I Love Summer

Every spring I get somewhat overwhelmed with the thought of YARD WORK. And every Fall I think I'm done tearing out, cutting down, transplanting and adding more. Yet when the weather starts getting warm and I smell the aroma of fresh cut grass it just stimulates me and I can't wait to spend my mornings and evenings creating and turning some little corner of my yard to into a piece of Art. This Spring when Lance brought home a pile of 2x4's and a stack of windows I thought "Okay, he has finally lost it! What the heck is that stuff for?" Lance is one who loves to start projects and has little ambition when it comes to finishing them. So you can understand my Panic.
When he told me it was for a green house, well I was, ummm, lets just say, Freaked out!

Looking through books and visiting different green houses in the area and in peoples yards I got so excited at the possibilities. So the little corner in the yard has turned into the Large stretch behind the shed that will be the work of art this year.

We have already started scupting around the Rose of Sharon, transplanted all the Iris and Siberian Iris to the front of our vegetable garden which we have extended out about 10 feet.

I have transplanted all of our Chickens and Hens to the same plot of ground so that we can have a Hens garden like the picture to the right of my blog. I love that. When it is done I will post a picture.

The green house in mostly framed but put on hold because of the bad weather the past few weeks.

We have torn out the bushes in front of the big front room window...FINALLY... I hated those bushes. Too much maintanence. Now what to plant in their place?

I also love Yard Art. It is so fun. I love the old tin pots , old milk can and wire baskets all planted with flowers throughout the yard. We have a good friend , Cheryl who has a cute garden shop on 500 South right by Wendy's who we do trade with. This year we have loaded up with pansies, snap dragons, ground cover and all our vegetable plants. She has fun and amazing ideas for any ones yard.

Every year I think we will be very low key and just chill and enjoy our yard as it is and yet it just gets in my blood. Just as it did with my dad, who always had a beautiful yard. My mother was so patient to put up with his need for buying plants all summer long and spending every waking hour in the yard. Sometimes as I'm digging and planting I can feel my dad's presence. He always seems to be pleased. Thank you dad for inspiring me through the years growing up to enjoy yard work. Thank you for taking me with you to all the garden shops

enjoying all the beautiful plants and flowers.

The inside of my house always suffers in the summer months and that's okay as long as the dishes are done and the garbage taken out, we'll survive.

I love the BBQ's with family and friends and the night time fires around the fire pit. Baseball games with a good hot dog and walks around the neighborhood.

I love having the windows open at night while I sleep, feeling the summer night air. I love the 24th of July celebrations that we have every year and the fire works. I love Kiva Juice and Rainbow Snow in the summer. It's such a good thirst quencher. I love watching Cicada chase the basketball around the yard with her nose. I love watching Coleman play with the dogs on the back lawn and peaking through the fence at the neighbors dogs. I hope I will be able to enjoy him again this summer. I love camping with family and all the good food.

I LOVE SUMMER

Matchbook Baby Announcements

I loved this idea to announce a new baby. Their made from match books. I have a grandson due June 4th so I have new baby on the brain lately. I also thought of "Happy Scraps" blog. Debbie Moody, you could make these up and post them on your blog. HOW CUTE.

I HAVE A DREAM

Free Myspace Layouts

I have a dream ...

That all the money that I have put into my Social Security will still be there when I retire.

That my grandchildren will live close to each other and have the association one with another like my children had with their cousins growing up.

That my daughters never have to enter the work place.

That my boys will find that special someone who will bring about change in their lives

That Lance and I will live in a ward where our neighbors actually have lives and interests other than staring out their windows 24/7 making sure that anything we do in our yard is acceptable by their standards. That when the ward raises their hand to sustain an indiviual that they actually will support them. That when your child is disruptive and having a melt down during sacrament meeting , they take them out. When we go into the chapel to participate in the sacrament, members care to remember how many times the bishop has asked that we keep the noise down to a low roar. It's the Lords house not a reunion at the local park. That visiting teaching is more than a job with a percent attached. I know there are amazing wards out there.

That all my children will desire a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel . A desire to know of His eternal love for each one of them and allow the Atonement to work in their daily lives .

That Lance and I together with our children will be able to enter the Temple, and as a family, feel the Joy and Peace that permeate the halls of His house.

That I can be part of my grandchildrens education with home school ( pick up on that girls) and the opportunity for them to have a safe enviroment to learn.

That my boss will one day have an "Awakening" that his office staff are the ones who have made his practice the success that it is and has been for 30 years, and that we shouldn't have been treated as just a big "Expense" to him.

That my mother in law will see a change in the lives of her troubled children who have chosen a different path, before she dies.

