Into the Holidays!

We have had such a fast year it seems. A lot has happened over the past few months, but the most immediate and wonderful blessing is the addition of our eighth grandchild. Jocelyn Kate Jordan was born November 13, 2010 at 2:00am. I was able to be there and witness her birth and welcome her into our family. She is beautiful and I think her brother and sisters were pretty excited to welcome her as well. They couldn't wait to hold her and talk to her. I stayed with them for the week and helped take care of them, and now this happy grandma is tired and absolutely knows why we have our children while we are young!

Family Reunion 2010

We just got back from Huntsville, UT for my family reunion. What beautiful country and what a gorgeous place my brother has. We visited with everyone, went to Park City for a day, watched the Huntsville city fireworks and swam in the resevoir. On Monday we had a bigger reunion with the Pincock cousins (mostly Aunt Norma's family) and spent the afternoon visiting and taking pictures. All in all things went well and it was fun seeing everyone again. It was so fun having all of our grandkids together and watching them getting along so well. I have to say that when we got home, I was exhausted and I am still feeling like I will never get caught up with rest. Nobody explained this part to me about getting old. I just can't do things like I used to...and I am still way too young to be slowing down (or so my brain tries to convince me!)

Last month Travis and I went to Hawaii. It was one of our longer trips there. I took my friend Janene with me and we played all day while my husband worked and then he became our tour guide for the rest of the trip. We had so much fun and really enjoyed seeing all of the touristy things again. The past few years we haven't see many of them because there were only so many times we could stand to go and see the same things (the beaches and ocean excluded). The Arizona Memorial is being updated and has totally changed...for the better. The Polynesian Cultural center is a little different also, but mostly because they have cut out some of their shows and displays. I think the ocean was more blue than I have ever seen it and it really seemed more humid this time. All in all, I think Hawaii will always be one of my favorite places to vacation. It has become so familiar to us that it is almost like a second home. Aloha!

Gone with the Wind

It seems that the month of March has blown in and right back out...I can't believe we are heading into April soon. We celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary on the 18th. Thirty three years sounds like a long time, but it sure doesn't seem like it has been very long. Time truly does fly on wings of lightning. We decided to invite Travis and Christie and Carolyn and Joshua out to dinner and spend some time with them since we don't get to see them very often. We met at Travis's apartment and then went to Oregano's restaurant. We ate outside and Trav told me the best thing to order. I had a prime rib beef sandwich with cheese and peppers and sweet potato fried. It was so good I was humming over my dinner. It was huge and I could only eat half but the rest was great as lunch later! After dinner we went back to their apartment and played a game called Beyond Balderdash. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time. The evening reminded me why I love my children and husband, because we have so much fun together. When other people complain about their teenagers I just can't relate because we have had so much fun together while they were all growing up. The only thing missing that night was Marlene, Dane, Susannah and James! I am so grateful for a husband who has provided for me over the years and made life fun and who has treated me with respect and love. I hope we have many more years together.

I had the day off today and so I cleaned the house and spent my time doing odd jobs that never seem to get done...like cleaning out my jewelry box, hemming a shirt and dead-heading my patio plants...which by the way look beautiful right now. It is already getting hot (in the 80's) so I am going to enjoy every day now as much as possible. We have been working in the yard and things are looking pretty good. I even have blossoms on my lemon tree so hopefully we will get a good crop of lemons this year. I also sewed on the quilt I am piecing together for Travis and Christie. it doesn't look as good as I wanted but it has taken me forever so I think I will just have to be happy with it and move on. I need to get it machine quilted and then give it to them on their 2nd anniversary! Yes...it has taken me 2 years!

I am excited for Easter this year because it is on Conference Sunday. All of the kids are coming over and we will have an Easter Egg hunt for the grandkids. Instead of having ham like we usually do I think I am going to make fried okra, hush puppies and jambalaya. Something different. I love the Spring and all of the new sprouts and plants blooming.

Marlene is having a baby soon and I am so excited to go and stay with her and her cute little family and welcome the newest grandbaby into our family. Life is good!

