New Year Committment FINALLY

I have finally quit thinking about it and have made up my mind to join Weight Watchers and go to the meeting at Cottage Grove on Tuesdays at five PM in the evening. It is a good meeting and only fifteen minutes away so it will be nice for me. I won't like the evening meeting as I will be getting out in the dark for awhile, but it is okay and will be nice for the Spring and Summer and is only dark for a few months in the Winter. So I have also decided to go back to TOPS which meets on Wednesdays and I really enjoy the women of that club, it is out in Thurston, but really worth the drive, as they are all such fun people. This club has a big group of KOPS which are the girls that have kept off the pounds sensibly. I truly always learn a lot and get to laugh a lot with them. However I do need the discipline of the WW. So I will try to attend both. It only costs a quarter a meeting for tops so it is really worth it to me. There are other costs if you want to take part in those and sometimes I will and others I won't  I will also be walking in the water each day down at the club   It is the best exercise for me as it is the easiest on my joints.  I am sad tonight, as it has been Tanner's baptism and we are not able to be there with all of you. I know it was wonderful and I wished we had lots of money so we could just jet over for all of these special things. We missed Rebecca'a sealing and we will miss Gracie's baptism also :-( don't get old as it makes things harder to do and is a pain. I wish I had the body of my young years when I ran around the block if I felt like it and danced with grandpa all night if wanted to. I do miss those things sometimes. But alas if I were young again I wouldn't have all of you, so I think I should be content with what I have and be grateful for all of my blessings which I truly am. I am so thankful for all of my wonderful grandchildren and great ones, you are all such a blessing to me. I love you all so much.  WISH ME LUCK AND PRAY FOR ME.  HUGS AND KISSES

2013 I Can't Believe It Is Really Here

So it is really getting to be almost a couple of weeks into the new year and I still haven't settled completely into a committment for my resolutions. I will be trying to get some of this weight off, How is the big QUESTION, Thinking about joining WW, but still thinking... I have been doing my exercises more or at least walking in the water more often. The pool was closed because the pump was broken and had to be replaced this week so I got a little behind this week. But onward and upward, so I will be going tomorrow. Usually don't go on a Saturday, but we will go this week. We had a really quiet but nice Christmas, we went to Judy's and Fairy's for Sunday and spent Christmas with them then. Drove up to Vancouver on Sat. and spent the night with Debbie and then on Monday Am went to the coast to spend Christmas with Sharon and Steve. I missed seeing all of you kids but that is to be expected of course and I know that your parents really missed you. We had quite an exciting time the week before as I was baking and making my usual candy etc and the first thing was the light over the marble slab started to POP really loud, and then I realized it was falling down and getting ready to go onto the slab. Got it before it happened but it needed to be replaced, which grandpa did, no sweat then.... Shooting the cookies out of the cookie gun and it died.... so all of the cookies had to be done by hand. Everything goes well for awhile and then.... the microwave quits I look it up and it is 11 years old, so we run down to Bi-mart and replace it. Only a hundred dollars soooooo we are doing well and the next things that blow are a breaker that has two plugs in the kitchen on it. Well we get all of this fixed and go off for Christmas and when we return it is great to get home and grandpa decides to have his usual ice cream, but the carton is really soft, and guess what the freezer is not working properly, in fact the fridge is only working on the bottom half and that isn't really cold enough. Now to tell the truth Ed has hated this fridge every since we bought it at Sears years ago. It isn't 2o years old yet it is 12, but the icemaker hasn't worked well since we got it and no one could ever repair it and no matter what Ed did it never worked well, so as far as he is concerned we can just get a new one, as it is a pile of you know what. So Ed looks it over and says it is the compressor and then he calls a repair man and it is going to cost at least 600.00 to repair it and that doesn't include the ice maker so you guessed it...... we go looking around for a new one. Long story short, we bought one from Fergussons the supply house grandpa works with for all of his plumbing materiels. They have a floor model there that is a Kitchen Aid an energy star and a really nice stainless steel one to match my other kitchen appliances. We got a really great deal on it we paid about a third of what the thing retails for. Plus we get a rebate for the energy star and 40.00 for our old fridge, which the company hauled away. A great deal, but I wasn't planning on getting a new fridge for Christmas sigh.... I do have a new Iphone because Sharon gave me money for Christmas, B-day and Mom's day so I paid the rest, However I am still learning how to use it and I am slow.... it is a learning curve. I will get it I am sure, but all of you guys can text me and send me videos pictures and etc. I do know how to do that and you all know my number so I will look forward to hearing from you. I am planning on taking a quilting class at the end of the month. I love you all and wish you a happy and great new year.

Where Did The Last Five Months Go?

