Conference Weekend...

General Conference weekend happens twice a year.  They are two of my favorite weekends!  I love hearing all the talks and the beautiful music.  There is just something so special about sitting down with your family in your own home and listening to the words of a Living Prophet and Apostles!  It really re-charges my spiritual battery and I look forward to it every time!  This weekend we got to look forward to it for another reason...having Amanda, David and Jacob here with us!  So we tried a little plan and it worked pretty good...a "surprise" bag with each apostle's picture (and the prophet!) and when they were giving their talk, David and Jacob got to open a bag and do the activity or eat the treat.  It turned out pretty well...I think they had fun...

 There were things inside like stickers...pads of paper and pencils, snacks, play dough, etc...

 David showing me his fun stickers...

 For the Saturday sessions, Uncle Joel helped them build a "fort" out of blankets and pillows...

 We were "pitching our tents towards the prophet!"

 One of the best ideas I got from Grandma Honey's blog...pipe cleaners!  Who knew they could be so much fun!  I got out my strainer and David played with those for such a long time!  It kept him quite entertained!  (Jacob was napping at the time)...

 His Momma helped a little too...

 Then he put it on like a hat! That has been out all week and he still likes to play with it.  Thanks for that great idea Grandma Honey!

 This wasn't conference, but it's the boys' Daddy!  How wonderful is it that we can web-cam across the miles and talk with our loved ones!  They have fun talking to Daddy and telling him what they are doing in California and how much they miss him. 

We had a great conference weekend and I can't wait for the Ensign magazine to come out so we can re-read the words of the prophets and remember to follow all the counsel we were given.  One of my favorite talks was President Uchtdorf's...and I loved his two-word sermon.  "Stop It." Look for it in the May Ensign magazine!

Grandson fun...

We are having so much fun with these two little boys!  And one thing is for sure...they like to eat!  Good thing Old Mother Hubbard stocked the pantry and fridge before they came...

 They love Grandpa's green smoothies!  Each morning they can't wait for him to come out and make one!

 David making funny faces, but he loves his green smoothie!

 Jacob loves his too!

 They just keep asking Grandpa for more!

 Jacob being cute (as if he could be anything else!)

 The boys helping Grandma make pigs in blankets...

 A pigs in blanket picnic!  It's so fun to have children who will eat all kinds of different things!

And of course we had to try the Kit Kat Cake.  It was yummy!  We did run out of Kit Kats, so don't look too close!  More fun to come!

They are here!

The long awaited day arrived!  After a long day of airports and airplanes, our Georgia babies landed in Fresno!  Here they are walking from the gate to meet us...

As soon as David saw us he took off running...and dropped his doggie in his excitement! He was happy to see us and we got nice big hugs from him!

 

 We weren't as sure of Jacob's receptiveness of us, but when he pulled up in the stroller, he was bouncing up and down and smiling as big as ever!  It was great!

 I wish I would have caught his biggest smile on camera, but I missed it...Now my two little chairs have two sweet little boys in them!  This is heaven!

 We are all having such a fun time!  I have taken a lot of pictures and will have a lot to blog about in the coming days...I am on vacation and am having a wonderful time!  (Grandpa is having a great time too, but he's not on vacation...)

 Jacob and David chillin' at Grandma's...this is the life...

Fun projects!

Since my grandsons will be here in SIX days...I decided I better finish up some of these fun projects I started for them!  Here are the "I Spy" bags I made.  They were quick and easy...fun to think of things to "hide" inside them!  They should be entertained for at least five minutes...ha ha.

 Another fun project was this floor pillow thingy...I don't even know what you call it!  I found this darling bug fabric and whipped this up lickity split!  I only had enough fabric for three pillows, but I bought four!  Anyway, it will be fun for lounging on (I hope!) for the little ones when they get here. 

Thank you pinterest for inspiring me to make stuff!  Meanwhile, I have an extra pillow and plenty more projects I'd like to work on! I better get busy!

Two happy things...

Today was a productive and wonderful day!  Many happy things happened, but two that stand out to me.  And they are both two-parters so I guess it's FOUR happy things! The first is the rain.  I love it!  It smells so fresh and clean, and gives the earth the water it needs...as I looked onto my back porch, I saw the two little chairs I bought for my grandsons when they come to visit (in 12 days, but whose counting!)...I can't wait to have pictures of them sitting in the chairs!  I could see the raindrops all over them and just thought it was the perfect time to take a picture!  Rain and grandsons...happy things!

 The second happy thing was that I went to the temple this morning.  It was a very full session for a reason...a sweet sister in our ward went for the first time.  I was privileged to be there.  While I was away, my men-folk helped with my spring cleaning list!  (believe me, it's a big list!).  One job that particularly made me happy was the cleaning of my stove top.  That is not a fun chore...but the hubby did it and he did a great job!  It is sparkly clean!  I almost wish I had a before picture to show you how hard he worked, but I would be embarrassed to show you a before picture!  Other jobs got done throughout the day and my list is getting smaller!  YAY! 

