Sunday Dinner at Grandma's (and Grandpa's)

Today we had a pretty small group at our house for dinner. It was just the oldest daughter, the grandbaby, the hubby, and me. The son-in-law has been hiking with the scouts at Philmont for the past 12 days (only 2 more to go), the oldest son and the youngest son and their dinner guests are in Idaho/Utah visiting the youngest daughter and the youngest daughter is in Idaho being visited. The grandbaby is feeling a little abandoned by the men in his life and tried to keep a close eye on grandpa today to make sure he didn't disappear too. His bib may say he loves grandma, but he was definitely a grandpa fan today.

When the grandbaby doesn't get food passed to him quickly enough he has taken to yelling at the top of his lungs to make sure we know he is hungry and being ignored. His mom has been working on getting him to make the sign for more instead of screaming.

She is having some success. After he screams a few times, and she shows him the sign and says more a few times, he will make some kind of motion with his hands (he usually claps) and then he gets more food. Here he is demonstrating. Isn't he just the smartest little boy in the whole world?

The high chair he is sitting in is a hand-me-down from my mom's house. I have not been able to determine if it is the high chair I used, but I know it has been in the family for as long as I can remember. Looking at this picture, it appears to have accumulated a lovely gray tint over the years. The tray is very white and clean though. I know it has been replaced since I have been an adult so I'm pretty sure it's not painted with lead paint.
This is what the grandson looks like when he is tired of sitting in the high chair and wants to get out and go home to bed.
I guess the oldest daughter needs to start working on "all done" soon.
Today I am grateful for

creamed peas and potatoes, even runny ones.
extended family members who try to support my family, even when it's not easy.
all the good visiting teachers and home teachers I have had over the years.

We All Fall Down!

Today at church the primary president and the secretary were gone. The other counselor was doing sharing time, so I was the designated runner. I went into nursery to take the roll and see how things were going. It was singing time and the leaders were trying to get the toys picked up so everyone could sing. The children weren't being very cooperative, so I decided to stay and help get the toys in the cupboard. I guess it has been too long since I was in nursery because as I was encouraging helpers and picking a few toys up myself, I tripped over a little boy who had wrapped himself around my leg. I knew I was going to be sitting on the floor soon and I had visions of this small child smashed beneath me. I grabbed him on the way down and we ended up sitting next to each other. I looked at him and said, "We both fell down, but we're ok, right?" He looked at me and started laughing. He laughed and laughed, stood up, brushed his hands off and said, "Again!" Obviously falling down is easier when you are 2 and 2 feet tall than it is when you are my age. He thought it was a fun game, and I was just grateful that nothing was broken.
It was interesting that as soon as I was seating on the floor I suddenly became every child's favorite person. I immediately had a lapful of friends who wanted to share their toys or tell me their stories. Some of my former nursery children like to pretend they don't know who I am anymore, so it was fun to feel like I belonged again for a few minutes. The nursery leaders probably wished I hadn't stayed to help clean up since I was more of a distraction than a help.

Today I am thankful that

I am not moving.
I am not the Relief Society president.
my family still sits around the dinner table and laughs, every once in a while.

Today I am grateful for

the golden glow over the entire world at sunset.
boys (and girlfriends) who made us pizza for dinner and delivered it to our door.
strawberry shortcake from Church's Chicken.
the scriptures, the conference edition of the Ensign, and time to read both.

I love to see the temple

I'm going there today

To feel the holy spirit

To listen and to pray.


Tonight was our ward Relief Society temple night and I really wasn't too excited about going. I love to go to the temple, but I would much rather go to a session during the daytime and I am lucky enough that that is usually an option for me. It is much more difficult for me to want to go to the temple in the evening and when I do I like to make a point of taking my hubby with me, since that is the only time he can usually go. I have been in a very anti-social mood lately and I really didn't want to go and be friendly with anyone, even my Relief Society sisters that I really like. However, I have come to find out that when I don't feel like doing something that is probably the very thing I NEED to do, so off I went to the temple. I'm glad I did! There were only 5 of us there and 2 of the sisters are much older, nearly blind and not in the best of health. I'm sure they would have chosen to attend the temple at a more "convenient" time, but I was touched by their dilligence and their willingness to give service in the temple. These are 2 women that I believe are close to perfect and I would love to grow up to be like them. I was glad that tonight I had made a choice that moved me a few steps forward along the path to exaltation with these good examples. It was such a sweet experience to share hugs with them in the celestial room and to feel of their love and the love of my Heavenly Father. Today I am thankful for my eyesight. temple night with a few of my Relief Society sisters. an excuse to hang out with some good friends for some food and friendship - doesn't happen nearly often enough.

