Quick Tidbits

"let me help you"

Uh, are they really cousins...
same sunblock, sisters for moms,
yet.....he gets no sun,
she can't avoid it!

Traveling, while fun, can WIPE YOU OUT!!!, ...or maybe it was the heat!!!

We are only just outside of week one, behind on week two, and looking forward to week three [when Brian will join us in Oregon.]

We came home with a very sick little Samuel. His ears were bleeding terribly by Saturday night. Ear Canal Infections...some drops, and he was even up and to Sacrament meeting....missed primary but feeling well enough to walk to church.

But...by Monday he was crying all the time, hadn't slept for pain, and really feeling worse. I was able to manage his pain but by Tuesday morning he was worse, fevering and had really no sleep for pain. He is finally on some medication to hopefully clear up what turned into Eustachian tube infections, and with a day of rest behind us we will be on our way to beloved Fish Lake.

We had a wonderful time in Arizona with Suzanne, Kevin and Natalie. We feel blessed to have so much time with family this summer. Although we missed the Steele Days Parade and the fun of seeing cousins, we have next year....and baby blessings, showers, weddings....we hope to see you all more often.

While we were in Arizona we stopped in to see the Webber family, they have children who are my childrens friends for life. Staci has had another baby, two weeks ago, what a treat to hold him and visit her. His name is Luke and when I get to downloading all my pictures I will post a couple. Their family is growing up so much and looks peaceful and happy there.


Oh, and by the way....Clarissa got glasses. She doesn't need them terribly bad but they will help her with concentrating on the fine print [chalkboards] starting Junior High. I think she looks darling!


PS: my 20 YEAR Class Reunion is Saturday....um, when did I grow old? er...up???

Hellos, Good-byes, and Sisters ♥

handsome...who knew I would marry a prince?



see ya later's and see ya soon's....
on the road again...
...and again....and again....

Did I hear someone say
ROAD TRIP?????

Who doesn't love a ROAD TRIP!!!!

Sisters are not always those......
who share the same last name

Sisters are sometimes ones
who love you just the same.

Me and [some of] my sisters! LUCKY

A part of me is sad as I sit to write this. My daughter doesn't have a formal sister. She has me, and I try to do the things that a girl would want to do with a sister. We fight, we do sleepovers, we do mommy daughter dates, we do pedicures, we eat popcorn and watch movies, we kick daddy out of our room and have all night fun raiding the refridgerator....we write letters back and forth, keeping a journal together, we text one another, we take walks, we ride bikes [well, once], we take trips together....is it enough. I love her dearly, but I can not give her a sister. She has three brothers, need I say more?Well, what I am writing for is to say, hiatus ... I will be gone for three weeks. Off to visit my sister, with my sister.... a trip of the girls, a spa, a resort....yes, the boys are coming along, but I am pretty sure we can lose them....while we get our hair, nails, massages.....hmmmmmm....


So, this is a shout-out to my darling niece....hey Nat-nat....we are on our way, and I have some surprises for you...We almost had to tie the boys to the roof rack to bring you all your surprises. So, see you SOON!!!!



I love you Sister, almost there....

I am a sister;
by blood, foster, love, by birth.
I am blessed!

My sister, my best bud ♥

oh....and about the good-bye part....

I am sure going to miss you Mr. B.

Uncle Jake and Aunt Alicia!

Happy Jake is here Day!!!

I have to believe that the ORB
in this picture is watching
over my crazy TEENAGER!!!

Yes...he landed it!!!

Pure Heaven

hAppY HoUR!!!
5-6-7-8-9

Happy 07-08-09

It is 05:06 am on 07-08-09

anybody up yet!!!!

Just wanted to wish you
a happy holli.....DAY!

Tuesdays Tears...

When did this happen???

WARD CAMPOUT PICTURES

...are posted on my Facebook. If you can not access this, and would like to, leave a comment....(you must have a facebook account to look at the pictures). I will post some photos here soon...but it is much easier to post HUNDREDS of pictures on Facebook. [I should get paid for that plug...sorry Blogger.] ENJOY!!!

Warranties and Freedom

Okay, so....

Note about what you are about to read...

Here your have a rambling:

[which you can skip and just read the closing:
a rhetoric from Jeremy's
antics today....or both!!!
...you choose!]

RAMBLING:
I have been thinking about warranties since I posted about warranties last Wednesday. Thanks for the comments...occasionally I get the chance to check my email...and so even if I miss blogging for a while I know that you have been here and that you have appreciated something I wrote.

Warranties and Freedom...

Really, they do have something to do with each other. They both guarantee that something will be salvaged from something that is broken.

Today my heart and mind are full of thoughts...as Frances Scott Key wrote our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, I imagine that he was feeling desperate and yet hopeful.

These are the feelings that I have. ...often.

These feelings cause a person to grow immeasurably.

Frances Scott Key was an American Lawyer and Poet. He happened to be on an English ship when other ships fired on Fort MeHenry. As the fort returned fire the battle lasted through the night.

Frances Scott Key waited through the night, anxiously I imagine.

As sunrise came the Stars and Stripes waved proudly. The fort had held out. It was then that his heart being full found prose in his pen.

Freedom...something that others fought
for that we gratefully appreciate, or do we?

Do our hearts pound with gratitude when we see the flag?

Do we show respect to those who have served in the military?

Do we question our leadership, yet take no action on our own to lead?

Our Freedom is quite possibly the most incredible blessing that we have.

In the LDS church it is freedom that allowed the gospel to rise up. To bring the power of the priesthood into our homes, for our use and for our reverence.

In all our lives Freedom allows us to choose when to speak, how to speak, what to speak about.

We can raise our children freely, and safely.

We can vacation, we can plant a garden, we can walk down the streets of our individual cities and know that we CHOSE to live there.

We can pray and sing, dance, laugh, skateboard, swim, ski, golf, read books of our own choice, shop, draw, paint, get an education, buy food and clothing, dress how we like.

We can love our loved ones freely, with passion, with happiness; we can smile.

Sounds a lot like a warranty. We can do all these things, we have the freedom to do these things. If something doesn't work out quite right, we have a warranty that says....try it again, maybe this time...

I thought more deeply about warranties...the warranty that the Savior gave us. The Atonement. This gift we freely access, to better our lives, to alleviate our guilt, to bring us peace and hope, happiness...and those smiles, smiles we can share with others.

so...HAVE A HAPPY...SMILE...TODAY :-)



the RHETORIC I promised:


After church on Fast Sundays the best way that we have found to pass some time is journaling feelings from Sundays meetings and reading some of the Church Magazines together...

Jeremy, at only 8, gets a small snack after he journals. Today here is what he wrote [which gave me a huge smile, and at the expense of ruining my future relationship with him I am sharing it with you...

...please NO COMMENTS to little Jer Bear at church....or the expense will be that he will stop being so darn cute out of FEAR that I will BLOG IT!!!]


jEREMy'S jOUrNAL...jULy 5, 2009

"Today was fast Sunday. I was really sweaty.

Although I had fun!!!

*I am thankful for freedom.

and that we can be together forever."


Oh boy is he so sweat....or I mean SWEET!!!