Memorial Day was Memorable

Memorial Day. (Yes Allison it does qualify as camping even if it is in your back yard because we set up a tent and we sleep outside.) Elle and I had a wonderful time sleeping outside after we were able to throw a tarp over our broken tent door so the rain wasn’t pelting us as the wind drove it inside our tent. We got to listen to the rain fall on the tent all night long and it was very soothing. Also it was just the right temperature because the rain cooled down our 95 degree weather to be just right. We had great conversation and snuggled all night long. I definitely plan to do that again this summer.

Today was a great golf day with Scott. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

I am grateful for memories made with Elle and Scott!

I was trying to crawl into the tent without pulling the tarp off and my body barely fit through!

Cute Elle waiting for her mom to tie on the tarp.  She thought it was very funny that I was getting soaking wet while she was nice and dry inside the tent.

Good times with Elle.

Elle and I LOVE TO SNUGGLE!

Pine Island Golf Course was very pretty.

Scott is pondering whether his shot was any good...it wasn't.

Don't you love my score! I always score a smilely face.

This is what it looks like when Scott loses his balls (golf balls that is) lots of looking in weeds before we give up on it but sometimes we are lucky and find the ball.

Camping we will go!

Sunday.   Memorial day tomorrow and so Elle and I decided we wanted to go camping.  Great idea~ right?  YES!!  Right after we got it all set up it started to down pour!  But we are toughing it out after all we are girls!  While Emma and Scott sleep in the nice dry house Elle and I will be having loads of fun out in nature (the rain). 

I am grateful for a very adventurous daughter Elle!  (now I must go because my camping partner is out in the rain and I must join her!!)

Saturday is a Special Day, its the day we get things done day!

5 days and counting!

I love Saturdays when I actually accomplish things!  I got up early to attend to some Relief Society  assignments and when I got home at 10:30 Scott had gone golfing and the girls were still in bed.  They got a very nice wakeup call from their mom.  I left to go do some grocery shopping (what a mad house Wal-Mart was) I also got some things that Emma needs for her travels to Europe (that just seems weird that we are about 3 weeks away from her departure).  I also bought an American Flag to fly on special occassions like Memorial Day Weekend and Flag Day and 9/11 and Vetrans Day I am very excited to display my flag.  I also cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed and dusted the living rooms, dusted and vacuumed my bedroom (even behind my bed and dresser, (I told Scott I only do that once every three years so not to bug me about it now for a while) I cleaned my bathroom, swept the front porch, mopped the entry way, helped Scott move some beds and mattresses from the downstairs to the garage and made dinner for the missionaries!!!!  Whew I am just tired writing about it!!!  But I love to get things done!!!

I am grateful for this beautiful day!  It is perfect.

Count down has begun!

6 days and counting!  That is how long until Tanner comes home for 6 weeks this summer!!  I am getting really excited to see that smile and have my official co-parent back in the house with me.

I am grateful for Friday night Chocolate Frostys from Wendy's. 

200 blogs!

Since I started my blog I have blogged 200 times most of those blogs come from 2010! I think I have missed two days this year, once when Emma needed to finish an assignment and I didn’t think I should kick her off the computer and the other time I was in Chicago (and of course the day I had a guest blogger, so that makes 3 times). As we come to the end of May and begin the second half of this year with June I just want to re-examine where I am with my goals that I set at the beginning of January.


1. Blogging everyday ~ pretty good. Not 100% but pretty darn close. I am sure some of my followers (Scott, Katie, Allison and Tanner) get very bored with my writings as Tanner commented when I had my guest blogger “that it was the best blog of the year”. But my purpose in blogging is to have a journal like feel when my kids and hopefully their kids want to look back at the life of ME when I was 40 and see what it was like to be a mother and wife back in the day! I will be sure to share this blog with Elle’s kids when they are wondering what kind of teenager their mom was!

2. Scripture study everyday~ pretty good. I believe I have 100%!! I am so proud of myself. I love reading the scriptures and I didn’t always feel this way. I have found more peace and comfort in reading the scriptures daily than any other activity. My testimony has been strengthened and I have started to keep a journal in a notebook about my feelings and promptings I receive while reading the scriptures this has helped me be more in tune to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

3. Praying everyday ~ improving. I didn’t do well with this goal to begin with. But one day in Feb. I believe I thought to myself that each day is a new day and I can start new with my effort to pray daily. I have since improved greatly. I think what I struggle with the most is when I do begin to pray I often find my mind wondering and not focusing on what I am praying about. I don’t like to say the same things over and over again but often when I am on my knees I get drowsy or just plain lose my train of thought and so I feel my prayers are not very meaningful sometimes. I need to find a way to stay awake, and focus when I pray, so I can feel I am getting something meaningful from them, and that Heavenly Father is getting something meaningful from them too! I will need to work on this in the next few months.

4. Service everyday ~ pretty good. Some days I try to think outside my own little world and serve others that I wouldn’t necessarily serve. But I think every single day I give service in my home. I say a kind word or do an extra kind deed for my husband or children. Most days I serve in some kind of capacity in my ward because of the nature of my calling at this time. I find joy in serving and so this is not a hard goal for me to meet. I think I can probably do a better job at doing random acts of service for people I do not know. This is where I will put more effort in June.

This year I have worked hard on reaching my goals. I still have another seven full months to go before this year’s end. I will continue to strive each day to work on becoming a better person by praying, reading my scriptures, and serving others…oh and let’s not forget BLOGGING!

I am grateful for Elle who helped me with my grammar today!

American Idol

And the winner is....it was a great American Idol season, wasn't it?  Lots of fun and hanging out with friends this year as most weeks my girls and I went to Ann's to watch the drama unfold.  Some weeks there were 6-8 people there and some weeks only 2 but every week it was a great time with Ann.  Now this has all come to an end.  Ann we need to find a new show to replace our weekly night so we can still hang out and and have a good time.

I am grateful for friends.

today is a good day

Lets see what to write about today?  My kids are being really good today so I can't write about how hard it is to be a mom.  Scott is still the best husband in the world so I can't whine about my life as a wife.  I am happy and content and life is wonderful today is a good day.

I am grateful for EVERYTHING!

It is my fault...again

Once again it is all my fault. I never give 2nd chances. And I actually enjoy being mean.....

Who do you think made those comments to me today?  Is it :
1. Oreo
2. Superman or
3. Elle

This weekend I asked Elle to clean her room and actually gave her many 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances to do it but she told me she would do it when she would do it.  So today when I get a text about Elle bringing a friend home from school of course I did what any mom in her right mind would do...I told her no that she didn't get her room cleaned this weekend and when she got her room cleaned we would talk about friends coming over.

When will Elle understand that it actually is all in her control.  I really am a nice mom, just ask um, I am not sure what Tanner and Emma would say?  Tanner do you think it is all my fault?  Emma do you think I am mean?...I don't think so either.

I am grateful for motherhood and all the poeople skills I learn while being mean!

GUEST BLOGGER TODAY!!!

Sorry, it's not Oprah, Glenn Beck, or Rachel Ray subbing for Krystine today. It just happens to be the guy who did not sneak out to the Girl's Camp leaders overnighter. Why do I have this distinguished privilege? I am still wondering. However, I should use this opportunity to rectify some past omissions. I will not though.


This blog has been both a closely, guarded "secret keeper" and a testing ground for Paris Hilton-esque adjectives. Who am I kidding? There are no secrets. Any down deep ones have been exposed here. And adjectives? It's the same eight words over and over. Not that I am complaining. I am just saying.

What I will do is write a little about today's activity for Emma's People to People program. Today was the big BBQ for all students and their families held at Dartts Park in Owatonna. Humidity and standing over a charcoal grill did not damper the event at all. In fact, I am very much impressed by the project boards the students completed discussing where they are to travel next month. Very well done. Makes me want to go to the UK, France, Monaco, and Italy. 3 weeks abroad, sounds fun. I am just saying.

I learned one new thing about my wife this weekend. She is a Yankees fan. I had no idea. They are my least favorite team. I am just saying.

