Our Sunday smiles and a farewell

Today has been full of smiles and tears for our family.

It was one of those once in a lifetime days for us.

Actually, that is not true.

It was the third time in our lifetime that we

have had the privilege of attending our child's or grandchild's

missionary farewell.
Our son David served his 2 year mission in Argentina.

Our daughter Erin served sign language mission to the deaf community

throughout the United States.

Today our 19 year old grandson, Justin had his missionary farewell.
He will serve the Lord for 2 years in Guatemala in one of the areas
Grampy John served his mission from Sept. 1961 to March 1964.

He will join the 50,000 other Mormon missionaries

who are serving throughout the world.

If you would like to learn more about our church
and missionary program click here

Justin gave a beautiful talk in church today.
Afterwards friends and family gathered at his home to eat,

wish him well and say goodbye. Here Lynell and Erin are grabbing a bite to eat.

We have been preparing for this day for a long time.
Justin has studied the scriptures at home and at church since he was a youth.
Since our missionaries must pay their own way, Justin has worked hard to save money for his missionary fund.
Four weeks ago we took him to Mr. Mac's to buy his missionary wardrobe.
Missionaries boys need 1 , 2 pant suit,
6 pairs of slacks,
12 white shirts
2 pairs of good shoes,
12 pairs of socks and underwear
and several ties.

Mindy and Ernie, Dathan and Lynell and John and I had a good
time helping him pick out all of his new clothes.
I was smiling that family was generous in helping him get the things he needed.

After buying his missionary wardrobe we went as a family
to attend a session at the Salt Lake Temple.
It was wonderful being in that beautiful historic building
worshiping the Lord together.
All these things culminated in this farewell today.

Justin got hugs from his brothers today.

Actually he got hugs from everyone today.

Everyone enjoyed the good food and the good company.

Lynell is a wonderful hostess.

Friends and family came from near and far.
Fran and Dee just got home from their Australian mission and joined us.

Calan made a new friend.

Justin's Grampy and Dad wish him well.

...

We have a hymn that says...

I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord,

Over mountain or plain or sea.

I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord,

I'll be what you want me to be.
...

I am smiling that this dear grandson is ready and eager to go and

serve the Lord by serving the people of Guatemala.

We will miss him during the 2 years he will be away,

but I know that the Lord will bless him.

He will learn things from his mission experiences that will bless the rest of his life.
God be with you,Grandson, until we meet again.
These things are making my heart smile.

Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor event at Lincoln center also made me smile this week.
I hope that you have had lots of smiles this week too.

A Wordless Wednesday Story with thoughts

There were no words spoken in this story...
but I didn't have to be a physic to read their minds.

Cal thought "Grammy, Sissy needs her pacifier"

Cal... "I found it.

Ellie..."Good, I wanted that."Cal..."Here Sissy"
Ellie..." I don't think Big Bro knows what he is doing."

Ellie..."Wait a minute, Big Bro this is definately not right."

Cal..."OK Sissy,is that better?"

Ellie..."Oh no, now he wants to put lotion on me."
Ellie..."Help me, Grammy."
...
Grammy...I'm having a great time here with my grand babes.

Does life get any better than this?

No!

Sunday Smiles from Utah

Dear Blog Friends,

This has been a wonderful week full of smiles that I am

anxious to share with you.....But, I can't limit

this post to only six...so today it will be my Sunday 8 smiles.

I am smiling that Grampy John was willing for me to fly
to Utah to meet our new little granddaughter and help Erin.

Ellie and Cal met me at the airport
I am smiling that we had the means for me to make this trip
and that Erin and Patrick wanted me to come.

As soon as I arrived I gave Ellie the crazy quilt I'd made for her.
She told me that she liked it. That made me smile.

I also gave her the pretty dress that my friend Bonnie had crocheted for her.
Bonnie found out about us getting Ellie last Tuesday evening.

She went home and worked night and day making this little dress in time for me to bring it to Utah. You make me smile Bonnie. Thank you.

Ellie will have to grow a little but she will look beautiful in your dress.

Little Calan makes me smile.

We had fun going on a walk together.
He is only 16 months old. Taking on the role of "Big Brother" is a big step for him,
but he is doing well.

Open adoptions make me smile.

Brooke, Ellie's birth mom came to visit her and meet me last night.

How I wish that there had been open adoption when I was born.

I wish that I could have known my dear birth mother.

How I admire and love this lovely girl.

It is obvious how much she loves this baby...her love radiates from her.

Giving up Ellie is the hardest thing she has ever done.
Because she loves her so much, she wants Ellie to have all the things that she can't give her right now.
Please pray for Brooke and her family.

They are happy that Ellie has been adopted into a loving family but this is very hard for them at the same time.

My heart goes out to them.
Brooke's love and courage makes me smile.
...
Ellie's first day at church made me smile.

