A wonderful surprise

Just before leaving for church last night, to be with the Young Women, I noticed I had a message to call my son Brock. I didn't have time to return his call just then, but later on about 8:30 as I was leaving the church I called him back. He asked if I could stop by their house as they wanted to give me a gift. 


Huh? Really? Now?


So sure, I was on my way. 


After being greeted by a very happy and wide awake Cami (I heard she had a 4 hour nap that day!...unlike her sister Elora who was fast asleep) and trying to cuddle a hungry Violet (who changes every time I see her) they presented this to me:

I was stunned. I asked, "How did you know?"

I have LOVED this picture since I first saw it nearly 2 years ago.

Erin and I, along with her mom and Elora, were all having lunch at the Victoria Cottage Rose 

when I was captured by

this picture on the wall right by our table. 

It was love at first sight and I mentioned that. 

(although I don't remember saying anything)

Little did I know that Erin took mental note and had been trying to find the picture on the Internet ever since!!

She told me last night that she had even asked the restaurant if she could buy it and they said no.

But recently the restaurant changed ownership and apparently the new owner told Erin YES.

You know how some pictures just speak to you?

You don't have to think about it much or look at it very long before you just know you love it. 

I have a love for pictures of mothers with children.

This one I found in an old bookstore many years ago.

And this one I bought at least 25 years ago at a decorating party.

I think I found this one for the playroom at a yard sale.

 

To me, a Mother's love is the most powerful force on earth. 

Perhaps a Father's love is also, but I can't say being I've never been one.

And now I own another picture that says just that. 

And it's gorgeous!

I was so excited by it all that I could not go to sleep til 2:30am! 

I slept in til 7:30 but still I feel a nap coming on soon. 

Even more than the picture itself, 

I am in awe that Erin would go to so much trouble just for little ol' me.

Who is the Grandma?

There is a reason I am showing you these darling identical baby twin girls 
who were born March 16th.     Wrigley and Morley
 

Many many moons ago, beginning at age 11, I use to babysit this wonderful family:

What a great influence they have been on my life, and on my parenting. 

(Jonathan and Amy have yet to be born in this picture.)

I spent many many hours in their home.

I completely enjoyed my time with them.

Their home was filled with order, a calm spirit, and sweet happy children.

So the little girl above, the one sitting right next to me, that's Maria....and would you believe SHE is the GRANDMOTHER of those twin baby girls! No one is more surprised than me, that time can go by that quickly. That quickly! (or so it seems to me)

AND, I was also Maria's Primary teacher. She was 4, and I was 12. 

I still have the attendance roll to prove it.

(In our church back in 1966, Sunbeams were the 4 year olds.)

I use to team teach with another 12 year old, Carol Wardell.

Carol and I back in 1962 

4 years before we were Primary teachers.

(btw, Primary teachers are never that young anymore.)

Life is interesting. That I can always count on. 

Oh, and I can't end without showing Maria with one of her new grandbabies.

Figuring this all out mathematically....Maria became a Grandma the same age I did. 
Yet to me, she will always seem way too young to be joining this grandparent club. 

Mommy Megan with Wrigley and Morley

She looks like a natural already. 

Memories of Grandpa

As soon as I heard he passed away yesterday, of course I cried. But probably not 2 minutes later I thought, "He's with his son!" (my first husband) and I felt so happy for them both. What a reunion they must be having! 

He is also with his Dad who he lost at a young age, and his mother, and his 2 sisters, one having died when she was only 3. 


He is out of that crippling painful old body. His suffering is over. 
He has graduated. And for that, I am very happy, for him.

My 2nd Dad is gone

He started his new life in heaven just a few hours ago.

It was very difficult for them to make it all the way here from Arizona last June for McKay and McKenna's wedding reception. Determination is what got them here. They also journeyed here for Tyler and Karen's wedding back in May of 2009, but he got so sick they had to return home before the ceremony even started. 

Mom and Dad Heasley would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year.

He loved his family fiercely. He always will. 

Love and family never die.

I am sad for us, but oh so happy for him.

I have a question about the Pioneer Woman

Even though woman all over Blogland quote The Pioneer Woman  and her recipes continually, I had never even looked at her blog til recently.