Ps - the guy without a shirt at the park doing flips off the top of the jungle gyms was very impressive if not egotistical. He liked the attention from all 3 of the girls in my house.

Camping is one of my favorite activities

My campout was very enjoyable.  I learned many things...like how to orienteer and how to build a lean-to shelter and how to build fires (there are 3 different kinds in case you didn't know) and how to make campfire pizza! The only bad part was sleeping in the car because it was very uncomfortable.  I don't want to do that again any time soon. 

As we end another week I wanted to share some pictures.

The meadow right next to our campsite full of purple flowers

Sweeping the floor

Elle's pupils were dialated at her eye apt.  They look beautiful.

My cute Elle is looking cute!

I am grateful for the beauty of the earth.

Homeless for the night

I will be sleeping in my car tonight.  I don't want to sleep in my car.  I would actually rather be snuggled up in bed next to Scott.  But instead of having a nice comfy bed I will be sleeping in an uncomfortable car.  I am going on a camp out with the stake young women leaders and I am suppose to bring a tent to sleep in but my tent has a broken zipper so instead of sleeping in a tent that doesn't keep out bugs I will be sleeping in my car.  I told Scott he should sneek into the campground and come pay me a visit tonight!!  We will see if Scott is chicken or not.

I spent the day with Valeri and we made bread.  Artisian bread to be exact.  It turned out wonderful and now I am going to make bread every single day for the rest of my life!  I probably will gain some weight if I eat all the bread I make so maybe I won't make it everyday just some days.

I am grateful for learning new skills.

Just a few minutes...

My few minutes is like an hour. Elle just told me that. She wants to use the computer to print out some homework and I told her she could do it after I was done blogging. She might have a point…my few minutes sometimes do turn into an hour(s) but I think it actually is interesting that she is just asking me about homework at 10:02 pm on a Thursday night. Does that make me a bad mom?...because I didn’t ask her what homework she had at 6pm? Oh yes that is right I did!!! And she told me “I don’t have homework mom” (those were her exact words). So I guess I am not a bad mom after all. Now my few minutes are up so everyone have a good night or good day depending on when you read this.

I am grateful for the opportunity to home school next year and then I won’t have to ask “do you have any homework?” because I will be the one assigning the work…I should now if they have finished an assignment or not!

Best Friends

Emma told me tonight that she is pretty sure if we were the same age in high school

we would be best friends.  It is wonderful to be her mom. 

I love both my girls.  I am grateful for them. They teach me many things including how to love.

3 things to do every day

I am watching The Office right now and once again it is making me laugh.  I try to laugh everyday.  I was told that there are 3 things you should do every day.  1. laugh.  2.  exercise.  3. have sex.  By doing those three things it releases endorphins in your brain that help you not be depressed.  If you are able to do all three it is very healthy for you.  Try to at least do 2 of the 3 and at the least do just one of them or you will get really depressed.  I know I always try to for all three!

I am grateful you all appreciate my sense of humor.

Follow The Prophets...be patient

Monday...this day was good and bad. I worked out early this morning and organized a party for Emma's people-to-people bon voyage as well as planned out an emergency phone tree calling list for her trip with all the families on it. After that was accomplished, I had a nice little nap when I dreamt that I had a baby boy that I found in the street I named him Kaydon. Scott decided to let me keep him because people (I think they were the mob) were trying to kill him. I had to hide him so no one would kill him. It was very strange. After I woke up I spent some time doing my Presidents job for the Greer Corp. like organizing bills, making phone calls and stuff like that. This part of my day was nice. Now to when it all started to go downhill. I have a daughter her name is Elle and she is a teenage girl. Do I really need to say more?? Some of you out there don't have teenagers yet so I will just warn you that some days are going to be very, very long and hard. Within 1 minute of picking my sweet teenage daughter up from school she started to argue with me. Now if you know me very well you know I am not the arguing type of person it really takes a lot to get me to the point of being angry. Within 5 minutes of my wonderful time with Elle she was grounded for the day. Oh well by the time I get it right with Elle I won't have any kids left to raise...that is unless Scott lets me keep any babies I find on the street.

