Thankful Thursday (a day late)

I missed yesterday (and many of the days before)

But I really love doing my thankful Thursdays so I am going to do one now....
Again, I will number it for no reason other than I like lists
and sorry if I repeat from previous lists, I try not to, but I am sure I do.

1. Awesome counselor's in church!
2. A 5 minute drive and not 25 minute drive
3. Handmade quilts (even if with a sewing machine)
4. Coupons
5. People who have shared their memories of dad!
6. The computer
7. Library (i know i did that one before, but I have used the library here almost every week!)
8. Indoor free play places
9. Family restrooms in public places
10. People watching
11. The little boy doll Tandy got when Angie was born (Honey)-all the grandkids love that doll!
12. nice beds
13. A sister who will watch your kids while you take a nap
14. Nap time (both for grown ups and little kids)
15. The sight of my dad's handwriting
16. Old family friends who tell me stories of my parents when they were a young couple.
17. Hot showers
18. Good shoes
19. Anything dealing with Mickey Mouse (earrings, movies, songs, Disney theme parks, pictures)--he just makes me smile (and Minnie too).
20. Prayer
21. Cousins that play well together
22. Leftovers that are yummy and easy to heat!
23. Meals brought it (then not really needed, still awesome)
24. Learning to receive and to ask for things.
25. Puzzles and video games.
26. Great speakers at Church
27. Awesome Sunday School Lessons (I will never forget the "circle" sunday school lesson)
28. Family circles (just to name a few...around the dinner table, a campfire, praying as a family, and my own added--in the car, and around dad's hospital bed).
29. Spirit provoking Relief Society Lessons
30. a house that is easy to clean


to be continued.....
(I should pay attention and keep the list numbering going....maybe i will)

My Dad

I love my family. I love my dad.

I once had a cousin say in his "return home from his mission talk"--
How do you talk about a divine two years in 20 minutes.

I have often felt the same way about my dad's life. How can you talk about a divine life on paper?
Every child thinks their dad is great, but many times when they become teenagers they stop thinking that, and then even when they are grown they can really see their parents faults, along with the good qualities. However, I have never had that happen. My dad's biggest fault? His cheerfulness? His ability to see the bad and not let him drag him down? His unwillingness to get angry? How can you call those faults. I have thought of one "fault". He is a pack rat. He likes to keep and collect things, but honestly mom has mainly kept him in check with that so it really isn't even a fault--more like a bad habit--Speaking as one pack rat about another. :)

I also know when some one has been hurt, or has passed away--we "saint" them. They could do no wrong...they were perfect...and we forget about the problems they had or the negative things about them...however...this is NOT one of those times. He was a saint to begin with!

(This was a week before the accident. My parents took my girls to the zoo and enjoyed being with the Girls. I know my girls love their Grandma Minnie and Grandpa G-Dog so much!)

I can not even BEGIN to tell you how amazing my dad is. (I say IS because he still is in existence. His spirit, which makes up his personality, still survives and will continue to gain knowledge and experiences). One night my siblings and I were trying to think of all the times we have seen dad mad. I think we counted 7 as a family! (Tandy I think saw him mad a few more times then the rest of us--so I think his count was 9). That is it! I think I saw him disappointed a few more times then that, but not many. I heard my dad swear maybe 2 times in my whole life! My WHOLE life. Most people can't say that about their dad--

I remember going on Daddy-daughter dates--to a fancy restaurant there they flip the food off the knife into your mouth--to a baseball game--to the movies--To a musical--and I think my last daddy daughter date was to a Swing Dance concert-when I returned home after my first year of college! Dad was great. He did whatever I wanted to do!

(Jack Z, Dad, Lucas, Marci and Amy hanging out in Sanford.)
(One of my friends (who didn't know my dad) in Sanford told me that one year my dad went to the flag raising on the 24th of July all alone (we were all still asleep--it is like at 6:30 or something!) and he just enjoyed being with a group of people he didn't know and enjoyed himself and was very friendly and nice to everyone he met.)

I have MANY camping memories of my dad. Going cave exploring with the Boy Scouts, going to girls camp (and boys camp I think once) when I was too young to go. I remember hiking with dad and as a 19 year old just hoping dad would take a break--I didn't think I could keep going--and he would say--Just a little further--just a little further. I remember asking dad "do you know where we are going?" many times and he would pull out his GPS and make small corrections and keep going. I remember stopping at Hanging Lake on the way to Utah and thinking--can't I just sleep--but I was glad dad knew of all these "cool" places to go exploring.

