...Makes a Mama's Day!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Per Judy's Request...
...and for all the little ones (and little ones at heart) to enjoy:
ALWAYS BE KIND TO ANIMALS
Always be kind to animals
Morning, noon and night.
For animals have feelings, too,
And furthermore they bite!
~John Gardner
THE BARRACUDA
Slowly, slowly he cruises,
And slowly, slowly he chooses
Which kind of fish he prefers to take this morning;
Then without warning
The Barracuda opens his jaws, teeth flashing,
And with a horrible, horrible grinding and gnashing,
Devours a hundred poor creatures and feels no remorse.
It's no wonder of course,
That he really ought perhaps, to change his ways.
"But" (as he says
With an evil grin)
"It's actually not my fault, you see!
I've nothing to do with the tragedy,
I open my mouth for a yawn and -ah me-
They all
Swim
In."
~ John Gardner
THE OCTOPUS
Marvel at the
Awful many-armed
Sea-god Octopus,
And the coiled
Elbows of his eager
Eightfold embrace;
Yet also at his
Tapered tender
Fingertips, ferrying
Their great brow
Along the sea floor
In solitary grace.
~Valerie Worth
ALWAYS BE KIND TO ANIMALS
Always be kind to animals
Morning, noon and night.
For animals have feelings, too,
And furthermore they bite!
~John Gardner
THE BARRACUDA
Slowly, slowly he cruises,
And slowly, slowly he chooses
Which kind of fish he prefers to take this morning;
Then without warning
The Barracuda opens his jaws, teeth flashing,
And with a horrible, horrible grinding and gnashing,
Devours a hundred poor creatures and feels no remorse.
It's no wonder of course,
That he really ought perhaps, to change his ways.
"But" (as he says
With an evil grin)
"It's actually not my fault, you see!
I've nothing to do with the tragedy,
I open my mouth for a yawn and -ah me-
They all
Swim
In."
~ John Gardner
THE OCTOPUS
Marvel at the
Awful many-armed
Sea-god Octopus,
And the coiled
Elbows of his eager
Eightfold embrace;
Yet also at his
Tapered tender
Fingertips, ferrying
Their great brow
Along the sea floor
In solitary grace.
~Valerie Worth
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Happy Birthday, Amy!
Today was Amy's 40th Birthday! She doesn't like to be the center of attention. So we didn't give her a surprise party; and we'll keep the portion of this post about her in particular low-key.
Part I
Amy is the BEST because she has not an ounce of malice in her body! She is Kind, Loving, GENEROUS, Funny, & Smart! She is a Friend to Everyone - no one is a Stranger to her.
She is a very Loving Mother to her children Eric, 12 and Emily, 10 (in just a couple weeks). I believe we could summarize her parenting philosophy in two words: "LET'S PLAY!". She loves to have a good time making memories with her kids.
Amy has Perfect Naturally Wavy Blonde hair, and Naturally Perfectly Shaped Eyebrows! Rude - I know! She has the Prettiest Eyes, too. I love her dainty, tiny hands. And I love to HUG her!
Amy served in the Vina del Mar, Chile Mission. She now teaches Spanish at San Gorgonio High School. She is also the Polynesian Cultural Advisor. She Loves People of All Races and Cultures. They all Love her! And I Love You Amy!
Grandma with the Birthday Girl
Contemplating her Birthday Wish
She is a very Delicate Candle Blower-Outer
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Part II
For our family, though, the fun started a few hours earlier! Mom asked me to bring the cake. So I made the cake and was trying to decide how to decorate it. Well, Bethany REALLY wanted to decorate the cake. So, I got a box of white fondant and a box of different colored fondant for her to use and she went right to work.
Step 1 - Roll out the Fondant
Step 2 - Assess the Condition of the Buttercream
Step 3 - Place the Fondant
Step 4 - Recruit some Pumped Up Assistants
Step 5 - Use Little Brother to Hold Decorations in Place
Ta Da! The Final Product! Amy Enjoyed and Appreciated the Cake!
Look! She even Cleans Up!
Part I
Amy is the BEST because she has not an ounce of malice in her body! She is Kind, Loving, GENEROUS, Funny, & Smart! She is a Friend to Everyone - no one is a Stranger to her.
She is a very Loving Mother to her children Eric, 12 and Emily, 10 (in just a couple weeks). I believe we could summarize her parenting philosophy in two words: "LET'S PLAY!". She loves to have a good time making memories with her kids.
Amy has Perfect Naturally Wavy Blonde hair, and Naturally Perfectly Shaped Eyebrows! Rude - I know! She has the Prettiest Eyes, too. I love her dainty, tiny hands. And I love to HUG her!
