ABOMO

Valentine Birthday LOVE from Cancun

2011-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

Happy BIRTHDAY to my favorite VALENTINE!

There are certain perks when your spouse's birthday is on VALENTINE's Day. Like the time his mom gave him a diamond heart necklace for his BIRTHDAY so he could give it to me for VALENTINE's Day. Score! Or like this year when he decided he wanted to go away for his BIRTHDAY,

. . . . . . . . .so we came to CANCUN!

So Happy BIRTHDAY, and enjoy your day in CANCUN! I LOVE You.

That is all. Time to hit the beach while you are across the street golfing, have fun!

What I Learned Today

2011-01-30T17:27:00.002-08:00

Disclaimer: There has been a lot of press lately about "Mormon Mommy Blogs" and while I am a Mormon, I am ever so much older than those darling little "Mommies" who have the funnest, stylish, beautiful blogs, that I am also addicted to reading.

Yes, as Mormons we have been taught to keep Journals, and yes I used to try and keep a Journal, but after I got married and started having kids, it was hard to keep up with it. I would do an entry, and then six or seven months later the next entry would start out with something like "boy, it's been a long time since I last wrote". And, if you read my blog, you know that not much has changed as far as how often I post.

When I started this blog I thought I would be good about posting regularly, and making it cute and fun. But I've come to the conclusion that this blog really is "A Blog Of My Own", it's mostly for me. And I hope some day, when I'm gone, my grandchildren and their children will be able to read it and get a glimpse of who their Grandma was.

So, with that What I Learned Today or actually what I learned two days ago when I started this.

A few years ago my husband started a tradition. On Sunday nights before we have family prayer we go around the room and each person has to say what we Learned Today that would help our family. Even if we have guests, they have to take a turn as well. Since I was out of town this Sunday, I decided to blog about What I Learned Today.

I was reading a talk by Elder Christofferson given at a CES fireside. He spoke about the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Since they would not be able to provide food for themselves by planting and harvesting it, or by hunting animals, the Lord provided Manna from Heaven. Did you know Manna, in that ancient language means "what is it?" Can't you just see them looking at it and scratching their heads, and asking and wondering what the heck it was the first time they saw it? The Lord told them to only gather enough Manna to provide food for one day, nothing more. Yet some of the people didn't listen and tried to get extra, but the next day it would always be spoiled and rotten with worms. Yuk! But, on the sixth day they were told to gather enough for two days, so they could rest from their labors on the seventh day, and still have food to eat. Whenever they gathered food on the sixth day, even though they were gathering for two days instead of one, the food never spoiled. Interestingly enough, some of those people would still try to gather manna on the seventh day, they just couldn't resist "shopping".

So this is What I Learned. The Lord wants us to prepare for the sabbath, it's important to him that we rest that day, and take time to worship him. We can use the sixth day, and every other day of the week to prepare so that there is no need to shop on Sunday . Even back then, it was important to keep the sabbath day holy, and the Lord prepared a way for the children of Israel to be able to do that.

And even though I wasn't wandering through the wilderness for 40 years, I was traveling. I got to enjoy the beauty of the drive through the Gorge just outside of St. George, Utah.

And luckily, I didn't have to gather Manna from heaven to nourish my body. I got to eat this yummy granola bar, that I am now addicted to, and probably won't be able to find in Arizona. And, just in case you were wondering, I bought it on Friday.

And unfortunately, my drive didn't take me to the Land of Promise, but to the Land of Large and Spacious Buildings. Which could be a whole different post all by itself.

And luckily for me, when I arrived I was able to take refuge at my brother's house and eat his food so that I didn't have to go gather Manna on the Sabbath, or eat at a Fast Food Restaraunt.

I am grateful for my safe travels, and grateful to be back home again. Until next week when we travel to Mexico and we get to see the ruins and the lands where the people from the Book of Mormon lived. And most grateful for a Father in Heaven who prepares a way for us to keep all of his commandments. And grateful for What I Learned Today and hope that it helped you as well.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.

2010-12-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

I had great plans to have all my CHRISTMAS preparations done early this year. I even had my CHRISTMAS cards printed in September, just waiting to be addressed. But you know what they say. . . . . . . ."the best laid plans of mice and men." And so it went. All my plans for being ahead of the game went out the window, and I find myself behind.

