Another one!

We now have found another relative. This one is from Finland. His name is Petri. Though we did find out that just recently that one of our relatives (Timo), who was also from Finland and didn't speak any English, just passed away.

We are grateful for ancestry.com. It has always been a struggle to find connections in family history on my dad's side of the family and it seems now that more and more doors are opening.

So grateful!

Family is the best!

Just wanted to say how grateful I am for my family. I love them all so dearly.

And a relative of ours just made contact with us recently. Through Ancestry.com. So great!!! We have exchanged family pictures and he sent us some that we have never seen of our dad and where dad grew up. And some of our cute little Finnish grandmother. I only knew her till I was 8 and so it is great fun to find out more and to see pictures. LOVE it!

Hope you have a fantastic week!

10 FINGERS OR 8 FINGERS & 2 THUMBS

Hold up your 10 fingers.
As you fold each one down, say something you are grateful for.
Do this everyday.
Soon you will realize how many blessings you really do have.

Can't help being a happier person. And recognizing and being grateful for all these blessings you have just starts bringing you more blessings.

You can't lose.

(And your fingers will get some exercise.)

You think you really know yourself

Sometimes situations come up in life and you realize that you have a lot more to work on about yourself.

I just had a great lesson taught to me when I realized the root of some frustration I had been feeling for the last year. Actually a few more years than that but this year it really came into my vision.

So now I can work on it and improve myself even more.

I know that I am so imperfect. But I am thankful that I am able to continue to progress to be the person I really want to be once I realize what I need to change.

Oh I know...such deep thoughts! But it is true. I am not the person I want to be but I do know I am a work in progress.

Why do Mondays make me sleepy?

Yes, it is Monday. I am sitting at my desk. And I want to take a nap. Go figure. Happy Monday!

A dear, sweet friend

Our sweet friend Mary Day passed away yesterday. She was 90. My sister and I loved to visit her. To laugh with her. We loved that she said what she thought. She brightened our day when we visited with her.

We will truly miss her. We are happy for her to be reunited with her Frank. And other family members. But selfishly, we will miss her so much.

Thank you, Mary for your example and your strength. Every day we will miss you.

Love you, Queen Mary! We will always be your serfs.

Sometimes

I think I need a change in my life. Just contemplating it. No set plans. Just thinking.

HaHa

Church activity the other night...Valentine Party.

The emcee asked, "Who has been married the longest?" They figured out who had been married the longest.

Then it was asked, "Who's been married the least?" I raised my hand.

Haha!

Stuff

Grateful for all the stuff in my life. But mostly the people.

A former co-worker contacted me yesterday and told me that one of her good memories of our former workplace was of me. It surprised me because there were much bigger personalities than me there. She also mentioned a friend that worked there, that she remembers too, who does have a really big personality. Anyway- it made my day to be thought of fondly from times past. I hope that I leave a good impression most of the time with those that I encounter. I know there have been times that I haven't and I have had much regret. But generally I think I try.

I am not grateful for all the negativity lately on social media. It is so wearing. So tiring. Makes me feel that people can't find any good out of anything.

Well- I choose to be happy. To be positive. To not let negativity drag me down. I really feel a person can make themselves sick emotionally and physically just by negative thoughts and actions and holding on to the past.

I know for me that I need to strive each day to be happy and grateful for all that I have and to look to the future with positive thoughts. And I will not let others affect me the other way.  I've been learning a lot about being positive and how it can make my day so much better. And my health.

Grateful

I haven't posted for forever. Mostly because I lost track of my password and was too lazy to reset it. So now it is all good.

Just was thinking this morning of all that I am grateful for. Our family had a wonderful Christmas and it was just good to be with them. That is the best.

I also saw some friends I don't see much anymore. Except for once a year. It is interesting how we all get busy.

I also love getting christmas cards. I know it can be expensive. Believe me- I know because I send out quite a lot each year. But it is only once a year. And what fun to open my mailbox and get something fun in the mail.

