Thursday, December 31

goals...

I have plenty of goals every year, most involve personal improvement... but I don't really make "New Year Resolutions", because it seems too arbitrary to start everything on Jan 1st, just to generally fail. I start and review my goals all year long, and that works for me.

One thing I do find, that often helps me to keep a goal, is that when I share it, I become more invested. So, one goal I would like to share is to train for the equivalent walking of a 10K, on my elliptical. That may not sound like much to some people, but for someone with limited mobility, it's a huge goal.

My max ever (walking on my elliptical unit) is 10100 steps. That is just over 5 miles. (According to my reading the average person my height steps about 2000 times during one mile.) And, a 10K is 6.2 miles.

During 2009 I had a goal to use my elliptical to get to 10000 steps per day. It's so easy to track, but because of my limitations that means more than 2 hours of walking every day, on average. (Even on the elliptical I walk pretty slow...) So my true target number of steps has ended up being about 4500-5000 a day (somewhere between 2-2.5 miles). That's about an hour on the elliptical (but a lot of days I can only manage about 45 minutes, which ends up being just under 4000 steps/2 miles). Added to my other steps, that's not too bad, for me. The main benefit in walking every day is to keep me mobile, to feel better, to lose weight, and to release toxins... did I mention to stay MOBILE...?

Since my hyste last February I have slowly built my way back up to where I was before becoming extremely anemic, hubby's accident and then my surgery. During this coming year, I feel like I want a different goal, something to keep working for. Something besides just walking every day... I am doing pretty good with that, and I am not sure I will ever be able to walk fast enough to manage 10K steps a day... So I thought, "what about an actual 10 kilometer in non-impact steps...?"

Ok, so there is it... by March first I want to have walked an approx 10K... In order to make it easy for me to track, I am going to use the target of 12500 steps... just to be sure I don't short the 10K goal.

Here's hopin' I make it.! If I do... maybe I will try doing it once a month for the rest of the year.? Who knows? I do know it's good to have goals. Now I better get walking for today...

Wednesday, December 30

to quote...

~ Spencer W. Kimball, "A Gift of Gratitude", Dec 1977
"Let us remember, too, that greatness is not always a matter of the scale of one’s life, but of the quality of one’s life. True greatness is not always tied to the scope of our tasks, but to the quality of how we carry out our tasks whatever they are. In that attitude, let us give our time, ourselves, and our talents to the things that really matter now, things which will still matter a thousand years from now."
Today, I really needed to be reminded of this... I can already tell it's going to be a rough day, and the scope of my daily effort sometimes can seem very small to me on days like this. That is when I desperately need to remember that the sum (scope) of my life is greater than one single, painful day...

Sunday, December 27

...on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day...

...well, OUR Christmas day, when we celebrated as a family anyway...

I did manage to get a few pictures, but since I ended up opening my camera last... the gift opening part was all over... still I will share some of the fun we had. One of the nice things I find about being behind the camera is that there are few, if any, pictures of me... LOL

Here's our Princess, so happy... CHEESE!

Son2 and his girlfriend (let's give her a blog name, how about...Honey?) checking out their gifts from everyone...

Son1 and Sir Knight genuinely pleased with the gifts they got... AND watching their wives check out a special "family gift" our married children got...

Son1 and Sweetee. Smile.! "Merry Christmas mom... like that new camera, do ya'?" hahaha

Son2 and hubby discussing how Son2 can help me learn to USE my new camera... LOL

outside the big dogs were having a GREAT time... Son2 caught some good actions shots for us...

honest... they really love each other...

I got it... I said, "I" got it...

While indoors the small dogs watch their "pets" be silly... Martini thinks we get too excited over a few toys... I mean, you can't even throw those things...

This is Honey's little 7 month old 3/4 Chihuahua/1/4 Dachshund mix... "Nacho" wasn't impressed with the camera. haha I already shared some pics of my new puppy who is a 50/50 Chi/Doxie... and our Mighty Dog, Tucker stayed home to protect the castle... He really gets overwhelmed with ALL the family dogs in one area... there are SEVEN now. Yep, we're NUTS...!

Last but not least I will share a couple pictures of Son1 and Sweetee setting up their new family gift. Since they had to travel home later that day, Princess Bride and Sir Knight waited to get theirs out until they got home...

I missed the shot of the girls just making the empty beater go round and round... it was really fun to see how happy they were... We were so happy to have been able to manage the gifts we got all our children...


opening up the box... they've been wanting a KitchenAid since they got married... and we found a GREAT deal on these Heavy Duty Professional Series ones... It was a big surprise to both couples.

"Look mom, at how nice it sits on the counter. Oh, wow, look at all the stuff.!" Even though she has little counter space in her kitchen, Sweetee's comment was... "I love it, I'll find space.!!" ;-) And honestly, I absolutely LOVE surprising my kids with things they really want and that are practical too! For me that is the best of both worlds.!

This Christmas was not just full of great gifts though. It was full of sacrifice and love and sharing and giving from the heart. It was a lovely time of family unity and happy hearts. I personally had such a great time. I love you all..! Thanks to hubby and my beloved children for making the time to be "home together" this last time before Son1 & Sweetee head off across the country next year to start some "new adventures". But, more about THAT later...

Tuesday, December 22

loaded for bear...

Once children get married and have a second family (or sometimes even more families) to celebrate their holidays with, IMO their immediate family needs to adjust how "they" celebrate important events together. This year yesterday was the day our family celebrated Christmas together. It was one of the FUNNEST days ever... An absolutely joyful time.

Since our family was exchanging gifts early this year, hubby decided he wanted to enjoy watching me play with mine while he was still off... so we opened ours to each other yesterday too, before he goes back to work for the next 4 nights, and in fact because of the holiday these nights may be quite grueling.

Anyway, my true love gave me a REALLY nice camera for my birthday and Christmas (and for what should be just about every other gift giving holiday for the next 10 years.!) So I'm just warning everyone to beware dear friends... I'm officially loaded for bear.! hahahahahaha

I also got a new puppy. Her name is Chloe, and she is simply the most adorable thing there ever was.


...during the gift exchange she slept in hubby's sweatshirt pocket... she's a little tiny thing, but truly with a GIANT personality!


...here she is wishing everyone would just let her sleep again... BTW, she really DOES play a lot... and she is so cute doing it. So just to prove that, here is a little video I took with my phone... I'm still learning how to use the camera, but it takes video too so I am sure I will be sharing all kinds of funstuff...


