Halloween from the past

This was Damon's real first Halloween, back in 2002. He made the cutest little bear. I loved halloween when we had children at home, with carmel apples, trick or treaters coming to the door, costumes, vampire teeth, witches hats, and angels wings...

Happy Halloween

Fall in Love...

I love Fall, I love the smell of a fire burning in the air. I love the scent of cinnamon in hot apple cider. I love the feel of crisp air around me. I love snuggling on our warm couch with a mug of hot chocolate with whip cream.
But my favorite is the colors of fall...the reds and oranges of the leaves, yellows, and embers, in the trees...love, love, love the fall...

Our Anniversary

Ok, it's not our Anniversary. But I did not have this blog set up then. I love these photo's of me and my honey. Can't believe that over 17 years have gone,(May 31, 1991). It was a very small and simple ceremony, we had our best friends there. It was sweet and simple, and pink was my color at the time.
In those years we have lived in three states, and about 14 homes, yikes, all those moves were so stressful on us, especially with six children.
Even harder to believe is that we have known each other since Lee was 13 years old! This guy married me knowing I had six children before he married me, wow, what a man...

The love of my life...

My Internal Struggle

I am constantly feeling this internal struggle to be a "good mormon person". You know like the Golden Rule, The Law of Consecration, and so on...

I feel like I have given up alot for our family and without any real appreciation for it, not talking about my kids here. Maybe that is where the problem is, I like to feel appreciated for what I preceive as sacrifices. My time, my talents, my energy, it all means something to me. Most of the time I just feel, manipulated, lied to, and used. I just want to scream, leave me alone!

Then I start to feel bad for feeling that way, how would anyone know how I feel if I don't tell them, but if I do, then I am being a witch, right.

Why do I struggle to be a good person?

Smile when you want to cry...

Life can be hard, challenging at times...We all have those days when we burnt the roast, our puppy got hurt, our car broke down, a falt tire on a lonely road. Then there are those things that can really break our heart and can test our faith, an accident, losing a loved one, a divorce, an illness, etc...
Life is meant to teach us how to get through some of the chaos, and it can be hard. But I believe that if we remember to smile when we feel like crying we will be able to get through it. I know the Lord does not give us more than we can handle, He knows us and loves us. I know He wants for us to be happy, if we can find a way to continue to be happy during those difficult times it will be worth it.
I admit I am one who has done a lot of crying, and crying throughout my life...and during some of my lowest moments I was drawn to my knees in prayers to give me strength to get through it, that one day I would understand why I was meant to go through that, what I would learn from it. Sometimes it was really hard, other times I found it easy, sometimes that is just the way it is. Life...it's not always easy, but it is soooo worth it.
I love my life...most of the time, lol...

Liana's Family

We were able to see and Liana and her family on our way from Oregon in July. It was such a long trip driving and we were so tired. I think you can see it in the photos just how tired we really were, about 15 hours of driving can do that to you. But we didn't care, we really wanted to see our grandkids. They have grown so much, Damon is 7 and half years old, Sami is 4 and 3/4 years old, and Brendon just turned two in July.
We miss them all so much and hope that we get to see them again soo, like Christmas, now that would be awesome!

Things Keeping Me Up at Night...

Birthday dinner for Tiffany on Sunday...what to make?
Krysia moving back home...yeah..lets have a party!
Karalynn and my car...I miss it...
Boys and family court...
Chris on a ship...Emily home alone...
Liana and her family...how can we help?
My sister and setting a wedding date...
Going to the temple...when?
Finding room for our sweaters in this small space...
Money...
This darn weather!
The election...
Our changining world...
My mom...sigh...
Pain...will it ever end?
Lee...stressed about family...

So Many things on my mind these days and I can't seem to find a way to quiet my mind at night so I can sleep. Even sleeping pills don't seem to help anymore. That is only a short list of the things going in my head...
If anyone has any suggestions..help!

My Sister's Engaged!

