tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217708834653851032024-03-18T19:47:02.167-07:00One Designing WomanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1854125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-88248821369403613902018-05-21T23:08:00.000-07:002018-05-21T23:08:08.109-07:00Happy New Year 2016<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;">So I'm doing the One Word Challenge this year again instead of New Year's Resolutions for the fourth time. I really like it. It is uplifting and consciousness-raising to have one uplifting and hopeful thing to focus on every day of the new year. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;"> The first year I used the word "Believe" to motivate me. The second year my word was "Remember." Oh, that was a good one. For 2015 it was "Seek". I did a lot of seeking in 2015. I found some answers I didn't expect to find and am really determined to follow it through. I'll add the word to my blog side bar and the New Year's thoughts about it via a link to remind myself when I need extra motivation. It works. My word for 2016 is </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;"><b style="color: #990000;">"Determination"</b>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;">To be determined is to never give up. To keep trying in the face of discouragement, disappointment or disillusionment. It is to never, never, stop trying to achieve what you have set out to do. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;">To be determined is to never give up. To believe in yourself, your righteous desires and above all your God. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-24799472919683808982018-05-21T23:05:00.000-07:002018-05-21T23:05:21.075-07:00England ~Life With The Kids on Sabbatical<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-65557682683674706122018-05-17T10:35:00.002-07:002018-05-19T17:13:42.162-07:00Mothers And Daughters~<span style="font-size: large;">This is from 2009. I ran across it while I was looking for something to write for my own deceased mom's 99th birthday celebration today. This just made me tear up to think that my sweet Laura wrote this for me. As I told her, I'm not sure I am all these things but the fact that you see me this way was very tender to me then and still is nine years later. In this world where we are so easily misunderstood or our efforts go completely noticed, it was fun to see how she touched upon some of my target things I wanted to teach our kids. "Love is paying attention" is one of my favorite quotes. Laura is very good at paying attention. I love my girl! I need to write a list like this about here and all the kids. They are all so unique and special to my heart. There could be no better gift one can give that to notice and appreciate another person in a way like this.</span><br />
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<a href="http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-birthday.html" style="color: #cc0000; display: block; text-decoration-line: none;">My Birthday 2009 on July 2nd...</a></h3>
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I had such a fabulous birthday today. Everyone has been so sweet and kind and wonderful to me all day long. It has been such a contrast to last year when I felt sick and tired and worried to death about baby Hazel, as we spent a month in the hospital with our littlest sweetheart. Things are looking so much better this year which is just a testament that in the cycles of life we all have our ups and our downs.<br />
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Today was just superb for me. Thank you all for the lovely flowers, gifts and well-wishing. Thanks for all the phone calls and Facebook messages! Lee, thank you for the great lunch out on Wednesday! And thanks to Jim for an elegant and delicious dinner out at Scott's tonight. It was above and beyond!<br />
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Just when I thought it couldn't get any better I read this on our daughter, Laura's, blog tonight. I barely recognize this woman she is talking about but it was so sweet of her and I want to keep this on my blog as part of my journal.<br />
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I hope you don't think I am being self-aggrandizing by publishing this, I just want to keep it in a safe place and close to my heart. Sometimes when people see you in ways you do not see yourself, it helps you to live up to their expectations and stretch and grow. So for those of you who live near, if you see me acting outside of this beautiful box~slap me upside the head, will ya?<br />
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Anyway, she definitely sees her mother through rose-colored glasses but this is what she wrote....</div>
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<a href="http://cougarlou2.blogspot.com/2009/07/happy-birthday.html" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration-line: none;">"Happy Birthday!</a></div>
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<span style="color: #006600; font-weight: bold;">This is my Mom and today is her Birthday!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR9nWNYTsugyuA_a36dnBd_Q_V7TC5H5wOwweGx_HBtuJE26QrBhT5dn4t3awgMgzfAkmMLJfVbOqKAYMoHZBMUFV3FQLYHrt-Sq9y58X1CQCU4uUQAZ1zlq4Km32a6PFROPabc6DGxM/s1600-h/mom.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353859978001069682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR9nWNYTsugyuA_a36dnBd_Q_V7TC5H5wOwweGx_HBtuJE26QrBhT5dn4t3awgMgzfAkmMLJfVbOqKAYMoHZBMUFV3FQLYHrt-Sq9y58X1CQCU4uUQAZ1zlq4Km32a6PFROPabc6DGxM/s320/mom.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 195px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 220px;" /></a><span style="color: #006600; font-weight: bold;">There are a million things I love about my Mom. Here are just a few in honor of her 62nd Birthday!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">1. She is the most generous person I know. She would (and has on several occasions) given the shirt off her back to someone in need.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">2. She loves her family and has dedicated her life to each of us.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">3. She is witty and though I tend to be too serious most of the time- I do appreciate her humor!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">4. My Mom is incredibly creative.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">5. She has a eye for color and patterns and can decorate ANYTHING and make it look good.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">6. She is totally hip. She always knows what is "IN" and what is not.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">7. My Mom has the best jewelry collection I have ever seen.- rivaled only by HER mother's collection!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">8. She always looks like a million bucks- cute hair, flattering clothes, fun jewelry. She is a fashion icon.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">9. She is sensitive to others feelings.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">10. She is a movie lover and on a moment's notice can give me a list of at least ten movies I MUST see!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">11. My Mom is a professional shopper- really! She knows where to find all the good deals.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">12. My Mom can make a thrift store flower arrangement look like it came from Nieman Marcus.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">13. My Mom "gets" me. She can read me like a book- actually it is a little scary.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">14. Being with my Mom is like being with my best friend.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">15. My Mom does the laundry when she comes to visit!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">16. My Mom really loves me and that is amazing to me. She has seen me struggle through the toughest times in life and she likes me just the same. Her love is unconditional and is as close to the love of God as I have ever experienced.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.46px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">17. She is my biggest fan. Even when I am a total dork and do everything wrong- she thinks I am great. Every person needs a Mom like that.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">18. She is a great cheerleader and gives great pep talks on just about everything.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">19. My mom has taught me what it means to serve others. I watched care for her mom for 13 years and I will never forget all of the time and energy and love she gave her.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">20. My Mom knows what she likes. I love that!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">21. My Mom is an inspiring teacher.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">22. My Mom is a great cook.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">23. My Mom loves potted flowers in her yard but can't keep them alive. When they die- she replaces them with new flowers. I love that because I do the same thing.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">24. My Mom is a great reader. I can still remember her reading to us when we were little and thinking, "I hope I can read like that someday."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">25. She knows how to relax and enjoy life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">26. She knows how to make holidays and birthdays special.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">27. She is the best gift giver I know. Honestly, I don't think I have ever gotten a gift from her I didn't love!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">28. My Mom has a knack for entertaining. Her parties are always classy, organized, comfortable.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">29. Mom (and Dad) have the best backyard BBQ's in the world. Not only because they have an awesome backyard but because they "get" how to make people feel comfortable and welcomed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">30. She loves my babies and that means the world to me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">31. She loves to snuggle- I do too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">32. She is the best shopping and lunching partner. I can still remember our Nordstrom shopping days when I was a teenager- my how time flies!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">33. My Mom loves God and truly strives to do what is right.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">34. My Mom taught me to decorate- a skill that has brought so much joy to my life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">35. She gave me the piano her dad gave her. I love having piano music in my home- it has blessed my life in a thousand ways.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">36. She doesn't give up on people or dreams or goals.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">37. She is a great travel partner- together we have been to all kinds of wonderful places. My favorite trip with Mom... that is hard to say. I loved Europe and Italy but I think those summer ED week trips will always be my favorite.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">38. My Mom is a blogging maniac. She has ten blogs and keeps up with all of them. Hello, I can hardly keep up with one! Her blogs has been a great blessing to me as we live too far away and it has helped us all stay connected.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">39. She has a eye for beauty. She loves trees, flowers, mountains, the sea. I love those things too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">40. She has mastered the art of "enjoying the journey". I hope I can be like that someday.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">41. My mom loves music and theater and art and dancing. She taught me to love and appreciate those things too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">42. My Mom is a extraordinary speller. She can spell ANYTHING. Unfortunately for me- I didn't get that gene.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">43. My Mom loves my husband like her own child. Her ability to love and accept him has blessed our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">44. My Mom is patient. When things don't go her way... she waits with patience for things to get better.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">45. She has beautiful hands- always perfectly manicured just like her mom. I love that.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">46. She has always made my family feel welcome in her home even when we come too often and stay too long.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">47. She is a great writer. It is so fun to read her blogs because she really has a talent for expressing thoughts and feelings in words.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">48. She kept a journal all though our growing up years. I admire the time and effort she spent doing that and look forward to reading it in full someday.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">49. My Mom has a gift for languages. She can speak and understand other languages with ease. Her talent has come in handy a time or two.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">50. My Mom has visited me every place I have ever lived in (and that is a lot- eleven cities and counting) Her visits are always a delight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">51. She understands my son's food allergies and always makes an effort to make her house a safe place for him to be.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">52. She makes great Mexican food- fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, chili rellenos... yum!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">53. She makes the BEST potato salad EVER.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">54. She takes beautiful pictures- photography is definitely one of her talents.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">55. When my Mom joined the Church she did it with all her heart. She embraced it fully and has taught me to do the same.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">56. My Mom has the best blue hair brush on the planet. This may not seem like a virtue to some BUT it must be because I have tried to buy my own just like hers many times and it is just never the same. There is something special about Mom that makes her blue brush one of a kind! Hee- Hee</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">57. She makes 62 look good!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">58. She loves being a grandma and makes me want to be one too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">59. She remembers things about my kids that I have forgotten. The funny things that say and do.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">60. I love talking to my Mom on the phone.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">61. My Mom has given me or helped me pick out every cool thing in my house.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">62. My Mom is a wicked good basketball player. Seriously, she can out shoot the entire family!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">63. When I think of my Mom- I think of love and happiness comfort and safety. When I think of Mom I always feel good inside.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">64. She is Ross's actual birthday twin today- yeah for time zone changes!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;">Happy Birthday Mom. We love you and wish you all the happiness in the world!"</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-32293320398015796672016-04-15T22:59:00.000-07:002020-02-12T09:21:54.371-08:00I Have A New Blog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xTI1lRD8Inn-qGQ_fAVs_f8RhwCOJCme8H8P-MaJY4YD0hyphenhyphenrRU2DUr7f6OQaWV3d119FG15tDEhSocDIdo5K447emNTzskP5YEwRgfMcnOdy8GtcTJ5dkuMW_IbusCslbdCXgbKVTTA/s1600/IMG_2517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xTI1lRD8Inn-qGQ_fAVs_f8RhwCOJCme8H8P-MaJY4YD0hyphenhyphenrRU2DUr7f6OQaWV3d119FG15tDEhSocDIdo5K447emNTzskP5YEwRgfMcnOdy8GtcTJ5dkuMW_IbusCslbdCXgbKVTTA/s640/IMG_2517.jpg" width="324" /></a></div>
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In December 2007 I started blogging. I love it and in 2008 I wrote 475 posts. I really enjoy writing and find it very cathartic. I am one of those people that sorts my thoughts and life out in the written word. This blog has served its purpose well and I have grown and changed a lot over these past 9 years. This is post # 1900 on this blog and the last Simple Woman's Daybook was a real chore. <br />
Just keeping the font size and colors stable and the spacing in order was a small nightmare.<br />
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I am hoping that a new slate will run much more smoothly and that One Designing Woman was just too full and worn out to perform well. And more importantly I am hoping it was not the Designing Woman herself that was fading away!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>My New Blog is called Family History In Real Time! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://familyhistoryinrealtime.blogspot.com/">http://familyhistoryinrealtime.blogspot.com</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">It is under construction at this time but I have added a few posts from our recent trip to Utah to get it going. Hopefully this new space will entice me back to the keyboard more often than the old one has lately. If you are so inclined feedback and comments would probably be motivating. See you on the other site! Moving on as of today!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-48428094879945971872016-04-14T21:14:00.004-07:002017-06-25T08:45:34.839-07:00A Simple Woman's Daybook~April 14, 2016<div class="post-body" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That is what this Daybook is all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Focusing on the little things that become my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Just for today~Thursday, April 14, 2016</span></b><b style="color: #990000;"><span style="border-width: 1px;"></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-weight: bold;">Outside my window...</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;">It is early spring and it seems our long wet winter is ending finally. The drought we have been having for the past three years seems to have vanished. The severity of it has vanished like a bad dream. The green of new chartreuse leaves and the fullness of the trees is incredible eye candy here in California. Everywhere you look, new life is budded forth and blessed our days. We are happy....very happy. And we are thankful for prayers answered and more keenly aware of our dependency on our Creator.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am thankful for...</span>Cool breezes and the sunny, longer days. As I "mature" I find a greater dependence on light and a moderate climate. I have been mighty cold a few times this year in Utah and appreciate the warmer weather where we live.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the learning room...</b>God loves us deeply no matter what we are struggling with at this time. Our struggles are for our good even when we cannot recognize at the time what that really means and are often bewildered by them. Like a chick pecking its way out of an egg, we grow and are strengthened during times of trials. By the time you are our age you don't ask "why me"you pray instead "help me" carry this burden. This life is a test of our faith and allows us to choose our path. God is always with us, do we choose to be with Him is the question?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am reading... </span>a PDF File created by our cousin of old Italian baptismal records and entering them into Ancestral Quest. It is a labor of love. Looking into the lives of peasant farmers in a tiny village in Italy from the 1600 and 1700s records is a scared blessing and a real eye opener. Our ancestors knew struggle and they overcame it. We learn from them that we can do the same.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">Someone I am praying for this week...</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: start;">oh so many people but I'll mention two. My very very good friend, Carol and her husband John have had a serious trial these nine weeks. Carol and I took our annual trip to Salt Lake City for Rootstech. It is the largest genealogy and family history conference in the world. We had a great time. It was simply wonderful. On the day we were to come home she got a call saying John had had a heart attack. Since February 8th John has been hospitalized following one complication after another from this by-pass surgery. They have both been under tremendous stress and are exhausted. I love them so much they will always be close to my heart and in my prayers. What an example Carol has been through all of this. Driving sometimes four hours a day in heavy traffic to get back and forth to be with John and give </span><span style="text-align: start;">him the support he has needed. She is an angel among mortals and I love her with all of my heart.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Our beautiful granddaughter, Chloe Jane.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">This girl loves to cook with her Grampa! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Tea party delights for Piper's 17th birthday!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">From the kitchen...</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">things have changed drastically in our home in the last five months. In November I started a serious campaign to lose weight. So far I have lost 54 pounds since just before Thanksgiving. I am a new person. I feel amazingly good and marvel at the resiliency of our bodies. I am so much healthier, have so much energy and so much gratitude. Our kitchen is full of fresh foods and lean protein choices and no bad carbs. What a difference a few weeks can make. Getting off the sugar train is miraculous. Everyday counts. My thin and fit James has even lost weight. I like the kitchen again, my body likes our better choices. No more treats in my life like Chloe is holding above. Lovely to look at but.....not for me.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">An enjoyable movie/TV show we have watched lately...</b><b style="font-size: x-large;">Last Love.</b><b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">This is a movie from Netflix and stars Michael Caine. Very good. A story about love, family and friends that is nicely done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Plans for the rest of the week...</b></span> See one of my pleasures above. Keeping the peace. Reducing the traffic to and from our house.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-1309776373638435192015-12-26T22:32:00.005-08:002020-12-10T14:25:44.595-08:00Merry Christmas 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When it is all said and done, this is the true meaning of Christmas. All the rest is in honor of it and symbolizing the Gift of our Father in Heaven to us, His children. He gave us a Savior to help us live a better life in harmony with our fellow man by being our example of love and obedience. He paid the price for our sins, allowing us to change and grow. Without the burden of our sins, we are able to progress, if we will but repent. Through God's grace, we are made whole in Jesus Christ. And the Earth is a better place to be because we are more like Him. Man is that he might have joy. The atonement is the only way to experience that fully forever.<br />
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You can find my 2015 Christmas Blog here:<br />
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<a href="http://averymerrychristmastoyou.blogspot.com/">http://averymerrychristmastoyou.blogspot.com</a><br />
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There are three posts. You may choose any or all of the posts to read. You may select them from the sidebar on the right or just click on Older Posts at the end of the page of the first two.<br />
