BIG BIRTHDAY SHOUT TO MY DAD!

IN LOVING MEMORY: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD, I MISS YOU, I lOVE YOU, SOMEDAY I HOPE I'll BE WITH YOU AND MOM!

I had the chance to sit next to my Dad in his favorite chair, in his favorite room and have our last Dad, Daughter heart to heart before his long journey to heaven. (3 months in a coma after bypass surgery)

This poem reflects my life with my dad.

My Dad

Today I sat with him and we reminisced As we spoke of childhood days, his mine, Sharing golden memories That forever shine. "I cannot forget." he said And smiled "How I loved holding you when you were just a child," Then we laughed, Remembering moments, Not a few, so somber then but clearly comical in view. Looking back felt warm and fulfilling as I sensed my love and respect for him Distilling. He cried as he told me again of answered prayers, Of Faith in God, and the difficult trails His feet had trod, Making a path, not paved but easy to see... For Me. Sometimes I think My life is hard And it is. Not quite like his Yet laden with trials of my own. But that's okay. I've gained strength For Tomorrow By feasting on YESTERDAY with Dad. By Joy Saunder Lundberg

FABULOUS FRIDAY!

ALL IN A DAY- 1-Got the work out in at the Y, only missed one day this week... ahhh last week was a perfect week. 5 days of working out. Not losing any weight... but my muscles are getting buff! 2-Made scones and rootbeer (Kansas people have never had them) for a barbecue at Clarks Work. 3-My " BIG Bertha " CAR just turned 110,000. miles --pretty good for a 98 wouldn't ya say? It's a Chrysler Concord. I used to think it was so BEE--UUUttttiiiiifffullllll. Now it's getting a little outdated but it runs well and it's still nice. We've been contemplating buying a SUV. Except that we really like the idea of NO CAR PAYMENT! unless " BIG Bertha" dies. I'm content!

UPDATE: I SPOKE TOO SOON ...Cry for "BIG Bertha" she is very sick! She didn't want to leave the grocery store tonight(saturday) But with Mr. Clark driving her at 5mph she made it to the driveway. I FEEL LIKE I JINXED HER!!!! 4-I get to hang out with my friend and her girl(s) tonight! 5- DON'T WORRY HUN--Planning another DATE NIGHT for Saturday with my Hubby. UPDATE: It's Saturday--Are you thinking our DATE was at the groc. store. Ummmm sometimes it is! 6- I got to talk to my Grandbabies on the phone. I love it when Maddie (who's 2)Say's "HELLO GRAMMIE, MY BABY IS SLEEPING" and Kylies latest thing is "GRAMMIE, I MOVED TO A NEW HOME, I HAVE MY VERY OWN BEDROOM!" OHHHHHHH I MISS THEM! Although I miss my family, they are safe, healthy and happy. LIFE IS FABULOUS!!!

February Exchange

Notice the help my friend Stacy got on this one. I'm sure her neice insisted on further instructions! SO CUTE!

While slaving away today and polishing and cleaning I decided I didn't want to mess up the kitchen again so I pulled out one of the casseroles we exchanged this month. We were all in the 'ENCHILADA' mode! I made chicken enchiladas, I recieved two pans on Beef Enchiladas (which I'm excited for because everyone in our house LOVES them. 1 pan of Dream Spaghetti and 1 Tator Tot casserole (That was my second choice to make!!) This is so much work but so much fun!

LOVIN' TUESDAYS!

I have to SHOUT FROM THE ROOF TOPS ---- I LOVE TUESDAY'S! Although it is a work day-laundry, clean the house day I GET TO DO IT ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!! It is the only day I have alone. It is like when you send all the kids off to school and then you have ME TIME..... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

So I just found a new thing-a-mu-bobber that works! All of you 'Pampered Chef' lovers! My Daughter in Law gets the credit for introducing me to the 'POT SCRUBBER' --a cheep miracle worker! $2.25 for 3!!!! Today I used it on my glass top stove to scrap the gunk. WOO HOO! I AM SO EXCITED!!! As far as I can tell it did not scratch the glass??? Hopefully not but it appears to have worked a miracle! I love my litte 'POT SCRUBBER'! Thanks Laura!!

