Temples

I have had conversations with friends about our temples.  Like how are they different from our chapels and why do we go there?  I love talking about temples.  The feelings that I get while attending or even thinking about temples is one of pure peace and love.  The church has put out a wonderful video that helps explain the differences between our Sunday meeting houses of worship and our temples.  And you can see inside a few of our temples. 

We profess to the world that we are family oriented.  What is more pro-family then to believe we will be together forever as a family?  We believe that Heavenly Father sent us down to earth in families so why wouldn't we return that way?  We believe that families should be together forever.  United and bound with each person that is born into that family and never to be separated after death.  Both my parents have passed away and I know I will see them again.  And I will be with them again because they were married in the temple and sealed for time and all eternity.  Mike and I have been married in the temple and sealed for time and all eternity too.  So maybe think of it like a chain of links all hooked together forever. 

Enjoy the video.

 
 I add my witness that these are sacred buildings that have been decided to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Please if you have any questions please leave me a comment or seek out missionaries in your own area.  You can go to www.mormon.org  and they have people on there with whom you can chat with. 

Fridays!

Fri·day: [frahy-dey, -dee] 

noun: the sixth day of the week, following Thursday.

Origin: before 1000; Middle English; Old English Frīgedæg  Freya's day, equivalent to Frīge  (genitive singular of Frēo ) + dæg  day; Frēo  is identical with Old English  adj. frēo  free

 Today is Friday!  I love Friday's.  Since working full time I decided long ago that Friday nights were my favorite nights.  It still meant that I had the weekend ahead of me.  I heard on the news one morning that the night most people don't sleep as well is Sunday night.  I said out loud to the TV "that's because the next day is Monday and you have to get up and go to work."  She agreed with me on TV.  :-)
                                
When I first started to work full time it drove me crazy how much less time "I" had to do my stuff.  Who would clean the house, do the laundry, grocery shop, cook - okay that one was a stretch since Mike was a good cook and Rob loved to cook as well.  Why should I not let their talent shine?  Anyhow, it was hard to get into the groove.  Work quickly became unpleasant and I didn't like being there.  I hated Sundays because I knew the next day was Monday.  My boss was not always a nice person.  So that was hard for me to want to be at work.  But now that I have a whole new group of new people that I work with I enjoy coming to work.  But I still love my Fridays and it's one night in the week that I get to think and choose when I wake up and what I will do that day.  I'm sure I'm in the majority on my love of Fridays.  So I leave you with this- Happy Friday's to you and yours!   

 

 

Family!

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!!! 

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!

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. 

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?

• 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.”

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands... no way.” “It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”
“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.

Talent and Skillz!!!

I'm thankful today that I have a daughter who can give my blog an new look.  It was looking pretty sad.  She tried to help me but it just kept getting worse the more I fiddled with it.  So I gave her free rein of my blog.  I love how it looks and I think it looks great!  Thank you Kristen. 

I love that Heavenly Father has given each of us something unique to contribute to the world.  I quit a long time ago trying to compete with other people.  It just wore me out and makes made me depressed.  I started to look at all the stuff I did and most of it I do pretty well at.  I enjoy sewing and making things.  I love to do stuff to my house.  I use to love working outside but eh it gets toooo hot.  But I love to see flowers and try to grow them.  I pretty much kill most plants.  I love to design and make quilts.  I love looking at fabric.  Mike hates that part!!! 

The other day on the Jeff Probst show he was telling his co-host a story about an incident that happened on Survivor.  There was a man named Dah who was a native to the area.  The team that won was given the opportunity to have Dah go to their camp and to show them how to survive better in the area.  He showed them how to make their hut better.  How to look for food and so forth.  He showed them how to cut a coconut top off with 3 swings and all the while holding it. 

Jeff saw that and said to him Dah you have to show me how to do that trick.  Jeff tried the trick and on the first swing he missed the coconut and sliced his wrist and barely missed his main blood vein in his wrist.  The medical team had to assist him and get the bleeding to stop.

Towards the end of his story his co-host said so what did you learn from this experience?  Jeff said oh I don't know be careful with a machete?  She said NOOOOO - You have lots of talents and things you do well.  You don't have to be able to do all the tricks you see others do.  Let Dah have that trick.  You have other tricks you can do.  Let Dah have that trick.

I loved that.  So many times we compare ourselves to others or seek to do something just as well as that person so we don't look dumb or untalented or unlearned.  But what we fail to remember is just like she said, 'Let them have that trick.  You have other tricks they don't have.'

So I say HURRAY for you and all your talents and skills and I say HURRAY for me and all my talents and skills.  Together we make the world a better place.  Alone we don't.  Rejoice in who you are and not in who you wish you were.  Everyone has a place in this world.

HURRAY FOR YOU!  HURRAY FOR ME! 

Hair!!

So last night I did something I never thought I would do!  I dyed my hair.  Yikes!  I have always thought hair was a bit overrated!  Why spend all the money on something that will just grow out.   I have often wondered what my hair would look like when the gray/white started to emerge?  I did notice it coming but figure eh it looks fine...  Take a quick journey with me through my hair color and cut stages.  Ya you know you have time!

Mike and I on our wedding day 1981

Mike and I at Ricks College formal Dance 1978

Bryan and I.  Perhaps sometime around 1984 ish

The girls and I.  1991?

K and I at the Oakland temple 2006? 

Our anniversary celebration 20 years

2012 with our cute babies!

Jan 2013

March 21, 2013

So besides all the haircuts that looks like a mullets my hair has changed.  I have a friend at church who had(s) the same color of hair as mine.  She is older than I am so I have watched her hair to see the changes it's made.  I would look and say yep mines doing the same thing.  Then things changed!  Nancy came to church with red hair and she looked FABULOUS!  Since that Sunday I have thought about doing the same.  I talked to everyone I could think of who has dyed their hair, I talked to the gal who cut my hair.  I talked to my sister who said DO IT!  Call and make the appt right now!  I did and almost cancelled a zillion times!

When Summer was blowing my hair dry she turned my chair away from the mirror so I couldn't see.  But I would hear from her and Alyse I LIKE IT!  I was shocked.  It was sooo dark!  But it is growing on me.  Its something new and fun and the only thing it killed was my wallet!  :-)  I told my friend Peggy that with all the compliments of WOW!!  You look great, you look 10 years younger I wonder wow... was my old hair really that bad?  Did I look horrible?  I tried to do a side by side comparison and today I thought oh I'll just take another picture of my old hair.  HA!  Can't do that anymore!  Now I have other things to change on me!  After all it is springtime!