Fun, Family, and Funerals

 

This is me with 2 of my beautiful sister-in-laws (and yes they're all gorgeous! -really puts the pressure on).  

 Clint and I just returned from a bitter-sweet trip to Tucson, AZ to attend the funeral of a wonderful man-Clint's Grandpa, Wayne Clinton Goodman.

The funeral was amazing, and the time spent with family was super fun. 

 

I love Fall (Wordless Wednesday)

My baby turns 4 and other happenings!

Can't believe 4 years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl (you can read more about that here).  She is such a joy to have around!

In OTHER HAPPENINGS:  Are you following this?

    We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ

Chocolate on My Cranium

Diapers and Divinity

Middle-aged Mormon Man

 

It's Good Stuff!!! 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday. . . 16th Birthday!

 Tag on Kisses says:  "Sweet 16, and now you have been kissed!"

Best Vacation of the Year

 We stayed in this beautiful cabin

 and rode our 4-wheeler everyday from our cabin 

around the trails of this breath-taking lake.

We also spent 4 days here!

We spent most of our time looking through these contraptions to see

6 black bear, 1 coyote, a Pranghorn, elk, deer, an owl

 and a million bison, which we first thought were cool,

but we soon grew tired of becausethey would not GET OUT OF THE ROAD!!!

 We saw this

and this

and TONS of spectacular  views like this (not us silly)

THIS!!!

 We picniced

earned our Jr Ranger Badges

 and even turned part cowgirl while we were there!

Our Most Favorite part of ALL was spending time together as a family!

 outside Old Faithful Lodge

 don't judge. . . it was very windy this day!

 playing games with grandpa

Kepler Cascades

 88 year-old grandma

Hiking to Tower Falls

Books

I love to read.  I rarely go to sleep at night without having read a few chapter or more first.  Here are some of my favorite books (at the moment).

Have you ever read the Betsy-Tacy book series?  I've read and reread and am currently reading these aloud to #5.  They were published between 1940 and 1955.  They are a timeless story of friendship,family, love, and small-town living.  There's even a Blog dedicated to to these books!

My new favorite addiction is this book series.  If you like a mystery and food these books are perfect for you.  The series follows a middle-aged woman who's obsessed with food (in a good way), Sadie, through one mystery after another.  My favorite part?  When a dish is mentioned in the book, the recipe is given at the end of the chapter.  LOVE!  There are currently 8 books in this series and hopefully 100's more to come.

Sixteen! Say WHAT?

#1 turns 16 today!  16!!!  I'm still in shock! 

 16 years ago today, I became a mother!  We are so happy to have him in our family. 

 

Just a Reminder

 

I, with my God-given agency, am the one who controls me, nothing else!  I choose my attitude!  Happiness begins and ends with me!

 

 

POSTING TO BEGIN IN 3,2,1. . .

We had a VERY!!! busy summer full of family vacations, friends, baseball games, fireworks, swimming, and even an adoption and sealing.  Now that school's back in session I plan on devoting some of my "free" time to this blog.

Posting will resume September 4th!

Can a Cupcake Make a Difference?

Can a Cupcake change the world? 

The Sweet Tooth Fairy (locations throughout Utah, Arizona, and Texas) think so.  That's why they have teamed up with the Safe to Talk Foundation to help BAKE A DIFFERENCE!  Many of you know I'm a fan of Cupcake Wars.  The founder of the Sweet Tooth Fairy, Megan Faulkner, competed and won in the Cupcake Wars, Rock of Ages episode (Note: She'll also be on the Champions episode this Sun, June 3rd).  As part of the Sweet Tooth Fairy's Bake a Difference campaign, 25 cents from the sale of the winning cupcake flavors will be donated to the Safe to Talk Foundation and the war on bullying.

 WHAT IS SAFE TO TALK?
                    

The Safe to Talk foundation is a nonprofit organization that is committed to reducing bullying and school violence by providing students with the resources they need to report and respond to these issues.

Last year, thanks to the School Tipline, there were:

43 confirmed suicide interventions

400 weapons confiscated in schools

a School Shooting prevented in Texas

and more.

Proceeds from the Sweet Tooth Fairy's winning cupcakes will support placing this anonymous texting service (School Tipline) in schools, allowing more students to report dangerous or concerning behavior and learn in a safe environment.  

YES! A CUPCAKE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

If you have a Sweet Tooth Fairy near you, go buy a winning cupcake today!  If you don't, go here or here to help.

The Sweet Tooth Fairy has generously given me a 24 piece box (that's 2 dozen folks!) of their famous CAKEBITES to giveaway* to one of you!

Go HERE to enter!  Good Luck.

 

*Giveaway ends Monday, June 4th at 11:59pm MST

Wordless Wednesday-Mother's Day 2012

all I wanted was ONE good picture!

this is what happens when the kids take over the camera (Glamour Shots, by Deb)among other weirdness!

I had a great Mother's Day!