June 21, 2010

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So, For Today...Monday , June 21, 2010

Outside my window...it is nearly noon and so the sky is a pretty blue with wispy white clouds floating by and there is a gentle breeze...just enough to keep it pleasantly cool today.

I am thinking...I have been off the computer for what seems like days and I have missed all of you. So much has been happening and I feel so far behind in my blogging. Last week we had our anniversary, my cousin died, my brother went to the funeral in Washington and brought back photos of long lost cousins, I stayed home preparing for the party.

The retirement party was a big success (thanks to my brothers who did all the BBQ stuff and my dear friends who helped in the kitchen.) I am so glad it is over now and we can relax for a minute or two. One of my favorite uncles died on Saturday down in New Mexico~two relatives in one week has not been fun.

Lowell and the girls are flying back from Scotland today and I have a boatload of fun photos to sort through so I can share a few with you this week. And Laura and her family have just returned from Sicily, Crete, Athens and Turkey so I know they will have fun photo to share as well. Chris and Missy are just back from a road trip to see her parents in Oklahoma so they should have pics too.

I am thankful for..my daybook so that I can get back on track easily and get my week organized.

From the learning room...good friends are a wonderful blessing. Jim has so many wonderful friends who came to wish him well on Saturday night. I can see how hard the separation is going to be for him. I feel so blessed to have my girlfriends..I want him to feel free to cultivate his male friendships when he is home permanently and not feel like we have to be together 24/7. Leaving your career is a big fat deal to a man. Although you look forward with great anticipation to it, what they are giving up is often huge. It is huge for my husband, I really saw that on Saturday night.

I am reading...Book 3 in the Zion Covenant Series by Bodie Theone. Munich Signature, still. Just a few pages left though and then on to book 4 in the series. This is such an amazing chronicle of the WWII years but the print is so tiny and the books are close to 500 pages each.

From the kitchen...I made muffins this morning for my friends because it is Connie birthday. It was a comedy of errors but they turned out pretty well. I am not much of a baker. In nutshell it is because I don't want to eat the stuff I would be baking and Jim doesn't really want it around the house either, so....

But this morning I never could find my muffin tin, so used a cake pan and hoped the cupcake foils would hold up. I have a new hand mixer and one of the beaters would not lock in place so that added to the fun. I was rushing like crazy and the phone kept ringing. But I did it and that was good. Not fun, but good. And Connie is such a dear, I would scale a mountain for her in a heart beat and love it.. I am hoping to learn to enjoy kitchen activities more in the near future. Jim loves to cook and putter in the kitchen so we can do it together.

I am wondering..How the little grandies are doing on the long flight home and I am so happy their Daddy is with them this direction. The airlines handled the children beautifully all the way to Scotland with the connecting flights, etc. They felt very comfortable and got treated very, very well as they traveled alone to meet their Dad.

I am hearing...the washer, the dryer and the song, "Lying Eyes" by the Eagles.

Today if I could change one thing...I would pick something among my many weaknesses and just have it vanish forever!

I am quoting..."Be Different, Act Normal!"

My spiritual thoughts include...I am so thankful that my sweet uncle and cousin are no longer suffering and have returned to that God that gave them life.

Around the house...Everything is awesome right now. I just love it the first few days after a big party...everything is in order and the dust hasn't settled yet. I am washing the last of the table clothes and then I'll be done with the clean-up.

I am missing...family time...always.

I am hoping....Hazie little foot heals. She was outside playing and got road rash on her foot. It got caught under her little car and no one realized her foot was dragging on the deck. She cannot feel anything on her legs and feet so didn't know either. It actually affected both her little feet but one has gotten infected. Jen is dressing it everyday now and the antibiotics are working. Poor baby!

One of my guilty pleasures...listening to a rooster crow in the morning and wishing one of our neighbors would get one! I don't want one...I just want to hear one each morning!

One of my favorite things...Freshly planted flowers in the garden. Venus is doing her scare crow job and the deer are leaving them alone as well as my two tomato plants. Yay!

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...Zoya

I am curious about..how you all are doing and if you had a great weekend and Father's Day. Our Father's Day was quite understated, with church and then a low key afternoon (AKA NAP) and great leftovers from the party. Jim got calls from all the kids and that was the best part for him of course. Chris and Missy and their kids and Laura and Robert and their kids each returned from their vacations yesterday afternoon safe and sound. Answered prayers and many blessings.

A few plans for the rest of the week...catch up on blogging and rest. Tuesday Visiting Teaching. Lunch out and Relief Society evening meeting on Wednesday. Friday will be my monthly pilgrimage to Room With A Past and date night. An unencumbered weekend...a rare thing. I will be calling a few of my cousins to catch up through out the week and that is all I can think of right now.

Here are some pictures and a thought I am sharing with you~

This is Hazie soaking her little injured feet and playing in the sled. She just loves to be outside this summer and asks Jen to take her out the minute she is done with breakfast so she can play. Her cousin Rossie was the same way...outside was the first word out of his mouth in the morning when he was a little guy. He'd go straight to the baby swing with a soggy diaper and after a few minutes he was ready to start the day with the daily routines....but first thing was always, "Outside!"

♥ to you...