whatever

Vineyard-

{A plantation of grape-bearing vines- grown mainly for wine-making, but also raisins and table grapes.}
This is the week end that about 3,000 people descend on a LDS Church vineyard in Madera County. It will be a great way for Kent to have fun before Fall semester starts.... he likes to point out that everytime he comes to visit...at some time during the visit he is working at the vineyard.  Our small branch is in charge of one very, very long row of grapes.{thank heaven it's just one row, it takes able bodied people to work on it and the average age in our branch is 65 or older, so it's up to younger ones to take care of it; as it should be.}  You can stand at one end and not see the other...truely!
  The grapes we pick are dried and become raisins, that go to the church welfare program, and to help when there is a natural disasters or humanitarian purposes.
It's not at all glamorous, like you see in the movies...it's a dirty, sweaty, spider filled day.{and this week end it's suppose to be one of the hottest days this year, oh joy!} You leave there like you hadn't had a bath in a year! So Friday as early as we can get up, we are going to the vineyard.  All four of us Kent, Mason, Dan and myself, to enjoy the pure fun of picking grapes together, or something like that, right? I will take some pictures and post later this week.

Just Dessert.....

Mason's favorite dessert....he will eat it for breakfast....lunch...after school treat....and late night snack. And depending on how "Brave" he is that day....it will vary in  the number of "layers" he adds...this day he was feeling very brave.

Recipe:
Graham Crackers
Applesauce
Whip Cream

Alternate between Graham crackers and Applesauce..You determine the number of layers.  Top with Whip cream...Wait just long enough for the crackers to soften,but not too long where they are "smoochy". {That's where the art of making this dessert comes in...it take an experienced "stack maker" to know when it's just right}
We go through a lot of Applesauce and graham crackers in our home. For a beginner I recommend 3 to 4 layers....and work your way up from there.  I feel a challenge coming on...the first one who can make a bigger stack and eat it all in one sitting.{less than 15 minutes}...let me know, you will win a prize.
{Mason stack included 9 graham crackers, 2 cups of applesauce and 1 1/2 cup of cream} Have fun....

Note: If you accept the challenge make sure to take a picture....if you are the winner, I will post your picture.

"Open your Mouth"

Last Sunday in my lesson I told this account from Ed J. Pinegar-
Overcoming Fear-
    I'll never forget when I served as a mission president in the MTC.  The last meeting before the missionaries would go out, I would speak about being bold, obedient, full of love, and courageous in opening their mouths.  "Do not be afraid.  The worth of souls is great.  You have a mighty role in the kingdom."  Well, some of them were still afraid.  I would challenge them to have a defining experience of opening their mouths on their way to their mission.
     This sweet young sister wrote me a letter after she'd been out two weeks, and this is how it went:  "Dear President, after your talk Sunday night, I was so nervous, I didn't know what to do.  I knew I'd be leaving Wednesday and I was going to have to open my mouth.  And I thought, I can't do it, I can't do it.  So, I fasted and I prayed and I left Wednesday on the plane, and to my joy I had a window seat and my companion sat next to me.  So I said, "Oh dear I won't be able to talk to anybody on the plane." and so I was relieved.  But then, I got into the airport and I sat down, and here was a man sitting across from me.  He was old and different looking, and I didn't know what to do.  All I could remember was your voice telling us, "Open your mouths; it will be filled, I promise you."  Well, I girded up my loins and I opened my mouth and said, "Hi, where you headed?"  From that little beginning began an hour conversation.  Petty soon, we became friends. And after a bit I said, "If you knew there was another book written about Jesus Christ, would you be interested in reading that? The Book of Mormon?"
     "He said, Oh, I have a Book of Mormon. I committed him right there to read the book, and then he told me, "My daughter is taking the discussions too."
     "And then I said, Is it OK if I have the missionaries come by and see you?" He said, "That will be just fine." Oh, President, it's so easy to open your mouth.  The Lord will fill it.  There's nothing to it."
     I read that letter every time to departing missionaries because it helped them realize that we can all do it.  All of us, member missionaries and full-time proselyting missionaries, can open our mouths and they will be filled.  The Lord will help us all.  We simply need to do it---- Open our Mouths.

After reading  Brother Pinegar's story,  I drew everyone's attend to the treats on the table, and asked if they had notice the treat there?  "Were you wondering if I was planning to share?   Everyone said they did.....I then asked one Sister to come up and eat the treat without opening her mouth.  Of course she couldn't .  I then preceded to explain how these treats can
help us remember to open our mouths to share the Gospel.  If we didn't open our mouths it would be very hard to eat, just as if we didn't open our mouths it would be hard to share the Gospel.. We may be setting a good example and doing all the right things... which is a good thing, but the gospel really can't be shared unless we open our mouths.  Just as these treats were sitting here looking very desirable....which is a good thing, but we can't get the full benefit until we open our mouths and eat them. 
I then asked how would you feel right now if I told you I plan on giving each and everyone of you one of these treats {everyone was happy}  how would you feel if I decided not to give you any? {Many thought that was cruel to show them the treat and not give it to them}  I then explained; than don't you think there are people watching you and wondering about your religion, maybe just waiting for you to share it with them.  And maybe wondering why you haven't said anything about your church?  I then said how sad it would be for us to have to explain to our friends, neighbors, co-workers, family, {when we meet them again in the spirit world} Why we decided not to Open Our Mouths and share the gospel.  I then ended with , We are duty bound to open our mouths and witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We, as Saints of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to live our lives in such a way that we will draw people to the Lord.  The gospel is a gift that we are blessed with, it is our duty to open our mouths.
{I then handout out the treats}
Post Note- Today I received an email from a sister that attended the class, she said the visual of the treat and telling them to open their mouths, stayed with her the next day through work...and was so moved  by the story...that she shared it with her co-workers...and invited a couple of them to come to a RS event, which they accepted.    

