'Shout Hurray!!'

Birthday wishes from family and friends...gifts from my children, a few friends and my sweet husband made for a special day.
I'm 52 today. I have much to be grateful for and much to look forward to in my future.
It has been nice to be remembered and acknowledged by important people in my life.
I feel loved. And it's nice.

Monday Night is Family Night

I had a short work day and was done by 3:00, so I came home and with Jordan and Lexi's help, we did up a yummy YUMMY homemade clam chowder, cornbread and peach cobbler dinner for a fun family night get together. And it was GOOD!! Perfect for the cold rainy day we were having and Kathryn, Becky and I had all been sick, so it was great 'comfort' food also.
After dinner, the guys watched the LSU/Alabama championship game while the girls were in for a great story telling session in the kitchen by Kylie. Preston ran all over trying to keep up with both groups in the opposites room and I stayed in the kitchen cleaning up where I had really been from 3:00 on. I didn't mind though. When the whole group is together, I like them to have the chance to intermingle and get to know each other better,
It was a fun night for us all.

Who Is YOUR Look -a -Like??

Someone 'photo-bombed' these look a likes...Since Sean and
Becky moved here a few years ago, there have been a LOT
of people that have said hoe much Jordan and Sean look a like.
While Grandma Shirley was here last month, she even
thought Sean was Jordan one time. I see the resemblance.
And of course, these two have been mistaken as sisters
more than once too....I see the resemblance here too.

When Lexi married into the family, it finally gave Kathryn
someone SHE actually looked like. These two were mistaken
as sisters several times on our cruise and even asked a few
times if they were twins. A resemblance, but not twins.
In the humor of the situation of linking all our look a likes
in the family, Michael quickly grabbed Lacey and held her
up to his face causing quite a rush of laughter from us all.
He was a good sport to make us all laugh, but I see NO
resemblance AT ALL in this one!!!

Mountain High's and Valley Low's

There are many many days that I feel strong from the support and love of both family and friends. I feel like I belong to a group of people that love me, understand me and have an eternal place in my life. For the most part, I feel healthy...both physically and spiritually.
But then, I have an occasional day where, it's not that I don't still feel good about myself, BUT, I do notice that I still have a place in my life that is needing more time to heal and feel whole again. I still feel some pain...loss...hurt...emptiness...and sadness.
That place is called...my Valley Low.
Those moments are far and few between now so I'm pretty disappointed in myself when I have one at all. But it just makes me realize that I'm never going to be completely healed from the hole in my heart created this past year.
I just need to figure out a way to get through it better...
I've had a few of those days recently when I have been physically sick and had too much time to think about it. I've had a few dreams too that have upset me and caused a few tears...
Someday, I will know what I was to learn from this whole experience.
Someday, I will know that I am....okay.
That someday just isn't here yet.

One More Year as a Teenager

Kathryn turned nineTEEN today, making her officially a teenager for another year. But nineteen seems so much older than eighteen that I'm thinking I'll just move her right up to the category of Young Adult in my mind.
She started with a cold the other day and so wasn't actually feeling her best today, but she was very sweet to spend time with her whole family tonight at Maggianos where we had some really good food, and a LOT of it. We are all pretty glad that tomorrow is Fast Sunday.
Del and I gave her cash for her birthday gift...what every teenager or young adult wants, so hopefully she will use it wisely and carefully.
I sure love her. Kathryn has been a very special daughter in my life - one that I feel at many times has been more of a dear friend than a daughter to me. She is so very loved by so many people but no-one more than by me and the rest of her family.
I feel so blessed to have her in my life.
She is beautiful, both inside and out...and I love her very much.
Happy Birthday my baby dolly.

My BFF This Week

Had a hard time finding my 'happy place' this week with the terrible cold/flu I got a week ago today. Sniffling, coughing, achy, chills, sneezing, fever so I can't rest kind of sick.
So I went to the 'happy store' where a nice man in a white coat gave me a new BFF for my week. I took two. Nice... I took two again. Better... I took two AGAIN. BEST...
And then took two AND watched a BYU basketball game....
Found my 'happy place'.

The 'Candyman' Started THIS Mess

Del was being stinky ALL night...teasing and trying my patience til I wanted to pop him right in the nose. But, as it goes, he got me first.
Once he decorated my face with chocolate, I extended the courtesy to my sweet daughter in law Lexi, who then got very brave and decided to take on her nicely dressed husband with the chocolate decorating idea.
Not only did the candy turn out great, but so did the memories we have now.
I'm wondering if pretty soon, Lexi is going to start questioning her decision to join our crazy family.