Frank brought home our CHRISTMAS TREE last Saturday. I finally found time to get it decorated on Wednesday. So, as I was all alone, decorating the tree, and not even any CHRISTMAS music to help get me into the spirit of things, I found myself starting to think (and me with too much time to think, is not always a good thing).

As I Grinchily (yes, that's a word, I just made it up) decorated the CHRISTMAS TREE, I had to stop and wonder. Just exactly how did celebrating the birth of our Savior turn into this huge commercial extravaganza? How did the precious gift of our Savior turn into CHRISTMAS TREES, and Stockings hung by the chimney with care, and over indulgent gift giving and spending, and mass quantities of cookies and baking? How did the true spirit of CHRIST turn into feelings of stress and inadequacy, where was/is the Joy?

The truth is, sometimes you just have to look for it. And sometimes you have to look harder than other times. The spirit of CHRISTMAS is there if you choose to focus on it, and ignore the distractions. It's there in the beautiful strains of CHRISTMAS music sung by choirs of angels who might really just be little children, or Church Choirs, or even Choir Students. It's there in the faces of those who find ways to help someone in need, or maybe just share a smile instead of being annoyed at the long lines in the stores. And it is always there in the eyes of a child as they gaze in wonder at the lights on the CHRISTMAS TREE.

So, as we stress and fret and hurry about trying to prepare for CHRISTMAS, maybe we need to be a little less like Martha who was "cumbered about" as she cleaned and prepared food for the Savior, and more like Mary who chose "the better part" as she sat at His feet and learned of Him.

And just in case you have found yourself asking "Isn't there anyone who knows what CHRISTMAS is all about"? Here's a little reminder.

And, have yourself a Merry Little CHRISTMAS!

28 YEARS

2010-09-25T23:45:00.001-07:00

28 YEARS ago today, Frank and I got married in the Los Angeles Temple. It's hard to believe it's been 28 YEARS, it's gone by so fast, and most of it seems like a blur. A few things have stayed the same, and a lot of things have changed.

We have lived in the same little five mile radius even though we have lived in three different houses.
Frank still owns and operates Lang Painting, but he no longer paints.
We have stayed active in the church, but our testimonies have grown immensely.
We never did get a dog, but now we have a "grand-dog".

In 28 YEARS we have had four children. Three of them have gotten married, and two of them have had children of their own. We have four grandchildren (and don't forget the "grand-dog") So our little family that started out as two 28 YEARS ago is now 13 (plus the dog).

In 28 YEARS Frank's hair has changed a little, and mine has changed at least 28 times or more.

But one thing will never change, our committment to and love for each other. (ok, I know that's mushy, but it's true)

I am grateful Frank said "yes" 28 Years ago, and am looking forward to the next 28 YEARS or more.

(See, we really haven't changed a bit!)

FAMILY Vacation

2010-08-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

The last week in July we took the whole FAMILY to Show Low for a little High Country Vacation where we rented a beautiful Cabin in the community of Torreon.

It looked like this on the way there. There was a torrential downpour just outside of Heber. It was an amazing Storm.

And it looked like this on the way home. Again, just outside of Heber. The fog was so thick you couldn't really see anything in front of you, and it was hard to know which way to go without looking toward the person in front who had gone before.

But once there, we all had an amazing, wonderful FAMILY Vacation, eating, playing games, power walking, golfing, eating, enjoying each other's company, a little Zumba workout for the girls and did I mention eating?

Cousins got to know each other.

There was Horseback riding. . . . . . . .

And Horseback sliding . . . . . . . .

And wooden horse riding.

And Cheesy Grins

And I'm not sure what your family does on vacation. . . . . . . but we go to Walmart, and make cars out of boxes.

I loved cooling my heels on the back porch after a powerwalk on a bike trail near the golf course.

We went out to dinner at Charlie Clark's. .. . . . . .

(Frank must have just seen the bill)

And decorated Sugar Cookies for dessert eating.

All in all we all had an amazing FAMILY Vacation! My mother-in-law has a saying that "fish and relatives are the same, after three days they both start to stink". But as my daughter so aptly put it, "the fish never stank"! (Is stank even a word?) None of us were ready to go home, we wanted to stay for many more days. I am so blessed to have such an amazing FAMILY.

