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This is the Place Where Heaven Meets Earth

Grateful.

I love this place.

My Castle.

Houston Rodeo & Random Acts of Kindness

Here is our service/date afternoon from last Friday.

Mike and I signed up with his work for 4 hours of helping with the

Random Acts of Service day.

The 1st half

we were stationed at some doors and opened them for people to enter or leave 

the Reliant Center where the shopping booths were

 and the children's petting zoo and live stock (cows, today)

I loved noticing who would say thank you, 

especially families where the kids and teens would say thank you too... 

The 2d half

We were given 2 coupon books each for free and discounted food, rides and shopping, 

to give out to people who we would catch doing random acts of service.

So that was interesting and a challenge in a place where people are really very self centered.

But we did find some good souls.

I gave mine to a lady who randomly picked up some stranger's 

shopping bag that had fallen without her noticing.

The other one I gave to a lady who really complimented an elderly woman in the bathrooms.

Mike did not escape working for an hour 1/2!

I love people watching. 

I loved looking at all the cowgirl outfits and especially boots! 

Some Houstonians really can get into it!

Some were pretty cool, and some very over the top!

My cowgirls boots stayed in our car!

 I chose comfort over style.

I knew we were going to be on our feet for hours...

But I did wear a cute cowgirl shirt, after our service shift was over! :)

My favorite Interesting people of the day:

*** 

This one lady asked us where we had bought our bright orange service tee-shirts!

She thought they were awesome and wanted one so bad!

Unfortunately they were not for sale, and if I would have met her at the end of our shift, 

I would have gladly given her mine! hi hi!

*** 

This one interesting looking tall ponytail-back-country-lookin' older man 

with an orange tee-shirt saying:

"You're just jealous because the voices are talking to me"

Mike asked him what they were saying?

He pointed at Mike and said: 

" No "

Then pointed at me and said: 

"Always yes!"

I must say, I agree with him, or should I say I agree with the voices? 

hi hi...

***

This grandpa in a deep sleep on the mattress sample.

Probably waiting for his family to come back and get him after they were done shopping.

Doesn't he look comfy?

After the afternoon events, food and shopping
( I found the cutest scarf!)
We headed with the crowd to the actual Rodeo
We skipped the Concert.
It was some country singer we did not know.
We are both being kinda ignorant in the country music industry!

The Horse
Some crazy business!

The Bulls
Even more crazy business!

In all, we had a Wonderful time and it was good to be together! 

Mike has been working some crazy hours!

Our Spring Brake

The weather was P E R F E C T spring brake week!

I'm enjoying it while it last, pretty soon the heat and humidity will be settling in.

This spring brake we stayed home.

Amelie and I went shopping for new clothes for her.

She is fast outgrowing her clothes.

Amelie said goodbye to sweet William.

On Monday we went to a nursing home for a little bit to sing and say hi to the older generation.

My forest was purged by fire this week.
It was cool and mysterious...

Amelie and I watched a few movies together.

I also had Amelie and Emric clean out their bedrooms
and get rid of stuff they don't use or that is too small.
Emric got rid of one shirt!
After I went through his closet he had a whole kitchen garbage bag full!

On Wednesday, Amelie had gymnastic and diving.

Chloe and I went and said Hi to the horses who live right next door to the pool.

4 horses spooked Chloe by charging her when she got in their field!
She ran away and when I didn't see her come back after calling her, I went looking for her.

I found her a little "worried" by my car trying to get in.

This is so not like her, she is usually so fearless! 

I guess she never had 4 horses running her off their turf!

Poor puppy!

Thursday Amelie had a sleep over with her friend Maddy.

Friday I spent almost all day with my Man! :)
More on that in the next post.

Emric's Eagle Project

Emric chose to do his Eagle Project at the local animal rescue shelter.

Which has been 2 years in the planing, mind you! 

I can't express how excited I am that we are doing this!

Any mom, with a scouting boy, out there, knows what I am talking about!

Emric is our Cat-Boy.

