I love to BAKE!

I just got these fun new cookie pans so I can make cookies on a stick! I haven't tried it yet but I'm so excited!

3 things...

1. Love the smell of Orange Blossoms! Can't get enough of it. It's like a freakin' drug to me!

2. Love my new Shark Steam Mop! I think it gives me a false sense of security that everything is completely germ free. 3. Puppies are a lot of work!

Babies

Today I love... that there are so many babies and small children in my ward. I usually sit in the back and have a good view of all of the babies looking over their mother's shoulder. Even though it makes me a little sad sometimes, I still love to smile at them and watch them. I love the innocence of children.

(My niece Olivia)

3 Nephi 11:38-"And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

Moroni 8: 17-" And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation."

Today I love.....

I'm stealing an idea from my friend Paula. Since I don't really feel like i have much to blog about in regards to my daily doings, I'm going to blog about things that I love about that day or week. If nothing else, I figure it will help me to be more grateful and remind me that there are things to love about each day. Thanks for the idea Paula and hope you don't' mind my 'mooching' it off of you!

TODAY I LOVE...

Winters in Arizona, because it means that I can go walking (outside) at 8 in the morning without dying of heat exhaustion or drowning in my own sweat! It was a beautiful, cloudy, overcast morning! I love that!

I live just a few streets south of a retirement community.

You might not think that's ideal, BUT it's a quiet neighborhood (perfect for walking in). AND...there are NO speed bumps in this little community! I LOVE THAT!


I happened to glance into a window as i walked past a house and noticed that they were watching 'Little House on the Prairie'. I LOVE 'Little House on the Prairie' and that people still watch it!

I own the first 5 Seasons. My roommate has given them to me over the years for birthdays or holidays. I grew up on Little House on the Prairie, and decided a long time ago that when i grew up and had children, I would 'tape' all of episodes and raise my children on Little House. It's such a great show that teaches great values. So, imagine my delight when I saw the 1st Little House 'video' for sale years ago. Glad I waited to start my collection until it came out on DVD.

I love that I heard thunder on my walk and that it sprinkled a couple of drops on my eyelid...but didn't downpour on me.

What a great way to start the day!

Magnificant Monday!

What a great day! First of all, I didn't have to work.

My oven CLEANED itself! Gotta love self-cleaning ovens!

Then I went to a cookie exchange at my sisters house with my sisters, sister in-law and mom. Here is a peek at some of the yummy cookies we exchanged.

Tis the Season for baking and eating!

Then...I found these cute shoes (picture doesn't do them justice) for just $23! I returned some that I had previously bought for $60...which I really couldn't afford.

The evening started with this BEAUTIFUL sunset!

Can you see the chickens in the chicken coop? All hunkered down for the evening.

I made salmon, which my roommate didn't like. That's o.k. She doesn't like fish but she agreed to try it. I didn't like Salmon for years. I still don't like Seafood. Just tuna and Salmon these days.

Tis the Season to get a Christmas Tree too! Woo hoo! We need more lights so we can decorate it!

Aaaahh! What nice day. Back to the grind tomorrow. Love this Season though!

Prophecy being fufilled...

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years head, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' "This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ...Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted...This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. "Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened...Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probably, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves,'summer is nigh.' thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat.'

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

"A More Determined Discipleship", Ensign, Feb. 1979, pp. 69-73

Sleep Aid

Last night I met some friends at the:

for dinner and visiting.

I ordered the:

(Pumpkin Soup)

...which was VERY good!

Last night, I

like a
...I can't remember the last time that happened. It was AWESOME!

So now I'm

...if there was something in that pumpkin soup...some herb/spice that is a natural sleep aid.

Now I'm watching 'Dancing with the Stars' and wondering if I should eat some pumpkin soup...so I can sleep that good tonight!

During troubled times...

"Life has it's share of some fear and some failure. Sometimes things fall short, (we) don't quite measure up. Sometimes in both personal and public life, we are seemingly left without strength to go on. Sometimes people fail us, or economies and circumstances fail us, and life with it's hardship and heartache can leave us feeling very alone. But when such difficult moments come to us, I testify that there is one thing which will never, ever fail us. One thing alone will stand the test of all time, of all tribulation, all trouble, and all transgression. One thing only, never faileth-and that is the Pure Love of Christ. I testify that having loved us who are in the world, Christ loves us to the end. His pure love never fails us. Not now. Not ever."

