Wordless Wednesday - HAPPY!

Quote for the Week - The sheer JOY of grandparenting!

The idea that no one is perfect is a view most commonly held by people with no grandchildren. ~ Doug Larson

Cash loves to throw rocks in the stream by our home.

His collection of sticks and pine cones.

He loves to watch the water in the stream and

he loves to play in the water!

Grandpa takes a long lunch whenever Cash is around!

My sweet neighbor shares her swing set and Cash really loves the slide.

He went down the slide a gazillion times so I finally told him just one more time... he held up his finger and jabbered something that I know meant one more time Grandma!

It's true, we think Cash is perfect... Tim and I are so enchanted with Cash, we love all the wonderful things he says and does!

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Eve 1988

Quotes for the Week - Optimism

"History is filled with terrible times but, in the past, those tragedies were isolated, provincial events. Now everyone sees everything. 

This is not to say that, in such a setting as ours, ignorance is bless. Rather, let us be intelligent about these, our times. The appropriate attitude for the future is one of informed optimism, the future is filled with promise..."
~ Gerry Avant

 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 

~ Isaiah 41:10

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it does not pay be get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."

~ Lucille Ball

Wordless Wednesday - Favorite picture of Mark & Tiff

Quote for the Week - Hotel on the Corner...

"But choosing to lovingly care for her was like steering a plane into a mountain as gently as possible. The crash is imminent; it's how you spend your time on the way down that counts.”

"I love her. Henry paused at the thought. He didn't even know what that was, or what it meant, but he felt it, burning in his chest--feeling fuzzy inside. Nothing else seemed to matter. Not the somber crowd of camp workers drifting to the barbed-wire gate. Not the machine guns in the towers above.

Henry began to wave, then lowered his hand slowly as the words, "I love you" rolled off his tongue. She was too far away to hear it, or maybe he didn't make a sound, but she knew, and her mouth echoed the same statement as her hand touched her heart and pointed at Henry. He simply smiled and nodded, turning back to the gate."

~ Jamie Ford, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Wonderful book, beautiful story. I loved every page and didn't want it to end. Another favorite, thanks for the recommendation Robyn!!

Wordless Wednesday - Cash's Choo-Choo

Cash's Chair

My mother-in-law Johnnie Belle gave us this chair when we still lived in Cheyenne. My sister-in-law Terri used it, so it's about 45 years old. It was light blue when we got it. I re-finished it with a tan stain.

Christopher and Mark both used the chair for several years.

Tim and I re-finished it again using milk-paint... Tim did most of the work but I did sand it and get all ready for him to paint. 

One of the Windsor chairs Tim has made and my personal favorite

Tim makes Windsor chairs and they are traditionally finished with milk-paint. Milk-paint is an all-natural product consisting mainly of milk, lime and earth pigments. The look and texture are a little crude; the colors are genuine. I love the way the finish looks. It's quit a process to use milk-paint. Tim applied several coats of paint, then he rubs the paint off appropriate corners and edges, creating the impression of wear through long use. The first coat of paint can be a different color than the top coat, adding to the effect. Linseed oil competes the finish.

I think it turned out really nice. In our throw-away society, I'm thankful to have a few family heirlooms.

I really love this chair and am so happy that my grandson Cash will be using it. 

However, I'm a little sad he's graduating from his highchair to a toddler chair. 

Cash was so full after eating a bunch of fresh blueberries and raspberries. He LOVES berries!  

I think he wants to unbutton his pants!

Quotes for the Week - Teachers

“The calling of the gospel teacher is one of the noblest in the world. The good teacher can make all the difference in inspiring boys and girls and men and women to change their lives and fulfill their highest destiny. ~ Harold B. Lee

 
A few months ago Tim and I were asked to team teach a Sunday School class at our church. It's an unusually large group of boys and girls. They are 8th graders, most of them are 13 years old. There were sixteen in the class when we started and we are now up to eighteen. We can barely fit them all in the classroom, it's quit a group. Tim does most of the teaching and he's very good at it. They are good kids but boy do they have a lot of energy! They have some interesting comments, for example: Tim will often remind them that they don't have to perfect in this life, but always striving to do their best. One of the boys in our class always replies with, "I am perfect." The girls refuse to sit by the boys and vise versa. It's difficult to maintain control, you get half the class reverent and the other half is going crazy. Despite the challenges we are enjoying this opportunity and have learned to love these amazing kids. We know that it's really a sacred opportunity and hopefully something we say will help them make good choices.

Alexis ~ (visitor) ~ Wendy ~ Jenelle ~ Arianna ~ Jessica ~ Megan ~ Emilee ~ Tori ~ Nicole ~ not pictured Michael

Grant ~ Jackson ~ Beau ~ Tyler ~ John ~ Matthew ~ Spencer ~ Luke

We have a set of quadruplets, 2 boys and 2 girls and a set of twins, a boy and girl in the class.

"If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; but if we work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with principles and the just fear of God and love of our fellowman, we engrave upon those tablets something that will brighten through all eternity." ~ Daniel Webster

Wordless Wednesday - Nice Nap!