Another Milepost

Susannah and James just had their birthdays. Susannah is now 22 and James is 25. At first this made me feel so old, but then I started to realize that they haven't even been a part of our family for that many years. 22 and 25 means that they are relatively young and have their lives ahead of them. Perhaps they are enjoying the best times of their lives so I shouldn't be sad at time lost but be happy to be a part of their lives and celebrate each and every moment with them. Happy Birthday!

I have been watching TV today to see what happens in Hawaii. Last night there was an earthquake in Chile and it was 8.8 magnitude. Bigger than the one a few weeks ago in Haiti. They were predicting that a tsunami would hit Hawaii today as a result of shock waves from the Chile earthquake. Since we go there so often and are familiar with so many places and people there we were very interested. So far not much has happened, so maybe the danger has been averted. All of these natural disasters make me think of Book of Mormon and Bible times and of all of the earthquakes and warnings that the Lord sent to people who were wicked. Sometimes I wonder if these are warnings to us. I know absolutely that these are signs of the times and that we will be blessed and protected if we follow the prophet. I am feeling a more urgent need to increase my food supply as well as water and to just become more prepared for any thing that may come. I realized today that we don't even have batteries or good candles in case of power outages. I think we are spoiled here in Arizona because that doesn't happen very often, whereas in Seattle it was almost a monthly occurrence.

Random Matters

It is now the first week of February 2010. Wow! I feel like I actually lost a month somewhere! I was going to do better on my blog this year and at least post once or twice a month, but already I have failed! My goal was to learn something new every day and to use my new knowledge in some way. I was also going to read my scriptures everyday...which, by the way, I haven't accomplished either, so I am not doing so well already! Then I was going to take my vitamins everyday, which for some reason is so hard for me to remember. Beyond those simple goals I still plan to try harder to eat better and lose some weight if that is humanly possible. So a new month begins and I am still determined to do better...thus the blog post.

I have been thinking about a lot of random things lately and feel like I need to write them down somewhere, so maybe here is a good start. First of all I have been thinking a lot about who I really am. Really! I taught a lesson in Relief Society in January about who we really are and I think I benefited most, which is usually the case in a teaching situation. However I couldn't even scratch the surface when teaching my lesson. I don't know if anyone can really know another person completely but I think it is so fun to learn about others and the things that make them unique and individual. Here are the things that make me who I am:

First and foremost I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me and knows me personally and I cherish that relationship and would not and could not lead a very purposeful existence without that knowledge and love.

I love all things light: Rainbows, sunrises and sunsets, fireworks, Christmas lights, candle light, sunshine, the moon and the stars.

I love learning and am always enjoying the process. I love books, the smell of new books and reading just about anything including the newspaper, cookbooks, journals, how-to books, fiction(especially a good novel), self-help books etc.etc.etc. I used to enjoy writing but have gotten away from that a little and need to take more time pursuing the written word.

I am what some people would call a "neat-freak" and love a clean and organized home. I love the process of organization and making sure everything has a place and is in it's own place. I love it when the carpet is all vacuumed and not even a carpet footprint can be seen, when the dishes are done and the kitchen is spotless, and especially when the house is quiet and stays clean for even an hour after I am finished. I know it doesn't last forever, but just that satisfaction that a job is well done and I am able to savor the rewards is so pleasurable to me.

I absolutely love my husband and my children. They are my soul and my lifeblood! They make my day when they call or visit and it does my heart good when they are happy and doing well. I love to laugh with them and to share happy moments, but I also appreciate it when they come to me with something that troubles them and we can exchange thoughts and ideas and try to solve a problem together. They tease me because I laugh at my own jokes or something I have said. I truly believe that life is not to be taken too seriously and that we are here to enjoy absolutely as much as possible as often as we can. This life is far too short to be angry, hold a grudge or have a hateful heart. I have always told my children that "life is NOT fair" but that is no reason not to enjoy what we have been given.

If I have a choice between bargain or full price, it will be bargain every time. Free is even better~but I am not opposed to nice things either. I am usually pretty frugal with money and very seldom buy things frivolously. I like comfortable clothes, traveling, crafts (oh so many things I have tried), cooking, decorating, some gardening (but it is a proven fact that I will never be the gardener or have a green thumb like my mother did), walking, going out to lunch with friends and hearing from friends all across the country. I like eating waaaay too much and enjoy bread, cheese (any kind), fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, almost any kind of seafood and will try just about anything new at least once.

