My Honey and His Honey make me smile

Dear Blog Friends,

Before I tell you why my honey hubby has me smiling..

Let me tell you about another reason I have to smile.

...

My tummy was not behaving this past week.

In fact she and her abdominal friend were

out of control for a couple of days...

...totally running the show...
..and keeping me running...if you know what I mean.

I was not smiling about that...!!##*!*#!

but I was smiling that my prayers were answered

and I was able to be well enough and find the strength to get up

Thurs. afternoon and serve my regular shift at the temple.

It makes it hard on the rest of our shift

if we are not there at our scheduled time and don't get a substitute.
I left home at 2:45 p.m.to go to the temple.....

...did my regular duties...

and got home at 11:15 p.m...

...and ...

I did just fine.

That was a little miracle for me.

That was a blessing!

That makes me smile.

...

John makes me smile too.

My Honey got all new bee keeping stuff for Father's Day
New suit..new hat ...new hive frames...

...and a new honey extractor...

If you remember,last year, a Queen Bee
came buzzing into our yard with a swarm of her family.
John excitedly climbed up a ladder to welcome her.
(I was afraid that he would fall and break his neck!)

He escorted her and the whole swarm into a nice new home

he built just for them.

Well, Ms. Queen Bee has been paying rent...in liquid gold.

John collects the rent about twice a year.

He scrapes off the wax covering the cells.

..And there hides the beautiful, golden honey.

Of course, he has to share some of the wax with

grandkiddos who jump out of the pool to get a bite.
Chewing on the wax must be what pioneers did for chewing gum.
It is delicious....and when the honey is all gone...you spit out the wax.

(I am told you can make all sorts of things from the wax ,

but I haven't done it yet.)

Last year John tried to make his own extractor.
It would have worked well except without bearings, it got too hot and
the parts melted and froze up.

This year he used his new hand turn extractor.

When the frames emptied, John strained the honey through a filter.

Then, he and Claire put our golden treasure into bottles.

I think it is....
...That my cleaver Hubby Honey...

Could harvest us so much honey.... about 38 pounds!
It is delicious!
I am glad that John found his Queen Bee....

She and her family are working hard pollinating our orchard
and paying in liquid gold.

That makes me smile.
...
Well, those are my "sweet" smiles for this week.

I hope that you had lots to smile about too.

By the way... do any of you want to buy some honey???

Hugs, Lura

Happy Father's Day Smiles

Today I will combine my Sunday smiles

with Father's Day Smiles

I was not blessed with a good father when I was a child.

He deserted our family when I was 7

and left my mom and me to fend for ourselves.

...

I missed a lot not having a father ... but... I have been blessed
as an adult with good men in my life who are great examples

of what husbands and fathers should be.

My John has been making me smile for 45 years.

(Sometimes he also makes me nuts but that is another story. LOL)
I knew before I married him that he
would be a good husband and father.

I was right. He has been a good father to our 4 children....
...and a good Grampy to our 13 grandchildren.
John makes me smile.

Dathan was the first son-in-law to join our family
when he married our oldest daughter, Lynell.

He has always been a close part of our family.
He visits us as often as he can from Utah

and always welcomes us
in his home.

He, Lynell and Grampy started a property management company
together last year. Dathan works very hard to support his family.
We love him very much.
Dathan makes me smile.
...
Ernie was the next son-in-law to join our family when he married

our 2nd daughter, Mindy.

Mindy and Ernie live about 30 min. away from us here in California.
We get to share much of their lives with them.
We eat together every Sunday and attend all their special occasions.

Ernie also makes us feel welcome in his life and home.
We love Ernie and his family

and are thankful that they live near us.

...

Patrick is the last son-in-law to join our family.

He married our "baby girl", Erin.

Patrick and Erin met and married in their 30's.
We had prayed for Erin to find a good husband for years.

We were all so happy when Patrick joined our family.

...

Erin and Patrick adore each other and their baby Calan.
There never were cuter parents than these two.

Patrick is a wonderful husband and father.

