GRAMMA'S TAXI

This is my role on school days.  I make the rounds in our little area and pick up two little boys along with my Haylee and deliver them to the bus stop.

You see, they all used to walk to the bus stop.  Haylee was the only girl with 8 little boys!  So, I still accompanied her.  Then ~ lo and behold the district changed the bus routes to make them safer.  Two buses ~ one for either side of the busy thoroughfare.  Now there are only 3 boys and Haylee.  One little boy lives at the other end of the bus stop.  The new stop is quite a bit further away and doesn't seem to be so safe.  There were three cars trying to find places to park each morning and there was really only one place available.   It just seemed so silly to me, plus one little boy's mom had to drag out a baby and she usually was in her robe.  One day I just got out of my car and walked up to her and the dad  of the other little boy and asked if I could just pick them up each morning.  They were happy to let me do that, and it works for the most part.  We sometimes have to wait for one little boy what seems like forever.  We listen to music, keep warm in the car, talk about all sorts of fun things, sometimes have some minor disagreements or pouting, a few unexpected rude noises, but most generally a happy few minutes wait for the school bus.  I find it very rewarding to not only spend time each morning with Haylee, but to get to know the two little boys as well!

ANGELS

Oh, I believe in angels!

They are real.

They have faces.

They have names.

They call us on the phone.

They sometimes hold our hand.

They walk among us.

They know when we need comfort or help.

Some are HERE

and some are THERE

Angels, angels everywhere!

I LOVE ANGELS!

FAMILY = COMFORT & JOY

Each and every day it is my family that makes it all worth while!  I am so blessed to have been placed in this family.  I am so grateful for all those who came before me, and the choices and sacrifices they made, and their faith and testimonies and obedience, so that I could be born in the covenant and live in this promised land.  The influence of my grandparents, parents, and siblings ~ Not a day goes by that I don't think of them.  I am so thrilled to have so many aunts & uncles & cousins that have touched my heart and made my life so colorful and full.  A rich array of nieces and nephews that I adore...And my babies ~ Toni, Todd & Andi ~ my precious children, my treasures, my hope, my comfort,  how tender that they chose me! ... but the joy of having a grand daughter is to have a slice of heaven!  I love you so, Haylee!

the secret is ... she loves me, too!

BISCUITS & SAUSAGE GRAVY ~ YUM!

Yep!  It was a biscuit & sausage gravy kind of morning!  You know what I mean ~  everyone slept in ~ no hurry to get dressed ~ don't have to be anywhere but home!

So...  Sausage gravy & biscuits it is! 

Comfort food.  Memory jogger.  Mmmmmmmmmmm...

Wish you were here!



HERE'S TO YOU! A TOAST FROM ME!

OF COURSE THAT IS SPARKLING CIDER!

WHAT DID YOU THINK IT WAS?!

Here's to you, Bev!  I'm on top of that accepted challenge!

Here's to you, My Girls!  Having you near me warms my heart!

Here's to you, my family and friends!  You buoy me up!

Here's to you, 11 o'clock church!  I'm liking the extra time in the morning to review my lesson.

Here's to you, my Primary class!  I'm in love with you already!

Here's to you, 2012!  You have made a fabulous start!

A SEASON OF BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS

IN HIS GLORY by Del Parson

As I ponder on this past year, I can say that through the tender mercies of the Lord I can handle hard things.  With Him  before me I can face challenges with a strength I don't possess on my own.  Through His love I can smile when tears threaten.  In any looming darkness, I feel His warmth on my face and His arms around me.

In my lack I find bounteous blessings.  I understand the trials that beset me are teaching me humility.   The service opportunities  that present themselves to me make me more loving and compassionate.   The hurts that fall upon me teach me forgiveness.  Not knowing what comes tomorrow has increased my faith and my faith has given me greater hope. 

I am filled with JOY at knowing I have a loving Father in Heaven and His Son that know my heart and bless & comfort me.

I am grateful for my precious family ( both here & there), my increased health, my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the angels that constantly keep watch over me. 

I cherish the lessons learned and blessings showered on me in 2011 and hope that I can keep my countenance reflecting the joy that I feel and share that joy with all those I am around in 2012! 

With much love to you for being in my life, my wish for you is to have a

HAPPY JOYOUS & BLESSED NEW YEAR!

For My SUNSHINE!

ANDREA ANN HALL

~ANDI~

My world became brighter on November 3, 1982.

That was the night that you took your first breath  ~ and took my breath away.

Carrying you within me for those precious 9 months created so much joy, but the joy that was to come made that pale in comparison.

Such a happy baby!

Just look at that SMILE!

You entered this world so easily, I think you must have been so excited and anxious to meet your family waiting here!  It had been a long wait for us - twelve years since your brother joined us!

I couldn't stop looking at you.  You were so perfect.

Indeed, you were everything I dreamed you would be.  What a good baby!

O, the fun of dressing you in frilly pastel dresses with lots of ruffles.  Little bows in your hair.  That wonderful scent of baby powder and lotion!

Loving

Your hugs and kisses

The cute little treasures you created in school

The dandelions you picked for me

Watching you be so tender with your babydolls

That repeated "Mom, LOOK!" as you performed something new

That lump in my throat "Hi, Mom" at your gymnastic recital

Hearing the giggles of you with your friends

Learning to skate

Ride a bike

Getting your driver's license
Your first car

Your first job

Your first place of your own

The tears of JOY at hearing "You're going to be a Gramma"

Watching you become a woman, a mother, a great friend

Yes, YOU are my Sunshine!