That Lance and I will grow old together, and have a porch to sit on in the evenings of a hot summer night.

That someday I won't have to re plant my flowers 10 times. Clean up chewed pieces of whatever all over the yard. Trip over and hear snoring all night. Clean up crap and chase her off the couch a million times. That I won't have a dog!

That all my teeth will be fixed. I hate going to the dentist

I have a DREAM

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Banana Split Brownies

I found this fun dessert and tried it . Easy, fun and delicious.

Make your favorite brownies.
Cut into small squares
Slice a banana in med. thick circle
Cut stawberry in half

Put a tooth pick thru each. Melt a milk chocolate bar on low heat.
Use a fork and put into chocolate. Drizzle over each.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

PHOTO SESSION WITH MY GRANDSON COLEMAN

While I was in Oklahoma this past Febuary, Lacey gave me a wonderful Valentines gift: A photo shoot with Coleman. We went to the Oklahoma University Campus where we had a great time chasing Coleman around hoping to get some great pictures. They all turned out Amazing. Benita

Cloward is a photographer who lives in Lacey's ward. She did a great job of capturing the moment. I will cherish these pictures and thank you Lacey soooooooooo much. These are just a few of the many pictures taken.

A DRY SPELL

We finally have our computer back. Rebuilt with more hard drive and cleaned up. I've been two months without my computer. At first I went into with drawl. After a couple of weeks I started scrap booking, deep cleaning and keeping up on the laundry, "Oh there's my OU lounging pants I haven't seen for weeks, laying under a stack of towels, and a new lip gloss I bought while in Oklahoma stuffed in a pair of levis I was missing." I got to bed every night before 2:00 a.m., cooked some meals and started going back to the temple.
Being without a computer helped me see the error of my ways as to how much time I was spending Blogging, TOO MUCH!
When our kids were little and I was a stay at home mom I watched a lot of daytime TV and the kids watched afternoon cartoons for at least 2 hours a day. We decided to turn OFF the television for 1 month and spend that time as a family doing other things. We bought the kids books and art supplies. Every afternoon they would pull out their paints, crayons, markers, scissors and glue and create wonderful drawings and worked on oodles of art projects together. After a week or so we didn't miss TV all that much and realized the time spent in front of that square box was truly a waste.
I love blogging and staying up to date with Lacey and her new other blog "Shades of Gray", and seeing pictures of Coleman, but I won't be blogging like I use to and that's ok.

A GREAT LADY

A great lady in my ward passed away Sunday morning. She served as my Relief Society President for the first 5 years we lived in our ward. We never went to lunch or went on long walks. We weren't close friends but I considered her a sister in my ward whom touched my life in so many ways. She was a Giant among women and will truly be missed. I have a quote in my home from Marvin J. Ashton:
GREATNESS is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved.
Elaine Knighton was a lady of GREATNESS. She was my strength, my mentor, strenghtend my testimony and gave me hope. I will miss her presence at card making night every month, her lessons in Relief Society, her laughter at enrichment nights and her smile as I passed by her each Sunday on the back row in Sacrament. Her testimony of the Savior and His love for her in such a trying time will live on in my heart. I thank her and love her.

BLOODY MONDAY

Bloody Monday- is over
The final week of January began a blood bath for the job market. Over 71,000 more job cuts were announced on the following Monday.
At least 6 companies from manufacturing and service industries cut thousands of jobs. More than 200,000 job cuts have been announced so far this year and more than 2.6 million jobs were lost in 2008. The highest yearly job loss since 1945.
The consumer has been hit hard. Less spending equals more job loss.
Construction machinery manufacturer said that it will cut 20,000 jobs.
Pfitzer said it would cut 10% of its staff of 81,900 and close 5 of it's manufacturing plants. A second round of cuts will be the combine Pfitzer/Wyeth
staff at a 15% cut of its employees.
Sprint/Nextel, Home Depot, Texas instruments , Warner Bro. Entertainment, Microsoft, Honda, Motorola, Walgreens, Macey's, John Deere, Ethan Allen, Cigna, Hertz, Boeing, Intel and more....also having huge layoffs. It's a terrifying start to 2009.
Some time ago I started buying a case of food each time I went grocery shopping. The one thing that is hard for me to remember is WATER. Food storage is not much good to my family without water. There are so many options out there of how to store water. I think that buying water bottles by the case will be a good start until I can invest in bigger containers. Fuel is also important. Propane for the grill and a portable toilet. I know that if I'm prepared, the out dated food and all I have tried to save will have the Lords blessing and my family will be okay. Remember to pray for our President