Thursday, December 17

words to live by...

I am only one...
But still I am one,
I cannot do everything...
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
~ Edward Everett Hale

Wednesday, December 16

...ssssweeeeeet...!!!

I posted a little bit about this on FB already, I am sorry to those of you that have already read the Reader's Digest version there... but man... I just LOVE my life sometimes...

I LOVE being the mom of adult kids that are kind and loving... It is the BEST life has to offer, when you like and enjoy your children... Honest... I know my kids are not perfect... yes, we are like everyone else... we have our struggles... but I'm so far from perfect that it's easier on my ego anyway to have "normal" kids, I guess... LOL... And then, some days are just BETTER than normal... the only word to use... HALCYON... a slice of Heaven...

Yesterday was one of those - so close to a perfect days-, that I'd be hard pressed to find a better one in my reference... even accounting for the fact that we missed my cousin and uncle by only a few minutes at the care facility, because of traffic... and seeing my sweet little Aunt of 91 years struggling so hard to recover and gain strength after a fall several weeks ago... She was so loving as we visited while she let her lunch bites "settle"... She asked about MY family and recalled days to me of when I was a girl... I would stay at their home to hang out with cousins and play on their family farm on family trips from Idaho to Arizona... Such SWEET memories... so bitter sweet to see my mother's siblings grow older... and know that we will not have them with us much longer on this earth... I am so grateful for the loving family I was born into... and for a knowledge that families are forever...

I have been blessed to have so many great days in my life... good (ssssweeeet) days happen pretty often for me, in different ways... I've had many a nearly perfect day with Son1 and Sweetee in recent memory... I've had some pretty "fab" days with Son2 over the last few years...

Still, yesterday afternoon included one of those mother-daughter-times that don't come along everyday any more... because all kids grow up and leave home, to live their own lives, which is right and proper... having said that... I'm really learning to cherish each and every wonderful day with my kids... On this day, Princess Bride surprised us and joined us at the temple in the early afternoon, an unexpected joy... a great treat to be together in a place of such peace and feel so eternally bonded... and we had so much fun after dinner... for a while, just the two of us... (while hubby took a little nap and Sir Knight was getting ready/left for work). We spent a couple hours milling over her new cake decorating book, which she got from her Secret Santa gift exchange at work... She is really getting into cake decorating, with her sister in law, which is way cool, because her maternal grandma did that... (guess that particular gene skipped a generation... ha ha) It was such a nice gift from someone that hardly knows her, but took the time to investigate what she likes...

I also have to thank hubby for being my BEST friend at ALL times... my heart and soul... and my confidant... for putting up with doing all the driving... doing what I want to do all day on one of his precious days off... and then on top of that, listening to my chatter when I am happy as a magpie... LOL... If you "know" hubby, you KNOW that last part is NOT something that comes naturally for him... he would rather have his nose in a book, be sitting in a forest alone, or wandering a canyon as a hermit... LOL... but he is so great, and he only rarely gave any indication that he "wasn't" having as good a time as I was yesterday... maybe he was...??? Nah... but he is a super good sport and he loves me so much, he's happy to just be with me too, even if he'd "rather be sailing"... LOL...

Sunday, December 13

a few reminders of Christmas...

It used to be, when many of us were children, that right before Thanksgiving... the Christmas decor started to be increasingly present in the stores... as a very young girl I remember my father grumbling a bit that we didn't really get a chance to celebrate that holiday without the stores rushing us on to Christmas... Daddy loved Thanksgiving, and he loved Christmas... he didn't want to rush either holiday... I am a lot like him in that respect...

That push starts in September now... this year I saw Christmas decorations in stores over Labor Day weekend... That doesn't bother me as much as it used to... While personally I dislike the over-commercialization of Christmas, I understand that stores are in the business of making money, so I allow them to do what they feel they must, to stay in business... however, I turn a blind eye to what I don't want to see as far as advertising... I am getting good at that... 8-) I suppose it's only a matter of time until we have decorations available to buy in stores year round... though I am not sure why that is necessary... one can already do that online...

However my treasure was found this year in a box of really OLD decorations... They are probably older than I am... momma sent them to me the year I was married... we didn't have money to buy ornaments for our tree... and I still remember sobbing with joy as I hung them on that first tree and remembering them on our family tree when I was a very little girl... It was a precious gift... When my children were little we never used these ornaments, because I was afraid they would get broken... This year I am using those ornaments on my tree, and sharing pictures with YOU...

I really enjoy my memories of the Friday after Thanksgiving for some very fun reasons... (I RARELY shop on that day, and I practically refuse to call it BLACK Friday...) When "I" was growing up, that was the day we got our Christmas Tree each year... We used to go to a tree farm not far from our home in North/Central California and cut it down... Daddy would secure it in a stand and during the next couple days we would decorated it... Some years mom decorated with a theme, that we later jokingly called the "pepto-tree". It was completely white with flocking momma sprayed on herself... and had all PINK ornaments on it... satin balls and pink and gold ice cream cones... Really, it's hard to describe/imagine... and I can't find any pictures to scan in... But, many times over the years since I have thought that her pink decorated trees would have a perfect breast cancer awareness tree... :-) Momma was ahead of her time...

I was just a little sad when momma got an artificial tree the year I turned 16, but it was nice to have the tree still alive with lights on Christmas day... and we always decorated it the day after Thanksgiving once the artificial tree was bought...

When I got married and started my own traditions I learned right at first that hubby is allergic to pine trees, so we bought a very cheap artificial tree... It was 2 feet tall... Over the years, we usually put up our tree up the first week of December... in the early days I did most of the decorating alone... but as our family grew the kids helped... Those were fun years.

The last couple years I have gone back to having a small tree... a big one is just too much for me to handle decorating alone, and hubby is not into decorating... This year we also have a new wreath for the front door thanks to our daughter in law's ingenuity... It's very simple, and I love it... aren't the holly berries pretty...?

Yesterday the Nativity went up... Momma made each of her children, herself, and her own mother one of these Nativities, many years ago... She painted each one with great detail and love... all 10 sets were very much alike!!!

Using some "cellular" creativity (because my little point and shoot camera went AWOL while on loan out to our princess a couple months ago... that's not really a big deal... I believe Santa has a camera on his list for me this year...) I thought I would share a few reminders of my past and present Christmases, as captured in a few quick photos of our decorations, I edited them with iPhoto... you gotta LOVE computers sometimes... they make a pretty decent photographer even out of a complete amateur like me...

