the Celebrations Begin

I love celebrating Birthdays with my friends!  This month it is mine we are celebrating!  This month has been busy with our camping trips but this week a few of my friends took me to lunch.  Each luncheon date was really fun and meant a lot to me.  I appreciate my friends, Crystal, Cathy and Kellie for taking time to spend with me.  I love spending time with my friends and it is fun celebrating each of our births.

One of the nice things about getting to go to lunch with friends is sharing thoughts and feelings and laughing and bonding.  Each of my friends are great examples to me and I always want to be better because of them.  When it's my turn to be celebrated I am reminded of how truly blessed I am.  I have the best friends!  I am happy that another Birthday is approaching and for all I have learned and experienced to this point!

Last night Zaden spent the night with us and I was in the other room and heard: "gramma come here"
I went into the front room where Zaden was playing and he jumped up from behind the couch and shouted: "Happy Birthday" then he went over to the cups he had stacked and told me that he had built a castle for my birthday because I was a Princess.  He said it over and over and was so cute!  Totally made my night.  I sure do love my grands and so glad that they love this gramma!

I Thought This

Lately I have been thinking about grudges....because I have had some lately.  I heard of a gal saying something that wasn't true about me and it made me kind of mad...especially at her.  I didn't even know her but have since met her and when I did meet her I wanted to turn my head and puke.  Then I got thinking.....that kind of behavior is not like me and I don't want it to be.  So I decided to let it go and be me regardless of what others want to say or believe.  I even had a few thoughts for quotes and ended up with this one.

Mmmmmm......I LOVE COOKIES

I can say NO to donuts, cakes, pie, and even ice cream but I have a hard time saying NO to cookies!  I love cookies....especially homemade cookies right out of the oven.  Every once in awhile I'm forced to make cookies...that's right forced.  Our family loves banana's and why we ever have any left long enough to really ripen amazes me.  However, every now and then it happens and so I make cookies...banana chocolate chip cookies.  I usually make a batch or two without chips for those that prefer no chips (crazies)  but rest get chips....plenty of chips.

Today I decided that I should limit myself to one cookie.  I scraped the bowl and plopped the remaining dough on the cookie sheet and even spread it out a bit.  Nine minutes later my one and only cookie was done! Yummmm....I added a few more chips since it didn't look like there was enough.  Now that is my kind of cookie and the perfect size.  It kind of makes me feel better knowing I only had one.

Truth is I ate one normal cookie (before mine was done) and only had one bite from mine.  I think my cookie might just last me a day or two or three.

Being around others makes me happy!

Today was such a great day.  My morning started off with a young gal from another country stopping by to sell me some educational books.  I didn't want the books because even though we mean well I just know we wouldn't use them.  Google is great and doesn't cost anything and doesn't take up space on a shelf or counter.  I always feel kind of bad saying no but it has gotten easier.  I sent the cute gal off with a giant Symphony Chocolate Bar.  At least doing that made me feel a little better.  

Then I went visiting teaching which I just love.  I love visiting with the sisters in our ward and really love the sisters I go to (always do)  When I was through visiting Rae and Cathy I decided to stop and visit a few friends that have had surgery and take them a little treat. (I also took Rae and Cathy a little treat)  I visited with Shirley (Stokes) first and really enjoyed sitting in her back yard enjoying the breeze and just visiting.  I know it's not fun for Shirley to be laid up but it's kind of nice for me to know that she is and that I can stop by anytime and I won't be interfering with things.  I love Shirley and our visits.

Next I went to Judy"s (Nauta) and visited with her.  The nice thing about real friends is you can say whatever you want and feel and know that it is okay.  I can express my feelings and I know that these friends don't mind and can also do the same with me.  I felt so good about my day and had some thoughts that came to my mind that I know where from Heavenly Father.  I love how that happens as you open up and discuss things.  Man I was feeling great....so happy!

The weather wasn't great today but we had planned on going boating and taking the Anderson Family and so we went anyway in spite of the weather and had a great time.  It was so wonderful having them all together.  The wind blew and the boat rocked and Larry didn't even have to try to make the water weenie roll over because the wind and waves took care of that very easily.  The wind and waves also kind of made me dizzy and a little light headed.  We stayed for almost 2 hours and then decided to get off the water since it was starting to rain and the sky continued to get dark.  I love the Anderson's and I'm really glad we got a little time together with them all.  This little family has become an extension of our family...we love and care about them so much!

Then to top off a wonderful day we received a nice card from Tonya and Lexi!  Dang! Life is Good!  

we did it for Kimleighel....

