We've got you covered!

I never thought I would be a

GUN owner.

I didn't grow up shooting guns.

I was even shot "by accident" with a BB gun by one of my brothers when I was little....

and it hurt!

I had no intention and no desire to ever own a gun or have one in my home.

When Ron and I talked about getting married...

I told him under no uncertain terms that if he owned guns then 

the only way they could come into the house is if we 

bought a gun safe.

No problem.

I didn't move in until that was taken care of!

So the first few times I shot any of Ron's guns...

I didn't like it.

It is why I'm shocked and amazed at how much I enjoy it.

I'm even more shocked and amazed at how good I'm getting at it!

When our neighbors and friends

invited us to go with them to the gun range this week...

we said YES!

 Preston said he felt a lot better now knowing we were his

neighbors!

Heck ya...we've got you covered!

But it is really us who feel better having them as neighbors!

We couldn't ask for better neighbors

or friends!

We feel like we won the lottery the day these two moved into the neighborhood!

And I guess it is nice to know that no matter what...

we EACH have the others backs!

loved you then...

I recently saw a sign that read,

Loved you then..

Love you still...

Always have...

Always will.

In a conversation I had a few days ago I found myself

HURT

by comments that were made

about a very special person in my life.

I've found myself wondering what to do and how to respond.

I read that sign and knew exactly

what I wanted to say.

I met a man.

A Very Special man...

in a very dark time.

I had few friends

and only a few I could trust.

When everything was dark and falling in around me...

it was him whom I fell in

LOVE with.

I loved him from that minute.

And when the waves came crashing down...

he rescued me.

I love him still.

He is kind.

He is generous.

He is thoughtful.

He grounds me.

He protects me.

He loves God.

He loves me.

Always have.

From that one moment in the park...

when we declared our love,

he had my heart.

Always will.

I declared it last year when we took that step to be

TOGETHER FOREVER

in a temple of God.

So to those who can't see the GOOD intentions

of a GOOD man...

then you can't see the LOVE that is so 

COMPLETELY

evident around you.

With all my love,

MOM

 

 

 

Desert River View in a Kayak

Some people never get used to the 

DESERT

landscape of Arizona.

Even though I grew up in the green hills of Missouri...

I have grown to love the

Arizona landscape.

At 5 a.m. this morning we loaded up our cars and headed to the

beautiful Salt River

to Kayak with the Priests and Laurels

in our ward.

 We arrived just as the sun was rising and I was

reminded once again

of the beautiful creation of our loving

Heavenly Father.

Having the opportunity to spend the day

with these beauties just made it even more spectacular!

 It was even more special that

CHRISTOPHER

was on this trip with me!

 

Ali girl...

so beautiful inside and out!

Gonna miss you so much when you leave in September.

She was teaching me how to take

"Selfie"

pictures.

Haha...she says it takes practice!

But the BEST face of the day goes to...

 Jessica!

Way to go Chris for jumping in to save the day.

Chivalry is NOT dead ladies!

Mostly...we just enjoyed our time together

and the beautiful desert view.

 

Just looking at this picture makes me smile!

Jessica with her "dead" fish!

So many great people and so many wonderful memories!

I recently heard a quote from poet

James Barrie

"God gives us memories, that we might have June roses in the

December of our lives."

There will be a time when I'm living in the December of my life that I will look back on this memory...

and be grateful God gave me this June rose.

Having the opportunity to serve in this calling has been one of

my greatest blessings.

Spending time with my family and friends...

in the June of my life

enjoying all that God has to offer me

is one beautiful

JUNE ROSE. 

Thank you God, for yet another one!

Prized letters and a green thumb...

Several weeks ago I mentioned in this post
how my Mom
has managed to stay connected to her children
through a weekly letter
she sends to all of her children
every SUNDAY night for the last 24 years.

When I left for college during the middle of my senior year
to a far away college in UTAH...
I boarded that airplane thinking I was OUT of that small town...
for good and I would never look back!

But every week my mom reminded me of her love for me and of the happenings the rest of the family was
doing at home.
It helped me stay connected to her and to my family...
and to my hometown.
It also helped that she sent a $20 bill in each envelope to help me get through that first semester of college.

Now my mom's letters are no longer handwritten,
or typed on a typewriter...
but a faster version
with the ease of technology and the internet...
and of course, no money is attached...
but her letters are still my prized possessions.
Yes mom...
we do read them!

Recently she has been sending her letters filled with her beautiful
GREEN
yard and her amazing ability to garden!
In another post I will have to show pictures of our yard
BEFORE...
right after our house was built and finished when I was only 2 years old.
 You would know how far this yard has come over the course of all those years.
But for now I just want to brag about what a green thumb
my mom has become!

She literally spends hours a day working
on her flower and vegetable gardens.

 My parents have enjoyed unseasonably cool temperatures that have kept their yard a beautiful green this year.
I love how beautiful these pictures are that she keeps sending...
and love my nieces and nephews enjoying it all.
Oh how much I love
my mom's flower gardens!

Now if only she could rub some of that green thumb onto me!

No Wrinkle Grandma

 

I'm going to self-indulge for a minute and share a couple of cute stories that have made me

feel so special recently.

Last weekend when we dropped off Rachel to babysit our sweet grandkids...

Leo and Hailee,

Leo asked his mommy,

"Which Grandma is coming over...

the wrinkle grandma or the non-wrinkle grandma?"

I'm happy to say that I turned out to be the 

NON-WRINKLE

grandma he was talking about!

He is only four-years old...

but I will take any compliment I can get!

I also have to compliment these sweet grandkids who

love to give us the 

BIGGEST HUGS and KISSES

every time they see us!

They also are looking forward to

being a BIG sister and brother soon.