-Jeffrey R. Holland-

Thoughtful...

Our weather is finally starting to cool down a bit in the evenings and so tonight I thought I would take a walk through the neighborhood. The sun was just setting and it was beautiful. Pink, purple, yellow, orange....peaceful. It fills me. There is a retirement community in the northern part of my neighborhood. This neighborhood...where I walk ...is the same neighborhood that both my grandparents on my mother's side and father's side used to own homes. I visited this neighborhood as a child and as a teenager. This is now my neighborhood...it's strange sometimes...to think...
I see kitchen windows lit in some of these homes, and I remember my grandparents...being in their kitchens...you know...a grandma and grandpa kitchen. You know that smell? Not a bad smell but that smell that always reminds you of your grandparents and lets you know that you are in a special place. I remember as a child traveling out here to Arizona to visit them. My one grandpa was tall with big feet. I remember his clothes...his face...his voice. When we would arrive he would open the door which was in their car port and led right into their little kitchen and say, Well lookey what the cat dragged in. They came out when my brother was born and he was busy doing projects around the house. Even bought the dogs, flea collars. My grandma told me once that I could catch a jackrabbit if I could get salt on it's tail. It got me out of the house and allowed the grown ups to visit, I'm sure. I never did catch one. Fresh squeezed orange juice in little green juice glasses. Grapefruit and grapefruit spoons. I remember sitting in her little t.v. room with her and her describing to me how she was filled with the spirit as she watched General Conference on t.v. Hiding her pills in her grapefruit. Watching her wiggle her fingers at the little puppies we had at the time. My other grandpa....I can still hear him whistling in the bathroom as he shaved. His mustache tickled when he kissed me. He'd come out after getting ready and rub his soft face against my cheek so that I could smell his aftershave. When I smell that smell....I still look around sometimes. His laugh. Dancing. The way he treated my grandmother....so sweet. My grandmother....classy lady. Always dressed so pretty. Her wigs! They were gorgeous on her but I did have a nightmare about them one time. Cooking. Grandma cookies. Sweet tooth...just like me. Dentures. Social butterfly. The hostess with the mostest. I miss them. I'm blessed to have known them. Families are blessings.

Weekend in VEGAS!

Thanks to the stimulus checks we got this year, my roommate and I decided to go to Vegas! I've never been. I've had a couple of trips planned with friends in the past but something always came up and it never worked out. This was my birthday present this year! Part of the whole experience for me was staying in a really nice hotel...something I've never done. We stayed at the Venetian. Here's a picture of the lobby of the Venetian.

We went to Madame Tussuad's (Wax Museum) ...another little something I've always wanted to do. Here are just a few of the many pictures I took there.
Can you see the resemblance between Cameron and I?

Stevie and I are going on the road together! Al Roker stopped Lesli for a quick interview as Larry King waited for his turn.

and so many more...

We saw the very interesting, bizarre, but very entertaining Cirque Du Soleil "O"

The show was at the Bellagio, so when we came out of the hotel, the 'Fountain' show was about to start. Pretty cool! Of course this picture doesn't actually capture how cool it was.We took taxi's to the different hotels and that was part of the whole fun experience. We went to the Dolphin Habitat at Treasure Island. There was a baby dolphin just born that morning. Cute. We also saw the White Tigers and Lions. All of the lights and people, and fun hotel lobbies made the whole thing feel kind of like Disneyland. It's a great place to 'people watch' too. I know that's a stretch...considering it's VEGAS. It was just a fun weekend to get away and do something different.

Oh...and we did waste a ton of food. The first night there I ordered a chicken pot pie. I know...a pot pie? It sounded good at the time. Anyway, this was my pot pie... It was HUGE! It's not like you can get a doggie bag either. Where are you going to keep it? Lesli made me feel better by telling me that she saw an episode of 'Dirty Jobs' that told about a Pig Farm in Nevada that got all of their 'slop' from the left over food at the hotels in Vegas. I felt a little better knowing it was "for the pigs". I just had to keep telling myself that.