For lack of a better place to hang out... the angel that watches over the scene on display, of the birth of the Savior of the World, this year is doing her job from the lamp switch...

She is a diligent angel... while, Baby Jesus occupies his usual place of honor at the center of animals, wise men, shepherds and a loving Mary and Joseph... As always setting up the Nativity brought to my mind past Christmases when our children helped to gently unwrap and then smooth the tissue paper that the pieces were wrapped in, storing that wrapping back in the box for later... Often we had to settle disputes over who would get to place the baby Jesus in place... back then I felt irritated, but now I smile at the memory... And I thought to myself this year that in each home around the world the decorations we cherish each Christmas are more than just special... they help bring the true meaning of the season with them.

This Christmas I find myself wanting to identify new ways to bring the Love of the Savior into my family's hearts and celebrations... Remembering simple and caring acts of service over the year has helped me a lot in this quest... and thinking about my years with momma and daddy is also a sweet joy that reminds me that Christmas more than just those decorations...

There is something good about decorating... I do it more slowly every year... but I also find that I savor it more with each memory...

Wednesday, December 2

...here it is, the last month of another year... again...

When last year we were dealing with the aftermath of hubby's accident the days ahead seemed a bit bleak and I kept thinking, "THIS is going to be a long year..." But reality has a way of surprising me just about every day.

I love Thanksgiving, because it reminds me to stop and remember how blessed I am... and while I am trying to do that more in my life as a rule... like most people I seem to need a reason to focus on my blessings... and then, there is Christmas... the holiday that I associate with good memories, days spent with family and friends... Often those memories kinda' blur together, but they are a great thing to stir to life in my heart...

When I was a kid most years at least some of my siblings would bring their families home for Christmas... we were a big group, and now we all have our own families and traditions... My parents are gone and so we don't need to plan trips to see them around holidays... now we plan ways to get our own children together... but mostly we are learning to let go of our holiday traditions and step back a bit to watch our adult children as they build their own... That in itself is a rewarding thing...

I am pleased and amazed at the traditions our kids choose to keep from their childhoods and sometimes have a big grin on my face over what new traditions they create for their own families... In my mind a family is created the day a couple marries, so after that the most important traditions they have are together... in their homes, families, lives...

This is not a lonely endeavor... they do not forget us... but it is a time when we all have a chance to expand our traditions and make a few new ones... Gone are the days for us of driving around with little ones in car seats to look at lights, but my kids still do that in their own ways... and sometimes they ask us to go along... Gone are the days of excited whispers at our bedroom at first light, as small voices ask if it's time to see what Santa brought... These days we get to sleep in and this year I think we will start a new tradition, for just the two of us on Christmas morning... I am not quite sure yet what that will be, but I know that it will be great, because WE (hubby and I) are great together...

We always have a family gift exchange, but this year we even changed how we do that, because the kids wanted to draw names and put the individual names in a hat (except we used a bowl,) and that was fun... They drew the names on Thanksgiving day... Maybe they will do it a little earlier next year... but it feels right to me to adjust our traditions to fit the way the family has changed...

We have no grandchildren yet, at least not "official ones" and our adopted grands live far away now... so there are few little toys to buy... We've enjoyed giving to a local angel tree the last few years... that is a nice tradition... and gives us a chance to keep buying toys for a couple little hearts...

For me, Christmas is about acts of love and service... it's not about what to buy, or how much to spend... we do buy gifts, and now we try to give our married children things they need... sometimes we make gifts... but in the realm of receiving we love the ones that our kids give us that reflect giving of themselves... in fact this year that is what we have asked for, from them...

I love this time of year... I love the music and the crisp days... I love the feelings of gratitude in my own heart... I don't like the crowds, so I tend to avoid places were those are bad... But I love to see the cheerful lights that illuminate the square in town, and I like having the smells I associate with the holidays filling our home...

This year, Christmas day will probably be the quietest we have ever known... but I am warmed by the happy thought of knowing that my children are building their own traditions, and enjoying their own family's "Christmas mornings"... That is a good thing... I remember my own mom telling me that the only parents that truly hated empty nests were the ones with lots of regrets...

I guess I have a lot fewer regrets than most, because I am kinda' liking my empty nest... even during the holidays...

Sunday, November 22

to quote...

--Henry B. Eyring
"You make choices every day and almost every hour that keep you walking in the light or moving away toward darkness. Some of the most important choices are about what you set your heart upon." Walk in the Light, Ensign, May 2008, 123–25

Thursday, November 5

On our 26th anniversary...

26 reasons I am so glad I married my fabulous hubby:

1) his kids are the other important people in his life...
2) he has taken care of me when I am sick, too many times to count... (as a nurse it must really be lousy to have to do so much caring for someone else, off shift...)
3) he's emotionally and physically faithful, and trusts me implicitly to be the same.

4) he does not make me listen to "his" music in "his" car...

5) he thinks the BEST of everyone he knows... no I mean really... this is not an act.
6) he will eat anything I put in front of him, and like it.
..
7) he works hard, not just for us, but he works so hard in his employer's behalf...
8) his foot massage technique is to die for...
9) he tells me all the time... "love you bunches"...
10) he brings me flowers just because he loves me, and for no other reason at all...

11) he doesn't buy me gifts I will never use.
..
12) he remembers important days... better than I do sometimes...
13) he knows how to, and will ~ without being asked... do laundry, dishes AND bathrooms
...
14) he sometimes takes "short-cuts" (sorry if you don't understand that one... family joke...)

15) he was/is my handsome prince...
16) he cooks! (well)
17) he knows bizarre facts...
18) he shares with me...
19) he plays cute with the dog... actually, it would be truer to say he plays LIKE the dog...
20) he likes the same restaurants I do...
21) he gave me: Son1,
22) Princess Bride,

23) & Son2
...
24) he likes to hold hands
... a lot...
25)
he is really smart... and not just book smart...
26) he happily married me twice--once for life, and once for always...

Sunday, November 1

...happy love month, everyone...

It's November... which means it's "our month" again... I am hoping that this year we won't have any accidents as part of our life together... ;-)

For anyone that doesn't have anything to celebrate in November celebrate our love month with us... Here are some suggestions of things we do as a couple that we highly recommend...

canasta (or other card games)
puzzles (and other board games)
lunches (or dinners) out OR in
work on the house
hold hands
cuddle like newlyweds
study the scriptures
talk about everything
pray together for blessings, in life, marriage and for loved ones

All of these activities can and will help with your relationship too... I promise... They are just a few of our "secrets"...