I am grateful to learn patience as a parent. Thank goodness I read the Patience Talk by Pres. Uchtdorf from General Conference called Continue in Patience this morning while working out otherwise instead of being grounded Elle would actually be dead! She should be grateful I follow the Prophets!!

Life is Good

What a relaxing nice Sunday.  I don't have much to say today except life is good.  I am looking forward to having Tanner home soon and the girls out of school.  What a great summer it will be.  I can't wait to see family in Utah and just enjoy the lazy days of summer with the kids and all the golf Scott will take me on.  I have a very blessed life.

I am grateful for the songs of the birds.  Scott and I took a nature walk today and it was so peaceful to hear the birds singing the whole time.

Saturday

Saturday is a special day...it's the day we get ready for Sundays...and spend good times with family and friends!  I love all the people who make my life wonderful and I am so grateful for the people who enrich my life.  I worked out with Scott this morning (we are both continuing to lose wieght and I am so proud of Scott and myself for our total commitment to get healthy).  I even got myself a ball to work on while I am at home writing my blog and other things.  I am sitting on it right now!  It helps build your core.  I went to a wedding shower of someone in my ward with one of my favorite people Ann!  Then I got to sit in the garage with Scott and watch people in the neighborhood.  I love to be a front porch sitter and since we don't have a front porch the garage is the next best thing.  Then on to the evening...out to dinner with the Bumans which is always a great time!!  We took them to our new favorite resturant Kababs.  I find their kids soooooo entertaining.  After dinner Scott and I had a date at Wal-Mart doing some grocery shopping (thats where I got my ball!) Now it is almost time to lay my head down to sleep.  It was a good day.

My ball, I think I will name HIM Baulie

I am grateful for Allison she makes me laugh about her crazy she is my sister and there is nothing better then sisters!

Lunch Date Extraordinaire!

Best lunch date ever!

Oh My Gosh...such thick juicy cuts of meat!

Yes indeed. Best Gyro in Town! Scott and I highly recommend Kababs (Not Kabobs, as I spelled it last night much to Scott enjoyment), The lamb was the most juicy and moist lamb I have ever had in a gyro. The price was right and the atmosphere was superb especially if you want to sit in a white glove clean restarunt! Besides great food my companion was excellent.  I love him.

We also recommend the humus...yum, yum, yum!

P.S. (finally a blue sky in Rochester!)

Loved the hummus!

I am grateful for Katie (she is tired of hearing how grateful I am for Scott) I love my sister!

(Allison it is your turn tomorrow!)

Best In Town

Thursday means tomorrow is Friday!  I have a lunch date with Scott tomorrow.  I am very excited to go to Kabob's to  have the "best gyro in town".  I see their sign in their window every day when I drive down town and have wanted to go into their resturant every day to see if they really have the best gryos in town.  No more will I have to wonder...I will let all of you know whether or not Kabob's has the best gryos in town for  tomorrows blog.

I am grateful for a husband that will take me out on a lunch date!

Crazy Day for Elle!

Another cold spring day in Minnesota. I am looking forward to this weekend because it is suppose to be beautiful and sunny. Scott wants to take our first golfing trip on Saturday and I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday then with Scott golfing (he thinks he is going to get the girls to join us…good luck with that!)
I have a few pictures to share of mother’s day and Elle’s band concert yesterday. She never told me that if I wanted to get a seat (not even a good seat we are talking just ANY seat) we would have to get there 3 hours early….it was packed and there were no seats to sit in and we were 20 minutes early.
Also it was crazy hair day at school for Elle!! I love crazy hair days. I am going to miss them when we home school. I guess we can have crazy hair day any time we want next year! Maybe we will do that once a week.

I am grateful for rain because it turns everything green!

Mother's Day with my two favorite girls!

Scott making me dinner.

Best picture I could get of Elle at the concert...oh well she was awesome!

I have way to much fun making Elle's hair crazy!

back view of crazy hair...it matches crazy Elle!