Amy served in the Vina del Mar, Chile Mission. She now teaches Spanish at San Gorgonio High School. She is also the Polynesian Cultural Advisor. She Loves People of All Races and Cultures. They all Love her! And I Love You Amy!
Grandma with the Birthday Girl
Contemplating her Birthday Wish
She is a very Delicate Candle Blower-Outer
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Part II
For our family, though, the fun started a few hours earlier! Mom asked me to bring the cake. So I made the cake and was trying to decide how to decorate it. Well, Bethany REALLY wanted to decorate the cake. So, I got a box of white fondant and a box of different colored fondant for her to use and she went right to work.
Step 1 - Roll out the Fondant
Step 2 - Assess the Condition of the Buttercream
Step 3 - Place the Fondant
Step 4 - Recruit some Pumped Up Assistants
Step 5 - Use Little Brother to Hold Decorations in Place
Ta Da! The Final Product! Amy Enjoyed and Appreciated the Cake!
Look! She even Cleans Up!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
"Tis the Season...
...For Snakes!!!!
Our neighbors were going for a walk. As they were passing our house, they watched this huge rattlesnake slither across the street and onto our grass. They came to our door to tell us it was there. But, there was no need for worry because guess who lives in my house?
You got it! Bart and Cameron the Snake Whisperers!
With shovel and PVC pipe in hand, they whispered ever so quietly, "Go to Snake Heaven you big snake you!" Off went the head and the rattle (a favorite keepsake of almost 10 yr old boys).
Bartman laid the body in front of our trash cans and guess what? We had no critters dump our trash bins over last night!
Who knew a rattlesnake would do us some good?
Our neighbors were going for a walk. As they were passing our house, they watched this huge rattlesnake slither across the street and onto our grass. They came to our door to tell us it was there. But, there was no need for worry because guess who lives in my house?
You got it! Bart and Cameron the Snake Whisperers!
With shovel and PVC pipe in hand, they whispered ever so quietly, "Go to Snake Heaven you big snake you!" Off went the head and the rattle (a favorite keepsake of almost 10 yr old boys).
Bartman laid the body in front of our trash cans and guess what? We had no critters dump our trash bins over last night!
Who knew a rattlesnake would do us some good?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Barbie's "IT"!
Barbie is my Blog Guest today and here are her answers to the TAG ~
I Get to Answer These Questions With One Word ~
Where is your cell phone? Purse
Your significant other? Looking
Your hair? Growing
Your mother? Brave
Your father? Hero
Your favorite thing? Grandchildren
Your dream last night? Crazy
Your favorite drink? CremeSoda
Your dream/goal? Retirement
The room you are in? Loud
Your children? Life
Your fear? Alone
Where you want to be in 6 years? Retired
Where were you last night? Asleep
Muffins? Sometimes
One of your Wish List items? Wealth
Where'd you grow up? BellGardens
What'd you read last? BookMormon
What are you wearing? CamBoot
Your TV? Home
Your pet? None
Your computer? Work
Your life? Family
Your mood? Peaceful
Missing someone? Always
Your car? Cluttered
Something you are not wearing? Coat
Favorite store? Target
Your summer? Hot
Like someone? Everyone
Your favorite color? Blue
Last time you laughed? Morning
Last time you cried? Yesterday
Barbie tags: Cari Greenwood, Lana Melton, and Bethany Child!
Cari and Lana, if you want to send me your answers, I will post them for you, too!
Thanks for playing Barbie! And by the way everyone, Barbie said I was her Favorite!
I Get to Answer These Questions With One Word ~
Where is your cell phone? Purse
Your significant other? Looking
Your hair? Growing
Your mother? Brave
Your father? Hero
Your favorite thing? Grandchildren
Your dream last night? Crazy
Your favorite drink? CremeSoda
Your dream/goal? Retirement
The room you are in? Loud
Your children? Life
Your fear? Alone
Where you want to be in 6 years? Retired
Where were you last night? Asleep
Muffins? Sometimes
One of your Wish List items? Wealth
Where'd you grow up? BellGardens
What'd you read last? BookMormon
What are you wearing? CamBoot
Your TV? Home
Your pet? None
Your computer? Work
Your life? Family
Your mood? Peaceful
Missing someone? Always
Your car? Cluttered
Something you are not wearing? Coat
Favorite store? Target
Your summer? Hot
Like someone? Everyone
Your favorite color? Blue
Last time you laughed? Morning
Last time you cried? Yesterday
Barbie tags: Cari Greenwood, Lana Melton, and Bethany Child!
Cari and Lana, if you want to send me your answers, I will post them for you, too!
Thanks for playing Barbie! And by the way everyone, Barbie said I was her Favorite!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I'm So Excited - I've Been Tagged - By Jodi!