Wednesday, October 28

....going, going... gone...

October is a blurrrrr...

I spent too much time this month feeling less than ok. Despite that, hubby and I managed to get almost 3 walls painted in the family room... We also got the room rearranged... I really like the new layout. I am expecting we will be able to get the last of the wall painting done before the end of the first week in November. That's off our original schedule by about a month... dang! Oh well, plugging along still gets the work done.

We made the decision to postponed hubby's vacation time he always takes each year to celebrate our anniversary, to the week before Thanksgiving... There are a couple reasons for this change... First we are going to spend our time at home working on the house instead of going somewhere together, like we often do... We really needed to put the money we set aside, on the house... And second, I don't feel like I really have the energy to travel right now... my body is in recovery mode already, and I know better than to push when I don't have to... That is just asking for trouble, with my health history...

We have some fun plans for our week together though, it won't all be work... (though we do like working together...) Not to mention, we will be shutting off our phones... so that we can concentrate on US... It will be a great week, that will include Thanksgiving day, and we are looking forward to the time together.

And now... it's time to get back to painting...

Friday, September 25

more of the same...

And here I was doing so well there for a while...

I have been sick the last couple weeks... a really "strange headache and my normal low grade flare-type fevers... then I think I got a bug that has been going around too...

All in all I have just felt icky... and I am SO ready to feel better again.

I have only managed to get a bit of the family room painted so far this month, and my plan was to be done with it by now... fortunately hubby is back to normal hours/days at work, and so I am hoping that means we can get a few of these things we want to finish done...

Still... I am super content, because I have learned over the years to take advantage of what I do have... Because I was feeling punk I started doing a little online family history and I managed to find some wonderful genealogy links over the last few days (I was compensating for feeling bad by doing some family history research...) And, I connected our surname line with research from someone else... I am so happy about that, because this line has been stuck for more than 5 years...!!!

Today I am still not feeling wonderful, but I know I will be better soon... I always pull out eventually... and I am grateful for small miracles, like finding more eternal family connections while I am waiting for that "better time"...

Friday, August 28

the kitchen painting is done...

Here are a few pictures of how the kitchen looks, before/after... However these picture are taken after the walls were painted... so they aren't really a total before... The original walls were a papered wallboard stuff that was floral and I never really liked it, but I lived with it for 15 years... it was definitely time for a new look!!! As you walk into the kitchen from the dining room this is the left side, where the stove is...

Here is the pantry area... Ugly, huh???

Below is a picture of the the center of the kitchen, while we were working on the island... We added a layer of bead board over the top of the flimsy cabinet facing... The box itself was made well, but the cabinet facing felt so lightweight on it... Doing this not only made the island feel more stable, but after we painted it, it looks so beautiful~!

Below you can see the right hand side of the kitchen after all the cabinet painting was done... you can also see the top of the island in the center, after we got the counter back on... You can see that the island is a darker coordinated color to the other cabinets... and we plan to put a butcher block counter top on the island soon...


Here is the left hand side of the kitchen, and as you can see I used the dark color that was used for the island on the pantry doors... I love the way it looks... We still have counter tops and floors to do down the road... but the kitchen is so much lighter and I really enjoy being in there...

Tuesday, August 11

traveling...

I am taking a little break from house renovations... Tomorrow I will be headed over to the White Mountains to visit with some family on mom's side...

I also took part of the weekend off from painting to play with our Princess and her hubby... We got together with the other kids too for desert on Sunday evening... it was fun to see the kids and catch up...

Princess and I did some some shopping with Sir Knight in tow, and took care of a few other things we hadn't planned... didn't do some of the things we had planned and really enjoyed being together... I love my baby girl... and it's so great to have them come and see us... They brought their dogs, and it's always an adventure to have 4 dogs in one house... he he...

I am looking forward to some more family time with some of my extended family, and I am grateful to a local friend for allowing me to hitch a ride over to the beautiful mountains of eastern AZ...

Saturday, August 1

I've gone to Bora Bora in my mind...

This is kind of a running joke with some friends (that are really more like sisters to me)... When life gets crazy, stressful, or boring we take a mental trip to the islands... If nothing else it's great to have a friend to unload on, and pretend to travel with...

Life around here was crazy in July... As I mentioned before our youngest son did not leave for Boot Camp as planned because of some last minute limitations and he is still trying to decide what he is going to do (whether to pursue the Marine idea or do other things with his life...) While he is deciding this he has chosen to live with friends not in his old room... he wants to be on his own, and I understand that... I am ready for him to be away from me more too... We just don't agree with his method of independence...

When he was leaving before I posted a blog entry about my feelings on the day he was to ship... but then removed it because I wasn't sure how he would feel if he saw it... After some more thought I am putting it back up (edited a bit, so as not to focus on the Marine angle...) because the things I wrote about HIM are still true, whether he becomes a Marine or not... so you can read about that wonderful kid of mine below, and see pics of him growing up... He IS a wonderful kid... if somewhat mixed up at times...

I am still cleaning, painting, and renovating the kitchen and most days it feels like I will never be DONE... but I chew away at the tasks in 15 minute segments and I try not to overdo, by resting between the segments... Slow and steady will win my race... and I promise I will share some pictures of the finished kitchen later...

I really cannot believe that it is August... July was a good month, just really busy and a bit crazy...

Friday, July 31

my baby is grown up..

...and he has left our home... It's a major milestone in our family... We are officially empty-nesters...

I was looking through old photos the first of this month of my family for our Princess Bride who wanted to share some photos of her and her brother on her blog... and I came across these... where have all the years gone???

Daddy, helping him learn to walk in February or March of 1991...
I kept sitting him down every time he tried it on his own
so he didn't "really" walk until late June...

His 1st birthday in May of 1991

when our boy made mud pies,
he really got into his work! (August 1991)

he's always liked guns... (but his mother hates them)
this is the BB-gun his uncle gave him and his brother
the picture was taken in August 2000...


in December 2001, on the way to California
for my dad's 90th birthday party..

Freshman ~ HS Cross Country September 2004

His nickname was "the Flash"
because that summer before he started HS,
he survived a lightning strike at BSA Summer Camp

this was taken in HS... Sophomore year

and this was taken a few weeks before his High School GRADUATION,
just one short year ago...