And because we chose to be married here,

This FAMILY is sealed together for Eternity.

And I hope that they all remember that sometimes there will be Storms you have to go through, and sometimes there may be Fog that obscures your path, and you might not know exactly which way to go, but if you look to those who have gone before and follow them, you will always find your way back home. And then our FAMILY will be on the most amazing Vacation ever!

TIME Marches On

2010-07-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's been six months since I have posted something. And, you may recall an earlier post on TIME. And. . . . I could say something cliche like "Where has the TIME gone", but I know where it's gone, so there is no sense in asking. And since we are being so honest, I will admit that a lot of TIME has been spent on FaceBook (which was created by accident) and Twitter (which I only do for my business). So. . . . . . . . . . all I can do is try to catch up on all that has happened since the last TIME I posted.

Franklin & Somer got married on February 14, 2010 and are living their "Happily Ever After"

Samantha Rose McDowell was born on April 6th, 2010 to Dan & Kelli.

Ivy Mae Lang was born on May 20, 2010 to Geoff & Stacie.

So. . . . . . . . . . . Hopefully next TIME I post, there won't be so much TIME in between.

Post Note: Now I remember why I never could find the TIME to post, because it takes entirely too much TIME. I hate that what you type looks totally different than the preview which looks totally different than what gets posted. So you have to post it, then edit it, then post and edit, and post and edit again. And. . . . sometimes you can edit it 100 times and it always goes back to exactly the way it was before you edited it.

(I have spent the last 30 minutes trying to double space these last three paragraphs, with no luck, it always goes right back to the way it is now. I'm done.)

To Infinity and Beyond!

2010-01-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

So you may recall a post about Somer and her day. Last November Franklin asked Somer to Marry Him. We are excited to have Somer join our family and become a Lang.

Also last November, the Lang Family took a trip to Disneyland. It was the first time for Somer, and for our darling little granddaughters. We were all excited to go to Disneyland, and talked about it often. One day, Somer was thinking about the temple, and trying to remember the phrase "Time and all Eternity", but all she could think of was "To Infinity and Beyond". We kind of like that thought. We are looking forward to February 13, 2010 when Somer will officially become a member of our family, and we are especially grateful that because of the Gospel, our family will be together " To Infinity and Beyond".

Two plus Two = Four

2009-10-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

These are my TWO darling grandaughters. Tyler will be three in December, and Charlotte just turned one last month. Soon these TWO little ones will be joined by TWO more even littler ones. Yes! TWO more grandbabies are on the way to join our Family. TWO of my children are expecting children of their own. The TWOsome of Kelli and Dan will add baby #3 in April, and the TWOsome of Stacie and Geoff are expecting their very first child in May. We are so excited to soon have FOUR grandchildren in our Family. So, if TWO plus TWO equals FOUR, does that mean I am now TWO times older or FOUR times?

Macaroni Salad Memories

2009-09-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's funny what the simple act of making MACARONI SALAD can do. This morning I was making MACARONI SALAD for a Family Barbeque later this afternoon. I hadn't made this particular SALAD for a really long time, so maybe that's why all the MEMORIES came flooding in.

As I was standing at the counter chopping tomatoes I realized I was standing like a Stork, on one leg. Something I do quite often when I'm in the kitchen. But everytime I do, I remember a family friend from childhood. We often did things with the Parker family, and thier oldest daughter always stood like that when we were in the kitchen making food. Thinking of her brought back so many MEMORIES of spending time with the Parker family. I used to stay at their home when my mom was in the hospital, and I remember countless pool parties in their backyard with the Bleazard Family. Thinking of them brings back vivid MEMORIES of walking in their Living Room and the sound it made, I can see the shag carpet, and the big ottoman on wheels that we used to push around. And I remember the time I had a loose tooth while I was staying with them. Dr. Parker was an Oral Surgeon, so of course he wanted to pull it out! I was not very happy about that, and I cried a lot! I loved the Parker family and have many fond MEMORIES of the fun times we had together.

My earliest MEMORY of MACARONI SALAD was when I was 7 or 8 and we had a big Tucker Family Reunion. I remember standing in the kitchen helping my Aunt LeVora make MACARONI SALAD. I don't remember ever having heard of it before then. I loved MACARONI, so I was really excited to taste it, and I wasn't dissappointed, it was delicious!