I Get to Answer Each of These Questions With One Word
Where is your cell phone? Charging
Your significant other? Handsome
Your hair? Help!
Your mother? Friendly
Your father? Shmart
Your favorite thing? Chix
Your dream last night? Scary
Your favorite drink? H2O
Your dream/goal? PhD
The room you are in? Orange
Your children? Great
Your fear? Loss
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Graduated
Where were you last night? Home
What you're not? Male
Muffins? Please
One of your Wish List items? World Peace
Where'd you grow up? Everywhere
What'd you read last? "A Life of Picasso"
What are you wearing? Black
Your TV? Off
Your pet? Many
Your computer? Life
Your life? Computer
Your mood? Jolly
Missing someone? Always
Your car? Expensive
Something you're not wearing? Shoes
Favorite store? None
Your summer? Here
Like someone? Shhhh!
Your favorite color? Blue
Last time you laughed? Everyday
Last time you cried? Everyday
I Tag Mark Pederson, Aunt Barbie, Janet Nordine & LaRae Wallace!
Where is your cell phone? Charging
Your significant other? Handsome
Your hair? Help!
Your mother? Friendly
Your father? Shmart
Your favorite thing? Chix
Your dream last night? Scary
Your favorite drink? H2O
Your dream/goal? PhD
The room you are in? Orange
Your children? Great
Your fear? Loss
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Graduated
Where were you last night? Home
What you're not? Male
Muffins? Please
One of your Wish List items? World Peace
Where'd you grow up? Everywhere
What'd you read last? "A Life of Picasso"
What are you wearing? Black
Your TV? Off
Your pet? Many
Your computer? Life
Your life? Computer
Your mood? Jolly
Missing someone? Always
Your car? Expensive
Something you're not wearing? Shoes
Favorite store? None
Your summer? Here
Like someone? Shhhh!
Your favorite color? Blue
Last time you laughed? Everyday
Last time you cried? Everyday
I Tag Mark Pederson, Aunt Barbie, Janet Nordine & LaRae Wallace!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Happy Father's Day, Dad!
I have the BEST Dad in the whole entire world because:
He loves a good joke - he loves to tell them and to hear them
He loves chocolate so much that he would probably put chocolate chips in his spaghetti if my mom would let him
He loves to study his scriptures and the words of the prophets - and any other writer who uses extremely long words to say that the Gospel is true
He LOVES his family more than life itself
I have some great childhood memories of my dad:
When I was very little, we would often walk a short distance to church. My dad loved to walk and he had a very long stride. I always tried to match my stride to his. And, even as a young child, I could feel a difference in his demeanor through the way that he walked. On the way to church, he would have a somewhat downward glance and have his hands in his pockets. On the way home from church, he often would be snapping his fingers, or whistling a hymn and he had a spring in his step. That made it all the more challenging, and fun, to try to match his stride.
My dad would take us to all the Saturday morning church service projects, or flag days, or whatever event was happening on a Saturday morning at the church. Those were great times!
He liked to take us other places as well. But the older he got, the harder it was for him to remember how to get places. When we lived in San Jose, Dad took us to the Oakland Temple several times, but we never got there...
A long time ago, I believed him to be a bit off-his-rocker when he would turn on the TV (when we had one), with its volume all the way down, and then turn on the radio with its volume up, so he could watch BYU football games. I've since learned that he enjoyed the radio commentary better than the TV commentary. Now, the memory of this behavior is quite endearing to me.
His Mother (he never called her anything but Mother) was so special to him. When she was succumbing to the effects of age and dementia, he told me that he was mourning the loss of his mother. This was a sad time for him, and yet he held his head high in faith.
My dad liked to go hiking, and camping, and all that outdoorsy kind of stuff. And, if we were willing to go with him, he enjoyed taking us along. One time he took several of us kids with his brother Gene, and several of Genes kids, on a campout in Northern California. We had a great time hiking all day. After dinner, I knew there were dishes to be done but I didn't want to be the one to do them. So I quickly laid out one blanket on the ground, put one blanket on top of me and closed my eyes. Right away my dad came over to check on me and i thought I was going to be in trouble. But he believed that I was asleep. "Boy howdy! She's asleep already!" he said in his accustomed astonishment at the behavior of children. I heard him and Gene start to do the dishes. I felt pretty sly in getting out of it. The ground was hard and pretty uncomfortable. But I couldn't get up and fix my bedding - I would have to do the dishes. Soon, my dad was next to me placing another blanket over me. He asked, "How cold is it going to be tonight, Gene?" I certainly felt warmer, but the ground was getting harder. He continued with the dishes. Again he was by my side putting another blanket over me and tucking them all around me so carefully. Whew! It was really warm! I needed a drink. But I couldn't get up. He went to help the rest of the kids get settled in their beds. Again, he was next to me putting another blanket on me. "Do you think this will be enough for her? Have you got any extra blankets Gene?" Soon, the work was done and everyone was asleep - except me. I laid with my eyes open wishing for a drink, and for some of the blankets that were on top of me to be under me. But that's not all I thought about. I contemplated the warmth and security I felt within. My dad's great care for me stirred something deep within my soul. To this day I call on this memory as I serve my own family.
