These are pictures from two of my most memorable/ favorite Christmas's . I love Christmas. I don't particularly enjoy all the hustle and bustle, instead I prefer the simple side of Christmas. I like to keep decorations to a minimum and keep the spirit of Christmas and giving as a live as I can. I only like to have one tree because for some reason in my mind the tree represents Christ and I only need one of him in my life. I enjoy not having too much stuff to put up because I don't want to spend hours decorating...for me it seems to take away from the spirit of the holidays. I enjoy cooking, but more so when my family is around me helping me. I love when they are sitting rolling things out, or just talking with me and listening to music. I prefer simple meals and love to have snack items just laying around all day.

Anyway, one picture if of one of the last Christmas's I had with all four of my children at home. After this my son passed away and it always feels like someone is missing. For a few years after his death we would give him gifts...Gifts that would help us to be better people so that one day we could return and live with him again.

The other Christmas is last year.. The first time in a lot of years I was able to spend with my Father. It was a long road to get there but I did...and this picture reminds me of one of the miracles of Christ's birth.

Merry Christmas to anyone who may be reading this. I wish you and your family the best...what ever that might be for you.

Thanksgiving 2008

O.k. a very brief synopsis of what we did...ready....

Drive, see Las Vegas, Drive some more, See Dad, Barbara...meet some family of Barabara's...walk in the hills...walk along the beach...eat, eat and eat some more....drive....shop at outlet mall...try to sleep in worse hotel ever...drive some more...HOME! Clean, clean, Spend Sunday with Trevor. Loved it all! Even the driving was bearable...kids were great, even fun at times. Listened to 2 sessions of conference during part of it.

Oh, my favorite thing I saw.. Our old Cadillac. My parents bought it in 1966 and it was our family car for years...then it wasn't and we kept it in great shape. I have memories driving this thing to prom (well my date drove it) two years and even driving around town. enjoy!

also...movie is of the ocean...I really justed was enjoying the sound and my kids playing. Hope you do too.

GREAT DAY!

Yea! Today I got my oven fixed...finally. It took a long time and I am tired of cooking on the stove only and/or borrowing our neighbors oven..(although they were great to let us...thanks guys) AND.. I got my car back and it looks wonderful.

In case you didn't hear, I had a slight accident in my car. It was one of those moments where it seems so much is on your mind that you forget to...I don't know, take your car out of gear and not put the parking brake on and then go into the house only to come out and find your car across the street in the neighbor's bush.

But today...all fixed, as if nothing had ever happened. So here they are....

Fall colrs

I know I just did a post but this morning is an incredible morning. It is raining...it smells so wonderful. I decided to welcome this scent into my home and opened my front door. There in front of me were my two trees in the front yard. I planted these years ago. I didn't plan the coloring contrast that would occur each fall but love it and appreciate the beauty and wonder of this Earth.

I teach photosynthesis and plant pigments in Biology. It is a complex system of how a plant changes colors. The coolest part is how each plant has it's own unique combination of pigments which result in such a variety of sights.

The Lord truly wants each to have it's own characteristic. Imagine what we would be missing if we didn't have the variety we have. Imagine too, how dull our lives would be if we were all the same. It is our variety and differences that make this world so beautiful.

I hope we can all embrace the differences in each of us and love the colors, just as I am sitting enjoying the colors right outside my front yard.

Fall Fun

I didn't grow up in Utah. I grew up mostly in Chicago and Cincinnati. One thing that they have that I miss is big trees. Each fall I used to dread raking the leaves, but that chore was always made more fun with the concept of "jumping into the piles of leaves"

Here I am with my cute adorable Elizabeth using what leaves we have to make our own fall fun. Thanks goes out especially to the neighbor kids who made it even more fun. Love them so much.