Thankfulness 09

Austin showed of his dives amd his muscles at the rec center for the family.
Sometimes the 7 grandchildren did NOT get along and share toys, but this was one time they did!
Sam lifted the barbells we used for our Christmas picture.
The kids all got to paint at the children's museum.
Hunter enjoyed the tastey plastic vegetables at the Denver Children's museum.
Lily loved putting groceries in and out of this little kid shopping cart.
Cont 'em. Seven beautiful grand children!
Hunter wins the award for beautiful chub. O the glory of having all the kids and grandkids in the house (except Don who is in Afganistan) We went out to eat, we played games, we played walleyball and soccer and swam at the rec center, took our Christmas px, sat in the hot tub, went shopping at the Mall, the girls saw New Moon, they guys played racquetball and Desent.

I had to speak during 5th Sunday combined meeting about inviting people into our home as a way of fellowshipping.
I told about how great is to be married to Mark. Even though I work from 9 to 9 and have no free time between 3 sections of psychology, preferred care at home and counseling. Even though I'm awful at entertaining. Mark didn't even know what a salad plate was and told me to take back the dishes when i tried to buy them. I was putting grout in the bathroom and gave a recipe to Mark for Sausage rustica and he had the missionaries chopping and sauteing away. When we sat down to eat, I said "I think you men forgot the sausage." Sure enough, it was all browned in a bowl on the counter. They had been too distracted with their Risk game. Nevertheless. Mark is spectatular about inviting those who've just joined the church, have yet to join the church of just need loving an fellowshipping to dinner. I have learned to have a big dinner planned for Sunday. i hea learned that it doesnt' matter if they are old enough to be our parents or young enough to be our kids.

A Snowy Sunday

Church was cancelled this week because of 12" of snow. I listened to conference talks and put this grout in the bathroom.
We had Clora and the Elders from the basement or dinner. They decided that purple was the right color and we took these px.

When it snows here, all heck breaks loose for me.....

A beautiful Colorado sunrise from our back deck.
This is the bathroom remodel in progress. I used to think a big dump of snow in Colorado was an exciting thing.....they let school out, no one can work......you make hot chocolate and laze around in your bunny slippers and a good book.
Ha! That was until I bought this home care franchise. The snow started Wednesday and snowed and snowed. It was still falling by Thursday night. I couldn't get out. All Thursday and Friday we shoveled. All my counseling clients canceled (no money coming in) and the calls came in one after another from Preferred Care at Home
"I can't make it to work, My car is buried under 24" of snow"
"I can't make it to work, I wrecked my car sliding on ice"
"I can't get to the client, the road hasn't been cleared out to her house."
"I can't make it to work, school is canceled and I have no one to watch my kids"
This left poor elderly people with no one to cook for them, keep them from falling and breaking bones, no one to shovel their walks.
I spent all day on the phone trying to find replacements, calming angry family members.

But, Finally on Friday afternoon the sun came out! The snow is melting and the roads are clear. And, best of all, Dad is paying for the bathroom to be remodeled. One of the Elders who was just released and an 18 year old in the ward demolished the old and took pieces to the dump. New free-standing vanities, new oil-rubbed bronze and new travertine. Dad, Rick Roedel and I worked on the tile all day yesterday. Here's the px.
The snow is melting....melting.....melting, just like our splatted witch on the post

The Elders are like little boys sometimes. Here is what they did to my pumpkin. It's throwing up pumpkin guts.