He makes me smile.

...

I am thankful for our only son, David.

(We had another baby boy but he died at birth)

David is a good son.
He has made me smile all through his life.
(The only thing I don't smile about is that his job takes him so far away.)

He too is a good husband and father.

I love and am thankful for all these dear men in my life.

I see how loving and good they are to their families.
I get to experience what it means to have a father

through watching them.

I am thankful for each one.

They put many smiles on my face and in my heart.
...

Most of all I am thankful to know that I have a
Heavenly Father who knows and loves me.
I am thankful to know that I am His daughter.

I did not have an earthly father to guide me and love me...

...but I have a Heavenly Father that I can always go to.

I am thankful that I can turn to Him in prayer

for guidance, comfort and support.
He is always there for me and you.

...
I say Happy Father's Day to all of the good fathers in my life

and in yours.
Hugs, Lura

Help spread the word....Please vote for Claire

...
Please click HERE and go to YouTube and listen to Claire

sing Solvejgs Lied

(In this song a girl's sweetheart is far away and she is wishing him well)

Or... something like that. I don't speak German but that is what Claire told me.

...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5068whIcnE

...

Dear Blog Friends

We are sending in this video of Claire singing to

America's Got Talent.

She is amazing for only 8 years old... but...

we know that they will receive thousands (maybe millions)

of video audition tapes.

The chances are great that they will not even see Claire's audition.

However, the more hits she gets on YouTube....

and the more "I likes" and positive comments that are left...

the better her chances are for her to be noticed.

Please watch her sing ..

..and spread the word and ask your friends and family to watch her also.

You will be impressed....

and I am not saying that just because I am her Grammy.

Thanks and Hugs, Lura

Smiles at the end of an era.

It is late tonight.

I have been looking at hundreds of pictures of little Austin.

Tonight is the end of an Era for us.

The end of our keeping Austin Era.
...

When we retired from teaching 3 years ago, John and I started watching

2 year old Austin 2 or 3 days a week.

Since he lives about 30 minutes away.... and Mindy and Ernie

must leave for school very early,

we kept Austin from Sunday dinner to Tue and sometimes Wed.

...

It has been a wonderful journey.







We have had so


many good times.

And....

...adventures.

(I was trying to put

pictures side by side but
I can't get it to work so I'll put in
center pictures.)

We have had fun rides... at home.... and..

At Knott's Berry Farm.

Can you see how he has grown?

This was his first try on the huff and puff.

Now he is almost too big for it.
...

We have had many lunches out at fine restaurants like this one.

We have gone to Library story and craft time

every Monday.

We have had lovely cuddle times.

and exciting car trips.

He has been a great little helper.

Sometimes the patio and his shoes got more water than my plants
but he helped me water every day if needed.

Austin and Grampy are extra special buddies.

There have been countless walks down the yard ramp...

..and up the steps to the orchard...

...and down the steps in the "Enchanted Forest".

He loves helping Grampy pick avocados or fruit.

He is big enough now to reach our
Cherries of the Rio Grand... with a little help from a step stool.

At 2 he could only help me stir the pancakes.
(His favorite breakfast)

Now he can make them....

and cook them too.
(They have a bit of an odd shape but... what the heck!)

At 2 he still slept in a crib.
(Don't ask me why he always liked to crowd in sideways???)

Now he fills up his big bed....

...but note he has the same beloved blankie.
...
Yes, it is the end of an era.

Mindy and Ernie are out of school for the summer...

and 5 year old Austin will go to kindergarten this fall.

...

In some ways my life will be easier not having my

little helper 2 or 3 days a week.

...but...

What a priviledge and joy it has been to share these past 3 years with

my little sweetheart.

...

Tonight his bed is empty
and so are my arms.
I miss him already.
...

As he grows older he will forget these years he was "our" boy,

but I won't.

I will treasure these sweet moments we shared in my heart forever.

I am thankful for all the smiles he has given me.
...

I hope you all have a great week.
Hugs, Grammy L