December 2010 ALREADY !!

Since my last blog on June 13th much has happened. That very evening of the 13th my mother passed from this earth life to the next. I hope her journey thus far is a pleasant one and that she knows we are all doing ok. She had a very quick and quiet passing and was able to be in her own home when the time was there.

We had her memorial services in July when many of her family members were able to come from various parts of the country and one of her cousins, a retired Baptist pastor, even conducted the service. It was very nice.

My sister, Sharon, came to live with Owen and me for a couple of months while she decided what she needed to do about her job, and where she would live. We enjoyed having her in our home and I was actually kinda sad she decided to move into her own apartment. It is right next door to me, so she is still "here" which is great. I love having a sister so close. She is alot of fun.

We enjoyed our trip to California to Elise's graduation and had alot of fun with Sherry's family. We actually got to attend Zacariah's graduation from Jr. High as well. Hard to believe he is a high schooler already and that Austin will be missionary age in just two years. They are remarkable young men who make their grandparents very proud.

Elise is going off to Rexburg the end of this month to begin her persuit of a higher education at BYU Idaho. She is excited and so are we.

Joe and his family were here for the Thanksgiving holiday. I truly admire what good parents he and his wife are to their two VERY busy little boys. They told us we will be having another new grandbaby come the end of June or the first of July. That will give them 3 under the age of 3. Whew!! We are hoping for a mild mannered, quiet little girl this time. Jen needs a break..

We are trying to get ready for Christmas. I have begun baking and trying to get that all ready for my visit teaching route and as neighborhood gifting. Still need to get my packages in the mail for a timely delivery, but that is a work in progress.
We had a real treat tonight when all the youth and their leaders came caroling at our doors. There were about twenty people on our front porch. It sounded beautiful and I felt loved.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Hope you are all well and can truly enjoy this wonderful season remembering the true gift which was given to us all.

I have been really bad about doing this blog thing for quite a while now.
Much has been going on in my life, and seems that all I get around to is checking my Face Book page and attending to my other daily lists.

We are leaving on Monday to go to our oldest granddaughter's high school graduation. That is really a surprise to me..not that she is already so grown up, but that my life has flown by so quickly. Where did time go? Seems that it was only a few weeks ago we had this beautiful little girl come into our lives. I was just amazed that I could possibly love someone else's little girl as much as I had loved my own baby. I soon realized Heavenly Father truly does give us a little of the capacity to love as He does. We now have nine wonderful grand babies, and the love just keeps growing.

This year, so far, has been a stressful one with my mother's health so rapidly declining. She is now at home living with my younger sister and with the help of Hospice. She is really nearing her time to leave this life and go on to the next. On Monday this week, she was able to get herself to the bathroom and to chose her clothes and get dressed on her own, by Wednesday that had stopped and as of today is totally unable to get herself up and out of bed or her chair without help. Sleeps most of the time and very restless. Quite a lot of discomfort so is on small doses of Morphine to keep her comfortable, so sleeps most of the time. I never dreamed she would become so feeble. I guess I always thought she was some kind of a super being, because she had been such a hard worker and always busy. I guess we all have to realize we are just mortals and have to leave this life someday. I just hope I can make my transition easily.

I am ready for the trip to Sherry's and her family this coming week. Owen and I are actually going to try to vacation a little and spend a couple of nights on the Oregon Coast on our way down. I know my mother is in good hands with my sister, and our son Joseph will come over this week to help out with the care as well. He is really awesome with his sweet attitude and willingness to help with her care. He is laid off right now, so it is a little bit easier for him to be here. His wife is such a sweetheart to share him with us. It has to be a great sacrifice for her to have him gone. He does bring their oldest son with him to help her out so she isn't loaded down with two little (busy) boys under the age of three.

I will post more when we get home, hopefully I'll have some nice photos to share.

