Kaila's Baby Shower

Kaila will be having Jordan Riley in April so her friends and family gathered together to help her welcome her daughter. We came together in her Mom's beautiful home and enjoyed lunch, games, gifts and good times.

Here she is chilling out before the marathon gift opening starts. She was blessed with a plethora of gifts and I don't recall she had a duplicate in the bunch. With the help of her friends she was able to open everything in just one hour! It was fabulous.




























The haul. It took two cars to get it all home!














Sharla with her granddaughter Adeline. What an angel.














Kaila playing with her nephew Jace. He was such a happy boy the entire time.

Weight Loss Breakthrough

Anyone who knows me knows that this is my life, weight watchers and ice cream! Well I am back on weight watchers and counting points again...so......this morning my sweet husband leans down to give me a kiss. There was something different..another kiss..it had taste..another kiss. YES!!! I was not mistaken...it was chocolaty! I kissed him again and again and again......

Yes you guessed it. He had eaten a piece of the See's candy I had given him for Valentines Day. Then it hit me...I didn't have to count this as points! This is a new weight loss breakthrough for me. I get the chocolate fix without the points and I don't have to compromise on some sugar/fat/taste free chocolate. Yahoo.....Come here baby, I have some chocolate for you.

My Valentine's Surprise

I am married to the most wonderful man on earth. For Valentines Day he surprised me with a fabulous dinner, Lasagna, salad, bread and of course Martinelli's. What a thoughtful gift.

Aunt Katherine

This is my last remaining great aunt, Aunt Katherine. She lives in Las Cruces New Mexico and we visited with her for a few hours on the way home from Roswell. She is a hoot...going on 88 and pretty much still growing strong. She's a little under the weather because of a nasty fall but lives alone and keeps perking along. We took her to "Wally-Mart", as she puts it, during our visit.

Visit with Kathleen and Fam

Last weekend Richard and I went to Roswell, New Mexico to attend the funeral of my sister Kathleen's father-in-law. Here are a few pictures from the visit.

My brother-in-law, Robert.

Kathleen, here with a mask on her face because she is suspected of having Whooping Cough no less. She was diagnosed a few days before our arrival and was told to wear a mask whenever she was around people. She did a pretty good job for the most part.

My niece Sarah Dana and her two adorable children, Emma and Bob. Her husband Steven was stuck in Farmington.

Emma and Bob playing at the computer.

Emma and Bob at the cemetary. It was so windy that if they had a nuns hat they could have gone flying like the Flying Nun!

This is Kathleen's cat, Alex. Doesn't he look like the cat on Sweet Home Alabama that got blown up in the bank? You know the one I am talking about.

I've Been Tagged

I have been tagged by Dana. This means I have been challenged to post 6 quirky things about myself in the blog. I had to think long and hard on this and even asked Richard. He is smart enough to not even venture a suggestion. He told me to ask the kids. Is he crazy? I could never do that...I don't want to know what they think is quirky! So here is what I came up with on my own.

#1 I loathe whistling...it drives me up the wall. When Dana was young our next door neighbor would be in her back yard and whistle while she worked. All I wanted to do was run to the fence and ask her to just HUSH! No one can whistle in my office, I won't let them, but often I find myself whistling. Go figure.#2 I am a disorganized housekeeper. Whenever I am looking for something and can't find it I will always say, "It's Here Somewhere." It is here somewhere but often I have to buy it again because I can't locate it in my mess. When I mentioned this quirk to Richard he just burst out laughing :( I even have this book...the problem is, yes you are right, It's here somewhere.

#3 I refer to myself to my grandkids in the 3rd person. I have no idea why I do it but I do. I'll say, "Do you want Granny tie your shoe for you?" or "Can Granny get you some cereal?" You would think Granny was in the other room and not right there talking to them.




#4 I am a flag Nazi. I critique how flags are displayed and if they are not done properly then I would love to tell the person how to do it right. I never realized how vocal I was about it until I visited Dana in Orem after 9/11 and everyone was displaying flags in their yards. Dana had mentioned to Michael that I would make comments on it when I arrived for a visit. The first time we ventured out I commented on flags not being taken inside at night. It bugged me the whole visit. I just appreciate proper flag etiquette.

#5 I suffer from "You need to" syndrome. I have often been known to tell those close to me, "Well, you know you need to....." Most times I am not aware I even do this. Lucky for me someone close to me (DANA) pointed this out to me after she got married. Now I not only drive others crazy with it but I can now drive myself crazy with it. Yikes!

#6 There are two things that if they come into my life I consider a special gift or sometimes a sign from God. They are (1) beautiful clouds and (2) the music of classical composer Aaron Copeland. I just love his music ~ it soothes my soul.

Aaron

I'm Hooked

I am embarrassed to say it but yes, I am hooked on "The Office". It is dumb, mindless, inane, and well just plain stupid, but.....I can't stop watching. I need help.

Take the quiz here!

Looking Forward

With the events of this past week; losing our dear Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley and today hearing the announcement of our new Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson and his counselors, Presidents Eyring and Uchdorf, I have reflected on the joy of the gospel. Most of the joys I cherish most can be traced to this beautiful building, the Mesa Arizona Temple. Today as I drove home from work it was pouring rain. As I traveled east on 1st Ave. I looked up and saw the Temple illuminated in front by the setting sun, the dark clouds behind it and a beautiful rainbow to it's side. What image could better embody the future. Though dark clouds surround our lives we can hold them at bay and look to the future with peace and joy as we follow our Heavenly Fathers plan. I look forward to the future with optimism and great expectations for the wonderful things to come.

End of an era

Something very sad has occurred in my fair town. This restaurant, My Matta's, has decided to close down. This restaurant is where we celebrated reunions as a family. My mom and I ate here many a night. And my favorite; this is the restaurant Richard took me to on our first date. I am not the only person mourning it's loss. This can be called "The Place" for the LDS people here. Matta's is where you went after you received your first temple endowments and then where you went for dinner after an evening session. It is a landmark that I will greatly miss.

Christmas in January????

I have had the letters to do this Christmas project for no less than 5, yes FIVE, years! This January I was able to buy more wrapping paper and found some that I thought would be great on the letters for the look I wanted. So.....here is the finished product. I can't wait to display them on the mantle with some greenery. They turned out just as I hoped they would. I have also seen these with ribbons and they hang off of a shelf. Cool huh?On a side note, I have this theory about Christmas wrapping paper that apparently after talking to Dana I have passed on to her. I have a container for my paper. I can only have enough Christmas wrap that will fit in the container. So....I was ecstatic this year when I had BIG presents to wrap. Yes...you guessed it. It meant I could buy more paper. I love Christmas Wrap!!!. And yes, Richard thinks I am nuts, though he does enjoy the colorful event.