My Mom always made MACARONI SALAD after that. We ate it quite often. Whenever there were leftovers, they went in a Mason Jar. There have been many times when I have gone to visit Mom and Dad, and there is a Mason Jar with MACARONI SALAD sitting in the fridge. Then I know I am home.

I used to make MACARONI SALAD all the time for my kids. They loved the olives and the little pieces of cheese. As they got older and moved out of the house, the MACARONI SALAD turned into fancier Pasta Salads that they really didn't like as much.

My daughter, Kelli, makes MACARONI SALAD quite often for her family and anytime she needs to bring a salad to some function. We have a family BBQ today for Labor Day, and I asked her what kind of salad I should bring. She said "bring my (meaning hers) MACARONI SALAD. Funny how it has now become hers. I like that though. I'm glad I have passed down a little part of our heritage through a MACARONI SALAD recipe.

Mostly, MACARONI SALAD always just reminds of me of Summer. So it is fitting that we should have MACARONI SALAD on this day that officially means Summer is over. I hope all of you have a wonderful Labor Day enjoying time with your families, making MEMORIES and food that will someday spark MEMORIES in your children and theirs.

The Beauty that's Kanab

2009-07-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to KANAB, Utah to visit my parents. I drove there all by myself, and I have to admit. . . . . . I kind of liked it. I loved the weather (73 degrees, thank you very much) and the BEAUTY in Flagstaff. Ok I know this is supposed to be about the BEAUTY of KANAB, but you have to pass through Flagstaff to get there. And this probably isn't the best picture of Flagstaff but. . . . . I was driving, remember.

The thing I love about my parent's house in KANAB is that there is a view out of every window. This is the view from the Kitchen.

One morning, Dad and I went for a walk, enjoyed the scenery and the BEAUTY of the people of KANAB. I met the woman who is running for Mayor, and a vietnam vet in a wheel chair who won the St. George marathon. OK, don't laugh too hard at my skinny ankles, it's quite obvious they are hereditary.

This is the BEAUTY you see as you walk through my parents neighborhood.

A few nights after I arrived, my brother and his wife drove up from Las Vegas and brought this little cutie with them, baby Maddox, isn't he adorable?

The next night my Mom's Doctor and his wife came for dinner. I wanted to try out this recipe from my "Barefoot Contessa" cookbook, Lemon Fusili Pasta with Arugala. Amazingly enough it looked just like the picture in the cookbook, and it was delicious, even if I do say so myself. We enjoyed good food, good company, and good conversation.

On Saturday we took a stroll through downtown KANAB. It was a little toasty outside, but we managed to find some shade, which made the perfect background for this cute little family picture.

I loved spending time getting to know my new sister-in-law better.

In KANAB, there is a wonderful care center called The Beehive House where they take wonderful care of my 96 year old Grandma. It was so great to be able to go visit Grandma several times while I was there.

I love the BEAUTY of Mothers and Daughters,

and, the BEAUTY of wisdom and age. . . . . . . .

reflected in the hands of three generations.

I am so very grateful that I had the opportunity to go to KANAB for a week and spend time with my parents and their friends, where I discovered that I truly love the BEAUTY that is KANAB.

Summer Days, The River, and Somer's Day

2009-07-18T20:11:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite things to do during the SUMMER is to go to my brother-in-laws home on the Colorado RIVER. We especially enjoy going for the 4th of July.

Johnny loves it the most. I was shocked when I realized he was old enough to ride the jet ski by himself. He was just a baby when we first started going to the RIVER.

The brothers, Frank and Steve, love to hit Golf Balls. They have a contest to see who can hit the ball the farthest and/or over to the Island.

The girls love the time we spend together in the kitchen making wonderful gourmet SUMMER meals.

Like this amazing Wedge Salad with homemade blue cheese dressing and fresh blue cheese crumbles. Yum!!

I love SUMMER nights at the RIVER, sitting outside on the dock enjoying the reflection of the moon on the RIVER.

When we are there for the 4th, the boys put on an amazing fireworks show. This year Uncle Steve bought the big mortars, just like they shoot off at the public shows. Unfortunately, the cops didn't like the show as much as we did. The boys couldn't hear or see them because of the smoke and noise, so finally the cops got on their loud speaker and told them to "put your hands in the air". This concerned us just a bit, but luckily Uncle Steve saved the day and no one was arrested.

