LINDSEY'S BABY SHOWER.....

Me and my daughter Lindsey

I have been busy the past week or so getting ready for a
baby shower at my home for this sweet young lady...how fun!

Lindsey is due next month....she is such a beautiful

young woman, soon to be a new Mommie!

This gorgeous little blessing dress is for Sophia...she will be born next month.

In anticipation of her birth, a baby shower was held at my home for my daughter Lindsey and baby to be.

Sophia will wear a little pearl bracelet that matches the pearl pin on the dress...so sweet!

This is the first little dress I have ever sewn...don't look too close all you expert seamstresses! I just made it up out of my head and now I want to sew more little dresses, they are fun to do!

This is a diaper cake that I made for the shower, it was easy and fun to do~

I used little baby socks for flowers on the diaper cake~

This is how it looked as the centerpiece for our shower/open house buffet.

On the menu was;

Chicken salad served in croissants

Lemon pasta salad

Cherry Pie salad

Spinach salad

Ambrosia salad

a Big bowl of brown sugar strawberries

A Veggie tray

Strawberry Poke Cake
Strawberry Sherbet with Sprite

It was all so delicious we all went back for seconds!

(I had a picture too but my camera somehow ate it!
And after all the work of polishing silver too!)

These cloth diapers with pretty trim make the best burp cloths....

I made her a bunch of them.

I made these little baby booties for the favors...they were so fun to make!

Sitting around to nibble on were....Chocolates

Rolled cookies filled with chocolate...

The baby booties filled with nuts and mints...

A sweet baby cradle filled with nuts...

Pink roses for the new Mommie to be...

Strawberry malt balls in a cute antique dish...

My other daughter Lisa....quilting on the baby quilt we had set up

for everyone to put a stitch or two in for Lindsey and baby Sophia.

Lindsey... ready to open gifts...

A darling outfit her sister Lisa gave to her for Sophia~

Lindsey's grandma who is 97 years old couldn't come but she sent a gift she had wrapped

in real 1950"s paper and a sweet card from the 50's too.....very sweet!

Lots of handmade baby receiving blankets...

We gave her a blessing dress for Sophia...I can hardly wait

until the day Sophia is given a name and a blessing!

A blanket I made for Sophia...

And a baby book to record her first year.

Lindsey's mom in law Gaylyn and I quilting...this was fun to have at the shower

for everyone to help work on. It turned out so cute too!

A ton of nice things given for Mom and the new baby to be!

Lindsey's sister in laws putting together the new

stroller/car seat combination they gave to her.

Two of Lindsey's cute little nieces...they had so much fun at the baby shower!

Nothing like home made baby quilts....so soft and warm!

Lindsey and I

It was so much fun to give my daughter a baby shower along with her In laws, we really did it up right! It was a lot of work to get ready for it, you know how that goes....every inch of the house needs to be cleaned! With my recovery from surgery, the house really needed some attention, so it was a busy time of washing windows and cleaning...planning, shopping and preparing lots of food...but it was all so worth it!

We had a good turn out of friends and family and Lindsey loved it all. I think I received the greatest joy...by doing something so special for a much loved daughter.
Now they will be moving into a new place in about a week and she can set up the nursery as she waits for the birth of little Sophia...We are all so excited!!!
*****

Next post I will give a tutorial on how to make the diaper cake and the baby booties...if you are interested in that.

I am back to blogging and will try my best to catch up with all of you!

I have missed all you gals so much!!!

IT'S A GREAT TIME TO REMEMBER....

IT'S A GREAT TIME TO REMEMBER ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN OF THEMSELVES TO UP HOLD OUR FREEDOMS....GOD BLESS EVERY ONE OF THEM.

I AM MARRIED TO ONE OF THOSE MEN...HE SERVED IN VIETNAM AS A MARINE. IT WAS A TOUGH TIME THEN, HE DOESN'T SPEAK MUCH ABOUT IT BUT I KNOW THAT HE IS JUST GRATEFUL THAT HE MADE IT OUT IN ONE PIECE. IT'S A TOUGH TIME NOW TOO...WE NEED TO LIVE IN GRATITUDE FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SO WILLINGLY SERVE US AND OUR GREAT COUNTRY...GOD BLESS THEM AND PLEASE GOD...BLESS AMERICA.


I have got a super busy week ahead of me dear friends, I am getting ready for a baby shower this coming Saturday for my youngest daughter Lindsey, she is having her first baby, a little girl in July.

I have a ton of things to do to get ready so I won't be around to visit this week, unless I get a moment to possibly squeeze it in?! ...I'll be missing all of you...I hope you will miss me LOL :D

I'll catch up to you as soon as I can...have a great week!

" BEAUTIFUL WOMEN "

Commercials and magazines and movies would have women believe that beauty takes a lot of work! It's true...but the real and lasting beauty that we should strive for is... "internal beauty."

I see beautiful women around me all the time...daughters, friends, even you sweet women here in blog-land! I see true beauty every time, in women who emulate their Savior.

I have spent some time in my life seeking after what I thought was true physical beauty, but after diets and those costly face creams I still did not find permanent satisfaction. Because guess what?! I still kept getting older, it seems no one has found that long, sought after fountain of youth! So, I have come full circle...to look inside myself for what is truly important.

I believe it's a common thing for women to be dissatisfied with their bodies, which is why it's critical for women to train and teach their teenage daughters to love themselves and to reject harmful, unattainable beauty ideals.

There was a study done by Dove in which teenage girls were polled about whose beauty recommendations they trust most. While some care about their friends opinions and others long to look like supermodels, most said that what their mothers believe is what they pay attention to. Now that is inspiring...to know that we really do have the most power with them!

That doesn't mean that women need to disregard their physical appearance...it can be fun to be pretty and to do so with our daughters. There was an older woman who's mantra was..." "weeding the garden is no reason to not accessorize ladies!"

Three ideas that can help us focus on the things of God...

Women need to recognize Satan's strategy to "call evil good and good evil."
1) Lucifer doesn't want us to see certain things and they are hidden by mists of darkness. Most importantly, he hides the love of God from us. He hides the right path and the consequences of going off the path and isn't it strange how he doesn't hide the ways of the world? He openly invites us in to all his ways.

2) Today's mothers, more than ever before need to lead by righteous examples so their daughters will know whom to look to, to find good, healthy patterns to follow.

3) Never underestimate the power of the world to divert. By feeling like she's unaffected by media messages or by joining with them, a woman becomes susceptible to Satan's cunning designs. We really need to keep watch on ourselves and the influence the world and others have on our beautiful daughters.

ALSO SEE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvKOW60I&feature=related



Something fun to do together....

"Baked Blueberry Scones"

You will need:
1 1/4 cups of flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs. white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Add:

1/2 cup milk,

3 Tbs. oil
1 egg
1 cup blueberries
(1/2 cup mini chocolate chips)

Mix up the dough...pat out into a 8" circle
on lightly floured counter. Cut dough into
8 wedges, cutting half way through.
Bake at 400* for 20 minutes...
when it comes from oven, finish cutting
through wedges and place on a wire rack.

Once they are cool enough to touch... mix:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk
lemon juice to taste
Drizzle over scones
Serve and enjoy!

Have fun with the kids and or grand children ladies!


I have been sewing and cleaning and preparing for an up coming baby shower
for my daughter...can't wait to share the joy of that with you...my love to all.

" JING-A-LING..... I THINK IT'S SPRING! "

By golly...I think Spring has sprung...What do you think?

Finally...I thought it might have missed us entirely....

But look what I found todayWOO HOO!

Fresh new Spring-Green bursting out all over~

It seems like most of you are already getting produce from your gardens....

We are just now thinking it might be ok to plant...

I love this beautiful horse ranch...

Getting it's green on!

We just had snow yesterday but today was WOO HOO beautiful!

Yup....June is busting out all over this gorgeous high mountain valley.

