Quote for the Week - The task ahead...

Beckham!

We finally got to meet and hold little Beckham!!

Tiffani and Lisa
mommy-to-be- and new mommy

Tiffani looks so comfortable holding Beckham! Notice Tiffani's little baby bump, exciting!

Beckham looks just like his Dad. Ellery should be home in a few days. Then there little family will be together and on their way to California.

Have a good summer Hayden and Lisa
Hurry Back!

Once upon a time ...

It is so fun to remember. In my quest to finish the Federer Book, I ran across these pictures. I am not including them in the book, but sometime I will use them to tell the story of my family.

I remember being soooo embarrassed by this picture. But now I think it's very cute. Yep, that's my little bare bum!

After four brothers, my sister Roseanne was so happy to get a baby sister!

My oldest brother Kenny and my sister Roseanne. My Mom still has these darling outfits, she showed them to me last summer.

Kenny ~ Lloyd ~ Eileen
Roseanne ~ Marion ~ Ernie

How my Mom got us all cleaned up and ready for church is a wonder to me!!

Christmas ~ 1962

Mom ~ Dad ~ Marion ~ Roseanne
Kenny ~ Les ~ Eileen ~ Ernie ~ Lloyd

Life out on the prairies of Cheyenne was good. I am grateful to my parents for the sacrifices they made.

Quote for the Week - How Great Thou Art

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

How Great Thou Art is one of my favorite hymns.The history of the hymn How Great Thou Art begins with Mr. Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940). He was a Swedish pastor, editor, and member of the Swedish parliament. Mr. Boberg was enjoying a nice walk when a thunderstorm suddenly appeared out of nowhere. A severe wind began to blow. After the storm was over, Mr. Boberg looked out over the clear bay. He then heard a church bell in the distance. And the words to How Great Thou Art begin to form in his heart -- O Lord, my God, When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands hath made. . . Can you imagine what Boberg felt as he formed these words? There was such calmness after the fierce storm he could only utter those words of peace.

Pink and Blue party!

Two very special reasons to celebrate!

We have all been praying for Lisa and are so grateful the babies are here. They are tiny but getting stronger everyday. So after rescheduling Lisa's shower, we were all so excited to have a party!

Thanks to Robyn's friend for giving Lisa a crib and to Tim for bringing it here from St. George. Pam made the bedding and I made the quilts. It looks darling and we both enjoyed getting it ready for Lisa and the babies. We hope they are sleeping in it real soon!

Decorating is so fun!

It was so fun to get together with family ~ Holley and Cheyenne, who will soon be a high school graduate and for sure we can't have a party without Kennan!

Johnnie Belle will have 7 great-grandchildren this year! We are so thankful she could come to the shower.

It was so great to have Dianna at the shower along with Terri, Tiffani, my beautiful daughter-in-law and Lisa's friend. I am so sad I don't have pictures of Brooke or Pam and me, dang!

Look at all the baby, babies loot!

Tiffani got Lisa these darling baby handprint kits.

You know I love to make blankies, I had to burn a little of the midnight oil to get these done!

Johnnie Belle was just tickled when she saw the pee pee tee-pee's that Paige made!

A big thanks to Pam and Holley for their help and double thanks to everyone for coming to the shower.

We can't wait to have a chance to hold Beckham and Ellery.

Tiferiffic's Party

Our little mommy-to-be turned 24 on April 3rd. Tiff's parents invited us to a celebration on Sunday. We enjoyed a very yummy dinner and then it was time to open gifts.

Tiffani saw the quilts I made for Beck and Elle and loved the soft Minky fabric. She said, "I would like a blanket like that" soooo I decided to whip one up for her with some scraps I had.

I love to sew and haven't had much time to make anything. It was fun to make this quilt for Tiff.

I think she likes it!

This is my favorite picture of Mark and Tiff! The look on their faces is adorable and I wonder what Tiffani was wishing for!

I asked Tiff what kind of cake she wanted and she requested lemon. I was happy to obliged. It was yummy if I say so myself!

