Homemade Gift Giving......

I think that the most precious gifts that I have been given are those that are homemade....

So this year for Korey and Summuer's 10th Anniversary

(Can you believe 10 years have gone by already!)

I decided to make them something that came from my heart.

Korey loves bicycle riding in his spare time

so I asked him for some old bike sprockets that he was going to throw away.

Here is the result of his discarded sprokets......

I also made a miniature photo album for them...
What was special about this?
Well it was handmade from sheets of pretty paper and the sheets were hand sewn together to form the book. Then I covered the book in satin from my wedding dress!
Also, the lace and pearls are from the train of my wedding dress.
Each pearl from my dress was hand-sewn by my grandmother.
The front of this photo album has a shadow box that I made that enclosed Korey & Summuers
wedding day picture and a few objects that were special.
Buttons from my grandma who was a seamstress all of her life, a key that was Uncle Duckies and an earing of mine.

Inside this photo album
 is
 many pictures of the 10 years that
 Korey & Summuer have spent together.
There are also blank pages for them to continue
their journey of adventures....

This is an anniversary gift I made for Kim one year.

I made this mosaic table for Liz and Hiram for their anniversary this past July.
So if your anniversary is coming up......
You never know....
You just might get something special from me.....
That is if you are one of those special people in my life.......

A Day In The Life of Me..........

Is it me? 

Or am I the only one feeling like there is not enough time in a day to do all that I need to do?

 or

 even want to do?

Life is so busy!!!!

The priorities in our lives have definitely changed!

So What have I been doing with my time?

Well....

Besides my regular service in the ministry and meetings.....

Two days a week I have been doing public witnessing 

with this cart.

On one day, I help at the College in the afternoon and 

then on Wednesday

my mom and I do the cart at the 99 cents store.

Carts like this one are being used all over the world now by Jehovah's Witnesses.

All of the literature is FREE to anyone who is interested

and we have been

very successful in answering

Bible Questions.

I had someone ask for a bible study last week

from the cart display and we have placed a lot of literature with interested people!  

As we are "keeping watch" 

on the closeness

of the end of this wicked world

as we know it 

(2 Peter 3:11-13 ; 2 Timothy 3: 1-5), 

we spend many days

 warning people

just as Noah did in his day (Matthew 24: 37-39).

Do we get discouraged?

Yes.

Especially, because many people do not take this seriously.

But, they did the same thing in Noah's day.

In fact,

 he was laughed at by his friends and neighbors also,

 because 

they had never seen water fall from the sky back then!

The Bible tells us that there will be those that will ridicule us for our warning work!

(2 Peter 3:3,4)

But we love our friends and our family and our neighbors

and we would want to help 

them to be saved from ANY impending danger despite the ridicule.

So.....

I continue doing just what Jehovah tells me to do.....

(Matthew 6:33; Mark 13:10; Luke 21:34, 35; Jude 20, 21)

Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is 

the best way of life!

I have been one of Jehovah's Witnesses 

for 42 years now

and I am so thankful to Jehovah for finding me and teaching 

me the truth about the Bible!

I am very busy, but it is a "good busy"!

Only because of the urgency of the times that we live in! (2 Tim.3:1-5)

But I am no different from anyone else,

 I also have a home and family responsibilities to take care of.....

I clean house,

 do laundry,

 pay my bills,

 run errands,

cook,

go to doctor's appointments

and

 help out friends and family as needed

and anything else that might come across our busy life.......

Which is why....

every once in awhile....

 it's nice to enjoy a hobby or craft project or spend some time

with good friends and family

and enjoy some good music.......

Did I mention......ONLY ONCE IN AWHILE.......

A rare moment of "me" time.....
with
Family and Friends enjoying a night
of Great music!

Mom and Me enjoying some great music
 (listening to my honey Kim)
 and relaxing!

I LOVE THIS MAN!

I don't say it enough but I DO!

Here we went to a jazz concert with friends
at the Rose Bowl.
What a nice day!
Great music, great company,
and great food!

But of course.....
There is never a dull moment in our lives!

This is one of our dear friends home!

A car went right through her dining room
into her kitchen
pinning her up against the stove just as she walked into the kitchen!

Miraculously, she didn't have a scratch on her!

Her home had to be red tagged
so
 me and some friends from her congregation
went the next day
and
 helped pack her entire house up
and
 the brothers arranged for the items to be put into storage
until
 she can be moved back in.

In the meantime,
a generous sister from the congregation
 has offered her a place to stay.

Jehovah has truly trained us well to take care of each other!

I love these two!

I don't get to see them enough!

Can you believe they just celebrated
their
 10th Wedding Anniversary!

In my very spare time.......