FAMILY HOME EVENING!

The kids loved the apple peeler!

FHE with the Westons. (a family in our Branch)The kids are adorable! They fixed us dinner and then we watched "FIREPROOF" wish I had the 40 day list!

Our "Adopt a Daughter" Weekend!

This is Megan (in the stripes) our "Daughter" for the weekend while her parents serve in The National Guard. With her friend and (my friends daughter) playing LEGO's! Too fun to watch them really get into it! Megan was missing her brothers legos!

Emergency Prep. Day

We are getting together in our Branch to do EMERGENCY sealing! February month was rice. March is pasta. This is the fun we had sealing food. It last's longer/it is air tight/ and moisture free. The idea is NO AIR, NO BUGS,FRESH FOOD! A large enough supply for a year or more... I was raised with the idea of STORING FOOD. JUST INCASE--LAYOFF, SHORT PAYDAY, CALAMITY. When I was younger. There was a trucker strike and limited food was delivered to the grocery store. I don't ever remember a time we didn't have our own little grocery pantry. So fun not to have to worry about running to the store on a last minute jaunt to get the basics. I'm excited for this year for team work and fun and accomplishing being prepared.

RECIPE for White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili Sharon Mills/Laura Mills 1 C. Chopped onions 2 celery ribs, chopped 2 cloves of garlic Saute and add broth and diced chicken and then remaining ingred. Cook 4-6 Chicken Breast in Chicken Broth -Diced(reserve all broth for soup or more broth to make 4 quarts) Add 4 cans great white northern beans, rinsed and drained. 1 can Corn 1 can Green Chilies 1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. salt Pepper to taste 1 tsp. chili Powder 1 tsp. dried Oregano Can add Red Pepper Flakes or Jalepenos Top with Mont Jack Cheese and Sour cream when serving in individual bowls p.s. I'm not sure if this is the same recipe as Laura but she makes the best and it has become all of our favorite.

SUNLIGHT!

So lately as you can tell from my blogging post's... I have been passionately concerned. Just so you know I still have hope and I know I can see " a beam of sunlight rising up and beyond the horizon". I also want to be prepared. As I say -- if I always can have a plan B- I can get through any crisis. Kinda like deciding NOW if something bad did happen to our economy I would not freak out but be in AUTO mode of being prepared. My comfort this year has been this talk: I CAN HAVE HOPE! “Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward. Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn… Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness. Its absence—when this desire of our heart is delayed—can make ‘the heart sick.’” (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Member of the LDS Church First Presidency) Upon remembering this message I regain my optimism and feel peace again.

Evidence of things to come?

BIG NEWS IN KANSAS.... NO ONE will be getting a STATE TAX RETURN. The STATE IS BUST... um they are NOT writing I.OWE YOU'S they are just telling us they need our money. Sound CRAZY to you. We are just wondering if they are pleading bust to get some "STIMULUS" money? ---Just heard that the State will BORROW the money to pay for tax returns, State employees etc. That's comforting...

Clarks Newest Bent Bruised Ego, I mean NOSE!

I have to say that for the first time in my life I've bruised my honey's NOSE! Yep I AM VERY PROUD OF IT! I told him I just wanted 15 more minutes sleep. And as usual he doesn't take me serious and WHAMO- I boxed him in the nose! It turned purple. Now he has to explain to his co-workers that HIS WIFE IS ABUSIVE!!! LOL

TO TYREL:-- IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, I wouldn't do it on purpose. I flipped the sheets and flung him in the nose. K--- I really am a nice person!! I really do love your DAD --but I did think it was funny that his nose turned purple and that Dad got to PRETEND I was abusive.

As the sun sets...

PRAYING FOR THE SUN TO COME UP TOMORROW!

A lot of heartache in the world today.

I feel sad for the families on flight 3407. We just flew on a Continential Express. No matter what airline I'm scared with every flight! I can't imagine the horror those people went through.

I'm sad for the people in our lives that have been layed off.

I'm sad for our own families trials.

I'm sad for a Nephew that is suffering from the affects of alcoholism

I'm sad for another Nephew that has lossed his business, now his home.

I'm sad for a family in our area that are suffering trials never thought imaginable.

I'm happy for the knowlege that Jesus Christ encircles us with love when we are at the bottom.

I'm happy I know that putting our TRUST in him makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Because of the ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST I have HOPE

I will thank him all the days of my life.

I thank him when I serve others.

I thank him when I forgive others,

I thank him when I go to church.

I thank him by learning of him.

I thank him when I pray everyday.

I WILL ALWAYS HAVE HOPE

AND FAITH IN GOD THE ETERNAL FATHER AND IN HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST

THE SUN WILL COME UP TOMORROW!

Generations of Land before Time

I inherited my mom's collections of "Land Before Time" Volumes 1 thru viii. Any child that comes over wants to watch "Land Before Time" everyone's favorite! A treasure from my Mom!

GEARING UP FOR COURAGE!

I made this cross stitch for my Dad way back when. He loved aviation and so I thought he needed this one. As it was, when he was in the hospital in a coma my mother grasped the saying and both of us took it to heart. This week I've needed this encouragement. I'm sharing it with you!

"IF YOU KEEP ON MAKING EFFORTS, YOU'LL KEEP ON MAKING PROGRESS"

I can't describe how many different meanings it's had in my life. Just that it has made a difference to me!

Fruits of their LABORS!

Elder Albaugh, Richelle, Megan and Dane. DUNKING DAY!

CONGRATULATIONS RICHELLE AND MEGAN! They now belong to "THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS" The best day of their lives! This is the results the Missionaries hard work of 1 year. We reep the rewards of having missionaries in our home! Megan has been our Weekend Daughter once a month while her parents go to National Guard. Richelle has become my new scrapbook buddie!

LOVE, LOVE MY FAMILY!

Today I know I am blessed. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my family. Wish our kids were close around us right now. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!----IM HOMESICK...

FOUR MEALS IN MY FREEZER!

Our Branch just started a food/recipe exchange. We have five groups of four. So we each make 4 recipes of the theme for the month. Soup for January, Casseroles for February. Making four - 1 gallon recipes of Soup was a killer! The REWARD is getting it out of the freezer and having a meal made by someone else on a cold blustery day. I am loving it! So far we've had Chicken Noodle soup and Taco soup. Yummm! I still have Tomatoe- Asparagus and Potato soup. I made White Bean Chicken Chili to exchange. SO FUN!

ONE WEEK AT THE YMCA!

I am B-A-C-K! Actually made it through the week at the Y - Today rocked, although I'm still struggling with the express work out ( the elliptical- s/p?) is my biggest grrrrr. I know I was born with short tendons, it's my handicap... It's ok, just glad to get MOVIN'!

Grandpa Posts For my Kids

Since my kids kinda keep up with my post's I decided to post Grandpa Pikes life. MY HERO, WHO HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE!

TIMELESS TUESDAY: My Grandfather

Here is the Beginning of My Grandfathers history. This is one of my most favorite stories of my Grandfather. Grandpa was born Oct. 30th 1900 in a log cabin on the Braiden Cattle Ranch is LaJara, Conejos, Colorado. His mother told him that a blizzard was in progress and his Father had to bring the Midwife and Doctor from town. At the high elevation winter comes early and such was the case at his birth. His Father led the Doctor through the blizzard to their home and the Doctor told his Mother that it would be impossible for Grandfather to survive being delivered 2 1/2 months early. With three children who had died in infancy already, his mother was full of determination to prove him wrong. With prayer and determination, His mother went to work to save him. She made an incubator out of a shoe box lined with cotton and set him on the oven door of a small wood burning stove. She gave him drops of raw whiskey every half and hour and after three weeks of this treatment Doctor Hamilton told his Mother he might live. This was a triumph for his Mother because he weighed in at Two and a half pounds. His mother was aware of his frailties, that winter, she kept him swathed in woolens head to toe and anointed with camphorated oil, a sack of assafidity around his neck and whiskey and rock candy for cough syrup. He grew strong. Exerps taken from Book "Something New and Endearing" By my Uncle James H. Pike

MOVIN' MONDAY

Yay things have slowed down and I am feeling good so I am heading back to the Y to try once again to GET IN SHAPE! *** Congrats Emma, you made it all last week at the Y through the craziness! Woo hoo-- I made it through the first day of the express work out.... Gotta be grateful for my season in life. LOVE, LOVE LOVE IT!