I have lots of memories of Dad reading. Lots of things...Lewis L'more (sp?), Self help, lots of Church books. I don't have a single night time memory of dad going to bed without reading, unless we were out really late. I can picture mom on her side of the bed and dad on his, both tucked in all comfy, reading away with their reading glasses!

I can see my dad up on the stand as a Bishop, or counselor. I can hear the numerous talks and lessons I watched him give over the years. I can hear him giving me a blessing before school starts. I can hear him calling the family to Family Home Evening, Pray, or/and Scripture Study.
He was truly a great example of a worthy and honorable Priesthood leader and head of a family. Dad worked hard for us, but we knew he would be there for us if there was anything special happening at school or in life in general. He was the first to pitch in after a meeting to clean up chairs and the last to leave after making sure everything was locked up. He was trying a Christ-like man in action.

(I love this picture because dad is really into this computer game with Devin. He knew more about computers and how to work them than I did--and many others my age--not bad! I love that when going through some of his things we have found so many little gadgets and gizmo's that dad has collected--some of it really cool stuff--He always liked to be up the latest and greatest in the tech world and each time I would visit he would give me something. A thumb drive (which was so helpful with finishing my college thesis paper), a computer camera-which I couldn't ever figure out thought he knew how to do it, lots of games and other computer software and just neat things like that. He would always ask "do you have this?" and if I didn't he would either give me the one he had, or send me one in the mail. What a great dad!)

I have many fond memories of dad saying "you can choose to be happy, or you can choose to be mad, but NO ONE MADE you feel that way." or "Are you sure it is Mom you are mad at and not yourself?". Of course at the time I was mad at him for holding me accountable for my feelings and actions, but now as an adult I think of what a great thing to teach your children. We are responsible for ourselves and we can not blame others for our actions and emotions. He learned how to conquer this control (I think alot of it came naturally also) and was able to set a great example to me, my family, our friends, and others who knew him through church or work.

He was happy. He was happy in -30 weather, he was happy in 110 weather, rain, sun, snow, rain...whatever the situation he was happy. The only time I truly saw him really sad was when a man in the ward made poor choices in his life and ended up dying after drinking himself to death. Dad was so sad because he had such hope for the man; to turn his life around, and because, we as a family weren't supporting him because we were going to miss a vacation because of the funeral. I look back and think how sensitive dad was to this man and how selfish we were to put him in that kind of pain.

My mom told me last night that when she was dating my dad she went into his room one time (she was helping him clean it) and she looked into his closet and thought "I wish I could iron those shirts for the rest of my life." Is that not the cutest thing you ever heard?!

(Dad with Pepper--doesn't he look so happy! My personal family has been blessed by this man is SO MANY ways!)

OK I know this is a long post, but I could write pages and pages more. I will end with one more memory. I can still remember (yes I have shared this with lots of you before) waking up at midnight one night to a very loud Linda Ronstadt singing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaCX8YBnewk (with out the Sesame Street characters of course!). I had to go and tell my DAD that I was trying to sleep and could he PLEASE turn DOWN the MUSIC!! Image...how many 13 year old have to tell their parents to turn DOWN their music---talk about role reversal. Because of both my dad and mom's love of music and singing I have learned to enjoy music and singing myself. I can still hear my family singing Family Home Evening songs and of course having Bass (Jon) Baritone (Dad) Tenor (Tandy) Alto (mom & Amy) and soprano (Angie). I still get teary eyed many times when I hear the Song "A Child's Prayer" one of our families favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZ1RhtK3Xs&feature=related

I will be adding memories of dad on and off to this post I am sure my whole life....but I want to include more people then just my father....maybe Sunday with be a Memory Sunday and I Will try to post something I remember about people who have impacted my life for good.

Dad loved to bike Mountains--

22,000 miles (around the earth 2.5 times)

Not bad for an "old" guy!

(We always laugh that when dad had a "mid-life crisis" he started biking.

He was an amazing athlete and he was always in WAY better shape than I was/am.

What a great example or having a balanced life...)

Thank you to everyone for support during this time.