As 2016 draws to a close, I think about what I have and haven't accomplished. And I hope that I have made my parents proud of me. And my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I have much to keep working on every day but I hope that I have improved somewhat.

I know that every day I am so blessed. So VERY blessed.

If I have any New Year resolutions, it is to be kinder. And to really figure out the person I can be. This year has been a year of introspective for sure. I have learned so much about myself. It has been a good year.

Happy New Year!

Happy Monday!

The start of a new week with all sorts of possibilities!

Bonnie Oscarson came and spoke to us

Bonnie Oscarson is the General Young Women President for my church. One of her daughters is in our stake and so I guess we had some pull there. It was a wonderful evening last night. I got so much out of her talk. Some of the points that made an impression on me is how we are all so important to our Heavenly Father. We are worth worlds to him. (I loved that!) That we need to replace the noise of the world with good things and not get caught up in what isn't important. The world is very noisy these days and we are inundated with being told we aren't pretty enough, we aren't skinny enough, etc. and that we need to conform to what the world thinks is important. I don't think so!

I am grateful to be a daughter of our Heavenly Father. And for the knowledge I have of the gospel. We are worthwhile and we are all beautiful (or handsome for the men and boys) and we all have a purpose. I feel very blessed.

Every time I think to post something

I keep thinking of how blessed I am. How grateful I am.

For my family...who is always there for me. Always around me.

For sweet friends. I don't have a lot but the ones I have mean so much to me.

For my health. My immune system has been on hiatus this last year it seems. But I know it is because of stress in a lot of ways. I have somehow let a lot of things get to me. It is amazing how the human body doesn't function as well when your mind is stressed. But I am getting healthier and healthier. Slowly but surely. And it reminds me of how grateful I am for good health.

For the gospel in my life. It truly is my foundation. Along with my family. Everything else is much better with these two foundations in my life.

It's a good day. Grateful for much.

I am so thankful

for my family. That they are always here for me. Always. I feel very blessed.

LDS YW Press Forward Theme for YW New Beginnings and Girls Camp

So here are logos for the theme for this year that I created...Press Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ.

There are logos for each YW value. And banners too.  And an invitation to your New Beginnings evening. This artwork can be used to decorate for New Beginnings and Girls Camp and to decorate binders or newsletters or t-shirts or cabin doors at camp. So many uses to use all year long.

There are full color versions and also black/white. 300 dpi RGB jpeg print quality files. The artwork also has a version without any text so you can translate it if needed.

Hope you enjoy! Check out my etsy shop to the left.

Just released artwork for Primary 2016 theme

I came up with some cute silhouette images for the theme "I know the scriptures are true". i hope people like them. Birthday cards, posters, can be used for bookmarks, binder covers. etc. Check out my etsy shop to the left...here on my blog.

More YW/YM new beginnings stuff coming....

Summer is almost here!

Summer is almost here. Wish I had the summer off. My nephew asked me a couple of summers ago if I had the summer off. I wish!

Grateful for summer. Grateful for family. Grateful for many blessings in my life.

Need to work more on my Etsy shop. Get a lesson done for Sunday. And start illustrating a book for a neighbor.

Always stuff to do. Been watching The Andy Griffith Show on Netflix this last while. A simple life. How it should be always.

Can't say enough about how grateful I am...

For Family. I have the perfect family for me and I am so grateful for all of them.

CTR Superhero artwork

You are always a superhero when you choose the right.

I have always thought this would be a fun idea to create.

There is even a bl/w version to print off so that everyone can color it.

Fun idea for Family Home Evening, Primary, Activity Days, Cub Scouts, etc.

So here you go...

Check out my etsy shop...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButtercupSketches

Latest artwork out on Etsy. 4 different options. A set of welcome to Young Women cards, a set of birthday cards specific to the classes, and a set of congrats for finishing personal progress cards. Different hair colors and nationalities. Also class logos and YW emblems are included. 40 printable files in the big set (all inclusive) and then 3 other smaller sets. Read the info and choose what you need. Hope you like it.

Perfect for everything "Young Women"!

I like them.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButtercupSketches