Primary

Today Sunday November 15th was our Primary Sacrament Meeting Presentation. It was great. The time was exact and the children sang wonderfully and LOUD. Our Bishop said he really felt the Spirit. We've been working on the songs since the beginning of the year. I am so proud of the children. They sat reverently and paid attention to everything that was going on. Yea for Primary and yea for the special day that is set aside so the kids can bear their testimonies through songs, Articles of Faith and talks. NOW it is time to sing all the Christmas songs in the Primary Children's Songbook.

Buddy's New Bed

A few weeks ago Dewey came home with a new doggy bed for Buddy. He needed one for relaxing downstairs while we are watching TV. He loves to sleep on our laps and on the couch, but when he wants his alone time and "Don't touch me time" he would curl up in front of the speaker by the TV.  So, we bring it home and put it where he likes to sleep on the floor and WALA----a new comfortable bed for----WHAT? Kitty.

Yes, Kitty decided that this was the best thing since cat boxes. She has been it in every possibe sleeping moment. So Kitty has a new bed and Buddy is back sleeping on the couch.

 BUT have no fear. Dewey to the rescue. He brought home another bed JUST FOR Buddy.

I was so proud of Buddy when he saw that first bed. He jumped in, rolled around and got all his smells on it. But, that didn't bother Kitty one bit. She didn't care if it smelled like Buddy. It was hers and hers alone.

Kitty is becoming a real bully to Buddy. When she feels like it she even chases him off our laps so she can sit on us. MY my my. We think there is a little jealousy here. 

But now, with two beds, everyone's happy, but Kitty is really happy.

Hooray for November

We love November. For me it's a deep rooted love that began in childhood. I lived in a big old house that had neither central heat nor central air so when it was 30 degrees outside it was 30 degrees inside. That's right, if it was 100 degrees outside--well it wasn't quite 100 degrees inside but it was pretty hot. We had space heaters in the winter and fans in the summer.

Living in San Antonio, Texas summers could get very hot especially with the humidity. So when the first northers of the year blew in which was almost always in November things cooled down so dramatically in my home it was hard not to like November. Plus we had about 7 or 8 pecan trees so the pecan picking began. The leaves were falling and it was just special to me.

PLUS I love Thanksgiving. It was so comfortablre and the smells on Thanksgiving day plus the football sounds from the TV---nothing better. My mom always had a couple of plates of food put together and she would deliver them to the shut ins who lived in the neighborhood. They received their hot meal and then we sat down to eat. I love Thanksgiving.

Okay so a P.S. here from last night--Halloween. Buddy was an angel but he could only wear his wings at home and not to the Trunk or Treat Party at church earlier becase his halter leash wouldn't fit.

So he was Buddy the Elf during the day and an angel once the Trick or Treaters showed up.

It is a good thing we had left over candy because the 216 boxes of Cracker Jacks were gone before the kids stoped coming so we had to resort to the candy.

I was surprised at the reaction of the kids for the Cracker Jacks--very popular. I am also surprised at the amount of adults who showed up at our door in costume with their children and their own Halloween treat bags.

We made it through another Halloween--costumes, candy and all that jazz. Here's to Thanksgiving, Christmas music, tagging and cutting the Christmas tree, lights, decorations, great food, FAMILY and the most important of all:

 CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

BOO!

We went to the Annual Halloween Party of our friends the McCombs. Some of the costumes were spectacular. I am not sure where my creative gene is but if I have one it has been hiding for 62 years.  It's okay,we did have costumes. Dewey was Napoleon Dynamite and I was a witch.

 Buddy wasn't so sure of me once I put on the green makeup and he was really happy when we got home and after I showered and put on my good old PJ's. No one recognized Dewey or me.

It was amazing. Tomorrow Buddy and I will go to Trunk or Treat at church and hand out candy. (Dewey has one more person to home teach so he and his companion are going out during the time we are at Trunk or Treat--last day of the month.) We bought Buddy an angel costume but he might wear last year's. He was Buddy the Elf and he really looks cute in it. We'll see.

Happy Halloween's Eve!

Reading

I finished New Moon last night. I had forgotten how much I liked reading this series. I think I have to start  Eclipse now. There are lots of other things I need to be doing BUT I only read when I need to rest. Sometimes I need to rest a lot. HA HA!!! The good part about reading is the more I read the less I eat and that is a very good thing. Bring on the books.

The Host

I finally finished The Host by Stephenie Meyer this morning. I am writing this because it took me forever and it was a great satifaction for me to finish it--619 pages. I would read a few pages and then pick up another book and read that book. I would pick up The Host and get through a few more pages then read another book and this went on for months and for 4 or 5 others books until a few weeks ago when I decided to really get into it---I couldn't put it down. I really really liked it. No wonder it was on the best seller list for so long. My problem--it was really confusing for me for the first 100 pages.  And I had to think too much about what was happening. People who I talked to said that once I got through the beginning of the book it made sense so I outlasted my doubting and I am glad I did. Have you read it? Try it. You may really like it too.

Now on to reading New Moon again to refresh my mind before the movie is released next month.

Annual Trip to Spooner Farms

Today was our annual trip to Spooner Farms.

Andrea joined Paul and me this year. 