More on Grandpa Pike- Durango Colorado to Salt Lake to Fruita

Sometime in 1906 and 1907 Grandpa's family moved from LaJara to Durango. Great Grandpa worked for the Denver and Rio Grande Southern Railroad. In Durango they vacationed on the Los Pinos River or to the Red Mesa or up the Animas River. They loved fishing and camping and being near the water. On one occassion they visited the Indian Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde. It was in Durango that Grandpa met the First Missionaries, Elder Wood and Elder Weber. They organized a Branch and Grandpa started going to Sunday School. In 1909 Grandpa was baptized in the Animas River. They then moved to Salt Lake City, ( not a good experience) Not far from where they lived was a Catholic School or home for the orphans. Grandpa's many friendships were those orphan kids. The Father and Sisters welcomed them to play on the Orphanage Playground with the other kids. This is where Grandpa learned a lot of good sportsmanship. The Old Irishman who was kept at the Orphanage to tend the furnace and operate the machinery for the Orphanage laundry. Grandpa would help him used to help him on wash day which was once a week. This man became Grandpa's Hero. In 1916 they moved to FRUITA, Colo Grandpa enjoyed going with his father to the mountains. From Grandpa's words "How fresh Venison steaks and camp style fried potatoes and dutch oven biscuits tasted. Dad taught us to watch for rattlesnakes and he taught us to use a rifle and revolver. He also taught my mother to be an excellent shot and in those days it was good to use firearms." Hard work and family cooperation were soon established on the farm and Great Grandpa started to accumulate machinery. Grandpa worked at home some, but took whatever job he could to help get the farm going. He ran away to Green River Utah and worked as a Section Hand and Call Boy on the railroad. Then back to Fruita as a farm hand on neighboring farms, Coal Mining and as a mechanic and fireman in the Sugar Mill at Grand Junction. Experps taken from the book " Something New and Endearing" By My Uncle James H. Pike

More on Grandpa Pike- Army Life

I often wonder what goes through a young mans mind when he enlists to go to war. I know that in these day's many youth just don't know what career to choose. This is my Grandfathers thoughts in his words. " I read the war news in the Denver Post Daily and as one and two star flags began to appear in the windows of our community, the urge to do my part became so strong that one day at noon when i came in from the fields, I had fully decided to join the Army. Immediately after dinner (in farm language dinner is lunch), I went to my room and started changing clothes to go to town and enlist. Dad came into the room and sat down on the bed and talked to me and the things I remember his saying most was, "son, never do anything foolish. You are here to give life and not take it. Never kill if you can avoid it." With an affectionate hug and kiss, mother let me go away to war and tow days later I was in the Army at Fort Logan Colorado. There, I found myself amongst strangers, Kids like myself spellbound with adventure.Then off to Virginia, Site seeing trips to Washington DC, Mt Vermont and other places hoping to go to France and see action on the front. One day my Company Commander called me to his office and told me he wanted to put me for a promotion as a Non Commissioned Officer. I declined this offer for reasons I desired to remain on the same level with my friends and buddies. Lt Raider insisted in his efforts to persuade me to change my way of thinking, however, for purposes of his own, made me his Personal Orderly. Now this appointment carried obligations and advantages and disadvantages, namely, I was required to be on call at all times to carry out the wishes of Lt. Raider. One of the advantages was that many times I was exempt from drills and the disadvantage was that I became the " DOG ROBBER" for the Commander. A slur on the name Orderly. You win some you lose some." He was Detached to Maryland then Texas to Denver to Chicago then to Virginia again. North Carolina to Alabama and back to Texas. At the end of the war he was sent to Camp Funston Kansas . On February 3rd 1919 he was honorably discharged.