Sometimes it DOES pay to check your email!

Right now our dinnerware consists of 4 pieces of a fairly hokey (cool in 1994 or maybe not...I've never been 'cool' on the dinnerware scene) Corelleware. One odd correlleware. One 'self-decorated' Young Women's flame plate from a girl's camp when I had absolutely no connection to the Young Women program, and one non-microwaveable 'Christmas Poem' plate from neighbors 3 years ago when they dropped off holiday treats. (Just as an aside CORELLEWARE will break if dropped JUST right.)

Having people over for dinner (well to share dinner not to eat them) is FUN! Many ooh's and aah's over my nice set up abound. Never mind that they are never clean all at the same time...that would be too organized. Don't tell but I may have been single handedly keeping Dixie the paper plate company in business (never mind the dump.)

BUT

In today's what you must get for Christmas or you will die email from Amazon I found this:Corelle Dinnerware for up to 65% off. The style I chose was 33% off the already fairly good deal even next to Wal-mart prices. So woohoo! Any 5 of you that would like are welcome to come have dinner on matching plates in 7-10 free shipping days.

28 Years....

It's been 28 years. 28 years since as an 8 year old I lost my Mom. 28 years since the path of my life was defined--literally forever.

I sit reading through my Mom's journal tonight. She wasn't great at keeping one, but she tried. She has entries like:

"I held a canning demonstration on the 8th for the young adult girls. It was fun."

"Joan had a supper and made her pasties."

"Willard took us out to dinner at Juniper Inn."

"Kathryn had a school picture this year." (Giggle see a few posts back on that subject.)

"The winter has been long and cloudy. It still is cloudy. We are hoping for sunshine soon!"

"Mother is well. Grandma Thornley is still not well. Grandpa T. went to the concert though."


I LOVE reading my Mom's journal. I only hope my blog entries will be as entertaining to my posterity. Pretty much all the memories I have of a child before she died are recorded in her journal. All in short bursts with little detail. I had no idea of knowing she recorded those things, but it gives me comfort to know the things I remember as being important, she did too. As I read the journal I find out she is real. She is busy. Sometimes she is frustrated. Sometimes she is down. But mostly she is positive. Mostly she is appreciative of her blessings and her trials. Mostly she is amazing.

As a teenager, people would offer sympathy for not having a Mom around. At the time while I appreciated the thoughts, it didn't bother me so as I didn't know any different. As a Mom now, I cry for the things SHE missed out on. I can't imagine how hard it must of been for her to leave. If she were here I would love to tell her a few things.

She might be surprised to find out that the too shy, too quiet little 8 year old that sat still for more than an hour while she visited with her visiting teachers one afternoon because she was too embarrassed to ask to play has since gone on to get a Journalism degree, spoken out at city council meetings and even participated in a reality style Radio program contest.

I would love to tell her about my kids. How her granddaughter Emily Annette who share her name is now 13. How responsible and thoughtful she is. How talented and driven she is. How completely like her Grandmother she is. How her grandson Tim is a thinker, a reader, a planner, a dreamer. How her sweet granddaughter Sierra is quiet like me...but not shy in the least. How inventive she is. How charming she is. How her spunky granddaughter Savanna loves Winnie the Pooh. How I love reading it to her like my Mom read to me. How full of life and joy she is. How Ethan is adorable, funny, loving and thoughtful. How being a Mom is so important to me and how much I want to be like my own Mom.

Somehow I do think she knows these things. Her last entry in her journal goes like this.

"I'm glad I started this book in 1968. It has been a great help to me. I hope my grandchildren and children even are given some help and encouragement from this book! I want to express my testimony. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know God hears and answers prayers. I know that by paying your tithing you receive the blessings promised to you. I believe that in the resurrection we can be reunited as a family if we live for that blessing. I'm grateful for all the blessings I have received from my Father In Heaven. I believe Jesus is my Savior and I want to try to do the things necessary for eternal life. Again, I know God answers prayers. I give this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ Amen." April 12, 1981

She had 7 more months. She gave the greatest gift of all to her children and grandchildren. I only hope to be like her someday.

Good Safety Tip

As Ethan stood over the garbage can peeling a potato for dinner he casually remarked,

"You shouldn't peel your hair... it might hurt"

I'm classifying that as a

GOOD SAFETY TIP!

How I know I'm loved

After two long very disappointing days of 'Boutiquing' with Ram Kitchen I somewhat dreaded coming home to what I knew was a disaster.

BUT...

I know I am loved because Mike and the kids cleaned up and dinner was on the table.

It's the simple things that matter.

Last but not least...Tim's Turn

Wish Lists are now CLOSED

In the past, we have never created 'wish lists' for Christmas. As little kids, I pretty much knew what my kids would like and I also knew what I would NOT get them, so having lists was not necessary. As my kids get older, however, I feel the need for some assistance. (And before anyone thinks I'm nuts for thinking about Christmas in November, please remember I have a business that has its VERY busy time coming up starting in about 2 weeks. If I don't do it now...well, stress.) Anyway, since I wanted some ideas for my older kids I let the younger kids do lists too. [MISTAKE] I now hear--I 'WANT' this, I 'WANT' that! Mom, Get me that for Christmas! Yikes, what have I started. In the past my kids have not been too bad with the gimmees but I may have ruined them. So starting now the wish lists are CLOSED.

Here are a few of my favorite items that made the lists though:

A Cannon
Fake Flowers
Balloons
A Big Pickle Train
I don't know
Warm Socks


I'll give you 10 bucks if you can match up the items with the requester. (note not all children have list items represented here.)

Show and Tell--Sierra Style

Sierra in her baptism dress. So what if she is 8 years and 11 months old TODAY--we finally got the pictures done. :)

And I had to try the silhouettes again. :)