A year ago TODAY....

Well exactly one year ago today I drove up to the Salt Lake area, my son was the chaperone and had my first date with Brent....It was a Thursday night and we went to a Mexican restaurant in Bountiful Utah. This was to be our introduction kinda date...the next night was what he invited me up to. You see at the time he was a high councilman (his church calling) and once a year they had a Stake High Council Social (fish fry). Well this time there where going to be 29 guests, 30 if I decided to be his date. With that kind of invite how could I say no!!! Before I could except going he felt he needed to ask his Stake President to see if it was okay (of course it was). So more on our introduction date well...funny thing, there was this lady he use to serve with. It was when he was still married and he was serving over the singles. Well she was going out to that same restaurant (Mexican Food), and she saw the two of us there. She was extremely nervous and a bit disturbed, destressed, as I noticed her pacing back and forth as we waited to be seated. We later found out she had no idea that Brent was divorced and she thought he was messing up so that very night she called that same Stake President. He was very nice about it and of course when she told him Brent was dating he said, " Good for him it's about time." Needless to say it all was a innocent mistake and bless her for her concerns!!! We need more people like her...This goes to show that our example we set in life matters, people do watch us!!! That same Stake President attended our Wedding sealing in the Bountiful Temple...
What did we do to celebrate??? We had a quiet dinner for two...steaks off the grill, sweet potatoes, salad and watermelon...We watched a funny but romantic movie and the rest I won't share!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!...

Well Saturday was my birthday and Friday Brent and I drove to Ely to spend sometime with Grandpa and Grandma Bell. Grandpa took us to the Jail House casino for a steak dinner. It was cool because years ago it was really a jail, the booths are individual jail cells. It was really fun and the food was pretty good. Then the next day we went to breakfast and ate way too much…then did some sight seeing in Ely. We went up to the lake, it was small but the setting was nice. Then I played on the computer while Dad, Mildred and Brent watched the BYU game. BYU lost by ten points…sad game, they made some big errors. We headed home afterwards, stopping to eat again at the Buffet. I will surly have to walk everyday all week…perhaps even jog to get all this food gone!!! Guess what my birthday present from Brent was? It is six weeks of Dance Lessons (him and I) the two step, swing, basic line dance movements, ect. I think it will be great for the two of us. When I got home there was two packages waiting for me to open, one being another gift from Brent which was a cute number music box. It is more like a jewelry holder or maybe trinket of my choosing. Then a card with the girls handprints and cute pictures of me and them from a recent visit to the park. I also got ten dollars from Grandma Raelene and fifty dollars from Max and Margeret. I got sung to by Shelley, Lila and Avery Mae. I would say I did okay!!! I forgot Jean also took me to lunch one day last week. Hearing from my son who is serving a mission in Fiji was a tearful, joyful moment of my week...he sent plenty of pictures and shared lots of details. It was great to hear from him. I feel pretty loved...

Shelley Belly

Happy Birthday...to my sweet daughter!!!

Native Wisdom

I read this on Grandma and Grandpa Clarke's blog....hey we are never to old to share in the fun of Blogging. Anyway there is so much truth in this native story!!!

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a
battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2
"wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,
greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Our Ladies Day out...

Yesterday a group of us had a great lunch date....Margaret Elliott made the phone calls and arranged all of it. THANK YOU Margaret!!! It was great, the food, the people, the spirit that was present and said we were all up to doing this again...

A very busy week and weekend for the Elliotts!!!

This past week we have been very busy partaking of the fruit our trees have given to us this year. Brent was so kind to have picked all the pears, apples, and plums from the trees while I was out of town. He had decorated the garage by having them sitting nicely in a neat row of boxes...many boxes.

I started with the pears, I love dried pears...then we moved onto the plums. Tried drying the plums but way to sour....not good, did two plum cobblers and WOW the first bite made you pucker up big time. I was afraid I would never get my lips out of that puckered up old lady kissing position...so I tried making plum syrup. It turned out great. I loved it and it taste great on waffles!!! I was running into the weekend and short of time so I had to employ Trevor, Brooke and Brent into the world of canning. We did some applesause, apple juice, more syrup, more pears, and I even made some Italian Broshetta with garden basil, tomatoes, olive oil, onions, and garlic. Yum...Yum...it was good on bread, pizza even a macaroni pasta dish we had for dinner one night. Having all of us work together was fun, we got alot of talking in. After cutting all those apples our fingers were worn out!!!

Then over the Weekend Brent and I went to Idaho where we enjoyed one day on the river with Aunt Lynn and Uncle Mike's family. We even got in on the phone call where Michelle was sharing all the excitment of her new engagement. That's right we will soon be having another wedding in the family. Then on Sunday we went to Juleen's mission farewell. Juleen comes from a wonderful family; it was all in all a great weekend!!! Oh and that very sour plum cobbler well with vanilla ice cream and carmel topping it is a dessert to die for!!!

A mixture of feelings....

I am feeling a mixture of things since I have been back home here in Farmington. I truly enjoyed my visit with my daughters, and the grandbabies...it is always a blue moment leaving them. At the same time I was so exicited to see my honey and get home to Farmington. Tomorrow it will be a whole year, since the first time Brent sent me a flirt on a LDS dating website. WOW how times flys. A lot has happen this past year. First meeting Brent, then meeting Brents family, his family meeting my family. The arrival of Madelynn, the long distance dating process, thinking and doing the marriage thing, ring hunting. Then lets add to the chaos and move, leave my job, friends, family, GET MARRIED, watch son leave for his mission. It is a lot, and I have enjoyed all of it...there is a saying the best part to a ending is a new begining!!!

Happy Birthday...Big Sister!!!

My greatest joy!!!

