"A Spoon Full of Sugar..."

Don't get me wrong I am all for modern medicine, but seriously!  Before moving to Texas, I dealt with a few seasonal allergies.  Nothing too serious to deal with, and always manageable by taking an over the counter drug.  Now 10 years later, 2 bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis so many times I can't remember, it is here to stay. It has made a slight case of asthma I was diagnosed with a few years ago, into a  permanent condition. I wouldn't be that annoyed with this news but, it requires me to take medication.  I HATE to take medicine!  Alas, I  have to breathe...so again I am reminded, "come what may and love it."

It is a good thing that only three of these will become close friends with me! 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ME!

I was the last in my family to get a cell phone, so I figured I might get a iPhone when I was ...well let's just say OLD!  Well my contract was up on my cell phone and I had been reminding Rick of that fact.  My battery was weak sauce.(as my kids put it)  Several of our children and spouses have iPhone and I really thought i would too!  I think all my rambling about one, wore Rick down. He bought me one!  He ask if that would be a good Valentines gift...and I said, "heck YES!"  Not only did he get me the phone,  he bought me a fancy hot pink cover!  They don't come in RED! : o(

I love technology!  We have found so many good uses for it. And....



Some not so good...well, fun!



Happy Valentine's Day!

Dip and the Two Step

This year we shared Valentine's Day with 17 single adults ranging in age 20 to 30. It really wasn't a sacrifice, because we rarely try to infiltrate the Valentine's crowd. We are happy to go out the day before or night after, which we did. Alas, both of us are coming down with something and it took the fun right out of it!

Back to Monday evening, or in Mormon circles known as FHE (Family Home Evening). It is a night set aside of all the other nights of the week, just to spend time with family. Since our singles don't have their own families yet...they like to get together as a church family. Several of our original plans fell through, but one of the cute girls of the group decided to teach us the "Texas Two Step." Since rodeo season is coming upon us Houstonites, it was a perfect activity. We pushed all the family room furniture back and Wah la... dance floor!

BishopRic (as he is sometimes called) promised the women there would be chocolate covered strawberries! How was his promise met...of course I did. I didn't do it without back up though. I purchase already made strawberries in case of failure, and the ingredients to make them. I tired, they turned out okay, but the chocolate was a little thick. Everyone ate them, so I guess success.


Christy in red was our teacher. She even wore her cute red cowgirl boots..I really want a pair.



Joey watching closely.

Ashley and Brian were good students.



Seth and Jody had no problems.







Mine on the left and the bought one on the right. I will purchase a double boiler before I do it again.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!



Where else in the world?

Where else in the world can you go, and surround yourself with a bunch of young adults, that doesn't include drugs, alcohol, smoking, foul language, and inappropriate behavior? My house at FHE. And guess what? They had a blast! Doing what you might ask? Learning to tie balloon animals. Kilan one of our singles taught himself how to do this. He came prepared to show us how it is done.

Kilan our master teacher demonstrating how to make a dog.

Very casual classroom setting.

The Lyman sisters trying their new found skill.

Brian opted out...hates the sound of popping balloons. He enjoyed food and conversation in the kitchen.

Angie shows off the beginnings of her monkey.

Sydney was concentrating not popping her balloon at a most critical part.

Angie's finished monkey.

Joey, Darcy, Seth, Jody (on floor), Sicily

Darcy with her monkey.

Darcy sporting her monkey and parrot

Seth and Loren hanging out in the kitchen



Made Kilan pose for this one.



Amanda created her own Octopus.



The gang, just having fun naturally.





Isn't refreshing to know that you can make your own fun in life, without outside influences. I think so.

Surprise

Got a call from Jamie a week ago. He said he had to go to China, and wondered if I would like to come and visit Beck and the kids while he was gone.  I thought about it, worked some things out, and was on the plane to Virginia, on Saturday.  It was a great flight which made it all that much better, I hate to fly.  The best thing about the trip  was...we didn't tell the kids I was coming.  They thought they were going on an errand to pick up a package, little did they know that package was me.  The look on Gavin's face was priceless!  Wish I would have had my camera ready. 

I had a few hours to visit Jamie the night before he left for China. He and Gavin were putting together a Lego car.

 Little Laynie playing with Rapunzel.  She loves her princess dolls.

Rosy Olivia, the cutest little BEAST ever...who would run the household if she could. Spent many hours holding her on my lap, taking toys out of her mouth, going for potty breaks, disciplining, and saving kiddles from the clutches of her jaws. She is a beautiful puppy.

One day Jesse came to visit us.  She didn't take that hat off the entire day unless Rosy managed to grab it.

 Gavin entertained me with his unique play of building things.

They both loved to text their Papa Rick and Daddy.  I made the mistake of showing them how to do it, and it was a done deal.

                                                                                                                                   

We spent a lot of time at the table.  We did homework(learning activities), painting, reading, and of course eating. 

 We ate at Panera one day...kids loved the Mac and Cheese.  Not a drop left in the bowl.

 
Gav loved to show me his special things.  His airplane, Daddy brought home from work.

 I also gave the kids photograpy lessons with my camera.  Gav took this of his medals from soccer...

and is beloved water bottle collection.

Gav snapped this pic of Laynie and I.  Pretty much sums up the no make up, and pulled up hair in a clip look  the whole week.  Less time on glamour...more time with kiddles, right?

We celebrated Laynie's Birthday while I was there.  Her birthday is on the 13th of February. She picked out a CD player for her room, and another princess doll to add to her collection.  She was thrilled when we      sang.

 

She ate an entire slice plus some of Gavin's. 

SNOW!  First time in 10 long years.  It was great.  We had fun shoveling, but the snow was super heavy!

This sums up how Beck and I felt some days.   I had to take a picture...they were really all asleep.               



So fun to spend time with these two!

Hangin' Out with the Singles

Rick and I have really loved serving the Young Single Adults in our area. Easy Job? Not! The commitment can be intense at times. We have learned to love the YSA and the work involved.  Do I still whine at times? YES!  Then I pull up my big girl panties and deal with it!

Last night we traveled, and I mean right down to the quaint dirt road, down the country lane, to Hockley, Texas.  There we met up with the YSA at the Lemon's Home to enjoy and night of getting to know you and eating around a bonfire.  The sky was filled with stars.  Because of the lights in our area, you only see the brightest stars. The country sky was pleasantly accommodating to let the stars SHINE! 

One of our young singles furnished the wood from a broken fence.  The bed of his truck was full of wood. They got the fire going and the fun began.  I am really disappointed with the pictures, but needed to write down the memory.

The night was a sweater night...very comfortable around the fire.

SIT LONG, TALK MUCH, LAUGH OFTEN....

We have had several new YS, it was fun to get to know them in a more casual environment.

I don't know if the smoke was the menacing factor in my picture taking, or it was because it was dark.

We ate hot dogs, smores, popcorn, and had hot chocolate to drink.

Lot's of fun conversation.

more of the same...

It was a great night.

We had about 30 people there...biggest FHE yet!