Motivation is having to go to a school function

I am having a non motivating day.  I felt like staying in bed all day long but alas my motherhood calling was calling  and my Relief Society duties were screaming my name and so I had little options except to drag my butt out of bed and face my life.  I realized that I would need to shower and get dressed around 5 pm when Elle reminded me that tonight is her end of the year band concert (yippee) it never made it to my calendar.  I was hoping this could be a nonshower day as I was doing only what I had to do to get by today.  I was able to go grocery shopping in my sweats and drive someone in my ward around helping them look for a new apartment in piggy tails but I fear if I go to a school concert in sweats with out makeup on and piggy tails that Elle would be mortified.  So now it is almost 7pm and I look beautiful...just in time to take it all off in two hours just to crawl back in bed and end the day just as I was hoping I could have spent the last 12 hours.  Oh well at least it began and will end with my bed!

I am grateful for things that make me get showerd and dressed during the day...otherwise I am afraid I would become a hermit.

Monday and a headache already!

Day after Mothers Day blog....I am already in the dumps with Elle because I won't let her go to the school dance this Friday.  (We, meaning Scott and I, don't allow our kids to go to dances until they are 14, every family does it differently and apparently we are really, really, really different according to Elle)  I told her I would consider letting her go if she considered letting me chaperon it.  She flew into a fit and told me "what is the point of going to a dance if your mother is there?"  I guess I just have to take the brunt of her temper for the rest of the week...it is going to be one long week! 
On the other hand Tanner informed us last night that he got 3 scholarships for his summer term and fall semester this coming up July and Sept!!  Woot, Woot!!  I am so happy for him and proud of him.  He will also be returning home this June to stay with us for about 6 weeks before returning to school until Christmas.  After that he will be going on a 2 year mission for the church.  This will be my last "long" visit with him for a couple of years.  When he gets back it will be Emma's turn to leave the nest too...oh my gosh....two kids down and one to go!  I am sure the next couple of years will just fly by.  Just like the rest of my life actually.  I never thought the day would come when my kids would reach the milestones that they have reached and here they are growing up right in front of me.

I am grateful for headache medicine...I am going to go take some right now!

Mothers

I have 3 beautiful kids and one wonderful husband that have made my life as a mother a blessing.

What makes a mother?  Is a mother made?  Is a mother born?  Is a mother honest?  Is a mother happy?  Is a mother beautiful?  Is a mother patient?  Is a mother exhausted?  Is a mother depressed?  Is a mother creative?  Is a mother inspired?  Is a mother humble?  Is a mother forgiving?  Is a mother a mother to many other then her own?  Is a mother crazy?  Is a mother joyful?  Is a mother an example?  Is a mother onery?  Is a mother comforting?  Is a mother compassionate?  Is a mother stuborn?  Is a mother a fighter?  Is a mother a friend?  Is a mother kind?  Is a mother funny?  Is a mother annoying?  Is a mother allowed to make mistakes?  Is a mother perfect in almost every way?  Is a mother a teacher?  Is a mother a cheerleader?  Is a mother energetic?  Is a mother smart?  Is a mother careful?  Is a mother silly?  Is a mother a leader?  Is a mother full of charity?

 Is a mother a blessing from God?

I say YES.

I am grateful for my mom.

Thank you to all the moms in my life that have mothered me, and mother my kids.  I love you all.

Favorite Day of the Year!

My ALL TIME FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR IS JUST ONE NIGHT AWAY!  I love mother's day.  I love being a mom and I love when I can make my kids do anything without hearing them whine or complain one little bit!!  I ask them to do things like rub my feet and rub my shoulders and rub my back and rub my hands and talk nicely to each other and not argue or fight with one another and do the dishes without hearing a moan come out of their mouths and get ready for church on time with a good attitude and let me take a nap without any one saying a word about it and....anything!  I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and I love my mom too!  I wish I was with her so I could pamper her a little on this special day and tell her in person how much I love her and give her a big hug and kiss and rub her feet and rub her hands and rub her back and make her dinner and clean up and not argue about anything with her and have a good attitude all day long  and if she didn't want to go to church I wounldn't make her and take a nap with her (since she taught me how to do that anyways!) and I wouldn't complain about anything...really mom!  I love you xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxox

Mom and Daughters

Scott is home with another t-shirt for me!

