FB Adventures...

We volunteered at the Food Bank tonight. We have been going quite a bit over the last few months, helping Ethan to get his Duty to God Award. We are going to keep going once a month. We enjoy being able to spend the evening together doing something good. Most of the time we go "shopping". That means we fill the hampers with the appropriate items for a balanced diet for a week. Tonight I added tuna and pasta sauce. Ethan did toilet paper and crackers. Kipp did cereal. Sometimes we are runners, or we check best before dates. The crates run down a conveyor belt, and each person adds their item. A few weeks ago I did drinks. It was so stressful! It took me awhile after the shift to start breathing normal again. One week we sorted food that was also a little scary...It all made me feel a little like Lucy. I found the clip to share. You may have seen this before. I remember seeing it as a little girl.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wp3m1vg06Q

Global Warming?!

BRING IT ON!
It is November 16th. No snow in sight. I have just been outside in a sweater. It is wonderful!
I am absolutely LOVING this weather.
No complaints from me.

All Because of a Redhead...

My blogging of late has been less than stellar...In fact, it has been basically non-existent. I meant to do better, but, you see, my life has been turned upside down -- by a certain redhead



The redhead and her mother moved to our house in the middle of July. She is the princess, you know. Mom promptly began looking for a job, so she could support the family this fall when Dad came to Canada in September to go to Mount Royal.



That left Grandma with the childcare duties. I love the childcare duties. But looking after the princess takes up alot of time.



Redheaded princesses need to be fed, have diapers changed, and played with. (We do alot of that!) There have been important things to learn, like WALKING!, talking and petting Teddy "nicely". Princesses love to dress up in aprons and headbands and neckties and shoes. And they can't play in the garbage, even though Grandma still doesn't have most of her cupboard doors. Toilets are also fun, and so is the printer. Did you know it beeps when you push all the buttons? And there is all kinds of paper to play with and scatter and crinkle. The redhead decided today that princesses don't have naps. They are for wimps.



I have been trying to remember how I did all the things I used to do with three small children in the house. How did I ever get those quilts made? Or bake? Or read? Or exercise? I think it is one of those skills that I lost back in the '90's.



So, I will just put some of those other things aside for the time being, because of the Redhead.



After all, I kind of like her smiles and kisses and cute personality...and she won't be little forever. I know that all too well.

Love you Elizabeth!

Tagged

I will probably look at this tomorrow and wonder why I answered some of these the way I did, but oh well...

A- Attached or single: Attached to Kipp, my wonderful husband. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.
B- Best Friend: Kipp, Susan, Chris, Myrna
C- Cake or Pie: Pie, Apple, homemade by my Mom or me
D- Day of choice: Sunday. It is a day to recharge and get your priorities right
E- Essential Item: Sunglasses
Favorite Color: Blue. I love blue. I may have just gotten rid of my blue carpet, but I still love it. Every room should have a little blue in it.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Neither
H- Hometown: Born in Drumheller, lived near Michichi for alot of my childhood and I have also lived in Magrath, but I have lived in Calgary for longer than anywhere else in my life, so maybe it is Calgary.
I- Indulgence(s): Bernard Callebaut chocolates
J- January or July: July. It is usually better weather then.
K- Kids: 3--Ashley, Matt, Ethan. 1 son-in-law, Trevor. 1 granddaughter, Elizabeth
L- Life is Incomplete Without: the gospel, family
M- Marriage Date: June 2, 1984 Cardston, Alberta
N- Number of Siblings: 2 sisters and 2 brothers. 5 brothers-in-law, 5 sisters-in-law
O- Oranges or Apples: Macintosh Apples
P- Phobias or Fears: Drowning, Heights, and I am incredibly claustrophobic
Q- Quote(s): The one I have on the wall right now is by James E. Faust: "May we dedicate our lives to serving the Lord, and not worry about offending the devil."
R- Reason To Smile: Elizabeth--learning to walk and talk, and that twinkle in her eye, and kisses
S- Season: Autumn. Lots of color and crisp dry air (usually)
T- Tag Three: Becky, Rebecca, I don't know anyone else that hasn't already been tagged...
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I feel insecure about my ability to do most things that I do.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: I eat meat
W- Worst Habit: Procrastination
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: X-Rays. The whole "full bladder" thing for an ultrasound kills me every time. X-Rays are easy.
Y- Your Favorite Food: Roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and yorkshire pudding (and of course, apple pie for dessert)
Z- Zodiac: Pisces

Nearing completion...