It has been a long time since I have blogged. I usually talk about planting my garden, and how it is going. I haven't had very good luck with the peppers or tomatoes this past year, But the beans,lettuce, squash, and onions, have all done well. I canned about 30 pints of beans from a small patch 3 feet by 4 feet. The lettuce has gone to seed. I haven't harvested the onions, I hope they will keep, after I harvest them. Last year my onions lasted until after Christmas. This year I grew the walla walla sweet ones, and I am told they don't keep as well as the yellow ones I grew last year. I take comfort in the fact that my neighbor's tomatoes aren't doing very well this year either, so I think it has been a poor year for them. May also brought some distressing news about my pacemaker/defibrillator that I have. The leads which are attached to my heart through a vein in the heart, have been recalled. Now I was told that it was dangerous to remove them, but the insulation that covers part of the wire could cause problems by coming apart there are three wrappings around these wires. Needless to say I have prayed and thought about this a great deal. I talked to my primary care doctor, and my cardiologist. I looked on the Internet, and that just made it worse. So I decided to get another opinion about it from another cardio doctor. Come to find out my leads at least 2 of them are NOT the Reita brand, and the other needs to be checked a little closer. The FDA wanted to have the cardio docs do a screening every 3 months, and the doctors said what about all of the radiation that the patient is exposed to??? Needless to say the FDA doesn't always think things through. Long story short, mine seems to be working perfectly, according to the ST. Jude technician and he monitors it every 6 months or so anyway. Whew! I decided to quit spending my time being concerned about it. I have about three and one half years left on the pacemaker. When it is worn out they will leave the leads if they are still working properly and put in a new device. We had a wonderful Mothers day party by Nicole, and a birthday party for grandpa by Crystal. I didn't realize they were going to do it. We had my b-day in June and it was great and Sharon and Steve gave us tickets to go to the Williamette Country Music Festival, which was in early August. For the month of July the highlight was the Arnold Family Reunion, which we attended over the 4th and it was really wonderful. We so enjoyed seeing all of our grandchildren and the great grandchildren, not to mention the fireworks, and the great food. So fun. Then home again, jiggity jig and it was kind of a cool month so things namely tomatoes didn't grow. I have been sewing and finished a bed cover for my bed, it is king sized remember and it is really beautiful if I do say so myself. I used the blocks granny Grace gave me years ago. I had it quilted and I worked on it for part of last year and finished it in Feb. I want to make some drapes for the window in the bedroom to match, haven't gotten to it yet. Back to the music festival, it was held in Brownsville which is 26 miles from Eugene, on a big working ranch up there, it was a lot of fun, and it came the middle of August in the hottest heat wave we have had in years, record temperatures of 100 degrees or more, and it was HOT and the sun was out in full force. We drove up each day as the places to stay were all filled in Brownsville( pop a little over 3,000) so very small motel. We went up as it was so hot in the afternoon and had big hats, and lots of sunblock, no shade except for my umbrella. We got to see a lot of really nice shows, the first night Sugarland late at nine, they were okay, although not as good as I expected them to be. The gates opened at 1:00 and the opening was at 6:45 and then we saw Rodney Atkins for an hour and he was my favorite for Friday. Saturday we saw Lee Brice, he is fantastic I loved him. He has written lots of hits. Then Billy Currington he was really great, another songwriter/performer then a special for the heart gallery for foster kids really touching, then on to Martina McBride, she is truly wonderful and it was her first time in Oregon and she couldn't say enough about the beautiful scenery here. Wonderful composer and perfect performer. The next day which was Sunday, we went to church and drove up and saw Amy Clawson really great, then the Band Perry, which I had never heard of, but they were the best rock a billy band I have ever heard, truly amazing. Two brothers and a sister, plus their band, and they all played something also, The sister sang and was joined by her brothers for harmony. They were really great. Big Trace Adkins came last to close out the festival, he is everything that you see on TV, but almost electric on stage, so sincere and just really a sweet man. He is really as unselfish and giving as he appears to be, a true patriot, and a wonderful performer, he really gave us our money's worth. I really loved being there, it took me a few days to recoup, but it was worth it. I would've liked it to be a little cooler. We were grateful we went, thank you Sharon and Steve for the tickets, and they treated us so well, carrying our stuff, chairs,water, food for snaking umbrella and etc for us each day., plus we parked right in front of one of the entrances, with not too far to walk. My summer has been really good, except for the few issues that I have dealt with, but all and all I am doing quite well for my age. We lost my younger Sister in the Spring, and I wrote about her in the little Nellie Blog, however her funeral was truly amazing, such beautiful music, and great talks. The luncheon was amazing, and the tables were beautiful, there were pictures of my sister and her family everywhere. It was beautiful, and they made bookmarks for all who attended courtesy of Jon and Deb Sherry's son and daughter in law. It was a wonderful celebration of her life. Sherry planned all of the talks, and music. I love you all till next time.

Conference, and all of the things that have been going on the last couple of month.

