Father's day - I'm slow I know

This year for Father's Day, for the first time that I have ever seen in any of the Wards that we have lived in, our ward gave out a special treat for Fathers!! Barbara my step mom, is the Relief Society president and she and her presidency made these cute candy bar covers and then they had Sister Pruitt who makes the best cookies and brownies that you have ever tasted in your life and I mean that, she made cookies for them as well! I was so excited for Alan and all the father's that they had done this in our Ward!!


It was really clever, my pictures didn't turn out the best, but you get the idea!! I love the ingredients on the back!! Barbara is so creative about so many things and has always been very thoughtful.

Ingredients:  Bravery, Courage, Hard Working, Toughness, and Fun mixed with just the right amount of Sweetness.

This past Christmas eve, Dad told all of us the health issues he has been facing and said that he thinks that he probably isn't going to make it more than about 5 yrs....that he is living on borrowed time. Well, we all kind of freaked out....but I will tell you it has made us all more aware of the need to spend as much time with him and visit him as often as we can. Plus I want my children to spend as much time with there Grandpa so they have lots of good memories! So, I have started having Dad and Barbara over for Sunday dinner for several reasons - 1) for the reason I just told you about, 2) It makes me cook a nice Sunday dinner that I have kind of gotten out of the habit of doing as empty nesters and I know that Aileen really appreciates that  lol!! 3) That's really what the Sabbath was and is for me.....family dinners on Sunday! It's a tradition that needs to be rejuvenated and brought back to life again! - and Bonus - it gives me the fun of using all my many different dishes!!

 Aileen waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to come.....oh, and she ate all the rolls when I wasn't looking...little stinker!!

It takes a village.....

So, I have to laugh sometimes because, it really takes a village to make Lois look good and be in style!! It started with Allison's wedding, 3 yrs ago where my sister and Allison said I needed to get my hairstyle updated and colored.....I guess they thought my gray hair was not attractive, go figure!! And I will admit that when we lived in Kansas, we had a pool and lived at it all summer and so I was tan.....and stopped wearing makeup because when your tan, you can do that, just a little eye makeup and your good! But guess what, I'm not tan any more and with teaching early morning seminary for so many years (7), I was lucky to be dressed and my hair fixed and greeting everyone happily at the door at 5:45 in the morning! Then my friend a couple of years ago MaryAnn got new makeup (not MaryKay but something natural and stunning on her, just perfect), and she was a non make-up wearer before then. I decided I had to call Tootie (Barbara's sister), and order all new MaryKay so that I could start wearing makeup again....because I use to wear MaryKay and loved it. I'm amazed how that really does affect your self esteem to wear makeup. Then my friend Becky would pick up jewelry and drop it by my house and say, i saw this and it made me think of you so I had to get it.......another friend, Ashley, introduced me to "Compass Trading" where you can get the most current style of jewelry at a low price so you could buy more pieces and pretty soon, I was wearing the clunky necklaces and earrings that are so in style right now. The funny thing about all this is......that I was such a fashion girl when I was younger, people use to always comment on my outfits, shoes, etc... I was always in style. It was really kind of funny that I moved to Ft. Worth, and it kind of all went away. I know some of it was because of my energy being used in just surviving the situation we were in and quite frankly when we went shopping for things it was for my girls who were still at home and in High School, and not me. I also changed sizes a couple of times and then your clothes don't fit, and you really can't afford to replace them....etc, etc., etc.  I kind of became the dowdy woman that I swore when I was younger that I would never become.  I learned in this life...never swear your not going to do something lol!! I have always been the believer that no matter what size you are you can still look good, but I had kind of forgotten!!


The reason, for this post, is that one of the things that Becky just dropped by one day "because she thought of me when she saw it" was this huge ring....these are all the rage right now and I wore it Sunday and got so many compliments on it, I had to laugh.....it really does take a village to make me look good! Thank heavens for friends and family that love me and care!!

 

Brave

Today we took Aileen to see "Brave" Disney's new movie and it was awesome!!  Aileen really enjoyed it.  Only cuddled up close to me a couple of times when she was nervous, otherwise she was smiling, rocking, or just watching intently! 

Aileen is the bravest person I know, so it was fitting that she would enjoy a movie about a brave young woman who wants to make her own destiny!!

It was a great date Aileen!! Dad and I loved going with you!! Thank you!

I Love Rock N Roll......

Rebecca Albright called me tonight to see if we could go out for our Birthdays!!  Mine is in June, hers is in August, and we always try to go out together sometime between June and August.....so tonight we went to "Rock of Ages".  Now the best thing about this Movie was rockin' out to the music in the movie theater and we did and were not even embarrassed by our raised hands and fists and rockin head banger kind of movements!!  But I'm not going to lie there were a few moments of "Oh, my gosh, I can't believe they just showed that" so beware!!

