smile, it's contagious.....

I have had the wonderful opportunity to be around some elderly people recently. They make me smile even though I only spend a few minutes with each one. One couple is especially my favorite. They have been married for 63 years. She is delightful, always so happy and cheery. Although her health isn't that great, she is probably the happiest person I have ever met. She doesn't just radiate, she sparkles!

Today she told me that God's greatest creation was a human being and she would like to meet each one and say hello. She sits on a glider in her carport with her oxygen tank and walker nearby and calls out a greeting to each person that passes by. She says she is surprised that people keep coming back. I have only known her for a few weeks and I feel like an adopted part of her family. She told me today that the first time she met me she knew I had a good heart. "It's all in the eyes, you have kind eyes and so I knew we'd be friends"

I told her today that every time I leave her house I have a smile on my face. She responded, "is it because I told you a joke?" I said, "no, tell me a joke" She smiled all the way to her eyes and replied, "oh sorry, I don't know one!" Then she just slapped her leg and chuckled. She told me her husband is such a wonderful man and don't I think he is so handsome for an old guy? Apparently she is making a list of all her friends who want to marry him if she goes before he does. She laughed and told me, "I always tell them, you better be nice to me or else you are off my list!" I am just smiling while I type this.

So many times today, people don't make contact with other people. We are always in a rush, and sometimes, even rude to those around us. I know I rarely make eye contact with people I meet. I'm always thinking ahead of what I want to buy, or the things I need to do. I might get impatient in a checkout line instead of smiling and saying hello to the person in front of me who is using a hundred coupons. I wonder why we rush. There is a favorite scripture of mine in Psalms. "Be still and know that I am God" I am not still enough. I don't take time to appreciate what is around me or even take a moment for a smile and a hello once in awhile.

Edna has taught me to do that. Today I smiled and said hi to a couple of people I walked by. They looked a bit surprised but returned the greeting. Just doing that small thing made me slow down a bit and appreciate the fact that little gestures can bring big changes. So this sweet woman might not know any jokes but her words of wisdom and sparkling disposition will always make me smile.

scout camp 2010

Click on the link below to see the great pictures Kelly took of Josh at Yuba Lake this past week!

http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d986700kP23906412o4/yuba-lake

another great book....

My amazing sister Rachael is out with her second book! I am even mentioned in the acknowlegements, so I must be almost famous now! :) Seriously, this is a great book and I highly recommend it. It's fun, it's witty, it will make you smile. Check it out. You can find it on amazon now, and soon it will be in bookstores.

http://www.amazon.com/Luck-Draw-Rachael-Renee-Anderson/dp/1599554437/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279425643&sr=8-1

Cassidy's Birthday!

Cassidy's official birthday was yesterday. She turned 12 and is headed into Young Women's. She gets to go to girls camp next week, and I'm sad I won't be there with her. She had a party with her friends yesterday and today we celebrated as a family tonight when Josh and Kelly got home from scout camp. We went to her favorite restaurant, Brick Oven, and she stood on a chair while the servers sang to her

We came home and she opened her presents and had lemon cake with ice cream. Poor girl has been sick with a big bad cold this week so she didn't want to contaminate her cake. So she just got one candle on her piece to blow out. Just that sent her into a coughing fit. The last present was the beautiful nightstand Kelly made. Josh put a big gift bag on her head while it was brought into the room. She loves it! I am so grateful for Kelly and his talents. Now she has a beautiful piece of furniture custom made from her dad.

I love this little girl of mine. She is so happy and cheerful and makes everyone smile who is around her. She loves to babysit and play with younger kids. She takes such time and attention with them and they love her. She is a big help around the house and likes to learn how to cook, crochet and do crafts. She is a delight and I am so grateful she is part of our family. The girls have to stick together around here. :)

overachiever....

I have discovered I am an overachiever! At least when it comes to painting. Most people when they paint, are very stingy and exclusive. They ONLY get it on the wall or project they are working on. Not me! I go the extra mile to make sure nothing feels left out. My hair, skin, clothing and anything even remotely near or far gets paint! It's just the way I am, I have a gift. Go ahead, be envious, even hate me a little!

