little things

(brody bringing nonnie a flower he picked)

today is the last day of june.

our whirlwind month

is almost behind us.

i am so thankful

for all of those we celebrated

and

all who helped with each festivity.

all the time and effort that was given

and

all the love.

i also hope

that with the whirlwind of plans

and single minded follow-through,

that i made time

to appreciate

the little things.

i need to be better about that.

photo challenge: orange

sunset after our first monsoon

never noticed these orange carts at home depot until now!

AJ's always displays so nicely!

more orange at home depot!

tempe town lake....noticed these on my way home from the airport

bird of paradise....blooming all over phoenix this time of year

the resident lobster at nonnie and papa's house!

my first photo challenge and i loved participating.
certainly makes you more aware of your surroundings
and i apologize for more than 3 pictures....i just couldn't decide!

we have a baptism to go to today....
so will be by your blogs later today with anticipation for what you have shared!

also

happy baptism day to wyatt (my youngest grandbaby)

and happy birthday to karen (my sister-in-law)

hope both of you have a wonderful day!

Making A Differenceby: Unknown

If each grain of sand were to say:One grain does not make a mountain,

There would be no land.

If each drop of water were to say:One drop does not make an ocean,

There would be no sea.

If each note of music were to say:Each note does not make a symphony,

There would be no melody.

If each word were to say:One word does not make a library,

There would be no book.

If each brick were to say:One brick does not make a wall,

There would be no house.

If each seed were to say:One seed does not make a field,

There would be no harvest.

If each of us were to say:One person does not make the difference,

There would never be love and peace on earth.

You and I do make the difference,

Begin today and make the difference.

aahhhhhh

the first monsoon of the summer

it thundered

rained really hard

the wind blew

and it smelled divine....

all while

the sun was still shining

and then there was a magnificent sunset
but i'm saving that one....for another post! :)

happy birthday

happy 4th birthday

Asher D!

we hope it is a wonderful day

celebrating all that you are

little boy!

and all that you bring to our lives.

thank you for:

being our grandbaby

your love

your curious nature

your trust

your uniqueness

your sweetness

making us see things differently

your sweet smiles

your passion

your expressiveness

for sometime wanting to cuddle

(and sometimes not) :)

and so much more.

we love you !

happy happy day

sweet 4 year old!

happy birthday

happy birthday vonda jean!

hope it is a happy day!

love you!

tuesday's treasure

i have enjoyed going through these old records lately,
and pulling out the ones
that have such special memories for me.
singing along
is a sure way to lighten the spirit!

happy birthday

happy 80th birthday Dad

hope you enjoy your day!

and happy birthday kyle

sorry you'll be driving all day,

maybe cassie can drive for a bit

and you can take a nap!

Father's Day

happy father's day

to the wonderful man

who has shown

everyday

what is means

to be

a wonderful father

in every sense of the word.

i thank you for everything that you have brought to this family

and continue to add to our lives.

and happy father's day to all the daddies in our family

and to those on their journey of becoming daddies

and to you dad (grandpa)

have a wonderful, love filled day!

June 14th

a little something about Flag Day

hope you all have a wonderful red white and blue day!

tour for a cure

please click here to find out about

deena's (can i be pretty in pink)

blogland garden tours

to benefit

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

June 15, 2008

tagged

i have been tagged by joni and karen
so i am combining the effort!

Rules of the Tag Game:
~Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
~ Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
~ Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
~ Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

here we go

1. i have for years wanted to open a coffee shop, show old movies,
and have an open mike night with singers, poets and musicians.

2. i don't really like to fly. i did before i had children, and then all of a sudden, i just didn't feel okay about it, but i don't let it keep me from traveling. i am just relieved when i get where i am going!

3. i grew up with a mother who used honey for everything, only problem is, the smell and taste just make me feel sick. i can actually remember my brother making a toast with honey on it, when i was about 9, and just wanting to like it soooo bad that i went in and made one for myself.......but no luck...same result!

4. i love to decorate.....and am always changing something...painting, moving furniture, painting furniture, searching antique store and junque stores for items to recycle and use in fun ways. my style is shabby chic meets romantic...or at least that is what i like! :)

5. i love the ocean and woods full of green trees.....and i am a native arizonan!

6. i sing with my husband who plays the guitar....not professionally(ha ha) or even regularly, but our kids request it every so often....we did an LOT of it when we both lived in oregon and have kept it up throughout our 34 years of marriage....just not as frequently.