Here is one with him by a sunflower that
was growing wild in the back yard...
He was here doing some yard work for us the last few weeks...
BTW, he is over 6 ft tall... that is a HUGE sunflower...
we had two pop up back there...

I love my baby boy... I am proud that he was willing to SERVE our country, even when our country does not always serve it's people best... To stand up and defend an amazing country whose "politicians" could surely learn a bunch of things about love of country and regard for freedom from the men and women of the armed forces that protect them too... Even if things do not work out the way he wanted, I am grateful that was willing to give of himself and his life for something he believed was good... In the years to come, he will no doubt be asked to give of himself no matter what life has in store for him... in ways he cannot even imagine today...

He is a fine young man and he will do well in whatever he puts his heart into... but he will also always be MY baby boy... and I will always care about his happiness and safety... so my prayers rise heavenward each day, that he will be cradled in God's gentle and loving hands at all times... and that he will feel our love and support at all times though the months and years ahead of him when he may be far from us... away from our presence but not out hearts...

Monday, July 27

to quote...

~Neal A. Maxwell

"As parenting declines, the need for policing increases. There will always be a shortage of police if there is a shortage of effective parents! Likewise, there will not be enough prisons if there are not enough good homes." Take Especial Care of Your Family, Ensign, May 1994, 88

Sunday, July 26

July has been a busy month...

...simply little time to do anything but work and rest... so I am going to post a slightly edited entry from my journal this morning...
I have been painting... well, cleaning, repairing and painting... I started in early June where I left off last year when the Princess got married... I got the half wall connecting the living room, dining room and kitchen repaired and painted, it has bugged me so much that wall especially was unfinished... I also got the kitchen painted and am about a 1/3 of the way done with painting the kitchen cabinets... (thanks to the help of a couple friends...)

Son2 had a set back in his plans to enter the Marines in early July... he is still weighing his options and may or may not still make that choice... He just doesn't know what he wants to do at this point... It is so hard to change gears after being “mom” for years and years, to step back and watch your adult children struggle alone through challenges... but that is part of life, isn't it??? And especially when they don't really want you to help very much, you have to step back...

Princess Bride and Sir Knight are doing very well... Working, and stable... How nice that is to say about your adult children... It's what we pray for as parents... Happiness and stability in our children's lives... Last week they found out that their bid on a house they really like was accepted... so they will very soon be in the process of jumping through hoops to comply with all the bank/lending requirements... LOL... (because the house they are buying is a short sale, there are a lot of levels to the process... so the time frame can take longer, and when they will actually get to sign the paperwork is still very much in the air... We are hoping for about 60 days...) We pray that all goes well for them and that they are soon in their new home which they have lots of plans for...

Son1 finished his first year of nursing classes and all pre-post requisites for next years classes... and now only has his last year of dedicated nursing classes to finish before graduation next May... we are very happy for him... he has done well, and his darling wife is a wonderful support to him... Son1 and Sweetee are well entrenched in their new home they bought last March and have been enjoying a wonderful, but very busy summer... you can read about them on their blog if you like... Sweetee will be teaching Kindergarden this coming year... the school year will be starting soon for her... We are so glad that they live close so that we can see them pretty often...

Hubby has been working long days... mostly regular shifts, but with few days off because they are short 2 nurses again, at his facility... He remains forever my wonderful and faithful, best friend... 26 years after meeting (26 years yesterday, was the first time we "met"...) we are still BEST friends... He's such a good man, he's fun, intelligent, exasperating when I least expect that, and interesting all the time... I am very grateful that he is a part of who I have become... We enjoy being together as much if not more than when we were dating... no matter if it is working, playing, talking or just resting... we can never get “too much” time together... We try to concentrate on cherishing the time that we do get, and I personally thank a benevolent and loving Heavenly Father for my wonderful hubby every day... I cannot say enough how much richness he brings to my life...

Are there more things to say??? Probably... but I sound sappy... so I think I will end here...

Sunday, July 12

to quote...

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"The more we treasure the words of the prophets and apply them the better we will recognize when we are drifting off course—even if only by a matter of a few degrees." A Matter of a Few Degrees, Ensign May 2008, 57–60

Thursday, July 2

have a safe and happy 4th...

and MORE...

This is the time of the year that we reflect on our country... our heritage and our freedoms... It is important that as americans we do that, probably more regularly than we are prone to... Lately I have been remembering that it is critical to us all that we do more than just reflect...

While you are thinking about our country's birthday, take a few minutes to review in your own life things that you could do to improve the world around you... (or your neighborhood, your home...) then when you find a few things... do them...!

I hope (and pray) that each of us will find ways to make more than just noise about being a good citizen... I hope we will take the time to BE good citizens... to be caring, truthful, law abiding, involved, and diligent... I hope that we will try to bring happiness to others, not just ourselves...

Soon my youngest son will join the ranks of this country's military and I have realized that for many years I have taken the sacrifices made to keep this land free for granted... Son2's choice to join the Marines has changed that for me in a big way...

I have also taken for granted my very blessed, physical world... but my guilt has reach it's peak and I can no longer sit on the sidelines and hope for good things to happen around me... I need to take it upon myself to, at the very least, improve the corner of the world I live in... I believe that by doing something each day of value and worth to someone besides myself that I will be keeping alive the principles this country was founded on...

We can all find ways to lift, inspire, defend, protect, enlighten, and improve our world... it starts with our corner... and our country... (which ever corner/country that is for you...)

Monday, June 29

to quote...

~ Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don't sing and bells don't ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result. -Come What May, and Love It," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 26"

Tuesday, June 23

lazy summer days...

We have had beautiful weather in the last few weeks... cooler than normal, lovely clouds dancing across the skies in the afternoons... creating beautiful sunsets and fragrant breezes...

I get a few tasks done each day, but not even close to everything that needs doing. Still, I find myself feeling completely happy... and I am grateful today for lazy summer days... for a snug home and happy, healthy family...

...for life.

Monday, June 15

and the rockets red flares...

...to misquote the anthem slightly, this line is true when you have a disease that flares... I suspect for any kind of disease, not just my disease...

It's not a lot of cool flashes and pretty lights to enjoy... it's more like the bombarding that the flag took when the song was written... bombs that are trying to knock your sturdy little flag pole down...

