A Dedication Run

I have found two wonderful blogs! They are encouraging a challenge to run or walk this Saturday in honor of our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley.

You can sign up at www.marathonmommies.blogspot.com and everythingispink.blogspot has some good ideas for your run. A gal gave a comment saying 'our dear prophet was a man who was constantly on the run himself'

So, How far will you go?

I signed up for 7 miles. I have yet to run more than 5 1/2 miles. I hope to dedicate a meaningful run this Saturday morning to a Prophet who has taught me some very powerful, life changing lessons.

Happiness shared is happiness doubled!

Thank you Candee for sharing your talent of sewing and for sharing your fabric!

Today Candee and I started making those soul-ful slippers that I posted a few days ago. Making these slippers remind me of my G-ma Penhallegon. She is an old-fashion, proper lady but she has silly things about her. She will wear a pretty outfit with bright lime green shoes. She calls them her "happy shoes." This is a fun little sewing project. We are also making some for our little girls.

Joyful Simplicities

I am grateful for my cheesy baby, beautiful sunsets, love notes, the smell of bread, winter, my playful dog, and my adventurous son!

Holy Cow :)

We have over a foot of snow outside, it has been snowing non-stop since this morning.

It is a perfect day to go sledding! Hopefully Rolo will come home early and we will go play in the snow. I have just stayed inside today, I organized my pantry, and baked some home-made white bread. This recipe is super easy: 2 cups of warm water, 1/4 c. sugar or honey, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp. oil, 2 tbsp of yeast dissolved in 1/2 c. of warm water and 6 cups of flour. Mix. Knead. Rise 1/2 hr. in bowl. Punch down, shape into 2 loaves. Put in greased pans. Raise 1/2 hr. Bake for 20 minutes @ 400 and then enjoy some warm bread with butter on top :)

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie

Let's begin today with gratitude. Today I would like to write down my blessings. I will see if I can get to a hundred. Do you think it will be an easy or hard task? I will make a collage for the day and post it this evening. "One of the most valuable lessons Simple Abundance has taught me is that it is in the smallest details that the flavor of life is savored."

Luv these!

These look nice and comfy for all of us stay at home Mom's. I am sitting here typing and my feet are cold. These would be fun to make, i am a soul-ful individual that does not like to wear shoes, i am bare-foot whenever possible. My elderly neighbor always gets after me for getting the mail in my bare feet, especially during the winter :)

Instructions:http://www.homecompanionmag.com/hands_on/handmade/sole-ful_slippers.asp

Women are repeatedly accused of taking things personally. I cannot see any other honest way of taking them.

It was snowing in Nampa this morning while I went jogging. My first run in fresh snow. It is a another beautiful winter day.

Simple Abundance

I would love to have a blog book club. This book is a day by day book of inspiring stories, quotes etc. the author takes you on a personal inward journey. Who is familiar with this book? Each month she gives some ideas for you to do as you begin the Simple Abundance path. She has thirteen ideas at the end of January titled 'Joyful Simplicities.' For example you can find a beautiful notebook and start a gratitude journal or create a collage, write down the aspirations of your heart, go through your personal papers at home and organize your desk to get a fresh start on the new year. Discard as much as you can. That sounds like fun :) I love this one - Prepare for a winter's idyll. Stock the pantry with real cocoa, tiny marshmallows and a bar of good chocolate. When snow comes and school is cancelled, stay home with the kids. Lounge about in your pajamas. Build a snowman, go sledding, then have tomato soup in mugs and toasted cheese sandwiches for lunch. Take a nap. Luxuriate in an unexpected day off. (I would like for my Husband to take an unexpected day off of work.) Once a week I can post a highlight, ask a question about one of the days of that week and we can all report our insights and experiences while reading it.

Who's interested? I have been stewing about whether to do it and I would love it if my sisters :) and friends would join in and we can all share our comments.

"We thank thee O' God for a Prophet"

"Willow Tree hand-carved sculptures speak in quiet ways to heal, comfort, protect and inspire. Susan Lordi identifies emotions so important for us to convey, and renders them in simple, pure gestures." About Willow Tree, Susan says, “I try to keep the interpretation of Willow Tree open. I hope this makes it more personal, and allows the viewer to decide its meaning.”