Later that evening we noticed a huge fire. We were not the cause of this fire, by the way. Luckily the fire was on the side of the RIVER where there were no houses. The next day in church a man spoke about a time when there was a fire very close to his home. He talked about the concern he had for his home and his family as he watched the fire creep closer, however, he could watch this fire with no concern since it was on the other side of the RIVER. He knew his family and home were protected by the RIVER. He compared the RIVER to the Savior and the Gospel. If we are on the right side of the RIVER, we will have no need to fear the evils of the world. Our home and our family can be protected.

Last Monday night, Franklin had the opportunity to help his friend SOMER come to the safe side of the RIVER.

We are so excited for SOMER and hope you are enjoying your SUMMER days as much as we are.

Hope

2009-06-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

With the economy the way it is, and with loved ones and friends suffering with illnesses and financial issues, sometimes it is hard to have HOPE.

But then along comes something so beautiful it reminds you that
"there is HOPE smiling brightly before us".

And even though things sometimes look bleak, eventually things always improve.

I am grateful for a God in Heaven who sends little reminders that we are loved and that there is always reason for HOPE, even if you live in the deserts of Arizona. And I am grateful he sent us a Prophet to teach us that we can have HOPE because "your future is as bright as your faith".

Coming out of the Closet!

2009-05-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

Apparantly I fell asleep this morning while reading the newspaper. I was dreaming. There were visions of tupperware ladies dancing around in my head (not sure where they came from). In my dream I had let them in my house because it was so hot outside and I felt sorry for them, and now there were gaggles of them doing the "high pressure" sales thing at the behest of their leader who was also there, training them. (I know, wierd dream, my kids just roll their eyes when I start off a sentence with "you wouldn't believe what I dreamed last night"). So just as Frank walks in the door with an incredulous look on his face, wondering why all the tupperware ladies are in our house, the phone rings for real and I am dragged back into reality.

It's Frank, letting me know that he is bringing some people over in five minutes to look at the paint colors in our house. (At least he gave me some warning, right, otherwise they would have walked in to see me drooling and snoring on the couch). I am still in my pj's more or less, no makeup, bed head (and not the stylish kind) and there are dishes in the sink. At least the dishes are rinsed, but the sink is full. So I run around the house as fast as I can and pick up, make my bed, etc. While in the bedroom I hear Frank come home (I told him to come find me before he started showing them around, but apparantly he didn't hear that part).

I'm in my bathroom and decide to hide in the CLOSET.
You know. . . . . the one I cleaned out in January and was so proud of.

I figure I am safe in the CLOSET because it had not been painted since we moved in. No need to show the CLOSET, right?

I hear them come into the bedroom, and then into the bathroom. The whole time I'm thinking, "don't open the CLOSET, don't open the CLOSET". I hear them leave the bathroom, phewwww!!! I'm safe. I'll wait a few minutes till they have left the house then I can come out of the CLOSET.

Oh no, I hear Frank's voice, it's getting closer. What's he saying? "Oh yeah, let me show you the CLOSET so you can see the old paint color". Now the little voice in my head is screaming, "noooooooooooooooooooooo, don't open the CLOSET!" For two seconds I have hope that Frank will see me first and shut the CLOSET before anyone else sees me, but no. It's too late. There I am, sitting in the closet in all my unkempt glory, huddled next to my slippers and pants sheepishly saying hi to the lady who is now staring into the CLOSET as they all kind of laugh at me for hiding in the CLOSET.

The moral to the story? It's better to just come out of the CLOSET as opposed to getting caught hiding in the CLOSET. Oh well, at least those people have a great story to tell all their friends. "Remember when we went to the Painter's house to see colors and his wife was hiding in the CLOSET?"

Happy Mom's Day - Happy Birthday

2009-05-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Happy MOM's Day to the MOMs in my life!

To my GrandMOM who raised my MOM to be the wonderful MOM that she is, and who always had wonderful aromas coming from her kitchen and her garden.

To my MOM who is the perfect example of selflessness and enduring to the end.

To Frank's MOM for giving me my husband and for her unwavering faith and example of the power of prayer.

