So loved...at Wild Olive Tees

I starting looking for a TShirt that would fit in with the Encouragement presentation I will be doing with Jenn at Women's Retreat this fall. I wanted something that says something about encourage and while this tshirt........... .....isn't exactly what I was thinking....it really is beautiful and says just want I want it to say. :) I'm entering to win one of these beautiful tees and you can enter also.
The story of where the profits from the sale of these Tshirts is SO touching. You will at least want to read that.
Just click on the button and it should take you right there.
IF it doesn't go here.

Encouragement

I've been doing alot of research for the upcoming Encouragement Presenation that Jenn and I will be doing this fall at Retreat. There are SO many fun, easy and inexpensive ways to encourage others! I'm just getting so excited not only about the Presentation, but also about putting these ideas into action on my part. I have done a few Random Act of Kindness, but not nearly enough. :) I will try to post some of these ideas that I am finding.

New Fashion

So these days getting out the door at 7:10am can be a bit of a challenge. This is how I ended up showing up to work one day this week. I have my brown fleece jacket on with my black winter coat on and somehow managed to get these two completely different coats zipped up nicely together.
I had no idea I had done this until I was in the car on my merry way to work, after stopping by my Mom's. She didn't say a thing..maybe she didn't notice. :)
Anyway.....here's to new fashion style! :)
My coworker said she would have like to watch me take this 2 piece coat off...one sleeve off, next sleeve off, another sleeve off and the last sleeve off!!! :)

Just some food

Well I haven't quite succeeded in doing a project 365 with food this year like I thought I might. But I have been taking random pictures of a few meals and will try to continue in no particular order. :)

So here's a breakfast ~ Orange
Trail Mix
Hot Cocoa
Orange Juice

and a supper ~Leanie {veggie hot dog}
Brown Rice
Green Beans
Cooked carrots
Apple with cool whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon

and another supper ~A potato/veggie frozen mix {it was OK}
those wonderful green beans
raw carrots
apples with cool whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon

Time to...........

A Clean Closet

I just figured that since I couldn't find a particular long sleeve green shirt and my FSA hoodie all winter that I probably should just dig in and clean the crazy messy closet out,
so that's what I did!!! :)
I just wish I knew WHY in the world it gets THIS messy???
Who lives in this house anyways??
I managed to throw out 2 bags of "garbage" and have some things to go to the thrift store also.
It feels so good to look at this clean closet and honestly I could have done an even better job,
but I'm pretty darn excited at what I did do. :)
This is the BEFORE (pretty obvious)
and now the AFTER. =}
I even did some color coordinating... Shoes are still kind of a mess though, oh well.

Another day

Oh even another month since I've written on here.
Yikes.
Time just flies, normally when you are having fun....but I'm not having too much fun!
I'm really trying my best to stay positive but some days. :(
Today was one of those yuckier days.
Met with the Social Worker about getting Grandma transferred into the Nursing Home tomorrow.
It's such a up and down kind of emotional thing.
I didn't think it would bother me so much, but it's becoming more real and I feel sad about it.
One day I know this is the best thing for her...the next day I want her to still be at home where Grandma's belong.
One day at a time I guess.
She's in the Hospital right now for the 4th time this year.
She will be in good hands and she is typically a pleasant person, except when the food is no good, which seems to be a big thing to her. :)
She told me that when you get to be 90 you CAN be fussy!
I guess she's got me there!

Blue Monday

I guess today is Blue Monday...ha, I didn't even realize it. It's called that for a few reasons:

this from Wishful thinking blog.......
Well, Dr. Cliff Arnall a former tutor at the Center for Lifelong Learning of Cardiff University in Wales says it because of the following six factors:

1. Weather conditions. (Less sun and lots of cold and snowy weather blanketing the Earth this time of year.)
2. Debt level and our ability to pay that debt. (Ouch, all those holiday shopping bills coming due.)
3. Time elapsed since the excitement of Christmas. (Even taking in to account that many folks do not celebrate Christmas or celebrate it in January, the holiday build-up and hoopla in December raises everyone’s adrenalin a bit.)
4. Realization that we already may be letting our New Years resolutions slide. (Not those of us who are OTATing, of course.)
5. Our general seasonal motivational levels. (Winter malaise setting in, all that holiday food still hugging our waist lines.)
6. And, our overall need to take action and to have something to look forward to. (Not too many holidays in our immediate futures.)
7. It’s a Monday! (I added that one.)

But hey...Monday's almost over, so if you got through it without too much trouble, Yay for you. And if you had a real crummy day you can look forward to
June 30th....
The happiest day of the year! :)
Now that I like!

Today

Our family has just experienced another loss. Today Glen's mom passed away while we and hospital staff surrounded her bed praying and singing. What a blessing that all of her kids could be here with her at this time. In November she was diagnosed with cancer and was given 4-6 months to live. She did so well up until this last 2 weeks. It's hard to say goodbye!!
We can look forward to that day when we will all be reunited. What a day that will be!

