Christmas at our house

I love Christmas at our house. I love how it looks, how it smells (a little like cinnamon - they are my favorite candles), I love the baking and the cookies and the cards and the memories! I love my nativities. I love the music. I love how I feel when I'm sitting in a dimmed room with just the Christmas lights on. I was working on my talk for Stake Conference last night, and I turned down all the 'regular' lights and curled up with my computer and the ambiance of the Christmas lights. Here's a tiny peak at some of our Christmas things.

Some of the greenery, lights and decorations that grace our railings.

The Advent Santa is something I made years ago. It's such a fun way to count down the days 'till Christmas.

Here's a close-up of the fireplace screen Don and I made. I saw this at a friend's house last year and asked permission to copy it. We took a picture, we blew it up, created our own pattern, cut the wood and painted away. I love it!

Our fireplace with the mantle garland, the holiday blocks and the new Christmas screen that Don and I made this year.

Dusty

The cat is getting eccentric in her old age. Mind you - there is a full dish of cat food on the floor. Tonight she decided to jump up on the chair and eat straight from the bag.


I guess it's better if you have to work for it!

Was it Bambi?

November in Missouri means deer hunting at our house. Don and friends left early this morning and got home about 7:30 tonight.

This smaller buck will have to do because of course, the big one got away! We're all looking forward to some good summer sausage! I cleaned out the freezer today to make room for the venison.

Together is our favorite place to be!

I love these people so much! When Millie, Amanda and Dustin came to visit, we enjoyed some of the simple things that have become part of our family traditions. Truly - "Together is our favorite place to be."


We went to Adam-ondi Ahman, Jamesport, Far West, Liberty Jail, Cool Crest, Baskin Robbins and our dining room table where we ate nummy food and played games. Dustin was introduced to Whack a Mole and of course we played a little Mormon Bridge. I don't know what it's really called, but that's the name we learned it by. Good times, great memories!

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

I've starting baking, cooking, and in general playing with my food a bit more and it is so relaxing to me! I made these bon bons for a Relief Society activity. Unfortunately, when I am playing with my food, other things on my 'to do' list take a back seat! Oh well, there's always tomorrow!

Halloween Cookies

I told Don a couple of weeks ago that I was going to 'simplify' my life and start focusing on the things that were really important to me and say 'no' more often. My Women's Conference presentation was behind me, Stake Auxiliary Training was behind me, I'm finishing up one more major school activity then I'm done with those until January - so I was feeling pretty good about things. Then - I was asked to chair the committee to plan the Ward Christmas party (that's what happens when you complain about the quality of the activity for a couple of years!). Then the Bishop asked if I would speak in Sacrament Mtg. on Sunday. Then Don came home from High Council and tells me that they want me to speak in the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference. So I figured - 'what the heck' - simplicity obviously isn't in my future. So I baked!


Here are the cookies all laid out on baking sheets. I love mass production because you don't have to rethink every cookie!

Packaged and ready to share with my friends and co-workers.

My kitchen is clean again - (kind of) - must be time for another project!

Keep Your Chin Up!

For most of us - it means - don't let yourself get too down, these times will pass soon. Keep your chin up so you can see the good that is before you and recognize your many blessings. For me, it literally means: "Keep your chin up so that when you hit the ground your face is protected." That is the thought I had last night as I tripped going outside to get the cat (darn cat!). I did save my face - but my feet, ankles, knees, hip, hands and shoulders are aching today! It made me remember the day when I was walking to my Aunt June's house after school and tripped on the street. That time I landed on a rock that imbedded itself in my palm. Last night, gratefully, I only skinned my knee! I'm lucky! It's a lot further to the ground than it used to be!

Who Am I?

After our RS activity this last weekend - and my birthday - I've determined that I am BOTH 'witch and bootiful'! I am rich because I have been blessed with an amazing family and fantastic friends, (I was so spoiled for my birthday). I live in a country where we enjoy many freedoms. I have an eternal identity and promises because of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is such an integral part of my life. I have been blessed with talents and abilities - many of which I am just beginning to realize and/or appreciate. I have a husband who adores me and children who honor me. I now have the blessing of a son in the family and we love him as one of our own. I have good health, that would be better if I took better care of myself - and that is part of my new life plan. ....And I am 'bootiful' because I am a daughter of God. He knows me. He loves me - even with all of my imperfections and struggles. He strengthens me to continue to move forward and progress. His love motivates me to be better.

Another card!

Another card I can't take credit for! I'm hoping for some free time this weekend to sit in my family and work on projects....scrapbook pages, cards, etc. I need a little creative me time after all the pulls of the world this week. I'm looking forward to a great weekend and hope you are too!

I didn't do it!...

...the card I mean! I can't claim this card - but I saw it and really liked it - so it's here so I can share with you and also remember how to make one similar to it when I have the time! And really - what happened to having time to scrapbook and make cards? I think this working full-time business isn't all it's cracked up to be! But really, I can't complain....my job is pretty low-key and I have a lot of flexibility. I do have a scrapbook layout on my table that's been there since the middle of July! Someone asked me if I would start a scrapbook club - I'm thinking about it - maybe it would get me going.

