Vegas Weekend

We did a little shopping at the Galleria Mall in Vegas on Saturday!!!

Baby Wynter in her Christmas Dress and feeling very happy at this moment!

Baby girl Wynter........

Making 5 pounds of Peanut Clusters...Yummy

It's an annual tradition that the girls and I get together before the holiday to make all the candy that they give as gifts each year. We have gone and bought a 10 pound bar of dipping chocolate at Christensen's store for some 20 years and make lots of yummy stuff. I split the bar in half now since they live in opposite directions. We dip pretzels, make peanut clusters and then last year I found a super yummy, super easy toffee recipe. This is just the best time!! We put on wonderful christmas music and spend the day baking. It's even better now that the grandkidos can enjoy it with us.

Baby Wynter is now 6 weeks old.....what???

My Beloved Arlington National Cemetery

This article was in the Washington Times yesterday!

God Bless our soliders ..this day and always!

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Blair sits tall in a saddle that has been used by soldiers since before World War I. Today he is riding Bud, a jet-black horse whose usual job is leading caissons through the somber funeral ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery With his crew cut and his Marine Corps windbreaker, Sgt. Blair, 34, looks every bit the part of a soldier as he rides down the path at Arlington's Fort Myer. When he dismounts, though, he grabs a walking stick with a Marines logo on it and walks unevenly to the stables.

Sgt. Blair was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in May 2006. His weekly visits to Fort Myer are part of his rehabilitation to rebuild his legs.

He is among the soldiers who have been taking part in the U.S. Army Caisson Platoon Equine Assisted Programs. The program was started at Fort Myer in 2006 by Larry Pence and Mary Jo Beckman, two local former military members and riding enthusiasts.
While therapeutic riding has long been a treatment for special-needs children, the idea of putting injured soldiers together with soldiers and horses from the Army's Old Guard was a new one, Mr. Pence says.

Mr. Pence, a retired Army sergeant major, says about 100 soldiers - many of whom are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the District - have come through the program. Many participants are amputees who benefit from riding because horses have a gait that is similar to a human's walk.
"Riding helps retrain the muscles," Mr. Pence says. "It accelerates the adaptability to the use of a prosthetic and helps the injured recover more readily."

The program provides intangible benefits, too. Being out in the fresh air, controlling a 1,000-pound animal, working toward a goal and physical activity all contribute to recovery.

"It is difficult to measure the emotional part," Mr. Pence says, "but it is important, and we see it. There is a sense of accomplishment that can dramatically improve a patient's attitude."
Sgt. Blair says riding has given him lots of those benefits.

Followers List

I have lost my followers list on my blog page but it still appears on my layout page. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Another beautiful morning here in Zion Canyon

This past weekend I headed north to help my daughter put up all the christmas decorations. We got the tree up, decorations out and lit and hung the stockings. We then made five pounds of peanut clusters and two batches of toffee. It is always so much fun when we get together. We bundled up the kids and went riding around at night to ooh and ahh at all the christmas lights.

We only had a few mishaps....two broken ornaments, two burnt fingers, and one lost pepper spray. Are you kidding about the pepper spray? Somehow my aerosol can came out of the cover that hooks to my key chain. We looked and looked and finally found it downstairs in the play room. Now that could of been a disaster. AMEN.it all went well..

Northern Visit

Henli and Layni doing a super duper job of coloring!

This one is for my Nana Brooke!

Oh Nana......Stop with the pictures!

I love this reindeer sweater!

Finally got the tree up and it's gorgeous.

The cute little green pillows say" Dear Santa take my sister and leave the gifts!

or take my brother.....Cute huh?

Layni's new christmas dress from her great grandma Claire. She sure

don't look to happy huh?

Getting ready to go to church!!!

Let's make toffee Nana!! I will help!!

My Little Lukie Bear helping )*(*(^%$#%^&*!!!!

The Stockings were hung!!!

The Nativity being re-arranged for the um-teenth time!!