I did however just finish her page turning book:

Loved it. Stayed up way too late several nights in a row because I couldn't put it down. Den kept saying things like, "Are you going to join me in bed anytime soon?" And with my eyes in the book, I kept saying,  "Just a little bit more."


I have a question though.

Does Ree's husband, the Marlboro Man, always keep his face hidden? 
Is he sort of like Wilson from Home Improvement?


I have not read her entire blog by any means. Just a few posts. But so far I have yet to see a full on picture of her husband. Will I ever? Or is that just the way it is? Does anyone know? I'd rather know now than to keep looking for it.

One of my favorite quotes from this book:
"...Even though I was new at marriage, I still sensed that somehow---whether because of biology or societal conditioning or religious mandate or the position of the moon---it was I who was to be the cushion between Marlboro Man and the cruel, hard world. That it was I who'd needed to dust off his shoulders everyday. And though he didn't say it, I could tell that he felt better when I was bouncing along, chubby, and carrying his child, in his feed truck next to him."

What boys will do when their mom is out of the room

Before I show this video, I have to explain. 


Lately I've been going through old videos....trying to decide which ones to preserve and which to throw out. Many are unlabeled so I have to watch them before I can make a decision. 

So I come across this one video that I don't think I had ever seen before. It's obviously filmed by my oldest son Brock, who must have been about 11 or 12. 

Sorry about their choice of music. It's a bit annoying. But this is just a small clip of it all. Logan dancing like there's no tomorrow. But then at the end you will see Tyler. I must have been  more relaxed back then about the state of my house and furniture. 

Or maybe I just was happy to have some time to myself in the other room and didn't care what they were doing. Who knows. Afterall, it was 22 years ago.

Birthdays on the wall

Last night we were visiting my Dad and his wife, and I noticed this gift her daughter made her for Christmas.

Dennis is a lot cuter in real life. He looks like a mean cop in this picture.

 

I like the way each month has a different kind of ribbon.

Boy birthdays are stars, and girls are hearts.

I thought this was a cute way to visualize birthdays ahead. 

Also, another idea I learned from Susan last night.

I like the creative way she hung this painting....down low right beside the dresser. 

That would be especially nice in a child's room or play room, so they could actually see the pictures on their wall.

I also think it's a different look.

And while I'm at it, let me show you some other things I like about their home office:

Dad's family on one side of the computer, 

and Susan's family on the other.

And if that's not enough, 

they have family all over the office closet.

I think they like all of us.

He went from a baby to Mayor of Sanger

Here he is, Mayor Josh Mitchell:

Or rather, there he was as a baby. 

I've known his Mom since we were young teenagers!

He was on the news recently.
He certainly speaks with authority. Take a look.


A baby on my couch, and now the mayor of a nearby town. This makes me feel like I've aged overnight.

Are you typical?

I'm definitely counted out as typical.

A winning crockpot night

Don't these 2 look cute together?

This was our dinner last night. 

And they were both winners.

First, I will tell you about the Crockpot Carrots.

Just throw in the carrots, either baby ones, or chunks you slice, and other ingredients on top.

(Do you know my Mom would really THROW ingredients in pots as she was cooking? 

Stand back when she was cooking, was what I use to say. I miss her.)

4-5 c carrots (I use a pkg or 2 of baby ones but regardless of how many carrots I put in,
I always use the same amount of other ingredients. Don't ask me how it works, but it always does.)

1/2 c orange juice

2 T honey

1 T butter (or a tad more)

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt and pepper each

The original recipe from the Crock pot Lady asks for 1/4 t of ginger, but we like it better without the ginger, so just forget that step.
Unless you like spicy gingery carrots. We don't.

After it's all thrown in there and it's heated a little, I stir it all up.

Cook on high about 4 hours.  

In the other crock pot I made San Francisco Chops from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

with brown rice.

It looks hard because of all the writing but it's not. 

It takes about 10-15 min more time to prepare than the carrots.
(I forgot to put in the cornstarch and water at the end but I don't think it mattered.)

Oh, and they both made our house smell SO good.

Don't be discouraged by Dennis' plate. We can never get enough vegetables. Must be our age.

So we had spinach and broccoli with it. I think he had 3 servings of carrots. He kept saying, "These carrots are outstanding." like he had never tasted them before. 

He says that when ever I make them which is about once a week.

Oh and sorry about the mayo but he always likes it with his broccoli. 

