Family is Everything

Cameron, Tammy, Mom, Jocelyn, Brock, & Julia Renee

My Baby Sister & Me

Jocelyn is visiting from Massachusetts for 3 weeks!

She is pregnant with her 2nd baby & I hope she has a girl.

We have been having a great time & Julia loves to play with Brock. On Friday night we went to a wedding reception for Denver & Bree. It was beautiful & so much fun. I had such a great time visiting with all my Aunts, Uncles & cousins on the Andersen side.

I had been looking forward to this event because my family

is everything to me. Thank you for all the hugs!

Reminder : Be Careful

Last night Julia & I attended a Musical Fireside. It was excellent!
I was reminded to live in the moment & to be careful.
These are the lyrics to my favorite song of the evening.

Children Will Listen
How do you say to your child in the night
Nothing is all black but then nothing is all white?
How do you say it will all be alright
When you know that it might not be true? What do you do?
Careful the things you say, children will listen.
Careful the things you do, children will see & learn.
Children may not obey, but children will listen.
Children will look to u for which way to turn, to learn what to be.
Careful before you say, listen to me. Children will listen.
Careful the wish you make, wishes are children.
Careful the path they take, wishes come true, not free.
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children.
The spell may last past what you can see & turn against you...
Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell. Children will listen...
How can you say to a child who's in flight,
Don't slip away & I won't hold so tight?
What can you say that no matter how slight
Won't be misunderstood?
What do you leave to your child when you're dead
Only what ever you put in its head
Things that your mother & father had said
Which were left to them too.
Careful what you say, children will listen
Careful you do it too, children will see & learn.
Oh! Guide them but step away, children will glisten.
Temper with what is true & children will turn, if just to be free.
Careful before you say, listen to me. Children will listen!

I Choose to be Happy!

"Joy has nothing to do with material things, or with man's outward circumstance...A man living in the lap of luxury can be wretched, & a man in the depths of poverty can overflow with joy."
William Barclay

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel -- not a destination."
Roy M. Goodman

Why? What? Where?

Why is 6 afraid of 7?
Because 789!

Today I am lucky enough to bring my little princess with

me to work. Julia is checking out fun shows on youtube.com.

I am running a job on the color copier

that may take me the rest of the day.

Today @ 12:34:56 it will be 123456789!

This only happens once every thousand years!

How fun...I l♥ve numbers!

I've never...

• been alone
• been on a mission
• been on a cruise ship
• been to Disney World
• been short for my age
• been depressed
• been to a HS reunion
• bought a lottery ticket
• bounced a check
• changed my own oil
• done my own taxes
• drank Coke or Pepsi
• liked convertibles
• lost my sanity
• made noodles from scratch
• met a RB float that I didn't like
• owned a pair of pink shoes
• said "yes" to drugs
• slept under the stars
• so optimistic as I am now
• understood why some parents are so cruel when it comes to naming their children. If your last name is Pitts, why would you name your 1st son Harry. If your last name is Brown, why would you name your child Charlie?
• watched or read Harry Potter
• loved Julia more than I do today
• seen beaches more beautiful than the ones in Maui

Jive Concert 2009

Julia loved dancing to the song 'Route 66' using her own scooter. She was excited to perform at each of the 5 showings, & looks forward to doing it again next year! Julia was grateful to have friends & family at each of her performances. I was lucky to
sit front & center at 2 of the shows so Julia could see me,
she said I was grinning from ear to ear...imagine that.
Julia is a strong, smart, beautiful girl, & I admire her confidence.
♥ I wanted to cry, I was so proud of her. ♥

Julia & her dance instructor, Ricki, after the 5th & final show.
It was 9:30 on Saturday night, & they looked like they could easily go one more round. WOW! Julia adores Ricki, & as you can see the feeling is mutual. Ricki is 16 years old, positive & full of energy.
I love Ricki because she believes in Julia & makes her feel special. These girls are beautiful in so many ways.

Thank you Udo for the beautiful flowers & taking great pictures.

Lindsay & Julia. They may be 2 years apart, but Julia considers Lindsay one of her best friends. Last year Julia planned her birthday party around Lindsay's busy schedule.
A party, is just not a party without Lindsay.

Lindsay danced to the song 'Freeze Frame". She was the star

of their dance, she has a smile that never quits. Great Job!

Motivational Monday

Sometimes I am not able to accomplish as much as I would like to, & that is okay. I really wanted some personal time last weekend, but Julia needed me, so I chose to spend my time with her.
It was so worth while. When I apply patience, I have peace.
When I am patient I have all the time in the world to spend with my child. Today I am motivated to learn to be more patient everyday. I love the message of this poem.

If I had my child to raise over again,

I'd finger paint more & point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting & more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, & watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less & know to care more.

I'd take more hikes & fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, & seriously play.

I'd run through more fields & gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often, & affirm much more.

I'd build self-esteem first, & the house later.

I'd teach less about the love of power,

& more about the power of love.

