Hello, Thursday...

Can we hang on to Summer for another month or more? Please?

Have a fantastic Thursday! Full of so many possibilities!

Slow down, please

I got asked to slow down after I apparently drove into the Costco Gas receptacle..."receptacle"? It works. Anyway I was so excited to be able to drive right up that maybe I was going a little fast...but truly not too fast. I think the attendant was bored. He came up to me when I drove up and asked that I drive in a little slower from now on. I told him, "Sure." I was surprised. I have seen others drive in much faster. Oh well. Lesson learned. "Slow down, please."

2 Laurels birthdays in our ward. Their bdays are a day apart. Great girls.

Happy Wednesday-all day! Happy bday to my brother-in-law Troy too! And my friends Heather, Renae, and Marty!

Too too Tuesday

Yes, it is Tuesday. Did I get anything done on the book last night? NO! Sigh. I hope to remedy that tonight.

So it is Tuesday. May we all do what we enjoy today. Drawing at work and drawing at home. Perfect.

Have a great Tuesday!

Happy Monday and 6 years!

Wow- can't believe it is Monday already! How did that happen? Your head hits the pillow Sunday night and it feels like only seconds have passed by and then you hear an annoying buzzing across the room...the alarm clock! And the week starts again.

AND I have been at SU for 6 years today! That also is a shocker! How times flies as you learn and grow. Happy anniversary to me!

More drawings to create at home, more stamp sets to design at work, more working out to do, and hopefully some sleeping once in a while in between.

Happy Monday and the week ahead!

Welcome to Costco! Please enter your password.

A drawing from a couple of years ago for my Christmas card. One of my twin nieces.

So my 4 year old nephew is a nut!

My sister went to Costco with him yesterday and they do their shopping. As they wait in line, he says, out of the blue,"Welcome to Costco! Please enter your password." My sister was just looking at him...though we are used to him coming up with odd comments at times. Other customers listened in a little. He then told his mom to say,"Friendly Mushroom Squirrel." Karen said it quietly so as not to command onlookers. My nephew then said,"Please say it louder!" Karen again said it but this time a little louder. People around her smiled. Again he prompted her to say it a little louder. He then said," Please spell What the heck." (We have no idea where he got that saying considering not a soul in our family has ever said that.) And he then asked my sister for a dollar. Oh, he was on a roll! Nutty little 4 year old. At least the people standing in line weren't bored. Where he comes up with this stuff...we are not sure. But he makes us laugh.

Happy Friday! Working away on the book. And helping out family today. A day off...but is it really? Well maybe from my 9-5 job.

Wild and Wolfy Thursday

Hello to Thursday! And to purple wolves? Hehe.

All is good. A busy week. But then we are all busy. I like this wolf. He makes me laugh. And I like that he is purple.

Have a great day! Do something nice for someone. It will make you smile.

Wow Wednesday

Something to add to my list of "Things I did not know":

-That the carpool lane is apparently a passing lane. At least some drivers I observe think it is.

So far this week I have not accomplished much on the book I am illustrating. The only redeeming fact to note is that I did get a little ahead this weekend so I will hopefully still meet my week's deadline. I hope.

Happy Wednesday!

Oh- and thanks SO much to Christine, Mark, and kids for picking my peaches before they all fell and smooshed on the ground. I truly appreciate it!!! Love you guys.

Grateful Tuesday

I am grateful. Grateful for my cute Mom and Dad. Grateful for my siblings and their kids and husbands and wives. Grateful for my friends. Grateful for my job. Grateful for my life. Grateful for the breath I breathe. Grateful for the gospel. Grateful for my Heavenly Father and my Savior. Grateful to be continually learning and hopefully growing.

Have a grateful Tuesday! Or should I say "great"ful.

Yo, Monday and Happy Art and YW stuff!

Some signage I made for our YW activity for last week. The girls didn't seem impressed but I was proud of it. But then at that age, I doubt I would have paid attention either.

A card I drew.

