This is my newest project. Lacey and my son Brady are becoming new parents in a few months. Mykla is having a baby shower for them at my home, and this is the wreath I'm putting on my door for the occasion. It's made out of baby diapers. So CUTE!

Click on the picture to see it bigger.

My latest project

I joined a table runner swap and this is what I came up with

I'm Back!

Where have I been no where Just being lazy I've had no motivation. I was lying in bed trying to sleep and I keep thinking you’re so lazy even though it was only 4:00 AM you started your blog for your family something that they could look at and read when you’re gone or whenever I guess it's a journal of sorts. So I decided to get up and just write whatever is on my mind. I don't even know if anyone even reads my blog anyway. So maybe I'm just doing this for myself.

I've have been so blessed throughout my life. Yes I have been tested in many ways, but I am so grateful that I understand that this is part of the Lords plan and I need to have the good with the bad so I can truly be grateful for all that I have been given.

Gary and I have been married for 38 years, was it a smooth road not even, although are love as always been very strong we also had our differences. When we married I already had two children and Gary had three. From the start I felt we needed one together to bring all of it together so when we had been married one year Garrad came along and 5 years later Brady, and yes it made our family complete. Gary adopted Mykla and Corey in 1979 and they became ours. I really feel that Gary's three daughters Jeanie, Brenda and Lori truly love me no I'm not their Mother, but I hope I'm a runner up.

I have been blessed with two wonderful friends that have been my friends for almost all my life. They are Pat and Lynda How many of you could say your still friends with someone after 60+years. Pat as always lived close and we talk on the phone on a regular bases, go shopping together help each other with whatever project we have going on and so on. Lynda moved to Las Vegas when we were 14 but to this day were still best of friends. Gary and I do our traveling with Lynn and Lynda. Our Grand kids think there grandpa and grandma also. Both of these friends have let me unwind on them they listen to all my troubles and our always there for me. How blessed am I.

I have felt the loss of loved ones. In 1973 my Daddy passed away at the young age of 50 he had suffered from MS for 25 years and it took its toll on him. In 1996 at the age of 71 my Mother passed away from Cancer. In 1999 my brother Terry was killed he also was only 50. In 2007 my brother Ronny passed away from heart failure. I miss all of them so much and everyday I think if I would have known that they were doing to move on would I have done anything differently. The answer was a big YES. I wouldn't have let a day gone by without letting them know how much they meant to me.
I'm so grateful that if I live my live accordingly I can be with all my love ones again.

I have also felt the joy of being a Mother and a Grandmother to 24 wonderful Grandchildren. Sometimes it’s very hard to watch our own children go through the challenges of raising their children. there are so many temptations out there to tempt them the Adversary is trying so hard to take hold of all of us, and we can't let him win, and the best way to do this is to teach our children that when there tempted they have a loving Father in Heaven that will be there for them all they need to do is ask. No were not guarantee that are life's will always be rosy but we are promised that if we always try and do what is right, and if we do something wrong that if we repent for it we can someday be with our Father in Heaven and all are loved ones again. Sorry I didn't mean to go off like that, I'm so far from perfect that I am really not the one that should be preaching, but I love my Father in Heaven and know that no matter what I have to face I can count on him to be there for me.

A lot has happened since I last posted. Gary retired over a year ago, so he is home with me and the day care. I know this isn't easy for him, and he really would like me to retire also, but I like that money in my pocket to help me with my addiction to shopping. I'm truly Afraid to retire; I need to have a leap of faith to know everything will be OK. I know the time will come and I will know when it is and I will retire.

I've had a few health problems. In December of 2010 I had heart surgery. I have suffered with migraines most of my life. Mykla keep telling me that she knew of someone that also had migraines and found out she had a hole in her heart she had it taken care of and doesn't suffer from migraines anymore. I'm thinking sure Mykla whatever. Long story short after 2 years of her nagging me I went to a heart specialist and yes I had a hole in my heart. I had the surgery and I haven't had a migraine since a MIRACLE! When they done the surgery they found a pocket of blood clots just waiting to either kill me or I would of had a severe stoke they dissolved them and closed my hole. Mykla saved her mother’s life.

I also suffering from Fibromyalgia it makes me really tired and I ache all over at times. The aches like I used to get when I was growing up. You know those leg aches that the Doctor said were just growing pains.

Anyway long ago I decided that I didn't want anything to get me down and I would choose to be happy, so that I did. I'm just one happy camper (I hate camping though) HA! HA!

Snow Cones & Baseball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXLUncbZKbs
I watched this on Lola again and it reminded me so much of Garrad when he was around 8 years old and playing baseball. He really wasn't into the game.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf - CREATE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k&feature=player_embedded
A reminder that we all have special talents, and the more we use them the better we will become. If you don't think you have any talent think again.

Kalee Bug

Layna and her new Granddaughter

Kara, Brandon & baby Alexis

Our ward float

Garrad, Syndi Kaylee & Kael

Brady holding Chloe

Little Kyler holding his sister Kaylee's hand I love this picture

Cindy, Michelle, Gary, Corey holding Trey, Casey, Brady throwing one of Kami's kids in the air.