Well it has been awhile since I posted, and will try to catch up with this post. I loved all of the conference talks this time. I felt like a lot of the talks were for me. I have been struggling with a few things and I got a lot of answers from the talks. I will need to study them in more depth so I really understand them. I already made one decision and that is to quit my FaceBook game of FrontierVille. I have gotten caught up in it and it has just gotten a lot more time consuming than I want to take out to play it. I just don't need to waste time doing it anymore, I have a lot more things to do with my time. I need to block it from my FB page but I don't know how, but I have a friend that I am sure will tell me as she did the same thing. I have had a lot of trials this past few months, first I got the colon problem, then I got vertigo, and on top of that my back really got into a kink. I think I pulled a muscle really, at least that is what we decided went wrong as it comes and goes a lot, it gets better and then I move a certain way or turn over in the bed and it starts over:-( it is getting better now, but still is annoying sometimes and hurts. I have been on a colon cleanse and yeast killing diet for the past two months. I haven't had any sugar or gluten or white potatoes, rice, or pasta. She added legumes and brown rice a couple of weeks ago. I have lost about 15 pounds and my joints feel better. I went to a Naturopathic doctor as I didn't want to have surgery on my colon. She is working with me to get my colon healthy again. It has been a challenge sometimes, but my colon feels better and I haven't gotten anymore bacterial infections in it. I talked to a lot of people that have had the surgery, and then they either have to do it again or they have to take antibiotics a lot. That is what I want to avoid, so that is why I have been so faithful on this diet. It has been hard at times, but I don't miss the sugar as much as I do the nice white loaves of french bread and pizza. I do miss chocolate and sometimes I think about it and then I remember what surgery entails and it is easy to let it go. Ed aka, grandpa and dad has been doing a little struggling or his own, too he has had a lot of depression and went to the doctor and is on a new medicine that seem to be helping him a lot. He is working too hard as usual. He will be 80 at the end of May on the 29th, so I think he is entitled to be tired. I am working with a physical therapist for the vertigo, learning how to have better balance, and to use my eyes to balance with not my ears. I didn't realize that our ears, are such a large part of the balance we have. I tell all of you stay young, and don't grow mature (I refuse to say older) cause it isn't easy sometimes. I want all of you to know that I am so proud and happy to have all of you for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. You are such a wonderful part of my life and I love you all so much.

The Holidays And Happy New Year!

I posted in October so I guess it is time to do a little writing and reporting so we have some history and all of you folks know what is happening in our lives and what we are doing. I usually have a fun time with Sharon in October, as we celebrate her Birthday and go to the Temple shop and enjoy some time together, but this October we had a wonderful event, as Miss Maddie made her appearance in our lives and brought a lot of blessing for all of us. She is so precious and sweet, with the spirit that all new babies bring, coming from Heavenly Fathers Arms to all of ours. They bring such a wonderful spirit to our homes and we love them so much. So Sharon was with Amy and Mike in California and helping them out, so we went later the next month. met up with Judy, and later had a wonderful lunch with Jess, Crystal, and little Cora Jean, it was so neat to see them and hug and talk with Cora. She is a sweet baby also and reminds me so much of Crystal as she has the same big eyes and fat little cheeks to kiss. She is eight and half months old now. Her eyes are brown like Jess and Judy but big and round like Crystal's. Time passes so swiftly for me now and it seems like yesterday, when Amy and Crystal were little and now they are grown married women. November brought a lot of cold weather to the valley but was dry with sunny cold days. We went to the coast and had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Sharon and Steve, though quiet as all of the kids are pretty far away now. Sharon and I made a wonderful dinner and I made the most delicious chocolate cheesecake, it was yummy. I forgot to mention that I had been sewing all summer on a quilt for my king sized bed. Granny Grace had given me a lot of printed blocks that I kept around for a long time, and one afternoon I decided to do it and so I got them out and started it. A big project and a beautiful one, it turned out really well and though lots of work, fits the bed really well and looks wonderful. It is in pinks, green, and purples, and Cathy helped me with it or I don't think I would have ever finished it, it is so large, It hangs at least 2 feet all the way around it. I love it. Cathy's sister had given her a pillow case for her birthday and so she and I decided to sew some for her kids and grand children and I sew some for a few of mine, mostly the great ones. Although I made a few for grands. I made a dozen and Cathy sewed 16 so we sewed a few. It was fun, and I got started in early November on them and then I decided to make Christmas quilts for the Arnold clan, and Crystal, as they were all married, It was a lot to do but I would've made it but I got sick with a really nasty cold, it started late Thanksgiving night and I got to the doctor the following Tuesday and I had a lot of infection in my lungs plus asthma:-( and had a lot of meds an inhaler, plus something for my cough. I have never coughed so hard in my life. So this lasted for 10 days and I didn't sew a stitch, it was depressing. I was so upset, but I got better and started in again, but decided to sew some of the quilts this summer, I got the three oldest done. I sewed until early in the morning a few days. I also made candy with Nicole and her friend Shane. We made a LOT of stuff, and the next week-end we made some cookies. It was a lot of cooking. I made some truffles that were to die for, and I will post the recipe on the blog later so you will all have it, per your mom's request. I think I made about 15 lbs of candy and several batches of cookies. Still it wasn't as much as I have made in the past. I took a lot of it to Sharon's for Christmas, they all loved it. I gave a lot away, and I took the rest a huge tray loaded to a wedding reception on New year's eve. It had been frozen, and there was a lot left and I gave it all away, as I didn't want anymore of it around. I am glad it is gone. I have gained 3 pounds, and I need to lose it again. We had a wonderful Christmas with Steve, Sharon, and the grandchildren and all of the great ones. We left before Megan, Greg, and Scarlet got there, and so they stopped for a visit with us on the way home. It is always wonderful to have Scarlet, she is so alive and happy, not to mention cute! She usually comes in smiling, but she had been asleep so she took awhile to wake up, but she was really happy when she left, smiling and kissing and waving good-bye, she is so beautiful. So much fun and we do appreciate the effort that Megan and Greg make to come so we can spend time with them. It is a good place to stop so Scarlet can run around and relax a bit from all of the car riding. She loved the kitty, Trapper, I guess she loves dogs too. She really talks a lot now. So Very sweet. I forgot to mention that in early December on the 9th Grandpa and I had our 59th anniversary and went to dinner and saw the play The Sound Of Music on the stage, it was wonderful and we had such a great time. I have a hard time believing we have been married that long. Well I think 2012 is here and we all have goals and plans to fulfill, they talked about that in Sacrament on Sunday, I really enjoyed the talks and the RS lesson which all went together and talked of those things. I love you all and I wish you all a wonderful and Happy and Healthy New Year. God Bless Love you all

