Ashley's Birthday and Visiting Teaching combined!

I am so lucky that the women I visit teach for my church are also my dearest friends! So we always like to go to lunch or to the movie, or have a movie night at someones home etc... while we do our visiting teaching as well! It tends to be my social activity for the month throughout the month! Today we had lunch with Ashley and Becky because it is Ashley's birthday! We had so much fun and I had a ball picking out a gift for Ashley! My oldest who is 30, always tells me that when shopping to ask a young sales clerk if what I am buying is old lady-ish! ha-ha! So I decided that would be a wise practice for today as well. So when I was at Macy's I asked the young stylish sales clerk if what I was buying was something that a very stylish "put together" young woman in her late 20's/early 30's would wear....to which I was told "No"! so good thing I asked. Then she showed me some other options and right before she was going to ring me up I told her that I had been looking at these really large bracelets and was thinking about getting one of those with a necklace to match and she said...."Well, there is this really awesome bracelet.....and she showed it to me and I knew immediately that it was Ashley's! It is made out of zippers into a flower on a silvery wiry bracelet and it was sooooo cute I knew my daughters would have loved it and then she showed me the multi-zippered necklace to go with it and she had me SOLD! And then I saw it on a mannequin and it was so cute I was thrilled with my decision! And hooray! Ashley did indeed love it! In fact she had been looking at some shoes with the very same zipper flower on them in a catalog! I was thrilled! So here is a picture of our lunch out..... and the jewelry! It's been a great day!

Luncheon girls!

I am the 2nd Counselor in our Ward's Relief Society Presidency so that means I am over the RS weekday meetings (formerly Enrichment meetings, formerly Homemaking meetings) and my Homemaking Leader and our committee have been trying to come up with different types of activities for all different age groups! So we decided to start a lunch group of shall we say "women who have experienced much of life" which I now find myself part of that age group. We had our first lunch today at the Botanical Gardens Restaurant which was lovely by the way and we had 14 sisters come! I was thrilled and I know that when I report back to my committee they will be ecstatic as well. Everyone visited and we got to get to know each other on a more personal level as you really don't get to socialize at church. Everyone voted to have this be a continuing group that we plan for at least once a month and the hope is to also go to the Temple and lunch together, the art museums and lunch together, etc.

Also as a report back on the Mini Journal class we had last week (I posted about these journals several weeks ago)! A whole different group of sisters came to that - a younger group and once again everyone had fun talking, laughing and visiting as we made these useful little tools for recognizing the Spirit/blessings/answer to prayer in your life! I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of that group..... I could almost kick myself! I'm trying to figure out how to get them all together again to get a picture. But I think I missed my opportunity. But we had an awesome time and every one's journals turned out so different but amazing reflecting each sisters personality. They gave me new ideas for making mine better!

Then at the end of January we had a class called "The Art of Couponing" and we had a huge turnout for that (some people left the room when I started taking pictures lol!). We learned how to get the companies to pay us money to take their products out of the store! Amazing! And it has been extremely cool to hear every one's success stories and excitement in getting organized from this class! We are going to have a couple of follow-up classes on this subject! whoohoo!

The Winter Olympics

I have to say I believe that the winter Olympics are my favorite to watch! This Olympics seem to be really exciting with the US winning a lot of metals and a lot of metals that we haven't won for a long time in many events. And for some they are winning metals their first time at the Olympics. I have particularly loved watching the ice dancing! These games have been very inspiring and in fact Alan and I have watched many of the Winter events and thought.....that is really a great lesson for life in general...like when Apolo Ohno was really in place to win the Gold in the short track race the other night, got bumped and ended up in last.....and instead of giving up he just worked harder and even though there was not very much of the race left, and he had lost all his speed and had to really go after it to get his speed back up.....he passed the skaters in front of him to get the bronze, when most people would have probably figured they were out and given up! I just love these kind of stories that are great examples or enduring to the end. I think it must be the teacher in me. I always seem to see something and turn it into a teaching moment! I bet I drive people crazy around me! ha-ha! But I'm lovin watching the Olympics with my honey!

Robert & Whitney Brown

Saturday, February 13, 2010 our nephew Robert was married in Utah. Luckily our kiddos that live in Utah could go and represent us! We were very sad that we couldn't be there. I believe that even if we could of gone and had tickets to fly out....with the weather we ended up having here in Texas, we would have never made it out of the Airport! My Dad and Barbara were to fly to Atlanta and waited all day at the airport Friday only to be told at midnight that it wasn't going to happen. So it might have all been for the best! We love them and are so happy for them and hope only the very best for their future! I heard it was a beautiful day! Congratulations Rob & Whitney! We love you!

Happy Valentines Day 2010

I made sure several weeks ahead of time that we would have a babysitter for Aileen so that we could have the day to ourselves! Saturday we were going to go to the Temple for our Ward Temple trip associated with our Ward Conference on Sunday, but due to the snow storms the electricity was out and the Temple was closed! We were really quite sad about that because we were going to be able to go together for the first time in a long time. But we decided not the waste the babysitter or the time together - even if it wasn't the perfect scenario of getting to go to the Temple and then out to dinner.