Makes me feel patriotic! This is a cell tower inside this flag pole. The cell phone company

came and wanted to put a tower here in the middle of all this beautiful scenery and people

had a real "come-a-part!" And I don't blame them one bit! So this is how they got their cell phone tower up! LOL

Just some pretty places on this lovely Spring day.....

You come around a bend on your way to Capitol Reef National Park and this rises up to meet you! It takes my breath away every time....I cannot begin to take a picture of it like the eye can see!

Indian places? Very cool! There is a lot of it around these parts!

It's so vast...even your eyes can hardly take it all in!

And here I am back home and look whats in my very own back yard! I am so grateful I get to live here. It fills up my soul every day....A beautiful place, so peaceful...to me it's a sacred place.

So now I can say...HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE...yes, I do believe it's finally here!

Joining up with
Woo Hoo Wednesday
http://www.alwaysnesting.blogspot.com

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES....

This is..."The Lion House"...it sits right in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. It's called The Lion House because of the lion that sits over the front entrance...can you see him? It used to be a home but times have changed and the city has grown up all around it. It was built in 1875 by early pioneers who came to settle here...it's one of my favorite places.

The inside is so beautiful..lots of hand crafted work went into the building of it. Down stairs is a bakery and restaurant in what used to be the basement or cellar of the home. The walls are thick and so it's cool in the summer time and warm and cozy in the winter time. They make the most delicious food ever! They make this rhubarb pie that is straight from Heaven...my favorite!
Also in this place,many wedding receptions are held and business meetings. I have had the most fun coming here to sing at Christmas time for parties.

The high lighted building here is The Lion House shortly after it was built in 1875.
Can't you just see horse and buggy's coming down the street?!

I had two great great grandfathers who were here at this time. They were a big
part of the settling of this place.
Charles A. Harper...he came with the very first
group into the valley and William McClure Lemon...he was one of those
who surveyed
the whole area.

And again a little bit later, the wall that was in front
of it, has in this picture, been taken down.

The grounds out behind The Lion House are so very beautiful. I have sat here many times, surrounded by the business of the city but all I could hear were the birds singing...and coming close to beg for crumbs. I have been here with my husband many times and with my daughters on mom and daughter days of lunch and shopping. So many wonderful memories...it is still where I want to go whenever we head to Salt Lake City.

The Lion House Bakery has several cook books and the recipes in them are superb!

They are famous for their home made rolls...believe me, they are divine!

Today, I made Banana Bread using their recipe...it always turns out perfect!
I'll share it here with you.

" Lion House Banana Bread "

Cream together:
1/2 cup margarine and 1 cup sugar
Add:
2 eggs, then add
1 cup (3) mashed bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
Then add:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Bake in a well-greased 8x4x3-inch
loaf pan for 1 hour at 350*
Makes 1 loaf

I think this needs to be eaten with that home made
ice cream don't you? (see my recipe for that 2 posts back!)

I made this again today too and I also made another flavor...
Strawberry-Mango-Peach
It turned out to be a beautiful peachy-pink color
and it tastes SO good!

I hope you will try this recipe for banana bread and go make
some of this
super easy delicious ice cream to go with it!


If you ever get to Salt Lake City...go try The Lion House...
and in the same block are two more awesome places I love to eat at...
the restaurants at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the food is so
good and the views all over the city are stunning, especially at night!

And while there go visit Temple Square, right across the street...it is so beautiful
and has more visitors than just about anything in the country. It is home of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Let me know if you make these recipes...some have already tried
the ice cream recipe, and they said it turned out great for them as well!

A BIT OF OUR NET WORTH LADIES....