Love,
Amy

Thankful Thursday

This video is great to watch-- yes sound is required--

http://foreverfoldinglaundry.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-need-napkin.html

Oh my Gosh---I am thankful for "guerrilla" theater!

My friends and I always wanted to do something like this at our High School--but we never got around to it--or I should say the nerve to do it.
I will post more of these type of "theater" acts tomorrow for Funny Friday!


Other things I am thankful for after being here this week
I don't know why I feel a need to number my lists--oh well

1. Home videos
2. People who return phone calls
3. People who just listen (thanks Angie)
4. People who don't go away during tough times even if they don't know how to handle it.
5. People who actually help and not just say "if there is anything I can do..."
6. People who have knowledge and experiences and use it to help others.
7. Tissues
8. Nurses, Dr's and everyone else who can work with health care everyday.
9. People who are busy, but really take time to help you understand
10. My girls
11. Pepper totally understanding everything I say
12. Pepper talking all the time--even if I don't understand her
13. Pepper's attitude walk--makes me laugh every time
14. Sedona's excitement to meet new people and do fun things
15. Sedona's ability to watch a movie so I can make phone calls-even if Pepper won't-
16. A good car that is in pretty good shape
17. My memories (too many to list)
18. Hand Sanitizer
19. The Internet, to inform me, to connect me, and help me find a moment of distraction
20. Family

Motivation Monday

Motivation is a tricky subject.

It is illusive, what can motivate us one day may not motivate us the next…

Plus Motivation is fleeting. We may wake up (or in my case good to sleep) with our day planned—and chalk full of good intentions only to be distracted at the first temptation.

So today is just a list of things that can get me motivated…at least for a while.

1. I read a book written in the 1950’s about the duties of a house wife. I figure if they could do ALL of that, in heels, a dress, and pearls no less, I can do SOMETHING.

2. I put on music—either angry girl songs, dance songs, or other music I might be in the mood for and then try to accomplish as much as possible in each song.

3. I set a timer for 20 minutes and then race against the clock to see what I can get done in 20 minutes.

4. I call a friend (thanks Annie or Pam) and we “race”. Again a timer is set and we tell each other what we will accomplish in the set amount of time (normally about 20 minutes) and then get to work and call each other back in 20 minutes to see what we accomplished.

5. I work for a set amount of time and then allow myself to “play” (either on the computer, or watch part of a movie, or have a treat).

6. I think about what I could do if my house was clean and I didn’t stress about it—

7. I think about the “older” women who are still struggling with the same stuff I am to keep a clean house and don’t want to be like that!

8. If I get angry (mostly at Lucas) I can get a lot done. I am not sure why that works, but it does.

9. IF it doesn’t involved house work I have a different process.

a. For long term projects I do an outline. I figure out what I want the end result to be and work backwards to figure out the steps I need to take and write it all down. Even the smallest steps—

b. I also try to do the easiest thing first and then the hardest thing next—after that everything else just is easy.

Alright I am sure I have more, but I am so motivated to get out and do stuff---

So have a great day!

Every now and then....

I stole this off another sight, but then made some of it my own. I just feel like every women feels this way--


~Every now and then I forget that my children will be grown soon and won't want to play with me anymore.

~Every now and then I forget that I have been blessed with a husband who loves me.
~Every now and then I forget that the responsibility I heap on myself and my actual
responsibilities are very different.

--Every now and then I forget that my life is blessed beyond measure and that God is mindful of me, my family, my friends, and my situation.

~Every now and then I forget that my house doesn't have to be perfect 24/7 and to stop worrying about what I am NOT Doing

~~Every now and then I forget that I can just relax a little bit.

--Every now and then I need to remember that this time in my life is hard, but it is just for a season.

--Every now and then I need to remember that EVERYONE is hurting or grieving in some way and I JUST need to listen!

--Every now and then I need to remember my body and great mind are gifts, and I need to treat them like they are, healthy food, good exercise, and enough sleep.

--Every now and then I need to stop having such high expectations of others and myself.

--Every now and then I need to remember that Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love are more important than high scores, the next level, keeping up with computer networks, the unfinished craft, or even the next expectation I put on myself to accomplish.

~Every now and then I forget that it doesn't matter in the slightest little bit what other people think of me. It only matters what I think of me. And, what He thinks of me.

