Sunday Smiles

Hello Dear Blog Friends

Isn't this a wonderful season!!

Thanksgiving makes me smile.

I just love this time when we think of all of our blessings and give thanks.

It would be perfect for me except for one thing...

I am still not well.

I've stayed in bed most of the week hoping to get over the "yuckies" before my kids get here.

I am better...but not "better" enough!

My throat is not as sore as it was....which is a good thing...

...but my cough is no better...

My hacking all day and night is driving both John and me crazy...

...and we are both tired from me keeping us awake half the night.

...

However, I must share one smile with you tonight.

I've had a great laugh over it.

I hope you will too.

...

We have been taking care of Austin this weekend while his family is away.

Even though I am dragging I decided I should make a nice Sunday dinner for us.

I grilled steaks

Made buttery mashed potatoes

and had corn, etc.

...

I called John and Austin to come to the table.

I said "Hurry boys....I made steaks."

"We are having steaks for dinner tonight."

...

John and I sat down at the table but Austin would not come.

The more we called him the more he insisted that he was not hungry

and did not want to come.

Since I wasn't feeling good enough to pursue an argument I just let him be.

...

Later tonight Mindy called to say goodnight to Austin.

I told her that he would not come and eat dinner.

She asked him why he didn't want to eat with us.

He answered "because Grammy made mistakes for dinner.

"I don't like eating mistakes."

LOL

Well there you have it!

If you want your grandchildren to eat dinner with you

don't make mis-steaks.

...

Have a great Thanksgiving.... I know that we will.

My kids start arriving tomorrow...I can't wait.

I will be making all of the traditional holiday foods to enjoy with our dear ones...

... I am going to serve turkey and not "mis-steaks".

I will probably be too busy to blog but I will be thinking of you.

Hugs to all of you, Lura

A Sick Sunday Smiles

Today I am posting my Sunday sick smiles instead of my regular Sunday Six Smiles.

...

I had lots to smile about last week but I am sick today and don't really feel like spending much time on the computer. I will share my last week's smiles with you another time.

However, I was writing a quick email to Marie telling her my tale of woe when I realized how funny it is.

...

So I decided to share my story with you.

Now that I think about it, it cracks me up.

I hope that it will bring a smile to your face as well.

...

We had a great day yesterday but we were gone all day attending a musical E.J. and Claire were in during the afternoon and their piano recital last night.

(I will post pictures and tell you all about it another day.)

...

Sometime during the day I started not feeling very well.

My nose stopped up.

My throat started scratching.

My head started aching.

By the time we were starting the 30 mile drive home last night I knew I was getting sick.

...

However, I also knew that it was my turn to have Sunday Dinner at our house this week.

Mindy and I trade back and forth each week.

One week we go to their house and the next week they come to ours.

...

I knew that I could call Mindy and tell her I was getting sick.

I thought of doing that...but....I knew Mindy was exhausted.

Ernie has been tied up with his high school band competitions and wasn't home.

Mindy has had to take kids back and forth to rehearsals all week.

She has not had a minute to spare for days....

She was on the run long before we were yesterday.

After the musical and the recital all three kids were totally worn out.

...

I couldn't call her and make her drag the 3 kids to the store late last night to get something to make for Sunday Dinner.

...

So I decided to trick the flu bug and make most of the dinner last night before I got sicker.

I put all the ingredients in my bread machine to have a hot loaf of bread made today.

I took a pot roast out of the freezer to thaw.

I cut up potatoes, carrots and onions and put them in my crock pot.

I added all the seasonings.

I made a salad.

I stored them all in my refrigerator.

I figured that I would ask John to put the roast in the crock pot this morning and plug it in.....

...and ...wha...la...

we would have dinner....

...well...

It is a good thing John overslept and was late getting into the shower this morning.

I was up sick several times during the night and feel yucky today

but since John was running late, I drug myself into the kitchen to put the roast in the crock pot and start dinner cooking.

I unwrapped the frozen roast I was thawing and got a big surprise!!!

Instead of thawing a roast....I had thawed soup bones.

Bones!!!!

With very little meat on them.

John and I love soup but Ernie doesn't.....

Besides, bones, potatoes, carrots and onions don't make much of a soup.

Can you imagine how shocked I would have been if I'd had John start the crock pot dinner thinking he was putting in a roast only to find at dinner time it was only bones???

I can just imagine the look on Ernie's face.... and mine.

Ha Ha.... the thought makes me smile...In fact it cracks me up.

...However....now I need to come up with dinner.

I am thawing some pork chops.

I'll use all the potatoes I peeled last night to make mashed potatoes.

Those will be good if I make gravy to go with them.

...But my plan of staying in bed all day sleeping or watching KBYU isn't going to work.