So Little Summer

I think we had a really short growing season this past year. Everything was really late and my tomatoes never really did a lot. I had a few off my 3 plants but only a few. Some of my friends at church grew a lot, and some gardens just didn't produce. Now it is raining and supposed to rain all week, it started on Sunday. They said on the news today that we only had 3 weeks of real growing weather. I was very fortunate to get a lot of beans, lettuce, onions, garlic, cucumbers, and summer squash. My basil did well, but a lot of the herbs didn't. I had lots of cucumbers, and made a few jars of pickles. I canned applesauce about 39 pints and I made lots of jam and jelly. I can't eat the seeds anymore, so I took all of the blueberries and made syrup, the strawberries and made jelly, also all of the blackberries also. I think I made around 50 half pints of Jelly and jam. It took me 2 days. It is beautiful and tastes really good, I made it with twice as much fruit or juice as sugar so it is really fine. I froze about 20 bags of beans, and I canned 21 pints of pears. I didn't do peaches this year, as Costco had a great buy on some canned in juice and organic, so I bought those, they are yummy. Our apple tree didn't do anything this year so I needed to buy the apples, but we usually eat all of the applesauce I make, as we eat it on waffles, and pancakes instead of syrup and it tastes really good. I read a really good book and would recommend it to you if you are interested. It is called The Help, and they made a movie also, it was really good too. It is about the black maids told from their prospective in the sixties in the south, really true to life at that time. We got to visit our friends in Grants Pass in July and so we drove on down to Medford and saw Megan, Greg, and Scarlet. It was a really fun trip, and the baby is so sweet and cute. A real keeper, as doctor Meyn used to say. When Rebecca was 16 months old she came to our house to visit and Sharon and I took her to see Sharon's doctor when she was growing up. He was a children's doctor and Rebecca only had an MD in Wyoming so Sharon wanted to take her to the specialist. He checked her over very carefully and pronounced that she was cute, petite, really sweet and If he was us he'd keep her, so after that all of the Arnold kids grew up as keepers. So I think Scarlet is a keeper for sure. I know this is a pretty boring post but since it had been so long I thought I would let you know what is going on with us here. I miss the old days when all of you were growing up and I got to see you all of the time. But those days are gone and of course we all move on and have to grow up. I haven't really decided whether of not to have the surgery on my colon, I am still thinking and praying about it. I would appreciate it if all of you would pray for me to make the right choice and do whatever I need to do. I am working on my weight again, which is also a bore. I love all of you.