I would post a picture, but the vain part of me just won't allow it! Kelly made a beautiful nightstand for Cassie for her birthday to replace a folding chair she has been using. Her other bedroom furniture is white so I got the job to paint it to match. Who would have ever thought such a small project could be so difficult! Too many nooks and crannies! Hopefully Kelly won't hide the paint brushes with the hedge trimmers, although that might get me out of painting in the future! I will post a picture of his sweet gift as soon as I get my camera back from scout camp!

new crochet projects...

These are some of the new crochet projects I have recently finished. For the summer I have moved on from hats, scarfs and mittens to baseball caps, flower bags and purses. I am amazed how much I love to crochet! I hope it's not a sign of my increasing years. :) I am always looking for new patterns so if anyone has any, send them over. My little nephew Max is my favorite to make little hats for. Isn't he adorable?

which way do we go....

It took 45 minutes, lots of U turns, running in and out of buildings, following signs that changed directions and finally we reached our destination! (Which ended up being less than a half mile from our house!)

Tonight we wanted to go to an open house for some incredible neighbors who are currently serving as temple president and matron at a small temple in southern Brazil. We love this couple so much and were looking forward to seeing them. They left seven months ago and are home for a couple weeks while their temple is closed.

In my middle aged mind, I assumed I knew the location of the church. (note to self: after age 40 never trust the mind). The building we arrived at was closed for some maintenence and we didn't see any note telling of a change of location. We decided to try other buildings in the nearby area, sending Ry in at each one to see if we had reached the right place. Three buildings later we weren't any closer to our destination. As we were driving down a road, we spotted a sign with balloons. We meticulously followed the arrow, only to find it didn't lead to the right place. (I am starting to see a really good object lesson coming out of this experience)

Not willing to give up easily, we turned around and found the sign again. This time the arrow was pointed in a different direction. We changed course yet again until we found another sign. We were wise to the tricky signs now and decided to follow our intuition. Tada! Around the next corner we met with success! It was like a treasure hunt and our friends were definitely a wonderful treasure at the end of our long silly trip. We found it interesting that the church building was less than a half mile from our house, it was just in a neighboring stake so we didn't think of it at the beginning.

Seeing them again brought tears to my eyes. They are like second parents to Kelly and I, and it was such a joy to see them and listen to their experiences. I am amazed and humbled at the sacrifices of the people there. All the distance they travel just to attend a temple. I live less than two miles from one, and don't make it there as often as I should. I felt such peace and love for the Knightons, their service and example. If I ever get lost again, I hope it is their faces I see at the end of the journey!

need a haircut?

I have a sister who is a year younger than I am. When I was a toddler I had lots of curly hair, she happened to be bald. By the time she was two there was just enough hair on the top of her head to make a little pony tail. I decided to play "barber shop" one day and took some scissors and chopped off her little pony tail, bow and all. That should have been some sign that I should never handle a pair of scissors again. It was not to be. I remember as a preteen trying to cut my own bangs. First one side was too short then the other; before I knew it I had bangs that were a quarter inch long. Ask Kelly about the first time I cut his hair. He ran to a professional afterward and responded to the shocked look of the stylist, "just don't ask".

Well today I decided to tackle some overgrown shrubs and trees in my yard. I grabbed the hand held clippers and started one branch at a time. First was an evergreen tree. I love these trees as they remind me of Christmas all year long. However, this one was a little shaggy and overgrown. I honestly tried to keep it's holiday shape. I started on one side, than slowly moved around the tree. As I stepped back to analyze the results, I realized the symmetry was off. I continued again around the tree and began to have flashbacks of my bangs when I was twelve. Some voice inside my head was saying, "put the clippers down, and step away from the tree." Maybe it was the tree police. I should have listened. As gaps started to appear I began to try to manipulate the branches like I do on my artificial Christmas trees. Nature is not so flexible. I was wondering how to reattach the branches. Aren't there tree surgeons? I was reflecting on the allegory of the olive tree in the scriptures and wondering how the grafting process works. Maybe they make pine colored duct tape?

Needless to say, I will have some explaining to do when Kelly gets home this evening. Although as he's been married to me for the past nineteen years, he will probably just shake his head and say, "I won't even ask." Then he will find all the sharp objects in the house and lock them up in his wood shop.