whatever

St. John Style-

{Cover up For walking to the beach}

We are going to be going away soon on a little St. John vacation.  Part of  the fun for any vacation, at least for me is the planning and dreaming before we go part.  =)

 {I love looking at old photos of my Mom and Dad ....the clothes they wore are especially fun to see....so, I thought it might be fun to document some of the clothes I will be wearing on our trip.}

This is what I plan to wear for the flight to St. John and then back- we have late flights...so, I think I may be a little cold.

For some serious shopping in the Marketplace. 

Everyday casual wear-

I'm bringing three different types of white shirts- so I can mix and match. Also sticking in my bag a few bright colored Tee's {there is a washer and dryer where we are staying....making it nice so I don't have to pack as much.}

Evening wear-

Saving this Blue dress for this place. Dinning in the ruins.

A couple black dresses....just to be safe.

 

For Riding on a white horse on the Beach at Sunset Wear.

{a girl can dream can't she?=)

 

Beach, snorkeling, sailing and dinghy wear.

Accessories and Bags-

The first bag will be used as my main bag, the second is lined with plastic for wet clothing etc. the blue striped bag is for walking to the beach etc. 

I think I'm ready.....ready, set go!

Happy Day

Where I shopped-

Most of the items were from my trip last year to Hawaii.

New this year- Travel outfit, Blue evening dress and bright colored skirt- Boston Proper, Charming Charlie jewelry, Target shoes,  shopping outfit from Anthropology.  

 

Feel the Love

Thank you Dear Children- for your calls of love, notes of gratitude and acts of service-

You bless me more than you know.

   Children, I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know:  if you continue to search and find ways to serve as you do now, your life will be filled with happiness..... It is almost as though you are on the Lord’s errand; and you will then discover that, when you are on the Lord’s errand, you are entitled to the Lord’s help. Serve always-

Thanks for all you do for me.

Love you tons- Mom

Yes, a post about My Hair-

Hair is just hair...right?   All my life I have dealt with frizzy, wild out of control and curly hair.   As a child my Mother would perm it .....yes, perm it....at least we would then have a little control of what the curls did.

 {remember...I grew up before the days of hot irons and curling iron or even blow dryers...yep, I am just that old. }

I remember in high school before important dates like the prom...girls would wear curlers to school all day, so, they looked nice that night....I never did that....I was always like... really, look funny all day, so you can look nice tonight... yep...I didn't get that.

I would have to sleep in curlers so at least in the morning I would have some control of what my hair would do for the day. 

I've never been one of those girls who could wake up and just run a brush through my hair and walk out the door.

 No, I wake up with lion hair.....and the only way to look presentable was to either wash it and start over.... or put it up  or pull it back.  

My hair in the picture above was washed, blow dried, flat ironed and then curled.....and  I still have the fuzz halo.

Just to do my hair each morning would take at least a half hour.

But that all changed yesterday-

After Brazilian blow out- via Becca at Inspiration salon.

Wash, dry, curl- 10 Min.

Oh sweet Happy Day!   Plus, I really could of just walked out the door this morning without all that....but wanted to see how it would do after washing it.

Bonus with the blow out- my hair color looks richer- {notice the first picture...I did not change my hair color....it always had what I called the "fuzz halo."

 

 

We are going on a little caribbean island getaway next week....and that will be the real test to see how my hair does.

In humidity my hair grows like a chia pet. {the more water you add to it the bigger it gets.}

Truly scary.

I've been told I can step out of the water and just run my fingers through my hair or just lightly toss it and I'm good to go.

{man, I'm going to feel like a movie star =)

Who can do that.....I never have!  

So, yes, I'm excited about my new hair.

 

 

 

 If you have ever dealt with wild, curly, try and make me behave hair....then you know how I feel.

Hence the post about my Hair!

Wish me luck next week.....I'm hoping that  humidity is no longer my enemy. 

Happy Day

 

 

 

 

 

"My life"

Ellie, Papa and Grammer

With respect to our stewardship for our families, I've heard some teach that when we report to the Savior and He asks us to give an account of our earthly responsibilities, two important questions will relate to our families. The first will be our relationship with our spouse, and the second will be about each of our children....and may I add Grandchildren.

My Family is my life.

I journal here about much of it.....things that are close to my heart or  deeply personal I keep carefully else where.  This blog is a little piece of me....an autobiography if you will. =)

..... there may be incidents in my experience that are more noble and praiseworthy then some that I share here. I try to share a little  "flash" of my life and stories of faithfulness....I try to truthfully record my real self and not what other people may see me as. 

I know much of what I write may be ordinary events and places...maybe a little boring....but I'm hoping that somewhere here, there will also be rich passages that my posterity will quote.=)

 {I can dream can't I?}

So, I write my goings and comings, some of my thoughts, my achievements , associations and triumphs, my impressions and my testimony.

Boring sure.... but if nothing else comes from this blog.....but that my children and Grandchildren know I love them dearly....then Happy Day, all is well.

 

 

When I was younger I remember President Spencer W. Kimball {Yep, I'm that old} saying something like this...

" Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events."

 

That's enough to keep me recording. =)

Sorry, about this random thought.

 

Miami off road trails-

 

Friday night we decided that we were going to take "Razor" out for a little off road fun on Saturday.....Danny and I thought it would be fun just the two of us to get away for a day to ourselves.

So, I packed a lunch-

Using some left over paper items from the Vintage Spring Sorbet-

Lunch

• Chicken salad sandwiches
• Red Velvet cake stacks in a mason jar
• Fruit

Loaded up the back of "Razor" and headed off the road.

