Called to SERVE!

Checking the mail box .... Yup, it's here!

Called to serve in TEXAS!

Hugs ...

Celebration ...

Tears ... (the good, happy kind)

Miracles ... 

Our son, received his mission call yesterday and will be serving in San Antonio, Texas for two years. He will leave in February.

This was the most incredible day/experience! We will never forget it.

Right after he opened his papers/call to serve, double rainbows appeared.

We saw it as the Lord's love for all of us and for the beautiful days and miracles ahead.

Such a wonderful day. So proud of you Kade. I love you.

~ Mom.

GO and DO.

Thanksgiving 2014 ...

My mom - Making orange rolls! 

With my sister-in-law, Kathryn and my Mom ...

My son, Kade and Kathryn

Reese's Cheesecake pie ...

The table ...

Abby ... "I am thankful for"

Love this ...

Family tradition - Bowling on Thanksgiving!

We had the perfect day together!

I have too many blessings to count ...
So thankful!

Exciting times at our house!

We received some happy news earlier this week! We were notified that a mission assignment was being shipped via mail to our son! It should arrive Friday or Saturday.

The excitement at our house is great! Where will he go? When?

We have our guesses and they are pinned to a map!

So excited for the white envelope to show up in the mail ...

Together, we make a difference!

AJ Hunt - November 22nd - Giving a teary 'thank you' to the community!

I was blessed to be part of a planning committee to help put together a community fundraiser for a young man named - AJ Hunt. He was in a horrible car accident in August (on his way to college) and was terribly injured. In fact, it changed his life forever! In an attempt to make a difference for he and his family, an event was created.

We had a group who organized a bake sale ... The community was amazing and we were so touched by the out pour of support. We all worked for weeks to pull this thing together.

We prayed the community would rally with us! At first, we set a goal to raise $3,000 dollars. Then we bumped it up to $10,000. Then we just threw a big number out - we wanted to raise $20,000 for AJ and his family.

We prayed again and went to work!

November 22nd at Jason Lee Elementary in Richland, WA

Our prayers were answered! People showed up all night. The place was packed... you could hardly move. The community rallied with us!

We had hundreds of donations from businesses and community members for our Silent Auction.
It was amazing and touching and SO inspiring!

I couldn't sleep that night just thinking about all that I had seen and been a part of!

We had live music, dinner for the family and good old-fashioned community fun! The real kind ... face-to-face!

It was the best event I've ever had the opportunity to be a part of ...
I attribute it to the sense of love, unity and purpose we all had in uniting to make a difference.

It's one of my favorite holiday moments - similar to George Bailey's Christmas miracle  in -

"It's a Wonderful Life"

Thank you to everyone who helped give hope to AJ Hunt.

The out pour of love and support will never be forgotten!
We created our own community holiday miracle.

Did we meet our goal?

OH YES - we raised $27,000 

More importantly, we made a difference ... together!

Miracles. They happen.

Special thanks to Sara Schilling for her support and coverage in the Tri-City Hearald 

And to Ben and Jodi Archibald for having the idea and vision to pull this entire thing together!

On Twitter & Facebook - #HopeforAJ
(Thanks to all who helped us share on social media)

Tis the season ...

I love this time of year.

It's time to slow down. It's time to snuggle with loved ones. It's time to be extra thankful for the blessings in our lives and the people that matter most. It's time to bake. It's time to eat. It's time to savor every bite. It's time for lots of pumpkin pie!

It's time to love and share kindness - even more than we normally do!

Bring on the holidays (and a few extra pounds!)

:)

In gentle ways ...

I love this ... and I especially like the word - gentle.

We can make a difference in gentle ways!

A kind word

A smile

A note of thanks

More I love yous

Hugs

Take time to listen

Reach out and lift someone along their journey

Be a light on another's dark day

Share positive energy

Believe in good things to come

Forgive

Live with a grateful heart

Understand

Love

....

Life is short ...

Always choose happiness!

My Grandma Call ...

Bessie Call (my Grandma) and her horse, Goldie -

With my Grandma - Bessie Call

My Grandma passed away a few years ago ... I woke up today thinking about her.
Sometimes I wonder if those who have passed on can visit us in our dreams.

What would she say to me  - I wonder.

Probably -
I love you Wendy.
And she would offer her solid testimony of her love
of the Savior and her love of her family!

I would say back:

I love you too.

:)

Thankful for such a wonderful Grandma who has had such a huge impact on my life!

When everything is a mess - Believe. Work Hard. Move Forward!

A few years ago, my husband and I bought an old, vintage house. It was built in 1944.

It was a foreclosure, it had a million problems - including no power or running water.

The price was right! We saw potential!

We bought it ... 

We dug in! We worked hard for years ... day and night.

It was dirty. It was ugly. The work never seemed to end ...

We tore up the kitchen floor (think 4+ layers and 2,000 nails) ...

We tore up old carpet ...

We refinished the original hardwood floors ....

We tore up the kitchen ...

There were days when I wanted to quit and I was sorry we ever bought the place.
Thankfully, we didn't give up.