Since Kimleighel's friend (Trevor) couldn't go boating with us Saturday because of the weather & his work, we took the boat out again today.  Thank goodness Kevin is a good sport and sacrificed his time to help us out. It was a great day.  I wish I could take the boat out during the day more often.  There aren't many people out and the water is so nice. (if only I was brave enough) hahaha

Everyone wake-boarded (except me) and Kamryn was pulled on the knee board and then we tubed. The time flies when the weather is nice and we didn't have time to do any thing else other than swim a little. The kids always enjoy just jumping in the water and swimming.  In fact, boating is how each of my kids have learned to swim.  We play in the water a lot so they aren't afraid and when they feel like it they quit using life jackets or floaties to swim and they just swim.  It's a wonderful perk to having a boat.

I have enjoyed our week of boating.....it's so fun!

Making Memories...

Willard Bay was the place we called home for a week.  I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it as much as I did.  The reason I wasn't sure is because I knew Larry was going to work everyday and I wasn't sure when the older kids & grands were coming.  It turned out wonderful!

Every day someone came up which we really looked forward to.  We boated during the day a few times when some of the big boys came that could take care of the boat.  I use to do it all back when my kids were little but we have changed boats a few times since then and I am not as confident about it these days.  It got me thinking though and I think I could if I really wanted to.  We had a blast all week.  Even the nights weren't bad as far as weather and sleeping went.  Almost every night we had a grand or two spend the night...sometimes even their parents did.  On Wednesday Night we had the most people since Trichelle and her friend, Krissie and their kids all spent the night.  The trailer was packed but I think it was comfortable. (there were 10 of us)  It was fun having them.  There were a few times Krissie asked me if I was ok.  I was and I think I must have just been thinking and remembering when Trichelle and Krissie were teenagers.  I also think I was wondering how we were all going to fit but knew we would make it work.

I really enjoyed this week and hope that we made some fun memories for the kids and grands as well. I loved spending time with each and everyone of my kids and grands and hubby.  I loved playing games with them and taking pictures of them.  I loved not having to cook or be anywhere but there with the ones that came.  I loved seeing the Orrocks out boating with their family.  I loved seeing the mountains all around us and the beautiful sky and sunsets.  (I'm sure the sunrise was nice too but I didn't see any because I enjoyed staying in bed just relaxing)

I enjoyed having to come home a few mornings too.  It was a nice little break each day and I was able to get a little laundry done which would make the clean up easier.  (I had a Doctor apt Wed and was a sub for bowling on Thurs)

 I love looking back at the pictures because they make me smile as I remember all the fun that we had.  Larry and I talked about how that was a pretty inexpensive vacation.....a stay-cation of sorts.  I would think that this might become a tradition.  No one had to miss work and was still able to enjoy some boating and family togetherness.

I believe I would even look forward to doing this again because it turned out to be so fun.  I drank a lot of pop and ate more hot dogs than normal and enjoyed some traditional boating goodies.  I didn't get up and ready like normal because I didn't have things to do or places to go.  I wore my swimming suit a lot and enjoyed playing in the water a few times. I got high centered climbing through a window because the lock on the door broke and I even had bruises on my legs showing that I "inched" my way in.  I enjoyed cleaning the trailer up because it is small enough to be done quickly.  I also was able to just read a book....a wonderful book in fact. "Heaven is Here" by Stephanie Nielsen...a memoir of her life.  A story of attitude and faith and love!

It is times like this that I am thankful for my life.  Life is mostly what you make it and with the help of my family mine is really fun and wonderful.  I am so blessed.....we all are!

A Hoorah with the Coy's

Tonya and I wanted to get our families together one more time before Alexi left for her mission and so I volunteered to have a dinner at my house.  I figured my kids and their families would be coming anyway so why not Tonya and hers.  It was fun as always.  I love the Coy Family and I love how well we all get along.  Everyone from both sides mingle and enjoy each other.  There is no segregation which is really nice.  Even the grands all play with each other.

I love each and every person that belongs to this family.  They are such wonderful people with big hearts.  They love us all as much as we love them.  They all make my life better.....truly they do.  I love watching our kids that have grown up and now have children of their own.  Tonya, Mark, Larry & I have raised some good kids.  They are good parents and have good partners.  My heart beams while I watch and visit with them.  The grands are all really great little people too....they are all kind and respectful and loving.  It's cool to see the good passed down and become even better.

Time flies when you are having fun and tonight it surely did.  Before we even realized it was after 9:00 pm and we needed to leave to get back into Willard before the gate closed which is at 10:00 pm.  I would have rather stayed and visited with this cute family but that didn't happen.

I will be forever grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing me with Tonya as my friend at such a very young age.  What a blessing she has always been to me.....a dear friend who has become family in every way.

I LOVE all the Coy's, Mocks, Lindsay's, and Shaffer's!