Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Keepin' the Train Chuggin' Along

So, I've been invited to participate in this blogtrain! And so are you! This is what you need to do:

"~Start copying here~"and copy all the things listed without removing the links (Of course, the train would be no use without the links).
Move all the sites labeled "Enjoyable Finds" to the list labeled "Oldies". (But goodies, I'm sure)
Add 5 sites that you want to include in the train under "Enjoyable Finds" and make their "Visit My Site" link like this:
http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect? and then add the url of a blog of your choice. This is an example:
http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?momimhungry.blogspot.com. Then invite them to join the train.
Visit all the listed sites using the "Visit My Site" link.
Let me know if you have decided to join in the fun!


Enjoyable Finds:
http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?girlsjustwannahvfun.blogspot.com

http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?highwayhavoc.blogspot.com

http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?artbydawnae.blogspot.com

http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?niftynicholsonnews.blogspot.com

http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?myart-micalanne.blogspot.com

Oldies:
Coming Soon

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Thankful Thursday

This is my Grandma - Verna Lucille Josephine Aamodt Melton. Say that 3 times fast! We are going to be celebrating her 95th Birthday on Saturday with lots of family and friends and a festive Luau theme. I can't wait!

I know that I already spoke of her in my Mother's Day post, but I don't think enough can be said about this loving woman. She has 4 children, 30 grandchildren, 4,000 great-grand-children and 2 great-great-grandchildren (that I know of - I will get the real numbers on Saturday). Until last year, she sent a Birthday Card filled with $2.00 to every one of her 4,036 children. Not only did she use Birthday cards to recognize everyone's birthday, she hand-picked each card; reading through the selection of cards until she found the perfect one for each individual. This is not "any card will do" woman! Finding the right card was so important to her that she stopped this thoughtful tradition when her eyesight failed to the point that she could no longer see the cards well enough to make a proper choice.

I am very grateful for my Grandma! Her loyalty to family has been a wonderful example to me. I hope to emulate this characteristic that has been instilled in me and bring honor to her in the coming years.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Girlie Girl






We are in the process of painting Ashley's room. She decided to go from baby blue to girlie girl pink! After spending several hours getting the room to this point, I just had to curl my hair and paint my toenails...the same color as the dark pink in her room! Very fun!

We're hoping to have this finished by tomorrow evening....Wish me luck, bloggers!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Student Show Opening Night

Here are two of my favorite people: My Professor Marc Wurmbrand and classmate Miriam Kirk. We have had a lot of fun together the last two semesters.

This was Marc's last semester teaching. I asked him what his plans were and he said he didn't have any yet. Good for him! Blow with the wind Marc! I would like to keep in touch with him and even work with him occassionally. What I mean by that is attend some life drawing classes with him, attend Openings at Art Centers, etc. I like to hear him talk about the process of painting as well as the product - a painting. I would also like to see him work. In the time I've been his student, I have only seen him put a brush to canvas once! He is going to bring me some of his pieces to look at and discuss when we meet for my final. Finals with him consist of going to the Gallery, looking at each of my pieces and discussing them. Believe it or not, this can be very difficult! Wish me luck!

Miriam and I are both mothers and student artists. But our greatest bond is that we both have braces - no pun intended. She and I have spent many days together trying to figure out the best way to fulfill each assignment. We began the class with many questions about technique; however, dearest Marc doesn't teach a specific technique. He, wonderful man that he is, teaches in such a way that we are required to discover for ourselves what our individual technique is. This can be very challenging, causing many moments of brain convulsions; but in the end, once we learn how we do it, we will never lose it. Until that time, I will quietly retreat to my garage and slap the paint around. Miriam, on the other hand, will swear and curse in the manner of sailors and slap the paint around. We will take the summer off, then meet again in OE1 101 to resume our process of discovery in the Fall.

Love you Marc & Miriam!

P.S. Dawnae, I took you with me tonight! Sorry I didn't get good pictures of all the work that is on display. I will have to go back during the day to get better pictures.

