Fall Craft Projects...

This week I caught the fall craft bug and here is what I ended up with!

Homecoming 2010

Mikie's last Homecoming in his High School Days!

Cell Phones vs Scriptures

I just had to share our Young Women activity that we had last night.
A couple of weeks ago this poem Cell Phones vs Scriptures was read during a talk in sacrament meeting and I knew exactly what I wanted to use it for....

THE CELLPHONE VS THE SCRIPTURES

I wonder what would happen if we treated our scriptures

like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?

What if we used it to receive messages?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to other kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go....

"Hmmm..Dude.. where is my scriptures?"

Unlike our cell phones:

One Plan does fit all.

Unlimited usage.

No roaming charges.

You always have reception.

You can use it in the mountains and in a tunnel.

It's free with no hidden costs,

AND you don't ever have to worry about your scriptures

being disconnected because

CHRIST has already paid the bill!

Lately, my scriptures have a spot
in the Family room
sitting on the back of the chair
that I sit in for family Scriptures.
On Sundays, they get moved to
my church bag and then later that night
Back to the chair.

Since I installed the scriptures as
an app on my phone,
I use it for most of my personal reading.
But, for the last few weeks I have been thinking
that maybe I miss things
that normally may stand out.

When I thought of this idea, I got really excited to
PUT MY PHONE DOWN
and pick up my Book of Mormon....

Maybe the Young Women would like one to...

Mod Podge Book of Mormon!

All of the girls paired up and made one to give away
with their testimonies written in the front cover.
Then they each made a personal one
and put the poem in the front cover.

Now, they each have a Book of Mormon that they
can keep in their car, back pack or purse and
take it with them wherever they go.

It was a really fun activity, I wish I would
have taken pictures of everyone's
finished products to share.
they all turned out unique, just as we each are!
I love to see every ones different
personalities come out in the things we do.

It's here...

I am so very excited about this!!!




I have been waiting for {MONTHS}
for the new online Personal Progress to be activated,
and Finally it is {LIVE}!!!




I hope that the Young Women will
be as excited as I am!!



I am excited that any {sister}
can work towards earning a medallion,
just sign in and away you go.
If you haven't registered, all you need is
your membership number & date of birth.

Then, click here....
Don't forget to bookmark the site to your toolbar
for easy access!

Easy, {EASY}, Easy!!!!

I {LoVe} Technology!!!!

Senior Pic's

While we were in Elmo at the beginning of the month for
Deer Hunt, Maria decided to take the rare opportunity
and have a photo shoot with Mikie.

These are a few of my favorites that I put into a collage.





All she had was her Fuji digital camera!
I think that she did an amazing job!
I bet that this was just the first of many
photo shoots for her!

Thanks SIS!!!

FAA9AEDE-7D6C-638A-19F0-DA37CF075C52

1.02.28

The Hunt is over...

This last week (almost - 5 days) George took time off for
{THE HUNT}
With Bow,arrows and the rest of the 'gear' in tow
we headed to Elmo, Utah on Thursday night.

George spent the morning sighting in his bow,
so that when the time came he could make 'the shot'!
Then for the rest of the day he hung out with
Mikie, James, Maria & I.

{THE HUNT} - DAY 1

5 AM - George & Pete wake up and get ready
to head up Huntington Canyon.
7 AM - Start 'The glorified Hike'
(Maria's nick name for the days events!)
See a Buck and a few Doe in the morning hours
No shot available
3 PM - Meet up with Mikie, James, Shane,
Thomas, Maria & I for a quick sandwich.
3:40 pm - Head back up to take the
first 3 mentioned boys for a 'hike'
5 PM - Meet back up with us and head down the Mountain

{THE HUNT} - DAY 2

5 AM - George & Pete wake up and get ready
to head up Huntington Canyon.
7 AM - Stop at the top of the canyon and hop out
to scout around for a few minutes.
7:30 AM - The Spot was made!
Hike around to get a shot!
7:45 AM - Take the Shot
Hike down to see if it was a hit!
Definite Hit!
8 AM {THE CALL}
ring, ring... We won't be making it back for church...

Now for the hard part -
getting the deer back UP to the truck!
{BIG SHOUT OUT} to the sheep herders
for loaning the guys a horse!

2 PM Back home in Elmo...
Grab a quick bite at the Family BBQ that
everyone is at and then after the help
of Peggy making a few phone calls,
head Back to Huntington to drop
the deer off for processing.

The smell of Sweet Success for George,
is a bit nauseating to me!
Thankfully we decided to have someone else
do the processing this year, and we borrowed
Pete's Echo for the drive home.
(The inside of George's truck
was still a bit stinky
Monday afternoon,
when we left for HoMe!!!

Thanks Pete, Maria & Gang for a Great Weekend!!!
We Love you!



This is the face of a HaPpY Man!!!

Twelve Years old and in Seventh grade...

We are two full weeks into school!
{YAY!}

This year Jenni has chosen to NOT carpool.
She wants to ride the bus.
I was {STRONGLY} considering over ruling this decision
when on the SECOND day of school she missed the bus!
(I need to mention that I always take her on her first day!)
NOT necessarily a great start!
I let let her know that if I was going to have to drive
her to school,
I might as well be driving a car load of kids
and not just her alone.
That she needed to make sure she was up and ready for the bus
otherwise... CAR POOL!
So far, no missed bus (we are only on the second week!)
So far there has not been much homework.
(thanks to the schools "real" time, two days a week!
LoVe this!!)

If we can judge from past years, Jenni is going to continue to
love school and her teachers and this year will be a breeze!