We ended the day with a movie and hot chocolate.  The rain and cold weather bring that out in me...it was a wonderful, happy day!  

Old Books...

This post won't interest anyone but me I am sure.  And I am writing it for me.  This blog is my journal of sorts, and this is happy memory I came across in a box in my garage this weekend.  When I was 5 I went to first grade.  We lived in Lawton, Oklahoma as my dad was stationed at Ft. Sill.  I tested out of kindergarten (can't imagine why!) so rode a little Army bus every day to 1st grade.  When my first "Scholastic Book Order Form" came...I was so anxious to take it home and hoped my mom would let me buy some books.  She did!  I'm sure I made my selections very carefully and I'm sure I was guided by my mother and the prices of the books.  I still remember the day I went to school and there was a little bag of brand new books sitting on my desk!  All mine!  To take home and love.  And love them I did.  And I still have them!  These might not be the very first ones I bought, but they have to be close, because they were all published by Scholastic within a year or two of my first grade year.  They are old and worn, but still very cute books!

Watch Out Mrs. Doodlepunk!  This was a favorite for some reason!  The cover tore off long ago.  One Two Three Going to Sea, Too Much Noise, and Rich Cat, Poor Cat.  They are fun books.  How I still love a good book!

Here is the inside of One Two Three...where I wrote my name so nice and neatly.  The first time.  Not sure about all that scribble the second time!

 Mrs. Doodlepunk and her baby doll were always being picked on by Mr. Frizzboy.  He put a frog in the carriage!

 But she ran after him to avenge her baby...he got away...not before some more antics of course...

 In the end Mrs. Doodlepunk gets her revenge when she offers Mr. Frizzboy some tea from her tea party!  The pictures are still as cute to me today as they were back then...and a fun story.  Maybe because I had two older brothers who liked to pick on me! 

Too Much Noise was another favorite.  The old man Peter lives in a house that makes noise.  The floor squeaks, the tea pot hisses, the leaves swish on the roof, etc.  So he goes to the wise man of the village who tells him to get a dog.  Each time he goes to the wise man he tells him to get another animal.  By the time he has a bunch of animals he just can't stand the noise.  TOO MUCH NOISE!  So the wise man tells him to let go of each of the animals.  Then the floor creaks...ahhh, what a quiet noise.  The leaves swish on the roof, what a quite noise...etc.  I have always loves this story.  I think there is a moral in there somewhere.  About appreciating what we have...

 Peter enjoying his "quiet" house...I love the illustrations in this book as well.

 And speaking of old books...I have an old Primary Songbook "including Marches and voluntaries" that belonged to my mom.  It is a cute little book and very old.  My good friend, and come to find out a relation to me through my Philo Taylor Farnsworth line, Scott Olsen, has found me a few more old church song books.  I thank him for thinking of me and blessing me with these wonderful treasures.  Deseret Sunday School Songs was published in 1909.  Latter-Day Saint Hymns was published in 1927.  And the Aaronic Priesthood Chorus in 1945.  These are beautiful old books and I am happy to have them in my "collection."  I love books and I love music, so these were perfect!

 I can't see a publishing date inside my mom's book, but she wrote her name in it (her married name so that was after 1952).  But it belonged to her childhood primary - Thurber Ward (Bicknell, Utah) in 1945.  These kind of books are precious to me. 

That is my post on my old books...and my happy memory of learning to read and loving to read!

McKinney Monday Mornings...

On Mondays, because Clovis High has a later starting schedule than the other days, Joel and some of his friends will come back to our house after seminary to kill time before school starts.  Well, today, he asked if he could have a ride so I went to pick him up at 7:15.  He came out and not one, but THREE girls got in the car as well.  So we brought them all home.  A few minutes later, another car full of kids showed up.  So here is what  Monday mornings at my house look like...

 Becca moved right when I took the picture so she is blurry...sorry!  Notice my baby hat loom on the floor?  I am still making baby hats!  Today there was Becca,  Ty, Austin, Joel, Devin, Carly, and Kaidy.  Kylie is usually there too but she had to go home this morning...

  I took another picture but they all looked away or down this time!  Anyway, it is fun to hear them laughing and talking, working on homework and just all being good friends!  I feel bad that I have to leave for work before they all leave for school...but they start my Monday mornings off on a happy note.  What a great group of kids they are!  I am grateful that Joel has such good friends.  They are all welcome at our house anytime.

This morning I didn't go to work, but had to leave early just the same.  Dave had his appointment at the surgery center to get the cortizone injection in his back.  The actual injection took only 10 minutes.  The prep time however took much longer (over an hour!).  It takes them a long time to find the right vein for an IV...and usually takes more than one nurse to accomplish it.  Sure enough, he was a difficult patient for them today as we knew would happen.  Once they got it in, I was taken back to sit with him.  They soon gave him a sedative and off they went.  Back in 10 minutes.  (why can't they give him a sedative BEFORE they try to put the IV in??) 30 minutes for the groginess to wear off and we were on our way home again!  We hope this will give him the relief he needs in his back.  Between that and doing his stretching exercises, we hope to see him pretty much back to normal!

