simply the best

She is the best! Meet my Grandma Shore. As many of you know, I adore my Grandma Shore. She is young at heart and always on the go. She is the one who invented Happy Monday's, Happy Wednesday's, Happy whatever. She would literally show up on your porch on a Wednesday, with some great item she had discovered. Well, she just couldn't buy one for herself, she'd buy you one too...making it a Happy Wednesday present. She is cute that way. When she had heard that I had dropped 60 lbs. (a few weeks ago) she sent me a very sweet note and a $60 check for the 60 lbs. I had lost. She figured I needed something new to wear. Boy was she right! It was so kind and so thoughtful. It was so very her. I have always been so grateful for her example, generosity and LOVE. She is simply the BEST!

sneak week

It is sneak week over on the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog. My layout was highlighted today and I thought I would share it her, on my blog. The November kit(not yet released)is filled with yummy Fall colors. This is one kit that you don't want to miss out on. Here is my take on the sketch(it will be included with your kit). You can check out what the other PBD Girls have done here.

soccer

He heads it into the net. It costs us ice cream (for the entire team) each time he does. He scores goals from half field. He is an awesome defensive player. He has taken on a new role this season. He hasn't been thrilled about it. He does it away. He plays with his heart and soul. He loves his new red/white jersey...this boy loves red like his Mama. He is one of the team captains. He loves the game.
















We love to watch him do his thing!

a special day

Today was a a very special day. My nephew, Jaedon, was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We were so thrilled that he called to invite us to be part of his special day. We drove down to the Bay Area and enjoyed a birthday dinner with the family. We celebrated Tyson's(my baby brother), Sommer's (my younger sister), Kiana's (my niece)and my birthday! It was so fun to be with my family.















After dinner, we headed over to the church for Jaedon's baptism. Here is Jaedon with his family and the missionaries who taught him the discussions.















Here is my family. We haven't had a big family photo taken in a long time. I think it turned out cute, considering all of the people we had to get to look at the camera at the same time!















And the Grand kids. It was such a great day, spent with the ones we love.

Uesugi Farms

The October 2011 Green Tangerines Kit Club has been released. Grab your kit now :-). I love the colors in this kit. Perfect for Fall photos...perfect for Summer photos(I will share that one next). I created 4, double page layouts with my kit. I was even able to scrap photos from '04. Super excited to have some old school photos(that is baby Garrett in the photos) scrapped and in the family album. Looking at these photos makes me miss Uesugi farms in the Bay Area. It was our favorite Bay Area patch. There are yellow and orange marigolds everywhere with pumpkins sprinkled in. It is beautiful. These photos also made me miss our wonderful friends, the Deakins. My, how our children have grown!

37

Sigh! It is true. I am another year older. Guess what??? I am so okay with that. I am embracing my 30's and coming to terms with the fact that I am not 27 years old anymore. At age 27, I simply stopped counting my birthdays and left my age at 27. As I have enjoyed the last year, filled with some major changes in my world. I am looking forward to the year(s) ahead and the life I get to live.

I am truly thankful for the friends and family who showered me with so much love on my special day. I received lots of phone calls, FB messages, visits on my porch and many thoughtful gifts. I am one lucky girl. 37 is off to a wonderful start and I am saying "bring it on!"

Daddy/Daughter Activity

Say what???? I know. I know. We still don't have any daughters! This is exactly why I love my calling(another name for our jobs at church). I am currently serving in the Young Woman's program and love doing so. I get to spend time with the amazing Young Women of our ward( another name for the boundaries in which we live in). We put on a Daddy/ Daughter activity and it was so much fun! It was Western themed and the girls and their Dads were asked to come in their best cowgirl/boy attire.



























We called it Brinner. The girls wanted breakfast for dinner. Their wishes are our command :-). We served a breakfast casserole, waffles(with whip cream) bacon and fruit. The girls and their Dad's each had to fill out a questionnaire about how they thought the other would answer the question. There were some very funny answers. We had a pie eating contest. There was a pie tin with a ton of whip cream. Each Dad had to find a candy corn in his pile of whip cream. There were relays and a doughnut eating contest.


















{My cute Laurels, another name for the 16-18 yr. old age groups}.
















{the pie eating contest...so funny!}















{The doughnut eating contest. We did not skimp on the dessert. Those bad boys were Krispy Kreme doughnuts.}

We had the details of this activity in the works before we enjoyed/listened to General Conference(a weekend where we get to hear from our prophet and other leaders of our church). A woman by the name of Elaine S. Dalton gave a talk titled LOVE HER MOTHER. You can read the entire thing here. She asked the question "How can a father raise a happy, well adjusted daughter in today's increasingly toxic world"? Part of her answer is as follows, "The most important thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother. By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion and devotion." Tonight's activity was just another way those fathers showed their daughters tenderness, respect and devotion. I know the girls had a wonderful time, as did their fathers. Carving out time to spend the evening with their daughters/fathers...what a treat. I am so thankful to be part of a church that places so much value on family and our relationships.