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Merry Christmas! May the Spirit of Christmas remain in your heart all year.<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/IgqmyimVlfU">https://youtu.be/IgqmyimVlfU</a> A beautiful video of Christmas MusicUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-60194352709466436132015-12-11T12:49:00.002-08:002015-12-11T14:13:58.994-08:00Yule Cheese Ball Reprise 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtOXHiI5Aw8qZbmm8kDpEJd1i9q6CI86LZemt4C4htATgCZ6gyf7WnWiGD_bABaq87U7Sj-lPG5wfqaiC_tmSqEqjy-I080Z6gWmEB4-Yy_m93k6AOzTvkfErwPzo3ZUhXX7wDannJc0/s1600/316138039_ab181f4b68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtOXHiI5Aw8qZbmm8kDpEJd1i9q6CI86LZemt4C4htATgCZ6gyf7WnWiGD_bABaq87U7Sj-lPG5wfqaiC_tmSqEqjy-I080Z6gWmEB4-Yy_m93k6AOzTvkfErwPzo3ZUhXX7wDannJc0/s640/316138039_ab181f4b68.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 18.46px;">This morning I have been making cheese balls, shopping, chatting on line and cleaning the two porches. I was thinking I should post this just in case you haven't seen it before and are looking for something great to take to a party like we are tomorrow night.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.46px;">Here's what I wrote in the original post about this delectable treat:</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;">So, there is just no good name for a cheese ball. Seriously, think about it. If you can think of one for this recipe~let me know. It is made with Blue Cheese and Blue Cheese Cheese Ball doesn't cut it, in the best of all worlds. Instead of 'name that tune' we can play 'name that cheese ball!' Wanna play?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;">I have concocted this recipe. Barbara and I have made it over the years for parties and small gifts. We both do make it a lot for various gatherings around the holidays. Even people that are not crazy about blue cheese love this. We were looking for a cheese ball that was colorful and Christmasy and delicious. You know how they are normally boring looking with no color and just rolled in nuts? Not this one, it just screams Christmas!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;">We think we have a winner here. Some people even invite us to their gatherings on the condition we bring this! It takes a little time (especially if you are photographing it) but is easy and I like that part. I am not into a bunch of labor intensive cooking. What I do love is cooking with my hubby, he is a natural in the kitchen. Lucky me! He says food talks to him...OK, so he is a little wacko! (Food has never talked to me except to discuss which part of my body it would like to attach itself to permanently!)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;">Tomorrow is our big family dinner for our relatives that live in our area, so Jim and I are cooking up a storm. Speaking of wacko, it's Official~ I am</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px; font-weight: bold;"> totally wacko</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;"> about blogging about food! I have discovered it is fun to cook, photograph and to stage the food. It is 10 times more fun that just cooking! Multi-tasking lives on!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18.46px;">Hmmm, people do not always sell their houses but...everybody eats. Maybe I can dabble in a new facet of design for me to supplement the mad money. Actually I am pretty much kidding because these photos need much improvement but we had a lot of fun cooking and shooting the process.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmPN1k34nLJBoYvI6uaGS1e-cFRGjIzFsIHIfR9rKrQ0ndhvRCpNG73WvG1aXkuRIvex1KKzNC6Yt7nsS1eSwYClqHIEw2NBsawgV61JnV88QvJjTzO3ebWFzW7XCLwrMEZTiuSEqFk1r/s1600-h/IMG_4687.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281974659794116018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmPN1k34nLJBoYvI6uaGS1e-cFRGjIzFsIHIfR9rKrQ0ndhvRCpNG73WvG1aXkuRIvex1KKzNC6Yt7nsS1eSwYClqHIEw2NBsawgV61JnV88QvJjTzO3ebWFzW7XCLwrMEZTiuSEqFk1r/s400/IMG_4687.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Chop up some green onions.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>If you are not an onion person</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Add some finely chopped parsley for color.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCle4GMngcw88KDg4O-2KtUFeRr2aBj7-b5dy7dZM49-4YCyVUyJZJY85KiVljO9ViC_vmx0vAazDkVyrQ1pdmipSstKfUui2JqQueLkDqaSbgECHh9OmtpceOsMQfQgRunoIUkmquIfX-/s1600-h/IMG_4692.JPG" style="background-color: white; color: #006e2e; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.46px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281981328521409058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCle4GMngcw88KDg4O-2KtUFeRr2aBj7-b5dy7dZM49-4YCyVUyJZJY85KiVljO9ViC_vmx0vAazDkVyrQ1pdmipSstKfUui2JqQueLkDqaSbgECHh9OmtpceOsMQfQgRunoIUkmquIfX-/s400/IMG_4692.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 399px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Chop up some Craisins or dried cranberries</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">if you prefer calling them that</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOIk-aIJxbeWUlksVQ5miO921xKyG8gimK9pIISsI93CIQnWkjEqzc1ZF2iB5AfMcVKRwYA2TpAojF8owEvKCkUc4fN9fUWHPhzqBNfjXs_TI5TO_V0Fx-bURKeGfgZ48EJoS3pHKErit/s1600-h/IMG_4677.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281974663018327778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOIk-aIJxbeWUlksVQ5miO921xKyG8gimK9pIISsI93CIQnWkjEqzc1ZF2iB5AfMcVKRwYA2TpAojF8owEvKCkUc4fN9fUWHPhzqBNfjXs_TI5TO_V0Fx-bURKeGfgZ48EJoS3pHKErit/s400/IMG_4677.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Chop up some Walnuts</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsSoUJmEjMW5QlPsVrM0vOJe5Tl7deqORWH_GN89evAQlzZllRp7uCOrABDdyy6_JtR58H4C-nehbtOmjGaO3wlYioTduvRMd3GMZXx7PzYjKQQB2VdalIdUFl3_KXgbNMS9O35zfBQrR/s1600-h/IMG_4694.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281971308553222834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsSoUJmEjMW5QlPsVrM0vOJe5Tl7deqORWH_GN89evAQlzZllRp7uCOrABDdyy6_JtR58H4C-nehbtOmjGaO3wlYioTduvRMd3GMZXx7PzYjKQQB2VdalIdUFl3_KXgbNMS9O35zfBQrR/s400/IMG_4694.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">This is enough for four cheese balls.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Four bricks of softened cream cheese,<br />a bunch</span> <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">of blue cheese,<br />(I am not into exact measurements, sorry!)<br />Craisins, green onions, nuts </span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">and some garlic salt~<br />because everything</span> <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">that isn't sweet need garlic!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I put it in a big mixing bowl and start mixing it together.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Every time I start with a big spoon but soon<br />find it works</span> <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">best to mix it all by hand and shape </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">into balls.</span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Thus the name...cheese balls. Brilliant!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvmf6SBuOSJufDEBlxjwrZ4ce_VQKXN_sEmymP9cZYT8NI8nI168s05H6D6MvBgDNDWUdOlSYRQeHgs6_XcUiyXsXQIQpMjy7D-AJojzp3makhjLde2fNbbXOmTaUMVQm1k1UFTer1PjX/s1600-h/IMG_4704.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281971294697420994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvmf6SBuOSJufDEBlxjwrZ4ce_VQKXN_sEmymP9cZYT8NI8nI168s05H6D6MvBgDNDWUdOlSYRQeHgs6_XcUiyXsXQIQpMjy7D-AJojzp3makhjLde2fNbbXOmTaUMVQm1k1UFTer1PjX/s400/IMG_4704.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 301px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Here are the 4 cheese balls</span> <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I varied </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">the sizes </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">for different purposes;<br />parties, gifts, or whatever</span>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKEw7k86VkMMlWx_O7_JCViijjz9cBXy3owSWeNvnf4BlWHhcunOxDX-UZWqxu3TxQxJERLIKHCCSgwbAU6E8U1Qq6pyMLeY2hQo48bXev2F693s0sdmoanVxoXKa_jc_6LxbdyPrQ5gI/s1600-h/IMG_4705.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281971292748371074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKEw7k86VkMMlWx_O7_JCViijjz9cBXy3owSWeNvnf4BlWHhcunOxDX-UZWqxu3TxQxJERLIKHCCSgwbAU6E8U1Qq6pyMLeY2hQo48bXev2F693s0sdmoanVxoXKa_jc_6LxbdyPrQ5gI/s400/IMG_4705.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I put my wedding rings on the cutting </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">board to remind you to remove them<br />as it is no fun getting the cheese </span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">out</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> of the rings if you forget </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPn5cNeVS4Bu7uZSA39cKaWtiyRIa1xtoOQM-eMyz9Jr80y0FMX-QK_k8AgJvV8qVd2oUmWDzteiAASENgcHK7e9ydmKBFP8feucvsJzA8-eZ5P0HPiuoiw0lDN0fVqfYn17gFfYKgK9E/s1600-h/IMG_4700.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281971297923353794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPn5cNeVS4Bu7uZSA39cKaWtiyRIa1xtoOQM-eMyz9Jr80y0FMX-QK_k8AgJvV8qVd2oUmWDzteiAASENgcHK7e9ydmKBFP8feucvsJzA8-eZ5P0HPiuoiw0lDN0fVqfYn17gFfYKgK9E/s400/IMG_4700.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 300px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Stab it with a cute Christmas Spreader</span>~<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Fini~</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6KwjtYAn_DZpuj8TYSojuo2JcywohdIdETYvPxp6UUajbPATHFX5HXk_GDD253hpMcix-C6n5E62FKEq4nZaVru9_TWXEXN3Z3iA_DTdfRiSQ-_trvb1lrEfEpPYbxA2USXNxfbTCW7H/s1600-h/IMG_4702.JPG" style="color: #006e2e; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281971281797039378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6KwjtYAn_DZpuj8TYSojuo2JcywohdIdETYvPxp6UUajbPATHFX5HXk_GDD253hpMcix-C6n5E62FKEq4nZaVru9_TWXEXN3Z3iA_DTdfRiSQ-_trvb1lrEfEpPYbxA2USXNxfbTCW7H/s400/IMG_4702.JPG" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 343px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Here I staged the food for you..</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I had to put all these crackers back in the box afterword!</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">A little Pomegranate Sparkling Cider is nice with it!</span><br />
<span style="color: #006600; font-size: 23.998px; font-weight: bold;">Try It, You'll Like It!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-82471220243864532182015-12-07T09:40:00.003-08:002018-05-21T23:06:40.125-07:00Preparing To Go To Wales!So for now I must I be focused upon the genealogy portion of the trip, and our impressions of Wales. We have had wonderful experiences as we came to explore some of what my ancestors might have done there, how they lived and with whom they might have associated with back in the early late 1700s and early to mid-1800s. I must get it all recorded before I forget any part of it. They was a dream come true and one I had daydreamed about for a long time.<br />
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<span class="s1">My mother’s ancestors are all Welsh on both her parents’ sides so I have much work to do in this land they call a Kingdom. Fortunately much of it can be done online but nothing replaces walking where your ancestors walked for inspiration. Nothing seems to get you closer to who they were than coming to their homeland.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">It didn’t take me long to realize I’d have to work on just one small portion of the family during this visit. Patience is a virtue that must be developed, as everything seems slower here. Miles that are identical in measurement take longer to drive than miles at home. The water comes from a cold and a hot pipe that are not combined with a U joint before coming out of the faucet which makes washing your hair in the kitchen sink tricky. The processes involved in every aspect of what you are trying to do take longer. As an example, when we rented our car near Loughborough it took over an hour and half to pick up the car from the car lot when all prior paper work had been completed a month earlier.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So it's a good thing to practice patience in the small thing like electrical plugs because patience in genealogy is not an option. Things are often difficult and take lots of time. If you do not have it you must develop it. So I totally rethought what I wanted to do here in the Uk. My grandiose notions of getting all my lines well underway needed to be adjusted into the realm of reality. Learning as much as we could about the land, experiencing the people, exploring their websites and finding some things on Thomas Rees and his family and Mary Davies and her family in the records would be a great accomplishments in three full days. So we did just that and ti was incredibly fantastic.</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span><span class="s1">Thomas Rees and Mary Davies were my great grandparents. Two years ago I knew that and nothing more. Not a single inkling about where they came from in Wales. I did know the parents names of Mary but nothing about Thomas' family at that point. </span><br />
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<span class="s1"> I am now well acquainted with the value of obituaries, and online language translators and relatives that keep old obituaries in Welsh even though they cannot read them. Along with that their willingness to send them to me. There is also undying appreciation for relatives that are willing to spend two days helping you translate them. The crème du la crème is when you discover that a Welsh born Family History Director in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales has a great deal of difficulty translating it and is highly impressed with the translation you have. It is then you know the undying appreciation for your mentor has gone eternal. Little did my cousin know that when she sent me the obituary it would finally culminate in the Valley they came from walking where they walked.</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span><span class="s1">On April 10, 2014 I wrote this on my genealogy blog:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the great blessings in my life happened during this past week. For many years I have known that my mother's grandfather was Thomas Rees of Wales. He was married to Mary Davies, my great-grandmother also from Wales. They came to America and they had five children. Their youngest and only boy was my grandfather, William Henry Reese. Some of the Rees family including Thomas' wife, Mary Davies Rees, are buried in the New Cambria, Missouri Cemetery. That was all I knew. I had never seen a picture of him and I knew nothing about where he was from in Wales or anything about his life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My grandparents had nine children so I have quite a few cousins on that side. When my mother's twin brother died a couple of years ago, I talked quite a bit to his daughter, Jenice. She didn't have much information on the family but she thought our cousin, Joan Reese Prange might know more. I had met Joan a few times while a child. I put it on my list to get in touch with Joan.<br />Time passed...you know how it goes with genealogy "to-do" lists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We finally connected and talked and shared information and it was delightful. She lives in Missouri and had had a lot of contact with our Aunt Lena who has now passed away, who lived nearby. Joan told me she had information and a picture of our great grandfather Thomas Rees. This past week I received a packet in the mail with this wonderful photo and his Welsh obituary and also one for Mary Davies, in English, thank heavens. There was also included some hand-written family group sheets with information on my grandfather's siblings that I had not had before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br />I was so excited about it all. The challenging part was.....The Welsh obituary. I decided to give Google Translate a try. I have used it many times before but not on anything this important and I wanted to make sure I got it right. So I started there and very painstakingly copied each letter very carefully into the translation box. One letter can and did change the whole meaning of the sentence. I did it more times than I want to admit. Jim was recovering from his hip surgery so he helped me too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course it doesn't translate directly when you have to consider the syntax, age of the document and idioms and cultural references that we don't understand. When a word doesn't quite make sense you can click on that word in the translated box. Once the word is highlighted it will bring down a box for alternate choices. They even offer you the chance to add your own word! You study it out in your mind and pick the best option. It is intense and pretty fun really. Like solving a little mystery sometimes and at other times very clear. I quite enjoyed doing it. Jim helped me quite a bit and it calmed down some of his post surgical restlessness as well. Of course you can also go to specific language translators, find idioms and their definition but not always the one you are looking for unfortunately. It took me a day and a half to get it as close as I could. I felt Google Translate gave me a good basic understanding of the content.<br /><br />The next thing I did was run it by our cousin Stephen (on Jim's side) to get his opinion. He said we did a good job, but he did some refining and searching like only a seasoned genealogist who is familiar with several languages and is a research attorney can do. With his help the combined second translation was born. I feel this is extremely accurate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397150792076_5127">REES.<span style="font-size: 17.6000003814697px;">--</span>In September in New Cambria, Mo., at age 45, the humble Christian Thomas Rees, farmer, leaving a widow and five children as mourners after him. Although he was relatively young he experienced long and protracted afflictions, from shortness of breath -- one of the worst afflictions to prevent man from being useful to society, family, religion, and generally; but he did his part in the one as in the other notwithstanding his frailty. He was a member of the Calvinist Methodist church there, and was a faithful member throughout his life. He had the ability to socialize, and therefore his presence always </span>truly<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397150792076_5119"> acceptable. He was born in a small farmhouse called Crin-cae, near Rhandirmwyn, Wales. His parents were David and Betsi Rees, who were loyal to him and his brothers, rearing them with religious education as members of Salem Calvinist Methodist Church, where they were catechized and counseled in detail by the Elders of the pulpit and of the deacons' pew. Two of his brothers rose to be preachers, Isaac Rees, priest at Penygraig, Rhondda Valley, and Rees Rees, with [the Calvinistic Methodists], in the Island, Ystradgynlais, Wales. He also has two brothers in this country, James D. Rees,</span>Wilkes-Barre, and Dan Rees, Plymouth, Pa. He had been in the area of Wilkes-Barre for ten years before moving to New Cambria; to a multitude of friends he was a morning friend there. We wish his widow and orphans every success necessary to be comfortable in temporal and spiritual things while on earth. - Yes! Morning Friend.</b></span><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Bonus to the Learning...</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">cousins are wonderful and...</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have discovered where my great-grandfather was another born, his parents' names the names of his four brothers, who stayed in Wales and who emigrated out of Wales. That my great grandfather lived in Pennsylvania for ten years before migrating with his family to New Cambria, Missouri. I also suspected from the information on his health that he may have had an inherited lung disease that has been found in two of my first cousins three generations later. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is essential to know the place they were from to get anywhere with the family history over the ocean. Too many of same surnames and given names for it to work otherwise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">At that point we did not know that our children would be going to England on Sabbatical leave from Brigham Young University for a year. They had several choices and we are so glad they chose the UK. It was time to begin to plan our trip to go and visit them and also to go to Wales.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: normal; text-align: start;"> Preparing for this trip for about six months taught me a great deal. One of them is the miracle of Google Maps and how they have helped me to realize I need to get very proficient in using them so I can take virtual walks to the places we missed here after we get home. It has been so valuable to have the maps of all the little places and jurisdictions for finding records. I have dabbled in Google Maps before, but now I want to own it! Stephen has helped me so much with them and their value is extremely apparent when you take it on the road.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We wanted to travel to the various villages and towns of the people we already know on our family tree. We did make it to some but not all. What we did discover was heartwarming and amazing and the serendipity along the way was startling.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I don’t know why it should be startling but still it is! We have had countless experiences of things that seem coincidental but aren’t. The Lord’s hand in it, is the only explanation. That and faith does, indeed, proceed the miracle.</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span>It is just like that in Family History work. When you engage with all your heart, mind and strength the Lord provides what you need when you need it. Not necessarily on your timetable but on his. There is a quote by the late Melvin J Ballard, a former apostle in the church, who said in essence: When you do all you can, if there is a record on the earth you will find it. Most of us may not have the tenacity to do it all but I have witnessed it and I know this is true. Sometimes it takes decades and in some cases several decades to find it, if it exists at all. But the apostolic promise remains; if it does exist you will eventually find it with prayer, patience and much diligence and hard work. This is true in most things. Never give up! Tenacity is a virtue along with patience.<br />
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Part 3 Entering Wales Coming Next!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">https://rhandirmwyn.wordpress.com/201<a href="https://rhandirmwyn.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/video-of-the-upper-tywi-valley/?fb_source=pubv1">3/10/03/video-of-the-upper-tywi-valley/?fb_source=pubv1</a></span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-26646883735370064602015-12-07T09:33:00.006-08:002018-05-21T22:41:12.378-07:00Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire Wales-A Video<br />
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This is a video of the place where my Welsh ancestors lived. So beautiful and peaceful and I'm so grateful to have found it. Created by Harry Paul of Rhandirmwyn, carmarthenshire, Wales in 2013.<br />
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<a href="https://rhandirmwyn.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/video-of-the-upper-tywi-valley/?fb_source=pubv1">https://rhandirmwyn.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/video-of-the-upper-tywi-valley/?fb_source=pubv1</a><br />
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No wonder I like places like this so much! It's in the genes!<br />
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I have to day that it was even more beautiful than this. Our trip there three yeaars ago was so magnificent!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-89037751960351994982015-10-25T22:55:00.000-07:002018-05-19T17:12:09.538-07:00A Simple Woman's Daybook~October 25, 2015<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.1818px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">the everyday moments and my thoughts about them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">That is what this Daybook is all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Focusing on the little things that become my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">One entry at a time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;">Just for today~Saturday, October 25, 2015</b><b style="color: #990000;"><span style="border-width: 1px;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9NlSrQjkR899aNOxx9nk2PMRfbWBLSLVV0aMYDWP7RrBTTOf8QsaoYRmnGyYAbB6y5GaDj_UsAlCqclfDYgE5E13hHE0UkihfSCQyB1ZttCMe0vgtN0vWWE8YU4n3yH-SW3BQHNmmlO0/s1600/th_wireheartdiv.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;">Outside my window...</b>It is dark, so dark I cannot see my hand in front of my face out there. It is nearly 8:00 and it feels like about 11:00 pm. Sundays are strange as we have church from 11:00 to 2:00. We eat dinner after church and then the night drags on and on. Going to bed at 9:00 can't work. Then I wake up at 1:00 and I'm wake all night, thinking about what I have to do the next day. Then I am too tired to do it because of lack of sleep. Haha... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">These are the bemoanings of a woman who is getting older. In my younger years seasons and time changes didn't affect me at all, nor daylight or darkness. But now the body is in sync and keenly aware of all of that. All the changes seem to be harder adjustments. For you young ones out there, it is like jet lag and you haven't even gone anywhere!</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;">I am thankful for...my life. </b>I view everything as a gift from our Father in Heaven and am grateful for it. All the blessings and all the challenges that bring understanding and learning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">In Church today we talked about how a grateful heart can marvel all day long at the gifts from God. That heart sees God's hand in it all. While an ungrateful heart spends most of its time complaining about the state of things and often feels entitled to something better. That heart focuses on what it doesn't have instead of what it does have. Then when there is a blessing the heart thinks it deserves it and earned it, etc. Or even worse it thinks it was just a lucky break or a coincidence rather than a gift from God. Gratitude and unhappiness are not compatible. An unhappy heart is not a grateful heart. A grateful heart is not unhappy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">From the learning room...</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">I am learning about relationships, I am learning about family history, I am learning history itself and technology and long- suffering with some chronic pain. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">I am learning about life stages...I am learning about love. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">When we say we love someone..it is what we do for them. It is not about what they do for us. When we get our expectations out of whack that gets a little too selfish. I think to love someone for who they are trumps to love them for what we can get out of it. Of course we all want that love to be mutual. But sometimes it just isn't. Expectation adjustments help! Love is what we give.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am reading...</span>The Orphan Trains, in my spare time. Which means I have read about two pages and it is waiting for me by my chair, just in case I find some of that spare time.</span></div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;">On Pinterest This Week....</b>I pinned a lot of pins. I find it relaxing there when I have worked really hard or am bothered by something it brings me back to the things I love. Beauty of the earth, order, family, worthy and wholesome activities and daydreams. <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/onedesigner/"><b>https://www.pinterest.com/onedesigner/</b></a></span><br />
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<b style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">From the kitchen...</b><span style="font-size: medium;">I made a huge pot of soup yesterday and scorched</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> it. I have to do it over soon which means going shopping again for all the ingredients. Ugh, I wish cooking and I could become friends but it's not looking likely. I have never burned something like that before it was awful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...</span>my thoughts are still lingering over the wonderful conference talks we heard in the beginning of October. The leaders of the church have been like dear friends over the years. We enjoy our reunion with them every six months and hearing their wise counsel. I love that we can revisit the talks from General Conference anytime we want to on lds.org.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">Someone I am praying for this week...</span><span style="font-size: medium;">Our dear friend, Mike, who is very ill right now and his family, our family and our friends always. We pray for all of you that have specific needs that we are aware of and the world in general.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">I am hearing.</b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">some instrumental Christmas music. I know...don't judge. You know that two months from today Christmas 2015 will be over at the stoke of midnight. I know how fast two months goes. I don't want to miss any of it. I love Christmas and I want to be better organized than ever this year. So I am starting to organize a lot of it in my mind already.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of my pleasures...</span>I really like teaching. It is so hard for me and I work so hard at it. It feels so good when all the preparation is done and you have given your presentation. If someone has benefited from it in some small way that is enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">It makes me feel like I have a purpose and a service to do and that I am needed. I think all women need that after the kids are long gone. It is wonderful to feel part of something as vital as family history. I feel that my careers have been varied and interesting. Corporate, Medical, Design, and now this wonderful discipline of genealogy has me spellbound. I have every intention of doing it as long as I live. When the passion for something runs deep it brings so much satisfaction into your life. And writing...that is my cherry on top. I couldn't ask for more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Pet Peeves...</span>that we have to listen to election politics for another 16 months, but whose counting? I am. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Past Remembrance...</span>our youngest granddaughter...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>When Hazie was just three. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b> She is one adorable little girl. </b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Now she is eight!</b></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">She is a little bundle of pure love!</b></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-size: 18.46px;">If I could change one thing it would be..</b><span style="font-size: 18.46px;">That cancer would just go away. Forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;">An enjoyable movie/TV show we have watched lately...</b>We watched</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">The White Countess last night. It was very good. A movie from 2005.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">I am curious about...</span><span style="font-size: medium;">what El Nino will do for us and to us this winter. Jim has been working on our drainage all week coming down from the hill. I am so grateful to have such a hardworking, talented and good husband. He works tirelessly around here to keep things up. I am blessed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;">Plans for the rest of the week...</b>Starting my fall cleaning to prepare for the holidays, meeting with friends, working on Tuesday and teaching the staff, hopefully seeing Carol who has been under the weather this past week. Wednesday more cooking...soup reprise. Thursday or Friday hopefully a day trip to San Francisco. Maybe a movie in a real theater. All the usuals of running a house and some computer work on the Family Tree. Touching base with as many people as I can.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="color: #990000;"><br /></b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">One of my favorite things...</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">our family. I miss our kids so much. The grandkids are growing up so fast. Laura and Robert went on an overnighter and left the boys home alone. What? Oh yeah, they are teenagers now. Spencer nearly 17. So it was OK they did very well on their own. They are such good boys. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">Our cousins, I miss them all. We miss all our family all the time. We are planning some time together this next summer and it will take that long to get everyone's schedule to jive. I look forward to that so much. So yeah, family surely my most favorite thing of all. Those far and near and those friends adopted through love.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Some things that made me so happy this past week...</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;">just reflecting on all the happy things that happened in Washington a few weeks ago that you can read about in the post below this one if so inclined An all day seminar that we had been planning at the library for months finally happened last week and it turned out very well. Hearing that our friend Judy did not have a heart attack. Texting with my friend every night, letters from some family members, it was just a great week. I had dinner with five friends. That was really fun too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The most surprising thing this past week...</span>was not a happy one. It was learning that our friend has an aggressive form of brain cancer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Gorgeousness</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Happy Halloween if you're into that!</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">BE HAPPY AND CARRY ON!</span></b><br />