Then we went for a wonderful steak dinner at "Outback" which I have been craving for the past few weeks, so it was really nice of Rebecca to choose that Restaurant!!  Could not have picked better my self!!  Happy Birthday to Rebecca...... I love you sweetie!!  And Happy Birthday to Me.  I really loved getting to catch up!!  I always feel like there is so much more to talk about....but then I'm a talker, and you'd never get any sleep, if it was left up to me!!  It was a good night!!  Thank you!

Happy Father's Day!!

With today being Father's day I wanted to do something special for My husband of course but also my Dad.  So I had everyone over for dinner and it was great.  My Brother George and his two boys came, Elizabeth and Art, Dad & Barbara and us (Alan, Aileen, me).  I made a yummy pot roast with potatoes, carrots, gravy, and other fixing's of a fruit salad, rolls, and green beans like Razoo's make.  Even my nephews told me how good dinner was and what a good cook I was......and we were all together visiting and enjoying each other's company and not one picture was taken......Except for the cupcakes that Elizabeth brought!!  They are gourmet cupcakes and so very yummy and I just knew I had to have a picture of them before we devoured them!!  I guess we know what our priorities are.....not one single picture of family...but we got one of the cupcakes!! That just kind of makes me laugh!!  So here you go!!  Thanks Elizabeth for bringing something so "out of this world good" that we had to take a picture!!

Elizabeth went all the way to Frisco, Tx to get them from a company named "Dimples".  Let me break it down for you - Banana pudding cupcakes; Lemon cupcakes; red velvet cupcakes; wedding cake cupcakes; cookies and cream cupcakes; chocolate cupcakes; and chocolate velvet cupcakes!!  They were Divine!!

Happy Birthday to me!!

Oh, it was a great birthday!! Thanks to everyone who made it so special.  I think this was the best one yet....and I think I say that every year....but hey when you are 53, that's saying something!!

Things important to tell you about that are not pictured:
My Mother-in-law always sends the most awesome cards that I know she spends hours over so they say just the right thing and the traditional $50.00.  Not going to lie I always look forward to that.  Alan took me out on a date for dinner and a movie and that is one of my most favorite things to do so I loved that!! 

I loved all the happy birthday posts from facebook friends....I know I'm silly that way but I do love them.  My sister Elizabeth and her husband bought me some Kindle books which I was really excited about and have read already -- yes all of them by the time I am making this post!  My sister-in-law MaryAnn sent me a beautiful card that I love the sentiment behind and meant a great deal to get.  My previous boss here in Texas, Karen Vanderwerken, has remembered my birthday ever since my Mom has died with some really cute and clever card and that means a lot to me. She was/is always very thoughtful with things like that.  My friend Bessie Treber(who I was also her Counselor when she was RS President) sent me a great card and Sister Betts called to wish me a happy birthday!  All of these things were so surprising and so very much appreciated!!

Now for the pictorial part of my birthday gifts!!

Barbara and Dad called me on my cell phone and sang Happy Birthday to me then brought me over cake and ice cream and a neat card (cake is in the red container).  My Visiting Teachers came over and brought me the beautiful plant/flowers and Central Market chocolate, chocolate chip cookies!  They were melt in your mouth good!!  I did share, but it was a close thing!!

From the Doctor and his wife I got this Pandora type necklace from Brighton's which I love especially the charms they picked out for me.  My initial, a musical note that says I love music, and a cell phone!!  It will be fun if others (meaning my husband) add to it on other occasions!!  I bet they have a car.....for my car accident and getting a new car!! lol!  Cute birthday card and packaging!

And they got me a cupcake!!

And the best present of all is that my children called and wished me a happy day!!  It definitely was!!

What a difference a few rugs make!!!

So, I know that I have owned this home for 2 yrs now, and I didn't really think it mattered that I couldn't find the rugs I wanted to go in the home to compliment things....but guess what?  I can't believe how much homier our home feels now, and how much more I love my home now when I walk into it, and I feel that even though it took awhile I'm glad that I got the perfect rugs finally!!

Even Alan, who you know is a man, so they don't always appreciate that you need to have things like rugs in a home, said, "It really does make a difference in the feel of our home".  And how nice it is that I was able to get them right before our Memorial Day Weekend company!!

 love how it matches the drapes that my Mom made, and how it keeps that country antique feel that my home has.

The importance of these kitchen rugs is...... With Alan being unemployed we have not been able to update the kitchen floor as we had hoped as soon as we had hoped.....and these floors have dents, tears, holes in the linoleum that everyone says that they cannot see......but I think they are being kind, because no matter how much you scrub a floor a tears and holes do not go away, and to me it looks like they are always dirty, even when not...... so I love that these additions make me not mind the kitchen floor so much....and everything just flows from the living room, to the dining area, to the kitchen area and even though not exactly the same.....they blend and flow!!  Gotta love that!!

Happy birthday to me!!