Do any of you want to come over and make the dinner for me?

Have a good week. Hugs, Lura

Happy Birthday Lyle...I haven't forgotten you.

Dear Lyle.

Today is your birthday.

You were born on Nov. 10, 1971

Unfortunately, that was also your death day.

I never got to hold you.

I never got to say goodbye.

Back then there was no "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" organization where kind

people like my blog friend Jamie come and take pictures for the family to keep.

...

The hospital took you away and put you in the morgue before I even saw you.

They told me, John and my mom it would be too upsetting for us to see you.

I knew they were wrong but I was too sick to argue.

You were buried while I was still recovering from your difficult birth in the hospital.

You were gone from my life but not from my heart.

I agonized with grief.

Then one night I awoke with the following words racing through my mind.

I wrote them down in a poem.

The words gave me comfort.

They brought me peace.

I consider this poem a gift from God.

It still gives me comfort.

I wrote it for you.

I called it Only Son

At that time you were my only son.

...

Only Son

(Cruel words-Kind Answer)

"Your baby's dead!" How cruel the words.
How shocking to my soul.
It can not be. It must not be.
God would not take my son from me.
...
But it was true. My babe was gone
Taken from my arms and breast.
I wept. I cried in agony.
My torment knew no rest.
...
How could it be? How could it be
God took him in his infancy?
Before he walked or talked or cooed for joy
God took away my baby boy.
...
Then in His loving tenderness
God touched my heart that I might know
I'll have my son. I'll hold his hand.
I'll watch him grow into a man.
...
Though I wait to sing him songs of love
I'll sing them in our home above.
For now I'll prove my faith and worth
and thank God He let me give him birth.
...
...

And so Lyle I wait.

I am trying to live a good life.

I am trying to live as Jesus taught us to live.

I am trying to keep His commandments.

I want to be worthy to be with you in our eternal home one day.

...

You would be 38 years old today.

I imagine that you would be much like your younger brother, David.

I am sure that you would be a fine man with a lovely family.

I miss you. I have not forgotten you.

I can smile when I think of you today because I know families are forever.

Happy Birthday dear son.

Love, Mommy

Sunday Six Birthday and Sewing Smiles

My sweet granddaughter, Emma turned 9 last Monday.

( 2 days after Claire turned 8

and 9 days after E.J. turned 10.)

We have had much to smile about with these dear grandchildren growing up

healthy and strong , learning right from wrong and making good choices.

Emma is a precious girl.

She loves her little brothers (which you can tell from this picture of her with Evan)

and her little sister, Grace.

She is a great example for them.
We love you dear Emma.
I could not be with you on your birthday
but I was smiling as we talked on the phone.
I smile when ever I think of Emma.

You might remember that several of our family gathered together
last year when Emma turned 8 and was baptised.
Emma was my 2nd granddaughter to be baptised and confirmed.
I was happy that I could make her a lovely confirmation dress....

...just as I had done for Lonica two years ago when she turned 8.

I made each of their dresses way in advance.
I had time to enter both of them in local fairs and sewing competitions.
Both won blue ribbons and one got the Best of Show award

which made me smile.
I had time to look at them....and refine them...and enjoy them before I gave them away.
BUT...
the third time was not the charm!
Somehow Claire's 8th birthday slipped up on me.
????
How did that happen????
Maybe it was because I got so sick in Sept. when I had kidney stones...
...or...
Maybe it was because I spent the first 2 weeks of Oct. in Utah for Cal's adoption...
...or...
Maybe I am just getting old...???
...but for what ever the reason I suddenly realized last week that
Claire's 8th birthday was here and she would soon be baptised
and
I hadn't even started on her confirmation dress!!!
I had to make one....after all... I had started a tradition with Loni and Emma.
I couldn't let my Claire Bear down.
So I got busy.

Monday, I was smiling when I finally got it all cut out.
(That is the only part of sewing that I don't like...I always dread the cutting out step. )

I was smiling Wednesday when I got most of it sewn together...including the ruffly petticoat you see in this picture.
(I left town Tues. and went to visit with my friends, Sil and Betsy

but I took the dress with me and got some hand work done while I visited with them. )

I got back Wed. from visiting my friends, which also made me smile...(Sorry I didn't get any pictures...What am I like???)

After returning home, I sewed the bodice and skirts together.

Then I settled down to sewing on sequins and pearls.
I even put pearls on the sleeves this time. If you look closely you can see them.

Do you like them there?

After sewing on over 2000 pearls on Mindy's wedding dress years ago

I said I would never sew on another pearl... but I was wrong.

However, after I finish making Grace's confirmation dress next year when she turns 8,

maybe I will never need to sew on another pearl.