<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Take Care Of You For Me!</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-18023441970708963942015-10-08T08:02:00.000-07:002018-05-21T23:09:36.677-07:00Seven Septembers -Our Cousin Reunion Finally!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It had been seven Septembers since I had seen my five cousins at their Mother's and my Aunt Grace's Memorial Service. Jim was working but I was able to go up with my brother, Steve. It was a rare opportunity to have extended quality time with my brother. Jim hadn't been back to Washington since June of 1969 when we attended my Grandmother's funeral just a year after we were married almost to the day. <br />
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We were invited to go up for a family reunion on the 24th of September this year. We were so happy to be included in this gathering. I was so afraid something would happen like last year, that would prevent our going, so we were so thrilled to pull out of the driveway before sunrise on the 23rd and head up there to Washington.<br />
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We decided to drive up the coast of northern California on Hwy 1 and then cut over to eastern Washington via Grants Pass, Oregon where we spent the night. What an amazingly wonderful day. September 23 was the first day of Autumn and such a breathtaking journey. Not because of the autumn colors just yet, but because we drove through the Big Redwood Tress, saw the ocean often and passed thorough towns like Mendocino below. A ten hour journey, off the beaten path through this glorious scenery, can change a person into someone better. We loved every minute of it. We have come to embrace our road trips. They create some of the best "alone times" we ever seem to manage to have anymore.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>There is something so stunning about </b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #b45f06;">and reverent towards our Creator!</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Pacific Ocean</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Simply Beautiful On a Sunny Day</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Mendocino</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">Google Image</span></b></div>
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This September was to be a very special one for me and of course for Jim too. Not only would I be able to see my beloved cousins again but we would be meeting our "new" cousin, William and his wife Rita, also for the first time. <br />
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William was adopted at birth. Through nothing short of a major miracle, he found his siblings in December of 2013 due to a series of very fortunate events. Those included his great desire to press on for 35 years to find his birth mother after he learned he was adopted. His friend, Nancy, who does genealogy took an interest in his story. She also persuaded him to do DNA testing. That produced a trail to his father. I had written a blog piece on my sweet Aunt Grace when she died and posted it on this blog in 2008. It contained pictures of all the kids and her obituary. It also contained pictures of her both in her youth and when she was older<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.46px; line-height: 25.844px;">.</span></span><br />
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You can read about it here:</div>
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<a href="http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2008/09/she-belongs-to-ages.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2008/09/she-belongs-to-ages.html</b></span></a> </div>
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Nancy found the blog post via searching the Internet. As a result of that Google find and the steps that preceded it, William discovered not only his father but his mother and five full siblings! I'll never forget the joy of that Christmas in 2013. When we all found out we rejoiced. Every one of my cousins welcomed Bill with open arms and unconditional love from the onset! What a precious gift! It was overwhelming and wonderful to all of us. It was a spiritual time, an emotional time and has been an ongoing celebration. It is the miracle and story that never grows old.<br />
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You can read about it here:</div>
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<b><a href="http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2014/06/by-grace-of-god.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2014/06/by-grace-of-god.html</span></a></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xqMT38O3Z97DR-3g0Fc2WVi6d5div_DDPVIw2B2Z4IsgCfwSkBt0Wd8CCPwJ44LoCJlcXCXP99-bn2BmnWbYWAKvH4WSb9sUjWKhINg2U0ftGc9wzI5f6KV0m0tIUaSS_-E61Kn0xJc/s1600/IMG_1066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xqMT38O3Z97DR-3g0Fc2WVi6d5div_DDPVIw2B2Z4IsgCfwSkBt0Wd8CCPwJ44LoCJlcXCXP99-bn2BmnWbYWAKvH4WSb9sUjWKhINg2U0ftGc9wzI5f6KV0m0tIUaSS_-E61Kn0xJc/s640/IMG_1066.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Oregon was so pretty. The forest is so thick it looks</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> like the mountains are carpeted with pine trees.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>It reminded us of the Sierras</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> near Reno when we were kids!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13194vDkXEnhXUzO7HqmcDYXkVx73F9YPb5uLb-oE6pqgO7GltmWipFW31uXVe5RnxcM3qrQ-Fzub8wAxJi2Ckojo0Ke5jsmyaw7KSxgws_4u2jOL_p1YMZjImzj3D_faXtXbzTRbFMg/s1600/IMG_1099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13194vDkXEnhXUzO7HqmcDYXkVx73F9YPb5uLb-oE6pqgO7GltmWipFW31uXVe5RnxcM3qrQ-Fzub8wAxJi2Ckojo0Ke5jsmyaw7KSxgws_4u2jOL_p1YMZjImzj3D_faXtXbzTRbFMg/s640/IMG_1099.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>This is my idea of car camping...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Find a great secluded place...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Grab lunch from your cooler...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Recline your leather seats and take a little nap...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Hit the road again.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>That is as rustic as I get. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Poor Jim!</b></span></div>
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We arrived in eastern Washington and got settled into our hotel Thursday evening. We were going to meet the cousins at 1:00 for lunch at Chuck and Jane's house on Friday to kick off the reunion. I was so excited and nervous! How weird is that? Not being excited but being nervous! The minute I saw all of them my fears vanished in a heart beat. I just wanted everything to be perfect and as it turned out it was. More than 'over the moon' perfect actually. <br />
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Before we went over for lunch, we took a ride to the cemetery to visit the graves of my aunt and uncle and our grandmother. I felt we would probably go as a group but didn't want to miss going if our cousins had other plans. It was exactly as I had remembered it. Green, pristine and very quiet. There was no one there to ask so it took me a little while to remember exactly where the headstones were but we did find them.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Our Grandmother </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Alice Grace Godfrey Colberg Yeasley</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yY4Da7QHYlIJhk53RjEBubdWquj8I_LekBs5ubejCpcMeX_PAd7a-IGu3JljOm17SCO6B87G4N0Hi1Jyja7U2oBYB5jtZXWmBeyL1Z-r_9AO6G1oHELGoDrqLESgqURuvUDeUhIPUdg/s1600/IMG_1198+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yY4Da7QHYlIJhk53RjEBubdWquj8I_LekBs5ubejCpcMeX_PAd7a-IGu3JljOm17SCO6B87G4N0Hi1Jyja7U2oBYB5jtZXWmBeyL1Z-r_9AO6G1oHELGoDrqLESgqURuvUDeUhIPUdg/s400/IMG_1198+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Mt. Hope Cemetery</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>College Place, Washington</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi_8aZ44p6BvrQCpxKQlSY1qorFPgT_h6zdFcRBXCf5Oa4IGCu6mZ6YqYb0IfrJ3Dwh6wfTeM0xjvqQvvIIUJXw7F9_jFDHfGH9xFOwoV-_NljeoygJdmueSr_irVNJf7Kb4ohDYzVkU/s1600/IMG_1191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi_8aZ44p6BvrQCpxKQlSY1qorFPgT_h6zdFcRBXCf5Oa4IGCu6mZ6YqYb0IfrJ3Dwh6wfTeM0xjvqQvvIIUJXw7F9_jFDHfGH9xFOwoV-_NljeoygJdmueSr_irVNJf7Kb4ohDYzVkU/s640/IMG_1191.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We lingered awhile and then...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>It was time to go meet the </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>cousins for lunch.</b></span></div>
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Chuck and Jane hosted three of the meals we shared together as a family. They live in town and have such a pretty home. They just recently remodeled and got all new furnishings and it is stunning. In my interior design days I have worked in hundreds of beautiful homes and this one was perfectly done. It's so pleasing to the eye and so welcoming. It is elegant and comfortable. Chuck credited his artistic wife, Jane, with all the talent. </div>
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Ray and Judy also hosted all of us. They live a few miles away on a farm. What an ideal place to be. Beautiful, comfortable, secluded and tranquil! These four cousins cannot be topped as gracious hosts. Everything was well-planned and every meal a treat. The activities and the relaxing times were just outstanding and perfect. It was truly one of the best trips we have ever taken! </div>
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We spent part of each day at both houses. It was just the right mix of everything. Fun activities, lots of time to just talk and catch us, the best company and delectable food and treats. We went to the cemetery as a family and on Sunday night we watched the blood moon rising from various vantage points with spectacular views. We shared pictures and family stories and family videos. It was simply the best. One day some went to see the artwork of David's son Brandon. He does some super artwork and was selling it at the festival. He stopped by to see everyone one evening with his two kids, Zander and Avery. He's our other family genealogist in the family up there. It was nice to talk with him. The men did a few guys things, some played golf, some stayed at the house and relaxed and Jim went to a museum about the history of the area. Meanwhile the ladies made autumn wreathes to remember this reunion by.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtfLWc2jx-H3gnJaOVsfTujCZhnbfT-FukCuWKMHRQ23nYgWxv7kAE_lId5FtkXyqDylrilJ8Wi1l8-yFtH9yhvXDsZu6xCuzAaJtdx84B114GDkKhkEG98k7ex-qahJrlGer3txwf_8/s1600/12080382_878353472219909_6640560426571028888_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtfLWc2jx-H3gnJaOVsfTujCZhnbfT-FukCuWKMHRQ23nYgWxv7kAE_lId5FtkXyqDylrilJ8Wi1l8-yFtH9yhvXDsZu6xCuzAaJtdx84B114GDkKhkEG98k7ex-qahJrlGer3txwf_8/s640/12080382_878353472219909_6640560426571028888_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Early morning sunrise golf for Chuck, </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Jake, And David's son, </b></span></span><b style="color: #b45f06;">Brandon, </b></div>
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<b style="color: #b45f06;">who joined them for the game.</b></div>
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I've never really been able to experience farm life for a few days as an adult and it was transforming. When was the last time you got to just sit and gaze off the front porch into a beautiful valley dotted with farms and facing the mountain range in the distance? The porch spans the front of the house and is lined with chairs for that very purpose. Or when did you just sit for a few hours and chat with your cousins while watching sheep play follow the leader, in a pen somewhat far away but within sight of the porch? Or tasted an apple still alive having just been plucked from a tree? Or walked through a harvested corn field? It was heavenly to spend time out there both day and night.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXub26UYVpSTYXtu3NwNwzA19qQjJOcmFUp_uLZ3yJCrMyulcgp_-0_1ESNrF5L53M-oD0u85m-T1fawySNENLIduO-ATPLEstA73ekoPc-h4nwSluybGQiMu8DD9ByO5FHh6YK4RyeMI/s1600/10514453_878352162220040_5724757391550099105_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXub26UYVpSTYXtu3NwNwzA19qQjJOcmFUp_uLZ3yJCrMyulcgp_-0_1ESNrF5L53M-oD0u85m-T1fawySNENLIduO-ATPLEstA73ekoPc-h4nwSluybGQiMu8DD9ByO5FHh6YK4RyeMI/s640/10514453_878352162220040_5724757391550099105_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>A View From The Porch</b></span></div>
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Ray built a really neat gazebo with an open top for sitting out by the fire pit and viewing the starry starry nights. Out there in the country where they have few lights to dim the starlight it is spectacular to gaze at that night sky. The gazebo frame is large and has full size wooden bench swings all around hanging from it. Ray is a teacher and has a lot of the same interests as Jim. And they are both always on the go! This family meshes so well, we are so blessed. They all made us both feel so welcome.</div>
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Here are several photos that will be self-explanatory for the most part.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bE6dbOR12brjEiKaEtPfgv_0WFp8c8lhwTico_WcAne6aVYRegwkOWjPsmE0iSty1Ab6SkVILXTELdux09uwjjC3zDE3FWALV-1W92lTXSRH1WnN_sMFYUXWvUAvaQr-Y6zNDkTrvu4/s1600/IMG_1207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bE6dbOR12brjEiKaEtPfgv_0WFp8c8lhwTico_WcAne6aVYRegwkOWjPsmE0iSty1Ab6SkVILXTELdux09uwjjC3zDE3FWALV-1W92lTXSRH1WnN_sMFYUXWvUAvaQr-Y6zNDkTrvu4/s640/IMG_1207.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">This is my new cousin William.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The joy of giving him that first big hug</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> cannot be expressed.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">And this one was pretty great too</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">in the cemetery near his parents' gravesite.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Jane in their lovely dining room area. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> The windows are so phenomenal.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>They bring the lovely garden right into the room. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We just love Jane! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>She is classy and so much fun!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIeDFTo616D-hf0F942XtCJtUuoyvBiVXnwqFCTWUKjxIs1b9Jszkf2x8KeFeUehxp3_ps0DHlPAK9pgaW46OM_jL9JBd98U56UzXUAJ2rPZx8o-Bihadoohg3axq7m7cbbFvh6g2vzo/s1600/IMG_1230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIeDFTo616D-hf0F942XtCJtUuoyvBiVXnwqFCTWUKjxIs1b9Jszkf2x8KeFeUehxp3_ps0DHlPAK9pgaW46OM_jL9JBd98U56UzXUAJ2rPZx8o-Bihadoohg3axq7m7cbbFvh6g2vzo/s640/IMG_1230.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>My cousin David and his wife Pennie</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> at the beautiful buffet table.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>She is a budding genealogist!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Pennie is so precious to me. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We are working on her genealogy together </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>on the phone! She is a fast learner!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6aRyYIH9Bv2XOT06xQzNk486CkwQLXYpfaoNCyki7uofzHoiLMhdsFAG_VuNxq_oVT1HDcWfILAmq1y7gUvlVM6F6vUDKrHos-Q-xiG9gbKARuevjbUvzzk5VtcrcOb1TfT6bWi3nj4/s1600/IMG_1206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6aRyYIH9Bv2XOT06xQzNk486CkwQLXYpfaoNCyki7uofzHoiLMhdsFAG_VuNxq_oVT1HDcWfILAmq1y7gUvlVM6F6vUDKrHos-Q-xiG9gbKARuevjbUvzzk5VtcrcOb1TfT6bWi3nj4/s640/IMG_1206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Bill's wife, Rita, my cousin Judy and</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> Shaun, my cousin Jake's wife.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>I can't tell you how much I love this group</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>of beautiful cousins!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSVGqnxnnDjAO1QpaaY0qPGQWPpYW55QvV50Iho3IRJRwC7qDxbow9AYC5Rk8ACA26kgfsvkau3wttU9omCX5ByL8DJFWzPgfJZEhMOCbwiuUj5OVGr6S9QN9h4jQAkplSbAhkVEtDM0/s1600/IMG_1263+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSVGqnxnnDjAO1QpaaY0qPGQWPpYW55QvV50Iho3IRJRwC7qDxbow9AYC5Rk8ACA26kgfsvkau3wttU9omCX5ByL8DJFWzPgfJZEhMOCbwiuUj5OVGr6S9QN9h4jQAkplSbAhkVEtDM0/s640/IMG_1263+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Beautiful Jane with my dear cousin Chuck!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Chuck and I were born 11 months apart</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>and I'm sure we hung out as babies </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>since we lived in the same town.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>They seem so together, happy and content. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> They are just so relaxed and easy to be with...we miss them. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We love them both to pieces!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Our grandparents only had 3 granddaughters!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Judy on the left and Jan on the right.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>I love these two amazing women</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> with all my heart and soul.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>I'd choose them as my sisters any day!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Memories run deep with them.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>All of these </b></span><b style="color: #b45f06;">cousins are a big part of </b><br />
<b style="color: #b45f06;">my Aunt Grace and our Grandma to me.</b></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>I did not know their Dad very well and our </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Grandfather died before any of us were born.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofkLYBK4NUIpku87UjnB1Ng3Yui7FJ0qwC1yTHYAFnZe4vTwKExq380SQt50vjveBIZGhBpg1x9TFnD6Zhjf1raXtEcNS56-iGfNYEVfCu5SfHQ4G8mgAq6NY039YfdO-K4Q2G4nESI/s1600/IMG_1214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofkLYBK4NUIpku87UjnB1Ng3Yui7FJ0qwC1yTHYAFnZe4vTwKExq380SQt50vjveBIZGhBpg1x9TFnD6Zhjf1raXtEcNS56-iGfNYEVfCu5SfHQ4G8mgAq6NY039YfdO-K4Q2G4nESI/s400/IMG_1214.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">William, Me, Chuck, Janny, Judy, David and Jake</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">All the cousins on my Dad's side. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> I wish my brothers and their wives </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">could have been with us. I'll include a photo of them</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">since many of our cousins have not seen them for </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">a long time.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZQpxXw_0I-bjRuMCHcFhoEdrsySapRnTONIgUFPgNU-JIbuFbh4bNeWt34OcWa_8TZdAiDMWoI-eF1yatGGkKeMFBpLtnHeRcV0MW6AOX7KWqwoCCQqT3ZghOivwW51TLuUjKcgujjQ/s1600/NanBampSeb%2526Sam+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZQpxXw_0I-bjRuMCHcFhoEdrsySapRnTONIgUFPgNU-JIbuFbh4bNeWt34OcWa_8TZdAiDMWoI-eF1yatGGkKeMFBpLtnHeRcV0MW6AOX7KWqwoCCQqT3ZghOivwW51TLuUjKcgujjQ/s640/NanBampSeb%2526Sam+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Steve and Emily </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">With 2 of their grandkids</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Sebastian and Samantha</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Marilyn and Gary</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XB5cu9sLlHlrl-VWk_lRPAJ5jqf1uai1Na8VOrYPWsectCGP_docZnKYFTKWabCAxlrQDYmw0VBJXCJkZAe3VLYUmm06Nueb5IfeY_c7y0PuF-1TH0Dz5flpzSi1migKx689qIdEVZs/s1600/IMG_4678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XB5cu9sLlHlrl-VWk_lRPAJ5jqf1uai1Na8VOrYPWsectCGP_docZnKYFTKWabCAxlrQDYmw0VBJXCJkZAe3VLYUmm06Nueb5IfeY_c7y0PuF-1TH0Dz5flpzSi1migKx689qIdEVZs/s400/IMG_4678.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>David, Pennie, Jim, Bonnie, Jan, </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Chuck, Jane, Ray, Judy, </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Rita, William and Jake. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Jake's wife Shaun took this picture. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Jake and Shaun</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Our newlyweds of 6 years</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Cinderella and Her Prince!</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">One of the things we did as we gathered around the grave was we sang "You Are My Sunshine" because</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Aunt Grace used to sing it to the kids. It made me wondered if her Mom sang it to her ever? Also it made me think about my Dad and that he use to always sing to us as well. His two songs were, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "The Yellow Rose of Texas!" That must have been for his cute little niece, Shaun, who later married Jake. She is the sweetest Southern Belle! Full of charm~I could listen to her talk forever. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Uncle Ross would have loved her. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVDfnyPE7A5dZQgLIr42AsF6yllGKdjmCy607Y8owNT8NW035ddQyX62b8Zn1naoqNPjd3ciFl-mxmZTqGMpLQExsU7fo8bPT24NrS8aQPu9kngGa_lS-1s5lXaC-Zp8jkoOMG5EJsLk/s1600/IMG_1237+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVDfnyPE7A5dZQgLIr42AsF6yllGKdjmCy607Y8owNT8NW035ddQyX62b8Zn1naoqNPjd3ciFl-mxmZTqGMpLQExsU7fo8bPT24NrS8aQPu9kngGa_lS-1s5lXaC-Zp8jkoOMG5EJsLk/s640/IMG_1237+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Judy and her husband Ray</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We like their life style on the farm very much!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>These two are an amazing couple.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>They are happy and good together!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>They are very new empty nesters!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Judy is so much like Grace!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>When I am with her I am with her mother.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>My heart is just full I could talk about these cousins non-stop!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Oh Wait...I am! sigh...</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">This is Pennie and David with Kirby </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">their little Chihuahua on one of the hanging swings.</span></b><br />
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At last count my siblings and their wives had six of these little critters between them. Wait! Is there a gene for Chihuahua lovers? These two are so much fun. I can still hear David's hearty laugh when we shared a funny video with them from our reunion with our kids, made a few years ago.<br />
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Aunt Grace always loved to swim and had a pool at her houses in Sacramento and Redding. She and I would hang out in the pool and talk for hours on end. That is why I feel I know these cousins so well in spite of not seeing them very often growing up. I don't think she ever mentioned David without calling him, "My David." He is such a sweet man. We love him dearly. He and Pennie had a serious accident a few years ago. We are so blessed to have them with us still! Thank heavens!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jake holding up his pink ice cream cone </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">to a painting done by my Aunt Grace!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The painting is my favorite of her pieces. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> It hangs in Judy's and Ray's beautiful new </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Farm Style Kitchen.</span></b></div>
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Jake is the youngest of my boy cousins and I remember him as the cutest little blond boy when we were growing up. He always had a twinkle in his eye and he still does. Such a good man and a very fun guy. He married the perfect woman for him. They radiate their love for each other. It's heartwarming. They live in a castle by the sea...just too far away from all of us!</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>The Colbergs are traditionally ice cream lovers </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>from way back as I understand it! </b></span> </div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Here's another shot of Judy's kitchen and</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> some of the cabinetry and island. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Rita is helping with the sandwich bar we </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">had one evening at the farm. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Just like me, Rita has two brothers!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">We talked about that and how she got </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> 5 new sisters too when William found them. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">What a Blessing Bill and Rita are! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">It truly feels like they have always been with us.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">I couldn't be happier with all the spouses </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">of my cousins and they loved Jim too!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Judy is an amazing baker </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">and made this bread that morning, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">farm fresh eggs for the egg salad, etc.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">It was the perfect dinner after the </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">scrumptious Mexican dish and all the</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> trimming that Jane had prepared for lunch.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rita's birthday was </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">during the visit and </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jane made a fantastic Thanksgiving Dinner for lunch. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jane's Beautiful Table!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Rita's Pumpkin Pie </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">with the candle in it.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Who wouldn't want to do this for </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">their birthday?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Two Thanksgiving this year!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">And we're twice as thankful so it works!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Perfect!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Guess what Judy made for us around dinner time</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> that night? She let Rita Choose!</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Happy Birthday Rita!</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Best Carmel Apples E. V. E. R!</span></b></div>
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God bless you, Judy, for your talent, skills, and your love of nurturing from your special kitchen. The Carmel Apples, popcorn, cheese and ice cream was Perfect. Delicious and Fun and we all did appreciate this so much. Good choice, Rita!</div>
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One morning we had ice cream on our oatmeal casserole that Jane made. This family knows know how to throw a spectacular party. I think Auntie Grace and My Dad would have would have loved this! </div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Speaking of love...Shaun Hugging Judy!</span></b></div>
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There was a lot of love and hugs going on this entire time. Especially in this beautiful country kitchen that night. Their mother Grace was a master of showing affection and love! No one ever had to wonder if they were loved when she was around. Her kids are all just like her. The way she loved you was contagious. And she was never afraid to say, "I love you!" I for one, loved that about her.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Gathering under the Gazebo frame and the fire pit. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>That was especially fun! </b></span><b style="color: #b45f06;">We enjoyed the stories</b><br />
<b style="color: #b45f06;"> of the cousins' youth </b><b style="color: #b45f06;">and things that William </b><br />
<b style="color: #b45f06;">is catching up on about their childhood.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Ma Kettle and Her Beau!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Yikes I am actually posting this?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Scroll down quickly!</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Surprise Craft Project Judy organized</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">I wish I even knew who made each of these!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">At our table Jan and Pennie and I had our eyes glued </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">to our projects </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">so we would not tar and feather </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ourselves </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">with the glue glue and wreath embellishments!</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBmAz2S8_LZsBWfnfyImx-mG_U2aBa9F4a-JHpXTYBpkDzFO_aq-e3R6zvD8QS2UuReGpky3zQqnlT_mhXSPnAO7M2kc6vhnzQZ37b803buNu3e8YVSygJKCXFTnWNFpyiQ2Y4pEGZX8/s1600/IMG_1260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBmAz2S8_LZsBWfnfyImx-mG_U2aBa9F4a-JHpXTYBpkDzFO_aq-e3R6zvD8QS2UuReGpky3zQqnlT_mhXSPnAO7M2kc6vhnzQZ37b803buNu3e8YVSygJKCXFTnWNFpyiQ2Y4pEGZX8/s400/IMG_1260.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>The wrath I made will remind me of this amazing time. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>I'm still re-gluing some of the stuff!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> Judy supplied everything and it was a </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>lot of fun doing it together. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Judy is a natural!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We worked hard let me tell ya! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Right, Janny Girl? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzBHkyeeXdBCf67IrPb6e3F7OLhenfRqbY0Ra5OgbPB40NZHNAYakTweEUzyQmlPrAbdoHoh11QjErDpYWcaEHljiYOm-jerX1jOV_MG0mqg1mXoPbjTn0NGIvIPJAHCU-5LPoTW8Ob4/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzBHkyeeXdBCf67IrPb6e3F7OLhenfRqbY0Ra5OgbPB40NZHNAYakTweEUzyQmlPrAbdoHoh11QjErDpYWcaEHljiYOm-jerX1jOV_MG0mqg1mXoPbjTn0NGIvIPJAHCU-5LPoTW8Ob4/s640/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Jake and Jim</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>The guys up in the mountain</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> across the valley </b></span><b style="color: #b45f06;">from the house </b><br />
<b style="color: #b45f06;">waiting for the Blood Moon.</b><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>It did my heart good to see Jim among </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>these wonderful men.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>We have a close family no in-laws. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Just cousins one and all.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E0kgBK0KnusTiMKus1ERqQ_9U_xE-veBpOEn8x4nfklelCi3UvdRF553gEAHzJcGwGow-Kv2bbvGpIMNm1cNagaBXCTg7OURnoHKAI1jHUbe8gDIdzfDMcDZeZaZ37t0znu2QjAxmUU/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E0kgBK0KnusTiMKus1ERqQ_9U_xE-veBpOEn8x4nfklelCi3UvdRF553gEAHzJcGwGow-Kv2bbvGpIMNm1cNagaBXCTg7OURnoHKAI1jHUbe8gDIdzfDMcDZeZaZ37t0znu2QjAxmUU/s640/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>I adore this photo and these guys...</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>it is one my favorites!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjph0EbvPSCigJau81oMm2QWyYLKCXFUVH3jZerk-bmGbYnC-yzq835RYlWIji_RRA9hiCTd518GgtegrAhmQ0wWg8YQbPyr0EYK0dxLqb1rWhR9p5iHdI1Rvt9Eojw54hW7mGyKxC9-Bw/s1600/IMG_4923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjph0EbvPSCigJau81oMm2QWyYLKCXFUVH3jZerk-bmGbYnC-yzq835RYlWIji_RRA9hiCTd518GgtegrAhmQ0wWg8YQbPyr0EYK0dxLqb1rWhR9p5iHdI1Rvt9Eojw54hW7mGyKxC9-Bw/s640/IMG_4923.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The sun setting on our family time together! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">We will miss all of you and hope we can make this a tradition!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Thanks Jake for the golfing photo, the front yard and valley</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> and this amazing sunset.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsivt5iWKrs8NI0xDXkboh60zCsyoksXFowgqkn48haWSYByi2MAILCrS965DLTaH9fVj_GsppblYfKwTJQyNqEC1Ei-8yUHfTtkPyV98_zAT9ZH9qagRH4kvbFCQ9ys1qBiz6vorR4QI/s1600/Screenshot+2015-10-02+15.07.10+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsivt5iWKrs8NI0xDXkboh60zCsyoksXFowgqkn48haWSYByi2MAILCrS965DLTaH9fVj_GsppblYfKwTJQyNqEC1Ei-8yUHfTtkPyV98_zAT9ZH9qagRH4kvbFCQ9ys1qBiz6vorR4QI/s640/Screenshot+2015-10-02+15.07.10+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">The next morning we headed home...</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">We were sad to leave but </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">so thankful for</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> the time we had </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">to celebrate </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Our Miracle! </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">To honor our ancestors by remembering </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">all they have blessed us with all of our lives.</span></b><br />
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The above is a photo of Jan's. We removed it from its frame on her bedroom wall and I took this photo with my iPhone. Our Grandma is the 5th from the left in the top row. Jan is like me she, she treasures the family memories and memorabilia as we all do. She knew stories about our Grandmother that she shared that were so precious to me. That is what led to her letting me copy this photo.<br />
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So I wanted to share the photo here. It is another treasured reminder of this beautiful time. Thank you everyone for the outstanding and poignant memories! We love each and every one of you with all our hearts! Let's do this again soon!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSkRPX_KivKOSoqFWrItaRpy2CYVAerx_VWKKaywxDXxMCg5zm5p6AbXhR8PnBEqptI-hwc_GqkNbLcSWnI7SsEWw5XUYJZXXnDxAOyTOF_SdfHAMqXXoT5cqBIuhCCo-vbMKSxP-B40/s1600/IMG_4683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSkRPX_KivKOSoqFWrItaRpy2CYVAerx_VWKKaywxDXxMCg5zm5p6AbXhR8PnBEqptI-hwc_GqkNbLcSWnI7SsEWw5XUYJZXXnDxAOyTOF_SdfHAMqXXoT5cqBIuhCCo-vbMKSxP-B40/s640/IMG_4683.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b>The best part of it all! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b>Their family is together again...this time forever!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0iWHQW8Rnj-T3FkBkFnjGjbWgnmweolSiWm-E0msV1ROFOlyq1RaPdVS8PjgFAXAsYM-IxJ5QlSQXhJlEw8ryba1zYIGOLoiuOTEbbNjwpv4AyhoC5KrQdUifdNrsF_tbBMSZpkVMio/s1600/IMG_1267+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0iWHQW8Rnj-T3FkBkFnjGjbWgnmweolSiWm-E0msV1ROFOlyq1RaPdVS8PjgFAXAsYM-IxJ5QlSQXhJlEw8ryba1zYIGOLoiuOTEbbNjwpv4AyhoC5KrQdUifdNrsF_tbBMSZpkVMio/s640/IMG_1267+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>What was left of the Blood Moon </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>in the early morning heading south to our home!</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lots of beautiful scenery all the way home.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJf2unfOLOPt5nHuJgSmFlWWMZrTPEr09LTHlDhJsKRRLGMYpUv6B2ZwN6mzIQpeO4WiGiTfajZtWmtetNVGxoXk-xFb0ly2LwTyQkUxtuKa5mhYcKzMz2DVbjaQmdBSh8o_3BZCm3Qbs/s1600/IMG_1271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJf2unfOLOPt5nHuJgSmFlWWMZrTPEr09LTHlDhJsKRRLGMYpUv6B2ZwN6mzIQpeO4WiGiTfajZtWmtetNVGxoXk-xFb0ly2LwTyQkUxtuKa5mhYcKzMz2DVbjaQmdBSh8o_3BZCm3Qbs/s640/IMG_1271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Mt Hood in the distance!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxJ90j_rT7eX8q-bq-2Os9WKr4Pg7vAFykyX_6EDvMIoFjFwYSzfkEOlkYs_-k0Tcc7EMdWUYyscIepA3LJZAHuRboI7fT9eZS6tm6giXSfm6GhVk_y3HBmIh9y5l6fmpunvcp6Q2zPU/s1600/IMG_1272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxJ90j_rT7eX8q-bq-2Os9WKr4Pg7vAFykyX_6EDvMIoFjFwYSzfkEOlkYs_-k0Tcc7EMdWUYyscIepA3LJZAHuRboI7fT9eZS6tm6giXSfm6GhVk_y3HBmIh9y5l6fmpunvcp6Q2zPU/s640/IMG_1272.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Our first big show of colors this Autumn!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Nice to see a big body of water in Oregon!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Just a few miles from home and this was simply stunning. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> A perfect ending to a beautiful time!</b></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-63207801022009958402015-09-05T19:15:00.000-07:002015-10-25T19:39:42.264-07:00A Simple Woman's Daybook~September 5, 2015<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.1818px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s1600/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" style="color: #006e2e; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s640/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">the everyday moments and my thoughts about them. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That is what this Daybook is all about.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Focusing on the little things that become my life.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">One entry at a time.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Just for today~Saturday, September 5, 2015</b><b style="color: #990000;"><span style="border-width: 1px;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9NlSrQjkR899aNOxx9nk2PMRfbWBLSLVV0aMYDWP7RrBTTOf8QsaoYRmnGyYAbB6y5GaDj_UsAlCqclfDYgE5E13hHE0UkihfSCQyB1ZttCMe0vgtN0vWWE8YU4n3yH-SW3BQHNmmlO0/s1600/th_wireheartdiv.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Outside my window...</span>It is 6:15 pm and I am sitting down to write a Daybook for the first time in over 5 months. It has been far too long and I feel I really cannot let the sun set today without at least beginning again. I am playing catch up for sure on this one. I am disappointed in myself for slacking off this much for the first time in literally years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">It is beautiful out right now. Just perfect in temperature and the bright sun has headed further west casting a nice shade over our home and yard. The week ahead is to be hot again so we are enjoying every minute of this cooler weather right now. Jim is out working in his wood shop and I have been working all day on all kinds of things. The coolness brings added energy. We do not have air conditioning so we have to start very early on the hot days to get things done. Today was more leisurely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #990000;">Here a few highlights to catch up...</b><span style="background-color: white;">2015.</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #990000;"> Easter Time </b><span style="background-color: white;">found us in Utah for a few weeks with Jen and her family. We had an excellent time with all of them. Nobody makes an Easter Basket Like Jen. The woman is an artist. Lucky Girls! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">In <b><span style="color: #990000;">May and June</span></b> we were in Rhode Island, and Loughborough, England visiting our kids and grandkids. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">How lucky to see all ten of the grandkids in such a short span of time. We also went to visit our friends, the Rayners, in Chester, England and toured around Wales visiting our ancestors' old stomping grounds. We did lots of sightseeing and it was all spectacular. I have been working on posts of all of that but they are not done yet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">At the end of June we had a big backyard party for Jim's co-workers at the temple. In <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">July </span>Jennifer and our 4 grandgirls came for 11 days and we had a lot of adventures. Lowell came as his work would permit for three days. At the end of that we had a family reunion in our backyard so everyone could see them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"> A week after they left I flew to Utah to attended The BYU Genealogy Conference for four days and then Jim came up with his mom for Owen's baptism on August 1st. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">In <span style="color: #990000;"><b>August</b></span> we had something major every weekend. I taught a class called The Traveling Genealogist. It was fun and relaxed and on how to travel and work on your family history at the same time. The week before last we had three weddings and one pre-wedding dinner for 40 here at our house. During that same week we had a family funeral for one of Jim's cousin a few times removed who was 93. He was a great man. Because it was out of town we were gone 8 hours! So come to think of it I am not surprised I haven't done a daybook in forever and a day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">I am thankful for...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">e</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">verything good in my life and for the challenges and God's help in getting us through them. It is great to know he is always there for us no matter what the problem or what the solution. We are never alone if we choose to live in his presence. If there is anything I have learned over and over again in my life it is that faith is the opposite of fear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the learning room...</b>I am learning that new beginnings are always possible. I can begin again as many times as I need to orchestrate my life in a better way. I learned about a psychology term called "flow" yesterday. It is fascinating and one we can all relate to on many levels. Google the term flow~psychology. I learned about it in Weight Watchers but it has application in all aspect of our lives. Yes, I am back at that again after two months away. I will be a member all of my life. Going back was a good decision. Only up 1.8 pounds in all the traveling indulgences. May I say, God is Good!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am reading...</span>the words of wise people in several areas. Spiritual, health, genealogy, family things, household things, relationship things. I really enjoy learning, it keeps me more in tune with God, myself, others and the world around us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">On Pinterest This Week....</b>I have enjoyed my daily journey of pinning the beautiful things in this life that I enjoy and that mean something to me. Here is my favorite pin from the last few days: Autumn...Bring It!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the kitchen...</b>We have been enjoying the organic garden tomatoes this month. Sorry to see them almost done for this year. We eat light in the summer with all the melons, and fruits and vegetables. I love a summer dinner plate...so colorful and delicious. All stocked up for a healthy week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...</span>I have been thinking about the truly loving nature of our Heavenly Father and The Savior. I have tried to be more aware of the blessing and miracles all around us and it is totally amazing. Faith in God opens doors to every possible way to be happy and feel secure in this fallen world. His love is a protection for us and a sturdy foundation to build our lives upon. Sharing these common beliefs with the most important people in our lives is important to us. It draws us much closer to our beautiful family and friends.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Someone I am praying for this week...</span>Our family, some friends that are struggling with health and family issues, little babies with injuries and health issues. Older people that are bothered by the chronic issues of aging and young kids returning to school. Prayer is a constant thing for those we love. We have also been praying regarding the drought in California and other places, the rampant fires, the people whose lives are affected.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I am hearing.</b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">..</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The silence of a beautiful Sunday morning. I hear Jim buzzing around getting ready for church. I need to do the same shortly. I am looking forward to it today. Such a stabilizing force for good and association with great people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of my pleasures...</span>having my desk organized and straightened up. A constant chore but worth the effort. I am always working on it. I need to go through my file cabinets and get some clutter out of them that I no longer need.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: bold;">Pet Peeves...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">One thing that is my delight and my nemesis is the constant changing of technology regarding, computers, software, hardware, etc. I love it and I hate it. I am still trying to get my new computer and laptop organized and set up after a few months. There is always so much to learn and know...sometimes it makes me tired.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Past Remembrance...</span>when Jim and I first learned about home computers and how we spent a long time being very curious about what one would do with one? We came to the conclusion we didn't think we would need one. We already had a place to store all our recipes and other importnat things. Haha!</span><br />
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">If I could change one thing it would be...</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">my knees! And whatever else others need to function better and do their life in less pain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...</b>Poldark. A must see. A Masterpiece TV series. Exceptional. Aidan Turner is magnificent in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am curious about...</span>When we can get back to Europe to explore all the other Welsh lines we have and maybe get to Sweden. We have enjoyed our travels so much. It is a lot of work but so rewarding and fun. Hopefully we can get back soonish, because now that Jim can drive there so well..I don't want him to forget how! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Plans for the rest of the week...</b>haven't decided for sure on Labor Day yet, either Temple, and a BBQ with the ward or Stay home and relax! Tuesday work, Wednesday, etc. not much on the calendar so that means get caught up on things and maybe do some more writing. There is never a lack of things to do, that is for sure. We are heading to Washington State for a family reunion with my cousins on my Dad's side later this month. Just four days but it will be great! Also my friend, Carol, is having her birthday this week so that will entail some fun I'm sure. And I have some genealogy classes to prepare in the coming weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">One of my favorite things...</b>autumn which is almost here. There are things to look forward to and plan. Thinking about the holidays and wondering how they are coming around again so quickly? Thinking about getting out the fall decorations. But with another heat wave coming maybe it won't be this week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">One thing that made me so happy this past week...</b>We had a fun dinner with my brother Steve and his wife Emily. That was so nice to just sit and chat with them, Also our grandson, Connor, got his first job at Pizza Pie Cafe. He rocks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The most surprising thing this past week...</span>Our water heater died on Monday. Jim and Dave installed a new one on Monday night. (God bless those two.) By Tuesday it was competed and we had hot water again. I off-handedly mention, "I think the dishwasher will be next." The next morning Jim turned on the dishwasher and it was leaking all over the place. Hmm..at least after removing the whole thing Jim saw the problem and it was only a $30.00 fix not a new dishwasher this time. Whew! God bless him doubly!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Here is a Photo I'm Sharing...</span>these are some pine trees at Soda Springs that we saw coming home from Utah on August 2nd. They looked so pretty after 8 hours in the Nevada dessert. However, as we came down out of the Sierras it got dryer and dryer and many trees are not doing well in our beautiful State. We need rain so desperately. Please pray for our trees and the things that make California so beautiful. And that there will not be any more fires in the west to threaten lives or property. Thanks Friends!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take Care Of You For Me!</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-22565215990029295972015-08-24T12:41:00.001-07:002018-05-21T23:01:51.644-07:00UK Musing From Wingham, England<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">25 May 2015</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Gobery Hill Cottage </span></b></div>
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<span class="s1">I’m sitting in this beautiful home we have rented in Wingham, England. I’ve been pondering the experiences we have had in Wales within the last week. This home is called Gobery Hill Cottage and is just the perfect place for writing. The vantage point of this photo is facing the cottage back door of the cottage which has an outstanding view from the dining table. Today the family went to Dover Castle for a special re-enactment of WWII and I had the entire day to write. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">The dining room has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the gorgeous lush green garden with grass and trees. The sky is like a video presentation of various cloud formations moving quickly across the sky.They vary in color, size and shape. This scenic sky is insuring that the experienced person will be layering today and taking a brollie along. There are some park benches in the garden for just being. There are lovely potted flowers on the patio and planted in beds around the perimeter of the yard. Added perks include little bunnies hopping through the yard now and then. The environment for writing is important for me. Solitude and quiet are essential. Beauty is helpful as well. I am in love with this day!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">This reminds me of the day I was able to write all day in Yosemite looking out through the huge windows from a secluded place within the big lobby of the Ahwahnee Hotel. That was four days after Jim and I retired in 2010. That was more than five years ago now but seems like yesterday. The scenery was captivating. There is something calming about elements of nature that open my spirit, heart and mind to thoughts that only surface with less confusion when I write.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We have been here a couple of days with our kids Chris and Melissa and their four kids. The house was rented so we could all have a little vacation together as well. It is hard to believe they have already been living in the UK in Loughborough England for nearly a year. A Sabbatical at the University Design School in Loughborough brings them here. As I begin my musings about this trip they have only about six weeks before they will return home to Utah. We have already spend some time in Loughborough at their amazing home and find it absolutely charming. Oh there is so much to tell!</span><br />
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<span class="s1">I will write about all our time there later as we are still going to be there for a few weeks once we leave Kent and go north to their home. </span><br />
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<span class="s1"> The Uk is very different in many ways that the USA and yet very familiar too. There are a lot of adjustments going on as we make our way from place to place. It's all about adapting, something that seems to get harder as you get older. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">It is all about “no hurry” over here. It is good for my legs but not my nerves because the American contingency I’m with is still on the fast track. The same held true for getting new sim cards for our old phones. We needed a hotspot and they were out. We couldn’t find one until getting to Chester*, England and then when we got it, it didn’t work well. It’s nothing akin to a hotspot in the US that is just incorporated into your internet provider fees…the hotspot here is an added device you carry with you. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">*Chester will have it's own post as well. I feel such an urgency to get the genealogical parts of the trip down first. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">Here is a little about our cottage here in Wingham before I dive completely into the trek to Wales. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Chris and Missy's Room</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>The grandkid slept in this upstairs room.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>The Living Room</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Our Melissa~Our Magician in the Kitchen! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>She is unbelievably good at the culinary arts.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>The Kitchen was so nice and well-stocked.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Our Cozy Room</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">The Game Room</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">The Loo</span></b></div>