These sculptures are so beautiful and this one expresses what I feel today. I am sure there are countless prayers being given today for our Beloved Prophet Gordon B Hinckley.

Friday night - Date night

We are a part of a group where we take turns watching a total of 8 kids once every four weeks. It has been AWESOME to go out with my hubby every Friday night.

What are some fun dates you have been on lately? Any new discoveries?

Cold Stone Creamery - Cheesecake flavor ice-cream with graham cracker crust and raspberries is fantabulous! Highly recommend ;)

We enjoy going to borders and discovering new music together ie. We found our favorite song 'Better Together' by Jack Johnson

Last Friday we discovered a Christian bookstore. They had some live guitar music while we lounged in some comfy chairs next to a fire place, sipped some hot cocoa, had a brownie with fudge frosting and played checkers. My husband wins every time:) I let him win ;)

My husband said to me tonight as we were driving home from the temple "anything for you sugar, sugar" I was wanting some ice-cream with chunks of Reese's cups. O' he is so sweet!

My thought for the day: Take time to enjoy the SWEET things in your life

I am a runaway Mom

I never thought the day would come that I would jog more than 1 mile. Deep down I have always wanted to be a runner but never thought I could do it. Well, a few months ago I started running with a group at 5 am in the morning. The invitation to join a running group was an answered prayer and has been a great blessing to help keep me healthy. I needed to get myself moving and nothing interferes with getting up that early except maybe my lack of not going to bed early enough. I am now trying to follow the counsel of 'early to bed, early to rise.' I runaway in the mornings and give my body a good workout and some time for myself and I always come back more energized, and ready to conquer the day. I have set the goal to run a 1/2 marathon in May. Yikes! If I can run anyone can! :) It makes a huge difference to have a group! I have enjoyed running with Cindy, Candee, Deana, D.J, Rachel, and Amanda. Once you start you can't quit!

I love Cookie Monster

I must confess! Some Days I feel like the Cookie Monster :) What did I eat for lunch today? Well, a good friend Wendy D. taught me how to make Brigadoros a couple years ago and I have been addicted to eating sweetened condensed milk since then. You heat the s.c.milk to a taffy consistency and let it cool and roll it into balls etc. If you would like more info. on this I can send you the recipe. Yummy to my tummy. So, I should have nutritional things to report on for what I had for lunch but I don't :) I enjoyed a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk. It was good! Good thing I don't have any more cans in the pantry.

P.S When is the last time you watched Sesame Street? I do not recall watching it as a child. I have seen a few :) episodes within the past couple of years and the cookie monster makes me laugh. I think I can relate to him, more than I would like to admit!

Family and Friends

The reason for this blog: I want to know my family and friends better! So, what did you have for lunch today? Some people don't care to know, but I would love to find out! :) Have you had a good or bad day? What makes you happy? My hopes are that thru this blog we can stay connected better by viewing and responding to my posts. I have wanted to do something like this for a long time. I will journal some of my thoughts and I would love for one and all to contribute. Thanks!

Have a Blessed Day! This saying I learned from my inner city experience in St. Louis Missouri

Penny Dyann Rocha

O' the sweetness of our children! When you tell Penny "I love you" she is not able to say "I love you" back so instead she says "I'm Happy Mommy I'm Happy." I love it when she says that because it's truly something to ponder on.... I am happy too Penny.

Here is a quote from our Prophet: How much more beautiful would be the world and the society in which we live if every father looked upon his children as the most precious of his assets, if he led them by the power of his example in kindness and love, and if in times of stress he blessed them by the authority of the holy priesthood; and if every mother regarded her children as the jewels of her life, as gifts from the God of heaven, who is their Eternal Father, and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “These, Our Little Ones,” Ensign, Dec 2007)

'I thank thee O' God for a Prophet' President Hinckley loves us and Guides us with beautiful words of inspiration! Last night I had the opportunity to go with the Sister Missionaries and teach a lesson on the Restoration. I have not done that for a long time, being with the missionaries brought back some sweet memories. I know that God continues to speak to us today through a living Prophet and I am grateful for the Prophets of Old and that we can continually study from the scriptures and learn from there examples.