Sleeping Beauties

After being sick all day, this was a sight to behold

Sweet Dreams

This past week was an eventful one. Unexpectedly Andrea ended up in the hospital for some surgery due to a miscarriage so I watched her girls. We originally thought it would be for the day, but it turned out that Andrea was also in the hospital the next day. The girls were here from Wednesday after school until Friday after lunch. On Thursday, little Kaitlyn ended up with a stomach bug and kept me busy cleaning most of the day (No details needed). I was happy to have them here and so grateful that Andrea had stayed in the hospital longer than expected otherwise the girls would have been home for the sickness and mess. Andrea was in no shape to deal with that. Ally was a good helper for grandma and tried to comfort her sister as much as possible. Kaitlyn ended up being fine by the end of the day but I have to admit...I was exhausted! It was so satisfying to see our little beauties peacefully sleeping at the end of a very busy day. They are precious.

In Memory

It's been 5 years...hard to believe.
Dad was and is my hero.
He was a man of integrity.

George's mom has been gone for 12 years.
She was a very sweet, kind and generous lady.

Memorial Day and beautiful weather is a rare combination around here. George and I decided to take advantage and drive over to the cemetery where his mother and my dad are both buried early this morning. It was a perfect time to go. There was no traffic and few people there...(we were there from about 7:30a.m. to 8:00). After putting flowers on the grave sites we spontaneously decided to drive to the coast. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains with the sun casting shadows among the trees and across the highway. It was a wonderful time to reminisce the many times I have traveled over that highway over the years...first with Dad in the drivers seat steering the family to a day of fun....then with George and I together with the kids for overnighters....and with friends... so many good memories. Today we didn't go to have fun...we just drove for the sake of the drive. It seemed more of a day for serenity. We stopped in Cannon Beach to visit the bakery. George had a bismark, I had a lemon danish....yummy. We browsed a little then got back in the Jeep and drove northward through Astoria and back home. I think we were back by 1:30. Later we barbequed hamburgers and just relaxed. It was a nice peaceful day.

Time with Mom

Today I had the rare opportunity to spend some one on one time with my mom.
She goes mall walking every morning and then visits with friends over coffee before leaving the mall. I met up with her there and then we drove up the gorge to Multnomah Falls and had breakfast at the lodge. We were able to get seated in front of windows that had a view of the falls and the lush greenery around the lodge. Afterward, we went to the Troutdale Outlet Stores and did some browsing. Mom hadn't been up the gorge since before dad passed away 5 years ago. She really seemed to enjoy it. I am glad we were able to share the time, the beautiful weather, and scenery together.

Mother's Day

A bouquet of iris and lilies from Nathan & Christine and a fuchsia that Andrea started for me.










Mother's Day was quiet and simple.
George and I went to church with Andrea and the girls.
The girls sang with the Primary some songs for the mothers after sacrament meeting.
It was Kaitlyn's first time standing and singing in front of the congregation.
Both she and Ally did a good job.
Later in the afternoon they came over with a lemon meringue pie (yummy!) and the fuchsia.
Yesterday I received the flowers from Nathan and Christine which were waiting for me on the door step after Women's Conference. A gift card from Jason & Melissa was in the mailbox.
I was able to talk to Jason, Melissa and Emily on the phone from Texas
and Kevin called from work.
Later I was able to talk to Mom on the phone.
I wish I could have seen her today, but we are planning to get together this next week.
I love my family so much and appreciate the nice things they do.

2009 Stake Women's Conference

These are the wonderful ladies I get to work with in my calling at church.
Stake Women's Conference is something we spend much time planning for each year.
Today we were very pleased with how the day turned out.
We had many dear sisters give of their time and talents to make the conference a very uplifting experience with valuable lessons and insight, a great lunch and pleasant surroundings.

Last night we set up the various rooms and the cultural hall for the luncheon.
This is a view looking down the middle of the cultural hall at the seving tables.

Our Theme for this year's conference was
'Hope maketh an Anchor to the Soul'
Stressing that we can have hope by allowing Christ to be our anchor as we face the storms of life.

The center pieces for the food tables

This is Sis. Parke.
She is our 'Food Specialist' for stake events.
We are so fortunate to have her.

The food committee preparing the food

Feed them...and they will come!

We had a good turn out.
We were unsure how many would come due to it being Mother's Day weekend and the nice weather. I figure it was attended by about 200 women.

Thoughts on Fairness

We have all been told that life isn't always fair. I know this only too well. After a long winter of gray skies, we finally got our first taste of truly warm weather this past couple of weeks. I love the sun shining in the windows. It brightens my soul and outlook as well as warms and motivates my body to function and I am able to accomplish so much more. I have been looking forward to being able to go outdoors and work in the yard, go for walks, enjoy the scenery, etc. Yet I have not been able to go outside my house for 12 days (The only exception was to go to the store for a few minutes and drive about 3 or 4 blocks down the street to visit Jill P. and come back, which I paid dearly for that night!). According to the allergy tests I have had, I am only allergic to dogs, but each year at this time I suffer greatly. I take my meds yet I continue to cough and sneeze, my eyes water, I lose my voice due to an irritated throat, I have headaches and can't sleep. Everything is blooming at once and the air is full of pollen. I am not able to tolerate it. My asthma kicks in. This has become a yearly event. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the beauty of this season and the warmth it brings. Spring continues to bring a feeling of hope and a desire for new experiences and growth. There is no point in dwelling on the misery of the moment when there is so much to look forward to...Summer! I figure that by the end of May I will be able to sit on the back patio and soak in the sun. I will be able to visit the fruit stands, go to the beach, take walks down by the river, go to the park with the grandkids, and give thanks for all the wonderful moments. Life isn't always fair, but it sure is worth whatever price we are asked to pay. The lesson is to have patience, endure, take the opportunities we have when they are there and be grateful. When we are able to remember this then we are able to see more clearly how truly blessed we are.

Boogie Baby

Hey, I'm pretty good!

Ooooo, Love that sound

This part requires my full attention

Almost done .....

I did good!!!