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They have these incredibly modern bathrooms in some places but not one of them throughout the Kingdom has a socket in the bathroom for blow-drying your hair. What the heck? That does not seem to have changed in 20 years. It wouldn’t be bad if they placed their mirrors close to the plugs they do have but that doesn’t necessarily happen. I could go on but you get the picture. Even getting ready for the day is a chore until you acclimate. Different is not bad, it is just different and it takes some adjustments to your regular mindless routines.<br />
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We take our conveniences at home for granted and we are far too dependent upon them and our many creature comforts. Don't get me wrong this home was spectacular and spacious with all the amenities but still no place for plugging in your hair dryer that was convenient. It's not a priority in England apparently.<br />
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First hand experiences are so enlightening and reveal things about one’s self one might not really want to know. Just sayin’. Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue…<br />
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All that aside we had a lovely, lovely time in Wingham, England. There were some great family times and fun adventures in Kent. We went to Warwick Castle and Canterbury Cathedral. The ward we visited was so friendly and kind. We made new friends with shared values in a matter of minutes. That is one think I truly love about The Church. There are so many good people and hunting for common ground is unnecessary. I cannot help thinking what a wonderful experience this is for Chris and Missy and their kids. They have been so thoughtful in how they have spent their time here. They ave been to western Europe and all around the UK during this year. These kids are so privileged, they have grown closer than ever and this has been all good for them. They have missed their friends and things at home but like all all of us...when they get home they will long for these memories once again.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-57476624693380707702015-04-04T18:34:00.004-07:002015-04-07T22:19:55.689-07:00Easter Thoughts 2015<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Our Easter celebration and commemoration is upon us. The glorious event pictured above is the culmination of this week. The joy of the open tomb of our resurrected Lord and Redeemer. The events leading up to it were not so pleasant.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I have written a lot of Easter posts in the past few years and have given talks about Easter on Easter in church more than once or twice. But for a couple of years I had been trying to remember where I had seen the Easter passages that really touched my heart several years ago. It was in one of our church books somewhere. I am excited that I have found it again and I love this so much. This is a talk given by Jeffery R. Holland when he was the President of Brigham Young University in 1985. I found a portion of it in his book entitled On Earth As It Is On Heaven. It was published in 1989 By Deseret Books.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The book included a portion of the talk in this anthology. The Chapter heading is I Stand All Amazed. Hmm, being the researcher in training these days I thought maybe...just maybe there is a talk online by Elder Holland with the same title. Bingo. I found it on Google is a nano second.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">So I have given you a portion of his words where he is quoting a former Apostle, Elder Melvin J Ballard later on in the text.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Elder Holland...</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">“There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/21.33-39?lang=eng#32" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/21.33-39?lang=eng#32" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Matt. 21:33–39</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>That is the moment at which we find ourselves on the summit of Golgotha. It is not a pleasant story. Through patience that seems inordinately generous, the Father and the Son have waited and watched and worked in this vineyard for mercy to run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. But they have not run. Not only have the prophets and faithful few been killed, but now so is to be the son of the Lord of the vineyard. A terrible, incalculable price is to be paid, and it wounds the human heart to tell it.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>In the midst of the swearing and the spit, the thorns and the threats, the ridicule and the rending of his garments; added to the crushing weight of his own body straining for support on the very nails that have been driven into his hands and into his feet; with friends in retreat and foes as far as the eye could see, the worst possible scene in this divine drama unfolds.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Perhaps the briefest glimpse is given of the terrible emotions and forces at work here when we read lines intentionally preserved for us in the original Aramaic: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/27.46?lang=eng#45" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/27.46?lang=eng#45" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Matt. 27:46</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>There is one thing and one thing alone this Only Begotten Son has been sure of: the love and companionship and unwavering support of his father. Consider these lines taken almost at random from the Gospel of John. They are suggestive of a theme that runs throughout that book.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: … The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/5.19-20?lang=eng#18" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/5.19-20?lang=eng#18" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 5:19–20</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/6.38?lang=eng#37" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/6.38?lang=eng#37" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 6:38</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/7.28-29?lang=eng#27" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/7.28-29?lang=eng#27" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 7:28–29</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“The Father that sent me beareth witness of me. … If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/8.18-19?lang=eng#17" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/8.18-19?lang=eng#17" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 8:18–19</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“I and my Father are one.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/10.30?lang=eng#29" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/10.30?lang=eng#29" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 10:30</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/12.49?lang=eng#48" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/12.49?lang=eng#48" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 12:49</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/16.32?lang=eng#31" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/16.32?lang=eng#31" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 16:32</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>And then this assertion, perhaps the most painful of all: “I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. … He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/8.16,29?lang=eng#15" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/8.16,29?lang=eng#15" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John 8:16, 29</a>.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>That one constant thread of doctrine and belief, the one certainty he had in spite of what might happen among mortal friend and foe: “[My] Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things which please him.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>And now, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>May I share this from Elder Melvin J. Ballard, written many years ago:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“I ask you, what father and mother could stand by and listen to the cry of their children in distress … and not render assistance? I have heard of mothers throwing themselves into raging streams when they could not swim a stroke to save their drowning children, [I have heard of fathers] rushing into burning buildings to rescue those whom they loved.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“We cannot stand by and listen to those cries without its touching our hearts. … He had the power to save, and He loved His Son, and He could have saved Him. He might have rescued Him from the insult of the crowds. He might have rescued Him when the crown of thorns was placed upon His head. He might have rescued Him when the Son, hanging between two thieves, was mocked with, ‘Save thyself, and come down from the cross. He saved others; himself he cannot save.’ He listened to all this. He saw that Son condemned; He saw Him drag the cross through the streets of Jerusalem and faint under its load. He saw the Son finally upon Calvary; he saw His body stretched out upon the wooden cross; he saw the cruel nails driven through hands and feet, and the blows that broke the skin, tore the flesh, and let out the life’s blood of His [Only Begotten] Son. …</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“[He] looked on [all that] with great grief and agony over His Beloved [Child], until there seems to have come a moment when even our Saviour cried out in despair: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles, … His great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for His Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved His Son, I thank Him and praise Him that He did not fail us. … I rejoice that He did not interfere, and that His love for us made it possible for Him to endure to look upon the sufferings of His [Only Begotten] and give Him finally to us, our Saviour and our Redeemer. Without Him, without His sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into His presence. … This is what it cost, in part, for our Father in heaven to give the gift of His Son unto men.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>“He, … our God, is a jealous God—jealous lest we should [ever] ignore and forget and slight His greatest gift unto us”—the life of his Firstborn Son. (<span class="emphasis" style="line-height: 1.428571em;">Melvin J. Ballard, Crusader for Righteousness,</span>Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, pp. 136–38.)"</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Elder Holland continues...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>So how do we make sure that we never “ignore or slight or forget” his greatest of all gifts unto us?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>We do so by showing our desire for a remission of our sins and our eternal <a class="no-link-style" data-mce-href="http://lds.org/topic/gratitude/" href="http://lds.org/topic/gratitude/" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">gratitude</a> for that most courageous of all prayers, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (<a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/23.34?lang=eng#33" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/23.34?lang=eng#33" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Luke 23:34</a>.) We do so by joining in the work of forgiving sins, which is so clearly demonstrated hour after hour, day after day, in temple work, from the baptismal font on the back of those twelve oxen deep inside the House of the Lord clear to the veil of the temple, the celestial room, and the Holy of Holies beyond it.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">“‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so </span><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">fulfill</span><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;"> the law of Christ,’ [Paul commands us]. (</span></span><a data-mce-href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/gal/6.2?lang=eng#1" href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/gal/6.2?lang=eng#1" style="border: 0px; color: #006e2e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 1.428571em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Gal. 6:2</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">) … The law of Christ, which it is our duty to </span><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">fulfill</span><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">, is the bearing of the cross. My brother’s burden which I must bear is not only his outward lot [and circumstance], … but quite literally his sin. And the only way to bear that sin is by forgiving it in the power of the cross of Christ in which [we] now share. Thus the call to follow Christ always means a call to share [in] the work of forgiving men their sins. Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which it is the Christian’s duty to bear.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, </span></span><span class="emphasis" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 1.428571em;">The Cost of Discipleship, </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">2d ed., New York: Macmillan, 1959, p. 100.)</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Surely the reason Christ said “Father, forgive them” was because even in the weakened and terribly trying hour he faced, he knew that this was the message he had come through all eternity to deliver. </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">All of the meaning and all of the majesty of all those dispensations—indeed the entire plan of salvation—would have been lost had he forgotten that not <span class="emphasis" style="line-height: 1.428571em;">in spite of </span>injustice and brutality and unkindness and disobedience but precisely <span class="emphasis" style="line-height: 1.428571em;">because </span>of them had he came to extend forgiveness to the family of man.</span></b></div>
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<b style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyone can be pleasant and patient and forgiving on a good day. A Christian has to be pleasant and patient and forgiving on all days. It is the quintessential moment of his ministry, and as perfect in its example as it was difficult to endure.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Is there someone in your life who perhaps needs forgiveness? Is there someone in your home, someone in your family, someone in your neighborhood who has done an unjust or an unkind or an unchristian thing? All of us are guilty of such transgressions, so there surely must be someone who yet needs your forgiveness.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>And please don’t ask if that’s fair—that the injured should have to bear the burden of forgiveness for the offender. Don’t ask if “justice” doesn’t demand that it be the other way around. No, whatever you do, don’t ask for justice. You and I know that what we plead for is mercy—and that is what we must be willing to give."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I find this to be extremely beautiful and poetic and true. I especially love the portion where he is quoting Elder Ballard. We often think of the magnitude of our Savior's sacrifice which is incomprehensible to us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">But until I read this passage I never pondered deeply about the unfathomable anguish of Our Heavenly Father as He watched His Only Begotten Son experience this horrific death one hideous abuse after another, knowing that he could have stopped it. But He, Our Heavenly Father, suffered it for us. Having a son of your own adds yet another dimension of appreciation for His gift. Our Heavenly Father did this because He loves us...that much. Imagine it! It was for you and for me individually and all of us. Not as a group but for each one. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.9999942779541px;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are not words sufficient to express the gratitude we should feel for both The Father and The Son not just in this Holy Week but all the time. Because of that pivotal and universal sacrifice the opportunity for everything that is important in this life and the next can be ours. This should give us great cause alone to have A Very Happy Easter!</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-4839003987110246642015-03-29T14:31:00.000-07:002015-03-29T15:24:37.892-07:00Easter Eggs~I Learned Something Today!<h3 class="post-title" style="margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqHDsVdi4e0G1IQ91YYO3Tt0YF9-IU7kRCTmYrKkfhGZDaU7HRhooxFBh8jLqPN4kDQriRUuvVslinfwGhrP_iiv2VBVi-4RHDW9lYRpKs_EMCbHolYSngG_4YeK3iso0lctHMl9qeCM/s1600/f2ea91391fc00e190bee87cb70733421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqHDsVdi4e0G1IQ91YYO3Tt0YF9-IU7kRCTmYrKkfhGZDaU7HRhooxFBh8jLqPN4kDQriRUuvVslinfwGhrP_iiv2VBVi-4RHDW9lYRpKs_EMCbHolYSngG_4YeK3iso0lctHMl9qeCM/s1600/f2ea91391fc00e190bee87cb70733421.jpg" height="640" width="404" /></a></div>
<a href="http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/easter-eggs.html" style="color: #cc0000; display: block; font-size: 25.8439998626709px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><br /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">I enjoy that a lot of our religious celebrations also are accompanied by cultural traditions that are fun for families and people everywhere. Which one among us would not like to get a chocolate bunny for Easter no matter our age? </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">I like occasions that unify us as a people, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, etc. There are far too many things that divide us as Americans. The speaker in church stated today that he had looked up Easter eggs and then he said something I cannot ever remember hearing before. I may be showing my ignorance here! Or have I known it before and dismissed or forgotten it? Who can know for sure with the hard drive of my brain getting more full day by day? </span></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Anyway his talk prompted me to look Easter Eggs up on Wikipedia. Sure enough his words were a direct quote from the Wiki. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Easter Eggs, also called Pascal Eggs, are decorated eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime. As such, Easter Eggs are common during the season of Easter. The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionary such as jelly beans. Eggs were a traditional symbol of fertility, and rebirth in Christianity. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For the celebration of Eastertide</span>, <u>Easter Eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus.</u></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> The Easter Egg, for Christians, is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, and that those who will also experience eternal life."</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The part I didn't know was the underlined part of the above paragraph. </span> <u>Easter Eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus.</u> <span style="font-weight: normal;">I never could really grasp that from the way Easter eggs were done in our childhood. </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">But I think it is perfect for the way modern customs have provided us with the plastic eggs that open. We normally put little treats inside, right? There has got to be a clever little way to have kids find some eggs that are empty and that is the surprise inside. (So they don't burst into tears explain first perhaps? Like something far better awaits when you find an empty one?) Then following up with something about the resurrection for the little ones and a really special treat. For what it is worth, it just made me think of a way we could incorporate a teaching moment along with an Easter Egg Hunt for our little ones. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">In keeping with my new resolve to post more often and reprise older posts here is one from 2011.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-weight: normal;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Symbolism_4-1" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.1999998092651px; line-height: 1; text-align: start; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"></sup></span><a href="http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/easter-eggs.html" style="color: #cc0000; display: block; font-size: 25.8439998626709px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; text-decoration: none;">Easter Eggs</a></h3>
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Wouldn't it be fun if you could save eggs your kids decorate when they are little that aren't hand blown and so fragile? Wouldn't it be neater if your little kids could even hold and decorate a blown out egg without cracking it?<br />
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Once while decorating eggs with my friend, Lee, I discovered that you can. Did you know that you can hard boil and decorate eggs that will last <strike>forever </strike>a long long time? If they don't have any cracks they will be just fine for years to come. I always thought they would start smelling rotten, but nope. All that happens is that the egg inside dehydrates and shrinks and they are like a little rattle over time. Think plastic egg with a small chocolate egg in it. The first few years I would leave them out but hidden for a few months to make sure they were not rotten before storing them away. I have never had a problem and neither has Lee and she still has some that her mother painted for her when she was a little girl. Try it, it is eggciting.<br />
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The eggs that you see with the patterns on them are done with hard boiled eggs and spring tissue papers. You just tear some pieces dip them in liquid starch and press them on the egg and dry. Our daughter, Jen, taught me this little trick ten years ago when we were in Scotland she made them for Piper's first Easter. I fell in love with them but they were the blown eggs so would not transport easily. Finally I just made some of my own. Again, my kinda thing. They really are pretty cute for the effort that goes into them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.4599990844727px; line-height: 1.6em;">Well, I hate to put all my eggs in one basket but this is probably the only crafting post you will ever see from this chick!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-69766923098110028002015-03-27T20:39:00.002-07:002015-03-27T20:44:22.200-07:00Easter Week is ComingThis is just beautiful and says it all. Remember Him!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BZqTRSVA1YA" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-12341447802787464552015-03-27T07:46:00.002-07:002015-03-27T08:06:05.602-07:00Kick-Start Heightened Personal Productivity!<span style="font-size: large;">When I looked at my total number of posts this year I felt terrible. FIVE. That is not acceptable. I have decided to revisit the over two thousand posts I have done since December 2007 and republish some of the more timeless ones, or the reminiscent ones, or the funny ones. I also thought that it might be fun to pick amongst the hundreds of Pinterest photos I have collected and share thoughts about one every once in awhile. This post comes from another blogger and it is one that helps me a lot even still. Attribution and link below for The Happiness Project's author.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #006600; font-size: 23.9979972839355px;">The only place clutter works~<span style="color: #ff99ff;">in the garden!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.4599990844727px;">Remember when we thought that electronics would make our world of paper, a thing of the past? Wow, not so. When I got home last night I found two and a half weeks worth of mail, magazines, junk mail, bills, cards and letters, adverts, you name it. Jim was so sweet to stack it all up nicely for me and for that I am grateful...but Holy Cow! So much paper! I am a real stickler about keeping my desk fairly well cleaned off as I find it gets overwhelming if you don't. I also go into many homes where the paper takes up more room than the people. For me it is almost like brushing your teeth~you take care of it everyday for a few minutes or pay the price down the line.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.4599990844727px;">I have so much to do to get ready for the staging on Friday but I really just couldn't unclutter my mind to think straight until I took care of this paper mess. So I have slowly been chipping away at it while unpacking, etc. Some time ago I ran across a fun blog and today there is a great article in there about this very topic and increasing our personal productivity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.4599990844727px;"><b>This article is by Gretchen Rubin.</b> You can find her here~</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.4599990844727px;">http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.4599990844727px;">Add her to your Reader, she has some great ideas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.6em;">Every Wednesday is Tip Day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.6em;">Better Personal Productivity</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"I confess: I can’t touch each piece of paper just one time. I can’t return every email within 24 hours. I can’t maintain a clear desk at all times. I can’t go paperless. Nevertheless, I’ve found some realistic strategies for getting things done that have helped me a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">One thing I know about myself is that an accumulation of tiny tasks, even if they aren’t particularly irksome in themselves, combine to make me feel overwhelmed and drained. If I can keep little chores from piling up, I feel much more capable of tackling bigger, more difficult tasks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">For that reason, many of my most important daily personal productivity rules are very low-tech and simple – they’re aimed to help me accomplish the most basic tasks of my day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">1. <strong>Follow the “one-minute rule.” </strong>I don’t postpone any task that can be done in less than one minute. I put away my umbrella; I glance at a letter and toss it; I put the newspapers in the recycling bin; I close the cabinet door. Because the tasks are so quick, it isn’t too hard to make myself follow the rule, but it has big results.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">2. <b>Observe the “evening tidy-up.” </b>I take ten minutes before bed to do simple tidying. Tidying up at night made our mornings more serene and pleasant, because I’m not running to and fro like a headless chicken; and it also helps me prepare me for sleep, because putting things in order is calming, and doing something physical makes me aware of being tired.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">3. <strong>Do a daily errand, or a bi-weekly errand afternoon</strong>. I keep a list of things I need to do (get a prescription filled, buy a new toner cartridge, return library books), and each day, I do one of them. Doing one errand is manageable, and although it doesn’t sound like much, it adds up. My mother prefers to spend one afternoon every few weeks running errands—perhaps a more efficient strategy in a place like Kansas City, where she needs to do a lot of driving from place to place, in contrast to New York City, where I usually do my errands while I’m walking someplace. And while I’m running those errands, I…</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">4. <strong>Buy necessary supplies and keep them in order</strong>. Nothing annoys me more than spending time vainly searching for some obscure yet important office supply: a jumbo binder clip, an index card, a ruler, double-sided tape. I dislike running errands (therefore, tip #2), but having the right equipment, and keeping it organized enough so I can find what I want, makes a big difference to how much I can get accomplished in a day. Also my level of aggravation.<br /><br />5. <strong>Ask yourself, “Why do I need this?” before you keep anything</strong>. I have a friend who filed the stubs from her gas bills for years. “Why do you keep those at all?” I asked, when she was complaining about how far behind she was with her personal paperwork. “My father always told me to keep that kind of thing,” she said. That’s not a good enough reason!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">6. If there’s something you don’t want to do, </span><strong style="color: #990000;">prepare all the necessary preliminary steps the night before, and make yourself do it first thing in the morning</strong><span style="color: #990000;">. For example, I dislike making even the easiest phone calls, so I always steel myself to do those right away. (Check </span><a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/01/tips_for_making.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">here</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> if you need more tips for making yourself place phone calls you don’t want to make.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #990000;">7. </span><strong style="color: #990000;">Be diligent about “unsubscribing.”</strong><span style="color: #990000;"> I need to be better at this. We all find our way onto email lists and newsletters of all sorts, and I often let weeks or months go by before taking five seconds to unsubscribe. But it’s worth it, to weed out clutter from your in-box.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">8. <strong>Keep a daily scratch pad</strong>. You know those notes you write to yourself—phone numbers, URLs, the “call John Doe” reminders, the quick “don’t forget” notes…all those nagging loose ends that clutter the surface of a desk, and then vanish, get thrown away, or can’t be deciphered when you’re looking for them? Now I keep a scratch pad on my desk, and anytime I have the urge to make a note, I discipline myself to write it there. At the end of the day, I copy anything I need to keep (this is important!), then toss the paper.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">9.</span><b> Remember my <a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/09/begin-your-happ.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">Eighth Commandment</span></a> and “Identify the problem.”</b> This sounds so obvious, but it’s astonishingly helpful. For example, I like to work in coffee shops, and for years, and I mean years, I spent a lot of time running out of battery power and chasing around looking for someplace to plug in my laptop. Then I asked myself: “What’s the problem?” Answer: “I need more battery power.” Light dawned. I could buy an extra battery! I did, and it gave me a huge boost in productivity."</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-45584052120201149282015-03-25T17:08:00.002-07:002015-03-25T17:50:41.791-07:00Don't Be Afraid...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I thought this was quite cool and decided to write a little something about it. What is so great about sparkle and why should a lady go for it? Because she can! Sparkle is adding a little pizazz to the ordinary. I love that the fashion industry has been on bling for several years now. Why? Because it is fun and fancy and whimsical. I don't like dreary...not a bit.<br />
