Harry Potter fever

Well Cory and I went to Costco early on the 21st to get a copy of the new Harry Potter book. I don't know what I was afraid of they had hundreds of copies and I am sure they had more in the back. I was starting to get Cory's cold he brought back with him from AZ and had a party at our house that night so I didn't get a chance to read it until all our guests had left. I felt awful and couldn't even read...what a bummer! But I started feeling a bit better late on Sunday and finished the book Monday night. WOW! It was gripping, I won't say anything that might spoil the experience for other HP followers out there but let me just say...alot of things were answered. The girls want me to finish reading it to them but Cory has first dibs.
Cory has only 2 more final and then he is done for a whole month! We are excited about seeing him more...we have missed him these past few weeks. We have a ton of plans, people and places to go.
Chris and Tara are coming on the 4th and we are all excited about that! I will post some pics even if he hasn't cut his hair.
love ya
One L

The skyline

We took this picture when we took friends up to Mount Washington so they could take some picture for their Christmas cards. The Johnsons were moving back West after 4 years of school here in Pittsburgh, they wanted their Christmas card to have a picture of this "home" since it feels more like home than Washington state. They are gone to work on an Indian reservation far from friends and family. I guess after 4 years here in PA you know you can live anywhere...make new friends and all that you really need is you little eternal family and a phone...and the internet...and maybe money so you can afford to fly and visit friends and family often. The girls are getting so big, and I am so proud of the little ladies they have become.
Cory went to AZ for a very sad family funeral (his cousin Rodney Clark) and the girls and I had a weekend full of girl stuff. Cory had his fill of Mexican food and his tummy may never forgive him, and he had the chance to spend time with all seven of his brothers and sisters. It is hard to get all of them together for anything, they are all spread out over this country. Cory gets rejuvenated when he spends time with his siblings, he laughs more, he smiles all the time and he loves them all so much. He is so proud of the people they have grown up to be...and along with his parents they are the standard he sets for himself and the people he wants to emulate most. It is sad that it takes a funeral to get everyone together...but when the going gets tough this family is one unit...and there is such a comfort in this.
Hug your families.
One L

10 Things I Love about Pittsburgh

All my friends here in PA tell me I am such a downer re: living in Pittsburgh and I am trying to prove them wrong...I am going to come up with 10 things I love about this place and try hard to remember these and not focus on the negatives.
1. I love the cool nights in the summer.
2. I love the pizza here.
3. I love that the girls can play outside in the back yard 10 months of the year.
4. I love my neighbors...they are the kindest sweetest people.
5. I love my house.
6. I love the outdoor parks.
7. I love Primanti Brother's sandwich place (it was on the food network)
8. I love the people here...once they accept you and let you in they are so genuine.
9. I love fireworks...and they are not illegal here.
10. I love that we only have 2 years, 9 months and 24 days to go.

Well I almost made it to 10.
love you all
One L

Dance Recital

The girls had their dance recital and let me just say I was the proudest mother in the world. Dene was the prettiest little ballerina in the place, and Jonece jazzed up the place. They knew their parts and didn't even have a touch of stage fright. I helped make Dene's costume but just dished out the bucks for Jonece's. As soon as Cory can figure out how to make copies of the recital we will send a copy to all who want one. Next on the agenda is violin lessons and gymnastics. Dene wants to keep up with the ballet but Jonece isn't sure.
Oh the joy of little girls...the boys were much less complicated...what sport starts at what time of the year.
It was so much fun doing their hair and make-up but it was a little scary for Daddy...he didn't like his little girls looking so grown up. That's all for now.
One L