His project consists of 3 parts.

1. Putting a wire fence around an existing dog coral.

2. Repainting one of the Cat rooms.

2. Making cat toys to put in the many feline cages.

Thursday night.

We did the taping, and prepping of the cat room.

Boys from church, with Mike and their leader, put up a welding wire fence around an existing fence.

The purpose was to keep little dogs and puppies from getting out through the bars,

when 'people' would dump their dogs at night when the shelter is closed.
Little ones would get out and get lost or killed on the nearby roads.

I will not say more on the matter as I don't understand 'humans' who

abandon an animal who trusts them. Mskes me mad!

Our little family, Mike, Emric, Amelie and I

stayed until 10 pm to finish putting on the first coat of paint.

Saturday Morning

We were back at the shelter at 8 am doing the 2d coat, which took no time...

Notice the lovely blue color I picked for the room...

Lots of people and volunteers commented on how lovely and peaceful it was...

I think so too.

A volunteer lady, Sharron, takes care of this room every day. 

She decorates it, cleans it and even has set up a stereo to play relaxing music 

for the poor kitties who have been abandoned 

and who are waiting for someone to fall in love with them and give them a forever home....

(I will go and take a picture of it totally finished and post it here soon)

Sunday Afternoon

We went back after Church to take off the tape.
Since it went really fast,
we stayed and walked some dogs for a couple of hours.
Amelie really has been begging to do that!

A word of advice:

Do not let a 10 year old walk a cute little puppy, if you have no intention of adopting one,
right then and there.
.
After sitting in her lap, following her everywhere,
and basically be a total joy of cuddles and loves,
it WILL take a hold of a defenseless little girl's heart.
You, the adult, will have to take that heart back, brake it and smash it to pieces,
when you tell her we can't bring it home with us.
There is no going around it!
Dad was not there, so again Mom was the heartless one!!!

( He was trying to fix the church's wireless connection, which took 5 hours!)

My Happiness Manifesto

I was inspired to make one of these from this blog I like a lot.

I will, for now, put it on my computer screen. 

Then print it out and place it where I will see it often.

Like the potty room or the kitchen.

 I made my own 21 keep joy and happiness inducers.

To use not all at once, but as needed... 

For when the 'D' words start to take over, like:

Doubt, discouragement, discord, downhearted, discontent, disillusioned, 

distrust, disgusted, depressed...

These are tried, lived and tested. They usually work for me.

They bring me joy and happiness.

(These are in no particular order.)

1. Rejoice and Live in the Now

Because that is all we have. The Now. Life is lived one moment at a time. Enjoy.

"Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering" 

Fanny Crosby

2. I can do hard things

With Christ all things are possible.

Hard things increase growth, faith, strength & stretches our soul.

3. Create Beauty

Make your environment beautiful.
Creativity enlarges the soul and mind. Make Beauty all around you!

4. Delight and feast upon the word
Seek, dig, ponder upon the words of Christ. They lighten up the soul. Give direction. Comfort.
Give Peace and Understanding.

5. Exercise the heart 
For longevity and well being. Find what you love. And do it. Move & stretch that body!
We only have one to carry us through our life journey.

6. Peace and harmony in the heart
Keep anger out of your life. When It comes, do not let it fester and linger. Forgive.
"For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of  happiness"
Ralf Aldo Emerson

7. Keep the Vision, This too shall pass.
Our life is but a moment. A Passing.
Everything will eventually pass, and change, and get better in the end.
'If it's not okay, it's not the end'

8. Look Up

Every day, look up towards heaven. Look at the clouds, the stars, the vast expanse...

How small am I? Insignificant. Yet, I am noticed and loved beyond measure. 
Feel the love of God!

9. Serve Someone

Nothing is quite like making someone smile, lifting an other's heart, giving a helping hand.

One cannot serve & love without feeling joy and increase happiness.

Find one in need every day. No matter how small or big the act of love is.

