I sure hope so....

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”
~Marjorie Pay Hinckley -

A little reminder....

 A woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year.Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot." From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified Him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

Wordless Wednesday....

Moments That Matter Most

Beautiful Reminder...

Word-full Wednesday....

Spanish Fork Canyon

No Rain ~

No Rainbows!!!

Road Randomness...

Bumper Sticker of the Week

~I might be straight but I am not narrow~

Let us never forget....

"Show me a hero

and I will write you a tragedy."
~ Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Do your part to help eliminate the wait list for people with disabilities...

Almost everyone has had their lives touched or impacted by someone with disabilities.I have spent the past 18 years of my life making a difference in the lives of many wonderful people. Many of these people have waited years to have their services funded. I have seen first hand the difference having support can make to a person with disabilities and their families.Please take a moment and sign this petition., Every signature gets the waitlist one step closer to being funded.
Eliminate Waitlists for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities - Petition - Sign this petition here - Signature page - GoPetition

Shared via AddThis

something we should all remember...

OUR BANK ACCOUNT

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Thanks Dad for the wonderful reminder!!!

Things that make you say Huh!!!

My girlfriend Aneliese and I ran out for Sushi this afternoon. I asked Ane to drive through the ATM so that I could get some cash. I look over at the ATM and see a little sign that says this...

This ATM is equipped with audio for those that are visually impaired.

Below the sign is a jack with a little headphone picture below it. This is a DRIVE THROUGH ATM. I am sorry, I am all about being politically correct but I just have to ask.
Is there something wrong with this picture???

People without dreams do not have much...

Black Sand Beach - Maui, Hawaii

"and when you dream, dream big

As big as the ocean blue

'Cause when you dream it might come true

so when you dream, dream big"

- Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

May all of your dreams in 2009
come true.

Best wishes to you and yours
for a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year!!!

Tommorow is not promised

For Flashback Friday I thought I would share some food for thought I came across in a journal today.
Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, they serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are and who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be: your neighbor, child, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.
And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential strength, will power, or heart.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul.
Without these small tests, whether they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life and the successes and downfalls you experience create who you are, and even the bad experiences can be learned from, In fact, they are probably the poignant and important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart...
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again...
Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen, let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high...
Hold your head up because you have every right too. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself... for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either. You can make of your life anything you wish.
Create your own life and then go out and live in it!
"Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last...
Tomorrow is Not Promised"

Who Started This Christmas Stuff ???

A woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year.Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot." From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified Him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

and it's a good thing...Really?

Martha Stewart's Holiday Calendar

December 1
Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey. Spray paint gold, turn
upside down and use as a sleigh to hold Christmas Cards.

December 2
Have Mormon Tabernacle Choir record outgoing Christmas message for
answering machine.

December 3
Using candlewick and handgilded miniature pine cones, fashion
cat-o-nine-tails. Flog Gardener.
December 4
Repaint Sistine Chapel ceiling in ecru, with mocha trim.

December 5
Get new eyeglasses. Grind lenses myself.

December 6
Fax family Christmas newsletter to Pulitzer committee for
consideration.

December 7
Debug Windows '95

December 8
Decorate homegrown Christmas tree with scented candles handmade
with beeswax from my backyard bee colony.

December 9
Record own Christmas album complete with 4 part harmony and all
instrument accompaniment performed by myself. Mail to all my friends and loved
ones.

December 10
Align carpets to adjust for curvature of Earth.

December 11
Lay Faberge egg.

December 12
Erect ice skating rink in front yard using spring water I bottled
myself. Open for neighborhood children's use. Create festive mood by hand
making snow and playing my Christmas album.

December 13
Collect Dentures. They make excellent pastry cutters, particularly
for decorative pie crusts.

December 14
Install plumbing in gingerbread house.

December 15
Replace air in mini-van tires with Glade "holiday scents" in case
tires are shot out at mall.

December 17
Child proof the Christmas tree with garland of razor wire.

December 19
Adjust legs of chairs so each Christmas dinner guest will be same
height when sitting at his or her assigned seat.

December 20
Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in confectioner's sugar
to add a festive sparkle to the pasture.

December 21
Drain city reservoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and
cinnamon sticks.

December 22
Float votive candles in toilet tank.

December 23
Seed clouds for white Christmas.

December 24
Do my annual good deed. Go to several stores. Be seen engaged in
last minute Christmas shopping, thus making many people feel less inadequate
than they really are.

December 25
Bear son. Swaddle. Lay in color coordinated manger scented with
homemade potpourri.

December 26

Organize spice racks by genus and phylum.

December 27
Build snowman in exact likeness of myself.

December 28
Take Dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble.

December 29
Hand sew 365 quilts, each using 365 material squares I weaved
myself used to represent the 365 days of the year. Donate to local orphanages.

December 30
Release flock of white doves, each individually decorated with
olive branches, to signify desire of world peace.

December 31
New Year's Eve! Give staff their resolutions. Call a friend in each
time zone of the world as the clock strikes midnight in that country.