Devine Memories Forums

I was so sad to see that DM closed their forums...it was my way to stay informed and feel close to my friends in AZ. I guess this means I will have to update my blog more often. I guess I could do that.
The girls have about another week of school here in PA and they are looking forward to a fun filled summer. Chris is coming for a visit the first week of August and Tara is coming too...I just love Tara. We are spending a week at a cottage...in Aug. (Cory has the whole month off) and I am hoping to come and visit in AZ for about 5 days...I have to smoosh my new niece Sadie. As soon as the flight is booked I will try and get a crop going.
I have decided to make a scrapbook of my mother's life...while she is still here to fill in the blanks and tell the stories. I desperately need Care's help...I know I am an fairly good scrapper but I take FOREVER to do my personal pages because I want it to...sing to me!
The girls have their dance recital this Saturday and I am so excited...they are so cute in their very expensive costumes.
I haven't decided what they will do next year besides piano lesssons (Jonece doesn't want to take dance again next year)...I think gymnastics. They have swim lessons this summer and a bunch of weekend trips so I am hesitant to sign them up for anything during the summer months.
We are planning a trip to Palmyra this summer for the pagaent and I can't wait to see the girls faces when the volcanoes erupt and stuff...I remember the boys thought it was so very cool.
Well later dudes...love ya all and miss you.
One L

I Miss Cory's Parents

It was so nice to have Cory's Mom and Dad here with us in Pittsburgh...it was a treat to have family around. You take it for granted when family is always there but when you get to be around family only on holidays and special occasions it truely is a wonderful time.

Another positive of having family come and visit is you get another perspective of the area you live in...Karen and Norm really enjoyed the greenery and the many rivers. I guess if I was hard pressed to say something nice about PA I would have to mention the water all around...not just the constant rain but the many creeks and rivers. I also love the brick roads (not so much to drive on but they are pretty to look at). Can you believe it???? I actually said two nice things about PA. before you know it I will want to stay...NOT!

One L

Two Years 11 Months and 29 days To Go!!

Cory just finished his first year of Dental school and he has an entire week off!!!yehaw!!! so in less than 3 years we will be out of this forsaken place and somewhere that has a sun shining in the sky. In honor of Cory's huge vacation from school we are squeezing in a babpism, his parents visiting, my mother visiting and going to Canada to visit my dad. And he has a list 3 feet long of things he has to do around the house and to the car! There is no rest for the CORY.
Missing everyone that isn't visiting this week and loving you all.
One L

A Baptism

Can you believe my little baby girl Jonece is turning 8 next week? Her baptism will be on Saturday April 28 at 2:00pm. All our friends and family are invited and there will be a huge party back at my house. Cory is so excited...his first child he gets to baptize...he is so honored.
I am making the cutest invites for her "aloha" birthday party on the 21st and when they are all done I will post a pic. I haven't got a clue as to what I am doing for her actual baptism invites...any suggestions? Normally I would go to the Quilted Bear and Deseret and get a ton of ideas but neither store is here in no where land. There is always the internet...so I am off to check out some sites.

Taught a class

It has been so long since I taught a class but I thought it would be fun...well let me just say I learned so very much about what not to do here in PA. NO MORE CHOICES! I will pick the paper and the embellishments and if they don't like it they can get their money back. What a nightmare...I was showing about 12 girls how to alter a frame and I brought from my stash several sheets of paper and a bunch of different embelishment choices. Well, since I taught the class in my home I ran upstairs to my scrap room to get a few things I had forgotten and the word got out that I had a small scrapbook store upstairs...well now everyone wanted to "take" stuff and I was getting upset.
From now on I will limit the size of my classes and do the classes at the church or make upstairs off limits. Live and learn...live and learn.
One L

So Many Babies on the Way

NOT ME!!! Hope I didn't freak anyone out. I am completely and "no going back now" finished birthin babies. My sister is having another sweet girl in June and my sweet friend Amy is preggos too! So many ladies in my ward just announced that they are having a baby too...there must be something in the air...or in the water. I just love other people's babies...the ones that go home at night and I sleep a peaceful 6-7 hours. I knew the day would come when Dene would finally sleep in her own bed...the day has come. She almost never gets up in the night and to think it only took 6 years!
I miss my boy babies like crazy...ok so they are 19 and 20 but they are still my babies. I know they are busy with their own lives and they don't really miss me...except when they are hungry. A son is a son till he takes a wife is too true for me...I hope my girls still call and need me more when they are their ages. I raised them to be strong loving independent men and I can't be angry that they are just that...I just miss their faces.
My mother is doing better and that has been a blessing...all the prayers are really making a difference. There is a new treatment that may prolong her life and she is probably going to do it and I hope she does. I remember each day that she is terminal but hey if I knew I had 1 or even 2 years left I would make the best of them...and that is all I hope for her.
All in all we are doing the best we can living in this place called Pittsburgh...it snowed again!!
Cory will be so done with this place soon.
I love all my friends and family
later
One L