Tiff's beautiful Mom Cindi with her nephew Gavin and niece Ayva.

Tiff has the cutest expressions, looks like she is enjoying her cake!

Thanks to Brad and Cindi for a fun evening.

Very pleasant surprise!

My niece Holley called Friday (April 2) to say she was on her way to Highland from St. George. I was happy I was home and so excited to see Holley and her darling family!

I love this girl ~ she is smart, pretty and a devoted wife and mother.

Her children are also smart, polite and creative. And they picked up the toys without being asked! Her hubby Enoch is the best, he and Holley are a perfect pair. They have been married about 10 years and they still act like newlyweds!

What a beautiful family!

The Johnson's
Holley, Enoch, Joseph, Izzy and David

Quote for the Week - Honoring the past

"It was all part of God's plan—the coming of Columbus, the colonization, wise men raised up to frame the Constitution, Joseph Smith prepared for his part in the restoration of the gospel, even the persecution which drove the Saints to the Rocky Mountains where the Church could continue to grow. "What does all this mean to you and me as individuals? It means that God, as our Father, made all these arrangements for you and me. We were part of his eternal scheme. And so it is not enough merely to observe these various anniversaries, but we must recommit and rededicate ourselves to uphold the convictions and the principles upon which the blessings we enjoy are predicated. We too must be prepared to sacrifice, where necessary, to keep our freedoms inviolate. My father used to say: 'The true way to honor the past is to improve upon it.' "

~ N. Eldon Tanner

Our Favorite DIL

To our favorite daughter-in-law

One of life's special gifts is to have a daughter-in-law like you. You're such an awesome person, so kind and sweet. You are an important part of our family. I know you will be a wonderful mother. I can't wait to see you holding your son or daughter (only 172 days to go). I love you and I hope you enjoy your day!

A taste of Denmark!

Since I have been serving at the temple, I have met some amazing women. I serve with about 60 angels on my shift each Tuesday. I love them all, however Kathel Howard is one of my favorites. She was born in Denmark and when I told her Mark served a mission there, we had an instant bond. She speaks Danish to me often and is so gentle and loving. She is now 80 years old and faithfully serves each week. She doesn't walk as fast as she used to and there are days when she doesn't feel well but she never complains. She has beautiful soft curls and a cute Danish accent that I love. Kathel and her two sisters became members of our church in high school and came to America after they graduated.

She called me on Wednesday and said she had a treat for Mark. Her sister and brother-in-law live in Denver where there is an authentic Danish bakery called Taste of Denmark. Whenever they come for a visit, the treats from the bakery come too! The so called "Danish" they sell in the stores here are impostors. They can't hold a candle to the ones we tasted in Denmark. I went to her home in Lindon to get the pastries.

Kathel's brother-in-law and sister
Kathel and her husband Ray

The man who owns the bakery in Denver is Ronny Tronoe. He was born in Roskilde, Denmark, about 20 miles west of Copenhagen. We stayed in Roskilde when we went to pick up Mark.

One Sunday when Ronny was a boy he passed by a bakery in Denmark. It was below zero outside and he had frozen toes. The baker asked him if I wanted to come in and warm up by the oven and put icing on some pastries. As fate would have, he started working at the bakery in his hometown, eventually becoming an apprentice for almost four years. He has been baking for over 25 years now. He said that the recipes are all in his head and some are over 200 years old.

Of course butter is an important ingredient in the pastries. He uses Lurpak butter, the best butter in the world. In an average week, he uses about 800 pounds of butter, 1,000 pounds of flour and 60 pounds of almond paste, a favorite Danish flavoring along with cardamom.

Mark was so happy to see real Danish pastries. I could see from the smile on his face that he was transported back to Denmark and the memories of his mission.

How sweet of Kathel to think of Mark. The pastries were delicious, the melt in your mouth kind!

When I went to pick up the pastries, Kathel showed me around her home. She has many beautiful dishes and plates from Denmark, and you know I love dishes.

Mange Tak, Kathel!!