How to make a naughty little dog sweet...(smelling)

Here is Mr. Darcy..cute as can be and he smells sooo sweet!

(Thanks to Megan)

Bath time isn't Mr. Darcy's favorite past time.
Since Megan is visiting us for a few days, Mr. Darcy has decided
to make her feel welcome by sleeping with her each night.
Megan tried to say it as politely as she could ..."He smells like a dog!!
So in the wash tub he went!
Dejected!
I hate this, I hate this he says!

Shhh ... don't tell Addie!

Last time I was visiting Addie and Trevor, they took off and Megan, Mr. Darcy and I were left alone in their house. We got this crazy idea....couldn't stop laughing. Mr. Darcy wanted to have fun in the Johnny Jump-Up just like Quinn. Jump naughty little dog, jump!

My grandparents ...

My grandparents had to be the best set anyone could possibly have! I always new they would be there for me, no matter what. Just before my grandfather retired, they moved to Juneau, Alaska for a couple years. They had lived there several years earlier when my mom was a teen and my uncle was a young boy. I was fortunite enough to be able to go up and stay with them in the summers when they were there. When I think of them - I think of love. I have that old red plaid woolen jacket that is pictured on my grandmother, and I cherish it. One day I know we will be together again. What a happy reunion that will be!-My Bops and Bamps in Juneau-

Remembering...

Last night was looking through our huge box of photos when I came upon this one. It was taken when I was in 3rd or 4th grade on the patio of my grandparents home. These were the days for me. Muffet on the left, Christy on the right, and I were always having fun together in the summer. Here we are after a day of playing having a wonderful piece of cake from my grandmother's kitchen. She always had something delicious for us to eat. How blessed I am to have these wonderful memories from my childhood.

A story for today:

I must be getting old...this year, as I lugged out all the Christmas decorations, I complained to Joel that I sure didn't feel like decorating! (Last year I didn't even put up the tree - gasp!) Through much contemplation I realized that my decorating for Valentine's Day, St. Paddy's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and especially Christmas was for my kids. Since my baby flew the coup almost 6 years ago...my get-up-and-go, got-up-and-went with her. Perhaps I'm just lazy, tired or what I hope to think is true .., I'd rather focus on the real reason for Christmas and not on all the fluff.
Thus my story begins with this tree..

Since the kids come home for Christmas every other year, I made the decision on the years that it is just Joel and me .. I'm not going to go all out on the decorating! When I talked to Joel about it, I told him I wanted a Charlie Brown tree that I could put on our little table in the living room and decorate it with a handful of favorite ornaments. He agreed with me. I found a tree on EBay and won the bid! (You can see it below)

Today I thought I would "fluff" it out. Being shipped in a small box, you would never know what was in side was anything close to a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
(For those of you that grew up in the 60's...remember the ratted hair styles that looked puffy in front but whenviewed from the back, looked like a rat's nest??) Well, that's what this entire tree looked like! After 4 hours I got the tree unwound and untwisted. Joel had to un- bend the trunk of the tree! (in order to fit into the box, someone bent the daylights out of this poor little fake tree). I really wish I had taken a photo of the tree before so you could appreciate the work put into it.

So here it is...ready for a giant plastic bag to go on top till I'm ready to unveil it for next Christmas. I'm sure I will be grateful then, that I took the time to prep it for the festivities.

A baptism card for a special young lady ...

It was announced in church today that one of the girls in my

Primary class is getting baptised next Saturday.

Since I use my Sunday afternoons to get ready for the following

Sunday's lesson and anything else to do with church,

I made this simple card for her. I used PC Hugware clip art and

mounted it on Stampin' Up card stock. Clip art is really fun to use

when you are trying get something done quickly. I have used it for

Seminary and Relief Society in years past.

Fun, fast, simple and it looks great.

I made a double image, cut it out and mounted it over the

original image to give a 3-D effect. I hope this special girl will like

it on her very special day.

Addie just sent these photos from Christmas :)

Our two precious grandkids,

Alissa and Quinn. Oh how good life is!

Here we are Christmas day...

we are missing Josh and Kendra

but happy to have the rest under our wings!

The Quinnster

It's a good idea!

On our last trip to Utah we went to one of our

favorite stores, IKEA. It's a fun place to look, touch

and get fun ideas on decorating and organization.When we got to my favorite area..the kitchen section,

I found these spoons! 6 in a package for $7.99.

I grabbed them up and shouted for joy that these

spoons would become my tasting spoons!

I'm always needing a spoon to taste a sauce or soup.

My flatware is neatly tucked in drawer across

and into the dinning area and I'm always wishing

I had some spoons near the stove.

I love these spoons...just a little thing but they

have made my life a tad bit easier!

(Even Joel said he liked them)

"It's a good thing!"

Look at what my buddy Teresa made!!!

Teresa, her sister Renee and I have decided

to get together at least once a quarter and have

a day making wonderful things together! Last

time we make the file organizer, posted earlier.

Teresa sent me this photo yesterday and asked if

I was interested in making this darling hanging at

our next get together! Of course..yes...when???

Thanks Teresa, I love this wall hanging!

The old man retires!!

As of Januray 1st, after 38 years of service to the USFS,

Joel retired! This shot was taken on our way home from Utah.

Our first trip taken without worries of getting BACK to the office.

Mr. Darcy seems to love retirement too..snoozing in the back seat!

Our Christmas present to each other!

We figure retirement will bring some traveling into our lives

and we will be ready for it!

..more random shots from Chirstmas

Alissa in her new skates!

Quinn dreaming of the excitement of his

first Christmas!

Father and son

The Smith family .. next year they will have a
baby in their arms! Quinn was jumping like crazy in his Johnny Jump-up
when Megan called me in to see him totally
crashed out. Oh how I wish I could sleep like that!

Mr. Darcy wanting in and Quinn wanting out!

Alissa had a make-over for her Aunts ..

the stunning results!

Random shots from Christmas ...

Megan arrived home a few days early and headed to my craft room to wrap!

Mr. Darcy wiggled his way into her arms for some Christmas lovin'

Joel made a triple batch of cinnamon rolls

to get ready for the onslaught of kids!

This picture needs no explanation..

Self control...you gotta use a little self control...

One tuckered out little pooch