10. Rest

Rest your heart in the stillness of God
"Our hearts are restless until they rest in You."
Augustine.

A well rested body, makes for a clearer thinking head. 

Less grumpiness and impatience with those we love the most.

Sleep. Relax.

11. I am in charge of how I feel. Today I choose Happiness.

I have the power to choose how I feel. Things don't go my way? 

Rain. Clouds. Evil hearts. Wars. Unrest. Disasters.

Others may taunt, tease, disappoint, hurt, ignore...

I control my feelings! They do not control me. 

12. Count Gifts. Notice Tender Mercies

In All things give Thanks.

Gratitude turns everything we have into enough.

13. Listen. Smell. See. The World.

I believe there is beauty in Mother Nature everywhere. Look for it with all senses. Everyday.
A bird's song. A lady bug. Warm rain drops. Spring scents. Taste of a fruit.
It's all a gift to make our life more beautiful and enjoyable.

14. Clean space = Clear mind
De clutter, it invites sanity & clarity of the mind. Think better.
When we clean out things that don't matter, we make room for what does.
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" ~William Morris

15. Read
A good book. To expand the mind.

16. Stop and Kneel
When I forgot my morning prayer and it's 3pm.
When challenges arise and I need help from above.
When gifts & joys are noticed.
When prayers are answered.
Thank and Praise.

17. Keep a tender Heart
Soft. Loving. Forgiving. Full of the love of God.
Do not chase the spirit away...

18. Plan my work. Work my plan.
Monday Downton Abbey day. Wed Laundry day. Friday Date with my Man day.
Having a plan helps me not to get lost and get things done.
Whether it is work or pleasure.
Schedule it. It's more likely it will happen.

19. Joyful Music. Soundtrack your work.
Fill your home with good music. Especially on rainy dreary days.
It lifts and encourages to work on that chore you can't get around to do.
It helps me focus on the task at hand. And who can't use more focus?
If I'm on the net being distracted from what I really need to get done,
 I put on my-clean-the-house-playlist and oh, miracle of all miracles,
I get up and do it!

20. Breath Deep. Slow down.
Enjoy the moment, the season you are in.
When things get too fast, too overwhelming.
Breath Deep and Stay Calm.
Life is not a race, but a journey needing to be enjoyed.

21. I am Enough because He is enough. 
In Christ, I am Complete.
Remember that! No matter how much I lack, He is all and everything.
He will complete me and make me whole and enough.

A Place to Be at Peace

Yesterday was: 

A lovely morning

A lovely sunny morning

This is one place I love . 

Where I always feel good and at peace.

Where family ties past and future are remembered.

Where time has no bearing. 

A place where generations meet.

And loved ones are bonded.

A place to be at peace and contemplate never ending stories.
On this lovely sunny morning...

Christmas Spirit

Today as I was checking out at the grocery store, 

a group of handicapped children sang some 

Christmas carols.

It was so sweet. 

It warmed my heart.

Something else that makes me happy: the thought of seeing my sweet girl tomorrow!

Christmas Choir, Late Nights & Ice Skating.

Amelie joined the 4th grade school Choir this year.

She practices for 30 min, every Tuesdays and Thursdays, before school at 7:30am.

That is the time she normally takes the bus for school.

She loves to sing!

She is always singing and performing...

Mike must have hundreds of  recordings on his Ipad by now!

Anyhow.

She was really tired, as you can see in the pictures, 

because she had a friend come for a sleepover and they went to sleep around 4 am!!!

That was after doing 6 hours of Gymnastics on Friday from 4 til 10pm!

Only Daddy was able to get these rare smiles...

She had more yawnings...

 

 

 

She ended up getting all her energy back in the evening 

when we took her Ice skating with another friend! 

They ice skated for 3 hours!
They had a lot of fun.
And got all wet pretending to fall in the melted ice puddles.
Yeah, it's hard keeping ice frozen in 70/80 degree weather!
They have to refreeze the ice with a machine every few hours...