Another Day in Paradise

Well, I can offically say I have Grandma's Disease! I just had a call from two of my sweet little granddaughters to say thanks for the birthday cards and gifts. That was especially nice of them since I had totally spaced sending the gifts out on time. Janelle's birthday was in December, the week before Christmas and Malia's was this month. I mailed both gifts out last week at the same time.
We had taken Janelle's with us when we went down there for Christmas, but...You guessed it, I found it after we got home still in the suitcase. So...plan B was to mail it on Malia's with apologies, that didn't happen either until last week. Both girls were late receiving their birthday wishes because I am a Grandma with a bad memory. I am really glad they love me anyway and were just happy I finally got my act together.
We are ready for Spring, tired of the gray skies and cold weather, ready for some sun again. We are both doing pretty well for the shape we are in. Owen has a few health things going on, but is facing them head on and making some really good progress. He is losing weight and looking great and with his new eating habits is feeling better every day. This is a real challenge for him when he has to be away from home for work. He is just learning to look at the menu in a different way and ask for specific things. Good job Owen.
I am loving the new Relief Society Lesson manual this year. I think having the whole church review the basic principals of the gospel is a really great thing to help strengthen testiomonies. Any way, I love preparing lessons from the new manual.
This month is my four year anniversary. Four years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and was terrified. I had the biopsy and went through the radiation therapy and am in remission now four years out. WooHoo. Get those mamagrams, they really do save lives. I am so thankful for science and technology and talented, gifted doctors who care for the rest of us. What a wonderful time to live.
We have had our niece staying with us for a few weeks now. She is just getting back on her feet and working again after a serious injury. Hopes to have her own place within the next month. Good to have the space to let her stay. Good company when Owen is gone. She has also helped care for my mother until my sister gets moved over this weekend. My mom had a serious fall and injury back in November which has moved us to now require almost continual care for her. That is why my sister is moving over, so she can live with her and be there for her more readily than I can be. This should help all of us as far as the worry level goes.
Life is good right now and I am so glad to live in this wonderful country and be a member of the only true church. I am blessed.

Time....

I can't believe I have neglected this blog for such a long time. Spring and Summer came and went and here it is Fall again.. This really is my favorite time of the year with the cooler weather and the beautiful colors, but when I look out at the mountains and see fresh snow, I think I could take a little more Indian Summer.

We had a fast summer. Really did not do much this year, but kept busy. We did quite a bit of canning again this year. Tomatoes, Stewed Tomatoes, pickled beets, apple butter, etc. Went to the Adams Family Reunion in North Idaho and saw alot of Owen's family again. Funny how everyone seems to be getting older. His oldest living brother, who will be 87 this month, was there. Looked pretty thin, but gets along pretty well. I know what Owen will look like at that age. He and Kenneth have always looks so much alike.

We had big changes in our ward this spring. They split us all up here in the valley and created two completely new wards. That means we are all much smaller wards now and everyone has had to have a change of mind and make new friends. Step out of our comfort zones. I now three callings which keep me ticking. I am once again ward chorister, the compassionate service coordinator and one of the RS teachers. I love the sisters in our new ward and being able to be of service is such a blessing to me. Makes me so grateful to have known so many wonderful sisters in the church over the years that I have been a member. I think of wonderful friends like Eunice Larson and Nancy Talbert and Judie White and Janae White and Isobel Miller and the list just keeps going on and on and on. I am a better person for having known so many wonderful people I am honored to call SISTER. I just hope that I have been a good influence to at least a few.

Owen is going to semi retire in December this year, so he says. He says that since he will be able to draw SS then that he will slow down some. We are planning a couple of trips next spring and summer. Our oldest granddaughter will be graduating from high school down in California, that will be one of our trips. We also are planning a deep sea fishing trip this coming year and want to be able to spend a few days doing that, we both love fishing on the ocean. Would also like to visit my sister in Arizona before it gets too hot again. We'll keep you posted on our adventures.

This Is Spring!!

Here it is, Spring already and I am just getting around to blogging again. I have had a couple of interesting months. I had begun to think winter was never going to end, but I know better now. Easter came and went way to quickly, especially our trip to see our sweet daughter and her awesome family. I truly am blessed to have such wonderful people as they in my life. I must have done something good to have been blessed with them.

We took a trip to Eureka, Ca to spend Easter with Sherry and her family,they are growing up way too fast. Sherry and Royce are doing a really good job raising our grandchildren into such nice people. Each one of them has begun strong testiomonies and a love of the gospel. All three of the older children are planning to serve missions and really are preparing themselves to do so. I met their seminary teacher, who is a convert, and thanked her for helping them have a better knowledge of the scriptures. She obviously loves our youth and I know that the young people can feel that from her. It is so much easier to learn something from someone who loves you. Our trip was great at any rate. We took way too long to get home, but we drove up Hwy 101 and took lots of beautiful pictures. I still don't know how to get them from my camera to the computer though. Jennifer said she will teach me when they come over for Apple Blossom Festival.

We have a beautiful new grandson, Carson Duane Adams, born March 23 and weighed in at 9lbs. 2.7oz. and 20.6 inches long. Joe and Jennifer are good parents and are doing a good job with their little family. Busy parents...their babies are just 19 months apart, so you know what I mean.