Wake up Ellie, it is time to get ready for church.

Let Mommy wash your hair.

Put your pretty dress on.

Now smile for the camera so Grammy can show you off on my blog.
...
These are some of my smiles for this week.

I hope that you have had a good week too.

I am sending you all hugs.

Wordless Wednesday a day late

Words can't express how thankful and happy I am to greet

and meet our little Ellie......
...So I won't try....don't these pictures say it all???

My Sunday Six Smiles for today

I surely do have a lot of smiles to share with you today.
In fact.... my face is sore from so much smiling this week.

1. This precious little Peanut makes me smile.

Little Elli has been ours for exactly one week today.
Wouldn't you smile if this sweet baby joined your family???

My face and heart are full of smiles.

We are so happy and so thankful.

2. Ellie's birthmom makes me smile.
She makes me smile because she wants her sweet baby to have more than she could give her right now. She wants Ellie to have both a mother and a father.

Her loving sacrifice for her baby touches my heart.....but her sense of humor also makes me smile. She knows that Patrick and Erin and most of our family are BYU grads and avid fans. We bleed BYU blue. She graduated from University of Utah....our biggest rival. Notice the red U of U dress on little Ellie.

This is what her birth mom dressed Ellie in to leave the hospital.

So Pat and Erin brought Ellie home to meet our family dressed in Ute Red with a big U on her dress and on her little hat.

That cracks me up..... so funny... even at that difficult time her birth mom had a sense of humor. Smile, smile, smile.

3. Laura makes me smile.

I still can't believe she redid my blog for me.

I won her giveaway (I rarely win anything so that made me smile).

She was giving away a header design but she took pity on me and redid my whole
blog. I told her I liked pink roses, lace and hearts. She gave me just what I asked. Thanks again for my makeover Laura.
...

4. Mindy and Ernie's new car makes me smile.
Mindy and Ernie have needed a new car for the past 5 years since Austin was born.
They barely fit into their Toyota.
They have been saving for their "Dream Car" for 5 years.
Ernie even taught an extra period at school last year to add to the "car" fund.
They finally got their Escalade the week before we left for our Utah/Wyoming annual family reunion trip.

It is a beautiful car with all the "bells and whistles".
It would not have been my choice (I'm into hybrids to save $ on gas) but I am tickled pink that they have the car of their dreams and they are so happy with it.

Having this nice car made the long drive to Wyoming a pleasure for them and the kids who watched DVDs and played video games on the 2 TV screens all the way.
I remember driving long miles across the dessert with my mom,
when I was young, in a car that didn't have a radio or air conditioning.
Times have surely chanced!
...
5. John showing his mission slides make me smile.

Before we left for Utah, John searched for days to find the slides he had taken during the 2 1/2 years he was a missionary in Central America in the 1960s.
Our Grandson, Justin, pictured here with Grampy, has been called to serve in the same area of Guatemala that John was in 47 years ago.


I was so fun seeing Grampy as a 19 year old missionary.... by the way...he looked just like Justin does now. We couldn't believe how much they look alike.
We enjoyed seeing the country and the people.
Justin is excited and anxious to go and serve there for 2 years.

You can tell that the whole family was spellbound watching the slides and listening to Grampy's mission stories..... lol (Just kidding...this was after the slides were over.)
...

6. Driving home from Utah with E.J. made me smile.

This is the second year in a row that E.J. has stayed in Utah a couple of days after his family left and driven home with us. That gave him 2 more days to play with his cousins and 2 days to spend with us on the drive home.
I thought he would not want to drive home with us now that he has that fancy new Escalade to drive home in... but he did.


I got really sick and was throwing up the night before we left Utah to come home.
I was afraid I might have a terrible trip home but I got better
and made it home just fine.


We loved that we got to have E.J. all to ourselves for 2 days.
The trip is so much more fun when we can share it with a grandchild.
...
Well those are my 6 smiles for this week.
Actually I have had many more that I am anxious to share with you


but I have rambled on for long enough today.
...


We just got back from our Utah/Wyoming trip a week ago but I am heading back up there in a couple of days to meet my Ellie and help Erin with "big" brother Cal.


My John will hold down the fort here as I fly off to Utah.
That makes me smile too.
I will take my new lap top and check into blog world when I can.
Meanwhile I will be hugging and singing to my grand babes.
Isn't that a happy thought!!!!
I hope you have a good week too.

Happy Birthay Marie on my fancied up blog

Did you notice that my blog has a new look?

My blog friend, Laura redid it for me. (Not that it needed it. LOL)

I won it on her give-away.

Am I lucky or what!

Isn't it cute!

Be sure to view it on a full screen so you can see the roses.

Thank you so much, Laura!
...

How fitting that my first post on my fancied up blog is

a Happy Birthday post for my dear friend, Marie.