Catching up My Birthday and The Garden

Summer that fleeting thing here in Oregon finally has come in the final days of August. Not the usual summer for us, we usually have pretty hot weather by now, but the days have been pleasant and hasn't gotten up to 90 degrees YET?? I have seen it like this before way back in the late sixties we had a summer like this one and the camping was really sad and the water skiing was worse! We had snow that winter of 69 so high and for almost a week and the summer was cold. This summer has been cold also, so I guess mother earth is getting back at us. The garden had a hard time starting this year, I have picked lettuce, beans, cucumbers and squash. The yellow crook-necked ones haven't produced yet. It is behind also and there are lots of green beans, left on the vines and I pray that they will continue. The farmers have complained about the late harvest here. Ed put the small AC in and that has kept us pretty cool. I miss all of the girls and having a camper. We used to have such a really great time camping when the kids were growing up. On my birthday this year we decided to go to Portland and see Jake and his band play at Doug Fir club. It was really something, and we enjoyed it so much. It is hard to believe they are so good and Jake has a great voice and so much presence. Everything was so much fun that night. When it was over and we were going back to the car Judy and I, a young woman stopped me and said " I just have to know the story behind your attending this concert what is it? I replied thinking she had seen him many times. I said that young man with top hat on that is our grandson. Jake Arnold do you know him? She says I knew that had to be a reason for you to be there, with all of the young people so I wondered what the story behind your being there. I asked her if she knew any of the people in the band and had she seen them before? Actually she replied that we simply stopped by as we heard the music, my friends and I some of us are from Portland and some of us are from Bend, we are attending a bachelorette party for one of my cousins that is getting married this week-end and I am from the Bend area. We just loved Jake and the band, they were so good we really loved Jake. Hope we get to see them again. Earlier that week Sharon and I went to the Temple and did lunch at the Olive Garden she treated me as it was my birthday week, so sweet of her. I really enjoy my trips to the Temple with my daughter they are special and the highlight of my month. I have one more thing to talk about, I am going to have some surgery on my colon this next month or so and pray I get better by Christmas. I have an infection in my colon as I have said earlier and have been taking a lot of antibiotics for these past few weeks and it has taken a told toll on me and my strength. It has been a pain for awhile and the doctor says it will eventually abscess and we don't want that to happen so they will try to do it laparoscopy and cut the diseased part out and then re-connect the colon and I should be as good as new. I have been on a low fiber diet for so long, and I can't eat any kind of salad and lots of fruits I can't have, so it is hard. Nothing with seed in it and no nuts etc. I am not whining but I do miss all of the berries this past year, and tomatoes, some of my most favorite things:-( so hard. Well enough of my troubles, I love you all and I pray for your continued health and happiness. Oh yes one more thing Ed and I have been reading the Book Of Mormon this past ninety days, a challenge from our new Bishop, It has just reminded me of how true the Gospel is again, it is such a testimony building thing and so true. How wonderful this gospel of ours is and how blessed we are to have these wonderful scriptures. Hugs to you all and may all of your days be pleasant.

Stupid Sickness and My Garden

I have been sore down deep in my left side deep in the groin area for a few weeks off and on. It got so bad on Sunday that I didn't go to church, and bless Ed because he made me call the doctor about the pain on Monday. My doctor wasn't in of course, they are never around when you need them, but I spoke with Dr. Bechemi's nurse and she called me back within the hour and said she wanted me to go to urgent care that evening, because she didn't have time, so I said why couldn't I just wait for my doctor on Tuesday, but NO she said it was important for me to be seen that day. So we went to urgent care and I got to see an internist there, and it was good that I did. I was about 36 hours from having a full blown infection in my colon, from one of the little pockets catching a seed and it had grown into an infection:-( bah and darn!!! If that had happened I would have been in the hospital for a week to ten days because these infections, can turn septic and make the body have a real problem. I would have been one miserable girl, so I am thankful for the husband that insisted that I go, and wouldn't let me put it off anymore. Sometimes I think he listens to the spirit better than I do. It was important for me to get on the medication so the doctor told me to get down to the pharmacy quickly as it was 9:45 by then and they close at 10:00, so we run down to Walgreen's on Coburg road and get two antibiotics and I came home and took some. Amazing stuff as I haven't been able to sit down except very carefully for a few days and today I feel almost like my old self. The hardest thing was drinking a liquid diet for 24 hour period, and now to stay on a bland diet for the next month or so. Which means, I can't have anything like salad, fresh veggies and fruit,no wheat bread etc. That part is a pain, but at least I feel so much better. I don't think I will be eating very many berries in the future, as I sure don't want this to happen again. This makes me sad, as that is one of my favorite things, along with tomatoes, and if I do eat these things I need to remove the seeds from tomatoes and puree the berries. Oh well things could be worse, as Fairy my sister in law can't taste anything anymore, I think that would be much worse. I was in town today to weigh in and so I took advantage to go to the Coldwater Creek store and buy a jacket and then I got a pair of jeans FREE and these are the best jeans, they are knit and cut perfect so they fit like a glove and are so comfortable. I have a pair of black ones I got on sale and now I have an indigo blue pair, I am so happy and they were free. Everyone loves the black ones on me, so now I have blue ones. Anyway by the time I got home today, I was exhausted and so I had to lay down and have a short nap ahhhh so great. The sun was out in full today and the day was warm and beautiful. I went outside and dug in my boxes planted some squash, tomatoes, cukes, peppers, flowers, and a few herbs. Ed said it looks like a garden out there. I really love planting and digging in the dirt, and I especially love the convenience of having them right outside my door. I am able to watch them grow, and water them so easily as Ed put a little irrigation system in each of them. Tomorrow it is supposed to get up to 70 degrees yay I could just dance and it isn't going to rain until Sunday and I pray that this forecast is correct. I am so tired of the rain this year, it seems like it has rained most all the days since spring began, even the Red Guard said yesterday on the front page that is isn't our imagination it really has been a WET spring this year. I love you all God Bless Hugs and Kisses