I feel like I am already down for the count... for this week, at least... I have fallen asleep 2 dozen times today, sitting up...

Wednesday, June 10

to quote...

~ Elder David E Sorensen

"Remember that faith and obedience are still the answers, even when things go wrong, perhaps especially when things go wrong." Faith Is the Answer, May 2005 Ensign pg. 72

Saturday, June 6

...BUSY week..!

How is it possible my life gets busier every single week?

The last week has been so crazy busy... but productive and good... just so busy that I can hardly remember one that was less so... I got an amazing amount of stuff done, around the house and ticked off so many items off my "to do" list, that is REALLY good... and I am very glad to have more energy lately, but the week has flown by so fast it is a bit scary...

Here it is another Saturday morning with too many thing on my list to do and not enough hours in the day... I have tried to be careful not to push myself faster than I should... putting myself into a energy tailspin is not a good thing and I have learned over the years (and tears) to pace myself very carefully when I feel good...

A list helps me a lot, because I can focus on ONE thing for 15-30 minutes and then... rest... repeat... all through the day... The list helps me see progress (as I am able to check things off and keeps me on target with the next task when I am ready to resume... It is nice to be back to the point again where I see progress more that regression... It has been almost a year since I was feeling this well...

I am REALLY happy with how much I have been able to get accomplished just lately, but I am noticing that my list gets longer every day, instead of shorter... how is that possible...??? he he... oh yeah... LIFE!

Monday, June 1

The Noble Calling of Parents

...from Chapter 16 of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, pg 153
The greatest trust that can come to a man and woman is the placing in their keeping the life of a little child.
Recently this topic has been on my mine a lot... I don't mean to slight anyone that does not have children... I have friends who have never been traditional parents that have nevertheless been a tremendous influence for good in my children's lives, and whom I am grateful could step into my roll if the need arose... it's just that I feel the weight of this burden more than ever as my youngest is soon to fly on wings of independence from our home... I keep asking myself... Did I get it mostly right??? Is the foundation we tried to lay solid enough??? If I wasn't there for my children to come to tomorrow, would they feel a void in their life as I do with the loss of my own mother???

I really do not worry that my children don't love me... I KNOW they do, they show me regularly that they love both hubby and I as their parent by word and deed... and that they miss us [their parents] when we are separated... this is simply a time of self refection as I move into a new area of life... I think a lot of parents must ask similar questions of themselves as their children leave the nest, and learn to fly with their very own wings, to use that prevailing imagery... and I don't suppose I will know the answers until we are all done with this life and we are able to see through the eyes of complete understanding...

I am looking forward to this new time of "empty nesting" that is coming to us... I don't wish my children away, but I feel we have earned this time of happy times with fewer demands on our home time. We can concentrate on each other more, without having to feel guilty that we are spending time away from children that need us too... It's a good thing to move on with seasons of life... I believe we are ready for it...

...but still I wonder... How did we do???

Thursday, May 28

more exercise... and spring reflections...

I am doing well with my exercise/walking goals... the elliptical machine that we have makes it easy for me to walk in any weather... and as I think I have mentioned before, for me it is also idea because when I hit my limit I can just get off the machine and be finished... I don't have to still get home from a walk that I over estimated my strength for... like I do if I am walking in the neighborhood and my energy runs out... Also, I still can't walk for any long distances on terra firma, because of the stress that puts on my body at the point of repeated impact... I can simply walk for a much longer time on the elliptical, and up to my limit any given day... so it makes sense to exercise on it... I will admit a little wistfully though, that walking outdoors in the lovely spring weather we have been having would be awfully nice...

I have been enjoying the beauty of our spring in other ways... sitting on the porch with MightyDog and watching some distant clouds roll along the far off mountain ranges... sometimes there was even a little lightening gathered in those mountains and I see natural beauty and wonder of those storms... We have had some unusually gentle rainy days during which I could open the windows and listen to the raindrop as I took care of whatever chore I was in the middle of snug inside our home... It has been a really beautiful spring so far... and my allergies have been almost none existent... for me, a huge blessing... (unfortunately hubby has not been so fortunate... his allergies have been terrible this year...)

So here it is on another glorious spring day I am forever grateful for the simple joy of sharing time with family... I have enjoyed many beautiful days throughout my life and recently... with various groups of family around me... sometimes during the last few months the whole family has been able to gather... other times there has just been one or two family members involved in an activity, but each time I spend time with hubby and/or my children I feel so blessed and happy...

I note that May is almost gone... I can hardly countenance all the memories that have gone by in the past year... last year during this week of May, we were actually on a cruise, in Alaska... celebrating 25 wonderful, happy, years of love and marriage... We had been working very hard to repair and renovate our home and had very recently celebrated the second marriage in less than 5 months, of our beautiful daughter...

This year we are spending large chunks of our budget to pay off medical debts, instead of weddings, home improvements and anniversary fun... but the one thing that stays constant in my life is the joy and love of family, the blessing of a wise and loving Heavenly Father, and gratitude for understanding of what is important... once again thinking in the quiet early morning hours that life is quite GRAND...

Wednesday, May 27

to quote...

~an unknown source

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to slide in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, screaming "HOLY COW, what a ride!"

Thursday, May 21

the joy of monotony...

Life moves whether we want it to or not... it just does. I am glad for that always, but I was thinking that sometimes it is nice to feel like you don't have to be pushing... does that make sense?

Life for our house is moving along... all the kiddos are doing well... at least there are no major issues hitting anyone... and a bit of UN-bored stability feels really nice...

Saturday, May 9

motherhood...

I remember when my children were babies, I thought motherhood was so hard... or at least it was a lot harder than I thought it would be when I was single or a young married woman wanting so much to BE a mother... I had grand and glorious ideas of what motherhood was, and how perfect I would preform my duties as a mother... my ideas were fueled a lot by the seemingly effortless example of my own mother, who was the complete super-mom everyone dreams of being... I had so much to learn... and I know that I still do have an awful lot to learn about being a mother... But I am getting a little better each year at seeing motherhood as a growth process and not a final destination...

Just lately I have realized in a very dynamic way that no matter what stage of motherhood you are in... waiting for children, mothering young children, mothering teenaged children, or mothering adult children it is almost never easy... it was no doubt never meant to be "easy"... for it is, I believe, through the experience of mothering and fathering children during our lives that we learn so much about the love our Heavenly Parents have for us...

