Tis the Season

Ho ho hooo! I am dancing Santa Claus and I have a wish for you. Watch my dancing Santa video card at http://www.dancingsantacard.com/?santa=376310

It's Leaf raking time

It's been so long since I have posted anything that I am having to use those little gray cells to recall how to do it.

Have been raking leaves and raking leaves and raking more leaves - where do they all come from? And the sad thing is that my backyard tree still isn't done!!!! Wonderful Autumn! But really, the weather has been wonderful and I am enjoying it. But have to say.....NOT looking forward to Winter - don't like the snow and all the shoveling.

But life is good and life goes on.......

Baby Zoe arrives

We are so thrilled to have our first GREAT grandchild arrive on Saturday, September 5, 2009. She weighed 6 lb. 3 oz. and was 19 1/2" long......ZOE JESSICA TUKUAFU, born to Brigitte and Veni.

Welcome to this world, ZOE, we hope you grow strong and will be as beautiful as you look this day.

Denise plays organ

We went to visit Denise in Idaho last weekend, so here is the result of the infamous organ and it's travels from our house to hers. She loves it in her home and plays it nearly every day. She plays the organ in Sacrament meeting sometimes so now she has one to practice on in her own home.

Leap Frog Game - FUN

Try out this cute game: (click on the link):

Frog Lea p Test

Unusual temple blessings

I just want to share an experience Ray and I had last week as we were returning home from the Jordan River Temple after our evening shift. It was late and we were tired and eager to get home and not paying attention to our speed limit as we were traveling along 6200 South, when Ray noticed some twirling lights behind us. Yep - that right!!! We were pulled over by a police officer. I'm sure we were quite wide-eyed when he approached our car. He inquired of us if we knew how fast we were going and after an loooonnng embarrassing moment, Ray took a "guess" which of course was not even close. Then the young officer asked for identification and as he was examining Ray's drivers license, he must have noticed that we were dressed in Sunday clothes and inquired as to where we were coming from. We told him.....the temple.....after which he immediately returned the drivers license, advised us to hereafter watch our speed limit and then said these wonderful words: "Thank you for doing the Lord's work."

Needless to say, Ray and I were surprised but so very thankful. We have a great appreciation for that young police officer and want to thank him for his courtesy and kindness.

Moral of the story: SOMETIMES THERE ARE UNUSUAL BLESSINGS THAT COME FROM SERVING IN THE TEMPLE!!!

Backyard garden

Aaah....the fruits of Summer (at least the garden) are beginning to come forth. Hooray - I always love this time of year when we are getting veggies from the garden. Already we have had zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, cukes, red potatoes, and the corn will be ready any day now. We share this garden with our next door neighbors so we both get more for our buck, you might say.

Pioneer Day

Now just looking forward to PIONEER Day - July 24th - the Utah holiday that other states don't celebrate (well....maybe Idaho too?)

God Bless America!

I LOVE AMERICA and am so grateful to be living in the great state of UTAH.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE!

June is coming to an end!

Well, by the end of JUNE we are finally having some beautiful weather. I just love this time of year -- it's my fav.....the yard and flowers are at their peak in beauty - before it gets so hot they want to croak! We have birds and ducks that also enjoy our back yard so that is great fun watching them. That's how you can tell we are getting older - we have become bird watchers (at least in our back yard).

WOW - are we having a wet June, or what????

Denise hears organ playing

Here Denise hears that the organ REALLY does work and she is elated because it will now be part of her home and life.....hooray for both of us!!!!

Moving the organ

About 28 years ago, Ray built an organ. That, in itself, is a wondrous task. And he had plenty of space to build it....because he did it in the basement of our home. However, we have wondered ever since just how we would ever get it out of the basement when the time came. WELL.....last Friday (June 5, 2009) the time came! Ray has not played it for several years and even had unhooked the speakers and amplifier and we just had it covered and pushed against the wall, looking ominously somewhat like a coffin.

I have to say it is a beautiful organ with gorgeous dark (heavy) wood - I say "heavy" because it took 4 guys with a lot of brain power and muscle to figure out and get it up the stairs and into the U-Haul trailer Denise and Michael had rented. I did my part with the camera!