Father Lehi and the Tree of Life

I ran across this video and felt it was a wonderful Father's Day tribute. Back when this Lehi (the artist) was just a preschooler, his father was the "father" of the BYU Lamanite singles ward and my hubby served as his counselor in the bishopric when we were first married. We learned a lot from Bishop Sanchez and he has been a great example of a righteous father, not only to his own children, but to many, many other individuals over the years.



The other day when I went to the temple, I was impressed with the beautiful sunflowers they have planted this year. They give the temple a very different look, a somewhat masculine appearance. I decided that I would like to go to the temple on Father's day and take some pictures of my kids with their father and the sunflowers. By the time we finished Father's day dinner (and dessert) with the very extended family it was almost too dark for picture taking but we still managed to get a few good ones. We missed the youngest daughter, who still maintains that she is the very best Father's day present her dad ever received. She was born 22 years ago yesterday, on Father's Day. Just imagine her cute, smiling face right there with the rest of them.


My children are very fortunate to have the wonderful, supportive father that they were blessed with. He is a good example to all of us, but especially to his sons. I hope they grow up to be righteous fathers just like their dad.



Today I am thankful for

the father of my children.
cooperative family members.
Pima tacos and banana splits.

Smile!

This is the grandson's new "happy face".

It makes me feel pretty happy too!

My Little Rocking Chair

One of the purposes of our most recent trip to Utah was to collect the remainder of my inherited furniture from where it was being stored in my sister's basement. One of the items we brought home was my little rocking chair.

Here is the grandson taking it for a test drive. He did smile when I rocked him in it, but he was a little bit concerned most of the time.
I have two very distinct memories of this chair from my childhood. One of them is of riding it down the stairs to the basement in our house on the hill. I did this on purpose and I'm pretty sure numerous times. It was a lot of fun.
My other memory is of sitting in this chair the very last time I ever remember throwing up. I was still pretty young because I know I still fit in the chair. I have a strong stomach and I don't throw up - even though there have been times in my life when I really wished I could, because I'm sure it would have made me feel better.
I'm glad my mom has taken such good care of my chair for so many years. My kids used to enjoy going to Grandma's house and rocking her "babies" in it. Now it's time for my grandchildren to have a turn.

Today I am thankful for

a grandbaby to share my chair with.
childhood memories.
my sister's basement.

Family Home Evening Activity

I was hoping that our family home evening activity tonight would include my family all gathering around me and offering unlimited, extremely helpful suggestions for the girl's camp bishopric skit that I have once again been commissioned to write. Apparently my first skit attempt was successful enough to merit an encore. Unfortunately, I am facing a severe case of writer's block or in other words I have no idea what to write. No idea whatsoever and it was pretty much supposed to be written last week.
This exact situation is one of the biggest excuses I use for not writing the novel that I sometimes believe is lurking in my little brain. What if I wrote a book and it was amazing and wonderful and a best seller and the publishing company asked for a sequel and there was nothing else hiding out in my head. Absolutely nothing! What could be worse?
The only thing I can think of that could possibly be more horrible is if my amazing, wonderful, best selling book was so amazing that someone wanted to make it into a movie, but the film company felt that the way I had written my story wasn't quite amazing and wonderful enough for the big screen and they wanted to totally change the underlying theme that I had so purposely and painstakingly developed (as in the movie version of the Christmas Shoes) or wanted to completely change the ending of the book (as in the movie version of My Sister's Keeper). That is reason enough to never ever become an author.
Wow, this blog has totally gone off on a tangent.
Back to Family Home Evening - the male members of the family felt that a trip to the local theater to view the blockbuster film "The Prince of Persia" would be a much better use of their valuable time tonight. While the movie turned out to be better than I had expected, my mind is now full of visions of a bishopric brotherhood waving magic daggers and defying death while jumping off of amazingly tall buildings accompanied by a scantily dressed young woman and a suicidal ostrich who drinks diet Coke and eats buttered popcorn. At least I finally have an idea to build on and I'm pretty sure if I run with it there won't be a third skit to write next year.

Today I am thankful for

bonding time with my youngest son.
air-conditioning.
cheaper family night movie tickets at Cinemark plus free popcorn.

They've Got Their Daddy's Toes

First it was the youngest son,

Twice.

Then it was the oldest son's turn.

Now the oldest daughter has proof too.

They all got their Daddy's toes - the ingrown ones that is.

Today I am thankful that

I have avoided ingrown toenails in my life, so far.
I got to spend some extra time with the hubby today.
my daughter brought me flowers just because.