I hope that you have had a happy 55th birthday.

Friday the 13th has got to be lucky when it is your birthday.

I just got up but I know it is evening there in England.

I hope your day has been filled with sweet things and best wishes.

...

I Think that most of you who read my blog know and love Marie, but if you don't, hop on over to England and read her blog A year from Oak Cottage. She publishes a delightful post every day. I am sure that you will be glad that you took the time to visit her. While you are there please wish her a happy birthday. She will appreciate it.

Let me tell you a little about what Marie stands for.

I wrote this little poem for her last year....

but it is as true today as it was then.

I think I will make it a tradition to post it on her birthday each year.

...

M -is for Merry. She works with a grin.

She sees the bright side, no matter what spot she's in.

...
A- is for Artistic. She paints all the while.

Her sweet little people make everyone smile.

...

R-is for Reliable. She serves with a smile.

She does all that's required ,then goes the next mile.

...

I-is for intelligent. Marie knows what to do.

She gives good advice and recipes too.

...

E-is for Exceptional. We all know it is true.

You're a rare treasure, Marie, and I 'm blessed to know you.

...

(O.K.... I know that is a corny poem...but this poem was written with love

...so that makes corny O.K....right???)

Sweet friend I hope you have had a wonderful day.

I am sending you loads and loads of love and this birthday cake.

You can eat all you want of this cyber-cake because it is calorie free

and won't spoil your diet.

You can even have some for Saturday morning breakfast...I won't tell.

...

Thank you for being such a dear person...such a good example...and such a great friend.

I will call you soon.

I love you to bits.

Happy Birthday.

Love, Lura

I have GREAT news

I have wonderful news.

Introducing Elizabeth Mae (aka Ellie)

(Named after my mom... I am sure she is looking down from Heaven and smiling.)

I got the best birthday gift ever !

The best gift anyone could get... A NEW GRANDDAUGHTER!

This precious little bundle was born last Friday on my birthday.

She weighed in at 5 lbs and 13 oz and is 18 inches long.

(That is exactly the size that my first baby Lynell was.)

She was not due this soon but must have wanted to be my birthday gift.

So she surprised us all by coming early.

Erin and Patrick signed the adoption papers today and got to bring her home.
I can't believe that we just got home from their house and missed this event.

I am dying to be there but I since I had already bought my plane ticket

for the date we thought she would come, I'll have to wait several days to go.

Loni is staying with Erin and will be a great helper with Cal.

I will post more pictures as soon as I get them.

Words can not express the love and appreciation we have

for her sweet birth mom choosing us to be her family.

What a blessing!

I am back....with birthday love

Hello dear blog friends.

I am back..... I have missed you.

I can't wait to catch up on your blogs.

As you know both John's computer and my lap top died 2 weeks ago.

John got his back from the tech hospital yesterday....

but it had a relapse today and is back in intensive care tonight.

Poor John...

However, I got a new lap top before we left Utah.
John, Patrick and baby Cal helped me pick it out.

I just opened it up and find I have a lot to learn.
It is quite a lot different from my old one.
It was an early birthday gift.... so today it is officially mine.

...

Since we just got home from Utah and I already had my computer

I didn't think I had much to look forward to

for my birthday today.

But I was wrong.

Early this morning, I was awakened by someone walking down the hall.

John is not feeling well today and was asleep beside me.

No one else was staying with us.

Was it my dog, Heidi????

No!
It was my sweet daughter and granddaughter.

Mindy and Claire had gotten up bright and early,
gone to the grocery store
and got every thing to make me crepes. (yum yum.)

They drove 20 miles to our house.....slipped in and quietly made me
the best birthday breakfast ever!

What a surprise....and...
What a sweet act of service and love.
Thank you dear Mindy and Claire for all your work.
That really made me a wonderful start for my birthday!

...

My children and grandchildren called to wish me well.

Friends called... some from far away.

Kris called from Arizona...Luis called from Argentina.

I opened cook books and a cook book holder sent all the way from England

by Marie .... Thanks Marie.

Then my life long friend, Sil and her husband Ron
came from out of town.
This was another surprise because since they've had a house full

of company all week, we weren't planning to get together until next week.

When Silvija learned that John wasn't feeling well...
she and Ron decided to come to bring me presents
and help me celebrate.

They know I love scallops so they took me to The Red Lobster for dinner.
How nice of them to drive so far just to help me celebrate.
...
My heart is touched by the love that I have been shown today.
It was a simple day but it was full of love....
What can be better than that???
My heart is full tonight...
I am thankful for dear family and friends.
...
And....I got one gift I wasn't planning on.
The best gift of all.
It was a TOTAL SURPRISE.
I will tell you about it in my next blog.
I hope this day was a good one for you too.
Hugs, Lura