Marshall

got his first bath this morning.

He kind of liked it.

Here is the family as they left for church this morning.

(They would have taken Marshall

if we had let them)

He is very loved.

Now, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me or anything.

But this is what I was forced to do for 2 hours

while they were at church and Misty got ready.

Tough job, I know--

Sitting in one of my Mom's old robes, dozing off with Marshall.

This is the life.

Marshall

and Me.

I wondered for a minute if Marshall would take to me or not.

Everytime I tried to hold him, he would cry.

When I would give him back to Misty or Dan he would stop.

He still likes Mom and Dad best,

but at least he'll let me hold him.

It's cute to see how much he is loved by his

sister and brothers.

More pictures to come later.

Presenting . . .

our newest addition:

Marshall Zane Bishop

February 25, 2010

9 lbs, 23 inches

(thanks for the pictures, Dave)

The next pictures will be of me holding him!

I'm off tomorrow morning.

And it's a

BOY!

A whopping 9 pound 23 inch long

red-headed

Marshall Zane Bishop.

He joins Mom and Dad,

bigs brothers Jackson, Hyrum, Harrison,

and big sister Lydia.

I don't have a picture yet,

but you can rest assured I'll post one

as soon as I get it.

I'm so relieved that all went well.

(And Duke, the pink outfit is yours)

Baby on the

Way!

At 8:10 pm tonight we got a call from Misty.

She's on the way to the hospital.

Her water broke as she was sitting on a couch at the church.

Right after the Blue and Gold Banquet had ended.

Yeah!

Now, what will it be?

I'm prepared for either!

Latest Aprons

Last Week

Justin sent us an email telling us about

a sweet moment with Eliza and Annie. 

He said:

"On Sunday morning Eliza was reading to Annie in her cute big sister/little mom tone of voice. At some point Eliza said, “Did you know that mommy’s sisters are angels?"

I have a visual snapshot in my mind of Eliza reading to Annie because I have seen her do it many times.  When she reads a story she uses much emotion and animation and puts emphasis in just the right places.

(I think Eliza is a beautiful angel herself in this picture)

Thank you for sharing that story, Justin, and thank you, Eliza, for remembering our two daughters in Heaven.   Just thinking about those daughters makes me want to be a better person.  I know that at this point in time they are much wiser than I am.   Sometimes I wonder how life would be different had they lived, and there's no doubt it would have been.  But then, we wouldn't have had the blessings of adopting Natalie, so I think there is a plan and that it works the way it should.   Annalee would be celebrating her 31st birthday on the Friday (Feb 26).   

Who knows, maybe we'll have a grandaughter born on that day.  Or maybe a little boy? Or maybe Misty doesn't want to wait that long?   Due date is one week from tomorrow, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

How

cute (and delicious) is this?

We had been home from St. George

for just a few minutes tonight when the doorbell rang. 

There at the door were two of my favorite people,

Martha and her daughter, Caroline.

They were bringing us this beautiful cake.

Caroline had made and decorated this cake. 

It looked like it had been done professionally. 

It tasted like it had been made professionally.

Only better.  

What enters my mind (besides how much I appreciate it)

is the thought of how generosity begets generosity.

Caroline had learned to decorate cakes at Activity Days.

Her leaders had very generously made each of the girls cakes

and then taught them how to decorate them.

Caroline and Martha had passed that generosity on

by making and giving us this beautiful cake.

Because I don't have a closet as big as the one 

in the Parade of Homes,

I had been forced to clean out my closet.

I had shared some of my (too many) clothes with Martha.

I wanted to share with Martha, because I appreciate her so much.

She has been very influential in Natalie's life.

She was her singing teacher for many years.

She not only helped her vocally,

but has always built her up

and given her encouragement and support.

When Natalie auditioned for

(and got the part of the witch in "Into the Woods,")

Martha practised with her and accompanied her at the tryout.

Just thinking about the difference she has made in

Natalie's life brings tears to my eyes.

Just last week, Martha called to tell Natalie

that she should audition for a play at the Scera Theatre.

 She's getting together with Natalie 

to help her practice a song to audition with.

Now, I feel so much gratitude for the cake and the support,

that I want to give back (or forward).

Yup.

Generosity begets Generosity.

If

I had this kitchen

would there be enough counter space

to 10 times my cupcake recipes?

Would my clothes fit in this little closet?

I'm not sure about either of those questions.

I guess I'll save my 3.5 million dollars.

As a side note, the contractor of this house in the Parade of Homes

is a former coaching associate of Gary's.  

He told Gary he quit teaching in '03 and couldn't be happier.

Gary thinks he could probably get a 5% discount,
if anyone is interested.

On second thought,

maybe we should reconsider.

  I can never pass up a sale.

You

have to live with yourself, and so.

You have to be fit for yourself to know.

You need to be able as days go by,

always to look yourself straight in the eye.

Or it goes something like that.

I'll have to look it up when my internet access is more reliable.

That poem has been going in my mind all morning.