 There mommy will be bringing them 

a baby sister in late September or early October!

The second story comes from this amazing kid:

Gehrig!

He is the son to my dear friend Katee who I work with in

Young Women's.

One day while his mommy was getting ready,

he told his mommy that she was Pretty!

(Which she TOTALLY is, by the way!)

When his daddy asked him who else he thought was pretty

he said,

"I think Rachel's mom is pretty!"

(Rachel babysits him on a regular basis and he loves Rachie!)

Awww...he has no idea how much this not only made my day but my

WHOLE month!

I seriously couldn't wait to come home and tell

my hubby he had better watch out...

he had some serious competition from the cutest three year old... ever!

I don't think my husband is TOO concerned...

not only does he think he can take him...

he has my TOTAL heart

for eternity + 1.

Progress Report #3 and tidbits!

I've been wanting to post another

Progress Report

for awhile with the hope that I could say...

"I've lost 10 lbs and 5 inches."

 Since that hasn't happened and I haven't lost

any weight

and zero inches...

I thought it wouldn't be fair of me to at least report what has happened since I started this journey to

JUMP BACK INTO MY LIFE.

I started on July 10th with the hopes and expectations that everything would change overnight.

I'm learning that

PATIENCE

is necessary if you want REAL change to happen.

I have also learned...

1.  I love, love, love ZUMBA!

It gives me the best feeling when I'm done.

I love that I have found an exercise that I look forward to going to and am bummed when my schedule doesn't allow me to go!

I also loves these awesome ladies.

Our instructor just so happens to be my sweet

daughter-in-law's mother!

She is a great Zumba instructor!

Chelsea inspires me to to get my groove on!

2.  That true change takes time and great effort...

but is worth it in the end.

Ron talked me into going on one of his bike rides last week...

but I didn't want to go!

He always rides way faster than me and it is too bloody HOT outside!

But I went and I'm really glad I did because I discovered

just how far I had come in just one month at getting back into shape!

I couldn't believe I could keep up with him...

and that I wasn't out of breath doing it!

So while I may not be seeing progress on the scale...

I am feeling better!

I feel stronger, healthier, and more energetic.

It's something...and I will take it!

3.  I'm still counting calories but doctors tell me I'm not eating enough and the scale tells me I'm eating too much!

Still working on...

still progressing...

but I won't give up until I find what's right for me!

***********************

Some random tidbits:

We enjoyed a fun evening over the weekend

at the baseball game.

Ron loves baseball games but we haven't had the chance all season to go.

This was one of his birthday presents...

tickets to a Diamondbacks game.

Ron loves his kids and his family.

  

The fireworks were amazing at the end of the night and what made it even more awesome

was that we won in the ninth inning on a home run by

Goldsmith! 

We also enjoyed having Kent and Whitney with us ALL day Saturday.

They went with us to our Combined Mutual activity at

Mesquite Groves Pool.

Rachel with her friend Toni.

 Katie with her friend Melissa!

I'm so bummed I didn't take my camera and get any more pictures of this fun day!

Let's just say we ended up at 

Freddy's Frozen Custard

for the yummiest french fries and fry sauce on the planet...

and at Iceberg's

for the yummiest milkshakes you will ever eat!

So glad we could have such a great weekend with so many of our family members!

****************************

One last tidbit:

Thank you to so many of you who have commented either by email, Facebook, text message or face to face encounters

on how much you enjoy my blog.

I originally started doing my blog again for my own personal history and so my

extended family who live far away

could feel connected to our families lives.

But instead I feel that I'm connecting to such a larger group of friends and family

that I didn't even know

cared about us.

I am touched that you would all want to share this journey with me as I continue to enjoy all the

Love's of My Life.

Firsts

Even though I posted the kids'

FIRST

day of school on Facebook and Instagram...

I wanted to share a couple more pictures on my blog

 as I get a chance to 

ADD

a few of my thoughts as I sent each one of my kids out the door this week and into a new school year.

I have four children in three different schools...

starting at four different times.

Trying to keep up with our new and hectic schedule was a little challenging to say the least.

Last week during church I had an impression that we needed

to have a special family home evening

that night where each member of our family

could share their testimony.

I wanted each one of my children to start the year feeling strengthened by the words of our family members.

As each child was sharing their testimony...

I could feel each one of my children's strengths.

It gave me a chance to reflect on my hopes and dreams for them for this upcoming school year.

Chris-Junior Year (16 yrs old)

My wish for you is to let your light shine.

Don't be afraid to be yourself...

and don't let anyone else shut out the beautiful light of Christ.

You are an example to many and let that include

most importantly...

your siblings.

 Rachel-Freshman Year (14 yrs old)

You have made many changes this summer. The decisions you have made for yourself...

even though

they are GOOD choices...

 will cause you to feel a loneliness you have never felt before.

But don't ever give in to the world's temptations,

because when you choose to follow the LORD...

you are never ALONE!

Katie - Seventh Grade (12 yrs old)

You are beginning to see yourself as the strong, capable and extremely talented young lady

that I have seen in you for many years.

I love that when you found out you made the volleyball team the first thing out of your mouth was,

"Now it's time to make the starting team!"

You did just that and I am so proud of you!

Remember you can do anything you set your mind to if you are willing to truly work at it!

Jacob - Fourth grade (9 yrs old)

You have learned this last year what a smart young man you are.

Always use that gift

to help others and to inspire yourself to accomplish great things.

It's hard to believe you are my last child left at 

CORTINA.

So proud of you for going at it alone and for working so hard at school to be good and having a positive, happy attitude!

I'm sure we will see many challenges...

 the ups and downs that come with life...

memories will be made...

goals will be set and accomplished...

but I know we can enjoy and get through it all...

since we will be doing it together!

I love you all!