HAPPY B-DAY LEJON

LeJon or LJ is Pattianne's(my daughter) boyfriend, significant other, house husband, mate...well I am not sure of the PC way of how it is suppose to be said...but we love him...so Happy Birthday to LeJon! How many is this for you...Son?

THANKSGIVING 2008

THANKSGIVING 2008

Great food!!! Yum Yum...

Wonderful family and friends to share

it with...

Our newest turkey munching member...Franky
Sisters enjoying some alone time..

The guys doing what they do best...
Thanks for a wonderful day everyone!!!
I miss my children and grandchildren today so thanks for filling in the void...Love you all!

Hope all the CO and CA loved one's had a great day...hugs and kisses to all!!

Attitude Gratitude

We are in the season for being thankful...today in church we heard some great talks on gratitude. To list all that I am grateful for would take days...however I haven't always felt this way. It took some heart wrenching changes to find gratitude in my life. So count your many blessing one by one and enjoy this season of the year with an attitude of gratitude. Each day you can make a difference!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

OK so it's someones birthday in the world.

Today is the anniversary of JFK's assassination...for those of us that are old enough to remember...it was one of the saddest days of my life to think that we experienced a President getting assassinated...and for what reason? We lived in a land that was suppose to be safe from this craziness...it was so difficult to understand. Our teachers must have cried for weeks...JFK was a Catholic and it probably didn't matter what his view points were the Nuns were elated that there was a Catholic in the white house and now the whole world could be saved...

So I have chosen to think that because that day JFK died a new spirit was born into this world. So every year I think of all the special ones that came into this life on Nov. 22...they have a memorable day because they were born and because they were born on a day that changed this nation of ours. A sacrifice was made that day. Sacrifice can pave the way for opportunities.

So Happy Birthday to all who have this day as theirs. You were given many opportunities by your mom. Here is wishing the best for you... whoever and wherever you are.

CHURCH CALLINGS

Well it finally happened...the Bishop called and asked if they could stop by for a "quick moment" (may be quick but it always stings)...so he and Brother Perry came over and extended a calling to me...and after a 10+ year layoff from Primary I have been called as a Primary worker...he said that it was either the Valiant's or the Sunbeam's and I sure as heck hope they call me as the Valiant Teacher...in this Ward things are different ...they have 2 teachers to a classroom and you switch off each week teaching. It use to be that you were the only one teaching a class so when you needed a substitute and made that call...well everyone avoided your call because they knew you were calling them to be a substitute (I know this because that is what I use to do!) Also they keep the class sizes manageable here...I have had the 15 kid class where I was wishing that the parents weren't so diligent about coming to church EVERY Sunday!

Over the years I have had some of the most inspiring Primary moments and also some pretty darn funny ones...One class that I had was one that no one would accept being the teacher for...it seemed like there were some pretty high strung spirits the Lord sent down that year and all in the Standley Lake Ward. Some days I would think that it made the ward on One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest look sane and even reverent! I ended up loving those kids so much...it was the most diverse class that you would ever see...several had some learning disabilities, one was ADHD (and the parents were in denial and thought that little Johnie would just grow out of it, wasn't he so cute! NOT!) and one had some major emotional hangups. In Colorado our Wards take in a large geographical area so it was not uncommon for kids to come from 4 or 5 different schools...that always helped in the mix of things. At least with all in the same school the pecking order has already been established. Each Sunday we had a contest for who was going to be lead dog...because we had a class full of lead dogs! One young boy who challenged my patience (A LOT), must of heard one of our lessons on kindness and each week started carrying my church bag to primary for me...we had another lesson on manners and another young boy started to hold the door open for me, one young girl started to help me clean up after class each week, we must of had a lesson on helping, and one young girl would save a seat in Primary for me...this class turned out to be a very special class that touched my heart and made me realize that the scriptures have so many great life lesson stories...I think that year it was based on the New Testament...anyway the point is you just never know what is going to happen when you accept the Lords calling. This was a win win for all of us...I learned to believe in the Spirit, Prayer and the possibility and potential that each young spirit holds. In turn these sweet young spirits learned that they were loved and were children of our Heavenly Father.