I remember it (somewhat) from 5th or 6th grade when we had to memorize it.

  We're in St. George, and last night on the way down we listened to "Standing for Something," on CD.  The book was written by President Hinckley.  I'm not sure if I've read it before, but it is very thought provoking.    He points out 10 virtues that are important, but that are missing in our modern culture.  I'll have to list those once we're done listening to the CD.

So, I guess thinking about the book on CD has triggered that poem in my mind.  It is interesting that I really seldom look myself in the eye.  I will look in the mirror as I put on my makeup, do my hair, or see how my clothes look.  But to really look myself in the eye, is not something I do often.  I don't know if that is deliberate (afraid of what I'll see?) or a result of just not thinking about it.  

Anyway, that sounds like a good exercise to do each day.

In our relationships class, the point has been brought out that if we look closely in the mirror, that it will turn into a window where we can not only see and love ourselves more clearly, but also see and love others more truly.

So, that is something to practice I guess. 

Looking ourselves straight in the eye.

Getting

Excited to have a new grandchild soon.

(Due date is March 2)

Misty posted a picture of herself on her blog

so I could see how big and uncomfortable

she was at 37 weeks. 

She does look very pregnant,

and she does look like she must be very uncomfortable,

but she also looks very radiant and beautiful.

(I hope she doesn't sue me for copyright infringement.

I copied and pasted this from her blog)

And just so she can't be too upset with

me posting the picture,

I'll also show this one of me

when I was pregnant with her.

(August 1975)

Oh my, that was a long time ago.

We're all rather hoping for a girl.

She has 3 boys and 1 girl already.

If she has a girl, they are going to name her

Charlotte Rose.

Charlotte after my mom

(though mom's name was spelled "Charlet.")

Rose was Dan's grandmother's name.

But if it's a boy, we'll be equally happy.

We know they do both kind really well.

I've finished the quilt, nursing covers, and carseat cover.

I haven't finished the MuMu to replace

the old one of Mom's that Misty inherited.

Misty has worn that one until it's falling apart at the seams.

So give me a few days to finish the MuMu, Misty.

Then I give you permission to have

our new grandchild.

(yeah, like she needs my permission?)

After

Gary's debut as an infomercial participant, we went to dinner with Gary's sister, Margie, along with husband, Lance, and son, Michael.

We always enjoy spending time with them

and don't get to see them very often.

Today we will go to church with them and have dinner at their home after.  We'll be able to see most of their 10 children and their families then.   Margie and Lance have 32 grandchildren.  I can't even imagine having that many grandchildren!  (I guess I won't have to imagine it, unless each of our daughters have 10.5 children.)

After dinner we drove over to see my niece, Jennie, and her husband Ryan and their two children, Brooke and Cole. 

They are such a cute family, and they recently moved into a nice new home.  Brooke made some brownies, and she and Cole were excellent hosts as they served us the delicious brownies and ice cream.  We were so happy to see them.

We're having a busy and fun time,

and way too much food!

P.S.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Easy

Money.

Here are Gary and I making some easy money yesterday.

Sitting in the airport. 

We opted to get bumped off an overbooked flight. 

We got to Phoenix a few hours later than orignally planned

(after a brief detour to Reno),

but we're $775 dollars richer in travel vouchers. 

Pretty sweet.

That is in addition to the all-expense paid 

weekend get-away so Gary can do his little

testimonial for an infomercial.

Can you imagine a more likely candidate
for an infomercial than Gary?

For anyone who doesn't know Gary well,

I'll tell you that he is an infomercial junkie.

Not that he purposely stays up late to watch them.

Just that while he is up late working on his computer,

he's been known to order some very interesting products

that were just too good to be passed up.

Gary was told to bring 4 or 5 different outfits
to the filming so they could decide what would look the best.

Here he is when he left the first time.

Here he is back in the room to
change into the shirt they liked best.

If you can't tell, he also has makeup on.

I would certainly buy

from this good-looking man.

Even if he was selling snake oil.

Wouldn't you?

Paradigm (PAR - a - Dime)

Shift.

I've heard that phrase for many years. 

To me it has meant to look at things in a different way. 

That you change your perspective. 

I guess it was first used as a word to
define purely scientific methods.  

When I looked up the common (not scientific)
definition it is : 

"To change from one way of thinking to another. It's a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis. It just does not happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change."

Anyway, I had a paradigm shift as I sat and looked at my craft room yesterday.  When I have a big project to work on, I tend to spread out on a kitchen table or set up a table in the family room.  (This has been evidenced by my many different projects that I locate in many different rooms in my house)    

So, as I sat looking at my craft room, I thought to myself. 

"I know why I don't like to sew on the sewing table. 

It is crammed in a corner with very little work space. 

It is not inviting to me." 

Then I said to myself,

"I know why I don't like to use the Cricut machine

on the drafting table in the craft room.

It's because it is always covered with too many

containers of pens and other stuff." 

I know, I seem to be talking to myself a lot lately.