Mother's Day and Texas

My daughter Sharon said I didn't blog anymore, and so I wrote a short one after I had visited with them and guess what? The blasted thing just disappeared on me, after I had saved it. I don't know what happened, it just left.... Oh well I will attempt to do another and hope I don't lose this one. We went to Texas to visit with my folks down there, and we had a great time. It was relaxing, but tiring also. I saw my sisters, Sherry the one recovering from the cancer trauma. She is doing well and is still on chemo, which means that every other week she is sick and miserable. It effects her stomach for about 5 to 7 days. She is amazing actually, never complains about it and says it is what it is. We got to see all of Sherry's sons and Jon's new woman, he is marrying on the 7th of June. They are being sealed, I don't know if they applied before the new rule, but they must have, as they don't have to wait for a year. We were able to visit with Marie and Gene and all of their children that live there in Austin. There is a lot of them, all are married and have children, except Becky and her husband. So there were lots of small ones and fun, fun,fun. They were so very cute. Steven her youngest son has a small daughter about 4 and she is so precious. Pressley is her name, and she is the quietest of the bunch. Dimples on both cheeks, and naturally curly hair. We didn't get to see Chris and his family, as they live in UT, and Cary and his family are in Dallas. We spent Easter with Marie's family and they are the same as the rest of us lots of food, glorious food. We had lots of Texas Bar-B-Que, and it was the same as ever, yummy! We had a couple of Tex-mex meals and they were still great. I just had a heart attack, I did something and thought I had lost this post. I found it thank you Lord. We got home and it was such a blessing to come home and it wasn't raining, yay I wanted to dance to see the sun up there in the sky. Stayed home and went to sewing and had lots of fun there, I am working on another project, as I finished the quilt that I made for Sharon, it turned out really well, hopefully she will take a picture of it with her new camera. I forgot to get a picture of it, so she can take one and post it on the blog so you can all see it. I started a new quilt that I am going to use for a bed cover for my bed, it is king size and so it is huge. I am using some blocks that I got from granny Grace that she had to make pillows with. There are about 30 printed blocks, so I have enough to do it, just a lot of work to do to finish it. It looks beautiful so far. We went to the coast to spend Mother's day with Sharon and Steve, we had a wonderful time, just hanging out. So relaxing and restful. We had a wonderful dinner at a place called April's, and the food was wonderful, a treat from Steve for moms day for Sharon, as it is her favorite. Sharon and I made our Mothers day dinner, and it was really great, loved it and of course ate too much. At least we didn't have any candy or stuff like that. We had a wonderful homemade angel food cake with berries, it was all yummy. Grandpa and I decided to come home the long way, up the coast. Stopped at the place with the lighthouse that we always used to go to before the beach houses, and walked on the beach there and did a lot of thinking of the memories we both have of being there and the good times we have had. On towards Florence and stopped at Mo's and had lunch, bought some salt water taffy, another old favorite for both of us. Browsed the shops around, had some ice cream and headed on toward our house. It was a wonderful trip. I loved every minute of it. Now I am thinking of what I want to plant in my boxes outside my door for this year. I bought some tomato plants, peppers, squash, and cukes. I also have seeds for lettuce and french green beans so if the rain holds off tomorrow I will be out there getting them in the ground. I love having those boxes to plant and the fresh veggies to eat all summer. I will try to post more often. I love all of you and may you all have the greatest blessings from our Heavenly Father.

Mother's Day and other things

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well it has happened the year has rolled around again, I am not ready for them to pass as quickly as they seem to now. The older you become or should I say more mature, then the years seem to pass faster and faster. Christmas comes more quickly and then, I take a deep breath and it seems Jan passes quickly and then it is Spring, summer and fall and before you know what is going on the holidays are upon us again. I am not complaining about it being a new year in fact I am really grateful for this new year, and I pray it is a great one for us all. I am not sorry to see the last of 2010, the best thing was the coming of Elle, Scarlet and Amy's getting well. There were a lot of things I could have done without for sure, and I pray we will all love 2011, and great things will come along. One of course will be the birth of Crystal's baby girl, and I pray Amy will become with child before her 3 months passes. We had a wonderful Christmas and I enjoyed our company, and the Christmas time we spent with Judy and children. We always enjoy having family come and we enjoy going to see you all. Ed aka grandpa or Poppi is doing well, in fact he does too much and tires himself out. He goes on Friday to see the PT and maybe she will say he can do the things he does. He wants to go back to the gym to work out and the doctor just said give me 6 weeks and he has used four and is feeling so well that he is BORED with TV, reading, the computer, and the piano. So he tries my patience a little. I hope Patty does let him go the the gym some, and I hope he can get into the pool, then maybe he will be a happier guy. I have some sad news, my beloved sister Sherry, is going to have a chemo drip for 3 months each 2 weeks. Yes the cancer is back, she has a small leasion on the edge of the old tumor scar. So it depends on how the tumor reacts to the treatment. Please keep her in your prayers for me and I pray that this will make her well, and not be too hard on her. She is really scared of the treatment, and probably wouldn't do it if she could just get away with it, but her sons really want her to try it. I guess you never know as Linda was talking to a suvivor of brain cancer for the past 15 years today at her doctor's it was one of their patients. So we can pray that Sherry will be able to take the treatment. I love you all and I am praying for everyone to really enjoy this brand new year we have. God Bless you all

Grandpa and Surgery

We came home from the hostpital on Friday.

