On the 6th day of Christmas ...

Listen.

On the fifth day of Christmas ...

On the fifth day of Christmas - Give the gift of a hug and be the last one to let go ...

On the fourth day of Christmas ...

On the fourth day of Christmas - give the gift of time. 

"...All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Image source: Pinterest 

On the third day of Christmas say I love you ...

Three very powerful words that matter - I LOVE YOU.

Whatever your style ... type it, sing it, write it, text it or say it. Share your love this holiday season!

On the second day of Christmas ...

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. ~ Plato

Kindness is a gift that changes lives and hearts.
This Christmas, be kind.

The 12 Gifts of Christmas - Day 1

On the first day of Christmas – Share your smile.

A smile lifts, it edifies and it gives hope.

A smile saves lives. A smile is simple and it goes a long way …

Let yours shine this holiday season.

He took a day off to spend time in the kitchen (with me) ...

Can you blame a gal who gets excited about a man in an apron holding a bag of chocolate and a spatula?

I love surprises. Always have. But this one really (excuse the pun) - takes the cake!

My husband took a day off so he could spend the day in the kitchen with me ...
BAKING.

We made all sorts of Christmas treats and decided it will be an annual tradition.

Sugar cookies, fudge, pumpkin bars, & toffee
Homemade with love ... :)

Thanks for a fun day. You wear that apron oh so well!

We might have to open a bake shop together one day - by the ocean.

On the menu: Lots of lemon and pumpkin and chocolate.

A girl can dream right?

Little reminder -

Sharing a smile -

Happy Monday ...
PS: Your smile stands out. Let it shine!

You can't get too much winter in the winter. ~ Robert Frost

Winter. 
Enjoy it's magic.

Photo moments: 2008.

Hot chocolate for Two ...

Saturday night date idea:

Hot chocolate at Starbucks... sip them slow, drink in the chocolate and savor the moment.
Share the love...Oh la la la la.

Believe.Dream.Inspire.

With my daughter, the rock n' roll Santa -

We had a really great time this week watching my daughter shine on stage. She was cast as the rock n' roll Santa Claus in her school play called: "December in Our Town". It was a wonderful night and the kids did a great job with their lines, their singing and had a fun time performing for a crowd.

In addition to acting, she also won first place for her literature piece as part of the PTA Reflections contest. Way to go sweet, smart, funny daughter of mine!

And that's not all, she plays in the marimba group as well. I loved hearing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
So proud of you! Thanks for being you.

The power of a smile ...

This is an old family photo from 2003. We recently moved into a new home and this move facilitated a major de-junking party as the space in our garage could not handle all the stuff we had accumulated over the years.

As we were making our way through the boxes, I happened upon a stash of old photos. This put a stop to the sorting and throwing away as I had to immediately sit down and enjoy the memories contained with each photo!

The above family shot was taken by my sister, Jennie, on a very sunny Saturday afternoon at the park. It was freezing outside and I remember just hoping we could get one shot of all of us smiling.

We did.

To this day, this photo remains one of my all-time favorites. We are now in the middle of the teenage years and on especially challenging days, this photo reminds me that we can smile and when we do, it makes all the difference!

This holiday season, turn your smile on - let it shine BIG and BRIGHT. The outcome will amaze you...

Family Home Evening idea:
Gather family or individual photos of each member sharing a smile. Hand them out and talk about the memories each photo contains. Enjoy the spirit that comes from remembering happy family times! Share what you appreciate about each member of the family and why their smile makes a difference. :)

The Gratitude Box

"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also 

unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love." ~ Thomas S. Monson

Each Monday night, we have family home evening. As part of the night, we usually sing a song or two, have a lesson, play a game together and wrap it all up with dessert. Often, we find ourselves at Dairy Queen for Blizzards! That's a topic for another day...

Today, I'll focus on the lesson given by our 11 year old daughter this past Monday night. On her own, she prepared a very inspirational message about gratitude and how it matters. She encouraged us to be grateful and express our gratitude often.

She also created a gratitude box (pictured above). She cut little slips of paper and encouraged us to fill the box by Thanksgiving with little notes saying what we are thankful for! 

It's a big box. And we only have 8 days to fill it ... Can we do it? We will TRY!

Thanks Lauren for the inspiration. I love you and am so thankful to have you in my life!- Mom

What are you thankful for?

Try.

Amazing how inspiring ONE word can be. Even more powerful is the action!

Simple. True. Just Try.
Miracles happen when we do ...

{Image Source}

Doubt your doubts ...

Love this quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Little 'happiness' reminder ...

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” - Denis Waitley

It takes time ...

What to write about? I keep looking at this blog thinking … “I need to post something”

And nothing comes to mind so I decided to write about nothing. Just free write. Whatever flows out is what I’ll share. Fair enough?

First, I really don’t like unpacking boxes. We recently moved and finding a new place for everything zaps my energy and enthusiasm. It’s not something I naturally excel at. If you enjoy moving and packing and unpacking – please share your tips.

Second, I am really enjoying this beautiful fall weather.

Third, my father-in-law’s headstone is now at his graveside. I stopped by this morning to see it and pay respects. He died in June. Tonight is the first home football game for the high school. I used to always sit with him at the games. I just could not go without him tonight. 

Fourth, I know that stuff takes time. It takes time to pack and unpack. It takes time for the spring and summer to turn to fall. And it takes time to let someone go and move on.

There will be other games with popcorn and lights.

I think I’ll find another box to unpack, pull out my favorite pink blanket from college days and make a mug of hot chocolate.

Cheers to Friday night games in the fall and sharing popcorn with someone you love! 

A summer to remember ...

 We explored the Oregon Coast and enjoyed the beauty of the earth ...

 We ate the foods of the sea ...

 We found exciting creatures ...

We picked peaches and made jam, smoothies and cobblers ...

 We moved into our new home ...

We learned how to say goodbye ...

School can start tomorrow. We are ready - we lived and loved, cried and laughed  ...we are different people because of the things we saw, experienced and felt.

Thanks summertime - we'll see you next year :)

Believe ...

“Forget all the reasons it won’t work and believe the one reason that it will.”

- Unknown