Same Stuff Different Day

I feel like I need to post an update but now I know how my friend Amy feels...I have nothing to say. We are all busy doing nothing...I drive the girls to school, dance, activities, friends houses, etc, clean the house, cook and shop and Cory goes to school.
I could make a long list of all the things I hate here in PA but I am trying not to be a downer. On a happier note the weather is warming up and they actually have spring for more than a week here...it lasts for months!
The girls are looking forward to swim lessons and Jonece is having her 8th birthday next month. Grandma and Grandpa Thompson are coming for a visit during her Baptism.
Everyone is invited...it is the 28th of April...we have a lot of room!
Our dog Cookie has been in heat and we are hoping that she didn't meet any other male dog when she took off up the street for an hour...I guess we will find out in a few months.
That is all for now.
One L

I am SOOO done

I am so done with this weather, I am tired of the snow, ice and the wind chill factor. The kids are still loving it, they can't get enough of the white fluffy stuff. The dang groundhog is such a liar... early spring my butt. The roads are down right treacherous and I have had so many near misses when it comes to car accidents. ABS brakes are incredibly annoying and they make you feel like you are sliding AND you have no brakes. They have no place to but the snow that they plow so the already narrow roads become single lanes... and people park on the street everywhere because no one and I mean no one has ample parking. Can you tell I am not happy right now? I remind my self that come summer time when we are camping and hangin out on the rivers and lakes that are everywhere I will be happy...I might just be fooling myself but I can live with that. Well I think that is it for my vent.

Snow Day

The girls were ready bright and early to go sledding but we were snowed in on our street., so they improvised and started at the top of the driveway and went all the way down the backyard and they had a blast. I even went down twice but I smashed into the swing set and bruised my left side and my left arm will never be the same...I am getting too old for this stuff. No school today and it looks like school will be cancelled again tomorrow, that makes 4 snow days this winter so far. Don't they know how much I need time away from my sweet children. Dene is out by 11:00am so it is only a few precious hours all by myself and I treasure them.

Cookie has had a love hate relationship with the snow... she loves running around in it and digging her nose into it but she hates when it gets between her toes. She totally looks like a bunny hopping through the snow...I sure hope the hawks don't think so too.

We have freezing rain tonight and everything has a thick sheet of ice on it so everything looks shiny and new...but when I tried to go next door to bring them some fresh homemade rolls I just about flew there...yikes.

I was hoping that this string of severe weather would make Cory less entralled with PA but so far he still love it here...but we re not staying regardless!

One L

I love Sundays

Our time for church has changed to 1:00pm and you would think we would be on time every Sunday but not us...no siree...for some reason we are 5 minutes late everytime. But this Sunday we don't have any primary classes so no running around trying to finish lessons and stuff. I think we are staying home today anyway because I have been fighting a cold...and I am still feeling awful.
We had a pretty decent snow fall this past week..not quite enough to build a snow man or go sledding but it was fun to have snowball fights with the girls. Dene is a great shot and I have had to take her down a time or two. We are expecting more snow this week.
Cory loves school and he is still in love with PA but the shine is coming off the apple everytime he has to scrap the ice off the car. Right now he is doing anatomy (gross and head and neck) so he has been working with cadavers (sp?). He always has some yummy tale to tell that pretty much ruins dinner if you know what I mean...and I will never eat beef jerky ever again. I want to share in his "school experience" but not with that much detail...yuk!
Gotta make pancakes...I promised...so later dudes.
One L