P.S.S. Judy, sorry there was no auction or playboy bunnies at this show; just a whole lot of nude drawings.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Mothers, how do you love?

I usually begin thinking about Mother's Day on May 1st. I think about it not so much because I am a mother, but because I believe in mothering. I have many mothers in my life and for as long as I can remember, I have considered what it means to be a mom. I began this consideration by watching women and how they behaved toward children; and people in general. I made definite decisions early on about what characteristics I felt made a good mom. I have tried to emulate these characteristics since I felt I was old enough to "act that way".

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that the characteristic I admire most in mother's is their Love. My mom is a great example of love. I have always known she loved me. When I was a little girl, she would cut my sandwich anyway I asked her to. She read to me consistently and allowed me to play outside in the dirt, climbing trees and catching polliwogs. There was a joy in our home when I was very little, before we started moving so much, that I wait to feel to know that what I am doing is correct. She has always listened to me and would say the right thing at the right time. When we talk on the phone, I am able to say whatever is on my mind and she nevers makes me feel like she is in a hurry to get off the phone, or that what she has to say is more important. I know she prays for me everyday. She always shows me in her smile and in her voice how happy she is to see me. I am completely and totally accepted by her and always will be.

There are many other mother's that are a part of my life, either in memory or daily, that have loved me. Grandma Fessler is my Dad's mom. I knew she loved me because she told me constantly. She sent me cards in the mail and told me how good-looking and smart I was. She told me I could do anything I wanted. She taught me about having good manners, and being responsible and filled with integrity. She taught me to love education, however I received it. She taught me how to "come out of my shell" and start a conversation with someone. (I'm still not great at that, but I'm much better than when I was young) Grandma Fessler passed about several years ago, but I feel her presence with me continually.

Grandma Melton loved me because I was her daughters daughter. Grandma Melton is sweet, all about family, and memories. there is nothing more imprtant to her than her family and making fun memories with them. She taught me to love my ancestors by bringing out boxes of pictures of her people, my people, and telling me their names and what she knew about them. Grandma will be turning 95 at the end of this month. A big Luau has been planned to celebrate with lots of great food and fun activities, but what I look forward to is sitting next to her and holding her hand, listening to her advice and telling her I love her. We know she will soon be called home to her Heavenly Father but I will hold her hand while she is here.

Sis. Poulsen taught me to look for a man to marry who honored his priesthood and could/would bless our children. I remembered that lesson just in time!

Sis. Bogh and her husband paid for me to go hiking with the young women. I had no money, and no way of making any money because I made my money babysitting; but, I was new in town. I was not known to people yet.

Sis. Ewell always welcomed me so warmly when I was at her house. And she taught the young women lessons with firm, sweet faith that I could not doubt that what she was teaching was true.

These three women, my mom and my sister Judy, took my wedding dress just days before my wedding and spent hours fixing the mess that was made by the woman who had a crush on Bart. They fixed it just in time, and although I was unaware of the work that went into fixing my dress until months after, I did feel very loved on my wedding day by these women.

Judy is that last mom I will talk about. She is my sister. She is my confidante. She is my comic relief. She inspires me to be my best and motivates me to action. Even though we were at each others throats while growing up, she is the one who instigated our friendship as adults. She loves me and accepts me. She wants the best for me and is careful with me when sharing bad news so as not to hurt my feelings.

With the celebration of Mother's on Mother's Day comes the question, which my children have lovingly already asked me, "What do you want for Mother's Day?" All types of media will tell us that we need jewelry, clothes, home decor, clothing and chocolate to make our Mother's Day complete. Yet, in answer to my children's question, I say, "What I want for Mother's Day is for my Mother(s) and my children to know how deeply I love them. I want them to know that they are everything to me, they help me to become who I can become and not settle for who I am. This is what I want for Mother's Day. Oh yeah, and World Peace".

So, with this in mind all you mother's out there in blogland, my question to you is, How Do You Love? I look forward to your comments!