Happy MOM's day to my beautiful daughter Kelli who is an amazing MOM and who made me a GrandMOM.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY today to my darling daughter-in-law Stacie!! And even though she isn't a MOM yet, I appreciate her mothering skills when it comes to taking care of my son Geoff.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY tomorrow to my brother Rod, who was born on MOM's day and whose beautiful wife Jill is celebrating MOM's day for the first time this year!

I hope all of you have a Happy MOM's day

and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I love you!

Spring Time

2009-05-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

I knew when I started this whole blogging thing that it was going to be TIME consuming. I have all these great ideas for posts, but before I know it, all this TIME has gone by and now it's been more than two months since I posted anything.

Last TIME I posted it was still Winter TIME (technically. I think that was one of the weeks when it was really, really warm here). Then I went out of town a few times, life got crazy (as it usually does) and I kind of lost track of TIME. Then the whole Swine Flu thing came up, my grandbabies were sick with Influenza A, and I was starting to get just the tiniest bit anxious (read: trying not to freak out). Then wednesday when I left my neighborhood to run to the store for my daughter, I saw this

And it touched my heart, and reminded me that it's SPRING TIME!! A time for renewal, and new birth. There was that mama duck with her little babies following her as they crossed the street right in front of me, and suddenly things didn't seem so scary anymore. I could stop and put things in perspective, and realize that everything was going to be OK. So I picked up the groceries for Kelli and took them to her house, then showed Tyler the picture of the mama duck with her babies. It made her smile, and laugh, and that made me smile and laugh, and then everything was all right with the world, in spite of the stupid piggy flu!

And what would SPRING TIME be without pictures of cute little girls in their Easter dresses? (Even though they had pretty much had enough of Easter by the time these pictures were taken, so to see happier girls in their Easter dresses, go here).

I am grateful for SPRING, and for cute little girls in their Easter dresses. And I'm going to enjoy SPRING TIME because it will probably only be here for another week and then it will be Summer!

2009-03-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

A New Nephew!!

We have a New Nephew! My older brother Rod and his wife Jill welcomed this little cutie into the world last week.

Welcome Maddox Michael Tucker we're so glad you could join us!

2009-02-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

Famous People

Some of you might recognize this Famous Mesa resident. She returned to American Idol this evening to sing her new song. Yes, I will admit it, I'm a bit addicted to American Idol.

A few months ago we attended a benefit concert for the Anasazi Foundation. Brooke didn't sing, but she was there. So, of course when I saw her I asked if it was OK to take her picture with my son and my nephew. She so graciously agreed.

Then I got a bit star struck and just couldn't help myself.

After all, how often do you get to have your picture taken with Famous People?

Apparantly twice, in one night. Here we are with the Gin Blossoms (not that I would have known who they were if I'd bumped into them on the street, but they were Famous at one time.)

Truth be told, they're just people, Famous or not, and Brooke White really was very kind.

2009-02-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

GLAMOUR SHOT?? WHAT??

I believe some of you asked for an updated glamour shot.

This will have to do for now.

2009-02-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

Mothers & Daughters

This is Gen Black.
She turned 96 years young last week.

This is her DAUGHTER, my MOTHER

Once, I was just a DAUGHTER

Then I got married and

was blessed with a second

MOTHER

And I became a MOTHER when I had this beautiful DAUGHTER

Who became the MOTHER of these two adorable DAUGHTERS

Here are five generations of

MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS

and a more recent picture of four generations

When my son got married, I added another beautiful DAUGHTER

I am grateful for the many

MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS

who bless my life.

2009-01-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

And the Winner Is . . . . . . . . . .

I thought I was oh, so clever when I came up with the name for my blog.

Apparently, not so much, since the first person to guess got it right.

And even though the second guess was not what I was originally thinking when I came up with A.B.O.M.O.

I liked it just as much, for it was . . . . . ..

All Because Off My Offspring

that I started

A Blog Of My Own

So, thank you to my two friends, Stephanie and Debbie, for playing the game.

And CONGRATULATIONS to Stephanie for winning the prize!

You should look for this

coming to your mailbox soon.

And just in case you were wondering, yes, I do know that you are not supposed to start a sentence with the word AND, but I did it anyway.

2009-01-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Clearing out the Clutter

So, last Saturday, I cleaned out my closet. . . . . . . .

because it looked like this

and this

and I couldn't take it any more.