Mockingjay

I wasn't sure about the Hunger Games series. Book one hooked me. Book two was a little harder - but still a good read. Don and I read them on our way to and from Utah. And now Mockingjay.....I recommend. Even though I am working full-time, I read it in two days.

VACATION

One of our first nights on vacation, we had a family gathering at Myrna & Steve's place. Porter provided lots of entertainment with his football stretches, his scrutinizing of a blade of grass when he was trying to ignore us and spiking the ball over the zip line!

This is one of the views from our camp ground. It was so amazingly peaceful and wonderful. I love Tony's Grove.

Making the hike to White Pine meant there were lots of times to stop and rest in the shade. We didn't get started until afternoon and it got hot.

I think these boys could have made the entire hike without stopping running! They were amazing!

This is looking down at Tony Grove lake after we had been hiking for a while.

This is White Pine. I didn't actually make it down to the lake. As I stood at the top and looked down, considered the number of switchbacks, and what that would all mean coming back up - I knew my legs were shot and I wouldn't make it. So I stayed at the top and enjoyed someone else's photo of the destination!

Millie took her mountain bike on the hike. She didn't go down to White Pine - but came back to be with me. And yes - I did a little mountainbiking.....very little. It wasn't long before the mountain and the bike won out.

And this is what happens when you lose to a mountain! I had a serious bruise from my fall! And it was truly a fall that should never have happened. I think I was being overly cautious.

Resting back at camp after the hike. Notice the icepack on my leg!

We also had a day at Bear Lake. We rented a boat, a water weinie, and had a great time.

Some stayed on the beach all day - some played in the water. It was a beautiful day at Bear Lake!

Amanda and Dustin's garden. We stopped to see it on our way to look for deer out past Clarkston.

At the 'Famous Preston Night Rodeo"!

A beautiful sunrise somewhere between Kemmerer and Little America as we headed back to Missouri after a wonderful 2 1/2 weeks. Can't wait to go again.

Tim McGraw and Girls Night

It was girl's night out and we went to SLC to see Love & Theft, Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw. It was a fun concert - except for the drunk guy - but most of all it was just fun to be with 'the girls'!

Friends - Very Old Friends!

We celebrated 35 years since the class of '75 graduated from Grace High. It was great to see old friends.

We were able to visit with Jim and Dana Sorenson whom we knew in our married student ward at USU. Dana and I served in the RS presidency together. It's been many years since we've seen one another but it was like it hadn't been but just a few months. I love these two!

Sometimes it's Overwhelming...

...Life that is. Vacation was amazing...pictures will come later. It was so hard to come back. We loved spending time with our family, being in the mountains, spending time at Bear Lake, familiy reunions, class reunions....oh - and did I mention the mountains and the smell of pine, and camp fires!

Came back and jumped right into work. School has been hot - no AC in our buildings. I've come home sick a couple of different days. Getting ready for a stake RS activity and looking down the road to Auxiliary Training. We're already thinking about Christmas and wondering where we'll be spending it this year. With family - but here or there we don't know yet.

Visitors

Nathan, Tiffany and kids stopped by for a couple of nights on their way to Indiana. We had such a good time playing with the kids and staying up way too late to talk! We went to a friend's home for the 4th and had our own fireworks display. So fun!

The boys slept on the floor in sleeping bags - Emma decided she needed a little bit of this fun!

Logan, Emma, Dallin and Porter

Don's new buddy - Port, Port!

Happy Birthday Dad

If my dad were still alive - he would be 98 today. Millie has had me digging through genealogy as of late, and my heart and thoughts have been on family a lot: Turning the hearts of the children to their fathers......

Rex D. Bassett was born 6 July 1912. We weren't extremely close when I was growing up. Dad wasn't a warm, fuzzy type of guy - but even with the problems he had in his life - he was always very supportive of me and the things that I wanted to accomplish. He was my dad - I love him - and I miss his deep brown eyes and that 'look' that he would give us from across the room. Happy Birthday dad!


My dad loved horses and growing up we always had a horse in the corral. When they weren't ours, we boarded them for neighbors. Dad was a member of the Caribou County Sheriff's Posse.

Dad and his siblings. They were a close bunch. Lucille, Lenore, Bernice, Rex, Homer, Pauline.

College Days

I've been redoing my old college scrapbooks. It's fun to look back and remember good times and good friends that all helped to shape my life 'way back when'! I used the Close To My Heart paper pack Twitterpated and the 'Thumbnails' layout from the CTMH Imagine scrapbooking layout book.

Bedrooms Redone

Millie's room - new paint, new bedspread. Still need to get the decorative pillow done, but the fabric I will use is laying on the sham! Made the valance and the chair cover from fabric I already had!




Amanda's room - newly painted and decorated.