Feeling helpless to stop your pain at

Losing your Grandma

Your BEST friend - your BROTHER

Your Grandpa

Your Aunt Norene

Your Aunt Wanda

Your Aunt Lena

Watching you become stronger

Loving

Your determination

Your strength

Your loyalty

Your honesty

Your tenderness

Your creativity

Your generosity

Your helpfulness

Your beauty within and without

I am so proud of you ,  my baby girl!

HaPpy hApPy BirTHdAy!

You make me happy when skies are grey -

and ALL the time.

THESE LITTLE HANDS

Ten little hand-prints!

These were done in our Primary classroom, tracing each little hand, by the Primary President and myself at the beginning of summer.  I thought they were going to be used in a program or given to the bishopric.  Anyway, I had forgotten them.  The weekend of our family reunion, the presidency gave a "thank you" get-together lunch that I obviously missed.  They handed out these cut-out prints, each class tied together, to each teacher.  I got mine yesterday before Primary began.

What a treasure! 

Each one draws up the memory of that child's sweet face, and smiles that light up my world.  Each one brings the thought of it with it's tiny partner folded together in reverence or prayer.  Each one re-creates the picture of it waving in the air excitedly to share something wonderful with me, or to answer a question.  Each one brings that warm remembrance of feeling it slip into my hand with faith and love.

These hands have touched my life in ways they will never know.

But, most of all -

These hands have touched my HEART!

I LOVE my Primary children!

A Drop in the Bucket?

Our stake had a blood drive yesterday.  I have been a donor for many years and really was excited about the prospect of helping someone.  I have really tiny veins.  It usually takes a couple of tries to find a good one.  I therefore end up with holes and bruises every time.  Well, after three different attendants, both arms, two different chairs, turning the second chair around, and getting the supervisor they managed to find a vein and hook me up!  Oops!  Seems that it wasn't flowing at a very good rate.  I usually fill the bag very quickly.  My blood is extremely rich in iron - they say it is more like a man's blood than most women. 

Well, as I lay there waiting and squeezing the little ball they gave me, I was able to muse on Mom and Dad and their attempt at donating blood.  Dad was an excellent donor for many years.  I think he received a lifetime of free blood for his service.  He had an international blood type O2, which only 7% of the population have.  It can donate to any other blood type but only receive blood from another O2.  I remember thinking how cool he was for being so special and in demand!   Then there was Mom...  she always wanted to donate.  She told me once that every time the opportunity came up, she was either at "that time of the month" or pregnant!  When she was finally through with all that "female" stuff,  she went to donate, and they wouldn't take her blood.  It seems that she had really LOW iron.  She pulled down her lower eyelid to show me that inside of it was barely tinged pink when it should have been a healthy red.  (I told that to the supervisor who poked me and she said she was going to check that out on the rest of the donors that day.)  Mom's doctor did give her an iron supplement, but they didn't work, because her system just wouldn't absorb it.  I think she chose not to have the shots.

I feel so grateful to my parents for setting a good example to me. 

I was rudely torn form my musing by a very annoying high-pitched sound coming from the little scale my bag of blood was resting on.  The supervisor came running over and said the bag was filling too slowly and she needed to move the needle slightly to help it run better.  She did turn the needle and twist and push and I almost came straight up off my chair.  In all the years of being poked and bruised, I had never experienced any pain.  Omygosh - this was not fun anymore!  She said the needle and vein was laying hard on a nerve, and to keep me from getting a knot in the vein or the nerve she had to pull the needle.  Well, the bag was only 3/4 full which means that it can only be used for testing purposes and can not be given to a patient.  I was crushed.  I felt I had wasted everyone's time as well as a bag of blood!  If you know me, you know what happened next.  Yep!  I started to leak from my eyes.  This cute little supervisor thought she had really hurt me badly.  I explained that it was mere disappointment, and she said she totally understood as she had had a similar experience. 

The only other time I was not able to complete a donation was at the LDS Hospital before Mom went in for her heart surgery.  My vein had simply closed before the bag was full.  I really felt torn up over that.  It was a gift for my Mom!

So, I really did have good intentions, but didn't even leave a drop in the bucket.

Past Attempts at Greatness

Cleaning the garage brought forth a few of my attempts at ART.  Some I feel pretty good about, and others  - well, let me just say - I tried.  Most of these were done in highschool, a couple when I was first married, and two in honor of my grand daughter's birthdays.

This woodcut was done my sophmore year.  My first attempt at woodcutting and printing.

Same period - first of five prints on this woodcut - Top String.  Have no idea who has the others.  Because these are old, they are both becoming very fragile.  the paper is yellowing and crinkly!  O, wait, so am I! 



Following are some of the water colors that I painted my Junior year.  Most were done on site.

This was in the Washington fields looking toward Pine Valley Mountain.

Front view of same housein the fields
.

Backside of an old house in Santa Clara close to the Jacob Hamblin home.

Painted in the classroom.

Read about this one Here

Portrait of a fellow classmate done in conte crayon my senior year.

(I did get the art award that year)

This was drawn from looking at a photo of a dear friend in the 70's.

Following are a few pencil sketches I did when I was first married.

I loved sketching trees!  I still doodle trees.

 -done in crayon on a foam board for Haylee's B-day party a couple of years ago.   They played pin the shades on the rock star - with sun-glasses made out of art foam.  (Haylee put the bright circles on the cheeks at a later time) 

-dry erase markers for Haylee's party

My next attempt will be scanning some of my ancient poetry to muse on!