It was time to go through and clear out the things that I no longer needed. Things that had once served a purpose, but needed to be let go of.

Clearing out your closet is always such an enlightening experience.

For instance, honestly, how many pair of black flip-flops does one person really need?

(apparantly 5, I only got rid of one pair)

And then, there are always the things that make you say. . . . .

"What was I thinking?"

like these little lovelies.

(Frank was actually mad that I was getting rid of them. He loved them)

and there are the things that hide out in the back of your closet that you hold on to for sentimental reasons

and sometimes you even find things you forgot you possessed,

but in the end you have a big pile of stuff to get rid of

and you feel better,

because now your closet looks like this

and this

and it makes you happy just to stand back and look at it.

Sometimes we need to clear out the clutter in our emotional closets, because we just can't take it anymore. Because things that have once served a purpose need to be let go of. There are the things that make you ask "What was I thinking?", and there are the things that hang out at the back of your closet that you hold on to for sentimental reasons, and sometimes you even find things that you forgot you possessed. But in the end, you have a big pile of stuff to get rid of, and you feel better.

Because now your closet is cleared out, clutter free, and in order. And it makes you happy to just stand back and look at it.

2009-01-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Funeral For A Friend

T. Dennis Barney

with his beautiful wife, Ann

Today, many friends and family members gathered to say goodbye to an amazing man. He will leave a very large hole in many people's lives, but he will also leave a very large legacy as well. His funeral was a beautiful tribute to a great man who touched thousands of lives.

As we left the funeral we were handed a bookmark with the following saying:

The time to be kind

is now.

The place to be kind

is here.

We needn't be told

the way to be kind

For the way to be kind

is clear.

But it's good to pause

and remember

In the heat of our stress

and drive,

The very best time

to live

Is while we are still

alive.

The time to be happy

is now.

The place to be happy

is here.

The way to be happy

Is to make others happy.

Simple enough, I fear

But the simple things

we are apt to miss

As we struggle and fret

and strive

Forgetting the very best time

to live

Is while we are

still alive.

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions. But I think this year, this poem wil be mine.

I have put it in a place where I can see it every day, and in memory of Dennis Barney, I will strive to live while I am yet still alive.

(and forgive me once more, Shelly, for stealing a picture from your blog)

2009-01-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

KIDS

Somehow these adorable little KIDS

Have turned into these adorable big KIDS

Who still just want to be KIDS

2009-01-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Bragging . . . .

Last Night I was chatting with a friend, bragging about the great pictures from THE WEDDING. She in turn began bragging about her sister who is a photographer. Needles to say, she had every right to brag, her sister's photos are more than just photos, they are truly works of art. I wanted to post one of her pictures, but didn't think I had permission to do so, and since I have not yet figured out how to link a site in my post, you will just have to look to the left where I have added her blog, PiedPiper Photography. The bad news---- she lives in London, the good news ---- she comes to Arizona a few times a year.

And since I am bragging and since posts are not any fun without pictures, I will brag about these cute photographers

Who took these cute family pictures,

and hope that Shelly doesn't mind that I stole these from her blog.

UPDATE:

These cute photographers now have their own blog site. Once again look to the left for their blog.

LANG PHOTOS

2009-01-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

FIRSTS

The FIRST day of the new year.

The FIRST foray into the world of blogdom.
{not sure if blogdom is a word, but if it isn't, it will be soon}

I am sure you are asking yourselves, "What the heck is A.B.O.M.O?"
No, it is not a misspelling of the soon to be President, nor does it have anything to do with him, and although I did not vote for him, I am praying that he will do a good job.
So, your FIRST assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to figure out exactly what A.B.O.M.O. stands for. We will play it like "Balderdash"
{since that seems to be the game of choice lately}
I will post all of your guesses, and you can choose the right one.
The winner will get a bit of movie money, so make sure you give me contact information.
{although that request seems a bit silly, since the only ones playing will probably be those I already know how to contact, but just in case. . . . . .}

And since one of the reasons I was waiting to create a blog was that I was waiting for wedding pictures. . . . . . . here is the FIRST picture

So Merry New Year, and Happy Holidays to you all!!

PS Aren't you impressed that I figured out how to do this all by myself?