My mom use to say all the time "Annette is the happiest when she is with her family." I can say this is still true. Mike travels a lot and at times so do I. I think we have said goodbye at more airports than the average couple. Starting back in 1978!
I remember thinking after he got home from his mission and we got married that FINALLY no more goodbyes at airports. Ha! how wrong I was. But it is what it is. Some day we will retire and get to spend all day together.
I've been down in Orlando and I had a 3 week stint down here. Last week Mike suggested that I just stay down here and he'd come down and see me. Kristen, Lance and Liam were headed down for Kaitlyn and Austin's wedding. I loved seeing everyone but alas Sunday came and they went home. Monday was a holiday and Mike had to head back as well. I was so sad that everyone had left. I wanted to do something rebellious like eat a hot fudge sunday! Or some other rich dessert to sooth my sadness.
I had a great time shopping with Kristen and Liam. When Mike arrived we went for dinner and it was so great to see his cute face and be with him. He truly makes me smile. We squeezed into a queen size bed and did okay. We went to the temple on Saturday to see Kaitlyn get married and hear the wise words said to them. I told Mike that I think the counsel they give to the couples are really more for the people witnessing the marriage. They wont ever remember. But one thing I loved was when he said you will never remember what is said but remember these three words - Always Hold Hands! When you hold hands you are not far apart from each other. So true.
We left the temple and went on the hunt to find Mike some new shoes. We finally found him some and dinked around looking at other stuff. Sunday we got up and went to church. Came back to the hotel and decided that we would take a drive over to the coast. We drove up to Daytona and down the coast to Cocoa Beach where we waved 2 cruise ships out to sea. Monday we checked out the container store (which I think is a totally cool place) and then over to Bass Pro Shop. Came back and Mike packed up. I grew sad as I realized his time really was coming to a close.
I'm down one day and have just two nights here and then I'm heading home myself. I welcome the traveling break. I'll be home until October. Ya for that. Now I just need to get out to AZ and see our cute little family out there. I can't wait to play and hang out with Robby!
I love my family. Life would be horrible without them. Each holds a very special place in my heart. I celebrate them in my life. You are what I live for. Each and every one of you!!! Love you all to pieces!!!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Family Pictures- Make my heart smile!
Last Dec when our whole family was together I knew we needed to take family pictures. I wanted updated pictures to hang on my wall. So in discussing this with Kristen a few days at work I asked her if she would ask one of her friends to take our pictures. I told Kristen I would be happy to pay her. She asked Freya and not to my surprise the pictures turned out Amazing! Freya does an awesome job. In fact there were so many good pictures how was I going to choose? Yikes. So I put some on Facebook and decorated my blog with them. But I wanted them up in my house.
I scanned Pinterest for ideas on how to display them. Looked for frames but nothing happened. How was I going to do this? Frames are expensive in the stores and they didn't have any that I liked together. I would always walk away and say I'll try again another day.
Enter Friday May 10th. I was down in Orlando for the day doing training and I drove by IKEA. I love that place. I thought hummmm perhaps after the training I'll stop on my way home. Kristen had wanted me to get her a few things but I had planned on getting them this week since I'm down there all week long. I decided to delay my trip home and head into IKEA. I went looking for frames. And IKEA did not disappoint! I found some wood looking ones and it happened to come in all the sizes I wanted.
I came home with a car full of frames. Saturday Morning I woke up way to early but came to the computer and sent to Costco our wonderful pictures. I over did it a tad with what pictures but I didn't want to come up wishing I had picked another picture. They were ready at 1:30. I picked them up and was excited to get started.
I had read enough on Pinterest that suggested that you put your frames in the order on a table or floor. That way you get what they will look like. I did that and had Alyse add her thoughts on how they looked together. Soon Kristen, Lance and Liam arrived followed by Bryan and Michelle. They all joined in on what they thought. I was excited.
