Happy New Year!!

Well, I can't believe I totally missed December. My apology for anyone who had Dec. birthdays. I hope people remembered your birthdays without them posted on the blog. Yes I am losing it. Or could it be that I had 4 major Christmas parties to plan, prepare and deliver. Not to mention my stressful job. But it all got done. And I only had a tear in my retina to show for it. If we could just see from the end to the beginning that everything was going to turn out - we would worry less. But that is where prayer and faith come in. Something I often forget about. Oh, believe me I pray! Sad to say, I just don't trust the Lord. There, I said it! My New Year's resolution is to have more faith and be more optomistic. Ed would be laughing right now if he heard me say that. I'm a pessimist and a worrier. "What if" is my middle name. And its funny because I'm 62 years old and I can't say anything terribly bad has ever happened because I was in charge. Even if I had a magic ball and could see the future - I would be afraid something would interfere and change the future somehow. I picture my perfect future as sitting in a rocking chair on a porch in front of a beautiful beach and ocean. Diet Pepsi - with lots of ice - and all the sereneness that comes with it. Then comes my wildly vivid dramtic mind interupting the calmness with a huge gigantic 100 foot wave rushing toward me to wash me out to sea. I can't even dream peace and calm!!! So my dear relatives, having said all that, wasn't the family Christmas Party great! I'm not sure what mom was thinking during all the madness Sunday night. Masses of little kids running around screaming and chasing each other, 37 adults running and fighting for chairs and gifts that we could go out and buy for ourself. Not to mention all the other adults on the sidelines cheering for their loved ones to win the big one!! Well, I think she was grinning inside and saying to herself, "I wish Grandpa was here to see what we created!" Happy New Year everyone!

Thanksgiving

We decided that this year everyone will just do their own thing for Thanksgiving. We've just gotten so big and its so much work. Married grandkids have to run from family to family trying to fit it all in and its just become too much for most everyone. I know that some will not be happy with this decision but we all knew it would have to be this way sooner or later. I'm just kidding. I'm not sure anyone even reads this anymore so I just thought I would add some spice to it and see. Well we're going to do Thanksgiving but not Christmas. Just kidding again!! We have decided though that the dinner will be at the church again. And we've decided to downsize to hot dogs and chips to save on clean up and there never is enough food. What!! Kidding again, if you are still reading this. I do know that we ran out of food last year so we need to bring more food!! No skimpy little salads people!! We hope to have "Family Feud" again. So I will post more when I know more.

The Good Ole' Days

In the good old days we would all gather at mom and dads on Sunday evening and the grandkids would play outside until we dragged them in the house to say good bye. It was just the thing to do on Sunday and we enjoyed every minute of it. I miss those days. I didn't know at the time how lucky we were to have the time and opportunity to do that. Our lives are so busy now that it is almost impossible to find a time to all get together. We were lucky to all live in the same town and only have one church time. My how times have changed. I never thought I would see sports events for our kids on Sundays, live an area with several wards meeting in the same building, and schedules so tight we are like ships passing in the night. But here we are. If it wasn't for facebook I wouldn't know what my family was doing half the time. I long for those good ole' days. When we would get together and laugh and talk and didn't have to hurry off for another scheduled event. What happened to that life? I am sorry you younger generation will never know those days. They were good times.

Praying With One Eye Open

We have a saleswoman at Pure Line Seeds and she is also an ordained minister for a non denomiational church. I love this woman. She is from Oklahoma and has the most southern accent I've ever heard. She kind of reminds me of Paula Dean. She always greets us with a big hug and kiss on the cheek. Everyone she meets gets greeted like this. She is good in sales because she is so friendly and personable, everyone loves Penny. She is also very religous and a "Praise the Lord" lady. She has had a rough life but once she turned her self over to the Lord she is a changed woman. She is always giving me a bad time because if I'm ever stressed she tells me to trust the Lord, put my faith in the Lord. She's not afraid to show her religion. Unlike some of us. About a month ago she came to Warden for our Pea trial show. She had just returned from Jeruselem and was really spiritual. She even brought me a cashmere shawl from there. She really is a special woman and I am amazed at her faith and spirit for all she has been through.She is such an example to me. Well while she was here she took me to the Corral Resturant in Warden for lunch. The Corral was packed that day and people coming and going. I know pretty much everyone who comes in there. She decided we needed to join hands and she would bless the food. Out loud! Now, I am a religious person and I do bless the food-- at home. Why is it hard for us to bless our food in public. Well, I kept one eye open - watching out -- secretly hoping no one I knew would see us. It was a beautiful prayer and I am ashamed I can't be that open. She knows I am Mormon and I try to be a good example but I learned a lesson that day. She is a better example of a Christlike person than I will ever be. She's not afraid or ashamed to thank the Lord or praise the Lord. How would you have reacted in this same situation? Would you have prayed with one eye open afraid someone would see?

