My New Life Video

On this Mother's Day weekend, enjoy this wonderful tribute to an amazing lady:

Sunshine and Cheer

The weather around here the past few weeks has been a little crazy.  
80 degrees one day, snow the next.
Even the old-timers around here are shaking their heads in wonder.

Emotional ups and downs seem to go right along with the craziness in the weather.

I don't know whether it's the desire for being outdoors, lack of Vitamin D or what, but it seems each week that someone in our family has a bad day. 

The trick seems to be; to take TURNS!  

I came across these quotes, which I've printed and put on my fridge.
I thought others might enjoy them as well:


"Of course there are times of sorrow. Of course there are hours of concern and anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord has told us to lift our hearts and rejoice. I see so many people . . . who seem never to see the sunshine, but who constantly walk with storms under cloudy skies. Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine" ~Gordon B. Hinckley

"We came into this life for experience, and that's all we can take out of it. Thank God we have the right to decide personally and individually what we shall do. The future belongs to those who know what to do with it. We must look forward to the unknown with optimism and confidence; look to tomorrow with happy expectancy, realizing that with God's help we can do all things. We need to constantly build faith in ourselves and those about us. We need to personally make dark days brighter. Isn't it a joy, a lift, a light, to see someone with heavy challenges and burdens moving forward to victory in the only contest that really matters!~ Gordon B. Hinckely


And this great one as well:

Cheerfulness and content are great beautifiers and famous preservers of good looks. - Charles Dickens
 

 

Sunday Moments

 

Today, during church, my little one held my hand, like she usually does.  She also gave me a big kiss afterward, before we rose to leave the chapel.  
It's her ritual...and I'm not complaining!

Today, though, as I inspected her ever-growing hand, I noticed that her fingernails were a little dirty.   Somehow we managed Friday night bath but missed it for Saturday. And Saturdays happen to be big play-outdoors days.

She, too, noticed her dirty nails. She innocently held up her middle finger nail to show me it was the dirtiest.  

This brought back memories of another Sunday, sitting in church.
It was an extra fun day as Granny was attending with us, along with my nephew and niece.   The cousins were all happy to be sitting next to one another.


During the hymn, my middle daughter shared a book with her cousin and skimmed the words with her finger.   Her middle finger.  
Aah, the sweet innocence of my little girl....quickly shattered by her cousins; who began to giggle.  She was obviously confused, so her cousin told her that was a bad finger to use.  
I immediately leaned over to control the damage and quiet the giggles.  I whispered to my girl that I would explain it later, but some people had made up that holding up just your middle finger was bad.  It was silly and I would tell her about it later.  

Thinking all was settled, I didn't look over for a few more minutes.  When I did, I was in for a shock.

For there was my little girl, 6 years old at the time, doing something unthinkable!
Thinking she had found some privacy by turning her back to us and facing the back of the pew; she was practicing slowly putting up her middle finger and slowly putting it down.  Over and over.  As if it was a powerful act.


Picture the little girl, concentrating on the power of that finger. So into her own little world and thinking she was 'alone' that she failed to notice she was facing the row of families behind us.   
They had a full view of her doings.  And were doing their best to not laugh out loud. 
If it had been my first child or second or third even, I probably would have died on the spot.  However, that day, I almost burst out laughing, too.  I quietly covered her little hand with my own and gently turned her around to sit properly.

Later, we discussed the silliness of someone making up that one of our fingers could be bad.  We talked about our amazing hands and what they can do.  
.....and that it's not appropriate to hold that one up by itself, now that she knew.

Lesson learned. 

Pretty Good Day

T

The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the squirrels and deer frolicking.

Kids got their school work done in a timely manner.... and were still on good enough terms to play together afterward.  : )

The dogs played games with their number one girl,

                           The hens sunned themselves,

Francesca or 'Frenchie' as we call her,  watched everything from her deck perch.

And Chuck  got scratched in all the right spots!

Can't you tell?  It was a pretty darn  good day!

Love One Another

A wonderful Sunday message: