SHE'S HOME!

Doesn't she look BEAUTIFUL?!

Mom (Grandma) went home from the hospital last Saturday and seems to be doing better every single day. She sounds great on the phone. In fact, you can call her at home now. My sweet sister, Laura, has moved in and is mom's caregiver until she no longer needs one. Isn't she wonderful?! And the best news is.... I am flying to Utah to spend time with her early tomorrow. I can't wait!

A Birthday to Remember!

Well, it's almost 3 weeks since my birthday, but I can't quit thinking about what a perfect day it was. This birthday was one I will never forget.

Thanks to my wonderful family, I felt loved through and through the whole day long. I had been instructed to keep the day open because Amy and Cheryl were going to fill it... And they did!

The first thing they did was take me to lunch at a local diner, The Daily Planet. It was a lot of fun, and they even convinced our waitress to bring me a candle-lit cookie, gather a group, and sing to me.

After lunch we went to a nail salon and had manicures, complete with back massages. We talked and laughed and enjoyed every minute of pampering, especially the back massages. (Right, Amy?)

No homemaker's outing would be complete without a stop to the local grocery store :) and after that we headed home to celebrate with Kayli, Bryce, Blake, and eventually, Roger. The girls each did their part to get it ready.


The dining room was decorated and I had a special chair which Bryce and Kayli LOVED!!!

Dinner was super YUMMY. And it was topped off with CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE!!!! It was so good... and so full of calories.

The girls served me a gigantic piece and I savored every single bite!




Blake was wonderful - First he watched the kids while the girls took me out and then he volunteered to taste-test all the delicious food! Have I ever mentioned how bonded he and I are? Largely due to a specialty hamburger he made just for me few years ago. I'm going to miss having him around on these special days.

Kayli and Bryce sang to me and gave me all the hugs I could ask for. I love being a grandma!

I received phone calls and cards from all my children and several grandchildren - THANK YOU! I love each of you and am lucky to be me. Thanks for spoiling me with your love and wishes.






My sweetheart brought home these absolutely brilliant and beautiful flowers on my birthday eve and gave me a sweater handmade by a sister he home teaches. Other that being a bit long-armed, it's beautiful. And he assures me it will be altered to fit me perfectly. I can hardly wait!

School Thy Feelings

Often the Spirit whispers to me through hymns. One day last week, I woke up with these words running through my mind:

1. School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.
School thy feelings; there is power In the cool, collected mind.
Passion shatters reason's tower, Makes the clearest vision blind.
School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.

It's not a hymn we sing very often, so I spent some time pondering what these words meant to me. Isn't it interesting how much our emotions affect us and those around us? In one of the courses I took from BYU last year, I learned that we control our emotions through our thoughts. This concept continues to be life changing for me. I'm convinced that learning to manage our emotions is one of the most powerful tools we have in becoming happy and useful to God and to our fellowman.

Here are the words from the rest of the verses, just so we have something to think about:

2. School thy feelings; condemnation Never pass on friend or foe,
Though the tide of accusation Like a flood of truth may flow.
Hear defense before deciding, And a ray of light may gleam,
Showing thee what filth is hiding Underneath the shallow stream.
School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.

3. Should affliction's acrid vial Burst o'er thy unsheltered head,
School thy feelings to the trial; Half its bitterness hath fled.
Art thou falsely, basely, slandered? Does the world begin to frown?
Gauge thy wrath by wisdom's standard; Keep thy rising anger down.
School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.

4. Rest thyself on this assurance: Time's a friend to innocence,
And the patient, calm endurance Wins respect and aids defense.
Noblest minds have finest feelings; Quiv'ring strings a breath can move;
And the gospel's sweet revealings Tune them with the key of love.
School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.

5. Hearts so sensitively molded Strongly fortified should be,
Trained to firmness and enfolded In a calm tranquility.
Wound not willfully another; Conquer haste with reason's might;
School thy feelings, sister, brother; Train them in the path of right.
School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom's voice control.

Horsie, Horsie, On Your Way

Yesterday I was preparing dinner when something out the kitchen window caught my eye. Can you tell what it was?



It's not uncommon to see deer in our backyard, but this was much bigger than a deer.


Then I remembered that we have a horse pasture on the other side of the trees that line our property. I looked again and YES, it was a horse!



Then I saw that it was actually TWO horses. I was having a hard time getting the camera to the right setting, so they may be harder for you to see in these photos than they were for me to see in my backyard.

After a few minutes their owner appeared and rounded them up without a single lasso! It was quite impressive. Then they took them away and I resumed my dinner prep.



Roger got home in time to talk to the rancher and find out the renegade horses had snuck out of a hole in the fence. We haven't seen them again so I assume the hole is repaired. It was kind of fun except for all the damage they did to the yard :(

So after a llllooonnnggg hiatus from blogging why does it take a horse to get me to post something new? The truth is that I have many many more meaningful things to share, but tonight I'm very very tired and so the more important events will wait until next week.