Four things...

I was tagged by Heidi:

Jobs I've had:
     1. Babysitting-summer job to pay for piano lessons
     2. Mom and Pa fast food restaurant.
     3. Office cleaning
     4. Life guard- several years
     5. Sewing factory
     6.  Farm work- tagging tomato trucks
     7. Holiday Inn office manager
     8.   Lds Church- maintenance
     9.   Research Associate in the field of Child Development/on going job  {better know at SAHM}
   10.  Office help for the "Nut House"
   
Getaways:
     1. Any outing with Dan
     2. Anytime I can see the Grand kids
     3. Beach
     4.  cultural events

Movies I put on repeat:
     1. Dr. Zhivago
     2.  Musicals/ just about any of them
     3. A Walk to Remember
     4. Moulin Rouge- {I know, but I liked it}

Guilty Pleasures:
     1. Unpractical Shoes
     2.  magazines {decorating/ gardening I buy way too many.}
    
Places I've lived:
      {I'm not sure if I will remember them all but here goes- I moved 19 times in 19 years some of the towns more than once, just moved to a different house.}
     1. Mt Pleasant, Ut {Several different times}
     2. West Valley, Ut
     3. Kearns, Ut
     4  Indianola, Ut   {Couple of times}
     5 Gustine, Ca.    {as a child, and as a married women}
     6. Moroni, Ut
     7. Gunnison, Ut
     8.  Merced Ca.
     9. Chester, Ut
    10. Turlock, Ca  {couple of times}
    11. Cathey's Valley, Ca

    12. Oh, and Ephraim Ut, {College}

{I'm sure I've left someplace out, oh, you get the idea}

Places I've been on Holidays:
     1. Several different States from Ca. to New York
     2. Cancun Mexico
     3. France
     4. Caribbean
     5. Several State parks- Zions, grand canyon, Yosemite, etc.
     6. Florida Disney World- Ca Disney Land etc.
     7. Beach/mountain cabins in Ca.
     8. And it's always a Holiday when I see my grandkids in St.Helens and Bakersfield.

Favorite Foods:
     1.   Pasta with mushrooms,asparagus in a  Alfredo sauce.
     2.   Breads
     3.   fruit cobbler
     4.    A good sandwich

First Kiss Location:
         In Gunnison, After I was crowned "Queen"  The Boy Crowned "King" kissed me.
Kelly Franchise.

Now I tag Katie, Lisa, Shannon and Libby.

Okay, so I'm a dork! I was wondering what does "four things" stand for? I guess I was supposed to include just "4" items under each heading...oh well, thats me for ya. For those I tagged do what you want.  :}
 

   
   

A Dahlia for Mom

Last fall my friend Ruth gave me a couple bags of Dahlia tuberous roots, to plant in memory of my Mother who had just died, very sweet gift.  I planted them and then began the waiting game...spring, early summer, mid summer...then finally today the Dahlia is in full bloom and is beautiful. So I gave it a name today, from here on out it will be know as "Neva Jean". I planted it on the pathway to my garden so every morning it will get just a little bit more attention then the other Dahlia's.  Mom...I thought of you today..... "Neva Jean" you're a beautiful flower.

Late Night Delirium

Okay, so I'm a night owl sometimes.....which leads to a lot of restlessness.....in which case I spend my time doing silly things. {or things that seem hilarious to me just because it's late, you may think I'm just tried.}
I was going through a box of papers and came across some fun finds.
Find #1.

This picture made me laugh sooo...hard. Denver is just cracking me up, Kent's a little too serious and Sam's hand gestures, well just aren't Sam {could it be because he playing the part of a court jester?}

Find #2                                                                            
....Shannon would sing and sing and sing to us all the time.....When I read this it brought back a memory....Shannon had been away at camp; when I read this to the boys...they all said in Unison- Do we have to listen to her songs!  We loved her singing...wish she would sing to us now :}  Plus just about every letter we would get from her, she would remind us that she was our best daughter.  This made me laugh till I cried. :}

Find # 3                                                                                                                                                   
This is so cracking me up.....See if you can decipher the notes ,love the part from your "mistry" man {mystery Man}

Find # 4
Yes, this made me smile.

Find # 5  One of my favorite Pictures- cute kids

With all the laughing and crying I've done tonight.....I think I'm in need of some "coupon redeeming" Kids you know which ones are yours, and I'll be waiting.


Like I said this may have seemed a little silly....I had fun going down the memory lane.  Thanks for putting up with my "Late Night Delirium" 

Preston

Yesterday sweet little Preston was given a name and a blessing.  Sam's blessing was touching and sweet.  Here are a few pictures of the event. Had a great time with everyone.



The little outfit that Preston is wearing, is the same outfit Sam wore when he was blessed. My Mother made it for Sam. It was special to have Preston wear it also.

Tree Top Romance......