Thriller!!!!!!

My friend Camille has done a thriller together for several years now. It was so much fun!!!  First we had dinner at her home and our husbands were invited.  Then we headed to the U of U campus at Kingsbury Hall to see the show.  Ann drove all of us in her suburban!!!! Thanks Camille for hosting this, I LOVED it!

The appetizers I brought.

Ann enjoying Camille's creation.

Clairesse and Brandon in the far back and Mike and Makinzee in the front.

Ann and Chad in front and Matt and I in the back.

Camille and Kevin the the far back,  Rachel and Kevin on the right and Camille's friend and hubby on the left.

All of us after the show,  from left to right, Makinzee, Clairesse, Camille, Rachel, Ann and me and her other two friends.

Kara got her braces off!!!

On October 18th bright and early Kara got her braces off.  She was my only child who only had to wear them for a year and a half.  She looks beautiful!!!!  Now, no more braces after 4 children who were all in braces.  If ever they need them again; it is on their dime!!!

Girls Retreat

Ann was telling me that she thought it would be so fun to have a girl's retreat.  So we decided to put the plan into motion.  I am so glad we did because it was so much fun.   We went to Park City and Camille got the best price on a condo for us.  We started by eating at Ruth's Diner in Emigration Canyon.  It is so yummy and we spent a few hours visiting around breakfast.  +

From Left to right, Jen, Ann, Camille, Rachel, Me and Makinzee.  Kami is taking the picture!

After arriving at our condo, which we all loved, we decided to hit the outlets for a few hours.  It was so much fun, many of the ladies rarely get to shop with out their children so some really wanted to shop until they drop! Some of us went back to the condos after a few hours and then we met back up to go to dinner.   Rachel had done a search for dinner that was on the historic main street.  We all were excited to go and Kami drove us all up there.  We sat down to the restaurant that we had picked and we realized that the food was a lot more than it had seemed when we looked at the menu online.  But  Rachel saved us by very graciously explaining that will wouldn't be staying.  Boy does she have skill.  Then we walked some more until we found a restaurant called, Bandit's Grill.  It was super yummy!!! 

Camille and I.  Can you believe that she was 8 months pregnant in this picture?

Some of us making funny faces.  Ann was taking the picture.  Thank you to my friends for letting me  use some of your pictures.  You are all amazing, talented, friends!!!!

Aunt Jan and Uncle Bob's visit from California, October 9th to 15th

 Aunt Jan and Uncle Bob came to visit for a week!!!! I love my Aunt Jan so much and Uncle Bob is pretty cool too.  Jan, is my mom's sister and only sibling. Whenever I get around  my aunt it amazes me how  much she reminds me of my mom.  She has been such a sweetheart to my siblings and I especially after my mom died.  She has made an effort to come for all of our important events.  She came to each of our weddings, many college graduations to name a few. 

While she was here we went to see my two  nephews Cougar and Brighton play soccer.  My brother, Matthew, also happens to be the coach.  Watching Cougar and Brighton play is quite a hoot. 

Cougar while taking a break during the game.  He is four and my brother Mark's little boy.

Brighton right after the game.  He is also four and is my brother Matthew's son.

Here is a picture of my Uncle Bob and Aunt Jan.  While they were visiting we did a lot of fun things.  One thing we ALWAYS do when she visits is to go to Quilted Bear.  My aunt can make amazing crafts and she and my cousin Jana use to have a boutique where they made amazing things. I have always wanted to be able to decorate like both of them.   While she was here we also went to Taipan, Jordan Landing, Hobby Lobby, Rod works, out to eat at Zupas, the bear, yogurt shop etc.  We also went to get pizza and we also did a lot of visiting. 

Here is a picture of my Aunt holding her grandson Dylan.   One funny thing is that my aunt had a great grandchild in August of 2010 and then her grandson was born a couple of weeks after!!!!! 

I use to have it all together....

I used to have it together. Well, what I mean, is  I used to have the time to get it together. Really.  But as I get older each day becomes  a precious commodity. I seem to find fragments of it here and there, but nothing sustainable. Most often I feel like I'm grabbing the loose ends and gathering it all up at the last possible moment. Can you relate?

Time has been slowly draining away for the past couple of years. But now it feels like a downpour. It really doesn't make sense to me because I thought that after my children left the home that I would have oodles of extra time.  Well, I have learned that just isn't so.

I remember my life when my oldest barely fit into his first pair of shoes. I had time then. Loads of it. Time enough to play ball with him.  I felt like time was going so slow.  Now he lives in the Middle East and I would love to be able to play ball with him. Now my youngest is growing up so fast and I am running just to keep up with her. Somewhere between the then and now, time melted away.

Do you ever get a brain cramp just from looking at your calendar? Can I possibly be the only one? Surely not. Surely I'm not the only one who wants to grab her family and fold them into the stillness of time. To shut out the crazy and soak in the calm. Surely that is you too.

So, what's to be done now? I wish I knew. Life is still life. Schedules must be kept and oh how I wish I could form a good carpool or two so I didn't feel like I was driving Kara all over the valley.  Homework still arrives daily and dinner must be fed. There is no getting around it all. Maybe that's my problem. I'm trying to weave around life. I'm spending all my energy chasing every corner and task, but never really catching up.

I believe the answer lies in the stillness. The one that rests in between the driving, the cooking, the errands and the list making. It resides there, just waiting to be found. What if we spend our energy finding those spots? What if we look for the quiet admist the noise? I'm guessing we just might find time again. At least a cherished portion of it.