He loved the pork too and kept telling me how good it was.

I made him a pork sandwich today with the leftovers.

I think he liked it but I never had a chance to ask. The grandchildren plus the cable guy were here at the time. 
Then the missionaries came over.
Then our other grandchildren.

I just now asked him about the sandwich and he said, "Oh I forgot to tell you. It was OUTSTANDING. Not just really really good. That is the best tasting pork! Do we have any left?"

I still hear him walking down the hallway saying, "That pork just had the BEST flavor."

So there you have it.

Go here for the Crockpot Pork chop recipe.

Life 24 years ago.

I have been even more sentimental than usual (if you can imagine that!) since learning my 2 youngest sons will be fathers in September. I showed Tyler as a toddler 2 weeks ago, and now here's my McKay...going back about 24 years! 

The sound is way off sync but you get the general idea.
I didn't add the music...it was already there.


I don't know where baby Tyler was on this day....maybe asleep?



I try to visualize what their children will look like. 
I so wish I had some video of Karen and McKenna!

One family's experience in Japan right now

I can't get the families in Japan off my mind. Would there be anything more torturous than a parent separated from their child and not know where they are, or what is happening to them?

My father's wife, Susan (who we all dearly love, btw), has a niece, Emily, living in Japan right now with her husband and 4 little sons. She has had a few blog posts updating what they are now experiencing there. They are all okay, but very stressed, and cold. Her post has some good advice too on how we can better prepare ourselves. It may be our turn someday.

Read about it here.

Helen Reddy and the Golden Rule

While I have never been a particular fan of Helen Reddy,  I do enjoy reading Memoirs, and hers was $3.95 from Edward Hamilton, so I went for it. 

I was drawn in to the fact that she has supposedly softened her feminist views through the years (haven't reached that part yet and not sure I ever will.)  Her parents both dying the same year while she simultaneously learns she has a "rare, incredible disease," may have had something to do with that.


Not sure how this all plays out as I am only half way through her life so far. In my opinion it's not the best written book, and I may not finish it, however, I am impressed and taken in by this particular scenario:

Helen Reddy was single mom for awhile. This situation happened while she was living in a very old hotel while performing in Ohio. 'Miss Three' is her 3 year old daughter Traci. 

So simple, but that's what it's all about, right?

I wonder how many mothers teach this to their children now.

I like how she said in reference to the Golden Rule: "...the same core truth is at the heart of all religions."

I have been receiving Edward Hamilton free catalogs in the mail for years. They are all discounted books and some DVDs.  Postage and handling is only $3.50 per order (not per book). These catalogs arrive often, and I enjoy going through them each time.

Sorry, that just sounded like an advertisement. I didn't mean for it to. A few people have asked where I get my books, so I thought I'd add a link.

Double Family NEWS

TWO babies are coming into our family in September.

Karen and Tyler are due on September 2nd!

McKay and McKenna are due September 15th

Tyler called me about 2 months ago with this very HAPPY news. While I was talking to him I noticed that McKay was trying to call me, too. I thought, 'I'll call McKay back later.' When I hung up from the phone I was in a daze of "my baby is having a baby!" and forgot all about calling McKay back!


So the next morning McKay calls again and said he tried to call me the night before. Oh no, So sorry McKay, I forgot all about you. I rarely forget my sons, but after hearing Tyler's news I totally spaced out on anything else for several hours.


So I began:  "So sorry McKay...so what's up?" He said, "We have something to tell you." Didn't I just hear those same words the night before from his brother? My heart jumped, literally, as in take-my-breath-away. Could it be the McKs are having a baby too??


Then he said, "We just wanted to tell you Karen and Tyler are having a baby." 
Then he laughs.
"Very funny McKay, I already know that."


Then I thought, well their time will come. Let's just be happy about one baby at a time. Then he said, "We are having a baby, too." "REALLY? SERIOUSLY?"

I felt like I was in the middle of a dream. 
2 grandchildren due just 2 weeks apart!  

Karen and McKenna will both be WONDERFUL mothers. 
No doubt. 
I am so so thankful for them.


Something tells me these babies are going to be best friends...just like their fathers.

P.S.  And no, my boys calling me with the news at the very exact time, was not planned by them.  
Just a coincidence. 
But a sweet one I will always remember. 