Sad

It's never easy to watch someone laying in a bed dying.
Tonight I think it became more real than any other time with Glen's Mom.
We've known since November that she has cancer and that "it's really bad".
But somehow tonight shook us up. Last we saw her was on Sunday and then tonight. BIG difference! Tomorrow the Dr. meets with the family to see what the wishes are for her.
I feel so bad...like what can a person do??
I guess just being there, but that hardly seems like enough. :(

A word

A few years ago I joined Ali Edwards in picking a word to focus on throughout the year.
First year I chose True, then it was Live and then Believe.
I wasn't really planning on having a word this year, but forget that.....I have a word! :)
I don't even know where it came from but it's in my head and there is a reason for it so this year my word is
PURPOSE.
I'm excited to see how this word will inspire me and help me to grow throughout this year.

Here's the definition of my word Purpose:
as a noun ~

{the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc}
as a verb

{to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself}
and
—Synonyms
{object, point, rationale, mean, contemplate, plan}

I'm kinda excited about this word! :)

Yay for 2011!

I'm alittle slow in bringing in the New Year. :)
Oh I brought it in already, I just haven't caught up to it yet.
I've been tossing around the idea of a 365 project again.
A couple years ago I did one (post here) and to this day I STILL do not have my pictures all together and that frustrates me!
So for this year I'm trying to come up with a simpler idea.
Not a picture each day, but maybe 1 a week or something like that.
I'd also like to have a theme to my pictures.
Here are a few ideas I've found:

• A photo of the same thing once a month (you favorite tree, your baby growing, new puppy, your office etc) to see how it changes

• your outfit

• your shoes

• your hairstyle

• your kids’ favorite outfit, toy, shoes, hairstyle

• write down a funny joke you heard and photograph it

• your favorite breakfast, lunch, or dinner

• favorite store

• the shopping cart at the end of your shopping trip

• your least favorite chore

• regular weekday dinner

• morning or nighttime routine

• favorite parts about each season

• self portraits from different angles/views

• your current car, phone, computer, tv – things that change as the years go on

I'm leaning on doing something with food. Maybe my evening meal. Not sure. I've started to be more careful about my eating so that might really help if I know I'm taking a picture of it too! :)
I guess I better make a choice fast as we are just finishing up our first week of 2011.

Memories of Grandma

The cousins with grandma..........

and sadly, but with happy memories...without her...

Grandma Elsie

Just had to say goodbye to a really sweet Grandma so I thought I'd just do a post about her and what I remember the most about her.
Here are some of the many things I remember about her:
Donuts...she only made the best!
Lefse...I've tried to make it, but I've come to the conclusion that it will never be as good as hers.
Divinity....she could whip that stuff up like nobody's business and I think it always turned out.
Popcorn...I don't know what she did to make her popcorn taste so good!! And she always served it in that black roaster pan. :)
Cheesies....or otherwise known to everyone else as Cheetos. She always had a bag of them in her cupboard just for us kids.
Her garden.....always plentiful so that meant shelling peas, shucking corn, cutting beans, picking strawberries....
I recall her "laundry day" using the ringer washer. What a cool machine! :)
I unfortunately remember butchering chickens...ewe!
And who can forget playing marbles with Grandma?? :) She might have cheated a bit here and there, but I'm sure it wasn't on purpose.....
Her toy box was filled with legos and old perfume bottles.
Oh how we had fun with those.
Of course there were those few times when us kids would get into a bit of trouble by disobeying, but she still didn't get to upset with us (we won't talk about the time Shelley and I took that unplanned airplane ride without permission or the time we snuck out of the tent!)he he
She loved each one of her grandkids all the same and that really is what made her so special.
We will all miss that sweet silly grandma that often took the back seat to grandpa and quietly listened, sometimes snickered, but mostly loved!

New Year

Well we are off to another year.

It's beginning with sadness as my dear grandma who was 94 passed away on Wednesday night.

We will be saying goodbye to her on Monday.

What a grandma she was!

As a kid I spent alot of time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They always welcomed all of us kids into their home at any time. Grandma was always making something in the kitchen for us kids. She was the best cook! And I don't know what she did to her popcorn but it was so comforting to have a big bowl of that in the evenings. She always had a bag of "cheesies" (Cheetoes as other people call them) in her cupboards.

There are just a ton of really really good memories of this sweet person.

Donuts, lefsa, gardening, sewing quilts, laundry day with the old wringer washer, canning, her toy box of legos and old perfume bottles :), her jewelry, and her always doing whatever gramps told her to do....sometimes with a bit of words said under her breath!!

Sometimes I wonder how much worry us kids put upon her.

She was a funny lady...a kind lady, and she will be missed by many!

I am praying that 2011 will be a year of blessings, happiness, growth in many areas, and love!

Happy New Year!!