What is Love ?

I knew a man who spoke of love with the
fondness of familiarity in his eyes
The sparkle that told you,
He really had known such a thing.
It make a coy smile spread across his weathered face
like sunshine spreading across the
morning grass and expunging all traces of the nights storm.

He spoke of the softness of love
and how in moments of grief too great for a mortal heart
to hold out against, love, like a comforter on a winter's evening,
would chase away all traces of sorrow.
Leaving you content to find them replaced
with warm thoughts of friends and family.
Faces now gone, but never forgotten.

He spoke of the compassion of love.
Tender feelings so intense that nothing but the best for others
motivates you to do good.
Feelings of empathy so complete
that you experience their joy and sadness.

He spoke of the sorrow of love.
How your heart breaks when
those whom you love turn away from you.
When nothing you say or do will bring them back
because of the hardness of your words
and of their hearts.
When prayer and time and Love are your only Hope.

He spoke of the strength of love,
and how it holds you up when you feel certain that you can not endure.
Strength that flows through you like electricity,
energizing the very fibers of your being,
giving you what you never knew you had, to face life's trials

He spoke of the Joy of love,
that fills you with an anticipation that is so real,
you feel the energy of their presence long before they become visible.
That just having them near makes you feel completely content.

He spoke if his love for me
and I could not wonder at his words.
A captive of his strength and forever the beneficiary of his joy,
I had learned of the capability compassion had to change a hardened heart.
I know that his joy and mine were intertwined.
The ring of gold and cherished promise spoken years ago
had long since made me his for eternity.

And the Beat Goes ON...

Several years ago in a city far far away.
In another life almost, Benny was a drummer in a Band.
He loved it. He is a very good drummer in fact.
But sadly drums and babies do not mix and he gave it up when we got married because he knew that someday children would come into our lives.
Moving ahead several decades,
I was down at the music store and Jim says hey wanna see my latest cool find. We descended into the bowels of the music store and there they were. A great set of drums! returned by a Mother who I guess didn't realize that they were loud. "AND BOY ARE THEY LOUD" she said when bringing then back. So I counted my pennies and found a nickel or two and brought the drums home to my favorite drummer. He has patiently played them in the garage and in the corner, even outside on the patio
( neighbors were not happy about that at all )
or disassembled them and put them away for several years while other things were more important.

BUT NO MORE !! The are happily residing in his MAN CAVE !
Serving out their purpose in life getting beat to near death.
But Look at that face !
And the beat goes on....

The Gray Days

The day started out cold and gray and dreary.
The kind of day where you need socks and a sweater and something hot to drink.
Where you wish there was snow falling down
for at least that would leave you with a sense of wonder and beauty.
No, it was just gray and dull and dreary.
A suggestion, spoken in longing on another gray day is recalled and you smile to yourself.
Yes that is the answer.
That would be just the thing to lift the dull and bring in the color and the joy
and fill everything with warmth.
SO off I go to grind the wheat and mix the yeast with all things good and warm.
Sugar and spice and everything oh so nice and only just a pinch... not too much.
Then comes the waiting and the waiting and then the rolling and spreading and the waiting and the baking and then ... OH SO GOOD!
How can there be anything better than hot Cinnamon rolls on such a day as this.


Eat well.

Fall.

This is My neighbors Tree.

It lives outside my office window. It is beautiful and vibrant this time of year and it got me to thinking about my own life as my joyous day approaches.

Spring comes in with such promise of what is to come Yellow and Pink pop out of the ground as the earth warms up. The sky turns blue and things start to smell alive and growth begins.
Of course there is rain and mud and muck and all that comes with new growth.
There is mess and hope. Joy and work.
But there is also beauty in the day if you look beyond the trial of the moment.

Then comes Summer. Joy and beauty everywhere. The Sun shines for days on end and everyone plays. There is great food and even better nights. The fragrance of summer is herbs and flowers, pink is the color, warm is the weather. Cut grass and slightly over-chlorinated pool water.
Hands and Hearts are sticky with love and smores.
Summer is LONG and Soft and Lazy and busy and wet and dry and everything you want in life.

Fall is the gentleness that reminds us that we are mortal and will be going home soon.
It is alive and vibrant yet somehow slowing down and beginning to show wear.
It is almost passionate about it's place in your heart.
Yellow bursting into flaming red then slowing, to turn into brown.
It is a time of joy and thankfulness and foods that warm our souls and implant themselves deep into the recess of our memory. It is a hint of cool that says "THAT Time" is almost here are you ready ? Then silently falling into dark it slips away and you wake up and fall is gone.

Winter is " That Time " when youth gives way to the cold of age. But not yet ! One more snowball one more party. Lights and Song and Oh such lovely memories of family. But still the cold bears down on everything and you know that only the strongest will survive to greet you in the spring. Winter.
That place we all know is coming, yet wish for just one more day of summer.

Fall is that one more day.
Enjoy each fall day

I love This tree outside my office window.

Who Doesn't love a beautiful Bride.

This week, My little Sister was married in My parents backyard.
She was beautiful and the groom was handsome.
Several of our family were there and we got some great shots of all the kids playing and being kids.
I am reminded once again that our families are so important to us and
we should do all we can to hold them close to our hearts
and to gather often to mingle our lives and hearts forever.
Enjoy a few of the shots from our great week.

Dylan enjoying a quiet breakfast before the chaos begins.


My sister Amy and Larkin with Grandma one Morning



Dylan and GreatGrandpa mowing the lawn for the big party


Derek helping Grandma make the Cream Puffs



The Fabulous cake that Amy's Hubby Scot made, just waiting for the finishing touches

The Boys of Summer !

We had the boys over for a few days this summer, and BOY did we have a blast.
Ewan, Isaac and Dylan coming out the Door and Isaac, Dylan and Gary sitting on the step, singing Twinkle Twinkle.









We found Sonya's old slip and slide and that was almost as big a hit as the pools.





Ewan and Isaac love the Fast Water.
And BIG Thank you! to some great Photographers for our great water shots, Sejena and Kelly !









Dylan was A little shy of the slide part but loved the water none the less.








Even Gary found a pool he could call his own.












And not to be outdone,
We had some very brave Moms doing the SlipNSlide












Sonya and Kelly Being Brave !





And Some Moms ( Sejena ) spent all day
Taking the pictures. Holding the baby and cheering for everyone So we all felt like winners.








But what would a summer get together be with out Pappa at the BBQHe did us up right with all the stuff he can grill on that BBQ TOO
Thanks to all his kids for the wonderful Fathers day present that we will enjoy all year and for many years to come.

Hollyhocks and Eternal Lessons

Summer is here and with it the full bloom of my Nauvoo Hollyhocks. I was so disappointed last year when all they did was come up and never bloomed. My parents were serving in The Nauvoo temple at the time and mom sent me the seeds she had harvested from a cleaning day in the gardens there. I planted them with a great anticipation and then nothing. Well the Lord says we must be a patient people. Because they did not flower I thought I had lost my seeds as well. NO Flower NO seeds. But this spring they came back and started to grow. I almost pulled them out as they did nothing last year but held off to see if perhaps they were one of those plants that just takes a season or too. ( kind of like me sometimes I take a season or too to learn sometimes.)
This is what they look like today. I am so glad that I did not pull them out. I think that is how we must appear to the Lord sometimes. He plants in us the good that we can become and then he has to wait HOW MANY SEASONS ??? for me it has been ever so many more than 20 to figure out what we are and to " Bloom " in to that great person he sent to earth. If only we could see the picture on the seed packet so we could know what we are suposed to bloom into. :D Enjoy the flowers, summer is here.