Christmas Elves....NOT!

Christmas is beautiful...wouldn't you agree?

I love the beautiful sights and smells

and sounds of Christmas!

It seems that there is magic in the air.

I once read that every thing magic

at Christmas time is brought about

by the hand s of Magical Christmas Elves

Like....

This is our family Christmas tree. It is actually

a picture of last year's tree.

As you scroll down you will understand why I don't have

a picture of this year's beautifully decorated tree,

but, as family tree's go...

they are often the same from

year to year.

Next......

Here is a picture of Scamp and Mr. Dickins.

They are the cutest little kitties that we adopted

into our home! They are warm and cuddly and

can be a little rowdy at times.....

And Then.....

Here is a picture of this year's Christmas Tree!

NEED I SAY MORE??!!!!

Flashback Friday

Christmas Crafts From the Past
Many Christmases ago, I made the little red bowtie
 that Quentin is wearing because he wanted one
 just like his Dad's. They wore their 'twin ties' every
Christmas for years.I don't know when that
tradition ended,probably when the
teen-age-I'm-embarrased-to-be-
associated-with-my-parents phase hit.

However, I still have the little red Christmas bowtie
and it will always be a memorable treasure!

Aren't they Handsome!

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas Is Really Here

Okay...so it's been a while!  It's time to get back into this blogging mode!  I finally decided that life is busy....so I need to get over it!
I am happy to report that I have finally accepted that Christmas is just around the corner. I think I've been in denial for a while now.  It is December 14th and we still don't have our tree up yet....much less any decorations or yuletide fun! What? Did I hear the word 'Scrooge?' Don't go that far! I love Christmas, it's just that the hustle and bustle passed me up this year.  Maybe I'm getting old!
Keith and I took an opportunity to go an view the Live Nativity that a local church displayed this year.  And yes, I did say Live! It was wonderful!  You just drove through in your car and they had the Christmas story displayed in about 5 different scenes complete with real live people and animals to complete the posted scriptures.  What a fantastic display!  I think that finally got me in the Christmas mood to see that beautiful story come to life.  I shot a couple of pictures from the car window although they don't do it justice....sorry about that.  I hope you can kind of see the jist of it.
I hope you in Blogger Land are enjoying the Christmas Season so far.....and watch out...I'm jumping in!

The Angel Gabriel Visits Mary

Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus at the Inn

with the Shepherds and Animals

More Shepherds and a Donkey

Plus a couple of Sheep you can't see

Wise Men from the East

More Wise Men and some Camels....

...I mean Lamas (Wyoming Camels!)

This Day

This day, I thankfully accept all of the good things
       that are coming my way.
This day is full of excitement, love, energy, health, and prosperity.
This day, people are calling on me to be of service to them
        and I respond by giving my very best.
This day, I think and practice health in my life,
        refusing to accept anything less than perfect health.
This day, I accept the abundance and prosperity
        that is mine and willing share it with others.
This day, I focus on the future
       and give heed to the lessons of the past.
This day, I spend in total enjoyment of what I do.
This day, I fill with loving thoughts and actions
        toward all other people and myself.
This day, I spend in grateful appreciation of all that is mine.
This day, this hour, this moment is all that I have
       and I choose to use it in celebration!
May the Lord bless you This Day!Adapted from LarryWinget

Flashback Friday

Can you believe Christmas is only 6 weeks away?? 
That means that good ol' Santa will be peekin' in the windows any time now...so you better be good...you better not pout....I know what I'm talkin' about!! ;)
Here's a quick flashback of a little visit from a Santa Helper last Christmas........
Isn't he cute?

I've been good.....I promise!!

Where Is Old Man Winter?

I was driving home from church today and really didn't like what I saw!  It is well into November and where is the snow?  If it's going to be cold enough to where a coat every morning and evening, then we should have some beautiful white snow on the ground...not all of this brown, dead stuff!!
There I said my peace! Do you think anyone is listening?
Keith and I happened to be in Lander during the last snow storm, and so we took a quick drive up the Sinks Canyon road and snapped a few pictures. This is how November should look!

You will have to remind me in January how much I wanted the snow

when I start complaining about how much snow we have!

Fickle....??

