread! We ate outside near the beach and it was so fun and so beautiful outside.
After dinner Pat asked if we'd like to go and hunt for "treasure" with his medal detector he borrowed from his dad. "WHO KNEW?" Who knew that could be so much fun? I really wasn't sure what I was so excited about? Was it the thought of finding something under the sand? Was it actually hearing the detector beep clearly when it found medal? Or was it Pat? He actually had me clapping when we found this fun "treasure!" (photo: upper top) We found 3 small cars, several pop tops from soda cans and beer caps and $1.63! Let me tell you, that was so... much fun but that wasn't the treasure I found valuable. It was being with Lon and Janice and Pat and having such a great day together! (THANK YOU for the invitation and it really was a great day!)

How did this happen?

Why are we complaining?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67
percent of Americans are unhappy with the
direction the country is headed and 69 percent of
the country is unhappy with the performance of
the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry
just ain't happy and want a change. So being the
knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What
are we so unhappy about?''


A.. Is it that we have electricity and
running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?


B.. Is our unhappiness the result of
having air conditioning in the summer and heating
in the winter?


C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of
these unhappy folks have a job?


D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk
into a grocery store at any time and see more
food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last
year?


E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our
cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the
Atlantic Ocean without having to present
identification papers as we move through each
state?


F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean
and safe motels we would find along the way that
can provide temporary shelter?


G.. I guess having thousands of
restaurants with varying cuisine from around the
world is just not good enough either.


H. Or could it be that when we wreck
our car, emergency workers show up and provide
services to help all and even send a helicopter
to take you to the hospital.


I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70
percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that
in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of
trained firefighters will appear in moments and
use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames,
thus saving you, your family, and your
belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one
of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or
prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun
and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you
and your family against attack or loss.

L.. This all in the backdrop of a
neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and
pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where
90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.


M.. How about the complete religious,
social and political freedoms we enjoy that are
the envy of everyone in the world?


Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks
unhappy.


Fact is, we are the largest group of
ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever
seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet
has a great disdain for its citizens. They see
us for what we are. The most blessed people in
the world who do nothing but complain about what
we don't have, and what we hate about the country
instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.


I know, I know. What about the
president who took us into war and has no plan to
get us out? The president who has a measly 31
percent approval rating? Is this the same
president who guided the nation in the dark days
after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to
bring an economy out of recession? Could this
be the same guy who has been called every name in
the book for succeeding in keeping all the
spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist
attacks? The commander in chief of an
all-volunteer army that is out there defending
you and me?


Did you hear how bad the President is
on the news or talk show? Did this news affect
you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't
take a look around for yourself and see all the
good things and be glad? Think about
it......are you upset at the President because he
actually caused you personal pain OR is it
because the 'Media' told you he was failing to
kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it.


The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have
volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have
died for your freedom. There is currently no
draft in this country. They didn't have to go...
They are able to refuse to go and end up with
either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than
honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a
''dishonorable' ' discharge after a few days in
the brig.


So why then the flat-out discontentment
in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?


Say what you want but I blame it on the
media. If it bleeds it leads and they
specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a
car crash with blood and guts How many will
watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The
media knows this and media outlets are for-profit
corporations. They offer what sells, and when
criticized, try to defend their actions by
'justifying' them in one way o r a another Just ask
why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J.
Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill
his wife, but if he did he would have done it
this way......Insane!


Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New
York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.
Then start being grateful for all we have as
country. There is exponentially more good than
bad. We are among the most blessed people on
Earth and should thank God several times a day,
or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With
hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud
slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up
the country from one end to another, and with the
threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we
sure this is a good time to take God out of the
Pledge of Allegiance?'

Definitions

Look up cute in the dictionary, this is the picture next to the definition!













Look up high fashion...









Look up 4x4....

This is Pat Sizelove's Jeep in box Canyon Az.










Look up goofy...

(Yes, I'm making this post)









Take a look in the Greatest Mother's in Law book...










Look up competitive spirit.... (Get up! Get up!)

Kellie and Kacey in a wheel-barrow race

"Having sew much fun with Ken(more)"

Here's Lon and I with Ken(more)and having sew much fun working on this project. I've always wanted to sew a quilt and never learned. My grandma Mortensen was an expert seamstress and had one of those foot peddle sewing machines, I remember her inviting all her RS friends over to hand sew the quilts. I won't be so creative as that, but I will try to create something for my grand kids to cherish. I found a fun quilt I want to master after I figure out what I'm doing first. Lon is a good teacher and is making me use the first lesson then the second lesson and then the third. Then I think I'll get to spread my wings and see what we can come up with for my beautiful Audrey. (Don't worry Amy, it won't be huge!) A week ago today Lon bought me Ken(more). I received everything I needed to start learning to quilt for my birthday. I didn't want to mess up the beautiful material that the Sizeloves' and my mother in law (Barbara) gave me, so I went and bought different material to practice with. I wanted to wait to show the finished product but I had Shelley so worried that I decided to reveal my "new love" and I DO LOVE my sewing projects.
Having this new love is difficult because it's a love hate relationship with Ken(more!) That "man-chine" sure can upset me! The best part about this new love is that Lon is right there sewing with me and we are both enjoying it and learning something new together. (How many grand kids get to say grandma and grandpa made them a quilt?) Sew... much fun!

I have a new love...

Do you remember how you felt when you fell in love and then everything else was ignored? Well, that's what has happened! It all happened on Monday and I haven't been the same sense. That's how it's been lately. I've ignored my huge leadership meeting that's coming up. I've ignored duties that need to be taken care of like my family and home. I've ignored my blog. But I have this problem that can't be ignored so time to time check back and maybe I'll be able to tell you about my troubles. I just can't share yet because it's so embarrassing. (Prayers wouldn't hurt)

Thank you, Natalie

Who I am

Who I am: A daughter, sister, niece, cousin, wife, daughter in law, sister in law, aunt, mother, mother in law, grandma, pet owner, friend. (Did I miss anything?)

I'm excited to start a journal of my "life" events.

Be patient, I have no idea what I'm doing.