As promised...

A year or so I came across a great website: www.conkerrcancer.org. It is an organization that makes pillowcases for kids that have cancer. It is one of the best organizations I have come across that works really hard for the kids. Having had both our moms pass away with cancer and numerous friends and relatives, we are always trying to give back to help those that are fighting for their lives. Our daughter has really wanted to reach out and help some of these organizations. So she decided that she would use this organization and their project to complete one of her personal progress value projects. (Service)

There is a wonderful woman in our ward that was moving. She had a large (and I mean large box) of fabric that she didn't want to have to move. So when she heard about our daughter's project she donated enough fabric for about 50 or more pillowcases. We are very grateful to her for this donation.

Our daughter, cut, sewed, pressed, washed, dried, folded and put them into bags.

The neatest thing has happened, we were going to drop them off at a hospital a couple of hours away, but we got an email telling us about a fundraiser that was being held for a 3 year old little guy right here in our home town. His grandmother is know by several people who attend our church. We made the contact and our daughter is going to be able to send some of the
pillowcases to this little guy.

You wonder why I am posting this blog. It is not to really tell about our daughter and her service. It is to let each of you know that this is an ongoing project and...
IF ANY OF YOU KNOW OF SOME LITTLE PERSON WHO IS FIGHTING CANCER PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE WILL SEND THEM SOME FLANNEL PILLOWCASES MADE OF FUN COLORS TO TAKE WITH THEM WHEN THEY TAKE CHEMO!!
We are hoping that they will help bring them some comfort.
We are hoping that through this blog we will be able to give some more pillowcases out. So pass the word along!! We have plenty of fabric thanks to our dear friend!!

All in a day...

Somedays it just seem like we are having the ride of our lives!!! Up early to work on seminary, rehem two pair of pants, resew a skirt, listen to the kids banter back and forth, laughing and joking (the best part was my son was hasseling his sister which she absolutely loves (I might add he is also really weird about germs and she know it so to get him to leave her )she licked his hand and you guessed it he freaked!!!), answer an email of a very sick cancer child how would like some of our daughter's pillowcases while he takes chemo (I forgot I haven't told you about that yet, tomorrow's blog), run to Kinkos to make copies of seminary stuff (went quickly thanks to son's help boy is he efficent), did my laundry since I have no clean clothes, looked at my house and just sighed!!, listen to service project in progress by my son and friend, taking several kids (of family whose son just passed away) swimming, looked at my house again and signed!! Said a silent thank heavens that I made spagetti sauce yesterday for dinner tonight, taught daughter one hour of driver's ed course, listen to daughter tell me about plans for tonight to hang out with good buddy!! Is it bedtime yet!!!
BUT...
I am so thankful I now have the health to do all of this an am enjoying every minute of it and thanking my Heavenly Father for my health to be able to do it!

I am thankful for...

This week as we have heard of a young friend diagnosed with colon cancer, and another family of friends who just lost their 18 year old son to unusual circumstances, another friend whose father has grown very ill at a very young age and needs a lung transplant. I have paused this afternoon to count my many blessings. Sometimes our struggles seem hard, but we only have to look at our neighbor to then thank our Heavenly Father for the trials he has sent our way.
I am touched as I talk to and watch these families go through their trials.
I am also touched by their faith to know that there is a bigger plan and that they just have to be faithful and all will be well.
So today I am thankful for so many things one of which is the example my friends are to me in my life.

A watermelon bust...

What is this...? a dinosaur egg, a giant pickle, a torpedo or what...
My friend and I hit a farmer's market this morning at 7:30 am. A farmer had three giant and I mean giant watermelons.

I knew we had a ward BBQ tonight. I had signed up for a salad. So my friend said you should just take this.

My husband thinks it weighed about 100 pounds...Check out those muscles, no not his arms those calves. He has the best calves ever... it is from all of the biking all of these years!!

Did I mention that I only paid $10.00 for this thing!!

We took it to the party and it was a hit. Everyone loved the watermelon. We just kept cutting and cutting. By the end of the party there was only a small cake pan left!! It was a swimming party and BBQ. The kids would hop out of the pool and eat a piece of melon then hop back in!!

A Night out...

We decided to load up at the last minute and head to the Drive-Inn Movie. Our daughter called our West Texas Grandma and of course she was game to go. (She always is and we love having her come along)

This is blurry but they are getting the home theater seats in place and ready to go. Notice how light it is.

Now notice the light this is just within a few minutes!! Still arrange the home theater seats.

Ok we are still arranging. There were some technical difficulties with the seats!!

In place and ready to go. They fun part is they play music and you just sit and visit until they start the movie. The mosquitoes were just starting to come out, but then a breeze kick up and they vanished!! Yeah!! You would think in the West Texas that sitting outside at the theater would be miserable, but that is the great thing about the desert as soon as the sun goes a breeze kicks in and it cools right off. Well most nights anyway!

This is a fun picture!! Our daughter watching the movie, the sunset in the background, and the picture screen just right there.

This is even better. Oh by the way we went to see Ice Age 3. It was a really fun night and we have decided that we need to go more often. Especially since it is getting darker earlier!! But we decided to head home after the first feature. (They play two features) Our daughter had already seen Harry Potter, I don't really like those movies, My husband and West Texas Grandma haven't seen the others so they would have been lost. Not to mention is was already about 11:00pm and remember I turn into a pumpkin by 11:15!!