WHAT I DID TODAY

Today it was raining so I decided to bake bread. I was like the Little Red Hen. However I did not grow the wheat nor did I shuck it (or whatever you do to get the kernal), but I did grind it with my electric wheat grinder.........Whew!!!that was a job. j/k

With some of the dough I had left I made cinnamon rolls with the dough. MMMMMMMMMgood. Pete had about 4 connamon rolls. They were good. I also did some laundry. Now that is a full day for me..............Read a little, took a short nap.....So what do you expect from someone over 60? You thought I was going to give you my true age huh? Fooled you............... I think I finally figured out these pics.

PARABLE OF EASTER LILLY

I have been thinking a lot about what I am so grateful for. First of all, I am so grateful for my faith in God, my family, (what an amazing family I have) for my amazing husband and right now for the health I have at this time. And I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father.

After we moved out here to Nebraska last year, I was not feeling very good and it came to a head 4 days after Christmas. I was hospitalized for 8 days with a blood infection. (Dr.'s think I got the infection from a UTI.) I never really got over it until about July. My transplanted kidney took a hard hit with that episode, but it is now stable. Which I am so grateful for. I liken this to an Easter Lilly.

Right before Easter this year while I was still recouperating, David brought me a beautiful lilly. At first when this lilly looked like it was just about going to die, I asked Pete to plant it in our front yard to see just what it would do. And you know what?............It started to sprout another lilly and then it bloomed again in Oct. Just as it had bloomed, we had a freeze one morning and part of it froze. But to this day it still has the bloom on it. That is the way my kidney is, it is not working fully, but still has some bloom in it. I am so grateful for this Lilly.

After I recieved my kidney in 1993, it was requested I write my donor family a thank you note.

I found this a little while back and would like to share it with all of you.

My transplant was March 8, 1993.

"As I reflect upon my transplant and the time of year it was, it reminds me of a new birth.

It was in the spring of 1993. The day after my surgery I was laying in the hospital thanking this donor & feeling a closeness to this family and thanking them for the gift of life they had so graciously given to me. I had been on dialysis for 2 and 1/2 years. I was getting so discouraged close to the end, because of antibodies in my system. For a while I thought that this day would never come. When I got the call saying that there was a kidney for me and it was a perfect match, I knew my prayers were finally being answered.

They say when you are married that is supposed the be happiest day of your life. At that time in my life it was. Then we had 2 chilren, and on the day they were born, that was a happy day in my life. But as I reflect on my transplant, it was one of the more happy days, because of the gift of life and also the freedom of not being dialysis.

It was on a Sunday I was released from the hospital. I came home on that spring day to hear the birds singing as I had never befor heard them sing. Also to see the trees with new blossoms on them and to see the reirth on them with a feeling that I too was like a tree with new life and rejoicing as I heard the birds singing. I am so thankfu. to my Heavnely Father and to this donor and the family of my donor, that I give thanks to him for this precious gift that has helped me to feel so good this past year. I also give thanks to this wonderful family for this gift to be sent someone unknown, knowing it would make them feel better.

It is springtime now and the birds are singing and the flowers and leaves are on the trees once again for another rebirth.

I can't express the joy I feel in my heart and the tears of happiness that is happening at this time in my life.

I want this donor family to know how thankful I am to them for this wonderful gift of life and rebirth."

STILL TRYING TI FIGURE OUT THIS PICTURE THING

The first of the month, (October) Pete and I took the girls to Griffen Farms (I think that was the name of the farm . Not so sure) But anyway.....Ella wanted so badly to get up on the hay ride. Then when we did get on, she was not happy. Don't know about this little angel. She do have a mind of her own..........Gee.....who could she get that from? Not her grandma!!!!Maybe Grandpa. Or maybe Daddy. But we love her despite herself. Junie sure enjoyed it and did not want to leave the farm.............Having to much fun.

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER

Yesterday and today have been very spititual days. My cup has been filled with so many good things that the spirit of the Lord has just been awesome.

Yesteday (Satuday) Time our for Women came to Omaha for the first time, and it was awesome. We had so many good speakes and music. Mary Ellen Edmunds was absoutely hillarouis. She had us laughing and crying all in one. Kenneth Cope sang his wondeful songs throughout the day. Wendy Ulrich talked about forgiveness and Pam Larson was also a very good speaker. Cherrie call sang her songs. I went with my daughter Kaelen, and a friend from my ward here in Nebraska. It was great.

Today was a very spiritual day also. Pete was called to be the 2nd counselor in the Singles Ward of our stake. We are in the Council Bluffs stake. The blessing Brother Beck gave him when he set Pete apart was very inspired. The spirit was so strong, we all were crying after the blessing.
What a blessing the gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives. The opportunities are endless, if we just grasp them. I have such a strong testimony of the gospel and I am so thankful for the Priesthood. I am thankful for my testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I know without a doubt the chruch is true.

