Saturday, July 24, 2010

Blessed honored pioneer ...

In 1847, the first party of Mormon emigrants, led by Brigham Young, reached the Salt Lake Valley. This story of the thousand-mile Mormon exodus from the midwest to Salt Lake has become well-known as a tale of remarkable hard work, faith, and dedication. Upon reaching Utah, these hardy men and women prospered through their wisdom and industriousness in a place once thought too dry and desertous to support modern civilization.
Fortunately, these pioneers left a rich heritage which gives tourists today insight into these admirable traits. Utah is full of Mormon historic and cultural sites which continue to fascinate and inspire visitors more than 150 years after Brigham Young declared "This is the place."

If you have ever been to Pioneer Village at Lagoon you may have seen the Bingham Cabin. Erastus Bingham is my great, great, great ... (maybe 7 greats) grandfather. So, today we honor Pioneers in the great state of Utah. It it good to look to our heritage whether looking at actual pioneers that walked across the plains to others in our lives who have been pioneers. For me the pioneer I would like to honor is my mom, who was the first person to join the church in her family. She sacrificed a lot, going against her family to make a better life for her own immediate family. Thanks mom for making the decision that would eventually make us a family forever. Also, thanks to my great grandmother Sharp for being the inspiration for her decision.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Up on the Roof ...

We had a roofing party at my house on Saturday, June 12. We had to roof between rain drops but finally we got it done.






Lindsey and I were the only girls that got up on the roof.




Of course, when it started pouring and thundering and lightn'ing we all had to get off the roof! I don't want to roof again ... me and heights don't get along very well. By the end of the day I had managed to stop scooting around everywhere and was walking. If only you didn't have to get on and off the ladder.








Everyone in my family showed up to help except one sibling. She owes me one now!







Monday, May 24, 2010

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

What's up with the weather? Yes, it is really snowing today, May 24th! To celebrate I'm listening to Christmas Carols! (Hey, I'll use any excuse to listen to Christmas music) It's hard to believe that this coming weekend is Memorial Day ~ the unofficial kick-off to summer.

We were watching a show last night at my dad's house on t.v. called "Hoarders" made me want to go home and clean my house from top to bottom, so that might be my plans for this weekend (they are having a "Hoarders" marathon on t.v. - that will help inspire me) It is amazing to me how one person can have so much stuff. According to the Mayo Clinic here is the definition of hoarding: Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Ok, I'm not that bad but I know I didn't have all this stuff when I moved into my house almost 9 years ago. I think it is time to get rid of some of my junk.

Here are tips on de-cluttering from: http://www.ehow.com/

Organizing a house full or even a room full of clutter can be a daunting task. Without a simple and foolproof system as a guide, its nearly impossible to make any headway. This Six Box Toss should prove to be the last system you'll ever need.
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
Five cardboard boxes
Magic Marker
Garbage can
Step 1
Label your boxes in this manner: 1.Donate 2.Sell 3.Return 4.Repair 5.Keep 6. Unsure. The last container you'll need is your garbage can. Line the boxes and trash can somewhere where they're all accessible.
Step 2
Use the donate box for toys going to your niece, clothes going to a thrift store or books going to the senior center. It's sometimes easier to part with things if you know that they're going to be used and enjoyed somewhere else.
Step 3
Put things in the 'Sell' box if you are prone to sell only. This is for garage sale items, things to go to a consignment shop or an online auction site. This is just another box of clutter if you don't actually use it for sale. Mark this box with a date three months ahead and if these items aren't sold, they need to go to a good charity instead.
Step 4
Use the 'Return' box for borrowed items, library books, or items that belong to neighbors, friends and family. If you have bought things that need to be returned, toss those in here, too.
Step 5
Put items in the 'Repair' box only if you absolutely know they'll be repaired. Keeping things that may have some use in them is a trap for clutterbugs so the rule of thumb is this: If something just needs a little 'fixing' to be good as new for someone but that someone is not you, the item needs to be thrown or given away. If you've already replaced something, get rid of the old one. If you know of no one or no way to repair something, get rid of that, too.
Step 6
Put things in the 'Keep' box only if you are sure that the item is really of use or value to you. Otherwise, it goes out. Use the 'Unsure' box as a last resort. If something seems to defy all the other boxes and you don't want to let it go without thought, put it in here. Mark the box with a date six months away. If you haven't used the item in six months, toss it or give it away.
Step 7
Use your garbage can for everything you don't really need or want. This should be the first place you consider

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Turn out the Lights, the Party's over ...

The Jazz, first time swept in playoffs, how disappointing. Enough said. Now I guess I just cheer for anyone but the Lakers. I get tired of all the prima donnas in the NBA. Basketball is my favorite sport but I would rather watch college. Time to move onto the next sport. Go Dodgers!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Ocean in Me ...























We couldn't take the kids to California and not show them the ocean! So we headed to Huntington Beach with the longest pier in California. At the end of the pier is Ruby's Diner - you should plan to eat there if you are ever in the area. The wind was really blowing but they had fun in the water. http://www.cheriecall.com/mp3/ocean/TheOceanInMe.mp3

Holy Temples on Mount Zion











The fifth temple we saw was the San Diego, CA temple - I have already posted about that so we move on to the last temple we visited, the Newport Beach, CA temple. We came from San Diego and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway. That's a pretty drive, right along the ocean. I've just about run out of songs about temples so no more temple entries for now :)

Rise Ye Saints and Temples Enter







The fourth temple we visited was the Los Angeles, CA temple. It's not to hard to find since it is right on Santa Monica Boulevard. It had been a while since I had been there. It seems like the areas around the temple that were not so good have been cleaned up a bit.