---Diane Loomans

The Lunceford Children

This is my sweet niece, Baby Ashlin,

with her handsome Big brothers, Jaxson & Caidyn.

Thank you Matt & Britani for the adorable pictures.

I wonder…

Julia picked out these shoes herself a few months ago. I tried to talk her out of them because it was hard to imagine my little Princess wearing skater shoes like her Uncle Mark! Julia is 9 years old & wears a size 8. I wonder if she will wear a size 11 by the time she is 11 years old? Could she be that lucky? My shoe size is 11 & it has been since I was 11. I have told her that we could share shoes & she thinks that is just gross. What do you think?

Name Analysis

♥ I am Experiencing an Attitude of Gratitude!

~

Attitude Adjustments ♥ Books & Blogs ♥ Cuddles

Dreams ♥ Education ♥ Friends ♥ Grandpa Rene

Health ♥ Ice cream ♥ Julia

♥ Karilyn...grateful to be me! ♥

Love ♥ My Mother ♥ Neat Home

Opportunities to repent & begin again, & again

Patience. I don't have much of it,

so that is why I am thankful for "O"

Quiet Time ♥ Rest & relaxation ♥ Salmon

Timing. Things happen for a reason, & it is all in Heavenly Father's hands. ♥ Udo & the USA ♥ Vegetables

Washington D.C. Temple

Xtra Hugs & Kisses ♥ Years of Great Memories

Zillions of Blessings !

Thankful For TiVo

♥♥♥ General Conference was a feast of spiritual proportions. ♥♥♥ It was a privilege to hear what the Lord would say if he were here. I know that the messages of general conference can change my life if I am willing to follow the counsel I hear. This is the first time I have recorded all 4 sessions, thanks to TiVo. I am glad that I don't have to wait for the Ensign to read the parts that I missed, or the talks that I loved, I can watch it whenever I want! During the next 6 months I will refer to it often because of the truth & direction it gives me. I enjoyed playing bingo, because it kept me awake. These are some of my favorite quotes that were uplifting to me.

♥ "Fear not & be of good cheer. Our future is as bright as our faith." Pres. Thomas S. Monson

♥ "The Lord will shape your back to fit the burden."
Neil Anderson about his wife. "For most of my life, I've been trying to become what she thought I already was!"

♥ "You are never lost when you can see the temple." Gary E. Stevenson's young son

♥ "As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us."
Gary E. Stevenson

♥ "You have the power to shoes [choose]." José A. Teixeira

♥ "God never gives you more than you can handle." ♥
I have thought a lot about this saying lately.
I believe it is true, but sometimes God

does give us more than we can handle.

When I realize that I am unable to handle things

in my life, that is when I turn to Him for help.

He wants us to turn to Him for help

& not to walk alone.

When we turn to the Lord with all our ♥s,

He will help us to carry our burden.

With God, all things are possible.

I need Him as my partner.

♥

1 Nephi 3:7

"I will go & do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth

no commandments unto the children of men,

save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

♥

I am grateful for ...

♥ All the blessings God Has Given me.

♥ Trials in my life that have pushed me to do more.

♥ A loving mother & a compassionate daughter.

♥ My friends that support & encourage me.

♥ The people in my life that express their gratitude instead of singing their woes.

The Baby has Arrived!

Ashlin Nicole was born @ 8:30 this morning.

She weighs 7lbs. 7oz. 181/2" long.

Dark hair & chubby cheeks.

Britani is feeling great .

Give Green a Chance

I can't help it!

I can't help but smile when I see these adorable pictures. Babies are the best!

Nail in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails & told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the # of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it & the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.The days passed & the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand & led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the Holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man & draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. " A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile & encourage you to succeed.They lend an ear, they share words of praise & they always want to open their ♥s to us."
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole in your ♥.

♥ From Me to You ♥

The first 5 people to respond to this post
will receive something fun, from me Just for you.
Of course there are some restrictions & limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done sometime in 2009.
4. You have no clue what it will be... it may be a batch of homemade caramels, fun stickers, or poetry. Who knows?
5. I reserve the right to choose. The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must leave me a lovely comment. Doesn't this sound fun? Can't wait to see who responds!

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥
I hope you all enjoy your long weekend, I know I will.

Security

One of the greatest human needs is a sense of security.

In all aspects of life, we naturally gravitate towards anything that makes us feel safe. When we put ourselves trustingly in His arms we do not have to fear or worry. Little children have that inherent kind of trust in their parents.

My Child

An intimate, up-close-&-personal feeling of the Savior's love.

The only thing that could compare (even remotely) to Christ's compassion for us is the love of a parent for her child.

This image is also intended to put things in perspective. Above all, we are God's children first. He allows us the privilege of experiencing parenthood for ourselves & we are entrusted to be the mothers & fathers of His children here on earth.

Innocence
The Savior tells us we need to become as little children to inherit the kingdom of God. Children are innocent with clean slates, seeing the world & others through untarnished eyes. Their hearts are pure, without the baggage of cynicism & self-doubt. I've tried to imagine how a child would act upon meeting the Master for the first time. Without reservation or inhibition, I think he would simply want to play with Him. He would be at complete ease, allowing his pure little heart to soak in the love & laughter of His pure, infinite heart. Its no wonder Christ delights in these little ones & sets them up to be our examples.

