Let's add a little sewing project into the mix....

Finally...can I say that again.?... FINALLY!..

I got a sewing project finished.

You would think that getting a little dress

made would be a piece of cake,

but not for me!

I have had fifty-million things going on

and getting time to sew has been

way down on the priority list...

but here it is.....

Lily was so excited to put it on and

twirl around......

I have two more just like it in the works
for my other granddaughters...
let's just hope I get them done before
they go to college!

An "Open-Door" Policy...

I have always wanted my home to be

a place that is welcoming.

For years we have had a steady flow of missionaries

come and go. We've fed them, done their laundry,

tried to be a home-away-from-home

and because of that I have had the privilege

to get to know some pretty special young men.

Our ward was the first area for Elder Barnes.

After he had been here a few weeks I received

a note in the mail from his parents.

I later called them to let them know that their

son was doing great and that they raised

a wonderful young man.

Elder Barnes' parents and little brother

came to pick him up in July and

came by for a quick visit.

Such a sweet family.

At the same time Elder Barnes was going home,
Elder Kafu (on the right) was going home too.
It was so sad to say goodbye to him.
He served a great mission.
Elder Anderson (on the left) is still in our ward..
he makes me laugh!

The end of June brought a quick visit from another
former missionary, Miles Crosby and his father.
It's hard for me think of Miles as a "former" anything..
he's my adopted son!
Who would have thought that a young man
spending a brief time in my ward
would create such a lasting friendship.
We were so excited to finally meet his dad!

The afternoon I got home from South Carolina brought
another visitor just a few hours later...
Brent Thurgood...yes..another former missionary,
but once again...a dear friend,
was driving through!
We all went out to dinner and he spent the night.
Brent was the missionary who taught and
baptized Beth....
that makes him an important part of our family!

The South re-visited...May 2009.....

Months ago Maldia invited me to come

back to South Carolina,

this time to actually have more that 1 1/2 days...

so this trip....I spent a week...and loved every minute!

One evening we took Maldia's mom, Verna Mae to the river

to look for shells and enjoy the water.

This is a seafood restaurant on the Island of Port Royal.
Fresh seafood?....yip...below is the boat that brought in
the delicious shrimp and scallops we dined on.

I absolutely love the water....

Beaufort, SC is home to three military installations...
Naval Air Station, Naval Hospital and Parris Island.
I thought this statue with the setting sun behind it
gave reason for reflection...
to remember those who have protected our country
and to think of those who now serve!

Just 2 1/2 hours away is the Columbia, South Carolina Temple.
We spent one day at the temple.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve
within those sacred walls.
As we entered the temple president and matron greeted us
and when we left we were thanked and
given a warm embrace!

Another day we went to Hilton Head Island...
this is just a view of the harbor...
we ate lunch and watch boats come and go!

The last evening of my trip, Maldia and I went "Crabbing!"
Her dad got lines for us, a net, weights for the lines..
and guess what you "catch" crabs with...
rotten chicken necks!
You tie the chicken necks to your weighted lines,
lower them to the bottom and wait....
then...you carefully pull up your line..and
low and behold...you just might have a blue crab
dining on the chicken.
We only caught five..not enough for a meal,
so the crabby little guys went back to their watery home!
While we were on the dock crabbing I turned around
only to see dolphins playing nearby in the water...
Totally awesome!

Savannah, GA was the final destination.

We spent a quick evening there...I fell in love

with the town and hope to return there

next year!!

The blessing of lasting friendships....

One of the highlights of my Utah trip was reconnecting

with my dear friend Sharon!

Our other friend, Arlene, was supposed to drive up

from San Diego so the three of us could spend a few

days together, but unfortunately Arlene became

ill the day before she was to leave Cali.

Although we really missed Arlene, Sharon and I

managed to have GREAT TIME!

Sharon and I met in Provo the summer of 1983...

I had moved into a rental house for what turned out to

be a couple months.

Sharon was my neighbor who lived across the street.

We quickly became friends....

and now all these years later, after raising our families,

we got to have time together.

We enjoyed fun lunches, hours and hours of talking,

laughing and sharing our life experiences!

We even found time to sew a duvet cover for her bed

the last night in my hotel room!

Her sweet husband, Al, carried her sewing machine

through the hotel lobby and up to my room...

We had a great night sewing and gabbing...

just like we did so many years ago!

Sharon...thank you for touching my life!

I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday...

What's a trip to Utah without seeing a temple or

two, or three, or four...

you get the idea!

When I joined the church 34 years ago there were

16 temples throughout the world...

now....temples dot the earth.....

Truly the fulness of the Gospel continues to spread

across the earth....how blessed we are!

While waiting for my friend Barbara to pick me up for dinner

I looked behind and couldn't resist this view of

the Salt Lake Temple.

Jeanette, Cindy and I did an endowment session in the
Jordon River Temple.

This is the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

It wasn't quiet finished when we drove by,

but from the steps of this temple you can see the

Jordon River Temple....

where else but in Utah.

The Draper Temple has just been dedicated shortly before

we got there. It sets up on the bench of the mountain

at the far southern end of the Salt Lake Valley.

Women's Conference @ BYU......

The end of April Jeanette and I flew out of Kansas City

heading for Salt Lake City.

We were suppose to meet Cindy, Jeanette's long-time friend

who was flying in from Florida.

Our flights were scheduled to arrive

within an hour of each other,

but not everything works out the way you plan.

Cindy's flight ended up being delayed for hours....

So Jeanette and I got a taxi and headed for temple square!

Temple Square is one of

the most beautiful places in the Spring.

Flowers bloom everywhere...in every color imaginable!

It was great to be back on the BYU campus.

I've always loved seeing the "Y"......

And though it was Spring you wouldn't know by looking at the mountains!

The conference was filled with one inspiring talk after another....

Just a quick photo inside the Marriott Center....

it was amazing to be with thousands of women,

women who love the Lord, are living the Gospel...

there was such unity among us.

The Land of Enchantment...aka Albuquerque

In mid-February I traveled to Albuquerque for a one week vacation.

New Mexico and Albuquerque are beautiful places....

a varied and interesting landscaping!

You can shop for turquoise jewelry while eating green chili on all types of food.

Enchanting to say the least!

The sunsets are spectacular, as you can see in this view

of the mountain as we drove along Tramway.

Albuquerque, NM is my second home and I'm blessed to have wonderful family living there. Each time I visit I am always sad to go back home. The above picture is of my dear Aunt Betty and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Amber and Philip had us all over for dinner. The little kids are so cute and friendly and their parents are equally as wonderful.
My Aunt Betty is absolutely amazing! She is in Senior Basketball and travels with her team. They are real champions! She has never colored her hair, she is always learning something new, she goes daily to the care facility to feed and watch over her husband who suffers from advanced stages of Alzheimer's, she grows a garden, hikes in the mountains and is 85 years young. She is my idol and everyone who meets her loves her!

I have been blessed with wonderful, Evy. We've only been able to spend time together for about the past 13 years, but from the very beginning we have had a strong connection. Sometimes we mourn the loss of not growing up together, but we both know that everything is in the Lord's hands and that his timing is always perfect. You just never know how and when a blessing will come into your life...Evy is one of my greatest blessings!