Friday night outing.  Iron Man 2.  I hope I can stay awake for the whole movie because we are going to see the late showing with Elle.

Scott is home and couldn't believe how cold it was when he walked out of the airport...welcome to Minnesota weather.  I knew it was to good to be true this beautiful spring we have had.  I guess if we have just one weekend of cold snowy/rainy weather then we are doing pretty good. 

I am grateful Scott returned home safely and that he thought of me and brought me a t-shirt from Washington D.C. I love him!

The Race

Out to dinner with the girls.
                      It is always a race and then a shoving match to see who gets the front seat.

We went to the PI for dinner and I really liked it.  I miss Scott more then I liked my pizza.  He happens to be in DC until tomorrow. 

I went to the gyno today because my family dr didn't know how to diagnose a yeast infection so he sent me to a specialist that will now cost me $40 plus the prescription because I am "one of those unusual people that have unique yeast infections"   I knew I was special but this is really unexpected!

I am grateful for the amazingly clean bathroom that I used at Wal-mart tonight!

How was class today?

This is our only working computer right now.  That means that on occasion when Emma is actually doing homework she has first dibs on the computer.  That was the case last night when I got home from Ann's Idol night and wanted to blog, I couldn't because Emma was working hard (so she says and I hope) on an assignment that was due yesterday. 
I got an interesting email from Emma's speech teacher yesterday.  She didn't go to class yesterday (it is called sluffing were I come from).  Now I specifically asked Emma yesterday when I picked her up from school how her speech class went because I know she has been putting off doing this assignment for the last couple of days.  She casually told me it was fine.  But....come to find out she skipped the class.  Now I love Emma as you all know but this child of mine finds ways to challenge even me!!
I know we all make mistakes and that is okay because this is our trial time here on earth and there is no better place to learn from our mistakes but at home.  Heaven knows I was not a perfect teenager (very far from it!) I skipped classes all the time and when I skipped classes it wasn't to go to the library to work on an assignment, it was to leave campus and go drinking with my friends.  I just want my kids to be better then I was and make good choices that will lead them down the correct path in life.  I know that my kids are much better then I ever was at the same age and I admire them for standing strong when they have so many negative influences coming at them on a daily basis.  I hope after talking to Emma about the situation that she will not feel she has to lie to me in the future because really if you don't have trust in a person then you don't have anything.  Honesty and integrity are two very important traits that every person should strive to have.

I love Emma and I am grateful she is making these mistakes now while she lives with me when I can help teach and guide her.  After all my mistakes as a teenager my parents still accepted and loved me no matter what I did and I turned out okay and I know Emma will be even better then I am!

I am grateful for repentence and new fresh days to start all over.