~And I remember that the little bit that I am doing right now is ok.

Weekly Plans

YEAH! Lucas found my phone! So everyone even though I don't ever really use it, I not am reachable again--It was somewhere in all our camping stuff--don't ask I don't know.



I always have grand plans--so this is no different, but I am not going to be upset if I don't follow it. But I did this for Zola when I worked for her, just more work related.



So this is my plan for my blogging days---I think if I blog daily, as a reward, I will accomplish more of what I desire.


MOTIVATION MONDAY--Get you up and going!
TOTALLY CRAFTY TUESDAY-- Something I am working on--I will NOT add anymore crafts to my already overgrown pile of "need to do someday" pile of crap--I mean crafts...
Wild Warrior Women WEDNESDAY-- When I was in High School we were the Arapahoe Warriors and the WWW-wild warrior women--did service projects--so I want to feature, do, or find someway to be a WWW!!!
THANKFUL THURSDAY-- Just what it says--we have SO MUCH to be thankful for, I will just add to my list every Thursday.
FUNNY FRIDAY-- Fridays are for FUN! So I will post a funny story, picture, or something to lighten us up for the weekend!
SOMETIMES SATURDAY--I don't always have time to blog on Saturday so sometimes I will blog, sometimes I will not....
Sunday--the day of rest--so no post


Again, I think this will go on hold until I return home...
But since today is umm...Thursday?

I will write another thankful list

Mostly my Denver thankful list--with some Sanford Thanks thrown in....

1. The sound of the girls laughing as I type
2. Awesome ward members of my mom who watch my girls
3. Being with in walking distance of the Temple
4. An incredible strong mom and family
5. Sprinkler systems
6. Eclectic weed eaters
7. facebook--
8. Blogging
9. The Library--anywhere!
10. Book Sales
11. People who enjoy being nurses and are good at their job!
12. Family (those that are blood and those that are not)
13. Pizza
14. Fast Food in general!
15. Chipolte
16. Support from everyone, even those I wouldn't expect it from
17. My computer at home
18. Puzzles--yes random, but they are a great relaxer to me!
19. A good pair of comfy, cute jeans
20. Good cartoons--yeah Backyardagians!
21. Pet Stores
22. Songs that you can sing too at the top of your lungs!
23. Time out as a type of disciple
24. Stoacks (sp?) green chili sauce!
25. Being useful to someone who needs help
26. Making lists and getting them done
27. Planning--food, activities, parties.
28. learning something fun and new
29. Purple Grapes--but white grape juice
30. Picking Vegetables out of a garden

Gone to Denver!

Hello All,

I am off to Denver so I will be blogging from Denver
I will mostly be blogging on my Dad's blog so don't be suprised if you don't hear from me for a while.

Thanks
Amy

lots of gabber--enjoy

How to Clean Silver (THE EASY WAY!)

(I don't know how it would work on jewerly)
Since I was cleaning small salt and pepper shakers I used a mini bread pan. I lined it with aluminum foil and covered the shaker (one at a time) with Baking Soda

Next I poured boiling water over it until it bubbled like this-

Sorry for the gross sink drain-

And I kept pouring a little bit of boiling water on it until it stopped bubbling completely

Then I took it out and wiped it off--that was it--nothing else--See before and after below--not bad for no elbow work-

I have scrubbed silver before-with special powders, gels, and other such stuff---

this worked almost just as good--with no work

(but it still smelled like rotten eggs--I think that is the way the tarish must smell)

Before--kind of blurry--

sorry-there was black in the detail work-you can't really see it.

Kind of get the idea anyway.

After

--now remember I didn't scrub or anything-just wiped off with a paper towel when finished--not perfect, but WAY better then scrubbing!

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Garden Loot from today

That bag is about 2 feet tall

and stuffed full

stuff was falling out when I was carrying it into the kitchen

The top 1/3 is green chili peppers (Or jalapheno's)

Then Green Beans

and 1 zuchinni at the bottom

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working with Green beans

I just blanch them and freeze them

The bottom mess is all the ends I throw away-

Yes I know I am throwing alot of the green bean away, but I line

all my green beans up and cut with a knife and if a little extra is left--it goes in

the trash--spare me the lecture, Lucas already gave it to me.

THE JOLLY GIANT GREEN BEANS

The dollar bill is clean, I washed it with my clothes on accident earlier that day.

