Love My Dishwasher!!

February 7th, 2010

We all have heroes. One of my heroes (and I'm not sure if it's a man or a woman) is the person that invented the dishwasher...tend to think it may have been a lady! I think in the next life I will track him/her down and thank them personally.

We've had one of those crazy/busy weekends and no one has taken the time to do the dishes and they were piling up. I haven't named my dishwasher yet, but as I was doing the dishes this evening I thought of the name "Betty"..."Betty Bosch"...what do you think? My mother's nickname was Betty. And I have a Bosch...and I. LOVE. IT. I think there is a disposal of sorts in there and some magical scrubbing element that comes out during the cycle. I can put stuff in there that has sat for days and it comes out clean. And the machine is super quiet, too...quietly goes about doing its business. One of those "behind the scenes" types. I'm sold forevermore! We are so lucky to live in this day and age, with such modern appliances and conveniences. I, for one, am convinced that I would never have made it had I been asked to be a pioneer and cross the plains. Quite sure of it.

I Love Listening to the Flute!

February 6th, 2010

I love the piano...no doubt about that. But right up there next to beautiful piano playing is beautiful flute playing. I always wanted to learn how to play the flute and tried my hand at it just a bit. Oh happy day when Sarah chose the flute to learn how to play in 5th grade.
She has stuck with it over the years. I LOVE to hear her play...it does my heart good. I grew up in a home where good music was very much appreciated. I practiced for hours and for the most part enjoyed it quite a bit. However, the one thing that really bugged me (and I'm not sure why that was except for maybe just a little teenage rebellion) is when my mother would say, "Oh, that was so wonderful...please play it one more time!" For whatever reason, I would rarely comply. I would apologize today if I could for that severe lack of gratitude on my part. I now know of the joy that must have brought my parents, not to mention the funds spent on my behalf. Sarah, fortunately, is a little better at complying with requests than I am. It became time recently to upgrade Sarah's flute, and after trying several this is the one she settled on...open holes, gold lip plate, added foot, etc. Oh, and it sounds wonderful, too! Many, many thanks to Heather for sticking with Sarah, in spite of her lack of practice at times...she's a wonderful friend, role model and teacher...and this is one grateful mom!!

I Love to Sew!

February 5th, 2010

My earliest childhood memories involve being at my mother's side while she worked away on her sewing machine. My mother was one amazingly creative woman! Heavens, she had five little girls right in a row! She could easily see a dress in the store, sketch it out and go home and create it. As grand-daughters started to come along I clearly remember multiple dresses, often made from the same pattern. At some point in time she must have found a killer deal on gingham. I remember a bodice of gingham and a skirt of gingham squares. At that point in time dressier dresses were to the floor. At least these were. Those dresses were passed around for quite some time. I think that even Lindsay wore one of them. And then there were also gingham quilts that seemed to go on and on.
And as a result, mostly from my mother's influence, I LOVE to sew! I loved my "Home Ec" classes in junior high and high school. My graduation present from high school was a Bernina sewing machine...thought I had gone to heaven!! Lindsay has since inherited that wonderful machine and I have a Bernina that does embroidery. I remember walking into the sewing lab at BYU and seeing a whole room full of Berninas...I was so amazed! I had some talented teachers while at BYU...loved my sewing classes and flat pattern design classes.

For now, my love of sewing translates to quilting. I melt when I go into certain quilt shops. I drool...my heart races...my creative juices really start flowing. There just simply is not enough time in the day to do all the sewing I want to do. Every day (almost) for the past two weeks I have had a mental appointment with my sewing machine, but every day my best made plans have been rearranged for a zillion reasons. But not last night...Rich had a meeting and Sarah had a practice and I ignored several things I need to get to and went to town on this darling little dress for Sweet Baby Claire! Do you even know how long it has been since I've sewn a dress for a little girl??!! Way, way too long. And last night I kept thinking about my mother...I kept thinking I should be cutting out several of these at the same time, and that once I made this pattern the first time, it would be so easy the second time! As it is I really only did have material for just one, maybe two. I found this combination of prints at my currently favorite quilt shop in Utah, called Material Girls. I really need to prioritize my list of projects waiting in the wings, but I'm inspired now!

Lovin' My Hubby!!