See...people can enjoy Vegas without drinking, gambling or going to strip clubs!

Good Times!

Re-la-xa-tion!

I spent this last weekend in Greer. My roommate's family has a cabin up there in the White Mountains. It was sooooo nice to get out of the heat and enjoy some weather in the 70 degree range.

We did a little of this....

and I really enjoyed doing this...

There's nothing like welcoming the morning from the front porch and enjoying a beautiful view! Reading on the porch...eating on the porch....

watching these on the front porch...

I even got one to stand on my finger for 5 or so seconds! Talk about being at one with nature! They have the tiniest, little feet.

Later in the evening we had some other little visitors to the front porch...
We put some food out for them, and they ate it all up. One of those 'fat' little guys even tipped 2 of the hummingbird feeders and drank all of the syrup out of them! So entertaining

We also managed to get in some of this...

I caught two little ones and then a big one...that got away.... It really did!

What relaxing weekend!

Life Changing!

This is the most amazing antiperspirant/deodorant EVER! I heard about it from my roommate who heard about it from her friends at work and it really is amazing! You put it on at night and then you don't sweat the next day. I have been a fan of Certain Dri in the past which you also put on at night, BUT you have to wait for it to dry and sometimes it stings....I am telling you...hands down this is the greatest stuff!

Quick! Run out and buy some today!

(Secret Clinical Strength)

Bored!

This is how I'm feeling today...Today I am feeling bored. Bored with the work I'm doing....bored with my cubicle...even bored with my gum so I had to get a different kind from somebody else. I'm bored with my hair too. It's just a boring day in general... I'd rather be here....

Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Doesn't that just make you want to sigh?

To all my friends--I'm so glad I found out about this!

The correct way to weigh yourself:

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years! WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD!

Happy Birthday to Brianna!

O.k. so Brianna (Shanna and Brian's 1st) also recently turned nine!

B: eautiful

R: eally likes horses

I: ntelligent

A: ctive ( she is always on the go...in the pool, playing games...)

N: ow taking piano lessons

N:ot boring (very creative imagination)

A: real good swimmer!

'Golden Coral' Dessert Buffet!

I'd kill for her hair!

Then we came by my house and she fed the chickens and Dudley and then to the Dollar Store to pick out some things. Brianna is really growing up. It's weird for me to see my little, cutesy nieces and nephews become little boys and girls. You can actually have a real conversation with them. It's fun!

Birthday Date

My niece Bailey recently turned 7 years old! She is growing up way too fast. Many a laughable moment comes from her being 100% girl. For Bailey's birthday date, she wanted to use the money that she got from her birthday to buy a Webkin at the mall. She put all of her bills and coins into her little wallet and into her new Hannah Montana purse and we headed to the mall. She told me that it was going to take her a very long time to pick out which Webkin she wanted and I did have an image of us standing there in the store for a very long time while she 'himmed' and 'hawed' as to which one to choose. However, it really didn't take that long at all. She got the Siamese Cat which she decided she would name 'Sammie'.

Now off to the food court for some lunch. Here is Bailey with her pizza, Webkin, and little 'Hannah Montana' purse.

O.k. so do you notice how big that piece of pizza (which is already a third of the way eaten) is and how little Bailey is? Maybe this picture doesn't do it justice. I worried that she wouldn't be able to finish it and wondered if we should have split a piece.

Never Fear! Little Bailey has a big appetite for pizza!

I'm still amazed that the entire piece fit into her tiny, little tummy!

After lunch we went to check out all of the cute puppies at the pet store. Bailey picked out a gold, sparkly collar and leash that she would 'no doubt' get if she had a puppy to walk. Very high society. We had a good time. I'm really enjoying my 'one on one' time with each of my nieces and nephews. Just wish Rand and his family could be here as well!