When the Bishop and Brother Perry extended the calling my heart sank...I really wanted to be in Relief Society...but I accepted on the faith that my experiences will be the same as they have been in the past. I have already heard about the Valiant class and I do believe that I am ready for the challenge. The most difficult thing about being called to Primary in a Ward that I haven't been in very long is that I really don't know the children. In my other Ward and Stake I had been in them for over 20 years...so most of the children I taught I knew them before they were a twinkle in their parents eye!!

OK one of my funniest Primary moments was when I asked

" Does anyone have any questions?" We had just had a story from the Book of Mormon and a hand shot up from one of my 10 year old boys. I was pretty excited because he was not one known for participation let alone to be so forward as to ask a question. My joy sprang forward, I beamed to feel that perhaps I had inspired this young man through the spirit to be so bold to have a question. So here was the question..."Hey has any one ever seen the hair in a girls armpit?" "You know they shave it don't you?" What can you say to that...but Amen!

And yet another day in Perry, UT

It's maybe a bla day. I probably am not feeling very well..Larry is watching football, I am doing wash...Larry is watching football...I am scrubing toilets...Larry is watching football...I am changing the bed...ok so you get what is going on in my exciting life...they say that it won't be easy but it will be worth it! Ok... so open me a can of this "Worth It" that everyone is talkin about!

Look what I learned in school today...CRAP BOOKING

Wow taking a class at school can really help...I am taking a graphics arts class and today we learned how to do a crap book page...I thought that I would learn other things but since we live in the land of Molly Mormon I guess all the other class members want to do crap booking...OK the principles are the same but you all know how I feel about crap booking...just not going to happen...so all of my posterity please do not look for those cute little paper torn, embellished, cute little sayings and picture books all dolled up under the tree this year..it just ain't happening!!! I still love you but ...hum...but..not that much!

Keeping promises and Trusting each other

Larry and I spend a lot of time talking about trust...my mentality is that I would rather hear the truth (even if it might hurt a little... OK even a lot) than hear something that he thinks that I want to hear...for example: that age old question that women seem to test the men on..."does my back side look fat in this moomoo?" (Just like a cow...moo moo) I would rather hear from my husband that the south side of my body going north is not so good looking in that outfit ...than from someone else...cause we all know there is someone out there just waiting to tell us the truth..."not to hurt your feelings honey but I would rethink that out fit because you look like you have all of Santa's presents in THAT trunk of yours.!" ... come on ...you know that person...we all have one in our lives...So I would rather hear this news from someone that I trust and love other than that ...well...mean girl (or you can substitute any word that fits for you...after all I have to keep this family friendly) ...On the other hand my husband feels that telling a little white lie once in awhile is a survival tool that he won't part with...it simply is not a lie to him...this is why men are from mars and women are from the superior Venus. We all know that trust is one of the core foundations for a lasting and healthy relationship. It is what Faith is to your religious beliefs and water is to survival...we must continue to trust each other and build on that trust even when it hurts!

A friend of mine has started writing for the Mormon Times. His first article was on Keeping Promises (all part of the Trust issue) and well written. Elia is a kind and wonderful person so I would like for all of you to read his article and watch for him. He has some talks published on CD's and has a book coming out...anyway read his article and go to his sites...he is one of the best people that you will ever associate with...here is the link keeping promises.

The day after the elections

I am not sure that I am seeing this all correctly....BUT Robert Kirby my favorite writter has said it best....click here for the wonderful article

Franky's Blessing Day

Mom, Franky, Great-grandpa Larry, and Auntie Mattie

These were some of the 50 some people that were at the church and more showed up at the house...it was a crowd on a very rainy day.

Today was a great day! I love baby blessings and today's was wonderful. Franky Tate Sumsion was blessed by his father and 50 plus family members to share in this event. What a sweet sweet blessing that his father gave him. Thanks Zack for being in tune with the spirit!