K-Lightful

The Golden days of October

2011-11-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

October was filled with good things. We started the month with birth of Little A.J.. She is beautiful and we all like to make a fuss over her. My husband and I made a trip to Michigan to see one of our far away families. We nearly froze the first two days we were there. It was cold and rainy and windy. We visited our favorite cider and doughnut establishment and went to Lansing, to the state library and spent a fascinating morning searching for information on some of the Patterson's and the Brittain's that lived in Michigan. We walked a long way in the cold. A warm lunch at Wendy's really tasted good that day. We shopped for fabric together and visited a petting farm and learned about life in the good old days. We were served lots of nice meals and treats and we napped and read good books. We also took a nice walk at Kensington park in Michigan. Our gracious host bought all the girls fancy knee socks to keep us warm. One of the best parts of our trip was seeing our grandaughter do her part in the Primary program.
We got together for Halloween with some of the family and had a nice dinner and the children played the traditional pumpkin walk game. Afterward the children went out trick-or-treating. Joseph made the cute haunted house for the center piece. I spent part of the month sick, but I am grateful to feel better now. October flew by in the wink of an eye

2011-10-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and my life is swallowed up in canning and school and family. I am including some pictures of the yard. The weeding is woefully neglected, but it is still pretty. A new little grand daughter has arrived, and I have finished two more quilts. Dad is enjoying a little more free time. Today, Danica and I spent part of the afternoon picking grapes. It was a beautiful day for it. It felt good to be outdoors. Nathan helped by picking up apples from the ground. I am looking forward to finishing the canning and drying and working on another quilt. We have been very blessed to have the food from our yard. We have had enjoyed the raspberries, green and concord grapes, the apples, the peaches, the plums, the carrots, the potatoes, the tomatoes, the broccoli, the green beans, the corn and some of the best cucumbers I have ever tasted. It is a lot of work, but we love having our own fresh produce.

2011-09-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

We held our annual family camp out on Aug 5th and 6th. We had nice weather for it. We met about 4:00 and set up our beds in the cabins and unpacked our food into the frig. We had some fruit and other snacks before we set off for the boats. We had our choice of paddle boats and canoes. Our passengers, Charity and Benjamin chose a paddle boat for us. (I'm sure we needed a work out). When we finished our time in the boats, the kids wanted to spend a little time in the big sand box just off the lake, complete with a pump for water. We returned to eat our dinner. Just after we got back, Jim arrived from work with a nice Colonel Sanders dinner of chicken, coleslaw, Mashed potatoes, baked beans, corn on the cob, biscuits and choice of lemon or chocolate bundt cake for dessert. (I hope you're not reading this on fast Sunday.) We had a campfire after we cleaned up dinner and shared some talents. Joseph, Benjamin, and Grant favored us with their famous penguin number. Dad shared a spiritual thought and we sang some primary songs. We roasted marshmallows and made smores. We all retired to our cabin about 10:00, where most of us had the one of the worst nights sleep of the year, but it was fun to be together. It was amazing how late some of the youngest children could stay up. We rose early the next morning and made a big breakfast. We went on a little hike after breakfast and then we did some crafts. Everyone who participated, enjoyed painting. We had a snack before going to the challenge course at 11:30. We made the mistake of not bringing many water bottles with us and it got hot. I gave any thirsty person a shot of water from my bottle until it was gone. The kids enjoyed the big swing. I tried to included video of a few of them, but they would not download. When we got back everyone went for a cool drink of water and we had a lovely lunch with more choices of good food than we could ever eat. With all the choices of snacks available, I was surprised to see how much the kids wanted fresh fruit. We spent a while cleaning up after lunch and headed home, dusty and tired, but filled with happy memories. The cousins played so well together, it felt like a little bit of heaven.

The Johnson Family Reunion

2011-08-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Johnson family reunion was held June 18, 2011. We met at Bonneville park. Most of our local family was in attendance. Ed and Donna and some of their children came, Richard and Kathy and some of their family came, Valerie and Colleen represented Fran and Pauline. David and Julie were there from Priscilla's family. None of Pauline's family could come. We had sloppy joes and a fabulous amount of dessert, including fudge. I did a family history quiz and James and Richard got most of the answers correct. The weather was perfect and we were glad to be together.

