Monday's Heroes

This is also day #5 of what makes me happy. This family makes me happy as well as being my heroes. They are the Bremers. I have pictures of Hans and Hero but none of Celeste and Caleb! Oh well. This family is very special to me. Their children are some of my 'surrogate' grandchildren at church. We are close to Hans and Celeste and have been since they arrived. We love them very much. We are now praying that Hans finds a job as an international lawyer. We are sure the Lord has something for him - we are just waiting to see what it is. They are a very optimistic and upbeat family. No matter what the circumstances - there is always a silver lining. The Bremer's have taught me to look at the bright side no matter what. This is why they are my heroes.

Picture #1 - Hero Bremer - age1

Picture #2 - father and daughter - Hans and Hero

Happiness #4

I am happy to be a member of the Newport ward. I am NOT grateful for the summer exodus that happens every year - especially when families I am especially close to have to leave a year early.

Picture #1 - Trisha Freel, the back of Kaitlin Freel (our miracle baby!) and Erin Spencer

Picture #2 - Rich Brownell in the foreground, Clyde right behind him - to the far left is Cody Mello - one of the youth we are very close too (who fortunately will be here until he either goes to college or leaves on his mission!).

Happy Day #3

Going to see the movie "UP" with my husband. Great movie, great company, great time!

Things that make me Happy #2

Today my grandchildren make me happy! I have 9 of the most beautiful grandchildren in the world. I am very blessed.

Picture #1 - Nordells - Brandon, Heather - Bella 6 and Evie 22 months

Picture 2 {most recent picture} Carlye 8, Dutch 11 months, Nathanael 7 and Noah 4 {Dutch usually laughs like that}

Picture 3 Bahlmann Family - Andy and Heidi, Marcus 7, Anneke 4, Luke 1

Picture 4 Marcus 7, Anneke 4, Luke 1

Things that make me happy #1

Heidi tagged me to write 8 days of happy things. I am not going to tag anyone because I think happy things should be voluntary (besides she tagged everyone I would have!).

Ever since I was a little girl - I couldn't wait to be a mother. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would reply, a mother. I soon realized however that this was not a response that people thought was proper. I was always chided and told, "Oh, you want to be something besides that!" But no, I never did. I wanted to have babies and take care of them. When I married my husband, I told him I wanted 7 children, 4 sons and 3 daughters. Why that number or that equation I will never know but that is what I said and what I wanted. I insisted that I wanted a son first. Heavenly Father had other ideas (and a funny sense of humor!). We ended up with 4 beautiful daughters that sent us through every emotion we could possibly imagine but who I would not trade for all the world. What do I want to want to be when I grow up? Now I want to be a grandmother to the children of our 4 beautiful daughters.

[The pictures above are: The preview picture (which Heidi hates but I love because it is all of our daughters together 2 1/2 years ago in Las Vegas; More recent pictures: #1 - Pam and Carianne, #2 Heather's 'pin-up shot for her husband in Afghanistan #3 - Heidi's Mother's Day picture (I have a better one of her tomorrow) and #4 the picture of the 4 girls that is one of my favorites from when they were little. Cariannne was 6, Heather was 4, Heidi was 3 and Pam was 10 1/2 months.]

Tuesday's Book Review

I went back to old standbys this week: Maggie Sefton and Joanne Fluke. I started with book 1 that they wrote and have been working to their more current works. I am still reading Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat who..." books and Baroness Orczy's "Scarlet Pimpernel" books so I have been reading non-stop.

I love Joanne Fluke's mysteries. First of all she writes a delightful mystery and secondly she always includes a group of recipes within her books. There are several in this group that I have written down to try.

Maggie Sefton writes books centered around a knitting store. Her books always include a knitting pattern and a recipe. That is a bonus as well as a fun mystery. These are both what I call 'fluffy mysteries' because they are not intense dramas like "Pelican Brief'" but just fun reads. I love Carolyn Hart mysteries and she is the one that started me reading these mysteries in the first place. I was sad to read that she is not embracing the 'eletronic book' genre and refuses to have her books published on Kindle or the the other electronic books. Probably because her books center around a 'bookstore' and it is true - a Kindle is not good for a bookstores business.

I never know from week to week what I will read. I did try to read "Roots" by Alex Haley again. I had read it before (it took me forever when it first came out). We are supposed to be reading it for out bookgroup. I must admit I am glad I won't be here for bookgroup this month because I just could not get into again. I guess because there were so many lawsuits against Haley after he wrote it and then it was proven that he made up most of the early part - so what is to say he didn't fabricate all of the book? It is in the biographical section and has always been represented as a history of his family but he has never been able to document any of it. Genealogists are much more sticky about that now than they were 30 years ago. Some say it can't be documented but one group did do a family group sheet on Alex Haley - this was not his family. I have a hard time reading a lie. Reprint it as a fictitious novel (which I thought it had been) and maybe I will handle it better. Reading it as a biography - I cannot do.

Monday's Heroines

I am lucky to have 4 of the greatest nieces in the world. They are like my daughters. Annemarie, Julianna, Sara and Christina have been an extension of my family from the day they were born. We were very lucky to live within an hour of them for most of their growing up years and they will always be my heroes.

Annemarie and Julianna served faithful and honorable missions for the our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Annemarie is currently working in the laundry of the Salt Lake Temple and Julianna just last week got home from her mission. We will let her rest a minute before she jumps into the fray. Sara is married to a wonderful man (so I have heard from everyone who has met him though I have not had the pleasure yet) and is working in a daycare. Sara and Dallin are a great couple and someday will be great parents - I am sure of it. Christina is out of High School and last I heard thinking of going to Snow College. All of my nieces are gifted musicians, wonderful with children and very personable. Their parents have done a beautiful job in raising them. I am proud to claim these young women as mine!