We are gradually moving back into the house. There are still things to be done, but I am finally cooking again. The fridge is still waiting to have the water hooked up, and the dishwasher isn't working either, but hopefully soon. The floors are done, and Kipp and I have been working on installing new light fixtures. We are slow, but it is getting done.

JSE 2007

We participated in our Stake's Joseph Smith Encampment over the long weekend. We did presentations on Kirtland and Nauvoo on Friday and Saturday. It was a fun weekend for the youth 14 and over in our Stake. They were taken through the life of Joseph Smith through re-enactments and activities. Thursday evening was a fireside at the Stake Center, Friday and Saturday were camping in Kananaskis, and Sunday concluded with a re-enactment of the events leading up to and including Carthage, and followed by a testimony meeting.

School's Out!

Ethan wrote his last final this morning. He has the next couple of days completely planned out...watch Season 1 and Season 2 of "24" and also find time to fit in some game playing. We are having carpet laid for the next couple of days, but he still managed to find a place for himself...



He was also happy to announce this morning that none of his teeth hurt. The braces have taken a bit of adjusting to, but we look forward to seeing the beautiful smile a year from now.

For Ashley

Ashley wants to know what everything is looking like, so this is for her. I know, kind of (no really) boring, but it will soon be all done...
Kitchen...

Basement is all painted and waiting for carpet...

Upstairs bathrooms in the middle of a big mess. This is my job, but I am progressing. It is going to look great!

House Update

As you can see, progress is being made. The granite countertops are in, the sides of the cupboards have been stained, the paint is finished and nearly all my drawers are in. The hardwood will be finished next week. Then tile, then carpet, and somewhere in the middle I will have my appliances delivered. Cupboard doors will be ready in a week or so. If I could just get my sinks hooked up...

They will start painting the basement tomorrow...

She's Gone

We sold the Chevy at the auction in Okotoks yesterday...It was fun to have her for a few years, and we had some good times, but it was time to have the space back in the garage. Ethan is especially sad because we won't have it for his graduation, but that is two more years away. We will have to think of something else for him to do for his grad. The picture below is Matt on his graduation two years ago.

I don't have digital pictures from Ashley's graduation, but she had quite an adventure on her grad night when the Chevy ran out of gas on Blackfoot Trail...

Miracle

I was downstairs the other day looking at the mess in the basement, and trying to imagine what it will be like when it is ever completed, and I discovered this little miracle in the bathroom...It might be a little hard to see...

This little plant is growing in gravel and cement rubble, and it gets little to no light, but yet, it is growing.

I figure this is my own little object lesson from God. Small miracles are all around us--we just need to seek for them. Even when everything seems to be going wrong, or is so very difficult, we are sent a miracle to remind us that Heavenly Father loves us.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Update

So there isn't much exciting happening around here, except for trying to keep it all together when everything is a mess. I am posting some pictures of my house. The three of us are residing in the upstairs bedrooms. The unused bedroom is my makeshift kitchen/TV room. Kipp and Ethan watch DVD's on the portable DVD player. I have started painting Ethan's bedroom. I figured since we had such a big mess anyway, I might as well. Tony will be here next weekend, so it better be done by then. As for the rest of the renovation, it is slow, but there is a little progress being made. The basement is being taped and mudded, and we are waiting on granite and cupboard doors for the kitchen. My new appliances have arrived, but they are still at the store until we are ready. the hardwood has been laid, but needs to be finished once the construction is done. Don't you like our den setup?

Rich

My Gram had a cross-stitch on her wall when I was a little girl. It said, "They are rich who have true friends" I having been feeling very rich indeed over the past few days, as we have been blessed by the kindheartedness of true friends, who look after us in our time of need. Our bodies have been fed, and so also has been our spirit, as we contemplate their goodness to us. Thank you friends.