My Last Day in Hawaii

2011-08-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Zariah and I spent my last day in Hawaii having fun. We went to the beach and loved the sand and the water. Zariah got a suntan. We met Loni and Leila at the Dole Pineapple plantation for lunch. I had the Kalua pulled pork and rice, a salad and a slice of fresh pineapple, garnished with a fresh orchid. It was delicious. We also sampled some cheesecake and pineapple upside down cake. Loni and Leila returned home for a nap and Zariah and I stayed to ride the pineapple express. We learned about Wawhiawa. It means place of rumbling. Wawhiawa has been the birthplace of Hawiian royalty in past years. The rumbling was believed to be thunder, indicating the pleasure of the Gods at the birth of a royal child.

2011-07-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

I just got connected here in Hawaii, so here is my latest message. I had a good flight here. I felt extra safe on the plane because on of the First presidency and their family was on the plane with me. Leila is a tiny little doll with such bright eyes. She has a high pitched little wail that reminds me of Missy when she was a baby. Zariah loves to help with the baby. Loni is doing well and spends most of her time nursing right now which is always a big adjustment. We went grocery shopping on Tuesday and on Wednesday, I took Zariah to an activity at her school for children during the summer. We made a lei out of plumaria flowers. They have a sweet lemon-like smell.
We tasted fresh pineapple and a kind of coconut jello. It was a little slimy, but good. We also made a seaweed, spam and rice kind of sandwich. The spam and the rice were OK, but the seaweed is definitely an acquired taste. We took the long way home because I got a little lost on the army base but we finally made it home. In the afternoon we went to Wal-Mart to shop. The princess outfit was chosen for the shopping trip. Loni took the baby for her two-week check-up this morning and Zariah and I stayed here. Each day the girls and I have taken a walk to the neighborhood park. I am keeping busy, but it is kind of restful in a different sort of way. I am grateful I can come and see this precious new granddaughter.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-07-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had a nice day together on Memorial day. It was a little rainy, so we opted for an indoor picnic.
Some of us went to the cemetery together later in the day. It is a nice tradition to visit the cemetery with our children. I'm grateful they are willing to come with us and remember these loved ones. Brian had a picture marathon. Here is a sampling of them.

2011-06-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last four days in beautiful Michigan in the Daley bed and breakfast. We spent Saturday visiting a farmer's market and art show. We tried some local ice cream in the evening. We had nice Sunday meetings and we even got to attend a Baptism. Monday was spent visiting Hudson, Michigan is search of some family history. We were not able to get any leads, but we liked the museums and the library we visited. Tuesday we visited Greenfield village along with a large percentage of students from nearby Detroit schools. We did not lack for company. The highlight of course was the carousel and we had a variety of delicious foods to eat in the restaurant called a Taste of History. We saw the cutest little set of porcelain birds which were salt and pepper shakers. My gracious hostess bought them for me for my birthday.

Kaykaroo looks like she is trying out for next PBS children's program. We were at the Hudson library. The were a lot of lot of cute things to do in the children's section.

The carousel at Greenfield village was worth waiting in line for.

Here Kaykaroo rides in a rare maroon Model T Ford. We all loved our ride in this car.

Kaykaroo makes a charming English peasant girl as she leans out of the window in the Cotswald cottage.

Kaykaroo leaves the Thompson House rejoicing that she doesn't have to wash all the china we saw in this house.

We toured the elegant Thompson house, a Victorian home in Hudson, Michigan. It was fun to see it. Our favorite part was the big music box we listened to.

Here are some of our favorite people in front of the Thompson house.

2011-05-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Preview

The lovely month of May is almost over. Here are photos of things I have enjoyed doing in the past weeks. Our house got a facelift and I have been planting flowers and bringing in the first cut flowers from the yard. I completed another quilt. I am glad I could use most of my pink fabric scraps to make it, because using my scraps for quilts is one of my goals. I call it pink chaos because there isn't a lot of consistency in the pattern. I think it is quite cheerful and it is very soft and cozy like a pink cloud. Little Nate has been busy sweeping my house every chance he can get his hands on my broom. The cousins have had fun together in the backyard. Dad and I are grateful to be well doing some good work in the yard, at least between rain storms.

