Frowning makes you look old...

This morning a somewhat silly children's song was running through my mind as I woke up. I am going to have all my kids together again this weekend. That just makes me feel happy. So, I am smiling and humming as I work on breakfast or my mother-in-law.

My kids will remember that we sang this little ditty while cleaning their rooms years ago, (or other unpleasant tasks...) For those of you unfamiliar with the words:

When you chance to meet a frown,
Do not let it stay,
Quickly turn it upside down,
And smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowny face,
Trade it for a smile,
Make the world a better place,
By smiling all the while.

I may have gotten one or two of the words wrong, but that's pretty close to the way I remember we sang it. While the song itself is completely random, and doesn't allow for the idea that we have the right to feel bad when bad things happen, - many times we would be better served by simply putting a smile on our faces and getting on with life rather than wallowing in sadness as is often the preference for some people I know. Still, please know I'm not taking about depression or any other real struggle. I am only talking about "smiling".

Researchers have shown that smiling makes you look younger. Really? They needed to fund a study to learn that? hahaha That fact only makes sense. Look around at the people you see today while you are out and about ~ you will notice that the ones that are smiling look younger and are more attractive ~ in general. So my reasons for wanting to smile more has nothing to do with having so much to be grateful for. I simply want to look better in the mirror. hahaha

Besides, I am honestly and seriously tired of all the grim news, and the doom and gloom. So, the economy is bad ~ get over it... and welcome to MY world. Our family's economy was bad for years before the rest of the world caught up... LOL We ("personally") aren't in any worse shape than we were 20 years ago. Some of our kids are struggling more than we would like to see, because of employment losses... And we still have medical debt we wish we didn't. We still have to budget carefully to pay all our bills. And we still pray for jobs for everyone in our family and hope that we can keep up. But we have been doing that our whole married life.

For anyone that lives in a vacuum and hasn't heard it before, here is MY secret to survival: (it's the same advice wise men and women all over encourage...) Never give up on dreaming WHILE you ~ work hard ~ spend less than you make every week ~ save for what you want ~ only borrow for education, a home, or car... and then only borrow what you KNOW you can pay it back without overtime figured in, or other "windfalls" ~ finally, decide you are going to be happy with what you have, while you dream, plan and save for what you would like to have, down the road. There is peace and contentment to be found in this advice.

Really, no young couple is entitled to have what their parents have worked a lifetime for... But often I look at lots of young people today, and they seem to truly believe things are important, and that they "need" them. However, things are things, and they go away. If your stuff goes away, you will be fine, but work to hang on to your family, and keep the lines of communications with loved ones open and healthy.

I grew up knowing that family, good health, truth and patience combined with "faith, hope, and charity" are really important. I tell my kids that if they concentrate on those things in life, a lot of other stuff will work itself out. I know this to be true. Of course a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt either.........

to quote...

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf ~

“When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration.”

Two Principles for Any Economy, Ensign, Nov. 2009, 56-57

your camera went somewhere without you.?

Early this morning my incredible, fabulous, camera went on vacation without me. LOL Son1 and Sweetee borrowed it to make a quick getaway excursion to see her bestie and hubby, and her brother who has recently returned stateside with the Navy.

A person I consider a friend, whose camera is never lent to ANYONE, even to take a picture of herself (she uses a tripod and remote for that, she told me,) was appalled that I could so easily lend mine out. She doesn't understand me any more than I understand her, today... She has no point of reference for being a mom, as she never wanted children and I have no point of reference for stuff being more important than the close and trusting relationship I have with my kids... I admit that I laughed at her shock and dismay. Then I apologized, but I still don't understand it.

Son1 leaves in 6 weeks for Navy boot and the start of many new adventures for them together as he makes a career out of this change in their life-paths. I am told by a friend whose been a Navy wife for more than 30 years, and whose hubby is "up there" in rank, and by some other Navy contacts that the Nuclear Program is pretty exclusive ~ I know Son1 is excited to be a part of it. I am happy for them, because it is what they want.

Everyone knows he will of course have deployments and they will have days of missing family/loved ones and probably short stints of "hating life" ahead of them both... so for now they concentrate on enjoying the time they have together. They are so in love and I consider myself lucky to be called "mom" by all my kids.

