In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory
My Daddy

12 Aug 1937 - 10 Feb 2008

Thank you for being a great Daddy & Papa

I'd Like to Use My Lifeline

I was watching TV the other day and with my limited channel selection right now the only thing I could seem to find to watch was "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." The contestant got stuck on a question she didn't know the answer to and used her "lifeline" to call a friend.

It struck me that I have had a lifeline that I have depended on all my life and how much I appreciated it and how much I'm going to miss it. It seems that any time I hit a snag in life I always call my Daddy for advice and he always seems to have the answer. He is so amazing with the variety of things that he is knowledgable about. I feel almost as if I'm being set adrift to try to make it on my own. That's a strange comment comming from a 40 year old with a husband and kids, I guess I'm finally going to have to grow up.

It's funny how I've not been able to hear his voice for more than a year now but anytime I cross over an overpass when the temperature is near freezing I can hear him say, "Be careful, the overpasses and bridges will freeze first." I know that his words will live with me long after he's gone and I will pass the same advice on to my children. What a legacy of love he leaves behind.

Thank you Daddy for always being there for me, thanks for the years of advice and the loving guidance throughout life. I'm looking forward to all that I will be able to continue to learn from you as you progress on your eternal journey, I'm looking forward to the time that I will join you and have you give me your words of advice and love.

The World Lost a Great Soul

This world is a poorer place today because we lost a great man to the next world. President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet, seer and revelator, passed from this world to the arms of the Savior and his sweet wife tonight.

I will miss seeing his sweet face at conference, I will miss his straightforward manner of talking about truth, the loving kindness in his voice and the concern I felt from him for all of us. I am sad for the loss that we will all feel and yet I can't help but rejoice for him. He has often spoken about missing his wife and I can just imagine their joy at being together.

I have every faith that the Lord will call and qualify another wonderful man to serve as the prophet and leader for this time, I look forward to the direction and the emphasis that he will bring to us.

Thank you so much President Hinckley. You are loved and you will be missed.

Full News Story

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

...it's off to work I go. Temporary Part-time. I have 2 jobs, kind of, right now (I mean outside the home) I am working at a bakery when she needs me, cutting out & decorating cookies and helping out in other ways where needed. I really enjoy this and I'm working with the lady who taught my cake decorating classes. (Thanks Lynn) My other more steady job is working at a copy shop helping scan in to archive documents or scanning them for litigation disclosure. They have need for me there for several months. (Thanks Dave!)

The best part of both jobs is that I don't have a specific obligation for days and times so that if my children need me (or I need them) I can take the day with them. Although it is hard to leave my babies I know that they are loved (thanks Nana!) and I know that it is just for a short time while we try to build Lakin's business back up.

Off I go to scan, scan scan. Hiiiiii hoooooo, hiiiiiii hooooo.......

Good Eats

Okay - we're on a food budget and we're eating better than we have in ages - go figure. Anyway, I guess it's because I'm forced to actually cook with real ingredients instead of the pre-made, from a box, easy-cheesy food I have been relying on. No more fast food on the way home, no more (okay a lot less) convience food from the freezer.

Tonight we had Lakin's famous (well to some and especially to me) broccoli-cheese soup. He works so hard on it, spending time carefully chopping up the stems so that we are not chomping down on tough and stringy broccoli but still getting the flavor and nutrients from the stems. Last night I made french toast (from my homemade bread) with fried apples. Earlier in the week we had venison chili (oh my gracious thank you Carol for the venison.) I even have a beef stew planned for the crock pot on Sunday. So while I'm in mourning for Chef Wangs and Demo's and Outback and yes even Sonic I am rather enjoying the fruits of my kitchen again.

My poor little Savannah is going into culture shock from it though, she thinks that she should live on frozen pizzas, cherry icees and chicken tenders (I've been such a bad mommy.) So we're doing baby steps - tonight she had a pizza I made from a hot dog bun with sliced american, speghetti sauce and slice provolone. Lakin was so good, he kept telling her how lucky she was that she had a mommy who loved her enough to cook a "special pizza" just for her.

I also had some root beer syrup and so I made homemade root beer icees tonight with my

immersion blender (thank you Mama and Daddy - I love it!) Now if I can just transition her into eating soups it would be great because we seem to be cooking a lot of them lately (the hand blender helps with that as well). Christopher is liking them though so that's a blessing.

Tender Mercies

I sure hope that my attempt to always see "The Rosi-er side of life" isn't just annoying the snot out of everyone. Believe me I could regale you with woes and sorrows but I really am trying to count my blessings in all things.

Today we experienced two very large and yet what could be easily overlooked tender mercies.

First, while I was working in the kitchen Savannah and Christopher were playing in the living room, just a baby gate away and I hear a loud clunk and an even louder howl. Savannah comes running to me, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" I see Christopher sitting on the floor crying. I pick him up and he immediately just lays his head on my shoulder. I comfort him for a bit then try to determine why he's crying so hard, he's usually such a tough guy. I lift him off my shoulder look at his face and there is a huge goose egg between his eyes already turning purple. This doesn't sound like a tender mercy does it? - it sounds more like a tender head. The tender mercy in my eyes is that with no insurance, we didn't have to go to the emergency room for stitches or a concussion.

The second tender mercy was similar. I was cleaning carrots so that they would be easily "snackable" and was trying to cut them into julienne pieces when the knife slipped and I felt it slide right along the end of my index finger. By all rights I should have lost the tip of my finger, my knife was very sharp, it was very much in the way and I was using a great deal of force, as it was I didn't even get a nick. What a blessing, once again to not have to end up in the emergency room.

Ohhhh and one more - Lakin had an appointment today and has an order to set tomorrow - woo hoo - some work!!!!

I truly am grateful for the blessings in my life.

A Survey

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Do you want it in minutes or hours?
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? A really good medium rare steak
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? yup - two cuties!
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I would hope so
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? nooooo.... not me..... of course not .... ***grin***
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No - but I would sky dive.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lucky Charms
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Depends on how lazy I'm feeling
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? When I absolutely have to be.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their general expression
15. RED OR PINK? Pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my ostrich approach to problems at times (you know, stick your head in the sand and hope the problem goes away)
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Not sure
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans , No shoes
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Ice Cream Sandwich
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My sister on the phone
21. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Light Blue
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Good Italian Food - A new baby - puppy breath
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Security at the Sommit Center
24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? an Emphatic YES!
25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? NASCAR
26. HAIR COLOR? Reddish
27. EYE COLOR? Blue
28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes
29. FAVORITE FOOD? Italian, Chinese & Mama's home cooking
30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings
31. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I'm sure it's something Disney
32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Red, White & Blue
33. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter
34. HUGS OR KISSES? both
35. FAVORITE DESSERT? Depends on my mood
36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Book of Mormon - The Hobbit -
37. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? A drawing from my daughter
38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Nothing
39. FAVORITE SOUND? My Children laughing
40. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither
41. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? hmmmm - when I lived in Florida I was in British Columbia
42. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Crafts
43. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Portugal

Alrighty - anybody else?
44. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? all of them