Grandpa

Exciting News!!!

I thought I would tell all of you, that we are going to have a new great-granddaughter in April. Crystal found out today that it was a GIRL Judy is over the moon and I and Poppi were happy. Jess wanted a girl really bad, so everyone got their wish. Also I will tell all of you that grandpa's eye surgery was postponed today, because of the SNOW! It came in the middle of the morning around two or three, and it was really cold. They had a big pile up on the I-5 at Goshen and stopped both lanes of traffic, so we couldn't get in, nor could the doctor, so they cancelled all of the surgeries today:-( Dad was really upset, now we have to dilate that eye for another week and do all of the pre opp all over. It is a pain for him, and me also, and who knows when they will be able to do it on the schedule. Dad has the hip surgery on the 7th of December and Tuesdays are the day for eye surgery. I will keep you posted. Hope you all have a safe trip down and that your Thanksgiving is delicious and Happy. We should be able to go to Vancouver tomorrow, it will be cold, tonight is supposed to be a low of 17, brr! but no snow, the road will probably be slick in places but they will keep it well sanded so it should be safe. Love to you all and God Bless

My Busy Life and Recent Struggles

I have been going to post for awhile, but haven't had the time. Life is too busy and things are too much of a struggle. I need to focus on more of the what I have and my blessings. But lately it seems as if I can't control any of my time. I got to go to TOFW and it was wonderful! But I came home and then everything started to happen, and the faster I run the slower I get. I loved our conference broadcast we had and I have loved church recently. I haven't been able to go to my quilting group for a long time, why you may ask, and I will tell you, listen and learn HA! My husband Ed has been dragging me from one appointment to another and a lot of them are on Tue, (my quilting day) which I resent but this isn't his fault as the doctors seem to schedule all surgeries on Tue. He can't go alone, as he can't really remember a lot of things they tell him and if he does he doesn't always get it right. What is he doing you ask? He had cataract surgery on last Tue, and a pre opp for that, plus two appointments to get ready for the surgery. He can't drive because his eye is dilated. Now we have to get ready to have hip replacement surgery on December seventh, and he has had to give his blood to get ready for that, not once but twice, as they need two units in case he needs it during the surgery. Today we went back to the eye doctor and on the 23rd of November he is having the right eye done. So we start all over again, and another week of eye drops four times a day, and watching him like a hawk so he doesn't bend down or lift anything, which is a chore for Ed Cook and a big job for me. We have another pre-opp appointment for the hip not to mention the one we had today, plus the eye doctor, so do you get the PICTURE? I am going CRAZY!!! I am not complaining mind you just explaining why I haven't posted lately. I love him dearly, but he just wants to get this all done asap and it is hard on us. When he goes to give blood, he needs a meal that contains a lot of beef and potatoes, etc, and the last time I almost forgot, so next week I think we will go out to Sizzlers so he can get a steak and a baked potato, sounds like a great idea to me. Hence I forgot to send Amy a b-day card and I didn't get Halloween cards off to the great ones, oh well maybe next year. I hope for Christmas. We are going to Judy's for Thanksgiving, which will seem strange without Ed Jr, but it is what it is. I forgot to mention that sometime around mid September Abe moved into the trailer, and he had surgery on his ankle, and I had him to take care of for a few days, but he is on crutches for two more weeks and gets around well, and is in and out now. Judy came down for a visit with us and stayed for three days right after he was operated on. He has a pretty good job now and is busy with that and a girlfriend also which keeps him busy. He has a good friend that drives him around, so we don't have that chore thank goodness. You can't drive with a cast or a boot on your foot or leg. Besides it is his right leg. I love you all and pray you have a wonderful reunion on Thanksgiving. I appreciate all of your posts and so enjoy all of the pictures. God bless and keep you Hugs and Kisses to all

I thought I would announce to all of you that Crystal and Jess are going to be parents, sometime in April next year. Which means that Judy and Ed will be grandparents and grandpa and I get to be even greater grandparents. Nicole is over the moon and I don't know how Abe feels yet. I thought this was great news indeed. Love to you all

