Sunday afternoon and home made cookies

Lyndsy, James and River came over for dinner this afternoon.  After dinner and cleaning things up we play a few rounds of Mahjong.  I just had to post my score!  Yes, Tucker, I won big!!  Cleaned everyone out after just two rounds!  I had my own flowers, a clean hand and Mahjonged with no winds or dragons.  Lots of doubles. Lyndsy won the next round of plays.

I also wanted to show that I not only made some chocolate chips cookies but got to cool them on my new cooling racks.  River got to lick the beaters, Lyndsy ate some cookie dough and we all had some warm cookies right out of the oven. 

The Spring planting of the pots!

While I spent the day downtown at the Little America Hotel at a Pornography Seminar, Neal spent the day on the patio planting all the flowers in his variety of shapes, sizes and colors of pots.  He never seemed to be all that interested in planting, watering and weeding when we lived on Lynwood and I was the one doing all the yard work.  Now the roles have switched.  I have no interest in getting my hands dirty and planting tons of flowers and Neal can’t wait for planting time so he can.  He will tend these pots as if they were his babies.  He even hires his scouts to come over and water them twice a day when we are on vacation.  He loves his creations and I have to add that they are beautiful and do add much beauty to the patio.

The almost completed project.  He worked from 9:00 this morning until 8:00 this evening.  The only reason he didn’t get completely done is that we have a reception to go to and he ran out of room to plant the few flowers he has left.  It’s hard to come out even.  You may have to test him.  He is even getting so he can name a lot of the flowers! 

I am always, always in awe of rainbows. I LOVE them!

I was coming out of the stake president’s office after having my PPI with him and happened to glance up at the sky and was awe struck at the beauty I was witnessing.  It was raining slightly but I didn’t care.  I just stood there looking up and saying, “Thank you, thank you” and “Oh, how beautiful.”  I ran back in the stake offices and told the two stake clerks to come out and look at this beautiful double rainbow.  I hurried home as quickly as I could to grab my camera and capture a picture of one of God’s miracles.  It is times like this that I wish I had a camera that could really capture the intense colors that I was seeing with the naked eye.  I did take some pictures with my little camera but it certainly doesn’t do justice of the picturesque colors of the two rainbows.  Sorry to say, there seem to be no pot of gold.  Maybe the gold is in seeing this beautiful arch across the sky.

Final comments:

I just want to thank everyone in the family for making this Mother’s Day another great one.  I didn’t post a picture of Lyndsy’s present to me because I didn’t think two small silver bottles were picture worthy but the eye cream on the inside of them is fabulous and I know very expensive!  Thank you Lyndsy for getting them for me.  The timing was perfect as I had just run out of my supply. 

I got calls, voxers and presents from all my children and I so appreciate each of them.  I’m so thankful that we have voxer.  It was great to hear from Derek and I’m proud of him for remember that it was Mother’s Day and making the effort to wish all his sisters and mother and happy day clear from China.

I’m grateful to be your mother and grandmother and pray that I will always live up to your expectations, no matter how impossible they may seem.  I love you, each one, deeply.

Our real gifts to one another can be a kind word, a smile, or a thoughtful act.  Our family is beautiful and I experience it often when we are all gathered together.  “There is Beauty All Around”, a baby’s smile, a magical moment, a grandchild’s love, a single bloom, bonded siblings, a family reunion, a grandchild’s art work whether it be in dance, music or art and a celebrated life.   Love, forgiveness and kindness to one another brings that love ever to the forefront.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it . . . However many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.  It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”

Sunday–Mother’s Day

Neal gave me a beautiful Calla Lily for Mother’s Day.  He is so into plants these past few years.  And he likes the more exotic ones. 

Lynda Ann and Jeff had invited us out to their home for dinner so after our meetings we headed out to Stansbury.  Lynda Ann had steaks, baked potatoes, Jell-O salad, corn, broccoli, and she made strawberry pies.  It was a delicious dinner with presents and games to follow.  Jeff always buys me a DVD (usually action because he knows that is what I love).  For mother’s day he gave me Jack Reacher.  He and I had read the book and then saw the movie at the theater when it came out and we both thought it was excellent.  I’m anxious to watch it again.  The Gertsons also gave me The Way We Were with Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand, Steel Magnolias and Princess Bride – which Lynda Ann says everyone should own!

Thanks Gertson’s for a great dinner and a fun afternoon!

These two pictures are Emmi’s latest creations from her pottery class.  She entered pottery in the state exhibit and won more ribbons for her work.  She is quite the artist.  I love the moose tea pot.  Yes, it is a tea pot with the water coming out the nose! 