I think I'll stop trying to get it together. Reality is, as soon as I do, it will all untangle again. Don't you agree? So, I think I'll try standing still for awhile. Not long, but long enough. Surely if I'm quiet and turn my eyes away from the calendar, I'll find time waiting. Mine for the taking.

Let's all be still. Then we can find time together...

Super Service Saturday, October 8th

This year our ward decided to do many projects for Super Saturday... but this year instead of them being for us they were for others. It was so awesome to come together as a R.S. and make things for those that needed a cheer.   Above are sisters  that are writing Christmas cards for Military men and women who are in the Bethesda Military Hospital in Maryland.  This is one of the activities I did and I felt such gratitude for those who serve our country.

On this table we were making Muslim dolls for Primary Children's Hospital.  The dolls we gave are given to the children when they have surgery.  The staff there marks the spot they are having surgery so that the doll can have surgery with them.

There were tables set up all over and every one was busy working and visiting with each other.

I cut out a lot of patterns for the dolls dress.  Luckily, everyone was on a sewing machine which was really good for the children getting the doll.

Some of our young women came and helped.  The "Jingle Cubes" were made for Inner City Refugee families.  They were so cute. Kami was teaching this part.

Everyone brought plastic grocery bags.  The grocery sacks are cut into strip that is super long.  The strips are sent to Africa with the Director of Women's Initiative for Reach for Children.  This organization is a non-governmental group that helps women in Africa.   After the bags are all cut up the women their are taught how to crochet the bags in which they then sell for money.   I think it is so neat that others have found a way for these women to help themselves. ... After our time was up.. many women took hundreds of bags home to cut up and finish.. so they can be ready for Africa in a few months.
It takes 50 plastic grocery sacks to make one crotchet bag.  Cutting up the bags took a lot of time so many of the ladies took bags home so they could make even more.

At another stations we made Reusable Sanitary Pads were made from small pieces of flannel for many women in Africa and India.

I had never thought about how some women would need reusable sanitary pads.  This just really made me think how blessed we are to never have to use this.   Each women gets one and they feel so blessed that they have this because before this many women were using "mud packs" or "grass" and maybe a rag if they were lucky.  Many of the girls had to quit school or jobs once there started menstruating.

Patty Liston who is the Executive Director for Grow.Learn.Give., an organization that teaches hygiene and maturation to children ages 5-18. She told us how happy these women from Africa and India were to receive this one simple cloth.

We are so blessed to never have to worry about this problem.

Tying quilts for to give to others in  need.

These are what the plastic bags make when they are all crocheted.  I think they are really cute!

These ladies are  making beaded bracelets for the still born babies at hospitals in the area.

At one table they were making stillborn blankets to wrap up the little babies in.

Above I am making Christmas cards for those I described above.  We had a yummy lunch of soup, salad and dessert and I think we all went home very grateful for our many blessings we enjoy.   Thanks again Ann for the pictures; you are awesome!

Sheryl's visit 9-10 to 9-18 and Nathan's baptism!!

While Sheryl was visiting we had both of my brothers and their families over for a big FHE.  It is always so  nice to get everyone together and have a good laugh over the cute kidlets!  Jessica, my niece, and also my brother John's daughter is a student at BYU and she and her boyfriend John came for dinner and FHE too.  They even  picked up Colton up in Orem and brought him over for dinner and that was a lot of fun!!!!  Doesn't Jessica and her boyfriend look cute together!!

My nephew Nathan got baptized on September 11th. We were really excited for him. He was so excited and his baptism was such a beautiful day! Sheryl drove to Utah from Washington to visit and she was happy when her visit was scheduled during the time of Nathan's baptism.  During the baptism service, Kara led the music, my husband Matt was one of the witnesses and I said the prayer.   It was a beautiful day

Matthew's family right after the baptism.  Brittany is already in her soccer clothes ready for her game.  She is super good and on a competitive team as are another niece and nephew!!!  Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of Sheryl while she was  here.  We had a really good visit and I enjoyed visiting with her.  I discovered it is much harder to have company over when you are working. I felt so bad leaving for work during the day knowing she was at my home. Luckily, that didn't happen everyday as she had to do stuff with her job, go to a wedding and she met my sister in laws for lunch!

Later after the baptism and a few of  my nieces and nephews soccer game we went to Red Robin.  Mark wasn't able to come to the baptism because their was a funeral in his ward and he is the bishop so he had to miss it, but he was able to come to Red Robin!!!

A picture of my adorable niece, Layla. She is 8.

A picture of  my adorable niece, Cumorah.  She is 6.

Here are two of my nephews, Cougar and Brighton.  They are a couple of  months apart and they always have fun when they are together. 

  

Istanbul was Constantinople

View of the Golden Horn

The Blue Mosque

The world famous Hagia Sofia, this building was built around 580 A.D. as a church.

The lunch Menu

A view of the Black Sea

One hand in Europe, the other in Asia.

An underground Roman cistern where water was stored, the biggest in the city. Between all of the pillars there is just water.

Inside the Blue Mosque

Inside the Hagia Sophia

Boating with Mikayla, Britttany and Suzanne

Over Labor Day weekend my sister in law Suzanne and two of her four kids, Brittany and Mikayla went boating with us.  We went to Deer Creek reservoir.  We picked up Colton at UVU and he joined us too.  My brother Matthew couldn't come because Nathan's soccer team had a game in Davis County that he needed to take him too.  We really wish you guys could have come too!  Brittany, Mikayla and Kara all went tubing together.  Kara and Brittany went tubing together the most.  They both are very daring. 

It was a little cold  while we were out.  I wish I had brought warmer clothes. Above is Brittany and I.

Eating lunch on the boat with Suanne, Kara, Colton, Brittany and Matt!!!