After leaving the Singles ward, we had to go back to our home ward so Pete could teach his last Gospel Doctrine Lesson. It was bittersweet, because I felt like I was just getting to be a part of the ward, but I also know this is where we are supposed to be for now.

IMMMMMMM BACK

Hello everyone, we are back from Arizona. We had such a good time visiting with friends and family. We left here on Oct. 9th at 8:00 a.m. and arrived in Phoenix at 9:00 a.m. It is amazing how we gain these hours. While we wee there Pete and I got our teeth cleaned since we had not had that done since we left there a little over a year ago. That felt good. After we had our teeth cleaned we immediately met friends at Valle Lune for Mexican Food. (Which we had quite a bit while there.) We cannot find any Mexican food we like here in the Omaha area. I am sure there is some but haven't found it yet, just as we have not found a dentist yet.

We spent about 5 days on the west side of town visiting with old friends. It was so nice to see them again. I felt like I had come home for just a few days, but then I remembered my home is here in Bellevue, Ne. with my family. But thank you Thresa for getting some of our wonderful friends together so we could visit them and renew that friendship again. All of you please come and see us. (Binghams, Meskimens, Ashcrofts, Smiths, Smiths, Weathersby) I hope I haven't for gotten any body.

On Monday (Oct. 13) Thesa invited some of my friends to a luncheon at MIMI"S. I hope I can get this picture on this blog. It looks like it might be up in the corner of this page. Oh!!Well!! Anyway that is my picture of some of my friends. We had a wonderful time reminising about old times.

After leaing Phoenix, we went over to Queen Creek to my brothers, and visited with him and my sweet sister-in-law. Sonny and Velma Kay Penrod. My sister Ludean Qualls came over from Glendale, then we all rode up to ShowLow to see my sister and Aunt Buelah. My mothers last living sister, who is 91. I can't seem to get these pics in the right place. Will have to work on that. O. K. I will get the hang of this yet. The picture up in the corner is of my brother Sonny and sister Idella. We have solved the world problems in this front yard for many years.

That is all for now, my battery on my computer is going dead so better plug in. Will post more tomorow.

NO MORE BIG PICTURE "YAY"

Hey, guess what? If you can't sleep and your eyes are pretty blurry from lack of sleep, you might be able to figure out this blogging business. If all else fails, look real hard on how to make your picture smaller. Actually, my oldest granddaughter came over tonight, so I asked Kylie to help me put the pic on and WOW, it came up REALLY REALLY big. I asked her to figure out how to shrink it and she said for me to get her Uncle Dave to help me. Mind you she is pretty much a computer whiz. But guess what? I DID IT MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud ME. Maybe I will be able to figure this out yet.

WOW, BIG PICTURE

As you can tell, I am still trying to figure out the pic thing on my blog. Wow!!!Is that picture big or what? Hope I can get it smaller....

The weekend was great. Pete and I took the little girls to Griffen Farms on Saturday morning. They were so excited to see all the animals that was there. I didn't think we would get Ella away from the little donkey's. She and June loved the pony ride, hayride, playing in the garden they had there and for some reason Ella was fascinated with the wind mill. I don't know why, but she sure thought that was pretty neat. When we wanted to leave to go home, June was very sad because she did not want to leave, but we wanted to get back to watch the Saturday afternoon session of the LDS conference. But she was soon satisfied, because she spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa.


When June spends the night with us she usually stays up later than her Mom and Dad would want her to, but OH WEll!!!! What happens at Grandma's, stays at Grandma. Don't you love that saying? We sure enjoy having her stay the night with us.

Sunday was a very spiritual day. I love watching conference. The talks were so good and the speakers reminded us of all the things we need to be doing. I love having my cup filled this way every 6 months. When President Monson announced the Temple in the Great Kansas City area, I did not get it until that evening, when my sister from Az. called and we got to talking about the temple. HUM...........I wonder where it will be built? Could it be in Independence? I guess we will see in a few weeks or months.

Not only is Sunday a spiritual day, but also a good family day. After we come home from church, the whole family gets together for dinner. One week we will have it at David's, then Kaelen's. then our house. We rotate every week. It makes it real nice, because then one person doesn't do it all the time. We also have family game night, but it is getting harder to have it consistently because if we don't get started until 6:00 p.m. we only have one hour to play. David makes sure June gets her bath at 7:00 and she is in bed by 7:30. Pete and I took her to the movie this afternoon and did not get her home until after 7:00 so she had a "dirty day". For a 7 year old that was good news for her. Don't get me wrong, she likes baths but sometimes she just wants a dirty day. As soon as I get the picture thing figured out I will add some pics.