My Top 10 Flaws List

I think we might have found a house that both Scott and I like.  I told Scott I needed him to act quickly on it because he is known to be a procrastinator and I didn't want to drag our (his) feet on this.  I think he took offense.  Now don't get me wrong.  I love Scott with all my heart and pretty much he is the perfect man.  I can't complain about much because it just doesn't get better then Scott but as we all know (people who live in the real world anyway) no one is perfect and this is definately Scott's one and only flaw. 
Now on the other hand I have a million flaws!  I can name off ten right now.
1.  I take naps almost every day.  Scott on the other hand is a very hard worker he actually works from 7am-6pm 5 days a week and then another 5 hours (at least) on the weekend.
2.   I am very competitive.  (Emma thinks that is a flaw).  On the other hand Scott is not very competitive he is only slightly competitive.
3.  I like things cleaned a certain way.  (Emma thinks I am controling about my cleaning habits and she thinks that is a flaw).  On the other hand Scott doesn't care how things get cleaned as long as they get cleaned.
4. I only will eat real home made whip cream or whip cream from a can (absolutely no cool whip!)  Scott can enjoy any desert with cool whip.
5.  When I am really, really tired I get really really onery.  Scott on the other hand just goes to bed and doesn't get onery at all.
6.  I hate to wear nylons with a passion especially in the winter and summer when it is really cold or hot.  Scott doesn't mind at all when I wear nylons infact he tries to help me out my rubbing my legs for me when I do have to wear them....(for you people out there that don't know when Scott rubs my legs with nylons it drives me crazy in a bad way)
7.  I always leave windows open in the house in the spring.  (This is not a problem unless you live in MN and during the day the temp is 65 but at night it drops down to 30 degrees then it becomes a huge flaw according to Scott)  Scott on the other hand likes to protect his children and wife from the freezing spring nights in Minnesota.
8.  I am not a dog, cat or gerbil lover, I especially don't like the dogs licking (or kissing) me.  Scott on the other hand loves to let Sandy kiss his lips and then is always so generous and kind and likes to share his kisses with me right afterwards.
9.  I am afraid to drive the car around when the empty gas light is on.  Scott on the other hand is so much braver then me...he loves to drive around on empty and has the courage to see just how far he can get on his empty tank!
10.  And finally my tenth flaw for today is....I am a BIG PROCRASTINATOR too. 

I am grateful for Scott he is such a great husband!!

Emma Kate Greer May 3, 1994

Today is a very special day. 16 years ago my Heavenly Father sent to me a sweet angel. Emma has been a blessing from my Heavenly Parents and I am so grateful that They entrusted me with Their beautiful spirit.

Emma has always been on the shy side to begin with but once she is comfortable with her surroundings she quickly becomes boss. Scott and I once were concerned because she seemed a little on the mean side but she has outgrown that trait and has a lot of compassion and charity in her heart and is actually a very giving person of her time and energy.

Emma loves her little sister and has grown to be a wonderful example to her little sis (usually, she is not perfect after all) and she still adores her big brother (and only thinks he is annoying some of the time now).

Emma is a very hard worker when she is motivated to accomplish a task or job and has developed a work ethic that is very strong. Emma has proven that she can do what she sets her mind to, as an example she has saved every last penny from her job that she works at every day after school so she can help pay her way for her Europe trip this summer.

Emma doesn’t like being around sickness and doesn’t want to marry a doctor because he will bring home all those germs. This started many years ago when she became very ill as a 5 year old and had to miss about a month of school and spent a week in the hospital. Although Emma doesn’t like being around sick people she has been thrown up on on a few occasions as she has babysat. Even though that was the hardest thing for Emma she stayed the course and took care of the kids and gave them much comfort until their mom’s could come relieve her.

Emma is almost ready to leave the nest and spread her wings as she explores the world around her. I will miss her dearly when this time comes…but for now I will feel blessed to have her with me for a couple more years and thank heaven for having such a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing daughter! I love you Emma!!!

Of course I am grateful for Emma.

Flowers from her co-workers.

The famous door poster card...Cheez-it, Chips and Cheese Cake 3 of her favorites!

Emma was treated to a ortho apt. today!!  Isn't she lucky?

Lots of junk today...started with doughnuts add some cookies then a big pannekoeken (danish pancakes kind of like german pancakes) for dinner and then we topped it off with Cheese Cake!  Oh I am feeling sick! 

Bye, bye...

Memories

Good Times with the Birthday GIRL!

I am grateful for my VBFFE Scott!  I enjoyed the Sunday afternoon ride with you today.

Enjoy all the pictures of our grand surprise! 

Emma loved it.

Oh...to be 16 again!

Well today was a wonderful day.  We had a special 16th birthday surprise for Emma (her big day is Monday).  We went to a concert ~Owl City~ it was interesting and great all at the same time.  We went out to lunch at a great place called Hell's Kitchen and then after that we went to the Mall of America.  I have great pictures to post tomorrow when I am not so tired and can write in detail about our day.  Just suffice to know it was great. 

I am grateful for two interesting, fun, intelligent and beautiful daughters and one super husband (it's gotta be hard to please 3 women all day long!)