Mountains

Sometimes life gives you some lemons and you can make lemonade, however every once in awhile it gives you a mountain that seems impossible to get over or around, so we have to count on God to help us, or carry us over. I am at that point at this time, and it is because of something I have no control at all. I have prayed for peace and serenity to accept the things I cannot change, but it is hard to accept things you cannot understand. I have loved and accepted all of my children and grandchildren and the great new little ones. I consider myself to be a broadminded person, with a lot of compassion for people and loved ones, but when someone you love and have loved so much takes a road that is a road or a path you do not understand or find hard to accept, it becomes an impossible task. I have read what the church has said about the situation and I still am in the most difficult place in life, that I don't know what path I am to follow. I do know that my job as a parent is to love with a Christ like love and support of the person involved, however I find myself wondering about my ability to do this and make no judgement and without reservations love the sinner and hate the sin. I think this may come like the song that says I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord, I'll do what you want me to do, but please help me to do what I find so hard . I think by far this has been the hardest year that I have had to live through, and I truly believe we are living in the last days, when men's and womens hearts will fail them. I know that Satan is running rampant over this world at this time. I feel that my heart is truly failing me. I believe this is the time of life when we have to be on guard and do what the Prophet says and read our scriptures, keep all of our covenants and pray so we can stay close to the Lord so that Satan has no power over us, if we aren't constantly on guard with the Lord at our side we will be caught up in the world, and go the way that Satan wants so he can cast us upon the wind and scatter us and we can be lost in just a few moments. My heart hurts for all of the terrible things that have come to pass and cast another family upon the wind to be tossed to and fro, so carelessly upon the earth to where they wonder what their real moral compass is and what path to take, when things have been so mixed up for them these past few years. May we all remember that we are their family, and love and be there for them if they need us. I love and appreciate you all and may our Heavenly Father be always at your side.

Interesting About a Bear

We went home teaching the other evening, and they told us an interesting story. Their front door was all scratched up and the living room window was broken, cracked. They said that they had been in Redmond the first week in May and when they returned they found the damage. Now they live in the cul-de-sec off Bradford road, just a ways from us. They said that there were paw prints on every window in the front of the house including the broken one. They asked the neighbors, and no one had seen anything, but the next door neighbor said a bear had tried to get in their house and the dog had barked at it and scared it. So they say it was a bear, early in the spring there was some talk of a bear seen around, but no one saw him again, and we thought he had gone up the mountains behind the neighborhood. But he must have returned and tried to get into the Petermans house. I suppose he is gone again now, things are settling and no one has seen or heard about him for awhile. They had a lot of bears in Florence last year around this time so I guess they wake up from their hibernating and are hungry so they try to get into garbage cans and any place else they can find food. I think there is only one, and it may be a cub, it seems like the older ones would be afraid to try to come in the houses or garages. O well so much for the excitement of the neighborhood. Catch you all later.

Weather And My Garden

I am hating the cold and the rain. It just doesn't go away, and I am quite sick of it all. It is so hard to get the garden to grow when the nights are so cold! It is supposed to get better, maybe a degree or two warmer next week but the nights are still in the thirties, I heard that this is the coldest May on record. I have some things growing, Pretty lettuce, herbs, chives, and tiny little beans peaking up. If the sun would just shine for a couple of days the beans would be 2 or 3 inches high. A lady gave me three beautiful Roma tomatoes plants the other day at the pool. I am so excited to put them in the ground. Then I plan to plant some pepper plants. Maybe I will try again to grow a yellow squash plant. I am going to grow some onions and garlic. I have a few flowers growing, I want a lot more, just have to get some at the nursery. I am so looking forward to not having to wear a sweater outside, and for sun to shine for days at a time. Enough whining!!!! We stopped at Jake's new house the other day, as he had some plumbing problems and wanted grandpa to help him out, and we were going to Fairy's 80th B-Day party, and so we stopped on the way. Miles is so sweet, and he and Ruby have grown so much since I saw them last. Miles didn't want me to leave, he kept saying he needed me to stay. So cute and so sweet. I am angry, I had posted a lot more and the computer lost it and now it is late and I can't even rem amber what I said. Sometimes I don't know what to think about computers, such a wonderful tool and then they act up and you'd like to hit them with a baseball bat! Oh well I think I was talking about Jake's new house and all of the work he has done and the work he is doing and going to do. I don't envy anyone doing remodeling and that is what he is doing. It will be beautiful when he is done. but it is a lot of time and WORK and MORE WORK. He is like grandpa so talented though and able to do it. Abe and his roommate are planting a big garden out by the pump house, and I am hoping to have a lot of things to freeze and can from there. They are planning to can, I'll have to see it to believe it. I am thinking of not working at the beauty shop so I can do water colors and more quilting, and other things I want to do around here. I want to can more peaches this year, we ate the last jar tonight, and I really will miss having them until they come in this summer. They are delicious and so are the apples only 3 more jars of them left sigh. Well guys the gospel is still true. I loved our Sacrament meeting today, and we had the most wonderful music. Hope yours was as wonderful. Love to all God Bless