I have been working on some special home-made
gifts to give them for their anniversary.

I can't show you though
because that would ruin the surprise!

I will post the pics as soon as I give them their gifts.......

And amongst this crazy busy life of mine.....

I was introduced to this precious face!

Somehow....
in all the coas of this world....

everything just becomes wonderful
when in the presence of a new life....

It's amazing!

The miracle that Jehovah has created!

Life is so precious!

My new niece, Amaya Rosealinda
is the latest addition to our family.

Love, Love, Love our new baby girl!
She is beautiful!

Congratulations Grandpa Steve & Grandma Kathy

Talk about Love.....

I LOVE THIS KID!

My grandson is growing up!!!!

He is now taller than me
and
in Highschool!

He is such a good young man
and
makes us very proud to be called his grandparents!

It's always good to take a break
and
cuddle our grand kids
while they are still small enough to want to be cuddled!

They grow up too quickly!

Recently, we took a few days to take a break
and go camping.....

We love camping!

But it seems that the last two times we went camping it rained!

AREN'T WE IN A DROUGHT!

I think we figured out how to fix this drought problem.....

WE WILL JUST PLAN A CAMPING TRIP!!!

I had to sport my cowgirl hat since it was raining....

Since I got my hair cut
boy was my hair out of control when the humidity came in!
VERY BIG HAIR!!!

I was making S'more's for lunch.......

YUMM!

NOT WEIGHT WATCHING THIS WEEKEND
FOR SURE!

Where does the time go?

Life is passing by so quickly.......

I have been looking at old photos and came across some that really touched me.....


This picture is of my youngest son Kamron.
He was sporting his "Buckwheat"
shirt that one of his uncles bought him.

I recently found that shirt and thought of this picture....

I think he was two years old here.
I will give this shirt to Kamron when I see him.....

I miss this guy!
Hope he comes to see me soon!!!!

This picture is of my oldest son Korey and his cousin Moriah when they were two.
Korey turns 37 this month!

Where did the time go?

It seems like yesterday that these guys were playing in the yard together
and I was young and cute!

Talk about cute!

This is my grandmother and grandfather on my mom's side of the family.

They were a beautiful couple
and had 10 children.

Unfortunately, I don't remember her because she died on my birthday when I turned two.
January 6, 1959

I look forward to meeting her one day soon 
when she is resurrected
(Isaiah 26:19; John 5:28, 29)
 and
 I can't wait to tell her all about Jehovah
 and
 what his Kingdom has done for mankind
(Matthew 6:10).
 

Just Some Of Our Favorite Things......We Love To Do.......

It's no secret how much this child loves her Papi
and
how she lights up his life.....

This picture speaks for itself!

I love our jacuzzi time with the grand kids......

I love that I FINALLY finished
this table!!!

I had a deadline for Liz and Hiram's anniversary!

Always good to have a deadline.....

You can see all of the detail that went into
this piece.

That's why it took me so long!

All completed with a three dollar garage sale table
lots of scrap glass and tile
and
a lot of patience, time and love for the art
and
the recipients of the table!

There is something about floating on water that is so soothing to me.

The weather was absolutely beautiful this day.

We went to Perris Lake and spent the afternoon just floating
and spending a nice day with our friends.

Marti & Ernie Williams invited us to spend the day with them on their boat.

We had a very relaxing day out on the lake....

For those that know Kim well,

they know that he NEVER gets in the water!

Well that has changed!

He's gotten bolder in his old age!

That's Kim at the end of that rope!

IN THE WATER!

Me and Kim just chillin'

Love this Day!

My mom and me at a cocktail party with friends
here in Sun City.

What a nice relaxing evening we had.

Vacation From A Far......

These guys went on a SERIOUS vacation this year!

They took the grandkids to Disney World!

We usually go with them 
however, 

due to the fact that I would have to get a job to afford it

and 
on an airplane...

I didn't try too hard to save for this one 

and 

Uncle Sam helped me out too by hitting us with

a huge tax bill this year!

So.....this is the picture they sent us when they were at the airport on their way to the

beautiful resort that they stayed at.

Gotta Love Them!

Rubbing It In!!!!
(They better be glad that I share their sense of humor!)

At Disney Resort in Orlando Florida.

Beautiful!

Wish we were there!

This is what they got to wake up to every morning from the sliding glass doors of their balcony!

Now, we really wish we were there!!!!

But the saddest part about me not being there.....
was 
 the fact that Cae Cae got to go to the salon
that turns little girls into " Princess' "

She has been talking about this for weeks now.
"Ammy they are going to put makeup on my eyes.....
on my lips.....
do my nails.....
do my toe nails....
and do my hair........"

She LOVES girly things!!!!!