But, that is when I had the paradigm shift.

I asked myself,

"Why do I have to use the sewing table for sewing? 

Just because I bought that sewing table at a garage sale

many years ago for 25 dollars,

I don't have to use it for a sewing table." 

That thought started a whole reorganization of my craft room. 

Now my drafting table is completely clear and available to use for my sewing machine or my Cricut machine at any time.  I have converted my sewing table to an organization shelf. 

Wow. 

I have been sewing the car seat cover

and nursing cover for Misty's baby,

and enjoying every minute of my large sewing space. 

I guess that's what happens when you "think."

2nd time around

for Ashton's pumpkin cookies.

Three weeks ago I rushed one morning to make

Pumpkin Chip Cookies (Ashton's favorite),

package them, and send them off so

they would get there for Ashton's birthday on January 26.

I sent them, along with a check and a few

other little goodies.

Every day I waited to hear that the package had arrived.

It still hasn't.

I got a case number, but the post office has no

clue where the package went.

One man said it may have gotten "chewed up"

in the baggage handling machine.

Very Frustrating.

So here are the new cookies

I've just finished baking.

I think I'll send them UPS this time

and track the route.

I got this Pumpkin Cookie recipe from a Church Primary Manual many years ago.  I think the lesson was on the blessings of the earth and how we are able to eat what grows from the earth.  I've tried other recipes since then, but I've never liked it as well as this one.   Of course, I had to add chocolate chips to it.

Pumpkin Chip Cookies

(This is proportioned to use a large can of pumpkin)

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cooked or canned mashed pumpkin
6 cups flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients. Blend in extract and nuts. Add chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonful on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes.

I'm feeling

a little overindulged.

I had at least one (and usually more) of everything on this table.

But we had such a good time sharing the day with

Jared and Sarah and their very cute and very polite boys.

With Stephanie and Bryce and little Andie,

who received a beautiful blessing today,

And of course with Tom and Lynn who

bought most of the food for the affair.

We don't get to see any of them often,

so I love having them hang out here when they are around.

PS:  This is Annette writing. 

Not Tom, who had a short lived "Coup d'état" of my blog.

We're

having a good laugh regarding the previous entry.  No, I haven't totally lost it or moved out of state. 

Tom got a text message from his daughter telling him to quit impersonating me on my blog.  We were somewhat confused about the whole thing until we came home and read it.   He was using my computer, but how he posted on my blog instead of his is somewhat of a mystery.  He swears he logged in as his name.   No doubt it was the computer's fault, certainly not human error.  Of course this was done by my brother who, while talking with his son on the phone about computer issues, typed "right click" when he was told to right click.   For some unknown reason that didn't work.  Kind of like for some unknown reason he posted on his blog but it showed up on mine.    Oh well, he treated us to an amazing dinner at Ruby River, so I guess I'll allow him to take over my blog for a day.  But, he'll certainly never live this one down.

Having fun in Utah

It is Saturday night and we are just headed out to eat dinner with Gary and Annette. They are always so thoughtful in giving us room and board we thought it would nice to take them out for dinner.

We got in late last night (around 11pm or so).  Today we spent the early morning with Annette and late morning to just a bit ago with Jared and family and Steph and family.  We ate lunch at "Stan's" on 9th East which has a history for me since that was called the "Article Circle" in my youth and I use to eat and get drinks there some 55 years ago.  They still serve really good food. After that we came back to Annette's and watch BYU get roasted by UNLV in basketball.  BYU was ranked 12th in the nation but this will drop them way down.

It has been fun being with the grandkids and kids.  They all seem happy.  Jared is still in a quandry about his home as it is just one thing after another that delays their getting into it. Andie is soooo cute. The boys are really well behaved and fun. They are eating dinner with Jean this evening.

Tomorrow is the blessing and then after that the football game and I think the kids are coming up here to watch that, or at least some of it.  We are having food and candy etc.  It should be fun. I really enjoy being with them. I miss them.  What would life be like without loved ones??

This is

why I haven't had time to blog the last few days.  

I've finally been getting the downstairs bedroom decorated

and ready for guests.

(We're excited to have Tom and Lynn this weekend)

And, it's time to show

 "the deep,"

since this is as good as it gets.

Really!

As bad as it is,
with baskets and cords hanging from the ceiling,

that's as good as it gets.

Whew, I feel better coming clean
about this "deep" dark secret.

I just got

off the phone with my brother, Gary, and his wife, Lynn.

We were talking about their 50th wedding anniversary

which is coming up this summer.

Then Gary referred me to a website

to read an article where they interviewed Lynn.

It is beautiful and captures the essence of her and Gary's spirits,

It also gives a better understanding of what my

nephew, Chuck,

and niece, Christine, went through in their lives.

They are all heroes to me.

Here is the article

Beyond This Mortal Coil --Interview with Lynn Anderson

Chuck at Cory's Wedding

Me and Chuck

Christine and Natalie

Christine and Dad (and Misty)

Christine's last birthday