It really wasn't a sacrifice to lend them my baby... errr, I mean ~ my camera.! LOL I DO miss it, because I have taken to carrying it everywhere I go, just in case I find a "one shot deal". The only truly bad part is that now these kids of mine will find that they have to start saving, in order to buy one. hahaha I certainly have found that once I started taking pics with my DSLR I was spoiled for "anything" else! I've had a great little point and shoot for a long time, and it takes fine pics... but I hardly ever use it any more. And even though I don't really think of my camera as an indispensable part of my life ~ like my children and hubby... my Canon~T1i is one of the best purchases we have made in our married life, I find myself wishing and planning for places to go and things to "snap". ;-) I really enjoy using it, and yeah, I even miss it this morning.

But mostly, I am happily hoping Son1 and Sweetee have fun, make lots of memories, and get lots of GREAT shots and movies this weekend to keep them company through the months of separation that are coming up. They will do fine with their challenges, they are REALLY good kids and devoted to each other, they are strong and I have great faith in them... but having good pictures WILL help with the separation!

So yeah, I let my camera go on vacation without me.! ;-)

... another month almost gone!

"Days fly by faster as you get older," my mother used to tell me that when I was a girl... and I would think... YEAH, RIIIIGHT! LOL Sometimes I wonder... if I could have that young body back, and keep my experience...? ahhh, what a dream~

Once you grow up and have kids of your own, a home/hubby to care for/about... maybe you have a very different kind of life from mine, but still... doesn't it "seem" that the older you get the faster the days pass?

Life in my personal little Hooterville (AKA "SmallTown" AZ) is settling into a reasonable routine. The in-laws have adjusted to life in this DRY southwest region, instead of their previous more humid part of central TX, where everything was green, and grass did not have to be watered. Notwithstanding, it's been a relatively uneventful adjustment for both. The hardest part is that they are no longer able to be together. Mom lives with us and Dad is in a end of life care facility. He is stable, for how long is anyone's guess.

Mom is stabilizing too, and it honestly feels like a privilege to be of service to her. If someone had told me even 10 years ago that someday I would be helping to care for my MIL I would have called them a liar! We had, what I can only term as an "interesting" relationship for most of my marriage, but in my world and from my belief of family, this is what families do. They love and support one another through all stages of life, and mom needs people and stimulus. In a care center she would shrivel. The longer we care for her the more convinced I am of this truth. Another surprising fact is that through this experience my love is growing exponentially. So as long as mom stays relatively amiable, we will keep her here, with us.

I can honestly say that God holds us in His hands continually as we attempt this path. Often I feel His gentle encouragement to not loose my cool, in the moment ~ when challenges arise. At other times I KNOW that my sense of humor has been given a gigantic boost and I simply feel the urge to laugh rather than respond in a less appropriate way to difficult situations that come to our lives.

A side benefit we really never thought about, is that our children are getting to know the grandparents who they have not seen and rarely heard from for the last 18 years. It's a sweet, unexpected blessing. For the first time in 20 years hubby spent a short time on father's day with his father...

We are all trying to gather as many happy moments together as we can... for later when memories will have to do.

finally, pictures of our 2010 family reunion

Starting out in the van the first morning of the trip... here is our cute Princess Bride and her Sir Knight (it is hard to believe they have been married 2 yrs!)

This is where we stayed... it was very nice, and was right across the street from the beach.

here PB and SK are again after we got to the condo and walked to the beach

Son2... it was a beautiful evening and the kids enjoyed stretching their legs after the long car ride.

loving my hubby is really easy, cause he is just a wonderful, caring and handsome man!

The first two days we went to Knott's Berry Farm, San Diego Wild Animal Park AND the Zoo, had such a great time, even with a little rain in the afternoons...

Every night we had beautiful sunsets, and every morning we had gorgeous sunrises...

After Son1 and Sweetee joined us we went to Sea World

Here are the kids, all lined up, waiting to get WET! LOL

and of course these are the performers ~ taking a final bow

There was plenty of silliness and smiles...

(Son2 is taking the picture in the third shot above...)


Some of the kids went Sea Kayaking... (a great workout, I am told...)

and boogy boarding... also not something "I" participated in... LOL

We had GREAT meals together at the condo and sometimes at restaurants...

On Saturday, Son1, Sweetee, hubby and I went to the San Diego Temple...


All in all we really enjoyed the wonderful scenery and had so much fun being together and playing hard, whether it was for 4 days or a week it was so worth the energy we put into making time for each other. And then of course we needed a vacation after the vacation... LOL

Because our sons have joined the Navy we have no idea for sure when our next reunion will be, but we ARE "planning" one, and we will manage to have some family gathering every few years at least.