I like the color of Green Chili Peppers--so enjoy

THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT GREEN CHILI PEPPERS

again the money is freshly laundered, so therefore clean.

One crazy one on the end was growing between so many branches of the plant that it was totally misshaped...Thought it was neat.

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So I got most of the upstairs railing finished
I don't know if I will ever finish this project. If the weather is still nice when I come home from Denver I really want to get the doors upstairs and around the windows in the back done.

But I will settle for finishing up the railing and the door I have scraped up there.

I also wanted to thank Rose Porter for suggesting to me to paint the trim brown--I really like it brown and would have never thought of it myself! THANKS!

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Picked alot of the garden

The garden was plum full---but not with plums. I had A TON of green beans and green chili peppers. and a big zuchinni!

It took about 1/2 hour to pick everything, and that is how long I thought it would take to pick and freeze everything. I am not canning this year again....maybe next year....will life ever NOT be hectic?

The last few years I haven't gardened well because ...

2005-newborn Sedona

2006-no excuse, but Sedona was only 1 and that is a hard age to get stuff done with.

2007-Pepper was a newborn--was in Denver for most of the harvesting season

2008-Primary President/Story time leader/Personal issues

2009-Dad in hospital/Primary President

So I have had some excuses I guess.

Maybe next year I will be a perfect gardener--including starting plants inside, without killing them.

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I am just tired of having projects and never

1. Learning how to do them

2. Starting them-then getting stuck and just abandoning them

3. Thinking they have to be perfect so I never start them for fear of messing them up.

I just need to really perge my craftroom and ligthen that room so I feel less pressure to make/create/do things.

I need to find something I am really good at that I enjoy and is easy and cheap--any suggestions?

I almost feel like I enjoy collecting the craft stuff and organizing it more than I like to use it.

When I did Pepper's baby book I bought things one page at a time--a little more expensive, but man it worked way better that way for me. Maybe I will have a huge craft sell

(like a garage sell, but only sell my craft stuff)

I will let you know

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I raked and shoveled the apples that have fallen off the lawn

I have a love/hate relationship with tree's. I love the way they look in spring and fall, but hate the apple trees mess--they stink when they fall off the tree and rot-they are slimy to touch, BTW--while I was mowing the lawn--I didn't rake first and there were so many apples I literally got the riding lawn mower stuck in the apple slime. The back wheels were just spinning and making applesauce all over the back of the lawnmower--gross!

Plus each year I think I will do so good and make Pie filling, Apple Juice, Applesauce, and apple jam---in all the years we have lived here I did make pie filling last year--sign--

I do love the crab apple tree in spring, but I hate the mess and I have a feeling that that tree will be trimmed way down this upcoming spring.

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As I type I can hear a mouse sneaking around in my kitchen. I will have to set a trap--it ate the tops of the cupcakes I made while I was at my Primary meeting---grrrr...

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I really have to start writing down the things the girls say--Sedona is such a drama queen I can't even believe it, but she makes me laugh so much

Pepper is starting to talk and sings and does so all the time at home. Her favorite sayings right now

1. I hungry

2. Potty Mommy

then when finished

3. Show mommy -and shows me she went potty

She is totally cute and totally spunky--

I love my little girls so much sometimes when lucas isn't home I just want to go upstairs and all of us sleep in Sedona's bed, but then I remember the last time I slept with those two girls (camping) and decide wisely against it--if I want any sleep!

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I have a friend coming over to help tomorrow after 2:30--but would it be bad if I just had her teach me more about sewing instead of helping to clean/work?

I should be working, but I am going to do something I haven't done in a long time. I am going to try to be up by 6:00--ok 6:30 and work like crazy until the girls get up...then take a nap when Pepper takes one. Can I do it--Yes I can!

I will tell you more about it tomorrow

It is almost midnight-thirty--I guess I better go to sleep!

I have so much to say when I just sit down and start typing---

hope you enjoyed some of it.

count down has started!

So I am leaving for Denver on Sunday, and still have a house load of stuff to do...
BUT my main goals are
1. Garden-as much frozen as possible
2. Apples-Do SOMETHING with those stupid apples so they don't go to waste AGAIN this year!
3. Good cleaning of the house
4. Finish painting the railing upstairs!

Wish me luck!