There are many other things that make my dad special. He is pure. He is kind. He is generous. He is honest. Because he is who he is, I know that God is who He says He is; Our Loving Father in Heaven. My earthly father is a perfect example of my Heavenly Father.
I love my dad for his jokes, his long walking stride, his love for chocolate, his odd male-sports-loving behaviors; but mostly, I love my dad because he showed me how to love.
Happy Fathers Day Dad!
He loves a good joke - he loves to tell them and to hear them
He loves chocolate so much that he would probably put chocolate chips in his spaghetti if my mom would let him
He loves to study his scriptures and the words of the prophets - and any other writer who uses extremely long words to say that the Gospel is true
He LOVES his family more than life itself
I have some great childhood memories of my dad:
When I was very little, we would often walk a short distance to church. My dad loved to walk and he had a very long stride. I always tried to match my stride to his. And, even as a young child, I could feel a difference in his demeanor through the way that he walked. On the way to church, he would have a somewhat downward glance and have his hands in his pockets. On the way home from church, he often would be snapping his fingers, or whistling a hymn and he had a spring in his step. That made it all the more challenging, and fun, to try to match his stride.
My dad would take us to all the Saturday morning church service projects, or flag days, or whatever event was happening on a Saturday morning at the church. Those were great times!
He liked to take us other places as well. But the older he got, the harder it was for him to remember how to get places. When we lived in San Jose, Dad took us to the Oakland Temple several times, but we never got there...
A long time ago, I believed him to be a bit off-his-rocker when he would turn on the TV (when we had one), with its volume all the way down, and then turn on the radio with its volume up, so he could watch BYU football games. I've since learned that he enjoyed the radio commentary better than the TV commentary. Now, the memory of this behavior is quite endearing to me.
His Mother (he never called her anything but Mother) was so special to him. When she was succumbing to the effects of age and dementia, he told me that he was mourning the loss of his mother. This was a sad time for him, and yet he held his head high in faith.
My dad liked to go hiking, and camping, and all that outdoorsy kind of stuff. And, if we were willing to go with him, he enjoyed taking us along. One time he took several of us kids with his brother Gene, and several of Genes kids, on a campout in Northern California. We had a great time hiking all day. After dinner, I knew there were dishes to be done but I didn't want to be the one to do them. So I quickly laid out one blanket on the ground, put one blanket on top of me and closed my eyes. Right away my dad came over to check on me and i thought I was going to be in trouble. But he believed that I was asleep. "Boy howdy! She's asleep already!" he said in his accustomed astonishment at the behavior of children. I heard him and Gene start to do the dishes. I felt pretty sly in getting out of it. The ground was hard and pretty uncomfortable. But I couldn't get up and fix my bedding - I would have to do the dishes. Soon, my dad was next to me placing another blanket over me. He asked, "How cold is it going to be tonight, Gene?" I certainly felt warmer, but the ground was getting harder. He continued with the dishes. Again he was by my side putting another blanket over me and tucking them all around me so carefully. Whew! It was really warm! I needed a drink. But I couldn't get up. He went to help the rest of the kids get settled in their beds. Again, he was next to me putting another blanket on me. "Do you think this will be enough for her? Have you got any extra blankets Gene?" Soon, the work was done and everyone was asleep - except me. I laid with my eyes open wishing for a drink, and for some of the blankets that were on top of me to be under me. But that's not all I thought about. I contemplated the warmth and security I felt within. My dad's great care for me stirred something deep within my soul. To this day I call on this memory as I serve my own family.
There are many other things that make my dad special. He is pure. He is kind. He is generous. He is honest. Because he is who he is, I know that God is who He says He is; Our Loving Father in Heaven. My earthly father is a perfect example of my Heavenly Father.
I love my dad for his jokes, his long walking stride, his love for chocolate, his odd male-sports-loving behaviors; but mostly, I love my dad because he showed me how to love.
Happy Fathers Day Dad!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Going Private Wednesday June 11th
If you'd like an invite to continue reading this blog, send your email address to micalanne@hughes.net.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Calling All Foodies!
I'm wondering what all of you like to eat during the summer! What is your favorite summertime meal? Or is it just too hot to eat real food and you prefer the cool, slushy kind of drinks?
You tell me what you like, then I'll tell you what I like!
You tell me what you like, then I'll tell you what I like!
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