Sarah's Baptism

Last Weekend we went to Atlanta, Georgia for my niece, Sarah Hauser's Baptism. It was a wonderful weekend and we were so glad we went. We traveled down on Friday, Jan. 13th, and since we are not superstitious, it was a safe and fun trip! We had Dad along with us so that was awesome. But he got to stay longer and fly back on Tuesday!! I had to be home Monday afternoon for work!

When we got there it was 3:00 am so we dropped everything inside the hotel and went to bed!!

Ruth had planned a delicious brunch for us at her house and we all went over to eat and to see everybody for the first time in a long time!!


Sarah and her aunts and mom. We were so happy to be with our sister again!!

Elizabeth and Sarah have a special bond!! Elizabeth sang at her Baptism "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" a beautiful arrangement sang beautifully!

All dressed and ready to go to on her special day!!

At the church before.

Sarah asked me to give a talk on the Holy Ghost!!

Sarah asked Grandpa to speak on Baptism.

Afterwards her Aunts took her on a shopping spree!!

Here is her bounty from the trip!! Remember it was 3 occasions we were celebrating each Aunt..... Christmas, Birthday and Baptism!!

Sarah even picked out the perfect gift for Aileen, when Aileen pushes a button, it spins and lights up an makes different light patterns as it spins.......perfect for Aileen!!

And EVERYONE got "Hello Kitty" PJ's!!!

We played games and had a hoot!! This one made me laugh to see everyone in their headbands, so I had to take pictures!!

Dad's taking to Barbara, couldn't stand being away from her. So crazy to be young and in love!!

Aileen loved being with Aunt Ruth again! She has missed her. They have always had a special bond!

This is as we are saying goodbye to Stone Mountain Park Resort and Atlanta. Headed home to Texas!!

It really could not have been a better trip!!

Thanks Ruth and John for the awesome hospitality! And Alan thanks you Ruth for the Taco Soup recipe you sent me!! It was to die for good!!

The Marriott at Stone Mountain Resort, Georgia

The Evergreen Resort at Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain, GA.

I will tell more about our trip to Atlanta Georgia, but I have to do a post just on the amazing hotel we got to stay at because my Sister Elizabeth, is so kind and generous!! Thanks Elizabeth, Alan really can't get over that you would do this for us - and frankly neither can I, but Thank you!!!

The front entryway

Elizabeth has to travel a whole bunch for her work. She stays a Marriott's where ever she goes and is a platinum member, with lots of points!! She used these points so that Our family could stay at the Marriott Hotel at Stone Mountain Park Resort in Atlanta, Georgia. It was beautiful and Aileen and everyone enjoyed the atmosphere and amenities!!



The Lobby




Aileen in the Lobby


Our Room



The view from our patio




The outside pool area, they also have an indoor pool and exercise area
Some pictures are from Evergreen Resort.com

From Alan

Alan had this very neat observation regarding our son-in-law John, and I want it in my journal, and since my blog is my journal - here it is!!

"Hi John and Marianne,"

"I feel impressed to share with you the special experience I had watching John at the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. I've put off emailing you but the feeling continues so I need to say this. Thank you for raising such a fine young man."

"Watching how hard John worked during the game was impressive. He was all over the field and sidelines making sure the players got what they needed. To see a young man that committed and focused on his future career makes me as Allison's father feel very secure that she made the right decision to marry John."

"At a time when many men are failing to take care of their families, It is very comforting to know that John is focused on a professional career and taking care of his family. I can't tell you how much peace of mind that brings to Lois and I."

"I want you to know that we have NEVER been in any doubt about John. He just keeps showing us how special he really is."

"Just thought you would like to know."
"Alan"

This came back from the Rexes:

"Alan,"

"Your note really touched our hearts. Thank you for sharing your confidence in John. He’s a good young man and knows how to work hard – especially on those things he’s passionate about, and this line of work is one of them. We are so grateful that he and Allison found one another. Marianne and I look at each other pretty much every day and thank our Heavenly Father that the two of them love each other and complement one another so well. Thank you to both you and Lois for the great in-laws you are! We know how much you love and care for these terrific kids!!"

"Warmly,"
"John & Marianne"



Photo of John by Allison Rex Photography

#4 down and only one more to go.......

Here is how the Mom's sock turned out!!! I really love it and I can't wait to get it sent to her. Then there was 1........... only one more to go!! Then what will I do with all my spare time?? I'm sure I will come up with something!

This weekend we are going to Atlanta because my niece Sarah is getting baptized!! We are so excited for her and her family and we all cannot wait to get there!! Precious story: When asked who she wanted to give a talk at her Baptism she said Aileen!! Since she can't have Aileen she settled for Aunt Lois, but still, I love that she wanted Aileen! Love that girl!

Saturday Evening with a friend.