You can read about Karen's announcement on her blog.  

Update on Violet Nicole

Many have asked me how Violet is doing. 
I'll show you. 
This was taken last night during her Mommy's birthday.
(you can hear Elora hitting the balloons in the background!)

Short and sweet.


Why did I not put music to my other videos of our grandchildren? Because I just recently learned how!

Making scarves from T shirts?

My daughter in law Amy hit it big time at Goodwill.

First she bought a T shirt to make Kylie's scarf. (thanks to Kim and Kris)

Really, isn't it amazing that a beautiful scarf can be made from a T shirt??

And that's not all. Kylie and Macie are both wearing tops she found for $2-$3. each. 

Laurynn didn't want to pose for the camera so Kylie's holding up hers. 

And even these 2 dresses, and a pink princess top for Miss Téa girl.

No new threads for Buddy boy, but he did want to show off his light switch skills.

Check out the  Kim and Kris' pictures and video on how to make scarves from T shirts!

No sewing involved!



All I can say is the girls are in New York right now.
More about this latest adventure, to come.

My opinion on teaching children honesty

A Disclaimer:  We all have to figure out what is best for our own family. What works for one, may not work for another. I am in no way trying to tell anyone else what they should do.

"Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. 

Treat him as he could be, and he will become what he should be."    

Reader's Digest March 2011                                                                                         

We all have parenting opinions, right?
I want to share one of mine. It came from my own mother, and I think she got it from hers. 
Anyway, it worked for us.

I was never much into punishing my children. Especially for saying a non truth. 
(I never liked to use the word 'lie' either.)

Children are not "liars" anymore than they are "thieves." 
They are little humans who come into this world not knowing much. 
They need to be guided and encouraged, not labeled. My opinion anyway.

Okay, this is what I did. Disagree with it all if you would like.

1. Don't ever ask a question to your child you already know the answer to. Don't say, "Did you hit your brother?" when you just saw that he did. I believe this encourages children to lie.

2. Don't punish a small child for not telling the truth. This will usually make them just try harder next time to lie better. It doesn't seem like it should work this way, but it does! Don't ever ignore it either. Instead, look them straight in the eye and say kindly and bluntly, "It's important you always tell the truth."  Sometimes I added,  "I need to always be able to trust you." and then leave it at that.

3.  Praise them often for telling the truth when you know they have, by saying, "Thank you for being honest. I know I can count on you." Don't go overboard but state it matter of fact....like 'of course I can count on you.' not, 'oh my goodness I can't believe you told the truth!'

4. Don't use the word "liar" or "lie."  Those are labels they do not need. They do not deserve. They are children with unfinished brains. 

5. And the most important one of all. Be honest. If your children watch you make up stories to get out of things, they will probably do the same.

I give my parents credit for all of this. 


Have I forgotten anything?


I know not everyone reading this will agree with me and the way we did things, and that's okay.
What has worked for your family?

Look what the McKs found!

This is so amazing to me!

The McKs found David O. McKay's grave

(I named McKay after him.)

 Not that it was lost or anything, but I have never seen it.

David O. McKay was the prophet and president of our church throughout my growing up years. 

I remember so many of his quotes, like this one:
“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” 

Sweet McKenna

It seems like her name should be right there along side McKay's!

Cousin Jake and Katie were with them, and look what they found.

President Hinckley and his wife's grave!

Love these pictures!

So I don't know Utah.... is this street nearby the cemetery?

Have you seen any of these graves?
I am totally fascinated by them. 
Thank you SO MUCH McKenna for sending them to me!

And thank you Jake and Katie for taking the McKs to SLC that day to pick up their bed! 

Toddler Tyler

I'm a little embarrassed to show this because I'm in it. 
But I do enjoy watching my Tyler.

Remember, this wasn't yesterday. It was 1988.

What President Monson Likes

From 'My Fair Lady:'

"The great thing, Eliza, is not having bad manners or good manners or any particular set of manners, but having the same manners for all human souls: in short, behaving as if you were in heaven, where there are no third-class carriages and where one soul is as good as another."

One of the many gems from this book:

President Monson 'often leaves plays or musicals having scrawled on the program
a particular insightful phrase or a statement that spoke to his heart.' Like the one above.

I have been savoring this book. Reading it slowly and pondering along the way.