I used to adore Martha for obvious reasons. She can do almost anything. I would TIVO her show so I could watch it when I got home from work and I would actually attempt to do the things she did on her show. That is until one fateful day. Which has nothing to do with her legal problems or jail time. It has to do with Marshmallows. Yes, I said Marshmallows.

I was watching her show one day and she had scheduled to make Rice Crispy Treats. I thought great, I'll bet she has some really cute ideas to do with them. But then she began to make homemade marshmallows. I lost it. I was embarrassed to think I had been faithfully following this women for years. This amazing, organized, make a purse out of a sow's ear women who would spend one hour making marshmallows just to melt in Rice Crispy treats. Doesn't she know she can buy a bag of Marshmallows at the store for 89 cents. Now that's a good thing!!!

Just in case any of you are interested I am including the recipe for Homemade Marshmallows.

Homemade Marshmallows

Makes 40 marshmallows

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Directions
1-Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment.
2-Let it stand 30 minutes.
3-Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved.
4-Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.
5-Clip on candy thermometer; raise heat to high.
6-Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244° (firm ball stage).
7-Immediately remove pan from heat.
8-With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin.
9-Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes.
10-Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.
11-Generously dust an 8x12 inch glass baking pan with confectioners' sugar.
12-Pour marshmallow mixture into pan.
13-Dust with confectioners' sugar; let stand over night uncovered, to dry out.

Upcoming Posts

As I have been reading and researching blogs I have gotten some wonderful ideas. I thought I would add a few special things to my posts. One is going to be Word-Free Wednesday, in which I will share pictures I have taken or come across that will hopefully inspire and create some thought. The other is Flashback-Friday, where I will share stories from the past. I hope this is something that you can enjoy and continue to follow along.

Thanksgiving Time

As I sat in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday I thought about all of the things that I am Thankful for. I began to make a mental list in my head so that I could share them here with you .
For the closing hymn we sang Count Your Blessings which could not be a more perfect song for this Thanksgiving Time. I have been whistling that song since Sunday, I think to remind me I want to share with you my many blessings.

Here is a few of the things that I am so very Thankful for:

1) The love of my wonderful husband
2) My sweet son
3) My family who loves me no matter what
4) My grandmother and all the lessons she has taught me
5) Our home
6) My best friend who I have known more then half of my life
7) The ability to find humor in most anything
8) My friends who are strong for and inspirational to me
9) The honor of having been able to meet and share life with many very special spirits
10) My dog
11) Faith
12) Lessons that I have learned in my life
13) Butterflies
14) The Mountains
15) Freedom
16) Missionaries
17) A great Prophet to guide us
18) Fireplaces on a cold night
19) The renewal of Spring
20) The warmth of Summer
21) The smell of Fall
22) The peacefulness of Winter
23) Thank you notes
24) Laughter
25) Modern Medicine
26) My Dentist – Dr. Bret, Thanks for my smile
27) Music of the 80’s
28) Laughing with Eric until he cries
29) Hearing and making Mason giggle
30) For the trust and guidance of a Father in Heaven
31) Early morning walks
32) Summer nights
33) Hearing my son wonder where he might go on his mission
34) My nieces – who I can share life’s lessons with
35) The ability to vote
36) Primary songs
37) Having to “put up with” my Husbands sense of humor
38) Text messages
39) Vacuum cleaners
40) Sleep
41) Rainy Sunday afternoons
42) Daisies
43) Inside jokes – that make me giggle
44) Knowing I made a difference in someones life
45) The power of prayer
46) An inquisitive child
47) Pedicures
48) Pomegranates
49) The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
50) Indoor Plumbing
51) Fuzzy slippers
52) Having a husband who “puts up with me” during the best and the worst of times
53) Memories that make you laugh out loud
54) The Scriptures
55) Pool Days
56) Heated car seats
57) General Conference and the guidance it brings
58) Strong family traditions
59) Car rides with my dog
60) Email
61) Ripe peaches
62) Leaves to rake in the fall
63) A good movie that’s on a 2:00am when I am done sleeping
64) Family dinners – just because
65) Seeing four generations of family together
66) Random acts of kindness
67) Hummingbirds
68) Playing games that work even if the power goes out
69) Guidance from the Holy Ghost
70) Mason’s Lego creations
71) Baking with my Grandmother
72) My car
73) A good game of chess
74) Music in the air
75) Picking apricots in my grandmother's orchard
76) Good Japanese food
77) Having a talented mother that will figure out a way to do anything I need
78) Cold Watermelon
79) Small town parades on the 4th of July
80) Fireworks
81) Clear, starry nights
82) Being able to communicate with someone who can’t verbally communicate
83) Jasmine Tea
84) Mp3 players
85) A technologically savvy husband
86) Playing cards with my grandmother and her sisters
87) Blessings
88) Flip- flops
89) Antiques with stories
90) Campfires
91) Family Reunions
92) Cinnamon
93) Happy endings
94) Fresh pineapple
95) Volunteer opportunities
96) Sunrises
97) Heritage
98) Funny Cards from friends
99) Smiling just because

And most of all I am thankful for our Savior and all that he sacrificed for us!

May you also have so many wonderful things to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!