I was not an easy child in my teen and young adult years for my own parents... I made choices that I know were hard for them... but they eventually saw me in a happy and faithful marriage with a wonderful man they loved like their own son... with children of my own and living a life that they saw as good... My mother's opinion is one I cherish actually... I am grateful that "she" saw me as a successful wife and mother... but I am not the mother she thought me to be in those years before she passed through the veil we call death... I get closer each year... but I am far from there... and mom was enough of a realist to know I was only getting there... as most mothers do... but she had such great faith in me... and I tried harder because of that faith...

Thinking back to our last years together as mother and daughter, my significant health issues were hard for momma to watch me go though, and she said many times that she wished that she could take them from me... That is the eternal nature of mothering, I suppose... We really want the BEST for our children... they will always be our "babies", in some ways... and we wish against hope that everything could be wonderful more than not...

When difficult times come to our children's lives it can be hard to bear... we each must go through experiences that will refine and temper us to be the kind of people we need to be once we get done living our lives here on earth... Each child and parent will experience scraped knees and bumps and bruises, both physically and emotionally all through their lives. Hopefully these journeys will be made with faith as a constant companion... It has been my experience that spiritual journeys often take us into areas that only we can travel even though we can receive support from many who love us, we must plug along on our own spiritual legs, as it were... and as a parent it is hard to stand aside and allow the process during the most difficult moments... as a child it is hard when your parents must travel the hard road of illness and near death... because it is hard to watch those you love in pain... you want to lift them in their sufferings...

We each have personal travels that only we can make... and often mothers, whose hearts are so tender when it comes to their children are relegated to the lonely position of watching the difficult travels from the sideline without any ability to help along that path, at least not in the way they would like to... Sometimes that is because mothers have learned to accept that children must make some journeys alone... and sometimes that is because our support is not accepted by a child... but either way it is a hard road as a parent to travel...

I am so very very glad to be a mother... to have the relationship I do with each of my children... those that I gave birth to, and those that I have been blessed to love as my own later in their lives... I wouldn't give up this path of mothering for anything... even when my heart has ached... the joys outweigh the sorrows by far... each of my children are a joy in my life and each takes up a spot and makes a difference in my heart that I cannot imagine not having a place for...

Though I am far from a great mother, I think I am a good mother... I know that I love deeply, each child, each heart that has been given or guided to me, to love and mother...

Motherhood has been good to me... I hope that someday it will be said that I was good to the cause of motherhood...

Monday, May 4

of birthdays, families, and fun...

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

First of all... my definition of family is pretty large and broad... I know people that I consider "like" family that are not in the narrowest
of definitions, family... those extensions of our family were not at the Son2's birthday celebration yesterday... but all the children born into our family and their spouses were together, in our clan's home, for this wonderful happy event...

It was a surprise... one that Son2 evidently didn't catch on to, even though there were many times over the last month of planning we were afraid he did... It was hard to keep the secret without flat out lying to him... I used a lot of phrases like... "I am not sure if..." and "whoever makes it..." since he knew I was making a big birthday meal for his big day and at one point he told me I didn't need to cook a big elaborate dinner just for 3 of us... he he he... Little did he know...

Our efforts were SOOOOO worth the joy and happiness that he shared with having all his siblings here... not to mention the family fun... Saturday evening Princess Bride, Sir Knight got in, in time to go with Son 2 to a movie with a couple of his long time friends... Dinner on Sunday included games after, with his siblings and in-laws and a LOT of laughing and teasing... How fun that ALWAYS is... We even had all the family dogs here together and they had a lot of fun too...

The meal was fabulously delicious... compliments
again from some wonderful copy-cat recipes I found online... and amazingly similar to one of our favorite eating spots "Chipotle Mexican Grill"... We had it all, the rice, beans, grilled meat, veggies, lettuce, along with the many salsas, topping it all with guacamole and sour cream... choice of tortillas and how you wanted to add/stack your chosen ingredients... chips and more salsa if desired... Man was the food great... and we did almost all the cooking and prep work in the days before, so the meal was pretty easy to pull together and just lay out in a buffet style setting...

Desert was a birthday "brownie" served with ice cream and a birthday song to my baby boy who is not even close to being a baby any more... but will always be MY little boy... (in the same way I was always something of the little girl my mom knew when we were together...) A child's relationship with parents/siblings... family... is so individual and dynamic... always changing... it is such a marvel to me... and my love for my children grows and grows with each year even as it changes within the dynamics of life and experience... Their choices are of course not always the ones I would choose... but they are working out for themselves their own lives and doing a pretty great job of it, in my estimation, most of the time... They prove me wrong sometimes and I am reminded that experience is not often wasted...

Son2 is leaving in a couple months for boot camp... I have mentioned before that this was a surprising decision for us to hear... it is one we are becoming more accustomed to, and we are certainly proud of his desire to serve his country... As a Marine we will be limited to the amount of time we
get to see him over the next few years... (all those HE calls family... which like me, is also pretty extensive...) Limited for what family events he gets to come home for... That is generally true when children leave home, no matter what the circumstance... be it college, a mission, work, or in Son2's case, military life... We will miss him... As his parents we hope he will always know and trust that truth... As much as we know that he needs to be on his own and much as we respect that each of our children need their own lives away from us, this time has come amazingly fast... suddenly almost it will be just the 2 of us again... and there is a part of me that knows life will be just a bit empty once all the chicks have flown...

Though I am finding new adventures to fill my time with as well... [and hubby and I are best friends so it is not a hard sell to spend time together...] my husband and
children... my immediate family... will always be the central focus and most important part of who I show my greatest love, support and loyalty to... It is easy to also share my heart and love with others... to share all kinds of experiences with extended family and those that become like family, through deep faith, friendship and challenges... But that core... that "part" of me that is heart-string-tied together through the a lifetime of joys and sometimes bitter tears or fear and grief... who are connected to each other by the bonds of love, blood and marriage, is not ever going to be less important to me than they are right now... As individuals we are none of us even close to perfect, we know that... but as a family unit we are so much greater and stronger as a whole... so good together as a group... That family love grows stronger each time we make an effort to build on it's base... what an amazing gift that is...

Last evening as we laughed, talked and teased each other, I thought about those concepts to myself... regarding happiness, and eternal love... I thought again that, of course families go on forever... they simply HAVE to... and my heart and soul are absolutely sure of that truth the older I get, the more faith I have in that principle... I feel so blessed to have the whole family I do... and blessed to have the hubby and children I do, especially... and also blessed to have a vision of the future and what it can be... perhaps, hopefully... forever...