End of Vacation, Back Home Again

We made it home! At times on Thursday and into Friday I wondered if that was ever going to happen. We were scheduled to arrive home at 5 pm on Thursday. Our actual arrival time was 12:45 pm on FRIDAY. Yay United, you really outdid yourselves this time. The highlight of our extra day's vacation was staying at the Renaissance O'Hare on Thursday night and having the airline pay for it. It is pretty over the top. The price listed on the back of our door was $459 a night. And some people sleep in cardboard boxes. Makes you really wonder about how spoiled we are and how we take it for granted.

The rest of our trip was wonderful. We enjoyed Missouri, going to Visitors Centers in Independence and Liberty, and driving to Haun's Mill, Far West, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Jamesport and various Graveyards in the area. It was still cold, but not as cold as Nauvoo.

The picture of Ethan and Kipp is at the SE cornerstone of the Far West Temple, where Wilford Woodruff was ordained an apostle on the 26th of April, 1839. He left on his mission to England from there. The prophet Joseph Smith had prophecied they would leave on that date from the temple, but it was after the extermination order, and the mobs were determined to make sure the prophecy was never fulfilled. Their eyes were blinded that night, and the prophecy came to pass.

This was a wonderful trip, and we feel blessed that the weather did not keep us from seeing anything we wanted to see.

We will now concern ourselves with getting our renovations completed. They progressed a bit while we were gone, but it is far from finished. The hardwood will go in this week, and the work on the basement will continue as scheduled, I hope. Right now I am sitting on the floor in the den, typing on the laptop. All the main floor furniture is packed into the living room and dining room. I have no usuable kitchen. We have wonderful friends who have offered to feed us over the next few days, or else we would be eating peanut butter sandwiches.

Sunset on the Mississippi

Words not necessary...

Praise To The Man

We have been enjoying Nauvoo, and have been blessed to come here. The Spirit of this place is strong, wherever you may visit. Each site speaks of the dedication and faith of a people who were not afraid to follow a prophet of God. It also speaks of a wonderful prophet, who did not expect anything of his followers that he did not live himself. He was an example, leader, friend, and prophet. The Saints called him "Brother Joseph". They loved him, and we also love him. He knew that trials built and strengthened a people. The important thing is to not lose faith, no matter what. He said,"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" We shall go on, just as Joseph and the early Saints went on. He and many others paid the ultimate price for this cause. We must also give our lives. We probably will not be asked to die for it, but we need to live for it by being obedient, following the prophet, and serving our fellow men.

Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven!

Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.

Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren;

Death cannot conquer the hero again.

Nauvoo the Beautiful

We drove into Nauvoo on Wednesday afternoon. It is truly a beautiful place. We have enjoyed an abundance of the Spirit as we have visited a few of the sites here, in spite of the cold. The temperature is hovering in the high thirties, with a strong wind. We froze today even though we dressed in many layers. The picture above is the new statue that the church erected in front of the temple called "The Loveliest Place". It depicts Joseph and Hyrum as they passed the temple on the way to Carthage, stating that this was the loveliest place and the loveliest people, and they would never see it again. Thursday we toured the Joseph Smith sites that are operated by the Community of Christ church. We toured the Smith farm, the Mansion House and the Red Brick Store. From there we went to the Brigham Young home where we were given a tour by Sister Wilson from Enterprise, UT. After lunch we went to the Wilford Woodruff home. We were given a tour by the Browns from Provo, UT. This home has particular interest for us, because Wilford Woodruff is Nona's Great Great Grandfather. We went to see the oxen, but their driver was having difficulty with them, and they drove the the wagon into a tree! We will try for pictures tomorrow. I never knew exactly what an ox was, but now I do. We went next to the church visitors center, and watched "Remembering Nauvoo" it is a wonderful movie, but Kipp, Ethan and I slept through it. This wasn't so bad, since we have already seen it, and then we were able to stay awake for the temple session last night. The temple was the highlight of the day. A perfect ending to a perfect day...

Enough is Enough

This is my kitchen...

Think I'll go to Nauvoo...

Things will look much better in 10 days...

(I hope)