I am a conservative and vote across party lines whenever I feel that the candidate doesn't deserve my vote. I believe that for the most part people are basically good and that if encouraged they will continue on that path. I know that if we treat one another with love and respect and kindness, those things will be returned to us a hundredfold.

I am sure that I have said much more than anyone really cares about but it was very cathartic for me to write it all down and realize how much I truly have.

Christmas is Coming!

I absolutely love this time of year. There is just a special feeling in the air. A feeling of anticipation and excitement. A feeling of love and happiness. A feeling of joy. But most especially a feeling of gratitude for the Christ child and His impact on our lives. I truly know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that He has atoned for all of our sins so that we may become whole through His everlasting love and grace and be able to live with Him again someday. Having our families with us here on earth is a little bit of heaven and even though some struggle with challenges, there is always hope for love, success and a new day! Sometimes the stress of expectations and demands can ruin a perfectly good day if we let it, but in the end we realize how minute the problems are and how truly blessed we really are and once again start the process of living and loving and getting the most out of life. My ultimate goal is to find joy in each and every day and to let my family and friends know how much I truly love and appreciate them.

Depression seems to be part of our genetic family makeup. I am so sorry for anyone who has to deal with the day to day struggle. It isn't an easy thing to overcome, but I am so proud of my children and the way they handle their challenges and overcome the obstacles placed before them.

I have such beautiful grandchildren and I love each of them for who they are. They bring a special light into my life that I never knew was possible. They are so independent, smart and wonderfully witty! Being a grandmother is the best calling I ever had next to being a mother and a wife!

I wish everyone a very special Christmas this year and much joy and success in the New Year!

Thanksgiving Coming!

It is now the weekend before Thanksgiving! I love that holiday! I love the food, getting together with my family and realizing how very very blessed we are in our lives! I love the fall air, the Harvest and Hunter's moons, the beautiful weather and the fall colors.

I have been busy working and trying to get things done around the house. I made a new flower arrangement for my half bath and bought a small cabinet and painted it black. I was going to do some vinyl designs on the wall, but have decided against it because the room already looks so busy. I still want to put up a new mirror above the sink, but the one we have is ok for now. Eventually I would like to get a new vanity with a sink instead of the pedestal sink we have, but that can wait for awhile too. At least the room looks more finished now and is more useable. We have room to store t.p. and I even have a place to keep a toothbrush and toothpaste and some lipstick to use when I don't want to run back upstairs!

I reseeded the front lawn again this year. The grass is finally coming up and it looks so green and pretty. We are going to mow it for the first time today. Now I need to get some plants to put in my pots on the patio and front porch. I think I am going to find some geraniums again since they seem to do so well and last well into the spring. I trimmed all of the bushes in the backyard last week since they were so huge and overgrown. It has been such nice weather lately, that I just want to stay outside and not go to work or be inside. We went to a wedding reception last night and it was outside. It got a little cold and I forgot a sweater, so I was pretty chilled by the time we left. I really don't mind the cool evenings though because they are still sooo much warmer than anywhere else in the country. I guess you can tell if you are a true Arizonan if you get cold at 50 degrees.

Work is going ok but I wish I could find something that was more satisfying and rewarding. I finally got all of the Christmas Hallmark cards up and did it all by myself for the first time so that was a big accomplishment. It seems there is a lot of whining and complaining and backbiting at work lately and I just feel like life is too short to have that kind of attitude. Luckily, customers , for the most part, have been nice and amiable and not so crabby. That will probably change as Christmas gets closer. I get Thanksgiving day off, but have to work Christmas day and New Year's day. Walgreens stays open 365 days of the year. They give the reason that people forget things they need, especially prescriptions, and so we need to be available to help them. Personally, I think they could leave the pharmacy window open and close the rest of the store and be fine. I think it is more money driven than having anything to do with helping others! But who am I to complain! For the time being I just feel lucky to have a job at all!