Today - Part 2

Today

A 'Ray of Sunshine' came through the back door at the drop of a hat, 

in the form of a sweet sister-girlfriend, Jamie.

To comfort, to offer friendship, to paint toe nails orange!

A breath of fresh air on a beautiful, beautiful sunny day!

Even though my heart was gloomy.

Funny it is.

Because yesterday, I was an answer to her prayer, so she says.

She called me 'Angel'.

I went to her, offering a helping hand, a chick flick and a lunch.

When she said: 

"How can I repay you?", 

I said: 

"By just by being you, a Ray of Sunshine, 

you just make people happy just by your presence."

Today she was just that to me!

Today

A sweet concerned caring Justine called from paradise.

A little uplifting comment from across the world. Merci Petit Frere...

Sometimes you just need to know someone cares...

Grateful today for an answered prayer.

Thank you.

'Macaron aux Framboise" French almond biscuit with vanilla cream and rasberries.

Today

I defrosted a Trader's Joe 'Macaron aux Framboise'

*****

Camille

I always love to have my little niece Camille come visit!

She usually cleans or organizes something.

This time she cleaned up the back yard,

helped in kitchen and made us a very yummy Apple-Almond cake!
Reciepie here, just substitute cherries with apples.

The batter wasn't bad either... It's my favorite!
Right, hand-caught-in-the-bowl-Audie?

I told her she is someday going to be an awesome wife and mom!

Don't you love my Yellow & White Polka dot apron?
I do!

Conference Cookies

During the afternoon session of Conference,

Amelie and I made some Peanut Butter cookies -

some with Heath Bits,

some with mini-chocolate chips

and some with both.

She has a little swim-team girlfriend who moved-in on our street.

We took her family a dozen cookies to welcome them to the neighborhood.

Needless to say I will have to re-listen to that session!
Thats ok, cause I will be listening to all of Conference
on my phone during my walks with Chloe within the next 6 months...

But boy! Was that cookie dough YUMMY!

The Heath/Peanut cookies were delicious too!

I'm not a huge fan of Peanut Butter Cookies but these;
I really like!

Robin's Peanut Butter Cookies Recipie

(we made a double batch to share)

Better to see through

The last full day Sarah was here, 

she washed all my windows and did some yard work!!!!

Oh and washed my tile floors

Thank you so much! You realy didn't have too...

But I'm enjoying it anyways, a lot!

On the Table:

Sweet Potato cuttings. 

Put them in Water and they will grow roots and keep growing! 

Cool and Pretty!

LDS Humanitarian Center

On of our Favorite activities in Salt Lake was going to the church Humanitarian Center.

There, we worked for a little over an hour, assembling school kits

 for children around the world less fortunate than us.

We had our own little assembly line.

The boxes in the photo below are all the ones we were able to assemble in that short time! 

(6 kits by in each box)

Everyone wanted to keep going, especially Amelie and Clara.

But we had a schedule to keep, and so did the workers and volunteers there.

Next we were taken for a tour of the premises...

 Bathroom brake with Amelie.

Loved the Mirror!!!! Made us look real skinny!

Humanitarian Service

We were shown and told of how the Church helps people who come form distressed circumstances around the world and how they are given a job here, trained and educated to function in America and help them get a better job. 

I didn't know that this program existed. 

I knew that we help a lot around the world and at home,

 both from our faith and not of our faith alike.

But it really touched me to know and see that donations to our church 

are used in such a way as to bless so many individual lives too...

Humane Society

On President's day, since the kids were out of School,
I took Amelie and Emric to the local dog shelter.

Emric, to start working on his Eagle Scout project. 

Amelie because she wanted to volunteer
(and I'm sure, secretly, wished to take one home...).

After we asked the supervisor what sorts of projects could benefit the shelter, 

we walked some dogs (I did a lot of dog poop picking up too). 

Amelie loved it! I enjoyed it too,
but it was so sad to see all these dogs being abandoned! 

They get around 100 dropped off every day,
 about one third gets adopted.