This project taught me patience. It taught me gratitude and it taught me the value of hard work!
And on tough days, I visit the old house blog and it reminds me to keep moving forward and
to give each day and project my best!

Mostly, it reminds me that together, as a family, when we work together,
we can accomplish anything.

Cheers to moving forward and working hard :)

We sold this home just over a year ago, and every time I drive by it I say (out loud):
WE DID THAT!

Always.

Positive. Always.

The heart.

Happy Sunday ... So thankful for a heart full of love, memories and hope.

The Travis Lichfield Award

My brother, Travis, was a great runner! He was fast and held the school records in Cross Country and Track. Sadly, the summer before his Senior year, he died in a car accident.

Our Cross Country Coach, Mr. Mills, created the Travis Lichfield Award in his honor. It is awarded to one Richland High School Bomber runner at the end of the Cross Country season.

My brother died 26 years ago. Touching to know that his award lives on today ...

Congrats to Richland High School, Bomber Runner - Lindsey Bradley for winning the 4A State Cross Country race and for earning the Travis Lichfield award.

Run on ...

Be the happy one!

Happiness matters.

Share your smile, your positive energy and your can-do attitude.
Be a bright spot! :)

Where there is faith, miracles happen.

Where there is hope, there is faith. Where there is faith, miracles happen.

5 Tips for Living a More Positive Life!

There are two kinds of energy in the world. One is the positive kind and the other is negative.

We have a choice every moment about the kind of energy we will allow in and the kind we with allow out.

We've all experienced both energy types. I personally, choose the positive kind!

Below are 5 tips to living with more positive energy -

1. Forget about Yourself.
When we focus on others and how we can reach out to make a difference, we invite positive energy and vibes in. When our focus is inward and all about our self - it tends to go negative and turn into a 'woe is me - pity party'.

2. Surround Yourself with People who make you Glad you are Alive. Energy is contagious - choose to be around people who support, lift and love you. These are the people who remind you daily that you matter and that life is a beautiful adventure.

3. Pray. Never underestimate the power of a prayer. Ask for assistance in finding and sharing the positive stuff in life. You'll be amazed at the added power a prayer can give you in this quest! Try it anytime, anywhere. Prayer is powerful and positive.

4. Nurture your Spirit with Positive Music and Quotes.
I find music and quotes to be very empowering! Music lifts and inspires and keeps you 'humming' all day. Quotes fill your mind with hope and inspiration! Need a few? Visit my Inspiring Quotes board on Pinterest.

5. Write a Love Letter and Send it.
This is old-school! I'm not talking email, text or voice mail - I'm talking an old fashioned, hand-written letter (with paper and pen). Write something in your own hand and send it off with a stamp via snail mail. I promise, you'll feel positive energy when you drop it off at the Post Office or at your mail box. The other person receiving it will feel the positive vibes too.

Bottom line, if you want more positive energy, forget about yourself and focus on another person! Nurture your spirit and choose very carefully every moment the words you choose to say and the energy you radiate! You have more power than you realize.

What zone are committed to living in?

I'm all about the positive zone. Positive energy invites happiness in!
Join me - it's a good place to be :)

Thankful.

America - Land that I love!

Dear Veterans, 
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
A million thanks from my heart to yours.

Please know you are loved and appreciated.

Sincerely,
Wendy

The Soundtrack of My Life ...

'The Soundtrack of my Life' by Donny Osmond

(Released to celebrate his 50 years in show business)

The title of this new album caught my attention as did TWO of the tracks ... 

The Long and Winding Road and Your Song - a couple of my favorite songs.

I like the cover - very classy! Also, I think it's really cool that to celebrate his 50th anniversary, he chose to tell stories from his life and combine them with a song! 

His project made me think about the influence of music in my life and if I had a soundtrack ... what songs would be on it?

Here it goes - The Soundtrack of my Life ...

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

Drive - The Cars

Take My Breath Away - Berlin

The Chair - George Strait
I Can't Tell you Why - The Eagles
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain - Willie Nelson
How Great Thou Art - Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill
Superman Can - Tory Christensen

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Someday I might share the 'stories' behind the songs ...

What's your soundtrack?

Radiate.

Positive energy is powerful - radiate your positive vibes!

Go.

We fill the pages.

Life is a book. We fill the pages.

Each day is a page ... each year a chapter.

It's your story.
Write it well ...

Wisdom from Cookie Monster ...

Today me will live in the moment ... unless it's unpleasant in which case me will eat a cookie.
~ Cookie Monster

Chin up, beautiful ...

Chin up. Love that!
Don't let it get to you. Love that too.

This is not always easy. In fact, it's the most difficult thing to do when you feel rejected, belittled or misunderstood.

I've found that when I put my chin up, it reminds me to look up to God. He knows us. He loves us. He never abandons us. He is always there for us. And, He gives us the strength to go on!

Keep moving forward!
Chin up!

A series of small things ...

I love trees. I love how long they can last and grow and withstand ... This quote and image inspired me today. The rings in the tree trunk are supposedly a representation of it's age.

It's true - Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

Stand tall. Keep moving forward and be amazed at the power of the small and simple things that you do each day ...

The little things add up and become GREAT and worthwhile.

Like a beautiful tree.