I am looking forward to December for my husband. He says he is going to semi-retire. I think that means he is not going to drive so much any more, especially through the winter months. He will be more selective of how much time he is away from home. I hope that when I retire in about 6 years, we can try to serve a mission.

I loved general conference, especially Pres Holland's talk on Easter and the relationship the Savior had with Judas. I gained a new perspective about him and the atonement and my testimony was strengthend. I love the Savior, and really do try everyday to be a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel.

More Snow???

Here it is, another Sunday afternoon in Mid February and what do we get?? MORE SNOW!!
I know, it is Winter after all, but I, for one, am ready for Spring, About this time of year I always get the urge to see Spring come. I will be patient though. I know the sweet little groundhog saw his shadow, so he ran back inside to sleep a little longer. Spring will be that much sweeter.

We had such a nice Valentine's Day this year. My sweetheart and I drove to Yakima to do some shopping and then out to dinner thanks to a very thoughtful gift from our daughter and her hubby. They gave us a nice gift certificate to Red Lobster for Christmas, so we used it for a wonderful dinner and date. Thank You Sherry and Royce. I am grateful we had good weather to drive in yesterday. Today would not be nearly as enjoyable.

My baby boy is turning thirty this next week-end. Saturday is the big day. He doesn't know it, but his wife is planning a surprise party for him next Sunday afternoon. He thinks they are going out of town for the big celebration to her family's time share and that they will be picking up their little Noah when they get back to town. That is when we will all spring out to surprise him. I am excited for him. Also excited for the 27th of March. Joe and Jen will be delivering their new baby boy then. She has to have her babies by appointment, so we know he will be born on that day. Their babies will be 19 months and one day apart in age. Busy time in their lives. One I do not envy, but knowing how fast that busy time will pass for them, I hope they take time to enjoy the journey.

Owen is making noises that we may be making the trip to Sherry's house for Easter this year. I think that would be wonderful. I will have to get a substitute to direct the ward choir that day though. We are practicing a special arrangment of "He Is Risen" for Easter Sunday. I am thankful we have several very capable people in our ward who just might fill in for me. We'll see. I would love to see her new home and be with our grandchildren again. They are truly remarkable children.

Well, so much for another snowy Sunday, which is slowly turning to rain. I guess I will use this day to just rest and read. I need days like this sometimes.

The Elve's Have Gone??

Well, Christmas has come and gone already. My sweet daughter and her family are on their way home and should be there by now. They had a rough trip up, but we so did enjoy them all. She and her husband are doing such a great job raising our grandbabies. The children are really nice people. Owen and I were just sitting and listening to all of them talk with each other and must say how impressed we were at how sweet they treat each other. We heard NO quarreling nor arguments between them. When I commented on that, Austin(15) said it was because it was the day before Christmas Eve, so he knew he had to be extra good. Sherry says they have their moments, but actually are pretty nice most all the time.

We had a wonderful Christmas with family and lots of snow. The children were very happy to be able to play in the white stuff and Christmas day was beautiful and sunny, so playing was pleasant. Took hours longer than it should have for the turkey to get done and dinner was late, but delicious just the same. Christmas eve was a very special night. We had Janelle's baptism in our stake center then came home for dinner of creamy potatoe soup and homemade dinner rolls. Our full time missionaries came to eat with us and also enjoyed a recorded Music and the Spoken Word from a couple of weeks ago. The Choir had guest performers with them who sang the 12th century carole of THE FRIENDLY BEAST and a reading about how the carole, I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY, was written with a little history on Longfellow. It was beautiful and worth listening to. The special thing about that recording was that Elder Barwick(missionary) had used the same poem in his talk and Bro McClune had used the same topic of the Longfellow carole in their talks the same Sunday as the broadcast. Neither of them knew about the broadcast which really surprised Elder Barwick when he watched the program. We talked about simple gifts which was a perfect ending to a beautiful Christmas eve.

I am not looking forward to the schedule change for our ward meetings next week. We will now have the early schedule which starts at 9a.m. but I guess the plus side is that we weill be out at noon. Makes it really hard to get people out for choir practice is the tough thing. I thought about asking for a release from that call, but was reminded that I should just serve as long as needed...so I am still waving my arm around like I know what I'm doing. It is a wonderful calling and I do love to hear the choir do well, so guess I shouldn't rock the boat.

I am wishing all you a very happy and prosperous New Year. I am thinking there will be alot of changes headed our way and am so grateful to have the gospel in my life to help me understand the big picture.