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Glitter adds light and uplift and excitement to drab. There comes that time in a woman's life when she is no longer a young girl. Around the 40s it seems to hit. People often decided to quit trying then. My thought is if you can buy a cute tee shirt with a little bedazzlement...why not? Or a ring with some pretty stones or a dangly bracelet...go for it. Or how about a cute scarf that adds a lot to an outfit and covers up those neck wrinkles a bit or at least distracts the eye. A big YES!<br />
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It will lift your spirit and make you feel fancy. It doesn't have to be expensive, in fact it shouldn't be. Just something to brighten your countenance and make your eyes sparkle a little more is fun. Of course sparkly from the inside is essential and beautiful too. But today I'm just talking about the exterior. I say why do drab when you don't have to? Unless of course you like the real toned down approach, in which case then carry on!<br />
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As for me and my closet we are going to keep calm and sparkle on. Why? Because it makes me happy. When I am happy I see the world through a different set of glasses. They are rose-colored perhaps, but that is OK isn't it?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-54725727677616679872015-03-23T19:02:00.000-07:002015-03-24T08:01:53.095-07:00Simple Woman's Day Book~March 23, 2015 NEW!<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.1818180084229px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s1600/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" style="color: #006e2e; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s640/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" height="640" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">the everyday moments and my thoughts about them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That is what this Daybook is all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Focusing on the little things that become my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">One entry at a time.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just for today~Monday, March 23, 2015</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Outside my window...</b>we had a little rain last night and it was sorely needed. Everything looks clean today. The trees and flowers look fresh and new. I opened all the windows this morning but now in the late afternoon a chill has set in and I closed the house and am about to cuddle up under a blanket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">I am thankful for...</b>for the fact that I recognize that I need to write whether I feel like it or not. I am sure you may have noticed that I have been off my blog for 6 weeks and if you are a regular follower you may be long gone by now. That is how it can be with blogging. I remember one time this lady wrote to me and said how much reading my blog had become a part of her day, and that each and every day she waited for my post. Sometimes that was what spurred me on to keep going. Just knowing that someone appreciated it and enjoying reading it. I do wonder whatever happened to Dorothy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: bold;">From the learning room...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">one thing I have learned about myself is that I have to be in a certain state of mind to enjoy writing. But the farther I slip away from that state of mind, the more the state of mind I'm in requires that exercise of the pouring out and sorting the things in my head. They say that introverts have a constant conversation with themselves going on in their heads. Well, that's me and it is so true. I am a social person but I require my space also. During that time of renewal and solitude I ponder. I sometimes worry. I somethings retreat from all but a few. I am sometimes very content and joyful and other times I am reflective and melancholy. But regardless of that momentary state...I ponder. The writing simply helps me sort things out and process all that pondering. It is very cathartic and grounding for me. It helps bring back the things that are the most important into a place where I can prioritize them and focus on them and above all be grateful for them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: bold;">I am reading...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">all the time. I just find no time for reading for pleasure anymore. I miss that but I feel restless when I try to do it, as I feel an urgency to educate myself on the principles of my passion. Genealogy and the creation of a family legacy or family history. It feels like I am in school full time now and it is exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. I love the teaching and the learning and most of all the option to do what I please. It is delightful to examine and pursue my interest without constant interruptions. It is a privilege that most of us wait a life time for~what a blessing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">I often wonder how different we might all be it we could have done this all along the way in our lives by being able to find appropriate balance in our duties. Having more time and energy left over for our own specific growth and development along the way would have been good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">I don't know about you but for me the last thing on my list was adding yet another thing that wanted a piece of me. I kept my blinders on to other interests to get through the days with a full time job and three children to raise, and hubby and parents with needs as well. Funny but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way at the time either. In some way is was preparatory to what I enjoy so much now. It is a bit of a paradox really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">That all seems like another lifetime now somehow. Now the world is wide open to me and I love that. I want to learn about lots of things and become who I am supposed to be in the autumn of my life. I don't have time or interest in the trite things of life, like wasting time and the squabbles or negativity of others. Life is too short. And I want to spend all my time socially with family and friends that uplift and inspire me not who drag me down. I am very blessed in that department and I am so grateful for each of you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the kitchen...</b>keeping it simple and basic and low cal. Trying to lose a few pounds before our UK adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...</b>I recognize that although my life seems to be in three separate parts, all very different from the others; the common thread has been my love for my good family and friends. That love coupled inseparably and undeniably with that is my love for God. Spirituality and my love for God has always been present in my life has been the glue. God has been the one ever present constant. The gifts of our Savior have colored and been my foundation all of my life. I cannot even imagine my life without it. Nor would I want to do so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Someone I am praying for this week...</b>my brother Steve who had surgery this past week. Awaiting biopsy results that should be here any day now. Piper who has not been at the top of her game health wise in the last little while and always Hazel and all of our family and friends each as they stand in need.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">I am hearing...</b>Not much really except my own thoughts and the train just went by bringing commuters home for the night. A car or two here and there is passing by and that is it. Must be time for a little Kate Davis and her jazzy bass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: bold;">Quote of the week from James Tanner...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">"You cannot push a rope." This is reference to the idea of leading a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. You cannot push someone to do something they do not want to do, etc. I love this. I have tried this and I testify that it is true. You definitely cannot push a rope. Nope, it ain't happenin' - not ever!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeqK-c05YnSMQGq1lTRRG9Ytc1j5KdDPBrab26Kz-Akk8SDhG8laDodDkjeqXHBS5ApCWxaQpttNriYuIkL-nULAJhV8wTnY3Nhe4uQNXuc5vxdWqOwOMzRhcqZCxWKjHM16YtYeVvFk/s1600/93151545a1616b8d360a5bd84eda3c14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeqK-c05YnSMQGq1lTRRG9Ytc1j5KdDPBrab26Kz-Akk8SDhG8laDodDkjeqXHBS5ApCWxaQpttNriYuIkL-nULAJhV8wTnY3Nhe4uQNXuc5vxdWqOwOMzRhcqZCxWKjHM16YtYeVvFk/s1600/93151545a1616b8d360a5bd84eda3c14.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b>I love this apple green</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of my pleasures...</span>I really enjoy putting various clothes and jewelry and accessories together. I like paying attention to the details of what I am wearing whether I'm going some place special or just hanging out at home. I find if I take care of all of that in the early morning I feel better about myself and I am ready to conquer the day...come what may. If I skip it I regret it all day. I just don't feel on top of my game at all on those days. I love buying basics and then interchanging them and creating new looks. I like all that girly stuff a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Pet Peeves...</span>how the afternoon arrives too early and I run out of steam. After I take a little rest in the late afternoon I get a second wind but it is not for intense work. It is for fun stuff like movies and Pinterest and texting, etc. Hehe.. So I have to get major things done early. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Past Remembrance...</span>When Jim and I and Laura were on the train to Edinburgh to pick up Jennifer from her mission and we heard a little British girl about 3 years old singing Baa Baa Black Sheep with the cutest little accent on earth. I love an English or Scottish accent and no one does it better that the wee ones. I am hoping that memory will spur me on to the trip I am supposed to be planning ASAP!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"><br /></b><b style="color: #990000;">If I could change one thing it would be..</b>Mitt in the Oval Office.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...</b>Grantchester. Love that little Vicar!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am curious about...</span>how British TV can be consistently better than American TV.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Plans for the rest of the week...</span>Work tomorrow and then trip planning until I get it done. Women's General Conference on Saturday evening. I got a new iPhone 6 this week so still trying to get that all set up. Annoying but worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of my favorite things...</span>having my cell phone available at night when I am wide awake and I don't want to just lie there, or get up because it is cold. I love just pulling up the covers and snuggling down and reading new email or often old email from special people like you. Or reading one of my Kindle books on my phone. It is so much better than when I use to walk around the house aimlessly or folded laundry...before electronics rescued insomniacs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One thing that made me so happy this past week...</span>that we have been grandparents for 16 years. Piper turned sixteen on the 18th. She is learning to drive and I am thrilled that we get to spend Easter together.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The most surprising thing this past week...</span>that I have an ancestor that was in the first emigrating group of LDS passengers out of Wales in the early 1850s. They came to America and made their way to Utah. I was shocked and thrilled and then a few days later someone asked me to join the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. (Not sure about that!) That was a lot to take in within a few days. That ancestor is buried in Brigham City, Utah and you can bet we will be visiting the graveside of John Davis Rees soon. Only another convert could appreciate that story as we do.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Here is a photo I'm sharing this week....</b></span><b style="color: #990000;"><br /></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Piper and Chloe the day or so before Piper turned 16. These girls are so amazing. The interesting things about the human heart it is has an infinite capacity to love. When you just think you cannot love more or another single person...you can. The Lord just gifts you with an endless supply of</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><b style="color: #990000;">"love terabytes"</b>~more heart space free of charge. If you don't believe it have some grandkids! Meet a fabulous new friend or do your family history.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">BE HAPPY AND CARRY ON!</span></b><br />
<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take Care of You For Me!</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-76504311663159703672015-02-08T09:13:00.003-08:002015-03-23T19:02:54.426-07:00A Simple Woman's Daybook~February 8, 2015<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.1818180084229px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s1600/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" style="color: #006e2e; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s640/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" height="640" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">the everyday moments and my thoughts about them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That is what this Daybook is all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Focusing on the little things that become my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Just for today~Sunday, February 8, 2015</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Outside my window...</b>The sun is up but covered up with the gray clouds. It's early yet and the forecast is it is to be raining throughout the day. The groundhog definitely saw his shadow here, so more winter with some rain for us. This is a huge gift. It has been a mild winter most of the time but we've had some super cold days too, but very little rain. The things I like least about winter are the short days and viruses. Spring will be coming soon, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jim has had that respiratory thing going on for the past 8+ weeks. Our friend had it from July to December. It comes and goes but never quite goes away and the coughing is horrendous. Of course the minute it goes away, he jumps back on his horse full speed ahead, and then he wears himself out and it comes back. So crazy. I have been fearing I'd get it this whole month as I had two big projects that needed to be done. I completed them on Friday so now I am free to plan my trip to Utah. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">However, I have been having vertigo for over a week now but I am seeing a lot of improvement finally. This is always my big fear when I get colds. They always go into my ears and cause such dizziness. Vertigo is so hard because you feel so helpless. Also it is so exhausting because </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">you have to use all your energy just to move between point A and B. The weird part is I never did not get the cold. Thank goodness. I'm good with that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">I am thankful for...</b>prayer. It is such a mighty force in our lives. I am praying now to be recovered by the 11th when I am planning to go on a great little trip with my friend, Carol. This is the dangling carrot that has kept me going all year. Rootstech in SLC. So we pray and wait and hope and believe and move forward as if. But in the back of our mind is always, "Thy will be done." He knows better than we do what is best for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">From the learning room...</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There are 168 hours in a week. It is astonishing to comprehend how some people can get so much accomplished. These really high powered movers and shakers really amaze me. Sometimes I think we work very hard, probably as hard as those people..the over achievers. They must just work supper fast and much smarter is all I can think.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am reading...</span>mostly online articles and blogs about genealogy. Since I have been teaching a lot this past month that has been right there on my mind more than usual.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the kitchen...</b>Ugh...this one always throws me for a loop. I wish we had a cook. There is nothing new I can say about this. Not my favorite thing to do anymore. Period.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...</span>Well, I have been thinking about love since Valentine's Day is just around the corner. On the spiritual side of that is God's unconditional love for us, It is something that seems hard to comprehend sometimes. No matter what we do or how many mistakes we make He is there for us, loving us in spite of ourselves. I was thinking about how much better the world would be if we could do that more. If we could just love more and unconditionally when people we love and care for do things that hurt and disappoint us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We should be able to rise above a lot of that and not take things so personally. We should take ourselves and our feelings out of the equation, so that we can more readily focus on our gift of love to another...not the other way around. The 'if you do this or that, then I'll love you' isn't quite how we are loved. God doesn't love us that way. We should work harder at not loving that way either. Boy, is is hard to do. But He first loved us so we could learn His way. I am guessing it takes a life time but I think being more aware is a step forward.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Someone I am praying for this week... </b>Hazie as her little body struggles to heal from the last surgery. The biggest problems is the way the bars fit inside put pressure on certain spots that are having trouble healing on the outside. Her skin is very delicate.<b> </b>All of our family and friends as we all face the everyday trials. Ben as he struggles with his side effects of his bone marrow transplant to fight his leukemia. He turned 12 a few days ago. The bravest little guy. He has been battling this now for months. I pray for his parents, grandparents and siblings, family and friends. This has been very hard to watch and very exhausting, yet they stay strong, faithful and full of hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">I am hearing...</span></b>rain falling on the roof and the fireplace. I need to turn on some music I suppose but the quiet is especially nice in the early morning. It is Sunday morning so maybe I'll listen to The Spoken Word in a little bit. But for now..raindrops! Going out in it seems a little daunting. Right now it is pouring. Even the music would not cover this up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Quote of the week from Pinterest..."Happy Valentine's Day!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/onedesigner/hearts-valentines/">https://www.pinterest.com/onedesigner/hearts-valentines/</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of my pleasures...</span>going to Utah to see the family. I have missed them over the past six months. It seems like feast or famine with our traveling. The girls will have changed and grown more. Bittersweet. Hazel has had three surgeries since I saw her. They have a new dog, Leo, to keep their Lucy company. They are cute together. I am eager to see them all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Pet Peeves...</span>the fact that it seems to take as much work to get ready to go on a trip for a week as it does for a month. But it is all good really. I am so excited about the Rootstech conference and being with Carol for five whole days. I'll miss Jim Bob but he'll be fine and busy while I am gone. He is going to Utah next month and we are saving our time away together for our trip to England and Wales.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Past Remembrance...</b>thinking about all the great things I learned last year and the fun I had at Rootstech. Have been looking forward to the biggest genealogy conference in the world for a year now. I am so thankful to be almost over the vertigo. Carol and I reserved our room at the hotel nearly a year ago now. Gotta plan way ahead with that many people flooding into SLC. The weather looks like it will be mostly sunny and cold. Yay! No snow in the forecast!</span><br />
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<b style="color: #990000;">If I could change one thing it would be...</b>more happiness for all. Less war and strife, better leadership in all the countries of the world. Less corruption and graft. You know me, just a better Pollyanna world would be super.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">5th season of Downton Abbey. We have loved it. Watched the Christmas episode last night. We never can wait to see what happens so bought the DVD when it came out. Fabulous. We have been pretty happy that there is yet another season to look forward to next year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am curious about...</span>Wales and how we will navigate around there driving on the other side of the road. Ugh, Not my favorite. I am also curious about when I can get started on getting that all together with some concrete plans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Plans for the rest of the week...</span>church at 11:00, Monday getting last minute things done, Tuesday working, Wednesday leaving for SLC, rest of the week with Carol, Jen and family and the conference. Home Sunday. It will be quick so will be consciously savoring the experience and learning a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">One of my favorite things...</b>answers to prayers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">One thing that made me so happy this past week...</b>Getting some photos from my cousin Jim of his grandfather and my grandmother and 30 others that we know or know of at a picnic back in the 30s. It was so special to see his Grampa and my Grandma standing next to each other in the large group. Our fathers who are cousins are also in the photo! That made our cyber relationship feel very real. It was exciting. I enjoy working with my new</span><span style="font-size: large;">found cousins who also have an interest in family history. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The most surprising thing this past week...</span>A really long and sweet letter was received from our granddaughter, Aynslee. She is so homesick while living in England this year but the wonderful side of that is there are lots of letters home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Here is a photo I'm sharing this week....</b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b style="color: #990000;"><br /></b></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">At Stonehenge</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Aynslee with her Daddy, our son Chris!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">BE HAPPY AND CARRY ON!</span></b><br />