It was so great to spent time as a whole family.

...so many changes!

I don't even know where to start. Our lives are completely in flux. We got home from vacation with our children and went immediately into rescue mode for hubby's parents.

My FIL is in end of life care, MIL is living with us while we try to assess where to go next with her care, her dementia is much worse than we had any clue and the changes have taken place mostly in the last few months.

My time is no longer my own and I find myself struggling to just stay on top of email and my photo project. It's a good thing I hadn't planned anything for the summer, (at least nothing written in stone.)

I will try to get some of our vacation photos posted here, but there are quite a few on my project 365 if anyone is really interested. Start with April 19th and move forward (but the vacation pictures are not necessarily in order, or limited to the time we were gone in April...)

to quote...

~Mark Twain:
The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.

The "promise" of Easter.

The peach tree is in bloom and the day is glorious.

Easter will forever be a bit tender for me, 3 years ago on Easter evening daddy returned "home"... but knowing/understanding the message of Jesus Christ, the Savior of us all, means that on that beautiful evening it was the first time daddy and momma had been together for any real quality time for some very long years, though they died just 5 short weeks apart. That thought was a sweet reality for me.

I always loved Easter growing up, momma made it special... As I learned and repented as an adult I grew to love the message of the Atonement. I grew to love and have a deep gratitude for my Savior. That is when Easter became more than just a nice family holiday, for me...

I love Easter for another reason the last few years. A reason that simply increases my value of this special gift the Savior gave to the world. It is the day that my parents were reunited in the heavens to await their resurrection. Easter is a reminder of the day that the phrase "morning of the first resurrection" became PERSONAL ~ to me... I know my parents are together, happy, and waiting for the rest of the family, no matter how long it takes for us all to be reunited.

The veil seems thin to me today as I remember my parents, and revel in the message of Easter ~ repentance, forgiveness, renewal, Godly love ~ the Atonement... I pray each of my loved ones have a similarly beautiful experience.

..the days rush by

..with speed that can cause a bit of dizziness, if you're not careful. Already we have reached the end of March for this year of 2010. I find myself wondering how is that even possible. Nevertheless it is... it's here, and we better make the best of it. I woke up too early, and to celebrate the day I took a lovely picture for day 90 of my photo project. Check it out.

The best thing about getting to the end of March is that in April we are planning a fabulous family reunion, and the time will soon be upon us. All of our children will be able to make it, so that at one point we are all together again. That is something I am really looking forward to.

Later this year Son1 and Sweetee will be heading off (probably across the country) to start a new chapter in their lives together. Living the all new life for them of a Navy family, which can and probably will mean lots of travel, with interesting places to go and lovely ports to see. They are excited to take on the world, young and in love with each other. What a great joy as a mother to be a part of that. But, before they scatter on their waves of adventure we decided to attempt to gather our children and their spouses together for some more fun in the sun and surf. It worked (a little to my surprise), and promises to be a wonderful vacation treat.

Our pups will be home with a "hired sitter", who thankfully is also a friend... watching over them and our home. I am glad they will be well loved while we play on the coast, but I know they will miss us and I, will most definitely ~ miss them. They are a true and happy part of my everyday life.

I have become "the lady with the dog". My little girl puppy goes practically everywhere with me, and is doing very well in her early socialization training, heading towards life as my medical alert dog. She happily rides in her carrier, when in the car. Sometimes for hours, and behaves well most places we take her. She is a little too exuberant still around other dogs, but after all not even 5 months old, so she will get better in that area too. Despite all of that, as a family we decided that everyone would leave their dogs home... and even though my baby could have gone as a service dog in training we are leaving her here so that we can really concentrate on family time, and so that she can retain her normal routines.

We have tons of plans and adventures to enjoy, I am looking forward to spending that time with my family. The thought of what is coming just makes spring seem even greater in my mind. I love this time of year always, and the weather of late has been warm and pleasant. Tiny buds are peeking out of branches everywhere. Spring is gaining momentum in our corner of the world. I feel so happy about that.

...to see the light,

and the world in general through a camera lens and trying to fill up the days on my 365 project is at times a lot harder than it should be, although not necessarily harder than I thought it would be. My creativity is not as well developed as some in our family, plus I find myself wanting to shoot new and different things, not just the same things I always thing of... and unfortunately physical limitations have kept me from going out and about this week.