I am so happy for my sister, Cecelia. She got engaged on her birthday to a wonderful man. He just to happens to be my husbands best friend. We couldn't be more happy for them, they deserve to be happy. We are so grateful they found each other.

All my love, Sis

Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Sister!

My sister Ceelia is my best friend and confident. I love her so much and wish her such happiness and joy. She lives too far away for me(Oregon)to do something fun with her. She is always making me laugh, and making me cry with her stories. She is the life of the party and life would be pretty boring without her in it.
I miss her so much and hope she gets to visit me again.

Love you Sis,
Your big sis, Anita

Thank You Elise

I want to thank you for allowing me to use your words and feelings about these issues. You wrote what I was thinking and didn't know how to express. You have spoken with dignity and grace beyond your years, you have amazing parents who have raised a righteous and beautiful woman.

Anita

It's Gotta Be The Last Days

Now, I don't usually post politics, and I will be brief, because as involved and educated as I am on issues, I feel like devoting my time towards more pressing matters, such as religion and family, is more important than complaining about the inevitable, being politics. I have decided no matter what happens, these are the last days, and it is time to focus on what is really important. People ask me why I will vote the way I do, to which I respond, what ever will protect me, my family, and my religious rights. I think sometimes people forget about the plan of salvation, and why we are here. We were given bodies to be tested, and get ourselves and as many people as we can to return to live with our Father again. For some odd reason, latter day saints feel like worldly things take priority over their eternal salvation. An article on MSNBC recently reported that many people were leaving the Mormon Church because of their stance on gay marriage. The Prophet gives a revelation from God, and people feel that temporal satisfaction is more important. These are definitely the last days.

Sure we should be conscious of what is going on around us, and make sure that we have good and wise leaders, just like the first presidency said in their recent news release, but we should decide based on listening to the spirit, praying, and of course, becoming informed. Who said the spirit can't play a part in voting? We do the same for every other decision in our lives, why is this any different? I think a little more help from above is just what this country needs.

Anyway, with all that said, I am very excited that these are the last days. The goings-on in this world are just more opportunities for spiritual growth, and gives us more chances to turn to Heavenly Father. Newspapers and TV shows can use their time to shamelessly bash opposing sides, and mock others for their views, but politics change, as does everything in this world, but one thing stays constant, and that is the Lord and his Gospel. If we are unhappy with leaders, give it a couple years, and that will change. We can't rely on man, but we can rely on our unchanging God.

Let us all remember where our focus should be, progression in this life towards the next. Everything else will be old news with time, but our eternal salvation will not be.
Originally Posted by Elise and Jeff /Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Happy Birthday Tiffany!

It's Tiffany's birthday today. I can't believe where the time has gone. I know it was just yesterday that she was coming into in the world in her grandma's pink room at the ranch in Gates, Oregon. Tiffany said to me yesterday that she is a morning person and she didn't know why. Maybe, just maybe it has to do with the fact that on this day 25 years ago she graced us with her presence at 6:oo in the morning, just as the sun was coming up over the mountains. It was a beautiful morning and she had to see it for herself. And from that day she has brought such sunshine into our lives. Love you honey and pray for you to follow your dreams, to stay faithful in the gospel, to live life full of love, joy and happiness, and along the way don't forget to laugh.

Love you,

Mom

Alpine Loop

Had an amazing ride up the canyon, it was so beautiful.

Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness

Who would have thought me blogging about my life, not me that's for sure. So now you will all probably learn things about me that you really didn't want to know about me, so be sure you want to know...

I thought about the name for this blog long and hard. One day my daughter Juanita and I worked on a gift for a dear friend of ours one year. We decided to put together some of our creative talents to use. We put together a little book of poetry and photography. She loved it and we were so pleased. My daughter has a way of bringing out my talent that I have a tendency to hide. I am trying to have more faith in my talents and gifts that have been given to me by a loving Heavenly Father. I will attempt to do better...