<b style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take Care Of You For Me!</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-590853148929412892015-01-16T06:49:00.001-08:002015-09-05T18:09:12.053-07:00A Simple Woman's Daybook~January 16, 2015<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.1818180084229px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s1600/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" style="color: #006e2e; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvyXb8ME6KOZE60HXqWfg21ZrlBy6YjETP7aT4R_5W9wVLRm7L_kE7BTvfN_iSL0GzXSnJ0MUEth3u6z-_aUaFRAb5nzgttbNBOkTIIvBLqueUU6IDQWOLoSTIhHBRE9oD8Req7Wrpfw/s640/tumblr_mf0bozQhNi1r4tg3lo1_500.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">the everyday moments and my thoughts about them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That is what this Daybook is all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Focusing on the little things that become my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">One entry at a time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Just for today~Friday, January 16, 2015</b><b style="color: #990000;"><span style="border-width: 1px;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9NlSrQjkR899aNOxx9nk2PMRfbWBLSLVV0aMYDWP7RrBTTOf8QsaoYRmnGyYAbB6y5GaDj_UsAlCqclfDYgE5E13hHE0UkihfSCQyB1ZttCMe0vgtN0vWWE8YU4n3yH-SW3BQHNmmlO0/s1600/th_wireheartdiv.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 4px;" /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Outside my window...</span>It is pitch black out and 6:06 am. It is cold in the house still and I need to get my socks on. Burr. I cannot believe it has been over 2 months since I did a daybook entry. That is probably the longest time gone by between two entries since I started doing these years ago. What I learn from that is that a whole lot happens in a couple of months that is forgotten without writing it down. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Here a few highlights. </b>Hazel had her back surgery and there were complications so she went back into surgery just a few days before Christmas. She just went back to school for a half day and is regaining her strength but is still working on healing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The holidays were wonderful as always and a whirlwind of activities. Thanksgiving dinner was spend with our cousins. We had great times at annual parties and seeing our Sacramento cousins as well. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Christmas decorating that was something I really enjoyed. I went all out as I usually do when I'm asked to participate in a Christmas Home Tour. I do something festive in all our rooms. I love doing it and getting back into my design work a little. As I do it I think about how much people enjoy that evening on the multiple house tour with friends and how I want to enhance their memories by doing the best I can. It absolutely poured that night but somehow it added to the whole thing in a good way. I find it gets harder and takes longer than it use to but it's still important for me to do. But even though I am getting older, the experience brings renewal to me and I will do it as long as I can. Of course Jim helped me so much. It really has become a joint project.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">We took a fantastic get-away trip to southern California to Long Beach the week before Christmas. We stayed on The Queen Mary for a few nights and had a great time. It was all decked out with dozens of big trees. It was just spectacular and so festive. What a treat to stroll along the promenade deck and see each one. We went to the Big Chill. It was a gigantic ice igloo with ice sculptures that were unbelievable. There was a life size nativity scene carved from blocks of ice. Very impressive! It was an event right next to the ship so we didn't get in our car at all the whole time we were there. There was an outdoor skating rink and live music, food venders, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> Sometimes we just work too much and we are going to do more of this kind of thing because it is wonderful and just pours new energy into these two aging souls. It was lovely and great to be on an ocean liner that stays in port. No seasickness. We were celebrating our 50th Christmas as a couple. They upgraded us to a fabulous state room that was like an apartment. Loved looking out the portholes to the water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Christmas was so nice. I felt the spirit of it quite keenly this year and I think that few days away helped. One has to consciously eliminate some of the rush and stress. I felt relaxed as I took time to study and ponder the gifts of the Savior in our lives. We did not want to it end. Proof of this...the last Christmas item was tucked away just yesterday. We completely reorganized everything as we put it away for an easier time next year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also had a beautiful little boy born to our sweet nephew the day after Christmas. His name is Caden Nicholas and he is a handsome little man. He is the first boy of this generation on my side to carry on our family name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am thankful for...</span>the knowledge that Christmas does not have to be hidden away by New Year's Day. Who made that idea fly? Some of our same age friends discovered the same lovely thought this year. They are finishing their way, by taking down their tree today. It is such a lot of effort to get ready for Christmas, there is no crime in taking time to enjoy it after the hustle and bustle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the learning room...</b>writing is very therapeutic for me. I need to do it. I am now back on it. I actually did a lot of writing over the holidays but most of it was on our Christmas blog. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">I am reading...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">on the Internet mostly trying to get ready for two teaching assignments coming up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">From the kitchen...</b>eating simply and moderately now after the craziness of the past weeks. I have been blessed to be steadily losing weight since September so trying to keep that going. One pound a week has been just right and no gain during December. Trying to stay healthy with wholesome foods and way less sugar and refined carbs. Coupling that with Weight Watchers has been great.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...</span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Feeling the LOVE...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Someone I am praying for this week...</span>Hazel and all the kids' families struggling with various seasonal illnesses that are mostly respiratory. Robert is at the doctor as I write this checking for mono and pneumonia. Chris and his family have had lots of colds...new UK viruses wreaking havoc on their family. Missy's father has been gravely ill but is seeing some improvements finally. Jennifer injured her knee. Even Jim has been battling a respiratory thing on and off for most of the winter. Not serious just persistent. I have been blessed so far..knock on wood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I am hearing.</b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">..</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Kate Davis one of my favorite new music discoveries. This young woman is amazingly talented. She plays the standing bass, sings beautifully and composes some great songs with clever lyrics. Her genre is primarily smooth jazz but she does other things as well. You can find her on Youtube and of course in the iTunes store. "All About That Bass" is a fun one on Youtube and "Movie" is another one I really like. She has a little bit of an Adele quality to her voice on some songs like "We Are Growing Old."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of my pleasures...</span>Having a day all to myself to catch up. I'm having it today and I am thrilled to get more organized for presentations on genealogy topics coming up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Pet Peeves...</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">black clothes that fade. Like pants. Annoying. And speaking of pants why are they all of a sudden so dang long? I have never had to shorten a pair of pants in my life at 5'8" until this past couple of years.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Past Remembrance...</b>I am thinking about Rootstech 2014 (genealogy conference) and how much I enjoyed it. Now I am on the brink of going again in February and I am truly excited to be going with my good friend, Carol. We are going to have a super time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">If I could change one thing it would be...</b>that there could be more happiness and less suffering in this world. If people would accept the gospel of Jesus Christ this would make all the difference. Why? Because then people would be kinder, more forgiving and would make an effort to choose what is good and right and healthy. People would love others and live by faith, not fear. There would be a lot more of thoughtfulness and less selfishness. People would live by the Golden Rule. There would be less fighting, more peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...</b>5th season of White Collar. Loved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I am curious about...</span>lots of things that distract me from my work. Hehe, that's life right? Do we not all have a little ADD? So many wonderful things in this life to be curious about. So little time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">Plans for the rest of the week...</b>In the next few hours I will be updating my PowerPoint for a 90 minute class on Tuesday night. Date night tonight, WW meeting in the morning, taking a class tomorrow. Then a baptism, birthday party and dinner. Sunday church, Monday more prep for Tuesday, that is about as far as I have taken it so far. I think I'll still be working though as I have an all day seminar I'm teaching on the 30th. And then poof it will be February. Valentine's day and a trip to Utah. Warp speed life, isn't it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">One of my favorite things...</b>you, my family and good friends. You mean so much to me I cannot imagine my life without any of you. You are the reason I love getting up each day. And you are the people who have taught me how to love. Thanks for the happiness and more importantly the joy you bring, the examples you are, and the smile that you put on my face every single day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;">One thing that made me so happy this past week...</b>we found and bought a crystal chandelier for our dining room. It is a vintage one and so perfect for our space in the cottage. I have been looking for a couple of years for the right one. I took Jim to see it because I loved it and right away he said "That is it...it's perfect!" I cannot wait to show it to you! It makes me twice as excited that he loves it too. It looks like we will be nesting all of our lives. Home just keeps getting better and more comfortable all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The most surprising thing this past week...</span>a thousand dollar car expense for a smog clearance. Ugh...not a good surprise.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Just a little souvenir from our faux cruise</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">This is a section of Long Beach that is called Naples. Oddly it is more like Venice than Naples but that is OK. Venice doesn't really look like this either. It is a neighborhood where your backyard is the dock where you keep your boat. It is quite beautiful and one of the prettiest places we been in Southern California.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Ah, now I feel I can get to work. Thanks for coming by!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">BE HAPPY AND CARRY ON!</b><br />
<b style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Take Care Of You For Me!</b></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-85147760471352069802015-01-03T09:33:00.000-08:002015-01-16T17:56:15.588-08:00One Word in 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year, Dear Friends! I have loved the Christmas break and all of the holidays this year in spite of the fact that I am feeling a huge relief that they are over. Before Thanksgiving I had lost 17 pounds. I managed by the undeniable Grace of God to stay the same, during a 5 day vacation, several parties and eating out more than I did all year prior to Thanksgiving in 2014. Oh and goodies brought to our door nearly everyday during December were a challenge. After handling that poorly, I have decided on a new approach for next year. Simply put, divide these gifts into reasonable portions and freeze. Snack bags are "in" at our house.<br />
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So I'm doing the One Word Challenge this year again instead of New Year's Resolutions for the third time. I really like it. It is uplifting and consciousness-raising to have one uplifting and hopeful thing to focus on every day of the new year. The first year I used the word "Believe" to motivate me. This past year my word was "Remember." Oh, that was a good one. I add the word to my blog side bar and the New Year's thoughts about it via a link to remind myself when I need extra motivation. It works. My word for 2015 is <b><span style="color: #990000;">"Seek."</span></b><br />
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This word kept coming to my mind when I was thinking about what I want to do differently this year. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 13 Articles of Faith. Google that to see what all of them are if you are curious. The one I will be focusing on this year is #13 which reads.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">"13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we <span style="font-size: large;">seek</span> after these things."</span></b></blockquote>
I love and believe all of this but this year I want to focus particularly on the last sentence. "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we <span style="color: #990000;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">seek</span> </b></span>after these things."<br />
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I love that and I want my life to be filled with things that are virtuous and lovely. I am a white hat kind of a person. I don't like or enjoy the dark side of life. It brings me down and makes me feel unmotivated and defeated. <b><span style="color: #990000;">Seeking </span></b>the good in life is important to my health. Mental, Spiritual and Physical, Emotional and Social. If I am <b><span style="color: #990000;">seeking</span></b> the light of goodness I am far less likely to be sad, critical or unkind. Goodness is a reason to feel motivated to move forward. <br />
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I don't want to stagnate or backslide or to be lazy. So I have to <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seek</b></span> the light to progress. There is no joy for me in<span style="color: #990000;"><b> seeking</b></span> the sinister, the dark, the things that promote unhappiness and dissonance in my life. So I need to be <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> the opposite. All the time. Of course it takes intentional living and choices.<br />
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I want to <b><span style="color: #990000;">seek</span></b> to understand other people and their actions that sometimes confuse and upset me. "<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Seek</b></span> first to understand then be understood," as Stephen Covey said. If a person is motivated by good intentions but makes mistakes..I want to <b><span style="color: #990000;">seek</span></b> to be more tolerant and forgiving of that. <b><span style="color: #990000;">Seeking</span></b> to understand another helps bring peace and a focus outward, not inward.<br />
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When we lose ourselves we find ourselves through loving what sometimes seems impossible. With Christ it is doable. On our own, not always so much. So <b><span style="color: #990000;">Seeking</span></b> the blessings of the atonement to be forgiven for our own weakness is important and we should always <b><span style="color: #990000;">seek</span></b> it. But this year I want to <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seek</b></span> healing from the atonement more. Belief in His Gifts allows us to change. I am <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> change in my areas of weakness. I will be<span style="color: #990000;"><b> seeking</b></span> the things that come through studying, pondering and praying for the things we need and the things that others need in their struggles. As I have <span style="color: #990000;"><b>sought </b></span>that in the past I have become more aware all the time of the constant need of our prayers for others. More love and concern for others just naturally bring goodness and light into our lives.<br />
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I am <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> to be more adventuresome in certain areas, like getting out of my comfort zone and <b><span style="color: #990000;">seeking </span></b>to learn new ways of doing things that produce better results. Especially with regard to health and reducing, if not eliminating chronic pain, etc. <br />
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I am <b><span style="color: #990000;">seeking</span></b> to find more ancestors though continual learning of the things I need to know. Then I can share them and be a more effective teacher also. I want to pursue many other areas of interest as well, by <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> new learning in all of them. Learning is so importnat to me, it always has been but now more than ever before in my life. I am <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> better time management skills and better sleeping patterns to eliminate fatigue during peak hours. I have been working on this more and it is helping. I'll <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seek</b></span> to be like a fine tuned machine that functions at its best by very purposeful and intentional living. This is a skill that can be learned. It takes balance and discipline and desire and I am <b><span style="color: #990000;">seeking</span></b> all of those.<br />
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I truly do want to live that last line of the 13th Article of Faith everyday this year. To do it I am also <b><span style="color: #990000;">seeking</span></b> grace. Grace for my failures and weaknesses, with a focus on progress (which is uplifting) not perfection as the world views it (which can be oppressive.) I'm <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> to press forward in faith, believing the I can do it and remembering all of my blessings. The kindness of wonderful people all around me and the love I receive daily for God, good family and fabulous friends is very motivating. And I am <b><span style="color: #990000;">seeking</span></b> to remember the words of the prophet, Spencer W. Kimball who said that the only real limits a person has are the limits he places upon himself. With God all things are possible.<br />
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So I will be doing a lot of <b><span style="color: #990000;">Seeking</span></b> and Searching in 2015! Are you going to choose a word to guide you this year? I hope you try it, it's fun I am <span style="color: #990000;"><b>seeking</b></span> fun too! <span style="color: #990000;"><b> Seeking</b></span> the best with my better half!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Muir Woods for Seeking Peace!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Seeking the best for this tall, dark and handsome Italiano!</b></span></div>
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If you want to know more about this idea read this incourage.com article.<br />
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<a href="http://www.incourage.me/2015/01/when-your-one-word-finds-you-and-a-giveaway.html">http://www.incourage.me/2015/01/when-your-one-word-finds-you-and-a-giveaway.html</a><br />
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May this year bring you all that your heart desires. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>For me that means being a SEEKER.</b></span> You?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-6503083137325410132014-12-22T12:02:00.002-08:002015-09-06T19:12:41.883-07:00Chloe Pleads Her Case With Santa<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 13.6000003814697px;">Chloe had to write a persuasive letter to Santa for school. It's adorable:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 13.6000003814697px;">Dear Santa,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 13.6000003814697px;">I think I should receive a puppy, legos, candy, board games, snow pants, snow gloves, a new robe, and a sled. I’ve been good all year with helping my mom and dad cook, played with my siblings, I’ve been turning in my homework, all of my homework is turned in and I never missed turning mine in. I’ve helped with the laundry, usually you can tell if the laundry’s clean if everything in the basket is the same color. I’ve also been very, very kind when someone’s new at school. I be nice and help her or him around school, and if her or him scatters their colored pencils I’d help them pick all of the colored pencils up off of the ground. And Santa, I’ve done a lot of stuff and that’s not all. When my mom is busy like sewing I will either read or draw a picture so I will not waste her time or bother her. I’ve also helped my dad a lot too! I’ve helped my dad put my little sister to bed like help her brush her teeth, read a story to her like “Goldie Locks and the Three Bears”, or “Toot and Puddle”. I would also lay by her or tuck her in or even both! So I have done a lot of stuff and Santa here is something! So I really, really, really, really, really, think I’ve been working hard so I think I should get a lot lot LOT of presents! : ) And with all of those presents just put all of them under the tree and if some don’t fit then put them in my bedroom. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 13.6000003814697px;">Sincerely, </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 13.6000003814697px;">CJS</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 13.6000003814697px;"><b>Very Persuasive, Chloe!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 13.6000003814697px;"><b> Good luck, you little rascal!</b></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-67354911023027754492014-12-20T23:47:00.000-08:002014-12-22T12:04:00.256-08:00Christmas Season In Italy 2009-2010~Precepe Vivente<h3 class="post-title" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 26px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;">
<a href="http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.it/2012/12/precepe-vivente-christmas-past.html" style="color: #cc0000; display: block; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Precepe Vivente ~ A Christmas Past</a></h3>
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I enjoy remembering Christmases Past. One of the things that makes Christmas such a great time for most of us is the cultural traditions that unify us as believers in Christ. Although some of the traditions vary from home to home, there is a common thread that runs through out. I like that. Our traditions are the times in our lives that are marked by special days. Life would be pretty monotonous without these special times with family and friends. We have spent two Christmases out of the country. Once in Scotland and once in Italy. Both of them were precious highlights, never to be forgotten in our lives. Here is an edited and updated post from my Italian Blog that I am reposting here to give you the flavor of Christmas in Italy 2009-2010. It was a joyful, enriching and inspiring time. This experience really stands out vividly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgdMWbg2kSxYMN03SZ3iJWUu3jz4FzXPl9XaLdBiv1abnJRbJLkLmHk7XxkFx4vpLxh5jFpNy6aM7KroNUPLFvaH3NoCnTnu9UUgrnGORYT_X89j2BSvE1yE_7IA2C_DrbUOneOs3NXE/s1600-h/IMG_2971.JPG" style="color: #140201; display: block; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgdMWbg2kSxYMN03SZ3iJWUu3jz4FzXPl9XaLdBiv1abnJRbJLkLmHk7XxkFx4vpLxh5jFpNy6aM7KroNUPLFvaH3NoCnTnu9UUgrnGORYT_X89j2BSvE1yE_7IA2C_DrbUOneOs3NXE/s640/IMG_2971.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427050277170993970" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold;">The hills and valleys of Italy are filled with The Nativity. It is such a beautiful sight and it has made me realize that here in America, with all of our 'political correctness,' we are doing our citizens a terrible disservice. Not to be able to display the symbols of Christ at Christmas would never fly in Italy. For this alone, I love their country.</span></h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">People need visual reminders and not a</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> so</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">ul in</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> It</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">aly can miss the Christ in Christmas. No matter what their religious </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">beliefs</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> the degree of activity in their church or the lives they are living~at Christma</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">s time they are reminded over and over again what their compass should </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #990000;">be.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">We need this here in America. I like the term 'political correctness' because that is exactly what it is. Political! It isn't ethical, or spiritual correctness and it has nothing to do with what is right or true or good for us, most of the time. In denying the public displaying of the Nativity, we as Americans are shooting ourselves in the foot. Big time!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">That being said and climbing down off my soapbox, I want to share the experience we had on the day after Christmas. In Italy they savor Christmas. They start early and end late with their celebrations. (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Whoops, back on the box for a minute.) Often times I have noticed the day after Christmas, all evidence of the money we have $pent during the holidays is removed visually from the malls and market places. Poof, it is gone, and that way it is hoped we will continue to $pend, $pend, $pend some more. And someone is working Christmas night to make it happened by opening time the next morning. It is all about the retail over here. Not so in Italy. The world should take a lesson.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">So we planned to go to a tiny mountain town called Maranola, near Gaeta to see the Living Nativity the day after Christmas. While Christmas had already vanished in the US, this was their</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;">opening day</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">. We arrived early so we could stroll around Gaeta a bit.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlidhaCqeBvkC156z_S-MKynTAjQFVp_aJqsMgQ-DJDLjb01U4qTZe8TCad-m6xvZGkU37Bq64ZEGCDlCxv-dZNx02aGn2_kvf1jSvjAwg2FCpD8cWpwlKbKgopKcY0HOJzb0WXLA3FJw/s1600-h/IMG_2947.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlidhaCqeBvkC156z_S-MKynTAjQFVp_aJqsMgQ-DJDLjb01U4qTZe8TCad-m6xvZGkU37Bq64ZEGCDlCxv-dZNx02aGn2_kvf1jSvjAwg2FCpD8cWpwlKbKgopKcY0HOJzb0WXLA3FJw/s400/IMG_2947.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427046361142172930" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The harbor walkway</span> <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">of Gaeta</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpF3_rNtyZj8_S3UhxW2O-gyj671qLJrUjbZ-ol2_jAGWNsksU4ZfQS3OGulGtoUT2JSGrLFbPxEjHWhK2sMnRZ7rh_NsqLuy-HQmP0g3JOhgFB-kSybxsD0DWEx0oALD8A804wz2ddU/s1600-h/IMG_2942.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpF3_rNtyZj8_S3UhxW2O-gyj671qLJrUjbZ-ol2_jAGWNsksU4ZfQS3OGulGtoUT2JSGrLFbPxEjHWhK2sMnRZ7rh_NsqLuy-HQmP0g3JOhgFB-kSybxsD0DWEx0oALD8A804wz2ddU/s400/IMG_2942.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427045816104088674" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">One of the ships Robert had been to sea on while living here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">When JIm and I stayed here for a few days, a window in our h</span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">otel</span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> room<br />o</span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">pened to a full</span> <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">view straight on of the back of the ship.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">(Bow, stern, port? I never do remember these!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">The kids arranged a tour for us through the military services to go to see the Presepe and we all bundled up, drove to Gaeta, jumped on a bus and off we went. We didn't have much of an idea of what to expect~except rain. Rain, rain, continual rain. We had pretty much acclimated to that, but had no idea what it would mean to have it raining on this particular night. Can I just say flat out,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I didn't like it</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">one bit? At least not when it was happening.