A picture 4 year old Wy drew. Mickey Mouse is so cute in the middle of the drawing. He even put the lines in Mickey's gloves!
Happy Monday! Enjoy the day! Though a fire is burning near a housing district a city away from work this morning. I worry for the people who might lose their homes.

Just talking with a friend on Thursday night

I was talking with a friend the other night. She was having a hard week. At first she wouldn't say what was wrong. And then we got talking.

She told me that she is having a hard time being around her friends who are married or are in relationships. That she just feels left out. A kind of third wheel thing.

I told her that anyone would feel that way in that situation. Hard to be single at times. Just watching from the sidelines as you feel life passing you by sometimes.

We had a good talk. I reminded her that Heavenly Father is so aware of all of us. That there is a personal plan for each of us. That she is an amazing person. And that if she is living her life the way she is, doing all that she can do to be a great person like she is, that things will work out for her. Just not always when we expect it or plan for it.

I think she felt better as the evening went along. I let her know that I totally understand her feelings. It was a good talk. I hope she feels better this week.

No matter what our relationship situation in life, we all have tough days at times. Maybe it is a part of our growth as we strive to work towards being the best we can be.

Anyway- I hope D will feel better this week. She is a sweetheart.

Cub Scouts Rolling and Thursday

Hello, Thursday! I am so glad you are here. I tend to get a lot more done on the weekends...and today is close to the weekend.

A little teddy bear to greet you this morning. I think he (or she...considering the big pink bow) is a cute little bear. Though what's up with that when his or her name is Teddy? But these days, any name goes for either gender.

My nephew was part of a go cart Cub Scout event. Zipping down the hill! A very intense adventure! ; )
The sisters cheering him on! And just generally having a great time.
Happy Thursday! A pretty day. A day full of so many possibilities!

Skipping to Wednesday

Yesterday I had too much on my mind...so I didn't blog. Oh, I know...your day was just not complete without my ramblings for the day. Come on, admit it. (Yah right.)

Anyway I was just busy gathering ideas for work and later, working on the book I am illustrating. Hey- I didn't even work out yesterday. That's how busy I was. (I really need to not be that busy!)

Happy Wednesday. It's a pretty day. Lots to accomplish today. And appreciate.

Monday...Monday...

Can I breathe? Nope- 25 more pages to go on the kids' book I am working on. 5 a week is all I can squeak in and believe me...I am squeaking! But amazingly I am making my deadlines each week for it besides everything else I am doing... I feel like I am getting extra help somehow. Normally I would not be able to keep up this pace. Or I am just becoming even more amazing. (kidding)

Anyway somehow I am fitting everything in. NEVER been so busy. Okay I will stop talking about it. ; )

Happy Monday! May we all accomplish everything we need to.

This made me think...and laugh!

We had the adult session of Regional Conference last night. One of my favorite speakers in our stake presidency is President Johanson. He is one of the counselors. He was talking about Nephi. One of his heroes.

"I have a love-hate relationship with Nephi...because he always did everything right."

(His comment made me laugh. Nephi really is an amazing individual. No matter what, he always did what was right even if it was hard.)

Off to the general session today. Excited to hear from Jeffrey R. We truly have amazing leaders.

Just got back. A good reminder that we need to be stronger. We need to really decide what we stand for. That things will get tougher. But that the gospel will not stop growing stronger. That is a good reminder.

Happy Saturday!

And the weekend!

Worked a lot on the kids' book I am illustrating...and still working on it today...

But also got to the track yesterday and ran most of the 5 miles. Woohoo! I wanted to do that today too...but my sis and I went to my mom's this morning...7am...and taped and painted her livingroom and kitchen. A pretty dark caramel color. The white molding, doors, and ceiling really pop now and make the rooms so much warmer. Finished at 2pm.

Now back to the book...till 7pm and then the adult session of Regional Conference and then the general session tomorrow at 10am. Jeffrey R Holland is supposed to be speaking tomorrow. (Squid. A lady I met at the Scera Shell, two summers ago, told me that she grew up with Jeffrey R and that the kids called him Squid. Go figure. She said he was always destined for greatness. Even though they called him "Squid"?)

Off to color the pages... of my 5 page deadline for this week.