As you can see we all went to the 24th of July parade as I have for as long as I can remember. To get a good place to sit we have to go down the day before around 10:00 AM and set in the spot we want you can't put your chairs out until 6:00 PM so it makes for a long day. Were running out of people to set their all day because we all work, but Casey went down and saved the spot for us this year, Thanks Casey. Next year we decided that we have to go even earlier because when Cindy took Casey down there wasn't many places to choose from. So hopefully we can find someone that would love to set out in the hot sun for like maybe 10 hours. Maybe a little money will do the trick.

My son Brady send this to me and it really hit home. Life isn't perfect, it's what we make of it that makes the differences. We need to appreciate the things that are done for us even though they might not be just the way we would like it.

Burned Biscuits
When I was a little boy, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Baby, I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people.. I'm not the best at everything, but what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.
And that's my hope for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life. Since when were burnt biscuits a deal-breaker? We could extend this to any and all relationships, in fact - as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!
"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

Our Granddaughter Kalee is in New York competing in a dance competition. We just got word that she got 10's from all the judges & took platinum the highest award given. The comment was made while she was there, that she blew away the Judges and brought the audience to tears. The song she danced to was Your Joy by Chrisette Michele. Kalee loves dance she not only dances extremely well but her facial expression shows her feelings as well.

I tried to find a close up picture of her dancing and mine were all at to far of a distance so here are a few of her not dancing. Shes quite the beauty isn't she. I was looking on her dance studios page and found this note that she had wrote.

MY HEART & MY DANCE SHOES!
"I love the way I feel at dance. I forget what’s going on all around me. It’s just me, my heart and my dance shoes"!
—Kalee J. (Dancer) 2/2009

Lyric's to Your Joy

Walked down the sidewalk Staring at your feet Wishing my steps were longer So by your sides I could keep Hold your hand much bigger Never wanted mine to grow So I could always feel perfect Inside your palms just so No one loves me just like you do No one knows me just like you do No one can compare to the way my eyes fit in yours You'll always be my father And I'll always be your joy Laid me on your belly Nights when mama wasn't home Lightning made me shiver And you never let me feel alone I tried to match your breathing Beating my little heart against yours Perfect were the nights we were sleeping I never want to end what we are 'Cause No one loves me just like you do And no one knows me just like you do No one can compare to the way my eyes fit in yours You'll always be my father And I'll always be your joy One day he'll come on bended knee And ask my love away from thee And when I give my love to him He'll always have a place within One day he'll come on bended knee And ask my love away from thee And when I give my love to him you'll always have a place within No one loves me just like you do No one knows me just like you do No one can compare to the way my eyes fit in yours You'll always be my father And I'll always be your joy.

Vacationing with friends

Waiting for lunch in Rapid City

Lynn hanging out with President George W. Bush In Rapid City

This is what the Crazy Horse Memorial will look like when it is finished.

Crazy Horse

Mount Rushmore. You can see people on top putting lights on the Presidents heads for the fire works show on the 4th of July we were there on the 3th of July so we missed the light show.

Old Faithful doing it's thing

Dinner at the Old Faithful Inn

Yellowstone National Park

The beautiful Grand Tetons

Lunch while floating down the Snake River

Relaxing in the Million Dollar Bar

Dinner and a show in Jackson Hole

My new friend Scout from Houston Texas He was traveling with his Grandma

Bear Lake

Temple Square

The last night at dinner at the Hilton in Salt Lake City

Gary, Lynn, Lynda and I just returned from a 8 day Caravan trip. We started out by flying into Rapid City, South Dakota. We spend two days there visiting Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Horse. then we visited the Indian Museum of North America. Then we return through the Black Hills.

Day 3: We entered Wyoming and headed West across the high plains into Sheridan Wyoming. After lunch we entered Montana "The big Sky Country" We visited Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in the crow nation. We then continued to Billings Montana nestled between the Yellowstone River and the Red Rimrocks. Lewis and Clark camped near here in 1806.

Day 4: We journey the wide-open spaces of Montana en route to Cody, Wyoming. We visited the world famous Buffalo Bill Historical Center, The Indian Museum, and the Whitney Gallery of Westernarts In the afternoon we crossed the Continental Divide and enter into Yellowstone Park. We stayed two days in the Old Faithful Inn. We watch old Faithful geyser go off It goes off every 90 minutes.

5: We had a full day doing acomplete circle of Yellowstone Park.

Day 6: we entered the Grand Teton national Park were we ate lunch while we floated down the snake river for 1 1/2 hours. Fun Fun! Next we stop at pristine Jenny Lake. Then on to Jackson Hole. We even went in to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a drink No not the hard stuff a Dr. pepper for me. Know one wanted to wait on use so we took a few pictures and went on our way. Later that night our tour guide surprised us with a diner and entertainment at the Bar J Chuckwagon it was so much fun the food was great and the entertainment was wonderful. If your every in Jackson you really need to check this out.

Day 7:We drove through the Bridger-Teton National Forest then into Idaho and a cross the route of the original "Oregon Trail." then had lunch in Bear Lake and then continued through Logan Canyon To Salt Lake City. We visit the Temple Grounds. Then onto the Hilton for the most wonderful Salmon dinner and sleep.

Day 8: We have breakfast at the Hotel, and then we get a shuttle to Diamond parking to get are Cars and return home. We really have a good time when ever we go with Lynn and Lynda. As I've said before how blessed Gary and I are to have them as friends.

One word LOVE