2011-02-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

I've been sick a lot this winter, but I am starting to feel better. In the last week I've can see many blessings in February. We had a nice birthday party for Benj's fourth birthday. Some of his cousins were in attendance. Pizza or Macaroni and cheese was the menu. Valentines day was nice. While I was at water aerobics on Monday, Dad slipped out of the house ever so early and had roses and chocolate awaiting me on my return. What a nice surprise! I made some sausage pillowcases this week, thanks to a helpful video on the internet. Daily, I enjoy my geraniums blooming in my kitchen window. I have loved building a fire in the stove on Saturdays and feeling the comfort of a warm basement. I do have many blessings.

2011-01-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

I completed two quilts in the month of January. I really like the way they turned out. It is very satisfying to me to improve my quilting skills. Also, here are photos of our beautiful finished store room. I love to go down and see it. I still need to paint the door to the food storage room, but I will do it soon. After 32 years, our house is finally finished. We are enjoying our home more with each passing year.

2011-01-31T18:27:00.001-08:00

Here are the pictures from visiting our children in beautiful Hawaii. I was sick most of the time we were there, but we managed to sample Hawaiian shaved ice with beans and ice cream in it. It sounds unusual, but it was actually good. We took a submarine ride, we visited the Punchbowl, the Hawaiian Temple grounds, the beach,

2011-01-31T18:27:00.000-08:00

This post is Hawaii, continued. As I was saying, we visited the punchbowl, a very impressive WWII Cemetery. Pictures could not do justice to it. It was huge. It sits at the top of a former volcano in Honolulu. Because it is so far above the city, it is very peaceful and you would never think it was surrounded by a bustling city. The subway ride was interesting, though we watched people come up out of the hatch with throw-up bags. I'm glad it didn't affect us that way. I think sea world was my favorite place we visited. The dolphins were delightful to watch. It was located right on the edge of a beach with a beautiful view of the ocean and a mountain. There was a refreshing breeze blowing of the ocean that was so pleasant. Again pictures could not do justice the beauty of this setting. We loved seeing the Hawaiin temple. We would have gone inside, had I not been sick. I'm so glad we were going to see family. I was just too sick to have called it a vacation. We will go back again and see some of the things we missed next time.

2011-01-31T17:49:00.000-08:00

Well here it is the end of January and I am still downloading pictures. We had a nice Christmas day with everyone in Utah County in attendance. The beautiful decorations were complements of Sou. I had loaned her my china earlier for an occasion and in return she loaned me the decorations. I'm sorry to say in all the rush we are missing one family photo.

2010-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

It's the holiday season and I'm two holidays behind. My life is full of good things. Here are a few pictures of our Halloween party. Unfortunately my batteries died before I could get all the pictures I wanted. We had a lot of good soup and the highlight of the evening was the pumpkin walk and Kevin's family home evening message.
Thanksgiving was another nice day complete with our famous turkeys full of birdseed. This is the second year now we have begun dinner singing "Come Ye Thankful People come". It sets a nice tone for the meal. We especially liked our enlarged table so everyone could sit around it. The men watched football afterward and the women watched "Friendly Persuasion".
Now Christmas it almost here and we have had some nice activities in the month of December. On December 4th, we and possibly everyone else in the county, went to the Festival of Trees. We saw lots of beautiful trees and came home and had pizza for dinner. That night some of our grandchildren had a sleep-over while their parents went to Park city.
Another nice evening was spent visiting a home where the family had a small train that transported people to see Santa's workshop and then took us through a beautiful display of scenes from the life of Christ. We came home and warmed up with chili-cheese baked potatoes and hot chocolate. Last of all, I did two concerts a nursing homes with my singing group. This week promises to be filled with many more nice evenings.

It's Autumn Time

2010-10-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

Because I have been so busy canning food from our yard, I was afraid I might miss my favorite season, Autumn. It is my favorite season until spring comes, and then I am undecided. Last week we went to Michigan where I could slow down and just feel and appreciate the glory of autumn. I loved sitting in my daughter's home and watching the red and yellow leaves fall softly and silently to the ground. It seemed almost like it was snowing leaves. Em has the most beautiful maple trees in her yard. There are two big trees in her front yard that turn flame red and cast a rosy glow through the windows of her home. While we were there, we tasted fall. We went to a cider mill and bought apple juice that tasted almost sweeter and fresher than a freshly picked apple. We also enjoyed the warm spicy donuts. I spent time reading a book called "Little Heathens," a book about a farm family living during the depression in Iowa. I loved reading it and learning about how people used to live. Some of it reminded me of my childhood and relatives that I knew growing up.
One of the quotes from the book was this poem:

"O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather.