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AND...let us never forget this day. September 11th. What sad memories of that day 9 years ago.

As I see flags moving gently in the breeze of this sunny September day, I feel sad. All those people who lost their lives. So many lives have been changed since that day. Like a friend said," Let us remember always. Never forget."

Hip Hip Hooray for Thursday

Thursdays are great days in my book. I get to go work at the temple after work. I get to feel the calm and peace and the spirit there and serve others while I am there. Perfect. And I get to appreciate so many things because of it.

I am thankful.

(I know---no drawing today...busy trying to figure out an assignment at work today.)

An email from my sister Debbie today...about her son...

So while I go downstairs to kiss the girls, Marcus is always working on some little project. Tonight when I came upstairs he had an old lotion bottle and asked me if I wanted to try his "secret recipe" on my arm. Of course I was a bit wary and suspicious. His inventions can be dangerous.

"Does it have any chemicals in it?", I ask.

"No, Mom, just lotion and water. And a few other special things."

"Like what?"

"Some toothpaste. Because just in case the cavities jumped from your mouth to your arm, then you could kill them."

"Ok, Is that all that's in it?"

"Also some chocolate sprinkles. Because in case you ate it, it wouldn't taste totally terrible. "

I love little boys. Never a dull moment.

Hello to you Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday! Can I get my schedule at home to run a little smoother with everything I need to do? I certainly hope so.

Here is part of one of the illustrations for the book I am crazily working on. Yeah, I didn't get much done last night though. Sigh. Maybe tonight I can fit in a couple of hours worth.

Crazy.

"Looks are deceiving" Tuesday!

So I know these look like happy shovels...but there was only one involved this morning. In the darkness of the morning (sigh that the days are getting shorter.). I was driving to work, just getting off at my exit...or about to. A truck is trying to get on the freeway so I slow down. It was a ford truck with a flatbed, very long trailer connected to it. So I finally get over. The truck driver is starting to merrily drive along the freeway...oblivious obviously! So a few seconds later I notice sparks coming from under the flatbed...it seems. Nope- it was a flying shovel!!! I guess the driver did not notice it was on his flatbed as he pulled out of his driveway this morning. It was dark after all.

So I noticed the flying shovel coming towards me, flipping all over the place! Hello! I hardly had time to react but was able to swerve a little in the lane I was in and gratefully missed damaging me and my car! SCARY! My heart was pounding for quite a while.

I am alive. And that is what I am grateful for this morning. Lucky the shovel fell along the edge of the freeway so it could get any other motorists. I wonder if the truck driver wonders where his shovel is. Oh well.

Besides that exciting moment...my weekend was good. I got a lot done. And attended two BBQs and a fun little concert. And I drew A LOT! Woohoo! Now on to this week. Lots to do. I think my life will be out of control busy for the next 2 months at least. But it is all good.

Happy Tuesday! Tip: don't get hit by a shovel on the freeway.

SpongeBob never looked so good!

Wow- I think this drawing is amazing! SpongeBob... and even with the highlights in his eyes. And Mr. Crabs too. The detail amazes me.

And what is more amazing is that this barely turned 4 year old is creating these drawings. He really pays attention to details. What a cutie boy! A talented cutie boy.
Happy Saturday!

Stripes & Crazy Hair Day!

Funny nephew and nieces! It was crazy hair day at their school yesterday. Pretty funny!

And no, the twins were not attached at their hair. They just leaned towards each other for this picture.
Kids are great! Life is great. BUSY...but great! I have a lot to be thankful for.

Rabbit, Rabbit Wednesday

Yep- today is the first day of a new month. Did you say "rabbit, rabbit" first thing when you woke up? Hope so. We can all use a little extra luck through the month. I feel I need that-trying to fit everything in that I need to accomplish.

Why is it that life seems to get busier and busier? A friend said to me last week, "I hope you are staying out of trouble." I replied,"I have no time to get into trouble." So at least that is good that I am only finding time for worthwhile things, right?

Happy Rabbit Rabbit Wednesday! May we all accomplish all we need to today and go to sleep rested and grateful tonight.