I love this picture of my children...It has been a year almost since I came in contact with Brent. Then a whole lot of changes occured (good changes). The best part about it all was having the love and support of my children and family...Going to the Temple was a great experience...even the second time around. What even made it more special was I had my mother and sister's work done. Then my son Kyle went through for his endowments earlier so he could attend my Temple Sealing to Brent. Having all three of my children present was like Heaven...a peaceful wonderful feeling. I am sending this photo to Kyle...wow I miss him!!!

Currently I am spending a few days in St. George...spending some time with my Shelley Belly (she use to love that little nick name) and David. David and Shelley moved here April of this year. It has been a very fun stopping place on the way to as well as from Las Vegas. A few times as a family we have all enjoyed a few days of playing, especially my honeymoon and family time prior to Kyle leaving on his mission. Currently Shelley and David are thinking of heading back to school in Cedar City so I do not know how much longer we will be able to enjoy this fun house here in St. George. One thing for sure we will always have the precious memories.

I have always loved the St. George area. I recall as a youth coming up to the dedication of the St. George Temple...St. George, Utah was named in honor of Mormon apostle George A. Smith, also known as the “Potato Saint” because he urged early settlers to eat raw, unpeeled potatoes to cure scurvy. This was an interesting fact I liked learning as Brent's family loves potatoes. I think they could eat them every day...Now that I know they are loaded with vitamin c maybe I can get them to eat raw unpeeled potatoes hummmm well it saves on energy (from cooking). Cooked smashed potatoes served with gravy or lots of corn on top of the potatoes is the standard dish always served on Fast Sundays at Great Grandpa and Grandma Elliotts. At first when I came into this family I murmur about their unhealty potatoes. Well since then yea...there long time family tradition has grown on me!!!

Some other facts I have learned about the Saint George Temple are:
The St. George Utah Temple is the only temple completed during Brigham Young's 30-year tenure as president of the Church.
The St. George Utah Temple was the first temple built in Utah.
The St. George Utah Temple is the oldest operating temple of the Church.
The St. George Temple has more sealing rooms than any other temple, a total of 18.
The St. George Temple originally followed the design of the Nauvoo and Kirtland Temples, featuring an assembly hall and an instruction hall partitioned for presenting the endowment.
Endowments for the dead were first performed in the St. George Utah Temple.
The St. George Temple, Salt Lake Temple, and Palmyra New York Temple are the three operating temples dedicated on April 6.
I recieved my endowments at the Saint George, Utah temple...
I own a numbered beautiful drawing of this Temple drawn by a local artist...I love it!!!

Tag...Tag...Tag

Well I am in the game...a little behind but here it goes.
Seven thing you might not know about me...

7. Lets start with the dislikes...I dislike corn beef and sourkrout because one time I was invited to dinner and that was the main dish served...upon taking a bite my not so sweet friends told me their dog climb up on the table and got into the main dish.

6. I LOVE Maple Bars!!! We all have comfort foods but I try hard to avoid my favorite. Infact I only allow myself to eat one usually in the store. I hardly ever buy them and if I bring them home I give them all away so that I can only eat one.

5. I have a childhood nick name...it is embarrassing. As a child growing up with my father for many family activities we would go shooting. Yes I have my own guns. I became a pretty good shot and so my nickname was DEADEYE...

4. I have not always been a member of the church. I am also a mother hen who loves her children dearly. With that said I often had thoughts that I as a mother could not send my children off on a mission. Travis and Lila dated prior to Travis leaving on his mission. It was upon seeing him off to Brazil at the Salt Lake Airport I recieved that comformation from the spirit that I could send my son off and he would be okay. Eight years later my son Kyle is now serving in Fiji...

3. Things I have won...Mother of the year award and believe it or not as a youth I was the champion in girls arm wresting...

2. I love my bed....with lots of pillows, soft sheets, and down covers...my bedroom is my haven from the world. When I need to escape I put on some soft relaxing music and escape in the comfort of my bed...

1. I Love my grand children, my children, and family means a lot to me...many times I have prayed that I could see them raise in a safe spot like the Millennium


Who do I TAG...? I tag Heidi and Matt Porter. Why? Because I can and because I would love to get to know more about this cute couple!!!

What If...?

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Book of Mormon like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it everyday?
What if we used it to receive messages?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids for gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go..."Hummm...where is my Book of Mormon?"
Unlike our cell phones:
One Plan fits all.
Unlimited usage.
No roaming charges.
You always have reception.
No weak signals And
We don't ever have to worry about our Book of Mormon being disconnected
Because our Savior already paid the bill!

QUOTE:

"When you feel weak, discouraged, depressed, or afraid, open the Book of Mormon and read. Do not let too much time pass before reading a verse, a thought, or a chapter."

President Boyd K. Packer
Ensign, May 2005, 8

Blogging Addictions...is there such a thing?

67%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Minneapolis Singles from Mingle²

Utah's 24th

Being a native of Nevada, and living their most of my life I am very impressed with Utah (as I have recently move here). I have been enjoying one of their many long time traditions.... This was my first time I experienced celebrating the 24th of July in Utah...The Days of ’47 KSL 5 Parade is one of the largest and oldest parades in the United States. It’s a family tradition full of colorful floats, bands, horses, clowns, and other entries thrill thousands of spectators each year. Many camp out on the streets the night before -- just to ensure a great seat to catch it all.

Besides enjoying seeing all the floats at a preview float party we enjoyed kids camping over, pizza, fireworks, waffles for breakfast, watching a great parade (on our private couch at home on tv), eating more food at the Elliott's barbeque!!! Oh, Brent had planned a huge suprise...we hope to enjoy it every year...

Hummmm....

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