7. i love mexican food....could eat it every day of the week!

so i tag my five daughters

jamie

cassie

brittni

cory

jessamyn

and like joni said....life will go on even if you decide not to play....
at least until life settles down a bit for everyone.....have fun.

helping hands

The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

i received a helping hand yesterday.

someone went the extra mile

and made my day

how wonderful is that

tuesday's treasure

i can't remember if it was for mother's day
or for my birthday several years ago
but cory penned and wrote these words
and decorated this sweet gift for me
for the past several days now
brody has discovered its existence
and has been using it to enlarge his world
i love it
and thank YOU , corky

tired bones

little did i know

when i posted about change on friday

that i would stop at a garage sale next door

on saturday

and cause my whole day and house to

CHANGE!

(and bryan's too)

but he was such a good sport!

(this wasn't the type of CHANGE i was posting about) :)

i just couldn't pass up the great deal on this bedroom set

even though we had no where to put it,

thus the

CHANGE.

every room upstairs and downstairs

was

CHANGED

we hauled furniture up and down stairs

but managed to find

a perfect (well almost) spot for everything....

i really am going to simplify someday!

i guess i could have listened to my own advice

i could have just......let go!

letting go

"it's not so much that we're afraid of change or so in love with the old ways,

but it's that place in between that we fear . . . .

it's like being between trapezes.

it's Linus when his blanket is in the dryer.

there's nothing to hold on to."

~marilyn ferguson

"the key to change....is to let go of fear."

~rosanne cash

here is to letting go......

thankful thursday

"O Lord, that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."
William Shakespeare

sometimes....it seems we have our plate full, and that it might be our time for a little reprieve,
and then, i start counting our blessings....and i am thankful.

tuesday's treasure

when we lived in sacramento (1975-78)

my side of the family

decided that all Christmas gifts

should be homemade

we lived in an apartment there for a while

and many mornings

i would load jamie up in the stroller

and go to a little ceramic shop called

"sunshine ceramics"

and there i would create my amateurish little pieces

i made this for my mother

and she displayed it proudly

and when she passed away

my dad asked if i would like to have it

i said yes

"things" have so much more to them

than what is visible

they hold countless memories

where i am from

i am from the sun drenched desert, with warm summer rain,

and the smell of newly mowed grass,

from walking barefoot on hot asphalt streets,

riding on rope swings over the canal, and summer days spent in the water

i am from a brick house, filled with sunlight,

and a purple room where music put me to sleep at night,

and filled the beginning of a new day.

where clothespins held clothes drying in the sun

and fruit compotes waited in the kitchen before school

and girls weren't allowed to mow the lawn

i am from the rose, caster bean tree, mint,

the apricot tree

from fig jam, hibiscus and pomegranates

i am from camping in tents, reaching out to touch the clouds

vacations at the beach

and honey and vinegar to cure all ills

from little grandma and big grandma

from groves and ashmores

and many relatives i really never knew

i am from a father who is a half hour early to everything

and a mother who took her time

from coffee that will grow hair on your chest

and from the golden rule

i am from Sunday morning meetings, Wednesday night meetings,

Gospel meetings,

four day church conventions held in tents,

from workers and beautiful Hymns

i am from the east side of town

from pot roast and mashed potatoes every Sunday

and Texas sheet cake for dessert

i am from a mother who loved cooking, the color blue, spider man and judge parker,

the ocean, and wore white shoulders perfume

from a father who has a nickname for everyone,

loves to read and writes wonderful stories,

loves coffee, and grows beautiful flowers

from a brother who was quiet, athletic, my friend

and sometimes the life of the party

i am from fading photographs, gifts made by hand,

loved ones who have passed,

treasures, singing and harmony, voices reading poetry

love and laughter...

i am from warm childhood memories

i first read something titled "where i am from"

when i visited deborah at Manitoba gardens

she explained that she had come across this template

and provided it for the rest of us to use

hope you enjoy creating yours!

june

Then let us, one and all, be contented with our lot;

The June is here this morning, and the sun is shining hot;

Oh! let us fill our hearts up with the glory of the day,

And banish ev'ry doubt and care and sorrow far away.

~ James Whitcomb Riley

june is such a busy month for us

with more than a half dozen birthdays to celebrate

and fathers day....

it comes and goes with a blur

i'm hoping to take time

to fill my heart up with the glory of each day.

what's the deal with rabbit rabbit?

you'll have good luck all month

if the first words you utter on the first of the month are "rabbit rabbit."

bonus luck if it's your birth month.

if it's the first of the month and you're reading this, don't fret.

simply reverse the process as you drift off into slumber land repeating "tibbar tibbar."

that's rabbit rabbit backwards. :)