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTppxLFXgXEIfrsz_gH2AsSYctsmEPhqmHUoPn1A5UPmMnLAo68HhPSg5Wvh4igWQPZtuaKQk9seGRuzjkqUWMhJGS-bc3U5vScePREupNxc58R0dqHpyXyRU80l5xvKjnQlPGWQxR9JE/s1600-h/IMG_2952.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTppxLFXgXEIfrsz_gH2AsSYctsmEPhqmHUoPn1A5UPmMnLAo68HhPSg5Wvh4igWQPZtuaKQk9seGRuzjkqUWMhJGS-bc3U5vScePREupNxc58R0dqHpyXyRU80l5xvKjnQlPGWQxR9JE/s400/IMG_2952.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427048318695030098" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">This is a (blue hour, it is actually dark out here) </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">view from the head of the line, </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">it goes down a few flight of stai</span><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">rs</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> to the bottom of the hill.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">When we arrived at the ancient little town we saw a big line of umbrellas trailing up to the entrance to the little village. They only allowed so many people up into the village at one time. Crowding under the mass of umbrellas, we waited and wondered what was ahead. Huddling under umbrellas that are overlapping and touching each other is a curious thing. I think you actually get wetter from the run off of the umbrellas around you. Arrrgh! Can we say... grumpy?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Then the music started playing and that soothed me somewhat, even though we were already getting drenched and pretty cold. A man was playing some bagpipes for all to enjoy. It was nice. We looked up and saw little children looking out of their upstairs windows at this phenomenal line of people snaking through their village. Moving as a crowd we made our way through the tiny streets. In spite of the physical challenges of old, uneven, wet and slippery stairs and walkways, it was wonderful to see the little vignettes they had created to represent the life of the people of Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. It seemed we climbed halfway to heaven peering into these little transformed shops, tasting little goodies they had made and listening to them chatter with arms flying everywhere, and singing and playing music. Everyone in the village participated and it was really an amazing sight. The ruggedness of the venue made it seem so authentic. It felt like we were truly in Bethlehem!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKW_ltM-maLvLj_SGaMaBHuCDZw-xhZZ4-7dezWYw6EYD4dJu70-t3820wV3WxTrYhHS0tCLrnB1e_6nBYffWMzVkp4aVhVnL_JYm1WV4DHwARSBN98XTHR_w9rPKQxnOT9l3bAum4Zo/s1600-h/IMG_2955.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKW_ltM-maLvLj_SGaMaBHuCDZw-xhZZ4-7dezWYw6EYD4dJu70-t3820wV3WxTrYhHS0tCLrnB1e_6nBYffWMzVkp4aVhVnL_JYm1WV4DHwARSBN98XTHR_w9rPKQxnOT9l3bAum4Zo/s400/IMG_2955.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427051633248874658" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsPQITsZ8sm5MdIAX80BLPQ-FS0_erZsk_V-uR9SFUChokrdpiKKjAg0YUp-59xGM_nVBX3EL2_UhcaQ76jL_M2TXM5yf1xvmfQNvioPY282SjJKUQ6VW8uBFNQ9_wNARBZJQ8MHmK3w/s1600-h/IMG_2958.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsPQITsZ8sm5MdIAX80BLPQ-FS0_erZsk_V-uR9SFUChokrdpiKKjAg0YUp-59xGM_nVBX3EL2_UhcaQ76jL_M2TXM5yf1xvmfQNvioPY282SjJKUQ6VW8uBFNQ9_wNARBZJQ8MHmK3w/s400/IMG_2958.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427051643989827138" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 300px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkTqy3NGrP4BoSfmSbNyxrYjfSuSN9A6BQ-ozLWycixxvupL6LcMjyUsFNJqsPmlsTsriPnMOjB_4YnbyyzEOq9priluO-Ltws0RvgGI-NPO5dQzBjZhvvsc5KvMUO4KA5wFWkd4xym8/s1600-h/IMG_2956.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkTqy3NGrP4BoSfmSbNyxrYjfSuSN9A6BQ-ozLWycixxvupL6LcMjyUsFNJqsPmlsTsriPnMOjB_4YnbyyzEOq9priluO-Ltws0RvgGI-NPO5dQzBjZhvvsc5KvMUO4KA5wFWkd4xym8/s400/IMG_2956.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427051637298116642" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyfp7OuVMvk079S-3txXb1OnpuW3Ps2aNl1ovHlOtTo2w3VoSs5XPWCO5pcXSNUxX65PwxMgTZQkLdw2CXWHMGds52GfrUSTztsybCune6euIqqea6SXSAruVOXXruZQnjpO77q_Ln5c/s1600-h/IMG_2957.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyfp7OuVMvk079S-3txXb1OnpuW3Ps2aNl1ovHlOtTo2w3VoSs5XPWCO5pcXSNUxX65PwxMgTZQkLdw2CXWHMGds52GfrUSTztsybCune6euIqqea6SXSAruVOXXruZQnjpO77q_Ln5c/s400/IMG_2957.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427051642103010978" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 300px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6stGEHHfXg9K0V1JV4o11oJs6EuApG2lzYE3oSdWuJMnYwnt_KEK6CkMORwT3Nl_qYUfbFTJhaaGiY9wJ79xConkMGcH1F1qJ3KazaEGZysyKIm1N6DHq9WLoVKPShD2I4VKo6ZNHsUY/s1600-h/IMG_2959.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6stGEHHfXg9K0V1JV4o11oJs6EuApG2lzYE3oSdWuJMnYwnt_KEK6CkMORwT3Nl_qYUfbFTJhaaGiY9wJ79xConkMGcH1F1qJ3KazaEGZysyKIm1N6DHq9WLoVKPShD2I4VKo6ZNHsUY/s400/IMG_2959.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427051650616203682" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 300px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">I had to laugh at the clothes hanging out to dry!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">We were drenched to the bone! Seriously my hair</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">looked like I had just stepped out of the shower.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">(No photos, thank you very much!)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The thought of staying in those wet clothes </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">for a bus ride and then a 90 minute trip</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> to Teverola was not very appealing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">So we tried to push those thoughts</span></div>
<div style="color: #140201;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> away and enjoy the evening. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">"It is what it is,"</span></div>
<div style="color: #140201;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> went through my mind several times.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCIc9B5wWQCANmjzc4IdzV3CBkMCwCMH2OhCZjY17fbosPS6ZXaiOAdf6HT86ExVYQwPa3EUXwqbwqSlL-Mz_JjXrmTMfIN-rQBORf9gUADr6I3_gHYl2rqJpNaYyHwfmP6SRBC29v1I/s1600-h/IMG_2965.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCIc9B5wWQCANmjzc4IdzV3CBkMCwCMH2OhCZjY17fbosPS6ZXaiOAdf6HT86ExVYQwPa3EUXwqbwqSlL-Mz_JjXrmTMfIN-rQBORf9gUADr6I3_gHYl2rqJpNaYyHwfmP6SRBC29v1I/s400/IMG_2965.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427053049321904594" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 300px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">We came across a little chapel</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">near the top of the mountain.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IF8mRDTWLbUjF7dK-qyuxEDHhd_ktlh0GZSyCA4h1Vc76I_LY2pfz4A08NJRndSCQbiT47O_iOHLeIaAnc5fuhGaFNCnu5TuOamfSar5NDYXxJaL-wmNCqYs8dOkZlTXWujyj0xB8nE/s1600-h/IMG_2968.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IF8mRDTWLbUjF7dK-qyuxEDHhd_ktlh0GZSyCA4h1Vc76I_LY2pfz4A08NJRndSCQbiT47O_iOHLeIaAnc5fuhGaFNCnu5TuOamfSar5NDYXxJaL-wmNCqYs8dOkZlTXWujyj0xB8nE/s400/IMG_2968.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427053053181208802" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Jim was in his glory with this adventure </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> and even more so when he met some</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">bonified, Italian boys scouts!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbUTTJHGYNhvxxwSuWT-HpPV4jBAGzdYbvkaWzH33eB8KHK_DdaWdFXEpBtY0XTxkbUkKhkhgbbryqrfVUU5yFbbrKO_oLsG4lFvOr2mJJDr_IL6SF0eJh8hqgFEQ59vhNnketXypC9I/s1600-h/IMG_2978.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbUTTJHGYNhvxxwSuWT-HpPV4jBAGzdYbvkaWzH33eB8KHK_DdaWdFXEpBtY0XTxkbUkKhkhgbbryqrfVUU5yFbbrKO_oLsG4lFvOr2mJJDr_IL6SF0eJh8hqgFEQ59vhNnketXypC9I/s400/IMG_2978.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427054187228344834" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">We climbed some more and came across</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">another ancient place of worship.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Check out the carving behind</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Jim on the walls and the 3-D</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">fresco wall/sculpture below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAwaGrk-1pEWNbRPJyqDMz5FrlrmljgxCdL9zjM4u3c-U8tIZNzS-JZifcsynqag_BIGov5ab-pJlUmLAEbN5AyhbWXfm8zryjPfwKnDVNlMtXbE7HhzbP_UdsNC2uMEIPSA5icq7kGk/s1600-h/IMG_2974.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAwaGrk-1pEWNbRPJyqDMz5FrlrmljgxCdL9zjM4u3c-U8tIZNzS-JZifcsynqag_BIGov5ab-pJlUmLAEbN5AyhbWXfm8zryjPfwKnDVNlMtXbE7HhzbP_UdsNC2uMEIPSA5icq7kGk/s400/IMG_2974.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427054194901377362" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIHIqZAVAYvCHN918Wj7yS6c8sNEaWsJq7ybFbb10vuH4om_HE6UPA1R03d7AIRvKlaL1QzwSJNDIOLf-2aVQUNvba57JAlVlIVJA9TPOeDjzSaEFk067TG7aAORXT8pVNc1CpPMNuno/s1600-h/IMG_2972.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIHIqZAVAYvCHN918Wj7yS6c8sNEaWsJq7ybFbb10vuH4om_HE6UPA1R03d7AIRvKlaL1QzwSJNDIOLf-2aVQUNvba57JAlVlIVJA9TPOeDjzSaEFk067TG7aAORXT8pVNc1CpPMNuno/s400/IMG_2972.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427057717771369298" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Wet kidlets!</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">The boys look so little here!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqalFKKHx9YhCRC_REyTM10ZwE08e64MyHJExNksaMo15mwQzs_SBJ3qFB47u-GYpkmkEBKZML4b9nzO-mDvQAt6G7WhbFnR5SUSmNq710i4Ehe6MTyHokqnISY6ou4JPuu_7jSHNeHU/s1600-h/IMG_2971.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqalFKKHx9YhCRC_REyTM10ZwE08e64MyHJExNksaMo15mwQzs_SBJ3qFB47u-GYpkmkEBKZML4b9nzO-mDvQAt6G7WhbFnR5SUSmNq710i4Ehe6MTyHokqnISY6ou4JPuu_7jSHNeHU/s400/IMG_2971.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427057151936495282" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">At last...drumroll...</span></b></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;" />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25px; text-align: center;">
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
What we came for, at the very top of the mountain.</div>
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They had even brought a huge ox up here. </div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
I don't remember ever seeing a real ox before.</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
Do you?</div>
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<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Precepe Vivente~The Living Nativity</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
with the youngest baby of the village</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
as the baby Jesus</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
and his parents as Mary and Joseph.</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;"></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5ZqG1yelEBVK3eN3eKS7ySfgqAT2BEcd2B_FF8bJAuz3bizpqhr2Q6eKw2IK-kydVD5mtTPsMsHT05f4YNg78UYOQhiHKgQlcMasUn1AAXRC-84aAV-DahGde9WTFvzL2aEy5_iD6DI/s1600-h/IMG_2980.JPG" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5ZqG1yelEBVK3eN3eKS7ySfgqAT2BEcd2B_FF8bJAuz3bizpqhr2Q6eKw2IK-kydVD5mtTPsMsHT05f4YNg78UYOQhiHKgQlcMasUn1AAXRC-84aAV-DahGde9WTFvzL2aEy5_iD6DI/s400/IMG_2980.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427055374870120146" style="border: 1px solid rgb(20, 2, 1); cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Once down we had our dinner while</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">waiting for our tour bus to pick us up.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">If you haven't tried a picnic on a mountain,</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">at night, soaked to the gills,</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">in December, in Italy...you should!</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">It is a relief to say, "Been there, done that,"</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">and then to move on!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;"></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px; text-align: center;">
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>Looking back from a nice, warm, dry perspective,</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>it was a great experience. This love for Italy is forever!</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>They really know how to live life, </b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>enjoy everything and honor their traditions.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>We were so sad to even think about leaving.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>La Dolce Vita...</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>Even when we were wet and cold and shivering.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>This memory will bond us as a family for years to come.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>We had four generation participating </b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>with Jim's mom there too.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>Traditions, Bonding, Family</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>are all major components of a </b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>Christ-Centered Christmas.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic;"><b>Hope you enjoyed this armchair visit to Italia!</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><b>Buon Natale!</b></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-421770883465385103.post-17562809240766733022014-12-11T06:07:00.001-08:002014-12-11T06:09:14.763-08:00The Continuing Celebration of Christmas<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3WaYAMU6ag/Uq3heyDw9YI/AAAAAAAAiZs/gDM70xIBKSY/s1600/176892570c281744a2d20f369e4c9ad0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #787878; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3WaYAMU6ag/Uq3heyDw9YI/AAAAAAAAiZs/gDM70xIBKSY/s640/176892570c281744a2d20f369e4c9ad0.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(233, 233, 233); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="432" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Even before our written languages, man has been keeping a record of life. We see this in cave art and in ancient traditions passed down from generation to generation. Archaeologists continually uncover ancient artifacts that tell stories of the ancients that created them. As Christians we know that historically, genealogies have been important through our study of the scriptures. Exactly why is it so important to know who begat who back in those days? Or even now for that matter? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">This is something I have been pondering for a long time and I have learned some things that are significant to our family in researching and discovering who we truly are. If we pay attention to the history of who we come from, we learn valuable life lessons and get a grander perspective of life and spiritual matters. We understand who we are in deeper ways and it fortifies our gratitude as we learn of the lives of our forbearers.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">If we think of our lives as just our own existence and the family members we actually know while they are alive our view is quite myopic. It is a bit like living in one place all our lives and never seeing what goes on outside of that little triangle of home, school and work in that tiny community. Traveling outside of our tiny village and seeing life in a bigger way</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">spatially</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;"> is very broadening and educational. In the same way, looking beyond our living generations is too. Both time and space are great teachers when it comes to a more comprehensive perspective of who we really are.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PQDiO3kzNfU/Uq5NhJNGk8I/AAAAAAAAiaA/3ExImpNh7Js/s1600/bda887fab8e7f53fa71023258f74e217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #787878; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PQDiO3kzNfU/Uq5NhJNGk8I/AAAAAAAAiaA/3ExImpNh7Js/s640/bda887fab8e7f53fa71023258f74e217.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(233, 233, 233); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Our family has a heritage of being Christians that spans a period of nearly 500 years that I know of so far. Not just our American ancestors but our Italians, our Swedes and our English and our Welsh born family members as well. It includes our pioneers, our soldiers, our statesmen and our farmers. There are also our teachers, doctors and nurses and adventurers and our parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. This Christian Heritage is as much a part of who we are as a family as our DNA. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">If we knew more of our ancestors and their descendants we would know that every major war has affected our family personally. We have ancestors and family members that fought, were maimed or killed in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WW I and II and every conflict since. We have lots of family that crossed that terrifying sea in the hopes and faith of a better life in America. Imagine for a moment the courage that took and the hardships endured which lead to blessings in our own lives. That type of bravery can only be developed through faith in God and the hope of a good outcome.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">As we come to know them we recognize that they had serious trials and they overcame them often with sheer grit and fervent prayers. Their faith in God sustained them and brought them peace along the way. Faith eased their fears as they moved forward in their struggles. Because they chose faith in God they benefited from it. God does not insist we believe, He invites us to develop a desire to come unto Christ and find rest in him.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Imagine how the Mayflower passengers felt when their companion ship, the Speedwell, sprung some leaks just out of the harbor and had to turn back! Had they not had that enduring faith in their God they would have truly been alone on the voyage at that point. Our ancestor was the only passenger to have made this voyage before, and his faith was important to them when times and waters got rough.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Many of our ancestors accepted that invitation to have faith in Christ. Many found Him in their own time and in their own way. We have found evidence of members of many sects in our family, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals, and Mormons.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>The compelling component in all of these religions </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>is Jesus Christ born in that humble stable in Bethlehem of Judea.</b></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Their testimonies are reminders to us in times of trials and they have reassured us of who we are. People who have chosen faith. Christians. The sense of gratitude our ancestors had over the smallest things is humbling and a constant reminder of the Giver of every good thing. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">So it is uplifting and edifying to know we are a family that over centuries has chosen to believe. Of course not everyone, as we all have our agency to choose, but many have had faith in Christ. An understanding of that brings hope into our lives everyday. We are a part of something bigger than a little nuclear family. Our faith is something that is steadfast and not caught up in every wind of current affairs or doctrine, pop culture or politics sculpted by the media. Holding fast to the iron rod of God's word has blessed us richly.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">The earliest known baptism in our family was into The Church of England indicating faith in Jesus Christ. It occurred in England on 30 April 1581 at Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England. Stephen Hopkins was the infant son of John Hopkins and Elizabeth Williams. I would suppose this indicates also that his parents were believers since it was an infant baptism. That same Stephen Hopkins, one day found his way to the Mayflower.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Stephen Hopkins was a strong and faithful Christian. He relied on his faith in God through a frightening shipwreck on his first journey to America, he suffered persecution for his thoughts of breaking from the rule of the Crown on that first trip to America while being marooned for months in Barbados. On his return to America on the Mayflower, he was instrumental in resolving Native American conflicts, and turning them into an enduring friendship with the Wampagnog people on the shores of America. He endured extreme poverty, deprivation and near starvation and the loss of his little son, Oceanus, the only child born on the Mayflower voyage, when he was but seven years of age. Life was painfully hard in the early years of the colonization. Through his faith Stephen prevailed.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">That one thing is more significant to me than any notoriety regarding being on the Mayflower. The greatest thing about all of that is that much is known and written about these early pilgrims. That is the gem in finding them in our family tree. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">The significant thing here is that Christ and Christmas were important to our ancestors for many many generations. And that it is central to our lives still today. The message of faith and hope in Christ and the agency to chose for ourselves, is one of God's greatest gifts to us. No one is forced, only invited.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Another of our ancestor's with a beautiful faith was, Lillie Briggs, my paternal great-grandmother.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gIhBqhDFLF4/UrCkLAN_vCI/AAAAAAAAifA/GhSkbX1jdNc/s1600/Scan+132510001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #787878; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gIhBqhDFLF4/UrCkLAN_vCI/AAAAAAAAifA/GhSkbX1jdNc/s640/Scan+132510001.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(233, 233, 233); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Lillie Briggs and Martin Allen Godfrey her husband.</b></span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Lillie came across the plains in a cover wagon with her parents, siblings and two other families when she was 13 years old; our own Julia's age. They stopped each Sabbath Day to honor it, on their journey to North Dakota and to study and talk about the Gospel and to give thanks. Sometimes they would pull up to a church building and listen to the sermons though the open windows from their wagons. She wrote to her children shortly before she died and she bore testimony to them that she had prayed for them daily since she had come to know Christ and that they should do the same. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jkO4iwo7AT0/UrCstCDXTKI/AAAAAAAAifs/cJd9-1-mgig/s1600/MArtin+W+Godfrey+Bible.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #787878; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jkO4iwo7AT0/UrCstCDXTKI/AAAAAAAAifs/cJd9-1-mgig/s640/MArtin+W+Godfrey+Bible.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(233, 233, 233); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Lillie left her testimony in this Bible </span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #990000;">she gave to her son Martin Willie Godfrey.</span></b></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">My Maternal Great Grandmother, Mary Davies, left her testimony in a little Welsh Bible that I have: She wrote on the covers the following in 1866:</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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The Translation of the little poem that is written</div>
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on both the front and back covers of this Bible<br />is transcribed below. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">There is one missing page so I'm filling in contextually.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Mary Davies is my name</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Troedywrair, Cilycum is my nation.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Penrhuviar is my dwelling place.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b> Jesus Christ is my Salvation.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>When I'm gone and in my grave</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>And all my bones be wroten (rotten)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>In this Bible you'll find my name</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>So I'll not be quite forgotten.</b></span></div>
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**<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Place names spellings yet to be verified</span>.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Here in St. Matthew, Mary learned of the mission of Jesus Christ in this tiny Welsh Bible. It is such a blessing to have this one thing that testifies of who she really was. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Obituary after obituary of our ancestors state what upstanding Christian people they were. I know they were flowery back then when it came to obituaries, but they didn't have to say anything about a person's religion. The description of their character was enough. No matter how humble their lives were, they served others and lived good lives based on Christian principles. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">This Cape Cod church is a place we visited on our trip east this year. This is the first church on the Cape and my ninth Great-Grandfather, Thomas Newcomb, was the minister here in Truro, Massachusetts. He baptized six of his children in 1717 here in the original building built on this exact footprint. The replica built in the early 1800s now stands on this place. Many ancestors are buried just to the viewer's right. The spirit was very strong here for us when we visited.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Our Swedish ancestors were baptized and confirmed a member of their Lutheran churches on all of our lines and kept that faith long after they came to America. Because of them my brothers and I were raised as Lutherans by our parents. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">Jim's Italian family brought their Catholic heritage from the old country to the new. Some of them remained Catholic while others deferred to other sects like the Episcopalian faith and The Church of Christ.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;"> Some of our ancestors from England cared enough about their Christian faith and worshipping according to the dictates of their own hearts, to leave England and come to America where they could worship as they chose. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">The important thing to us is that they chose faith in Christ and it was central to them. That gives us comfort to know they were blessed because of their faith as we have been. It is wonderful to know Christianity has long been a life-changing tradition in our family.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">So this season we celebrate Christmas with different cultural traditions than our forefathers did, but with the same intent. We celebrate the Savior's birth in that stable in Bethlehem, but more importantly His life, teachings and example and above all, His Atonement for all of us. If there cannot be peace on earth just yet, we can still find it in our faith in Christ.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;">After working with lots of people on their family history these past four years I would venture a guess your story is not that different than ours in many respects. Your heritage, no matter what it may be, is a big part of who you have become. May you find joy in who you are because of who they were. Merry Christmas!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.6399993896484px;" /><br />
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