February 4th, 2010

I am a lucky lady...and I KNOW it! Rich and I are approaching our 30 year anniversary this year! Yikes, that seems like a long time, and yet it seems like just yesterday that I saw him for the first time. I clearly remember telling a roommate that I needed to find out more about him...I was very impressed. He was a natural leader and teacher. I loved, and still do, listening to him teach. Teaching seems to come so easily to him, and yet I know the hours that he spends reading, pondering, and praying for further understanding and insight.
30 years has taken us up and down the California coast, to the beautiful state of Washington, and then to the mid-west where we currently are residing in Illinois. He started his career with Unocal in 1981 after graduating from BYU. And has weathered being bought and sold and merged and is currently employed by ConocoPhillips. To say that he has put his heart into his employment is a severe understatement. I know that I have a slightly jaded perspective; however, I have watched him easily put in 60+ hours a week for more years than I care to remember. His current assignment has brought significant challenges beyond anything experienced previously. "Relief" and "Accomplishment" will have entirely different meanings when his current project is completed. But I sure am proud of him! Rich is SUCH a mechanical engineer. You have to know that just about any time he talks about work that such explanation comes with a diagram of sorts, usually on a napkin. It really is fun to drive past his site and see everything that is happening, especially the big, blue, humungous (?) crane.

Far more important than being an employee is the father that he has been to his children. They have their own way of expressing their gratitude to him and I enjoy watching the various ways they find to do so. Rich was raised pretty much without a father, but with an angel mother. Our children are very lucky. They have the benefit of having a pioneer heritage from my side of the family. From Rich they get the perspective that comes with realizing the difference that the gospel can bring into a family's life, as Rich joined the LDS Church while attending Vanderbilt University. As for me, I will be eternally grateful the he had lived his life in a way such that he was able to recognize the Spirit testifying to him of the truthfulness of the gospel when it was presented to him. We have been blessed with children that have developed strong testimonies of the gospel and I credit much of their understanding to the example of their father.

I love this man! And I'm proud to be by his side. I appreciate his willingness to see past my shortcomings and always wanting me to achieve whatever my heart desires. I look forward to seeing the many opportunities that will come our way in the next several years. International work, building a home, serving a mission, grandparenthood...endless list...we'll see!!

I LOVE Flowers, Especially Tulips!

February 3rd, 2010

I love flowers! I go back and forth between whether I prefer "plants" or cut flowers in an arrangement. "Plants" obviously last much longer and can often be planted outside to be enjoyed again and again, but an arrangement is SO pretty. I was getting a tad bit desperate for something pretty to look at last week and bought these pretty yellow tulips...brightened my day!
We lived for three wonderful years in the beautiful northwest, about an hour and a half north of Seattle, in a town called Bellingham. We came to LOVE Bellingham for more reasons than I could ever list! The county right below Whatcom County is Skagit County, well known for their Annual Tulip Festival. Can you even imagine rows and rows of tulips as far as you could possibly see? It was something we did every year...just drove around visiting all of the beautiful fields in the area. (And occasionally order some tulips for the following year!)

Many thanks to Lindsay for finding this pic! I am SO looking forward to Spring this year. One of my dear friends shared a lot of different flowers last year, mostly lilies. I'm so excited to see them all come to life this year. I love being outside working in the yard, cutting the grass and working in the flower beds. It's been very interesting to see what grows in different parts of the country. Here in the mid-west, as difficult as humidity is to live with, it has an amazing effect on flowers! For instance, in California vincas grow all year long, but in Illinois they expand! One small plant just explodes into a bush. It's really neat! Anyways, I LOVE the miracle that is a flower!

I Love Tuesdays!

February 2nd, 2010

Today is Tuesday and I LOVE Tuesdays because we *usually* receive our weekly e-mail from Marshall, my missionary son serving in the Porto Alegre North Brazil Mission. Marshall left last August and will be in Brazil for two years! I miss him tons, but at the same time I know that he is where he is supposed to be. He is growing so much as he shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is getting a grasp on the Portuguese language. So thrilled for him.
LOVE this pic of Marshall...he looks pretty happy to me.
Marshall made some *chocolate chip* cookies for a family in their branch. Apparently it was kind of difficult to find chocolate chips...he looks pretty happy with the outcome!
Yep, my son the baker! Too funny!!
Yep, he must be pretty thirsty and hot to eat watermelon this way. I don't remember that Marshall particularly cared for watermelon like his mother does. I sure do appreciate the families in Brazil that take such good care of my missionary!
This was a great picture from last week. A bunch of missionaries attended the Brazil Porto Alegre Temple. So glad that he has this opportunity while serving. These look like such great young men from all over the world, coming together for one unique purpose, and kind of looking like they're having a fun time, too!

28 Days of Love

February 1, 2010

I decided in the dreariness of last week that I needed to have something to focus on in the coming month. Ah, February...we made it through January! And what is February but a chance to focus on LOVE! I started making a list of things that I love, people I love, activities that I love, along with what I am particularly grateful for, and therefore love! And decided to share them on this blog.

This will not be in any particular order. However, at the top of my list is the Savior, Jesus Christ. My feelings for the Savior definitely fall into the category of gratitude - although gratitude seems to be a little weak. Maybe there are not words for how grateful I am to Him...for His life, for His sacrifice for me! Today I share a YouTube video with Elder Neal A. Maxwell speaking about the Savior.