Grateful and Humbled

Just thought I'd post this little sketch I did of a little boy enjoying summer and just being a child. Carefree days! Ah.... I am just grateful and humbled with all that I am blessed with in my life.

I got to sit in on a missionary discussion last night for my 11 year old niece. Her father is my brother who passed away last April. He had always wanted to baptize her once he was able to, but the timing wasn't right. It's a sweet experience to listen to how simple the gospel is but how amazing it is. It touched my heart last night and renewed my convictions that I know I have chosen the only path for me in my life. Thank you, cute Granny, for sending the missionaries to Dad and Mom when I was a small child.

Happy Wednesday and the hope of flowers...soon!

Can you tell I have Spring fever? Happy flower day to you! Happy Wednesday too!

Went to a great RS meeting last night. It was our Relief Society birthday party. A "get to know you better" kind of evening. We all started at certain tables and each table was a certain color theme....purple, orange, red, white, green, etc. and each table was given a question to answer.... like "What was your most memorable vacation?" We would all go around the table answering the question. Then we would pull out a popsicle stick, that was colored on the end, that was in a container to see what color of table we would go to next. Sometimes our original group would pretty much end up together but not always. It was a fun time hearing from each other about their life experiences. Another question at a table was, "What did you do as a kid?" They laughed when I told them that me and my brother pretended that our parents were giants and we would hide under the table from them. My brother doesn't remember that. I probably remember because I was the instigator of the idea. It was a fun evening.

And it didn't snow last night or this morning! Yes! So happy flower day to you! May many flowers start waking up and coming up out of the earth soon!

Yes, Spring IS Coming! I just know it!

Maybe Spring isn't coming today or maybe it is...as the forecast calls for snow and rain and that is typical of early Spring and the last few days of Winter. The Spring I love I KNOW is coming ...where it is still a teensy bit coolish but there is hope of long warm days. Little flowers poking their little buds out of the soil. The sun warming up the soil. New little baby animals are born. The grass starts to wake up and green up. The warm sun. Ah, Spring! I can't wait to breathe it in deeply. So here are some new Spring buds in a pitcher...it gives me that Spring hope.

Happy Tuesday! It's a good day!

P.S. I love this line style. Simple but a little rough.

Monday...how fast the weekends go!

This little jumping guy is trying to have a good attitude that it is Monday... and that there was no sleeping in. So I might as well be happy that it is Monday. The start of the week and the start of many possibilities! (And no, he did not explode from eating cheetos...or something orangey...or maybe he did.)

The Economy Hasn't Slowed the Tooth Fairy Down Any...

I had to post these two photos of my nephew Ander and my niece (and Ander's cousin) Jenna. Looks like the tooth fairy does not need to worry about the economy and losing his job anytime soon.

Such cute kids. (Ché, I grabbed the photo of Jenna from you. Hope that's okay.)

Other uses for blocks from my stamp sets

My nephew Marcus made a tower with some of the blocks from my stamp sets. So fun and what a cute boy!Happy Friday! My power at my house went out from about 7 am to 9:30 am this morning. It makes you grateful for heat and lights. Happy day too...my blinds that my sister's cute dog ate, have now been replaced. Pretty spiffy!

And I get the day off from work. YESSSSSSS! Off to run errands. I am glad the snow stopped falling. But gladder I didn't have to drive to work in it. Lucky it is wet snow for those that have to travel.

11 months today

Wow- 11 months since Jason had to leave us. Just so strange. It will always be so. Sometimes it seems like he is off on a trip of some sort. An adventure. Which he is. But that he will come back any day now. Which he can't. And then sometimes it seems like it has been forever since I have hugged or pinched him. Or laughed together at some silly comment or event that was happening.

Jase, I know you are cheering that BYU ran over Utah last night. 20 point win. I love you, Bumper. I miss you. Keep going in your goals and we will be at the temple together as a family in a month. Bring Dad along. I know he wouldn't miss it. I always pictured you at the temple with us someday. All in white contrasting against your beautiful, warm brown skin. Your dark curls coming a little over your white collar. I pray that when we do your work that I will feel your presence there with us and feel your joy. I think it will be an amazing day. Every time I picture you in white at the temple, I picture a soft white glow around you. That you are finally complete. Finally happy. Finally content. I hope that you allow me to feel that in my heart that day. You have a huge spirit. You always have. So I can't imagine not feeling that way that day.

You know I love you, your sister Lori (who misses you so much)

Watch out...I'm acting like I must be perfect or something...

...and I am SO not. So much to work on.... so here goes...

So I hear on the radio this morning that "they" (not sure who "they" are though I assume it is representation for the handicapped community) are trying to discourage everyone from using the word "retarded". "They" feel that it is disrespectful to those with handicaps. I totally respect that. And I will try harder not to use that word. But I mean no offense to those that are handicapped.

Okay, so then I think that some group of "they" should also discourage people from taking the Lord's name in vain. And maybe announce that on the radio also! People do that much more frequently and without a bit of regard to our Savior and our Heavenly Father and all that they have done for us and continue to do for us. The very breath we breathe at the very least. We should show every bit of respect every single minute of our lives. It just makes me sad. I know that at times I forget how blessed I am and I sometimes feel sorry for myself with some things that have or have not happened for me. But how sad of an individual I am if I forget all that I have to be thankful for and who has given it to me. So come on KSL, let everyone know! Let's show respect.

Anyway, that is my soapbox statement for the week. We will now go back to our regularly scheduled program...

Tuesday, Tuesday

So nice out weather-wise this week! Love it! Supposed to hit a high of 57 or so today. LOVE IT! Ah, Spring! My dear friend that I have missed.

So a funny thing the other day...well, maybe not so funny for the two little birds above that I saw as I was driving along on the street. There were only two of them sitting there together on the wire. And they wouldn't look at each other. I think they are married. And it made me wonder if maybe they were having a little disagreement. Probably about where to settle down and nest for the Spring. I picture them just barely flying in from somewhere in the south and that they were tired and a little bit cranky. Who doesn't get that way from traveling at times and the stress of where to settle down? And where to find the perfect neighborhood for their future bird children? They wouldn't look at each other. But I could tell they love each other. ; ) I hope Mr. and Mrs. Bird work it out. They looked like a lovely couple. I wish them the best.

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Monday!

So I remembered to say rabbit, rabbit this morning. Yay! The hope of good luck for a month's worth cannot hurt.

I think I actually slept in a normal sleep pattern last night. Wow! All during the Vancouver Olympics, and trying to catch as much of it as I could, I kept waking up at odd hours through the night. It was crazy! But it was a once in a lifetime event having the Olympics in Vancouver. So it was worth it.

13 (or is it 14?) golds for the Canadians! The most in a Winter Olympics. And 37 medals for the US! The most ever for a country in the Olympics. Pretty cool! Fun times. Now back to reality.

So, happy Monday!