When I read this book, I felt I was going back in time and experiencing the richness of their lives. I truly enjoyed it.
Em took us to some cemeteries about two hours away from her home. We were able to visit some gravesites of Craig's ancestors. It made them seem more real to us. I loved seeing the pretty farm communities where they lived. While we made notes and took pictures of the headstones, Livy Kay made sketches of them. I was impressed with her patience and her willingness to participate with us and we visited these places. We don't like to have our children so far away, but if Em hadn't moved here, we would never have visited these places. Every experience has it's blessings. We are grateful to we can visit and make these memories together.

2010-08-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting our family campout recorded. We arrived at Heber Valley Camp about 4'oclock. It was just starting to rain. It rained rather for hard for about half and hour, but luckily for us it stopped before it was time to go to the boats. We had a good time at the boats and it was a beautiful evening. The wind was blowing though and I wondered if they were going to have to tow us back to shore. It was hard work paddling against the wind and the waves. I think all the kids loved the sandpile as much as the boats and we lingered there for a while so they could enjoy it. We came back to a dinner of Kentucky fried chicken. It was delicious! Debbie had planned some games for the kids and then we had our campfire program. Unfortunately we had to hold it in the cabin because it was too windy to build a fire. Dad gave a brief devotional message and then he asked everyone to give another name for Jesus. It was nice to listen to all the different names he is known by. The kids did some talents and then we had a closing song and a prayer and made sm'ores in the microwave. Melany had brought her microwave. It really came in handy. The kids went to bed and some of the adults stayed out and looked at the stars. It was very peaceful. We went into bed. The kids didn't settle down immediately. Charity holds the record for being up the latest. Jason had insomnia too, so Melany didn't get much rest. We made sure she got a nap the next day. We rose early the next morning and we cooked pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs, sausage, bacon. We also had fresh fruit and cold cereal for the kids who wanted it. We took a nice hike and then came back. We grabbed a quick snack and went to the challenge course. The highlight of that was the super swing. I wish I had gotten pictures of it. We came back and had a nice lunch. By then everyone was starting to feel like zombies. Just as we were finishing lunch and wind came up and blew food all over the pavilion. We cleaned and packed up and headed for home. We made some good memories. Our own beds felt extra good that night.

2010-08-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

I recently turned 60 years old. It is a sobering age. I feel now like a very dignified matron, or at least I should act like one. Life has passed in the blink of an eye. I feel good about my life. It has been full of many good experiences as well as some hard times. I feel like I have learned a lot and I am getting closer to the person my Heavenly Father wants me to be. I do have some occasional lapses, but I repent quickly and try to get back on track. My family gave me a nice birthday party. I am thankful for all the beautiful tributes given to me. I love you all. Here are some highlights of the party

2010-06-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here are the Pictures of our marathon digging day. Everyone was so good to come and help us get ready to install the trampoline. I think every one felt a good spirit working together on this project.

2010-05-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

I had a good week. I attended my quilter's group, my crochet group, a concert for one of my grandsons, a bishopric dinner and the highlight was a trip to the temple with most of my children in Utah. There aren't words to describe how nice that was. At this time in our lives, we could have no greater blessing. I learned how crochet a baby sweater and I worked on putting my quilt top together. I realized that I had made some errors constructing the blocks. I tried some different solutions and prayed about it. It was tempting to put it aside and think I'll just never be good at quilting. But then I realized that I had to finish it though it wasn't quite perfect. I know I'll do better on the next one and the more I do, the better I'll get. My quilters group helped me to realize that the best quilters never consider one of their quilts to be perfect. The only way for me to get better is to keep trying. Here are some pictures of some of the activities of the week. They include family waiting for the concert to begin. Here is our singer we came to see. His choir sang some of my favorite tunes from Broadway musicals. I forgot to mention I finished my Hawiian quilt block this week and made a wall hanging of it. And last of all, our family in front of the temple, reminding me that Zion is built one family at a time.

2010-04-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES
Yesterday I took some pictures of signs of spring in our yard. The trees are in bloom, the grass is so green it seems to give off a phosphorescent glow. We have tulips, daffodils, bleeding hearts, grape hyacinth, phlox, and pansies, blooming in our yard. I always love the springtime, especially the smell in the air. I open the windows and let it in. Nothing freshens a house like spring time air.
My peas, lettuce, spinach and radishes are just peeking out of the soil in our grow boxes.
If you are feeling a little envious of this perfect springtime, the grass isn't always greener. It's a good thing I took pictures yesterday. Today winter has come back for an encore. It has been cold and blustery. We woke to find our neighbor's trampoline in our yard. A school flagpole in our district was bent in the wind. It had to be cut down to avoid further damage. I'm OK with winter coming back, though. I will get caught up on the housework again and enjoy the warm fire a little longer. I did get all my quilt blocks made. The only problem is, one set is slightly larger than the other. This weather will give me time to solve this problem as well.

2010-04-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures. (I hope)

2010-04-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

2010-04-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our recent spring break to warmer weather in Zion's Park. We hiked, we swam, and ate lots of good food. Even though the first day was freezing and downright uninviting, we were glad we made the trip, because it got better and it was so beautiful in Southern Utah. When our feet got hot and tired from hiking, we took off our shoes and socks and put our feet in the river. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time. I've decided that if there was one thing to be done to make this world a nicer place, it would be to take away all our transportation, except for our legs. People are so much nicer when they are hiking. There is no road rage. Everyone is patient, polite and friendly. We really did feel like we were in "Zion" when we were hiking.

2010-03-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures of our trip to Arizona. I have included pictures of Brent and Loni's apartment, our trip to Tombstone, the Saguaro National Forest, Bisby ( a town much like Park City), my fancy doggy bag at the Cafe Roka, and the view overlooking Sierra Vista, from Fort Huachuca. This picture on the left is in front of our motel. The tree in back of us has oranges growing on it. The picture above is of us in Tuscon just outside the gem and mineral show.
We had a good visit and made some good memories. Zoe was so good to let us have her room. She slept in her parent's walk-in closet. I got a souvenir from Russia at the gem and mineral show. People were there from all over the world. There was a booth from Russia. I bought a beautiful nesting doll, a little larger and prettier than my little one I put out at Christmas. It was nice to see them settled in a good place.

2010-03-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Sorry it's been a while. I think one thing that has been slowing me down is my slow computer. Today I am featuring two pictures. I've included a picture of the quilt I made for cousin Michelle, and I like this picture of two cute little boys. I would entitle this picture "Misery Loves Company."
One Sunday evening, the older of the two cousins didn't want to stay at the table to finish his dinner. His mother sent him to the corner for time out. Before long his younger cousin thought it looked like fun to be in time out, so he sat down beside him. They were both delighted with this and the older one said, "Grandma, you need to get a picture of this." I agreed with that idea and quickly got my camera. In a few days I will feature my pictures of Arizona. I had a problem getting them downloaded, but I have them in my file now.

2010-01-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, its been a busy month! As I grow older, my enjoyment of Christmas increases and deepens. We made many happy memories. Our family Christmas party was a lot of fun. Deb was our hostess. She made special hats for all the children and taught them a Christmas tradition from Sweden. In Sweden, one girl is chosen to be St. Lucia and leads a procession. At our party, all the girls wore a St. Lucia crown. All the boys were Starboys. It is a beautiful tradition encouraging children to be of service throughout the year. We had our usual snack food dinner and opened gifts. The children acted out the nativity and then each of them performed a talent. We just enjoyed being together. It was so nice of Deb to host it.

Christmas Eve morning, I fixed pumpkin pancakes, sausages and eggs for us and our guests, Brent and his family. I wanted Dad to have a nice breakfast on Christmas Eve,because he would be working on Christmas. Around noon on Christmas eve, Dad and I went for a walk. Snow had been softly falling throughout the morning. The sun came out while we were walking and it shown through the snowflakes and made them look like diamonds. We had a lovely, peaceful walk. On Christmas eve, I made chili. Our three youngest children and their families were there to enjoy it with us. The grandchildren played out in the snow after dinner, while we lit the luminaras. On Christmas day, I watched Zoe open her presents. Just before noon, I drove up the canyon to meet Dad at work. The canyon was white with snow, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. It was a perfect day for a drive. I ate a delicious ham dinner with Dad at work. I came home and prepared a turkey dinner for all of our family. Miss and Brian came early and helped me. We opened gifts, everyone had fun visiting, and most of the children ate little or nothing of their dinner. Brent and Danica helped clean up after dinner. I was very grateful for their help. It was pandemonium of course, but it was fun.

Some of our usual ways of doing things changed this year, but it was a good change. Through it all, I rejoiced in the reason we can have times like this-the gift of God's beloved son, Jesus Christ.

2009-12-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

Friday night we attended the Festival of the Trees. We took the Holm kids and Danica and her family. We had a nice time. There were so many beautiful trees with many beautiful messages about the people they were honoring. We only saw about a third of the exhibit because it was so large. We sang Christmas carols in the car on the way home. When we got home we had pizza and then the kids got ready for bed. Dad and I took turns telling the kids about what life was like when we were kids. We had a good evening. The Holm parents were spending the night in Park City for a little getaway as a late celebration of their anniversary. In the morning after everyoned ate their fill of cold cereal, we did some cleaning up and then we put up and decorated the christmas tree. We decorated the tree and frosted some gingerbread cookies. They were good to help me with the work as well as the fun. I hope they made some good memories.

We had a wonderful Stake conference this weekend. I sang in the stake choir and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is a great experience to worship the Lord through music. We sang "Were You There", "Away in the Manger" and "Joy to the World".

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

It has been a good Thanksgiving break. I was able to make to nice preparations for Thanksgiving Wednesday afternoon and evening. It think it was the first time in my life I felt this prepared for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving came and the turkey roasted as people started to arrive. Missy and Brian and Jessica and Merynne came first. They brought Brian's brother Paul, who was visiting with them. Missy helped me with some lasts minute cleaning, while Merynne made the traditional turkey favors and Jessica put stickers on the place cards. Dan and Danica arrived next. Benjamin came in and gave everyone a hug including Paul, who he didn't know. Then Sou arrived and began helping. She brought fresh Asian persimmons for us to try. They are a mild tasting fruit that reminds me of a cross between apples and mangoes. Missy mixed up the green bean casserole and then Kevin and Melany came with their children just as the food was ready to serve. We sat down to eat with each child sitting by an adult to help them. I had given everyone a copy of the words "Come Ye Thankful People Come". I asked that we sing it before we had the prayer. After the prayer I took a few minutes to tell why I had chosen the song. The music had been going through my mind all week. I started really thinking about the words and I read them in the hymn book. I realized a deeper meaning in the song than I had noticed before. This understanding began some months ago while reading the Book of Mormon. I read in Alma 26: 5-6, where Ammon, speaking of his converts, rejoiced that they would be gathered into the garners and not wasted. As I read those verses, I realized that was how I felt about my grandchildren. I didn't want them lost in the storms of life. Then a while later I was impressed to hear Elder Bednar quote that scripture in the April conference this year. In his address entitled "Honorably Holding a Name and a Standing in the Temple", he said that the garners referred to the temple. That gave me further understanding of this scripture. When I read the words to the hymn, "Come Ye Thankful People Come", I thought, the writer Henry Alford, understood what Elder Bednar taught. I wondered if he had been a member of the church. I decided to look up Henry Alford on line. I learned that he was a minister and a theologian that wrote many religious papers, but he was not a member of the church. I realized that someone who was a student of the bible could be given by the Holy Ghost some of the same understanding we have, though he had not received the Gospel as we know it. After sharing this with our family, I told them there was nothing I wanted more than to see our grandchildren in the temple.

We had a peaceful dinner and I think everyone enjoyed the meal. We had pumpkin and mincemeat pie for dessert after we did a bit of cleaning up. We played a game ,Kevin and Melany taught us, called Zonk. Later we watched a very nice movie Missy brought called "Season of the Heart." I rocked Nathan to sleep while I watched the movie. It was a good day.

Saturday was also a memorable day. Debbie called me Saturday morning to see if I had a service project her children could do. Deb was tending her nephew and the children were bored and restless. I told her Dad could use some help cleaning out the garden. He had not done very much because he had been extra busy lately. I felt a little concerned that they might not be very willing to do it, so I had a prayer before they came. When they arrived, I had them sit down and told them we would begin this service project with a prayer just as we do when we serve in the church cannery. James offered to pray and gave a nice prayer until the end, when he said, " And bless us that we won't get duped into doing something like this again by our mother." When he finished, I pleasantly told him that it wouldn't be enough to work hard but do it cheerfully and with delight. I gave each one them gloves and tools and an assignment and then I witnessed a miracle. For an hour and a half those boys and their cousin worked hard with a good attitude and little complaint. The hardest job was pulling some metal posts out of the ground. It took a lot of effort for them to do it, but I watched as each of them accompished it with real satifaction and a feeling of triumph! What a blessing work is. These boys just needed some hard meaningful work. Katherine and Deb worked hard raking up leaves in the yard and trimming back some dead leaves in my flower bed. When they were done, I believe everyone felt good about it and Dad was glad to have so much help with the garden.

Weak things become strong

2009-11-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Ether 12:27, " And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I am working on many things that I would like to become stronger in. This week I managed to make four laps in a row jogging at the rec. center. That may not be impressive for a younger person, but at my age its pretty good. My goal is to be able to jog a mile before the year is out. I'm noticing that I'm feeling better for it. I'm working on keeping my kitchen table cleared off and I am improving. I'm striving to do my callings, not just out of duty, but with enthusiasm to show the Lord that I am delighted to serve him. I'm trying to improve as a cook, and I am learning to love to cook. I'm striving to improve in areas of my work too. With almost any job you do, if you are always trying to improve, the job becomes more enjoyable.

I was also able to make an improvement in our home. We got a new couch and love seat. I never thought I would have both in the front room, but these are smaller than standard couches and loveseats, so I think it works. I love the way they feel. They fit me nicely.

2009-11-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

I had another nice week. I realized that I had so many things to do around the house that I kept being distracted by one thing or another. I realized I needed to work on being focused on what was most pressing and not get distracted by other things. I finished my couch cushions that I started last summer. I can't believe it took me so long to finish them, but I am pleased with the results and excited to get on to another quilting project. I learned how to use the new family search web site. Little by little I am gaining skill with technology. I still have much to learn, but I am grateful for any improvement. Now that I am not in the kitchen canning, I have been able to keep my house cleaner. Dad and I had a nice day off together on Saturday. We went to Grant's dress rehearsal for his primary program, I had lunch at Super Saturday, we did sealings in the temple and Craig took me shopping for a skirt and some jeans I had been needing. We ate supper at the food court in the mall and came home and watched a movie about Mother Teresa. It was very inspiring. There were two important things I was reminded of as I watched it. First, in the beginning, when Mother Teresa began her work among the poor, she neglected her own needs until she passed out one day caring for some sick people. She had to learn to care for herself before she could have the strength to care for others. This is an area I am trying to improve in. I have often neglected my own needs for many other things. Not in a life threatening sort of way, but I am learning it is good to take care of myself first, when possible. The other thing that impressed me was the fact that many people were angry and suspicious of her at first. I realized that for the Hindu people, Christianity had meant domination by Great Britain. The British had not treated them in a Christian manner so they wanted no part of Christianity. I'm sure Mother Teresa has been instrumental in preparing people's hearts to hear the Gospel when it is preached to them. I really liked this movie. I've included pictures of Dad's new bike, your picture of roses, Emily and one of my new couch cushions.

2009-11-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a week of simple pleasures. I think they are the best. This week I helped some of young women in a disaster drill to help a young man get his Eagle. I was touched by the young women's enthusiasm and willingness to serve this way. I think maybe the great strength of young people is their enthusiasm and I need to learn from their example. Thursday was a nice day. Danica and Benjamin and Nathan came to visit. Craig had the day off. He helped me prepare apples to dry in my fruit dryer. I made homemade chicken noodle soup to take to a sick ward member and I found a nice recipe for pumpkin cookies. With the smell of the pumpkin cookies baking and the soup bubbling and Craig working at my side it made for a pleasant afternoon. We enjoyed Danica's company as well and spent some time basking in baby Nathan's special light. I gave Benjamin a hair cut and he handled it fairly well. Later in the evening, Craig and I ran errands together. We are always glad to spend time with each other.

Saturday morning, I attended the temple and then I was off to Grant's recital. He did a nice job on his viola number and Charity was on the program as well, giving a memorable bow (the bow was her performance) We went to lunch after, to celebrate. While we were eating lunch, Grant announced that next we would be going to the park. I said to him, "I might not be able to make it". He said, "Well actually we're all going to the park". He said this with the emphasis on "all", so I made time to go to the park and watch them play for a short time. I came home and was able to get the house clean for Sunday. It always gives me a feeling of peace when the house is clean.

Debbie hosted a very nice evening on Halloween night. Missy and Danica and their families came. Craig had to work. We had a nice dinner together and then Dan the hero, took the kids trick-or-treating. Brian offered to take the door duty so the girls could do what we do best -visit. It was a very pleasant evening. My husband and children are my best friends.

Halloween Hoopla

2009-10-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

I have had a good week. I'm back on my exercise routine, and I have accomplished some good things. I made a birthday dress for Olivia and a harvest table runner. I've been spending so much time in the kitchen, it felt good to work in my sewing room for a change.

Saturday was an especially nice day. Craig and I began the day in the temple and then I made apple sauce and prepared for the Halloween Party. We began the party at five. We fed the kids first. They had corndogs, corn grapes, muffins, and mouse candy for dinner (sliced string cheese). The Holm kids were there a little early and helped me carve a face on my Jack-O-Lantern. Joseph drew it and James carved. Ian cut out pumpkins for the pumpkin walk and Katherine cut up the mouse candy. Melany was there early as well, with her children and helped me make preparations. After the kids ate, the adults had Missy's chili, Debbie's potato soup, and Emily's recipe for white bean chili. We had fresh vegetables and grapes and Danica made muffins and Halloween cupcakes for dessert. After dinner, we played games. We gave the children chewing gum and played "Pin the Wart on the Witch's nose. It was difficult to tell who was the real winner because of a somewhat inadequate blindfold. After that game we sat in a circle with a pan and two dice. We passed the pan and if you rolled a seven or an eleven you got to put on gloves and see how many candy kisses you could unwrap and eat before some on else rolled the lucky numbers. Last of all we played our traditional "Pumpkin walk". Before we started the games, I told the children to be aware that we would be eating lots and candy and there would be lots of wrappers to throw away. I warned them in my most tough grandma voice that if I saw anyone throw a wrapper on the floor, I would make them into the Headless Horseman. When two year old Benjamin heard that, he shouted, "Hooray!" We all got a good laugh out of that. We let the children go trick-or-treating and play a little longer and then one by one they went home and I was bushed. I hope everyone had a good time!

Greenfield Village

2009-10-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday, October 17. Craig, Emily, Olivia and I visited Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford Museum complex. We loved this place! It's like Disney Land for Senior Citizens, but it is also a nice place for families. It is a historic village with a working farm and many people working in the village and homes that help you feel you are going back in time. There was a part of Thomas Edison's laboratory, many homes from famous Americans, craftsworks, and homes from many localities. We really needed three days to see it all. We rode a train, took a drive in a model T, a horse drawn stage, and an old fashioned bus. We loved riding the carousel with Olivia because she was delighted with it. Our favorite home we saw was the Cotswold Cottage. It was darling. I always wanted to see the Cotwolds in England. Today I got to sample that. It was pretty cold outside but we could go into buildings to look around and get warm. We had some good warm food at the "Taste of History " restaurant. We have seen other historical villages like this, but nothing to compare with the size of this village. It was a really fun day!

Cranbrook

2009-10-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today we slept in until 8:15, in our luxurious guest room at the Daley Sanatorium. It felt great! We visited Cranbrook Manor to see a beautiful old home and gardens. We learned about the Arts and Crafts movement in interior design. All the wood work in the home was done by hand which is typical of the Arts and Crafts movement. People of this day felt that hand crafted items were superior to things made in a factory. A man named William Morris said this about the Arts and Crafts movement. "Now it is one of the chief uses of decoration, the chief part of its alliance with nature, that it has to sharpen our dulled senses in this matter: for this end are those wonders of intricate patterns interwoven, those strange forms invented, that men have so long delighted in: forms and intricacies that do not necessarily imitate nature, but in which the hand of the craftsman is guided to work in the way that she does, till the web, the cup, or the knife, look as natural, nay as lovely, as the green field, the river bank, or the mountain flint.

To give people pleasure in the things they must perforce use, that is one great office of decoration; to give people pleasure in the things they must perforce make, that is the other use of it."