Denise plays piano and organ and not only did we want her to have it, but she also wanted it because her Dad had built it. Ray hooked everything back up before removing it from the basement to make sure it still worked (and it did....hooray!)

Now the infamous organ is at Denise's home in her front room. We are happy---she is happy!

June 4th was our anniversary (46 years, WOW, where has the time gone????)  Our treat to each other was going to see Il Divo in concert at the Energy Solutions Center on Friday, June 5th.  Let me just say this quietly.....   IT WAS FABULOUS!!!!  We went with our daughter, Denise, and her husband, Michael who were down from Idaho, and also Alan and Linda and their son, Gerald.  We ALL thoroughly enjoyed the show.  Those guys are such talented, and well....I have to say....terribly handsome, performers.  Love, love their music!

Ray and I spent Memorial weekend with friends, Alan and Linda Miller, at their Mariott timeshare in Park City, Utah and oooohhhh what a GREAT time we had.  The weather was a bit chilly and it rained off and on, but we still had a fabulous time.  We enjoyed the relaxation by playing Racko and UNO and watching DVD's.  We had some really great meals (they always taste better when you have someone to cook with.)  On Sunday we even went to Church at the "visitor's ward" then walked down to the Family Search Center in town and enjoyed visiting with the missionaries there -- also enjoyed some delicious homemade raisin oatmeal cookies Sister Taylor had made....YUM-O!  

Thanks, Alan and Linda for sharing your time and lovely accommodations with us.  You are GREAT friends!

Mother's Day was lovely....first it was our church meetings, then Ray and son, Kyle, treated me to a delicious salmon dinner.  Daughter, Denise, had sent me a beautiful bouquet of tulips.  I couldn't ask for more perfect weather too ---- so MOM was happy!!!!  The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the birds are singing.....YEP, it's a perfect day!

Our grandchildren, Brigie and Kade, just had birthdays this month (April) ... Brigie is 22 and Kade now 21.  They are with their Dad, Kyle, as we celebrated this great event!!!!

One would think I was totally knowledgeable about horticulture, but alas, I am NOT!  I just love to look at beautiful flowers (actually, all beautiful things) and once in a while I manage to grow a few in our yard.  These perennials look great this time of year (April) in our back yard.  It will soon be time to plant more flowers and garden items.  I just love this time of year.

Even though this is a photo from the Birds and Bloom magazine, we have similar little cute and fresh bulbs beginning to bloom in our yard.  And today (Friday, March 20, 2009) it is 70 degrees outside and I'm lovin' it.  The sun is shining and the fresh air is welcome to the lungs and the spirit.  HOORAY for Springtime!  Look out for the beginning of next week, however, as it is forecast to snow again.  Oh well, that is the way it goes in Utah in Spring.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            St. Patrick's Day was the number ?? (a number greater than 20 and less than 100) birthday for my dear friend, LINDA, and here we are having lunch at Pei Wei where we will also enjoy the Nothing Bundt cakes.  After our great and fun lunch, we went shopping.  We had a great day with lots of laughs (as usual).  It's does wonders for the soul to have a great friend to pal around with and enjoy the good times as well as be there for each other during the sad times.  Our husbands are understanding of our friendship and indeed, the four of us have great times together as well.  MANY HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO COME.....LINDA!

This is a beautiful rendition of the song "Broken".  The singer Cori Connors lives in Farmington.  It makes me happy to read and hear the words.
I hope you will enjoy it as I did.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cetM5IDxWhc

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, so I am wishing all you who have Irish backgrounds a HAPPY ST. PAT'S DAY.  

And to my friend, LINDA, I am wishing you a very happy birthday on March 17th. We will do our celebrating on the 16th with a grand birthday cake, a power lunch, and lots of shopping and fun, fun, fun...... and oh yeah, more fun!

March is finally here and I am very excited to see signs of Spring with green things poking out of the ground, soon to have some sort of flower attached to the end, so I'm thinking whatever snows come now - they won't be around for long.  I love the spring time.  It's full of life and hope and a promise for beautiful things to come.