On top of that, while the weather has been much nicer in the last 10 days, the ground is still brown and dreary, and I want to see the hills full of green and for spring to come to stay. It's hard to say which I like better, because I really like both spring and fall, they are my favorite seasons... and this last winter was such a challenge for me, more so than normal. I am not sure why, exactly. Truth told, it doesn't really matter, I am just glad winter is moving into the background.

We have a family trip planned for later in the spring... A Clan Reunion with all my children. It's going to be so fun, and I am really really looking forward to getting away from the house and spending time with my whole immediate family.

I have not found blogging to be much fun the last few months, but I am hoping that will change again soon and I will share more about our vacation after we get back and I have a few pictures to post.

snow storm...

Just a few days ago our night skies were so clear I was able to manage a clear shot of the Orion Constellation... I learned to recognize it while looking at the stars with my daddy... Hubby and I love to spend time just looking at the night sky in good weather, and enjoying thunder storms too... Small joys, those are things that are important.

But, it's going to be a few more weeks before the porch evenings/nights happen in comfort again. Yesterday we had a really good snow storm, and it was REALLY cold. While driving home from grocery shopping we even had a complete white out, it was a little freaky seeing as how we live in AZ and many think all we see is sun and dry heat, ha ha. A bit later the weather got busy again and we had more snow...

This view is looking right outside our front door, towards the hills to the northeast.

Today the snow is gone and the ground is brown again. I can't wait for some green to start peeping through the earth. I am soooo ready for spring. I can't remember wanting spring to come so much before. This has been the LONGEST winter I remember in a long, long time.

keeping up with the jones'...

or NOT.! In truth, I don't even try, ha ha. But, I thought it made for a decent title. Today, there isn't much to say that's new, and even "the Jones family" isn't doing much that's new. In my corner of the world, spring tries to lift it's head periodically, but has it's efforts dashed regularly. Two weeks ago it was beautiful and warm one day, then it would snow again. Two days ago it was also beautiful, if a bit chilly... but yesterday it was windy and snowing, and today it's wet and dreary... by tomorrow it might be sunny and warm again though. The pups love it when that is true. I think they are more anxious for spring than I am, even.

The best news I can share is that we've had the most rain this year that I can remember, (a least during a winter) since we moved to this high desert valley in June of 1994. That bodes for a beautiful spring for us, but a seriously challenging summer danger, in regards to the fire season. Guess we'll have to see about that as the year moves on. Officially spring doesn't even arrive for a couple more weeks, but everyone I know is so anxious and wishing it would hurry up and get here, already! [chuckle] Aren't we a fickle bunch? We pray and pray and pray for rain and when we get it, we complain. (But not serious complaining... most people ARE really VERY glad for the rain we get...)

It's just that spring, and the beauty that goes with it is enticing, and we are anxious for the glory that IS spring, in our desert southwest. But we must wait, and so we do... and we try to think of new things to talk about, except the winter, and the rain, and the snow...

say hello...

...to cold/flu bug #347, seriously, SERIOUSLY??? This is simply ridiculous! Even after airing out the house in the past few days, wiping down all surfaces faithfully, taking the dogs to the park, and breathing fresh air to clear out germs from my lungs, here I am, sick again.?

This winter's bug season has been the WORST for me in decades, I am so over it.

flowers from my sweetheart...

...spread all over the house this morning before I arose, a spring bouquet of various daisies, greenery etc., and a sweet card to tell me that he is glad we met all those years ago...

Some years we celebrate Valentine's Day late or early, depending on hubby's work schedule. Today was OUR V-Day... We are blessed to be in love after more than 26 years. One thing I have learned over these years is that it is truly important not to pass up the opportunity to say in spoken and written word that you feel blessed, happy, loved, and grateful for the gift of marriage to your valentine... The days go by fast, and the opportunities may not always be there, if your delay.

I wish I had something more to say...

...but life has been so tiring, and uninteresting.

I've spent the last weeks (6) with a cough and a variety of bacterial and viral bugs in my lungs and upper respiratory tract... I'd just get over one thing, and I'd get something else. It's been a long few weeks.

I am finally... just today feeling like I may be on the mend. I am so grateful. Maybe that is a good enough thing to say, I am grateful...

to quote...

If you want happiness for a lifetime ~ help someone else.

~ Chinese proverb

...winter, so over it!