"1856-The Musical"

Recently my sister Shanna and her family participated in "1856-The Musical". The play ran in Utah for a week and then here in Arizona for a week. It's the story of the Mormon handcart companies' making their trek to the Salt Lake Valley, as well as the rescue of a handcart company that got a late start and were caught in storms on the plains. I went to the play once with my parents and then again with some friends from work. The play was very well done and very inspiring. I kept thinking...this REALLY happened. I'm so inspired by the early saints of the church. Their commitment and faith is an inspiration and a testimony to me of the truthfulness of this gospel. Below is one of my very most favorite pictures, with an explanation below. Even though our trials and tests of commitment are different, there are angels all about us today to help us and buoy us up in our earthly journey. I am grateful for my trials. Through them, I truly do become 'acquainted with God'.
"I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it." [And a wife with a baby in her arms by his side]. "I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there."

"Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then no any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company." -a member of the Martin Handcart Company

Acapulco Orange Ice Cream!

Hey Everyone! Check out this website that my brother in Missouri designed! I haven't tried it yet but I don't doubt that this ice cream is as good as he says it is! My brother and sister in-law KNOW good food. They know how to create it and they know how to share it. Trust me... you don't want to miss out on this one. I've already sent away for my recipe and I can't wait to try it!

Birthday Date

My nephew Keaton turned 9 this month. He loves to play his Game Boy and Wi so I thought he might enjoy playing games at Peter Piper Pizza. While we waited for our pizza he showed me his golf stance for putting and for swinging. I have to say, he has pretty good form for a 9 yr. old. Watch out Tiger Woods! His favorite game was skeet ball! Who doesn't love skeet ball?!

He also had a blast running through the tubes and going down the slide!

It was nice to get away with just Keaton and it was fun for me to see him having so much fun! He's got such a sweet little spirit inside of him! (and I mean that in a good way) :)

Thismorning for breakfast....

This is my breakfast...

I never do this, but...this morning for breakfast I had 1 1/2 glazed, buttermilk donuts and a half of a Take 5 candy bar with a glass of cold milk. It was SOOOO good! The glazed, buttermilk donuts remind me of my brother Rand. I remember one time when we were kids and he was babysitting, he had us all pool our money together and then he went and bought glazed, buttermilk donuts. So good. Cory mentioned the TAKE5 candy bar in one of her blogs a while ago and I have been thinking about trying it ever since. She was so right. It is sooo good.

I also recently returned from a trip to Utah for a friends wedding.

Amy and I were roommates at Utah State University many years ago and became good friends. She was sealed in the Logan Temple at 11am and then had a luncheon for family and few close friends that attended the sealing. When I first heard she wasn't having a reception, I thought it was kind of weird, but it was actually very nice. There was no stress of setting up and taking down a reception. There weren't a ton of people. The whole thing was very 'quaint' and 'intimate'. It made me think.....'hmmmmm maybe this is the way to do it.'

I was also able to spend some time with Wendy and Adele who are best friends from my childhood. I feel so blessed that I have friendships like this that have endured the years and distance between us. It's never awkward. We always just pick up visiting as if we'd never been apart. I feel like we ALL really had a unique and blessed experience back in the San Jose, 26th ward. Those are relationships that will last into the eternities. We are so blessed! (Thanks again Wendy for letting me stay with you!) Oh...by the way...Adele's little girl Zoe is the most well-mannered, polite, sweet child I have ever met! I really couldn't believe it!. I wanted to put her in my suitcase and bring her home wit me. I asked Adele what she 'did' and she said that she 'didn't do anything'. Some kids just come that way. Hopefully....someday....when I have kids, I can place an order for some like that!

Of course Utah was so green, and lush compared to the brown, prickly desert I live in. I just enjoyed being out driving and taking in the scenery. Kind of funny...the day I flew out of Phoenix to Utah President Bush also flew out of Phoenix and hour before me. Then, the day I flew out of Salt Lake to return to Phoenix, the President flew out just before me. It almost made me late to the airport. Traffic was HORRIBLE and roads were blocked everywhere, but I did manage to return my rental car on time, check my bag and get in the security line...upon which I realized that I left my cell phone in the rental car. So, I get out of the security line and run back across the street to the rental cars, running through the parking lot (my rental car place was clear in the back of course)...the guy that checked my car back in was heading my direction with my cell phone. Whew! Run back to the airport and hop back into the security line. I made it just fine! Somewhat of a stressful morning but at least I got my exercise in.

Now...back to the grind. I returnd to work the next day and found my chair like this...

I'm telling you...it never stops at my office. Never a dull moment.