We Survived... (part 1)

We have officially {survived} summer
and the first week of school!
Mikie is a senior this year!
Where did the time go?
I still remember when he was in kindergarten,
having a police officer knock on my door
checking to see if he was at home
because he was MIA in his class!
Fortunately, he had walked in less
than five minutes before that knock on the door
and was in the middle of having the discussion of
"Why it is NOT okay to leave in the
middle of the school day!"
Not to mention that there was a college
in between our apartment and the elementary school,
that he marched right through!

Mikie is pretty excited to get
through this year of school.
He is the Stake Representative for Seminary
this year and has been working on themes,
and getting to know the other Stake Rep.'s
the last few weeks.

He is also the Vice President of the FFA,
(last year he was the Historian!)
There will be one more year of competitions,
leadership meetings and fun!
He has been raising about 15 chickens
at the school over the summer.
Last year we were told that our house is
NOT zoned
for agriculture and we could not raise
any type of livestock!
"OOPS!"
(Jenni isn't very happy about that
,she really wants to raise a pig.
She says our yard is just as big as Amanda's
and she was allowed to raise TWO pigs!!!)

As the school year drew near and started
I couldn't help but reflect on the last 18 years.
The places we have been and the strides that we have made.
The fact that this is the last year that my boy will be {HOME}
for all of the holidays and all of the days in between.

A year from now Mikie will be waiting on that
big white envelope
with LDS Church as the return address.
Full of anticipation on where he will be spending
the next two years of his life.

He is such an Amazing Young Man,
and I love him so Very much!
He has made this 'mama' proud!




If anyone has a secret recipe on how to slow down the next year,
I sure could use it about right now!

Wish I was here...

Last September we made a quick trip to California.
We were able to make an even quicker trip to the beach!
It wasn't near long enough.
I {LOVE} the beach!
I think I was suppose to live in a beach house.
There is just something soothing about listening to the waves.
Right now I wish I was here!

Easter Weekend...

Easter 2010 brought The Johansen Family home!
We used to {ALWAYS} alternate Easter with Maria, one year they would come to Southern Utah, the next year we would go to Elmo. The kids loved to spend the weekend together and teh Easter Bunny would always find who ever was away from home. The last several years we have not been making the trip, and either has the Johansen family.
This year at the flast minute The Johansen's decided to make the trip! It was GREAT, we loved being able to spend time visiting, the kids enjoyed running and playing, we even fit in a family BBQ! I hardly ever have a camera with me anymore so I didn't get many pictures. I did pull out my phone and capture a few of the kids playing ball!

Family...

In February, George was home for a whole week and we went on this hike. It was an amazing day, the whole week had been rainy and cold and on this day then sun came out and was a more typical February day in Southern Utah! I have been meaning to post the pictures that we took with our phones, and 2 1/2 months later.... Here they are!!!

The Annual Cotton Days Festivities had their Big Kick Off last night with a great Fireworks Display. The kids and I were watching a movie when all of a sudden it sounded like we where in the middle of a war zone! I got a couple of good shots with my phone.

Leroy and Anne aren't to fond of fireworks, the loud booms and all of those flashing lights are a little unsettling to them. They sat by Mikie for a few minutes at the beginning for some comfort (he was inside, not a firework fan himself!) Then they took off towards the back of the house. After the excitement was over I went in search of the two little pooches and this is where I found them................

(one of Leroy to come.... Cant find Jenni's camera!)

11 Years....

Sunday was George and I's 11th Wedding Anniversay! I came out of my bedroom that morning after getting ready for church to find theses.....


I wasn't expecting anything at all, with it being Sunday & having George on the other side of the continent! Thanks mom for being our personal flower delivery service!!! George was in Virginia, he was able to come the week before and spend 5 days at home! To us that is A LOT of time! He tried to take me out a couple of times, but between spending time with the kids, helping with a ward service project, having unexpected family show up from Michigan, a Sunday and then a Monday Family Night we were never able to break away! It was great to just be together as a family. It is amazing to me how much some take for granted just being together everyday. We are very thankful for the fact that George HAS a job and for the sacrifices that he makes for our family, but we can't wait for the day that he will be home with us all of the time!

I LoVe Bountiful Baskets!!!!!

I keep meaning to take picture's of my Bountiful Basket Treasure's and post them, but I AlwAys forget until after I have stowed them away into the fridge! Today, I remembered! My family usually isn't able to go through All of this Bountiful goodness in one week. I usually buy in for two weeks & then take one week off.

 

For those of you who have never heard of Bountiful Baskets, lets just say (in my opinion) it is the greatest thing invented since sliced bread! It is a food co-op, using collective purchasing to get high quality food at prices reserved for grocery stores and restaurants. Cutting the middle man out saves TONS of money! The cost to buy in is $15-$25 each week. There is also a $1.50 handling fee each week and a $3 first basket fee. You never know what you will be receiving (just like opening a present each week!) You receive 50% fruits 50% veggies, and there are usually add on's that you can purchase. Such as bread, Asian Packs, Italian Packs, Mexican Packs. These include items that are generally used when cooking those types of meals.

If you are living in Arizona, Utah, Idaho or Washington chances are there is a pick up site near you! Click Here to see if there is one close, if not you can open a site and all of your friends & neighbors will LoVe you for it!!! 

It is even worth giving up sleeping in on Saturday morning! Do yourself a favor & check it out!

Blessings...

Last night I was privileged enough to attend the temple with the youth in our ward. I watched in amazement as these Young Women and Young Men took time out of there crazy busy schedules to serve their Lord and those souls that have been waiting for so long on the other side of the veil for their work to be done. Those that rode with me then went to the Visitors Center and walked through the Reflections of Christ Gallery. To have the opportunity to be with these wonderful daughters of God and feel His spirit so strongly is such a blessing to me. I am so grateful for the things that they teach me and  for the privilege of getting to know them better.