And this is the picture that brought me to tears!

She is beaming from ear to ear!

What a Special Day!

Our little Princess!

This picture actually made my day!

First Camping Trip for the Grandchildren......2015

Our grandchildrens first experience at camping.....And of course it rained ALL weekend!!!!!

Or should I say....

MOST of the weekend!!!

But that's ok, we had a blast!

We started the day off doing puzzles.
Cae Cae is the expert of puzzles so she was a happy camper!

Then Papi took Cae Cae to the pool!

This of course was a miracle
 because Papi NEVER gets in the water!

I have had a pool in every home that we owned and he NEVER went into the pool!!!
(It was always me and the boys in the pool!!!)

And he spent FOUR hours in the pool with his princess!!!!
I am so proud of you Papi!

She is a fish in the water!

After swimming all afternoon with Cae Cae & the boys.....
Papi had to educate Ya Ya on the basics of dominoes.

Do you notice the odd colored dominoes on the trail there?

Those are Cae Cae's, she couldn't be left out.

But of course she made her own rules for where the dominoes would be placed!

And we didn't DARE move them!

Uhhh, that dominoe should be in another spot and uhhh, shouldn't it be a six?
We know better than to argue with the Princess!

Cae Cae is in her element here, playing dominoes and having her snacks and her drink.
Happy Camper!

Then evening came and we were ready for the campfire.

We told stories by the campfire and chilled with family and friends....
Cae Cae in her chair next to her Papi.

Yup, she is a happy camper!!!

Eddie and Gigi and Abel came and hung out with us during the day and evening.
Eddie brought the most delicious corn on the cob that he makes, salsa, and beans to die for!
We had a feast at dinner time!

In the evening the teenagers hung out together and had fun too.

Just Chillin'

Ya Ya and Jordon.

Ok this pic didn't come out to clear but I had to post it because all of the white streaks in
Cae Cae's hair is MARSHMELLOW!!!

Yes, she really got into smores!!!!

After washing the smores out of Cae Cae's hair we cuddled by the fire!

I love those rare moments when she loves her Ammy even when Papi is around.

SMORE'S.......yumm!!!!

That's my girl! She loves smore's!

This was the view of the twinkly lights outside of our trailer
 right where Cae Cae and I slept.

When she saw them she held her face and told her Papi
"these are beautiful!" "You did this for me?"

You know that melted her Papi's heart!

The next morning after a downpour the kids were wondering what they were going to do.

I was prepared!

I broke out the games and they had a blast playing all of these unusual games for hours.

Trouble (the game, not the kids).

Kept them busy for hours.

They had a blast
learning and playing this game
 that my friend Kathrin from Germany sent me.

And then there is always the peg game to challenge them......

This child was having a blast!

Rain.....who cares!

WE ARE HAPPY CAMPERS!!!!!

The rain stopped long enough for the choo choo train
to give us a ride around the park.

This train comes out on the weekends at Wilderness Lakes
 and only costs 25 cents to ride.

It is a treat for the kids.

Cae Cae loved the train....

We got photo bombed by the little girl and her grandpa who rode the train with us.

Liz even came out to see how her babies were doing in the rain.....

But I think....
 she really came by because she was scared of the lightening and thunder while she was home alone!

Either way, she got to enjoy quality time with our Cae Cae coloring in the rain.

So what do you do when it continues to rain at the campsite?
 and everything is drenched?

You go to the cafeteria/wreck hall
and
 eat lunch and check out some games....
and hang out and relax!

Kim and Sheryl had a good game going of cards.

Cae Cae coloring.

There was french toast and sausage for breakfast...

Ya Ya ate them so fast there's none left on his plate!

I have no idea what the frown is all about
 but
 Cae Cae made a picture for her mom.

She's got an attitude here
 because
 we asked her to sport her visor that she made in the cafeteria during the craft sessions.

Had to take a picture of her wearing the paint of course!

While YaYa tries to take a decent pic with his sister......She is so dramatic!!!!

Gloria and Tony even enjoyed some down time with us after everyone left.

They surprised us and brought steaks, dessert and even drinks!

We really enjoyed the afternoon with them. 

Cae Cae was not too happy to go home....
Until next time.

Camping is one of the best ways to really enjoy
quality time
 with your family and friends.

It gives you the opportunity to just tune out the world
 and
 the electronics
 and
 the TV's
and
ENJOY THOSE THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU....

So we made so many new memories with our grandchildren on their first camping trip.

I hope that they will be memories
 that they will always cherish
just as we cherish the memories that we made with our boys.

I do know
that it won't be the last
 camping trip
 for us and the grandkids
 as long as they want to go.

Maybe we'll get mom and dad to come along next time.....Who knows.