That will make me smile.

Meanwhile I was smiling as I worked on Claire's dress.
I thought it was turning out nicely.

I burnt the midnight oil finishing it up but I was smiling.

This time I added something else new.

I put lace and pearls down by the hem in front. I liked the new touch.
That made me smile.

Seeing Claire's smile when I gave it to her

made me smile most of all.

I am so thankful for my precious granddaughters.

I am thankful that each of them have been raised to love the Lord.

I am glad that they want to be baptised

and confirmed a member of His church.

I can't wait until our family comes together in a couple of weeks
for Claire's baptism and confirmation.

You can bet that I will really be smiling at that special occasion.
I am thankful that I have been given the skill and ability
needed to make my grandgirls special dresses for their confirmations.

That also makes me smile.
...
I send hugs and best wishes to each of you.

I hope you have a week full of smiles.

Sunday Smiles Halloween Week

I am sure that many of you have had a happy week filled with
all sorts of Halloween Fun.

We surely have.

I couldn't call this post my Sunday Six Smiles because I have had way more than six reasons to smile.

In fact my smiles were far bigger than those found on our Jack-o-Lanterns
(Speaking of Jack-o-Lanterns, my friend Kris has written a beautiful story about how making the Jack-o-Lantern is similar to the way God works with us. It is a lovely story. Go to her blog and read it for yourself.

Halloween is my Claire Bear's birthday.

It is always fun celebrating with my little Pumpkin.

(My nickname for Claire became Pumpkin when she made her

unexpected arrival on Halloween night 8 years ago.)

She always has lots of interesting friends show up to celebrate with her.

Here, her brother Mario, helps her blow out her candles.
Having a Halloween birthday is loads of fun....
but then I guess a birthday is always loads of fun

no matter what day it comes.

Last week my daughter Mindy and my grandson, E.J. also had birthdays.

E.J. had a lot fun playing guitar on his cousin Jalen's Guitar Hero game while we were in Utah.

All the way driving back home to California, he kept telling us that Guitar Hero is all he wanted for his birthday.
He got his wish and his house has been rocking every since.

My birthday girl, Mindy, Austin and Claire have also been rocking all week.

Any of you that read my blog know how much our family enjoys karaoke singing.

We never get together for very long before the karaoke starts....

...now it is even more fun with the guitar and drums accompaniment.
...
I liked Halloween and the fall season as a child....

...however, it is much more fun now that I have 1 daughter and 4 grandchildren that were born between October 1 and Nov. 2nd....
and they all are so darn cute!!! (Not that I am prejudice!)

Wait a minute....where is E.J?

Oh...there he is...

He decided to be spooky this year but he doesn't seem to scare Sailor girl or Mario.
...
Of course picture taking on Halloween is the first order of business.

Mario poses for Mindy one last time before running off to the neighborhood block party.
...
Block Halloween pot lucks make me smile.
We enjoy gathering with Mindy's neighbors for a good dinner before passing out the candy.

Getting together with neighbors makes Halloween night even more fun.

After dinner we all sit together and visit while we pass out the candy.

It makes it more fun for the adults and the kids don't have to go door to door to

trick or treat.

Little spooks just come to the end of the cul-de-sac and collect their loot from each of us there.
...
We also had fun last Friday night at our church Trunk-or- Treat party.

We all enjoyed the defferent kinds of chili, hot dogs and salads...

But....most of all....

We enjoyed the association with good friends.
....
There are so many fun fall activities.
We started the fun stuff while we were in Utah for Calan's adoption

two weeks ago with all of our kids and grandkids.

Lynell was in charge of making caramel apples.

It was fun making them and even more fun eating them.

Erin and Patrick were in charge of carving the pumpkins.

Everyone helped out....we made quite a mess...but we were all having fun.

It was great that David and his family were there with us.
They live far away and we don't get to see them that often.

However, this is the second year in a row that we got to carve pumpkins together.

Last year we went to Kentucky to celebrate Emma's 8th birthday with her.
Emma's birthday is Nov. 2nd but we were there for Halloween too.

For both years we had more smiles than we could count.

Our Happy Halloween is over now.

October was a magical month for us.

We were all together as a family.

We celebrated 4 family birthdays.

We officially adopted little Calan and had him sealed to our family.

We were truly blessed.

We were all smiles...all month.

We are very thankful.

...
I hope that you all had a happy month too.

Tell me about your Halloween activities.

Have a great week ahead...

...and happy birthday #9 tomorrow sweet Emma.
Love, Grammy Lura

p.s. I'm thinking of you dear Marie. I am glad that we could visit on the phone for a little while after church today. I hope that you will find your sweet smiles again soon. XOXO