Come See Us!

Well here we are in our new little home in Moses Lake. Cozy like 2 peas in a pod. It only took us a month to move and its all we've done night and day! I didn't know 2 people could accumulate that much crap! we just moved 6 years ago and gave away so much stuff its hard to believe we were right back where we were. Like hoarders actually, only not with garbage. I just didn't realize how much food storage I had. Not until I had to watch the guys from Pure Line Seed - who were helping us move-lug it all up from the basement. I did realize one bit of advice I am passing on to anyone who cares to listen, If you have a basement, never take anything down there you don't want to drag back up out of it. Also never, and I repeat never, remodel your stair case so you can't get things back out of your basement when you move. Jeff and Lily have inherited and a big screen TV, a queen size bed, a couch and love seat, 2 recliners. The freezer came with the house when we bought it and I don't know how they will ever get it out of there if it dies. Well, lesson learned. None of it would have fit in our tiny cottage anyway. I will really miss that house at Christmas time. I know I can still have my family here but it was nice to spread everyone out, kids in the basement and adults upstairs. When we bought that house - it was our last house. The house we would retire in and live till we died. But I never realized my knees would give out on me and I couldn't go up and down the stairs anymore. I never realized how far Moses Lake was and how much more often I wanted to see my grandkids. Life is funny that way. It changes our perspectives constantly and we move to new phases in our lives. We hope to retire someday and this is the perfect place for us. Well, thats what we think right now, we'll see how we feel in a couple of years. At my age I never know how I'll feel tomorrow. Everyone please feel free to come visit us. We are at 3010 W. Peninsula Drive #97. Its easy to find and we welcome your visit.

Big Changes Coming

I first want to apologize for being so late with the June Birthday calendar. Time is flying by so fast I can hardly keep up. I am sorry to say the family blog cannot be my first priority. I have already said if anyone wants to take it over they are more than welcome. I know the day will come when I won't know what to do with all my spare time but until then there is no spare time. Memorial Day was wonderful wasn't it. Except for those who couldn't make it I thought it was one our best ever. Dad would be so proud. 3 new great grand babies for mom on their way - so we just keep growing. And another big change is coming- Ed and I are moving to Moses Lake. I know that most of you already know this but Jeff and Lily are buying our house and we have decided to downsize big time and buy a small house. I am not excited for the moving part and I will truely miss seeing the family on Sundays, but I am excited for this new change in our life. Sometimes you just get in a rut and a change is good. We are preparing for retirement so that we won't have to work forever. I will let you all know when the big move happens - if anyone is looking for something to do we could use some help - especially bringing all that food storage up out of the basement! I think Jeff and Lily are going to inherit a bunch of stuff with this house!

What the heck??

I don't even know if this is going to post right. I guess thats what happens when you only post every other month. My computer says my browser is no longer supported by Blogger. What the heck?? Some parts of Blogger will not work and I may experience problems. Well I don't know what to do. It looks different and I'll just see what happens. Don't you just hate it when you learn to do something and get used to it and it changes all of a sudden because somebody decided it would be easier that way. Well that somebody should be shot - or at least be hung by their thumbs for a day. At least let us vote on it. Us old people are not good with change. Just leave things alone. If it ain't broke don't fix it!! I thinks its a communist plot to confuse the old into submission. I know I say it all the time about everything from seat belts to cell phones but its my story and I'm sticking to it! I don't think many people read the blog anymore - well since I only write every other month but someday I'm going to retire and I'm going to write to my hearts content. That might not be too far off. Shhhhh don't tell Brian. Well at least I got the birthdays changed before the end of the month. If anyone wants to take over the family blog its fine with me. I know I'm always behind. Please forgive me.