The vase is something you have to see close up to appreciate the intricate design and the hours and hours it took for her to paint each tiny square.  I would love to have Jamie accent it with some dried flowers.  What do you think Jamie?  Another project when you are here?

More Mother’s Day presents:

Tucker totally pays attention to what I have and don’t have.  He was here last year and decided to make some cookies for everyone.  As he pulled them out of the oven, he asked me where my cooling racks were.  I gave him the blank stare and said I didn’t have any.  He couldn’t believe it.  I think his comment was, “How do you make cookies without a cooling rack?”  I just shrugged my shoulders and pulled out a brown paper sack cut it down the sides, laid it on the counter and said, “That’s my cooling rack.”  I now officially have two cooling racks for my cookies!  Thank you Tucker and Jamie!  I love them and they will be well used.  I make cookies almost weekly for Neal.

I also got a 2nd surprise in the mail the next day.  It was some pink writing paper from Peyton with my initial on it and some special messages from the Tucker Maxfield family. 

Peyton also sent Emmi a special note just to her.  It’s Emmi’s personal message so I can’t post it but I was there when Emmi read it and I could tell that it meant a lot to her.  Peyton, you lifted her spirits that day.  It was just what she needed on a day that was rough for her. 

Mother’s Day presents from the Cutlers

Maren surprised me with some cloths from Norwex.  I’d never heard of the company but am delighted with what she gave me.  These are two cloths that are used for kitchen counter cleaning and window / mirror cleaning.  The blue one is for the counter tops and the lavender one for the windows and mirrors.  Maren said that you cannot put soap on them and when you are ready to clean them you put them in with your towels but cannot use fabric softener on them.  I’m so excited to use them.  Also when I got home from Park City, there was a big box on the counter and inside was 6 HUGE chocolate covered strawberries and some chocolate covered pretzel sticks.  I ate one this morning for breakfast and it totally filled me up!  Thank you Maren, Greg and the kids for the wonderful presents!  Love them all!!!  I  took a picture of one of the strawberries by my cell phone so Maren could get an idea of how big these things were – and sweet!!  Oh my gosh – just like eating candy covered with more candy!

 

Yup, Sunday morning, Mother’s Day breakfast!

SOS continued . . .

Saturday morning was getting ready, packing up and heading out for breakfast.  Of course we had to take a picture of the alcohol and send it to Derek.  One of the girls notice the chandelier of spoons and forks.  Very original. 

There were two major family announcements that were made.  Lyndsy announced that she was in a family way and was 11 weeks along and was ever so excited to share the news.  She is already showing a little baby bump.

Then Maren announced that she and Greg had decided, for numerous reasons, to sell their big beautiful home and down size space wise as well as financially.  They hope to stay in Herriman area so the kids won’t be changing schools.  They are going to put their home on the market the end of the summer.

After a leisurely breakfast we headed over to the outlet mall and spent the rest of the day buying stuff we felt like we needed and stuff we totally knew we didn’t need but somehow just had to buy.  We all faired well on the shopping.  I bought a couple of outifts at Talbots.  Mindy found a couple of skirts and tops.  Lyndsy bought a couple pair of shoes and a couple of maternity outfits.  Maren bought some tops and other items and Lynda Ann found a couple of tops and other stuff.  It was a fun shopping day and we headed home about 3:30. 

The only sad part of the trip is that we missed Jamie!  It really is never complete unless we have everyone.  We know it is terribly expensive for the plane ticket for two days!  We keep hoping that one of these years Jamie will be able to find a ticket for $100.00!! 

Thanks to all my girls for an absolutely delightful and fun filled weekend.  I hope we have many years ahead of us to enjoy our SOS!  Love you all and Happy Mother’s Day!!!  Love, Mom

SOS Mother’s Day Weekend (sisters on sabbatical)

I always look forward to this weekend.  It is such fun to be with my girls and pretend for a few hours that we have no responsibility except to enjoy each other’s company, relax, visit, listen and even do a little group therapy!  This weekend was, for me, all I had hoped and more.  Lynda Ann, Lyndsy and I arrived in Park City a little after four.  We checked in, put our bags in the condo and then ran a couple of errands while waiting for Maren and Mindy to arrive.  We met at a Chinese for dinner that was delicious!  After dinner we headed back to the condo where we settled in for the night.  Lynda Ann rented two movies.  Most of the evening was spent laughing, talking, reminiscing and even some tears.  Nails were done and a movie watched at the end of a great day!

The picture below is all of us trying to get a picture of all of us together.  Mindy set the camera but didn’t realize it was for 2 seconds.  We were watching the camera start blinking fast and we new the snap was eminent and Mindy wasn’t in the picture nor was going to have the time to get back to us.  Obviously the camera took the shot while the four of us were expressing different emotions about Mindy not being in the picture!