Ahhhh :) Thanks for noticing . . .

It felt so good today, there I was browsing my usual favorite spots in the few minutes I've had for the blogging world this week.

And ran across this simple notable mention at Modern Molly Mormon and it just warmed my heart. Somebody noticed . . .

This will probably be my last post until after the wedding on Saturday. I've just had to made a little pact with myself to stay away from the computer this week with sooooo many projects to complete. I get on to check email . . . . and well you know . . .

Just a few little glimpses of the wedding plans if anyone is interested.

We created a beautiful reception guest book online at Shutterfly.com. You can view it here.

Click here to view this photo book larger

The quilt is coming along nicely but sslllooowwwly as I'm still making up the 30 blocks that make the quilt. It looks pretty cute though I must say.

Thank you to my friends who are bringing their sewing machines over to help me. Thank you thank you soooo much! Now I just might be able to have it complete by this Saturday - the BIG day.

If there's anyone out there planning a wedding, I highly recommend these places:

We did a beautiful canvas bridal photo at artisticphotocanvas.com.

We ordered tulle, candles and ribbon from papermart.com.

And also more tulle and luminaries from efavormart.com.

The cake is from Cakes by Dawna and will be original and delicious.

Well . . . we're ever so excited. I'll see you all on the flip side. Can't wait for the updates about what's going on in YOUR life this week :)

p.s. - Oh! And I did find a pair of fantastic little shoes for the wedding . . .

What do you think?

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Ah ha! There you are . . .

I've just spent the most gorgeous time in the garden picking the beautiful raspberries that are coming on now. The branches are loaded down this year, and we are so blessed with an abundant crop. And besides they are beautiful, taste good and are actually good for you. You can kind of just graze while you're picking and don't have to feel guilty about it.

I don't know if you can tell from the photo but I had to put my little ingenious arm protectors on to protect my arms from all the scratchy thorns since they are also present in abundance. Really they are just long socks with the toes cut off, you slip them on and you can dig around in the raspberry bushes hunting for raspberries all you want.

My bucket was getting filled with raspberries and still I dropped a gorgeous raspberry right down into the middle of the bushes. I searched and searched for it. Didn't want a single one of these precious bites to be lost. Finally I found it on the ground, right down in the middle with all the rocks and weeds. I had to practically crawl along the ground under the prickly sharp bushes, that were tangling in my hair (ew! I'm sure there's yucky bugs now crawling on me somewhere . . .) and snatched it up from the ground and into the bucket.

As I was crawling down amidst the thorns and stickers I asked myself whatever motivated me to make this much effort to retrieve one little raspberry. After all, I had a bucket full. Surely, one more wouldn't make that much difference.

I think it was more the effort we have put into the garden to produce the crop. All the weeding, and nurturing with fertilizer, tender waterings, daily monitoring for problems and such. It would be a shame to lose one perfectly good raspberry.

And then it came to me. This must be very much how our Heavenly Father feels as he seeks so diligently after his lost sheep. Each one so precious, so loved, and nurtured that he can't bear the thought that one should be lost and not return or make it into the bucket with the rest. That he would spare no expense to find that lost one and bring them back.

I'm grateful for such a Heavenly Father. One who is aware of and knows each little raspberry:)

Have a wonderful day!

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It's Beginning to Look a lot . . .

Nope . . .

Not like Christmas . . .

A Wedding!

There I was just sewing away trying to complete 30 quilt blocks for Karianne's quilt in the next 24 hours when my doorbell started ringing and the dogs started to go wild.

Yay! It was the UPS man and the FED EX man. You know, it's crazy when they get to be pretty important men in your life . . .



Yay! I love packages and packages were arriving! That's what you get when you try to do a wedding by ordering everything online. And so far I must admit it's working pretty well. I'm just thinking of all the stores I didn't have to go to looking for the right tulle, ribbon and picking up photo enlargements. (Thank you Joy, who is currently in Denmark, I'm so envious, for the efavormart.com link, it's been a BIG hit, as has been papermart.com and weddingdepot.com - I'm developing a totally dependent relationship with those companies this week).




Oh! And the invitations are finally in the mail (except for the few I'm still working on ;~) Here's a sample - I think they're kinda cute.




Only two and a half weeks until the big day, it's getting close!

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Puppies and Quilts

Whoa - what a day . . .

I'm tending one of these LITTLE things this week . . .