Buddy came along too but had to stay in the car because the sign "NO DOGS ALLOWED" is very big. But at the end of our visit I took him out and put him on a big hay stack to get his Halloween picture.

 It was Andrea's first time there and she was amazed at all the different varities of pumpkins. She said she has never seen anything like that before.

We had fun and got some great big and little pumpkins. Our big one weighs 89 pounds this year. I always worry that Paul will hurt himself getting it in and out of the car but he lifts it the way the safety books say to, so so far so good.

 It's hard to believe it is already Halloween and birthday month. I haven't put my Halloween decorations out yet but I have my fall decorations in place. I just have to add to them. 

Happy October and Halloween everybody. Now on to the Trick or Treat boxes for my children. Look for them in the mail in the next week!

Cruising down to the Pre-Birth-Day Party

We had a wonderful three day repositioning cruise from Vancouver, Canada to San Pedro, California. We left on Wednesday the 23rd of September on the Sappire Princess. There were no stops on this cruise so we were out to sea the entire time. We ate, slept, walked around the ship and then started the whole cycle again. Food was great. The rest was needed. The walking was good for us.

The only glitch was standing in line without moving for an hour and a half before boarding the ship. The word was the Coast Guard was having a drill on board.  We thought that was weird when they knew that two ships were getting ready to sail but what can I say.  What is a little inconvenient wait when we knew great food was waiting for us once we got on board. I'll give you the rest of the story later.

We arrived in California and Brian picked us up.

We dropped our bags off at their place and then proceded to go shopping for the "Baby Shower" which was called a Pre-Birth-Day Party because Brian was afraid the guys wouldn't come if it was called a shower. They had invited couples, single men and women.

Yes, we went to Costco. You know we have fun there. Brian thought we were getting too much and that it wouldn't fit in the refrigerator but I had faith (it all fit-- even the cake).

 We had to do some creative organizing but it all worked out. Brain got an adorable cake.

It was delicious too. The shower/party was lovely. Flora and Brian received great gifts from their friends.

Dewey and I even knew a few of them.

John Stewart, Brian's best friend from school days in California and Mike Weaver, a friend from Altus High School. Spencer and Wendy were there. We gave them a Pack and Play. Spencer and Wendy were the only ones there who had children except for us so they put the Pack and Play together while everyone sat around and watched. Spencer prides himself in putting things together without reading the instructions. However, I did notice that he glanced at the instructions a couple of times.

I think the realization that a little one is entering their lives soon is starting to sink in. They are going to be great parents. It was wonderful being able to spend the weekend with Brain and Flora. On Saturday afternoon Spencer brought Connor and  Little Spencer  over for a couple of hours.

I love my grandsons and wished they lived closer.  Brian and Flora took us to a quaint little Italian Resturant called Brunno's.

It was a fun evening right by Santa Monica Pier.

Now for the rest of the story about our long wait in line before boarding the ship. On Sunday evening Dewey was reading the news on his Blackberry and dicovered that a women had jumped off the Sapphire Princess on Tuesday and she wasn't dicovered missing until everyone had disembarked on Wednesday morning. Looks like the Guard Guard drill was really an investigation and search for the missing women. She was never found. We did not know anything about this during the entire cruise. It was really kept quite or else we weren't talking to people in the know. Apparetntly from what we have found out since she was a 67 year old women from California with a terminal disease.

We flew back Monday on Virgin America.  It was very nice. 

When we picked up Buddy he was so happy to see us. Kitty really told us what for when we got home. Paul takes good care of her but she doesn't like being left alone so much.  If we could we would take them with us. We miss them too when we are gone.

We are so excited about the birth of our 4th grandchild.

Flora and Brian don't know for sure but they think they are having a little girl. That would be fun for Hayden to have an Owens  girl cousin that close in age.

Mariners vs. A's

I haven't been to a Mariners game this year so Dewey decided I needed to go. So off we went. Fortunately for Buddy Paul was home with him until 8PM so he didn't have to stay in his crate the entire time we were gone. Dewey purchased great seats for us. First row down the first base line. The seats were a few seats over from where he sat when Spencer, Paul and Andrea took him on his birthday. This time fowls balls came our way. Ichiro ran back and forth from his outfield position to the dugout each inning--- no more than 50 feet from us. It was great. Great seats! Great game! Great fun! Our date for the week. Mariners won 4-2.

P.S We didn't have garlic fries. I'm so proud of us. Dewey had a hot dog and I had a cup of Ivar's clam chowder plus a hot chocolate.

Sister Lonetto's 100th Birthday

Not many times in our lives do we get to participate in a friend's 100th birthday. I had the opportunity and great blessing to attend the 100th birthday of my friend Sister Del Mar Lonetto.  She turned 100 on September 16th. The Relief Socitey and the good people at the Life Center where she lives gave her a wonderful party. There were lots of friends and family there. Cake and punch were served. The R.S. sisters sang some songs and there was a piano solo. While everyone mingled and hugged an accordion player played background music. Buddy accompanied me. Since Buddy always goes with me to visit her, it seemed appropriate that he should go to her party. She smiled when she saw him. He was a very good boy. It was a special experience for me--and Buddy too. Happy Birhtday Del Mar!!!