Saturday night my friend Becky Wangler came over to visit and work on craft projects together. She was crocheting and I was making Christmas socks, yes still!! I'm almost done with the 4th one and then there will be only 1 more to make. I think I might be a little sad to be done. But I do think I will be ready to take a break and wait a little while to make any more!! ha-ha. I just need to finish the snowman and decorate the tree and we are done!!

Becky Wangler is someone who turns up a lot in my blog, because I am her visiting teacher as well as being friends. I put this picture of the two of us up, because the top I am wearing as well as the jewelry were some of the Christmas gifts she gave me this year!! That's right, I'm her visiting teacher, but she gives me gifts!! Well, I love the color, and as another one of my friends (Rebecca Albright) said to someone who was wearing the same color, "You know that is Lois' color right? You have to pay royalty to her to wear that color!" Lol! I wish it were true. I do feel put together and in style with the whole look! Thank you Becky, for remembering me this year for Christmas!!

Listening to the Spirit and the Ensign

Today in my Gospel Doctrine Class we had a great discussion. And as we were talking about Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem, being in the Wilderness, going back for the brass plates and then going back for Ishmael and his daughters, a story which can almost be quoted by heart word for word by most members of the church we have studied it so many times and started reading the BOM so many times, that I wondered if there were new insights left to discuss. Now I live in an excellent Ward and even if we would have just discussed the stories exactly as we always have, there would have been great participation and new insights. But as the teacher I do feel some responsibility to find some on my own. I always pray to Heavenly Father, that I will be lead by the spirit when studying the lesson and studying the scriptures for the lesson, and that my class will have their love of the Savior and their testimonies strengthened by the lessons each week. And I did feel that I had some thoughtful points that maybe would be new insights.

Another part of this story is that Our Bishop bore his testimony today about how wonderful the new Ensign for January is and encouraged us to read some of the articles in it. At this point I had not taken the plastic sealed covering off of the Ensign until I came home from church tonight, I'm a little embarrassed to tell you. But it is true.

In wanting to leave on a spiritual note at the end of my lesson, I felt inspired to read 1 Nephi 7:17-19 which talks about Nephi being bound with bands by his brothers and that he prays that the Lord will "...give me strength to burst these bands with which I am bound... and it came to pass that....the bands were loosed" and it goes on to say that a daughter of Ishmael and Ishmael's wife and one of his sons pleaded his case. As I was standing there the spirit told me that I should share that this is a type of simile/metaphor of the atonement. That with whatever sin, addiction, or struggle we may have that has bound us, that if we pray we can have these bands loosened. And that we do have the Savior who does and will plead our case with The Father, and I bore testimony of this.

Well, when I got home, I took off the plastic cover over our Ensign and started reading the articles when lo and behold on page 47 in the article entitled "Finding Answers in the Book of Mormon" Susan Lunt of Utah, USA tells how she turned to the Book of Mormon to help her with her addiction to food. And quoted this very block of scriptures and how she felt something shift inside her when she read those verses.

Even though at first I thought, Oh, my gosh, everyone is going to think I read this and then took credit for it.....I then realized what an amazing experience to have a prompting from the spirit and what an answer to my prayer it really was that What I felt when reading those verses out loud to the class was indeed a real insight a real prompting from the Holy Ghost and was indeed a very spiritual way to end my lesson.

We our Children of a loving Heavenly Father and he does answer our prayers and helps us magnify our callings so that we can bring the Holy Ghost and the spirit of our Heavenly Father and Savior in the classroom with us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Printing large photographs at kinkos

(Hard to take a picture of a picture without the flash showing up....so I took a couple to give you the idea, I hope)

I did something at Kinko's for one of my Sunday School lessons and I have gotten more questions about how I did this then almost any other thing I have ever done. So I thought I would share.

We had our family pictures taken over the summer. And we got a DVD with all the picture options on it with a release form from the photographer to show that I had permission to print them wherever I wanted i.e. Walmart, Kinko's etc...

I took the DVD to Kinko's to the self help area and then asked for help - so they only charged me the $5.95 or $6.95 (can't remember which) if you do this yourself. I used a picture that was already B&W, but even if it is color it will only print B&W. And any color photo that I have had printed turns out nicely as a B&W. I think Kinko's has another way to print in color large sized, but I have never done this, but might be worth asking the question though. And as stated before I had copyright permission to use the picture with me so they could see I had permission to print it out.

You go the machine that copies architect blue print size copies. You say what size you want to print - I did 24 x 36 but you can do any size 16 x 24 maybe even 36 x 36. But I knew they had frames for 24 x 36 so that is the size I made so I didn't have to have a custom frame. I got the frame on sale for $25.00 so the whole picture cost about $32.00. You make sure the settings on the machine are for photo. And then you print it out and it looks just like a large photograph. But its a copy on copy paper!

You can also take a 8x10 photograph/picture and just slide it through the machine on the same settings - choose your size of paper/and make sure it is on photo -- and it prints out large size copies. So you don't have to have a DVD, but I think the picture is better qaulity because it came straight from the DVD.

It's one of the coolest things I have done in a long time!!