(Cute little guide dog puppy named Mead - he's darling!)

and trying to sew one of these BIG things this week . . .

(Karianne's BUGGY BARN quilt - Spring Fever)

So far . . .

I think they're incompatible.

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We're Practicing . . .

Practicing what you might ask . . .

We're practicing being empty nesters. I'm not sure we're very good at it just yet.

Kelsie left Sunday for Heritage Tours. A three week LDS church history and American History tour with a group of friends. I hope she's having a good time. I wonder if she even misses us . . .

(Kelsie leaving on the bus tour for three weeks)

Karianne left today to spend 13 days in Ohio looking for an apartment and a job. She is just happy to be reunited with her honey after being apart for a week. I hope she's having a good time. I wonder if she even misses us . . .

(having breakfast on the way to the airport)

Hmmmm . . . I think I'll call Cory and see if he wants to come home for the weekend and be an "only child".

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Aloha! (or Happy Birthday Kelsie:)

Just special for our daughter Kelsie's all grown up and #18 birthday . . .

We will be making a brief stop on the tropical island of Hawaii today. Kelsie LOVES pineapple and she is sure to love this wonderful refreshing birthday treat.

I don't know what they are called . . . WAIT . . . Let's make up some exotic tropically delicious name . . .

How about . . . Pineapple Volcanos? . . . hmmmm . . . . Hawaiian Hula Heaven? . . . I'm open to suggestion!



Begin by cutting a whole fresh pineapple in half, cutting off the green top but leaving the shell intact on both sides so you can hollow it out for a bowl.

Use a pineapple corer or a sharp knife to go cut the meat and core out of the center of the pineapple bowl. Add the fresh pineapple to a bowl in which you will be mixing in other fruit later.


Add 3 to 4 of your other favorite fresh or frozen fruits. Today, I used frozen peaches from the orchard last fall, and frozen raspberries from the garden also. Throw in a handful of sweet strawberries halved and some blueberries for a little festive JULY holiday color - and VOILA!


Spoon a little fruit into the bottom of the pineapple bowl, top with two scoops of your favorite flavor of sherbet. Pile more fruit on top of the sherbet, add a straw.


Pour Fresca over the top of the whole creation - and yum! It looks delicious and is ready to eat!

Pretty healthy treat also - loaded with Vitamin C, visions of warm beaches and summer sun!

(I think she likes it!)

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Celebration Summer

It's July!

Ahhhh . . . . my favorite month of the year.

I LOVE July. I love the holidays spirit of July and feel so fortunate to be able to celebrate all month long starting with the festive season centering around the 4th of July, and finishing off the month with a love of heritage and pioneer ancestors with the 24th of July celebration which is A BIG holiday here in Utah.



I love to fly the flag!

I love to drive through my little hometown and see the flag lined streets. It makes me remember each time how grateful and proud I am to be an American. How blessed I am to live in this country of freedoms with its potential for great and wonderful opportunities (as well as the problems that the freedom of opposition of these opportunities create.)



I love parades. I'm always been an attender of parades. So many fond memories of parades of my younger days. Watching the big floats go by, I love a good marching band. I even love the crowds and excitement of the parade atmosphere, everyone jockeying for position, craning above the crowds as each decorated entry passes by. Sitting in the sun with dripping popsicles from the little boy who wove through the crowd pulling a cooler in a red wagon.

I love fireworks. I've been known to go sit and watch firework displays all by myself because I just can't pass up the opportunity. Ahhh . . . just the thought makes me tingle with excitement. I remember the glow on my little ones faces when as young children they enjoyed the wonder of little homegrown mini firework displays in the street in front of the house. Now as adults it means the bigger, brighter and tremendously awesome city displays at 4th of July community affairs accompanied by Neil Diamond and Lee Greenwood blasting at 10,000 megawatts. Did I tell you I'm a party person at heart!

I love the Pledge of Allegiance. When was the last time you said it?

I don't get that opportunity enough these days. But while walking last week I happened along the elementary school "last day of school retire the flag for the summer ceremony" and stopped to pledge my allegiance with the elementary school little ones. It was a breathtaking moment for me and I seldom can make it through the pledge or national anthem without a tear in my eye and an thrill in my heart.

I'm grateful for this great country, grateful to have this special month to celebrate.

I hope you all make wonderful memories this July.

(A glimpse at the random FACES from our 4th)

I ♥ Faces

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