Life can Suck

We returned home from AZ with our hearts full and our sunshine meter reading full. We have enjoyed unseasonably warm weather here in Pittsburgh...Not as nice as AZ but not as cold as it could be.
Shortly after returning home my mom called to let me know her cancer had returned...She battled and won a bout of breast cancer several years ago. The news is not good. There is no cure for secondary bone cancer...It is just a matter of how much time treatment can give her and how much pain she is to endure.
I am always heartbroken when I hear of small children losing their mothers...I think all children need to have a mom to love them and hold them and kiss all their boo boos. The most devastating thing for me would be to lose one of my children...I hope and pray I never have to endure that. I know my mother has lived 64 years and that in itself is a gift. She has loved, lived and touched many lives, I just selfishly want to have her for about 20 more years.
I keep writing things and deleting them because some things are just too...Well the word inappropriate jumps to mind.
I just wanted to let you all know what is going on in our lives..I will update soon.
One L

Back from AZ

WE are back and the girls had a blast hanging out with their brothers, cousins and friends...we didn't get to see as much of the brothers as we would have liked but beggars can't be choosers. They have jobs and school and girlfriends and we are not at the top of the list...its ok for now.
Friends and family were on our list and unfortunately we didn't get to see everyone we wanted to this visit. I thought 2 weeks was enough time but I was wrong...so many friends and family that we love very much.
Restaurants...that was Cory's first concern...and we did manage to eat at every place we had missed...and the Gecko Grill twice.

That is a picture of us outside the Gecko grill with Cory's family too.

I did a chance to work at Devine Memories twice and I had a blast...thanks to all my friends who could come out and crop with us...thanks everyone. I didn't realize how much I had missed working in the store until I put that apron back on...it was delicious.

The weather...the sun...the landscape...the mountains, were also soaked up...I couldn't get enough of it. On a strange note Pittsburgh is having the most unusual winter...with the highs in the low 60's and high 50's. Sounds like we brought a bit of AZ back with us...no complaints from me.

I loved visiting AZ but was glad to sleep in my own bed and cook in my own kitchen...now if I could just get my bed and kitchen to AZ then that would be great!

We had a wonderful Christmas and wish everyone the happiest of New Years

One L

Leaving on a jet plane

We are all packed and ready to go. We have to drop off the dog with friends because Southwest doesn't allow pets, can you believe that? Then it is off to the airport, and we will be in AZ in time for dinner at Gecko Grill...We can taste it now...Yummy.
The irony of it all it that it will be warmer here this week at times than it will be in AZ. But the sun will be a shining!
Thursday we will be at Devine Memories for a tasting party for a recipe swap I signed up for...What was I thinking? I have 26 6x6 pages to finish...I have one done as we speak. I might be in trouble.
Well I have to get going see you all soon.
One L

Devine Memories virtual challenge

These are a few of the pages I did, the flower pocket, black and white with a whisper of red and my version of winter joy. I did a clipboard and hand cut out the phrases. For the challenge to use some kind of office supply and I was in my element. I used a prong fastener to add some ribbon. That is all for now.
One L

Visions of sugar plums

WE are all getting into the Christmas spirit here in PA. Well, except for Scrooge aka Cory, he is about ready to snap...no warm and fuzzy going on in him right now. I guess I would be a little less into the season if I had an exam everyday...and my future hung in the balance. Come Thursday he should have an overwhelming sense of relief and have room in his life for some Christmas spirit. We are excited about coming home in a week, we have missed our family and friends more than we could have imagined. The girls are most excited to see their brothers...and Grandma.
Later
One L

Happy Christmas!

The girls decorated the tree and I think they did a great job! Since we are leaving here on the 19th I opted for an artificial tree this year...that way when we get back I won't have a dead tree and needles everywhere to clean up. It was prelit and let me just say "THAT ROCKS!!!". I just wish real trees came prelit too and that would be the bomb. The girls ask everyday if they can open 1 present and I am such a push over that I usually let them. (Not the big ones, just the dollar store ones) They don't care, half the time it is just ripping the paper off that floats their boat.
Cory got 100% on his final on Friday and I am so proud...not so much because he got 100% but because so many other guys had trouble. Does that make me shallow? Cory says it does but I disagree, I don't want to rub it in I just like him to be the smartest in the class...whats wrong with that?
I am more excited and have more energy lately than I have in months...I know it is because I am going home...dang I miss you guys! Soon I keep telling myself...soon.