Most of the trails looked like this....lots of bumps and turns and a few  obstacles...like these.

We just barely fit under it.

Most of the drive was just beautiful scenery.

We found a quiet little grove of trees and had a wonderful picnic.

 I think "Razor" quite enjoyed getting off road and dirty.

We saw streams and waterfalls, dogwood blooming, snow flowers, and lots of manzanita blooming. I didn't know they had a pretty pink blossom.

We so enjoyed our day....prefect little date not far from home.

Be the Warmth-

I need to remember-

LOOK for my motives before I speak. Do I mention someone because I care about them, or do I put them down to make myself look better?

REALIZE that I am not perfect either. Think about the things that someone could dig up on me if they wanted to. Wouldn’t I rather leave them buried?

Need to remember the one keeping quiet about the tale is probably the one I should believe…not the one spreading the tale.

Remember to be the warmth- By not gossiping, I can create a warm shelter where those who know me realize they can come and freely discuss any problems they are having without fear that things will be inappropriately discussed or repeated.

Remember- The big thing about telling derogatory things about people is that in doing so we counteract the ability of others to forgive those people.

Remember how it feels/hurts  to find out others are spreading  gossip about me.

Just Remember.....goal 2012

 

 

Sometimes I........

Sometimes I.......

Wish my children were still babies and I could hold and cuddle them like that.

Wish I had a personal chef.

Daydream about singing with Josh Groban.  =)

Want to run off to a private island with my husband.

Wish I could find a way to have all my grandchildren together more.

Wish the language fairy would touch me with her fairy wand....so I could speak Spanish & French.

Daydream about being a famous architect and being asked to design Temples for the Church.

Want to do something awesome....like see the northern lights.

Wish there was a way to hug my kids each day.

Want to slow dance with Dan in the soft warm rain.

Daydream about being in a C. S. Lewis Novel.

Want to go on a long journey and treasure hunt the whole way.

 

 

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Now it's your turn.

Sometimes I...............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You were meant for this journey-

I'm taking an on line  class with art as my companion  called Creatively Made- Rediscovering the Beauty of your gifts}  and having so much fun with it- {Sam and Heidi's Christmas gift to me}

I love all the quotes she uses in the class-  Thought I would share a few today- from the setting of the oh, so... so....so quiet Cottage.

"Finally listening to the whispers that have been in my heart since I was a little girl."

"She made the choice to see the beauty all around her."

"I am exactly where I am supposed to be."

"I want dreams created for me in the heart of God."

"Follow the dance of your heart that leads you to the place you belong."

"I promise to follow my heart and to make time for my dreams."

What are you dreaming of?

Love this course- feels like Education week everyday.

This course is helping in one of my 2012 goals- find ways to learn something new everyday.

This post today marks 1000 post for my blog.

 I have something special to giveaway to one of you- just leave a comment and next Monday I will draw from your names.  

{Hint....you can see part of the giveaway in one of the pictures above.}

Happy Day

Holly Cow  One Thousand Posts!

 

 

Name this Year-

I was thinking how wonderful to start the New Year on Sunday- I have a desire this year; a  desire  to keep the Sabbath day holy, the first thing I realized was that before I could fill my Sundays with spiritually nourishing activities, I had to free them of all the things that drained me. 

I need Sunday- a time to let go and just let good take root.

I came up with a list of things I think would nourish me on Sunday-

Family Day- Skype with the kids and grand-kids.  Hugs and stories to those close by

History- Work on family History, scrapbook, journal.

Be Grateful-  On this day  remember and acknowledge gratefully people who have made a positive difference in our lives.

Study- I have a million books to read- =)  And the Scriptures.....always more to learn.

Visit- To renew friendships- visit the sick, lonely; home and visiting teaching.

Enjoy- just having time to talk, visit, quiet movie.....with Mason and Dan.

 I believe by honoring the Sabbath more I will gain the much needed nourishment for the week ahead.....

Of course, I know there will be exceptions from time to time, and the Lord Jesus himself would have been the first to “pull the ox from the mire.” (See Luke 14:5.)Having been raised on a Farm and married to a farmer....I know about the ox..... But I understand that I must take care that the ox does not become anything I carelessly choose it to be and the mire become virtually unending.

I look forward to adding this goal to my list- 

Nourish Sunday....perhaps I should name this year Nourish.

 

 

Top 15 posts of 2011

For today's post I looked through my blog archives and pulled out the top 15 posts- It was fun to look back ....remembering  all that has made this year special.

Here they are in no particular order.

Numbered from left to right-

1. Mother Daughter week.
2. Some People buy houses
3. In the Spring
4. Family Beach House Reunion 
5. Catheys Valley Garden
6. Fourth of July 
7. Summer Harvest
8. Pantry makeover
9. Living Room Change
10. Primary Activity Day
11. Cottage Kitchen
12. Nut season 
13. The Joys of being a Grandparent
14. Cottage Christmas Tour
15. Choosing Happiness

Goal for 2012-

Living the Abundant Life-  President Thomas S. Monson

A life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings. Just as we learned the ABCs in school, I offer my own ABCs to help us all gain the abundant life.

• Have a Positive Attitude
• Believe in yourself
• Face Challenges with Courage

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I just want to thank all of you who have stopped by this year for a visit-  thank you for  your kind and generous comments. 

You make keeping this journal fun. 

Happy New Year-

Live Inspired- come join us at the Spring Event.

See what my children has been up to-

Shannon

Heidi and Sam

Becca and Kent

Bree and Denver