Easter 2013

It has been a year since I have used this blog.  Life has been busy, fun stressful and crazy...normal in other words!  I sent my camera with my son on his journey to China and Belgium and now to Prague.  It was stolen along with his computer and phone among other things.  I now have a new camera and I am going to try to use it more often and post pictures of the things I am working on.

Today is General Conference Sunday.  We watch it at home, and as always the talks were so uplifting and good.  I am so happy that we have the truthfulness of the gospel in our lives and a wonderful family and blessings of peace and love.  I am determined to do better in my calling as an assistant director to the Maricopa Family History center and reading my scriptures and saying my prayers with meaning and faith.

This last week we had all 9 grandkids here.  What a fun fun mad house!  They range from ages 6mos. to almost 10 years old.  We swam at the pool, we ate good food and we even dyed Easter eggs that were cooked in the oven.  They cooked fine and when you need to do 36 eggs it is a no-brainer to do them all at once.  We set up tables on the patio and let them dye the eggs outside...another great idea.  We had our egg hunt at the park across the street and it worked out fine.  I was exhausted by the time everyone had gone, but we have some great memories of a fun week.

So much for New Year's Resolutions!  I was going to post at least once a month and take more pictures (which my kids would laugh at...because I never remember that I have a camera in hand when I should be taking pictures!) and call all of my siblings on their birthdays.  I have failed miserably at every one of these things!  Oh well...I guess there is always next year!

I have been making a few more cards.  So I will post the pictures here.  I am trying a few different things, so it has been fun to go outside my comfort zone.

For some reason my camera won't take a very clear close up pictures so I need to work on that and figure out the best settings.

We are leaving for Hawaii next week.  I am so looking forward to a very relaxing trip and some peaceful days on the beach.  I wish my husband didn't have to work so hard when we get there, but we wouldn't be going without this job, so hopefully we can find a happy medium.  Susannah is going with us. She hasn't been since she was 10 years old. She is now 25, so I am sure she will see things through different eyes this time.

Christmas Past

Wow!  Christmas is over and before long we will be beginning a new year.  We had a fun Christmas Eve with our children and grandchildren.  There was excitement in the air and the kids were so cute.  After the little ones left we spent the rest of the evening into the wee hours of the morning with our older children unwrapping our gifts and talking and laughing and just having fun.  On Christmas morning, we went to church and sang in the choir for the Christmas program.  My heart was touched and tears came to my eyes as I contemplated my blessings and the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  We have the fullness of the gospel on the earth and are privileged to live in these last days before He comes in His glory again.  The world seems to be filled with negative predictions and visions of more "bad times" ahead.  I believe that we should trust our Prophet and be positive and thank the Lord every day for our freedoms, families, blessings and all we have been given.

In November we went to Utah for Eliana's baptism.  What a beautiful young lady she is and she is such a sweet, precious spirit.  I am proud to call her my granddaughter and love talking with her and spending time with her.  It was so fun seeing our other 3 Utah grandchildren as well.  I miss them so much.  

Working in Hallmark cards for 5 stores has certainly kept me busy, and sometimes I laugh because I realize that since I make most of my own cards I am in competition with myself.  I am going to try and branch out in the coming year and learn new things.  One thing I want to do is try making an art journal.  I have been reading a lot about it and collecting ideas.  Hopefully I can force myself to reserve a block of time to do some fun things.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and may every good thing fill your weeks and months ahead!

Happenings

Every time I go to work at one of my stores one of the managers asks me "what's happening?".  I just stand there like an idiot and can't think of a thing to say!  I guess I need to practice with answers for next time because I know he will ask again!  Actually we have a lot of things happening in our lives and they are all good and our family is truly being blessed.

Probably the first and most important is that Marlene and Dane are now gainfully employed.  We were doing the happy dance when we found out he got a job.  I am so proud of them and the way they have handled this trial in their lives.  They have been unemployed for 2 1/2  years and have done everything in their power to take care of their sweet little family.

Susannah also has a job now and we are thrilled that she found something that she likes after graduating and not finding anything for about 8 months.  It is a job here in Maricopa and she likes the people she works with and is learning new things so that is good.

Our oldest granddaughter,Juliana, just turned eight years old and was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She was so excited about it and so cute.  She seems so grown up and is so smart and such an individual.  I am so proud of her and love her with all of my heart.

In a couple weeks we are leaving to go to Utah where our 2nd oldest granddaughter, Eliana, will also be baptized.  She is so precious and I love her so much!  I remember how much I looked forward to our phone chats when she was younger because she would talk to me about anything and now she is still the best one to talk to on the phone.

I have been busy making cards for Halloween for 8 grandkids and for birthdays.  My husband asks me if anyone appreciates the time and effort I put into my cards.  I tell him it is more for me and a creative outlet than for anyone else.  I love making them and giving something that I have made.  They are by no means professional or anything out of the ordinary, but it is fun to try new techniques and new ways of expressing myself.  I am trying to make cards that are extras so that I am far enough ahead to actually have one ready on short notice if I need one.

I haven't done many cardmaking projects lately, but I decided to try making a re-purposed or altered frame.  A few weeks ago our family was all together for the first time in about 3 years.  We took a picture of all of us together but I didn't get one of just my grandchildren, because of course not everyone was co-operating!  When we went to the mall to the aquarium for one of the days they were here, we pushed all of the kids against a wall and snapped a picture.  It is actually pretty funny because Melora wouldn't stand alone so Dane is holding her against the wall while trying to stay out of the picture.  Anyway, I decided to have some fun with a $1 frame I purchased at Michaels and painted it, made a ribbon flower, added some buttons, and decorated it.  Then I printed the picture in sepia and put it in the frame.  I think it turned out pretty cute for my first try.  Now I am going to be looking for old frames and used items that I can make into something else!  It sure stimulates the creative juices.

My Grandkids!  All eight of them!

Undecided!

It has been awhile since I have posted.  I have been busy with numerous things including family and work and life in general...but somewhere along the line I have become restless and a little dissatisfied with the direction my life is going.  My job is barely giving me enough hours, not to mention enough money.  I don't mind doing the work, (I am a Hallmark card specialist for Walgreen's at three different stores), but there has got to be more to life and a job than just going through the motions.  I am still looking for something that I can do at home and make some money while at the same time feel like I am contributing something worthwhile.  I want to be a little creative and a lot flexible!  Is that too much to ask?  If anyone out there has any great ideas or opportunities to offer, please let me know!  I have looked at opening a business selling something online or maybe taking calls  for a company or offering a service of some kind, but still haven't landed on a viable idea.  I have three other children looking for jobs as well as a son-in-law, so believe me when I say that I am by no means ungrateful for the job I have.  I just feel that at this "menopausal" time of my life there has got to be something better for me!

Haboobs!

We have had a couple of amazing storms the past two weeks.  The first one moved in so fast that we didn't even get any pictures, but we saw the second one moving in and ran to get the camera!  Everything was once again covered with 1/4" of dust, but Mother Nature is so awesome that I didn't even care.  They are just so fun to watch as long as you don't have to be out in them.