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning at the Groundhog Day ceremony in western Pennsylvania, officially predicting six more weeks of winter. However in AZ we know that spring is just around the corner...

Yesterday hubby and I were talking about plans to take the puppies walking in some new places once things start to green up. (2-3 weeks?) Certainly in 4 weeks we will be having some really nice days, and the crocus will be starting to poke their heads out.

I plan to have my camera at the ready to get some nice "local green" shots for a change. We had to go all the way to Mesa last week to find any spring color. Chloe was totally confused at what the green grass on the grounds of our hotel was. hahaha

I am seeing light in a whole different way, through the eye of my camera. Foto-Friends told me I would, but it's hard to understand when you've never really done much "real" photography. Point and shoot just does not count, I am learning.

It's a fun hobby and I am figuring out what all the fuss has been about all these years. Still I am glad I waited for digital, I could NEVER have afforded the cost of processing all the pictures I delete. ;-)

snow, wind, rain and more snow...

We've been having some nasty weather here in the lovely Southwestern US. We live in the high desert, and contrary to popular understanding we DO get some snow (which is usually gone in less than a day, and I personally like it that way...) We get our share of rain, enough usually to keep desert flora and fauna alive, and we get a LOT of wind, because our high desert valley is, for the most part, a huge expanse between the mountain ranges. In fact, WIND is something you just have to learn to live with, if you are going to live in any part of the beautiful SW.

Having started with that description, the last week has been kind of crazy, weather wise, around here. On Monday and Tuesday the weather was typical, sunny, a bit nippy, breezy, and clear... simply put, it was BEAUTIFUL. So while out running some essential errands with hubby, we took a very quick detour to a lake close by, so that I could load up my camera with pictures of some beautiful scenery and stunning close-ups of AZ beauty... (without getting in a car, because not only am I still sick and coughing, I really don't want to get on the roads in bad weather...) I barely left the vehicle, but it was nice to focus my camera's eye on the lovely vistas that make up our corner of the world. I had fun just snapping scenery while we were moving very fast along the highway.

Then, everything changed. It was as though the whole of AZ was magically transported to another part of the country. Over the next 3 nights we were hit by back to back storm systems that brought tons of very cold precipitation... Flooding, road closures, mud, rock, and snow slides are happening more and more each day since the weather change. Each morning for days, people unaccustomed to it ~ have been waking to white lanscapes and treacherous roads to maneuver. Schools had to close because we don't have the equipment necessary to clear even the main roads fast enough to assure safety for the children. Local colleges closed for the same reason, and ~ or because crossing the campus was dangerous to healthy limbs walking on shoes not meant for snow and ice covered concrete. Fender benders and vehicles slide offs have become the sad reality for too many local motorists... A couple of days ago some roofs collapsed in a town 90 miles northeast of us. It's just in many ways so nasty, and something most people here see a lot less often than in other places. So, it's something to "write home about"... Even though we ARE grateful for the precipitation, HONEST, it's time for us to be returned to our lovely normal weather conditions.

Of course during this tme period, there was also the joy of "snow days" for students and teachers, who got time off to play... and there is the beauty of the moment, when the white landscape is so pleasing to the eye... I caught some of that beauty around my part of our small community and also added those pictures to my project 365, if you are interested they will be posting over the next few days.

So when I woke up this morning to even more snow, I wasn't shocked... I'm just ready for our milder AZ weather to return to us, and soon please... I have it from some reliable sources that Oregon and Washington have been enjoying our normal weather this week, but as much as I love you guys... we want it BACK..! ha ha ha

...mine!

The fine art of toy take away has been learned in our house... hahaha

Tucker was an "only dog" for a really long time (3+ years). I mean, that is a long time in dog years... and I worried that he would resent the new puppy. But he and Chloe have great fun playing. In fact HE is like a completely different dog. He's very willing to share food, water, and toys... and even a rousing game of tug is only fun until the other stops...

Then, they play "chase"... the stampede is sometimes DEAFENING... LOL

...a walk in the crisp winter air.

I got to spend yesterday, all day with hubby, grocery shopping, running errands, and then strolling though the outer grounds of a Museum so that I could fill up the card with pictures that I might be able to use for my project 365... (I have truly exhausted my indoor opportunities at home for a while... LOL) and out of dozens of pictures I found only 5 that made the grade...


It was such a lovely day and my camera just HAD to take some pictures of "us"...


These don't fit my plans for my project, and I post them here for friend and family that don't "facebook".