Alan and I got our Valentines gifts..... Alan a new hair cut......Lois a pedicure! Can you tell we have been married too long when we think that's a great Valentines day gift. (we had already had to buy 3 tires and were paying for a full day of babysitting....so that was the real gift!) Then we went to see the new movie out "Valentines Day" we enjoyed it very much.

Then my Dad called and asked if Alan and I wanted to go out to eat with he and Barbara! Which of course we would never turn down the opportunity to go out with them. And I had told Dad that if he really wanted to take Barbara somewhere nice, go to Bistro Louise! Not knowing that then he would invite us along as well.....I almost felt guilty about that..... almost! lol!

So, he had made reservations for Saturday, not knowing that on special Holiday's you only get to choose from a holiday menu and everyone pays the same etc.. etc.. I was a little disappointed because their Pecan Chicken is to die for....and that was not on the menu!

But we had a Valentines dinner of 4 courses and it was melt in your mouth delicious!!!! I got the pheasant, and the dessert was a special one that she only makes for Valentines day and it was out of this world! So it was wonderful. And I only choked a little when the check came and it was $75.00/person! But what they hey....you only live once right? And it was scrumptious!

Then after the dinner we went to another movie and saw "When in Rome" it was cute and we laughed and enjoyed it but between the two "Valentines Day" was the best!

And today (Sunday) our Ward Conference was great! But I'm exhausted now!

Toto, We're not in Texas anymore......

This is what 8 inches of snow in Texas looks like! Really, weather like this is almost unheard of. We had snow for Christmas Day (1st time in 80 yrs to have snow on Christmas day) but nothing like this. It sure is pretty though, and Alan and I have lived so long in places like Atlanta, and Fort Worth that don't really get snow.....that this is kind of fun! The only bad thing about places like Atlanta and Fort Worth getting a lot of snow is that because they don't usually get weather like this there are always road and power issues to worry about. But Aileen's school closed early yesterday and is not open today. Alan's bldg. doesn't have power so he is home. And my Doctors office had already decided yesterday they weren't going to open today. So we are all home and comfy cozy and its kind of fun!!!! Oh, how I love snow days, even if it has been years since we've had a snow day! Reminds me of when we lived in Kansas and Utah!

My Nephews playing in the snow!

My sister-in-law Amber always takes such awesome pictures!

U Rock K...... from Aileen

A couple of Sunday's ago Aileen was rocking and rocking right before and as Church was starting and I was worried that I would have to take her out if she became uncontrollable....but then my friend K, who was also one of the most amazing RS Presidents I have ever seen, walked in and sat next to her husband B....

Aileen immediately stopped rocking leaned over (you know the kind of leaning that you do when you are in a crowded stadium and you want the person next to you to get out of your way because you are trying to get someones attention) and watched K (and it was definitely K, not anyone else as I was watching Aileen to see what caught her attention and what made her calm down) she watched K all the way until she sat down then she looked at me and I swear I saw Aileen's thoughts saying...."There she is"

K definitely has a friend in Aileen, and fun to see that Aileen is always watching K's back!

Aileen was probably saying.....K - you rock!

Missing Mom....

Click here to view this photo book larger

Missing Mom.....

This last week I was really missing my mother. Then, I remembered a blessing that Alan gave to me after the funeral when I was having a really hard time. He said something to the effect of "and when you feel the time is right you will scrapbook about your mother and the funeral and those memories will give you comfort". I know at the time I thought....."Scrapbook about the funeral....you've got to be kidding!" But, this last week when I was sad and missing her, I sat down every night after work and created this book and I love how it turned out and it did indeed make me feel better. I made it for my Dad for Valentines Day! But I ordered one for myself as well and will eventually order one for my girls so that they will have this history of their Grandma!

It is very humbling to once again realize that I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father and that he loves me, that he knows me, that he knows what would bring me comfort even back in September.

I am also thankful for a worthy Priesthood holder for a husband that can give me those words of comfort in a blessing!

I hope you enjoy looking at the book!

Unbelievable!!!!

I got rear ended Friday night! Unbelievable. I'm pretty shaken up about all this. What is going on!

I went to NCHS to see the Musical "Little Women" which was truly amazing by the way, and on the drive home I stopped to make a turn and some girl/women ran into me with a large crashing sound.

So that would make 4 accidents and 1 almost hitting of a child and counting in 3 days! Unbelievable.

I can't even begin to express what is going through my mind!

They're out to get me.......

I don't know who "they" are, but - They're definitely out to get me!!! This past week, my car while parked next to the curb at a friends home was hit by a mail truck (I have a witness), then while driving through a school zone two boys ran right in front of me, luckily I was only going 20 and able to stop immediately! But they came out of nowhere, very scary. Last night I was parked in my driveway talking to Allison on my cell before going into the house, and it was dark so I couldn't really see anything....but a car backed into Alan's car, I heard the crash opened my door to get out and say "Hey...." and they peeled off never to be seen again! Then this morning on my way to work an island in the middle of the road and my car had a run-in that meant new tires and a bent hub....but thankfully the rims are o.k. But I think I'm staying inside the house for the rest of the week........ I'm telling you.......they are out to get me!