Wordless Wednesday

Halloween Fun

Well another Halloween has come and gone....Wow....time sure goes by fast anymore!
Quentin had to work on Halloween night and although he had fun making Jack-O-Lantern pizzas and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters it was a really different experience for Keith and I!  No Trick or Treating (although that has been gone for a couple of years now), we didn't even go to the Haunted House in Shoshoni this year!  Keith and I just stayed at home on the couch and ate some homemade chili and cornbread and watched a couple of scary movies!
 I feel so old!!
We did, however, keep up one tradition and that is we have to watch 'Arachnophobia' each Halloween.  We started that tradition about 4 or 5 years ago.  We rented the movie and sat down in the dark to watch it.  All three of us had some plastic spiders hidden and we spent the whole night tossing spiders at each other and just basically freaking each other out!  It was fun and it still is!
I'll never get used to that movie but now I hide the plastic spiders!

I had to dress up for work and as you can see...

I make quite a lovely witch!

 My friend and I tied for 'Best Witch Costume'. 

Quentin went to school as a 'Monk'.

 He wasn't real thrilled about having his picture taken.

Hey...Moms still need to take pictures-even when you are 14!!

Who could this be?

I even made Keith act a little scary.

 There's always some sort of costume in the Halloween Box!

Wordless Wednesday....Already Again!!

Wordless Wednesday

Faith

This week has been a really taxing week.

I am reminded constantly of the incredible blessing it is to have the power of prayer in our lives and the knowledge that each one of us is loved by our Heavenly Father and He knows us and is keenly aware of our needs. All we need to do is ask and He will surround us with His love and blessings so that we can face any challange and have the strength to get through it.

 

Flashback Friday

Today is Friday!
That means the end of another week!
That means Flashback Friday!
That means I start to reflect on life in general and where we've been and how we've come and where we are going.  This picture is the Sunday morning after Quentin turned 12 and he was being ordained to the Priesthood.  Can you believe how much he has grown in almost 3 years? I am so proud of him!  He is an amazing person whom I really look up to. Not only has he grown physically, but spiritually too. He inspires me to do better!  He really hates it when I 'dote' on him...so probably enough said.
Life seems to go by way too fast lately.  Thank goodness for Flashback Friday so I can stop the madness and remember the good times...if only for a minute!

Wordless Wednesday

Thanks to my NIL (that's Niece-In-Law) Jena for cluing (sp?) me into Wordless Wednesday!!

Wow! It’s barely the middle of October and we are already under a blanket of snow! I’m not sure I’m ready yet…..but I guess I don’t have a choice. It will be Christmas before we know it!


Today is kind of a Melancholy day, as it would have been my Dad’s 89th birthday. He passed away 12 years ago in July.

If he were here today, I would have baked him some cookies for his birthday. He liked my molasses cookies the best! I would have bought him some funny…ornery…card that he would laugh at. We would have joked on the phone about how grumpy he was becoming in his old age and how all the candles on his cake were going to start a rip-roarin' fire! He loved to be grumpy and ornery….even if it was only a tease! Happy birthday Dad! I love you!
(I tried to download some ‘remember when’ pictures of my Dad to share but I couldn’t get my slow computer to work, so….they will have to come later.)

Autumn seemed to pass us up pretty fast this year.

I think the colors are gone......but not forgotten.

Autumn Is In The Air!!

As I left this morning at 6:30am to get Quentin to early morning Seminary....I had to just stop outside for a minute and smell the air!  It was still dark out, but....the smell was mesmerizing!!  You can just smell Autumn!!  It is my favorite time of the year!
I love to snuggle down in the blankets after the sun goes down with a cup of hot chocolate...the first of the season.  Out comes the crockpot and the warm, comforting casseroles for dinner with endless possibilities! I love to cook and bake so now the oven can come back on without making the house a sweatshop and I can loose myself in the cullinary arts (although, whether mine is truly art is questionable)!
I love the beautiful fall colors that are an endless breathtaking site right now.....red's, gold's and oranges everywhere you look. There is nothing like the taste of fresh, harvested vegetables in the fall! Especially after you have spent all summer tending and nurturing them.  School starts again and we are off on a new and busy adventure with the kids. Plus.....here come the hollidays!! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas....what could be more fun!  The anticipation of holliday excitment doesn't go away, even when you get older...although, sometimes the hustle and bustle gets to be a bit much at times. 
Take a minute and smell Autumn....it's more than worth it!!

Just Getting the Hang of It!

Well, I did it!  I finally started a Blog!  I am still trying to figure the whole thing out and get it all set up, so if you are reading this.....welcome....and thanks for your patience!  Hopefully I'll find the time to get it all done and up and running soon.