They opened frames and helped me put the pictures in. Kristen suggested taking paper and cutting it out the same size as my frames. Then positioning the paper on the wall. I took some wrapping paper and cut out the sizes and taped them like how they were on the floor. Sent a picture off to Kristen to see what she thought. Alyse had run to the store for me to grab more hanging wire and Bryan was great at helping me get things level. Michelle watched as we put it up. We all decided everything needed to be moved to the left. Move we did.
Bryan and Michelle went home and Alyse arrived back with the wire. I measured the frame and were the nails needed to be. Into the wall went the nails. Hammering right through the paper. I was so excited to see the results. The big picture too some adjusting on the wire but as we took down the gold wrapping paper and put up each frame I knew I had done this one right!
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I am overjoyed that finally the greatest gifts and joys of our lives are displayed in our home. Today I want to tell all my children that I am so happy that Heavenly Father sent you to us. You are my light, my strength, and my joy! As each person is added to our growing family Mike and I continue to ask how did we get to be so blessed.
I scanned Pinterest for ideas on how to display them. Looked for frames but nothing happened. How was I going to do this? Frames are expensive in the stores and they didn't have any that I liked together. I would always walk away and say I'll try again another day.
Enter Friday May 10th. I was down in Orlando for the day doing training and I drove by IKEA. I love that place. I thought hummmm perhaps after the training I'll stop on my way home. Kristen had wanted me to get her a few things but I had planned on getting them this week since I'm down there all week long. I decided to delay my trip home and head into IKEA. I went looking for frames. And IKEA did not disappoint! I found some wood looking ones and it happened to come in all the sizes I wanted.
I came home with a car full of frames. Saturday Morning I woke up way to early but came to the computer and sent to Costco our wonderful pictures. I over did it a tad with what pictures but I didn't want to come up wishing I had picked another picture. They were ready at 1:30. I picked them up and was excited to get started.
I had read enough on Pinterest that suggested that you put your frames in the order on a table or floor. That way you get what they will look like. I did that and had Alyse add her thoughts on how they looked together. Soon Kristen, Lance and Liam arrived followed by Bryan and Michelle. They all joined in on what they thought. I was excited.
They opened frames and helped me put the pictures in. Kristen suggested taking paper and cutting it out the same size as my frames. Then positioning the paper on the wall. I took some wrapping paper and cut out the sizes and taped them like how they were on the floor. Sent a picture off to Kristen to see what she thought. Alyse had run to the store for me to grab more hanging wire and Bryan was great at helping me get things level. Michelle watched as we put it up. We all decided everything needed to be moved to the left. Move we did.
Bryan and Michelle went home and Alyse arrived back with the wire. I measured the frame and were the nails needed to be. Into the wall went the nails. Hammering right through the paper. I was so excited to see the results. The big picture too some adjusting on the wire but as we took down the gold wrapping paper and put up each frame I knew I had done this one right!
.JPG)
I am overjoyed that finally the greatest gifts and joys of our lives are displayed in our home. Today I want to tell all my children that I am so happy that Heavenly Father sent you to us. You are my light, my strength, and my joy! As each person is added to our growing family Mike and I continue to ask how did we get to be so blessed.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
When God Created Mothers!
I have always loved this little story that Erma Bombeck wrote. I've used it a few times when I was asked to speak on Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all.
When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”
And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order?
“That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ’What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”
“Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Go to bed. Tomorrow...”
“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick... can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger... and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.”
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.
“But she’s tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.”
“Can it think?”
“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You You were trying to push too much into this model.”
“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”
“What’s it for?”
“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”
“You are a genius,” said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there,” He said.
When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”
And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order?
- She has to be completely washable, but not plastic;
- Have 180 movable parts... all replaceable;
- Run on black coffee and leftovers;
- Have a lap that disappears when she stands up;
- A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair;
- And six pairs of hands.”
“That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ’What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”
“Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Go to bed. Tomorrow...”
“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick... can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger... and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.”
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.
“But she’s tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.”
“Can it think?”
“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You You were trying to push too much into this model.”
“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”
“What’s it for?”
“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”
“You are a genius,” said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there,” He said.
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