Our First Zion Snow

A Depiction of Hope, Peace, Comfort and Inspiration

The story of how this beautiful, sacred and comforting work of art came to be is one of inspiration and confirmation. An internationally-renowned artist and bronze sculptor, Jerry Anderson, had a desire to magnify his talent in a spiritual environment.

Headlines are all over Tiger Woods

Ok.......so you gotta admit it! This is pretty funny stuff!

My Beautiful Zion Sky

What a Rip Off !!!!!!!

Let's just say this.... They just really didn't know who they were dealing with.

I have bought tires from Big O for about 5 years now and really have never had a problem with them. So two weeks ago I go in to have my oil changed and they did this unusual once over on my car and come and tell me that I needed new wiper blades and I said Gee.....how can that be when I just replaced them two weeks ago? SO........that was my first clue. Then he proceeds to tell me that I need new struts which run between $600.00 and $800.00. But not to worry because they have a 90 day same as cash plan. Come on... my RAV4 is a 2004!

DID THEY THINK I JUST FELL OFF THE TURNIP TRUCK?

I MIGHT OF BEEN BORN AT NIGHT....BUT IT WASN'T LAST NIGHT!!!!

So yesterday I take my SUV to Toyota and have them rotate and balance my tires which would cost $44.00 because I didn't buy the tires from them..but that's ok. So I don't mention the "struts" thing and I just wait........and pray ( that is alot of money for me). Pretty soon here they come with my keys and say "everything looks good". Then I tell them my story....They say that Big O does that all the time.

I am shocked but not really. I just feel really sorry for all the people they have and will rip off. I feel really sorry for the single woman like me and for the elderly.

SO......TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW...NOT TO GIVE THEM THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE TRUST ME....THEY ARE GIVING YOU THE BUSINESS......AND JUST STEALING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY.

OK.....NOW I FEEL BETTER

For My Many Blessings.... I Am Thankful

As the holiday season approaches I always try to ponder my many blessings. I try to reflect on the previous years and see how far my life has come forth. This brings me to remembering that I am "just getting older"!! This is something that unfortunately is not a "do over". So, I have just learned to ......go with the flow.

My greatest blessing of course is my wonderful family. I am so grateful that I still have my mom and that she is just a short distance from me. I am grateful for her good health and that we are best friends. Throughout the year we take vacations together and have many a laugh along the journey. I am often saddened at the holidays because my dad has passed on ...as are most of my relatives from his side of the family. I can remember great family reunions as a child and am grateful for the memories ....as now, they are only memories. I guess this is the circle of life. One of my long time girlfriends has now lost both her parents and she says it feels like she is an "orphan"now. Something I am not looking forward to.

I am grateful for my loving daughters and their husbands. I have the most compassionate, kind, caring and honest children. I am grateful that we are best friends and that we can tell each other anything. I am grateful to their father and his wife who helped raise and instill all their wonderful qualities. ONE CAN NEVER DO IT ALONE!

I am grateful for my grandchildren and how they make me feel like "I am the most important person in the room" when I go to visit. I cherish their hugs, kisses and laughter.

I am grateful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know my redeemer lives and loves me. I know my father in heaven knows me specifically by name, is always with me and knows of my needs. I am grateful for my challenges and I know that these events will make me stronger.

I am grateful for all my many friends and coworkers. May god bless each and every one of us at this holiday season and always.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

This is a wonderful video. I hope you will watch it.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Big Vegas Day

This past weekend I traveled to Vegas with my mom and my aunt to attend the baby shower for our newest addition......WYNTER BROOKE..

What a wonderful day. This shower was put together by Mackenzie's Aunt Dawn, her Aunt Joan and her other mother, Cindy. Thanks to all of you for all your hard work. The table, the food and everything was just wonderful. It's always so nice being all together. Mackenzie has many blessings in her life and her family is right at the top of her list.

Mommy, Daddy and Baby Wynter Brooke

Baby Wynter's Blankets From Her Nana

I had the most wonderful time making these blankets.

Her special holiday blankie!!

Baby Shower Nut Cups

I made these adorable little nut cups for the shower and I think they turned out really cute.