For more precious art go Here !

Give your l♥ve away there's someone needing you.
Give your l♥ve away reach out in all you do.
For you have his l♥ve, it's sent from above.
GIVE YOUR L♥VE AWAY!
Thank you Julie for helping me today,
I think you are amazing, so organized! I love you.

♥Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

♥Don't compare your life to others'.

You have no idea what their journey is.

Advice

Love is an act of endless forgiveness.
♥Forgive everyone for everything.

Andrea has some great pieces of advice on her blog,

& I really wanted them on mine too!

Thank you so much Andrea!

♥Life isn't fair, but it is good.

I believe the best is yet to come.

♥ Happy Birthday Mom ♥

I wish you the very best today, you have earned it!

Thank you for l♥ving me & enriching my life. I have heard that

the first 100 years are the hardest, but you make it look easy. Yesterday Julia said, "Grandma is the best sewer girl I know,

she makes it look so simple. She can crochet without even looking at what she is doing!" You are so great at everything you do.

We l♥ve you.
Julia also said the best artist she knows is Julie Young,
& the most l♥veable girl is me. My daughter is so kind.

♥Loveable Quotes♥

♥Love one another & you will be happy.
It's as simple & as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig
♥Whether or not you choose to keep your covenant to always remember Him, He always remembers you.-Henry B Eyring
♥Work will win when wishy washy wishing won't.
~Thomas S. Monson
♥If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old.
You will just keep growing. ~Gail Sheehy
♥Friendships multiply joys & divide griefs. ~Thomas Fuller
♥Be one who nurtures & builds. Be one who has an understanding & a forgiving heart, who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them. ~Marvin J Ashton
♥Happiness is the by-product of an effort
to make someone else happy.
♥To live will be an awfully big adventure. ~Peter Pan
♥Forgiving those who hurt us is the key to personal peace.
~G. Weatherly
♥To the world you may be one person,
but to one person you may be the world.
♥It is better to keep your mouth shut & appear stupid
than to open it & remove all doubt. ~Mark Twain
♥Even if you're on the right track,
you'll get run over if you just sit there. ~Will Rogers
♥We gain strength, & courage, & confidence by each experience
in which we really stop to look fear in the face...
we must do that which we think we cannot. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
♥No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
~Eleanor Roosevelt
♥Good timber does not grow with ease.
The stronger the wind the stronger the trees.~Willard Marriott
♥I find that the harder I work,
the more luck I seem to have.~Thomas Jefferson
♥Whether you believe you can, or whether you believe you can't, you're absolutely right. ~Henry Ford (1863-1947)
♥Well done is better than well said. ~Benjamin Franklin
♥I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. ~Abraham Lincoln
♥I have so much to do today that I shall spend
the first three hours in prayer.~Martin Luther
♥There are two lasting bequests we can give our children.
One is roots. The other is wings.~Hodding Carter Jr.
♥A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth
has a chance to get its pants on.~Sir Winston Churchill
♥To laugh often & much, to win the respect of intelligent people & the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics & endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
♥May the Lord be as welcome in your world, as you are in His.
♥If we feel a distance between us & the Lord;
remember, it's not the Lord who has moved.
♥It's easy to say no when you know what your yes's are.
♥Instead of grumbling about what you don’t have,
be grateful you don't get what you deserve.
♥Words that soak into the ears are whispered, not yelled.
♥Blessed are those who give without remembering,
& receive without forgetting.
♥Don't cry because it's over.Smile because it happened. -Dr. Seuss
♥Those who do not find time for excercise
will have to find time for illness.~Earl of Derby
♥Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey♥
♥If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava,
let'em go, because man, they're gone.
♥I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar,
because then, Yahoo!, I'd have all my money back!

Have you ever?
Have you ever done anything on this list? If you feel like it, join the fun and highlight the things that you've done on your own list.

1. Started your own blog (Thank you Andrea)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given generously to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Lived in Italy
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had chickenpoxs
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Sat in a jury(called but not chosen)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Ran a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Had a baby girl
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Seen Grease in a theater(once in Italy when I was little & again in California in 1997)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Had you own business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Bought girl scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching with your child
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (no, thank you)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter with your child
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Book of Mormon
86. Visited the White House
89. Saved someone's life
90. Lost a loved one
91. Own a Blackberry
92. Been stung by a bee

Virtue is Gold

"Now is the time for a return to virtue!"

I am excited to hear that the value of virtue has been added

to the Young Women theme. "Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It encompasses chastity and moral purity. I believe one virtuous young woman led by the Spirit can change the world."

♥ Beauty ♥

Audrey Hepburn l♥ved this poem. I do too.
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored,renewed, revived, reclaimed, & redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,

you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands;

one for helping yourself, & the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,

the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows,

& the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

-Sam Levenson