Flashback Friday

In Honor of my Papa's birthday (which was yesterday) I thought I would post these for Flashback Friday...



This is me with my grandpa apparently sharing a marshmellow or something.


Watching baseball with Papa.


(Not sure when it was taken but it is a favorite)


At my babyshower for Kira - papa sat down to hang with Mikey and Mikey talked and cooed at him about 20 minutes (at least!)

My Papa is one of my favorite people. He is so quiet and unassuming but if you sit down with him for just a while he will entertain you for hours. He's now into his
80s and is in great shape, works on the yard, takes care of the house still and takes care of my Grandma too who has not been in the best of health this past year.
There are many stories (or anecdotes) about my Papa that always makes me smile I'll share a few:
- I lived with them for almos 10 years before Jacob and I got married and every morning, without fail he would check mine and my grandma's car before we left for work. Would hose it down if it was frosty, would check the tires once a week. When I had my vw golf he would top of the oil every morning....I took so much of it for granted and didn't realize all the work it took until I moved out and had to do it myself.

- When I first brought Jacob home to meet my grandparents, it was around Christmas time. I brought him home after church, it was evening so my grandpa was at his table listening to old music and playing solitare. Instead of coming to hang out with me, Jacob sat at talked to my grandpa for hours... they even discovered they knew a mutual acqauntance! (I love his about Jacob, and I guess this is a story about him as much as it is about my Papa but if you knew how quiet he (my papa) is it is an amazing feat and my Papa has loved Jacob ever since and even let Jacob fix a peeling Paint job on his most beloved truck)

- My Papa gives the best hugs ever!

- The best place to sit at a family party is next to my grandmpa (which is where Jacob and I usually end up) he is hilarious but you have to listen for the jokes...

- My Papa, and most of the other men in my family love their familes so much sometimes they don't know how to show it and so we end up with the bear hugs and a "You too" or an "OK" when you tell them you love them... but they will drop their whole lives for you if you say that you need help.

- Happy Birthday Papa - We love you and wish you a year full of love and laughter!

Double Flashback Friday

just posted my Monday's Mantra yesterday so please take a second and read that too while you're here.

While looking thourgh some pictures to choose what I wanted my Flashback Friday to be about I came across this picture...



It made me smile...for alot of reasons. So I went through the pictures of our wedding and the closest thing I could find is a yet unseen by anyone but me and Jacob picture...

I have never shared this picture before because it looks like the spire is coming out of my head and my teeth look funny but my point for posting both flashback pictures are these:

- I love the Los Angeles Temple, it's where my parent's got married in 1977 and where Jacob and I married 27 years later.

- I'm thankful for the examples set by so many of my family about how important marriage is - even when it's hard it can be rewarding - see link here -



and ps... while watching 90210 the other night (sshhh... don't tell people I watch that!) they panned over the Los Angeles temple at night with the Angel Moroni on top and I was just so excited!!!

Monday's Mantra - late!

Well.. this is alot later than I had planned but I really want to keep this up so my thought for the week (or at least 4 or 5 days) is, again from Mary Ellen Edmunds who said... "I believe we can be contented and still be striving and working to improve and progress - to become more God like and Christ like."

I really like this idea because it really speaks to President Hinkley's quote to "Be a little better." It's a little each hour/ each day. The Lord doesn't expect us to be perfect but I believe he expects us to try a little harder everyday. And it's different for everyone - for me it's maybe be a little more patient with Jacob or Kira Patience has never been a virtue of mine). For someone else it may be something else but everyday - happy/contented or not - we can all try to be a better mother, daughter, sister, friend, church teacher, cub scout leader etc....

'til next week - Be a little better!

Nothing to Report

January has been pretty slow... there might be some good pictures coming around later today. We are taking Kira to a bounce house party so hopefully we'll get something good.
Kira has been growing like a weed and is in the process of cutting some new teeth so needless to say Kira and I don't get a full nights sleep which in turn makes us both grumpy. Not a great combination for Jacob.
We have gone to the park a couple times a week and instead of enjoying the slides, Kira spends most of her time "Doing the stairs" as I like to call it. UP the stairs, then Down the stairs, then back UP the stairs... you get the picture. Anyway, I thought I would post a couple of pictures we have for the month...

Kira- enjoying her stuffed shells


She really likes the camera - she know how to toggle between the pictures already. she scratched her eye falling down the hill at the park.... couldn't see it the next day at all... oh to have baby skin!


So I wanted to see what would happen if I put Kira's hair up in pig-tails..... this is what I got... this is the back shot...

This is the front... party in the back... business in the front!
'Til next time!

Flashback Friday

Here is a picture taken in South Africa of the 4 of us Winfrey kids....
My mom make the pajamas that Hanni, Brett and Scott are wearing but I was of course too cool for "baby" pajamas and wore this old sweater thing that I don't even know where it came from......I'm guessing this picture was taken in the summer as we were all tan..... how I wish I could tan now!



I really need to get a-scanning..... so I have more pictures to choose from.
Happy Friday everyone.

Monday's Mantra

I'm not all hip in the world of blogging but I thought to go along with my word of the year I would study this topic and post some thoughts or just a quote to help me concentrate on my word of the year.... so I was reading one of my favorite authors... Mary Ellen Edmunds. Her You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don't Need and one of the statements she made about Contentment is "There can be no contentment where there is no gratitude."

That really struck me. I feel like I am really grateful for what I have been given. I may not have what other people do like a big fancy house and a fancy new car every two years but I do feel lucky to have a bigger apartment then we used to have. A healthy growing daughter and a loving husband who works so hard for us. I'm thankful for the church in my life that has taught me why I'm here and where I'm going. I'm thankful for wonderful family and great friends... I don't have many friends but the ones I do mean the world to me. Just feeling gratitude brings a peace to me and helps me to feel content with what I have... there could always be more things to have but I really don't think that having a bigger house or a newer car would make me anymore happy than I already am.

Would love to hear more about your word of the year!

Flashback Friday

I'm going to jump on the Blog Bandwagon and do Flashback Fridays (when I can remember)
Let's see....



This is Annette and me at Redondo Beach circa 2000 (old enough right)where we spent the day rollerblading with our friend Bev. I think we eneded up playing parcesee (sp?) that afternoon too!
How fun!

Christmas Pictures

A little late but here are some Christmas pictures of Kira. We had a good time in California but we are glad that Christmas is still 12 months away.
Kira had a good time playing with her cousins and just hanging out....

Meeting Santa, she wasn't at all sure about the big red dude...


Opening presents... next year she'll be able to do it by herself!


"For the last Mom... I'm pretty enough without the bow on my head!...Geez!"

And at the Anderson house...

Organized chaos


Rinny looks mad!.... I guess if all I got was a hanger... I would be mad too!!


Oh... Princess Stuff!


Kira and Corinne hanging on the big girl couch.


"Ok, you take the envelopes, I'll take what's inside"



Sshhh... don't let the big girls see!