" A Woman's Job Description and Net Worth From A t Z "

Accountant.............................$44,000.00

Baker......................................$36,000.00

Coach......................................$46,000.00

Dressmaker............................$14,000.00

Electrician..............................$36,000.00

Financial Advisor..................$72,000.00

Grief Counselor.....................$42,000.00

Health Care............................$63,000.00

Interior Dec............................$38,000.00

Judge.......................................$53,000.00

Kitchen Mang.........................$38,000.00

Lender.....................................$42,000.00

Mediator..................................$73,000.00

Nutritionist..............................$43,000.00

Office Clerk..............................$24,000.00

Psychiatrist..............................$84,000.00

Quarter Master.......................$18,000.00

Restauranteur.........................$65,000.00

Supervisor..............................$43,000.00

Taxi Driver.............................$22,000.00

Underwriter...........................$45,000.00

Victims Rights Avc..................$33,000.00

Waiter......................................$72,000.00

Expert Teacher.........................$44,000.00

Yard Maintenance....................$34,000.00

Zoo Keeper..................................$34,000.00

Total Pay for 1 Year..................$1,158,000.00

The grand total of what a woman could be paid for all

That she does for her children and significant other and
everyone else along the way,
I'd say that we are priceless for sure!

(salary amounts from www.indeed.com)

So, if you think it's a man's world out there, you haven't been paying attention.
Every day we are surrounded by women who inspire us with their kindness,
wit, and courage. They are our sisters, our Mothers, our best friends and
co-workers whether at home or in the job force...and sometimes even
strangers that end up to be blog friends. They make us laugh, let us cry, push us forward,
and watch our backs.
Some inspire a whole country, as well as their families, and some become
our closest friends.

No matter who she is, each woman brings a special touch that no other person has.
Her impact on others is nothing short of a miracle. Women are wise, funny, and
loving. In a tough world she is tender. In a big world she is fearless. In
ever-changing world, she is a constant friend...and women like that make all the
difference in the world!

You are each so wonderful...I am in awe of your talents
and am thankful for your friendship!

YOU ARE INVITED TO MY ICE CREAM SOCIAL....

~President Thomas S. Monson~

The president of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)
has said that we as Mormons, can learn much from other faiths.

He said; "If you feel we have cornered the market on piety, think again.
We have a lot to learn from others."

I think that was also what Jesus did when he shared the parable of the Good Samaritan
with the Jews. He deliberately picked someone...a Samaritan who wasn't a member of the
group. He wanted to show that Godly actions are not the property of ONE race or
religion. A person's behavior shows them to be compassionate and faithful...not the
label they wear.

And I am sure, for his listeners. hearing a Jew describe the holiness of a Samaritan sounded strange indeed. But then, none of the good people in the parables of Jesus...those who love
and share, who show patience and caring...were officially Christians, at least not in name.
Christianity was just being born. The people Jesus singled out in his stories for their holiness
had likely never even heard of him. Yet they were Christian because of their actions.

What matters is how we live our lives.
If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.....
among any religion...we seek this out to learn from.

Yes, bring what you have and maybe we can add something as well.
Perhaps this was one of the messages of the parable of
the Good Samaritan...to open our hearts to each other and share the Saviors goodness.

It sounds a little like all of us here in Blogland...
sharing what we have and are... with each other.

Now, like many times after my church's gatherings....it's time for refreshments!

~~~~~~~~


~ Lets have some homemade ice cream...WOO HOO~

This is so good and so easy!
It doesn't require a complicated recipe or a ice cream making machine.
It uses frozen berries and the flavor is so amazing!

"Lazy Days Ice Cream"

You will need:

24 oz. frozen strawberries, sliced (about 5 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

If your frozen strawberries are whole, let them set out on
a tray until just soft enough to slice. (about 20 minutes)

In a blender, combine berries and sugar, stopping to stir
several times, until berries are finely chopped.

Slowly add cream while blending, stopping to stir, until thick.

Pour mixture into a shallow pan (15x10x2")
and freeze for an hour or until scoopable.

For later use, you can freeze solid, then remove from freezer
and let mixture sit for about 15 minutes, until scoopable.

Store in freezer for up to one month in an airtight container.

Prep time: 15 minutes.....Makes: 1 quart

*For red, white, and blue Summer theme, garnish with fresh
blueberries and serve on white dinnerware.

This is so good! Such good strawberry taste.

So easy and it has no unwanted stuff in it like

some of the commercial ice cream does.


I hope everyone will have a great week...I love you all and so
appreciate all you add to my life...My sweet sisters!

Go see...WOO HOO WEDNESDAY at
http://www.alwaysnesting.blogspot.com