Friday, May 1

it's May Day...

When I was a girl we celebrated May Day... I remember May Poles and flower baskets at school and planting seed packets in the flower beds in front of the house with mom...

I remember my older kids celebrating May Day at school when we lived in Utah... but once we moved to Arizona I can't remember any celebrations... I wonder if that is because the desert is so different when it comes to seasons... When they were little we planted a few wild flowers each year... Those days of childhood joys are over with my kiddos, they are all grown up and have moved on to their own lives... but it is nice on this beautiful spring Friday to remember May Days of the past...

And to remember that it's May Day... I thought it would be fun to send a some flowers out to loved ones everywhere!

Thursday, April 30

a few thoughts on food in today's economy...

Lately I have been doing plenty of reading, and when I read online it is often on my kindle... less eye strain and I actually prefer mobile layouts without all the garbage ads I have to put up with while online, on my computer. Even Facebook is better too look at on my kindle, without all the "stuff"...

One article I read this morning from a Seattle newspaper focused on companies like Starbucks that have seen a huge drop in sales over the last year... they appear to be closing stores this year faster than they used to open them. I never really understood the "wooohooo" about them anyway, not being a coffee drinker and not willing to pay what they charge for a mediocre cup of hot chocolate... But anyway, that wasn't my point... they are not the only specialty business that is having major "rethink it" moments... There are a ton of companies built up over the last 10 years that were designed to be narrowly specialized to a specific market, and they are finding it very hard to survive right now.

Another thing I was reading is that restaurants all over are being forced to change the way they operate, especially the big chains... This is a good thing, if you ask me... Not that we eat out a lot, but the places we did like just kept getting more and more outrageous in their pricing and consumer practices... That trend is changing... I don't mind paying .50 for an extra plate when hubby and I share a meal... (we do that often... in fact most of the time...) But it REALLY bugs me to be charged a "non-drink surcharge" too, when we order water w/lemon at a restaurant where we are sharing a meal...

I have started to frequent more and more "copy-cat" recipe websites and making meals at home when we want something special, on a date night... and I am evidently NOT alone in my approach... Restaurant revenues are down the MOST in the last year, over any other market, at least that is what I am beginning to believe, from the articles I have read... So restaurants are starting to re-learn what they had forgotten... Value and service to customers are important...

Lastly I have been doing some revamping the way we cook, because my family is almost all grown and we were not eating big meals together every often... Following the example of some articles on still cooking big but then freezing parts of our meals for later use, we are not only eating simpler and more healthy, we spend less time cooking the main meals and more time enjoying tasty dinner time adventures together... some things, like fresh bread just tastes better... so I am developing my own way of freezing the dough we like best, so that we can pull it out and cook on demand. It is fun to spend some of our time doing this together on hubby's nights off, and it's a new take on a "date"... Hubby likes having stuff he can pull out for his meals at work that are easy and taste good and I like having a healthy normal serving I can pull out of the freezer and re-heat also when I am alone to eat I don't have to cook...

I find am eating more salads and quick veggie meals, too... But oh MY, we are going to be enjoying rice and bean dishes more and more as I an finding a LOT of new ways to cook and serve both of those items, which come right out of our food storage... So, I just thought I would share a few of the things that I am learning... because we are saving a TON of money storing what we eat and eating what we store... and we find are enjoying food in a whole new way...

Wednesday, April 29

to quote...

President Thomas S. Monson:
"Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face." ~ President Thomas S. Monson, "Looking Back and Moving Forward", Ensign, May 2008, 87–90

Sunday, April 26

feasting on the Sabbath...

In a very practical sense...

I did too much this last week trying to catch up with all the things I couldn't do while I was limited after surgery... so I had to leave right after Sacrament Meeting today... This was actually our Ward Conference Meeting and the focus was again on Provident Living... I was spiritually fed and felt that in view of that worthy topic I wanted to share 10 of my favorite websites revolving around food storage, and especially ways to use that food storage...

Everyday Food Storage ~
The Idea Door; Food Storage and Supply ~ (this site has a BUNCH of links to other sites...)
Food Storage Recipes ~
The Enlightened Homemaker ~
Food Storage Recipes and More ~ (an online recipe book in PDF format that is easy to print...)
BellaOnline LDS Families Site ~ (this site has a BUNCH of links about all kinds of Home Management...)
Healthy Familes Warm Hearts ~
It's Not Your Mama's Food Storage ~
Food Storage, A Necessary Adventure (recipes) ~
Everything Under The Sun ~

Some of the websites I am sharing overlap ideas and even some recipes... but I have found that there is SO much help out there already given that I thought I would share just some of what I have used... The very last link above is from last November when Wendy Dewitt posted on her blog called "Everything Under The Sun" an article she has become famous for... with helpful hints, recipes, and a lot of other information... There are videos from the 3 BYU classes she taught in March on this topic at YouTube and other sources for this article elsewhere on the internet... in the last few months it has been floating around the internet as PDF file so maybe some may have gotten it in an email (I personally have gotten it half a dozen times in the last 2 months...) The PDF file is in a convenient format for printing... if you would like that version of this article, you can get it by emailing her or you can email me and I will share my copy with you...

I have used tons of the recipes which you will find in the posted resources as we have virtually lived out of our storage since hubby's accident last November. We are a lot less stress financially than we were while he was not working, but we have a lot of medical bills still left to pay, so it's not just the economy that is pulling at our income... Even if things were better for everyone else we would be living frugally... Over the last months we always had plenty to eat simply because we have in the past followed the council to store what we eat/eat what we store... My testimony of a long term ~ rotating food pantry continues to be strengthened each time we go through a challenge that makes it necessary to live on our storage, to date that has happened more than 10 times in our marriage of 25+ years... so now living out of and rotating our storage is a normal part of life... I feel this is a huge blessing to us, rather than a challenge...

With these few links I have been able to limit to site searches for help with so many problems that I have needed to find solutions for. I have been able to quite often cook with just what I store in my regular food supply/pantry... The ideas I have read on the websites I have shared align well with the messages of our Ward Conference today of living a fugal and provident life, and I have never personally come across anything bad in them, so I feel confident in sharing them... I have been using some of these blogs as a resource for some time... some are people I actually know and some have only been passed on to me by mutual friends...

I hope they are helpful to others...