He rested and I got to enjoy the rest of the day looking in on him, fixing him food, and scrapbooking.  We also watched the movie Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  Why do all the Narnia movies make me cry at the end?  I made a nice tender pork dish for dinner and then we watched a conference talk for FHE.  Another one of Joel's good friends, Mallory, dropped off yummy cookies for us this evening.  So we even had FHE treats!  Thanks Mallory!

It has been a great Monday at the McKinneys today! (Except for that pesky needle part ~ poor Dave!)

Happy Birthday George!

Happy birthday to my dad!  Today he would be 81.  He went by Arlow, his middle name, but his first name is George...because he was born on George Washington's birthday. This is one of the pictures I need to edit in photo shop (on my to do list!).  We don't have a lot of pictures from his childhood, but I sure like to look at them.  I see some of his traits in his children and grandchildren.  Not just physical traits though, he passed on a lot more than that.  I will always be grateful for my Farnsworth heritage.

If you were still here Dad, we would throw a huge party!  Love and miss you...Happy Birthday!

President's day = painting day...

Today was President's day...for me, that means a day off from work!  Dave did not get it off however.  Since Pelco was purchased by a "foreign" company, they do not celebrate "American" holidays.  Joel had various activities going on, so I was basically home alone for most of the day (YAY!) and I worked on my painting project that I started on Saturday.  I have painted rooms on President's days in the past...seems like a good time to do it...the spring cleaning bug and all...so the "Spare Room" which was a bright blue for several years...is now turning grey.  I got two and a half walls done.  Two coats each.  I am liking it!  It kind of looks white at first, but it got a little darker as it dried, and compared to the white doors, it definitely looks grey!  I have orderd grey and yellow bedding and will have to figure out new curtains to match the decor.  Fun!  It will be clean and new!  Organized is another matter...since this is the place for storing all my craft supplies and scrapbooking and sewing.  But I will get there soon!  Because this will also be the "Guest Room" and I have guests coming the end of March!  YES!  Amanda and the boys are coming to visit!!!!  Amanda is my interior decorator so I will have her help me hang stuff on the walls when she gets here.  I will hopefully finish the painting by next weekend.  It's a slow, tedious process when you are doing it by yourself...but I love to paint and I don't mind it taking awhile...

 Today while I painted, these two cuties kept me company, along with Pandora...my Josh Groban/Michael Buble station...  It was a great day!

 These pictures turned out too dark, but the wall behind the computer is a lovely "Filtered Shade" grey.

I will post "finished" pictures after Amanda is here and we get it DONE.

The month of LOVE...

February is the "month of LOVE" as my friend Ruth at work likes to say...and in honor of that...I have been making some things off pinterest to commemorate and share with those I LOVE...First I made these blocks which my LOVING husband cut out for me.  Scrapbook paper and vinly letters and a few embellishments...I like them!  They were super easy and even though they don't look very much like the one on pinterest, they are good enough for me!  Next year I might have to try some red ones, or maybe purple...because I LOVE purple!  I made 6 sets of these out of 2 2x4 boards.  Can we say "cheap!?" 

 Next I tried this recipe...and I LOVED it.  So did most people who tried them!  Family, co-workers, and my sisters at church...they are No Bake Berry Oreo cheesecake squares.  Next year I want to get the mini heart pans (like cupcake pans but with hearts) and shape them.  These are simple and delish!  A berry oreo and butter crust, a berry oreo and cream cheese and cool whip top.  Pretty in pink!

 Last but not least was this little craft...which I really loved on pinterest and wanted to do.  I even had two dear friends come over to make them with me.  I was getting so frustrated and was ready to quit the whole project!  The background, I couldn't get the paint to "crackle" and trying to make those fabric rosettes...ha!  Thankfully, we got together again and Kelly and Donna encouraged me and helped me with their LOVE and I got it done!  Kelly suggested to just sand the background, I LOVE it!  And they made most of the rosettes (I did make some of them and will keep practicing!).  I have enough stuff to make two more of these, but will probably wait until next year's month of LOVE.

The best part of all this LOVE crafting...was my beautiful daughter Ashley coming over to craft with us!  She doesn't usually like to do this kind of stuff, but she had her own crafts she wanted to make off of pinterest...she's not quite done yet, but they are turning out real cute and I will post pictures when she gets them done.  One is a wreath made with red paper roses...it is looking sooooo pretty! Wish I had taken a picture of her actually "crafting!"  It truly was a kodak moment!  :)  But I was all consumed trying to make rosettes!!  Who could think of taking pictures during frustration like that!? I LOVED spending that fun time with her though and with my wonderful friends too!  They are always so good to indulge me in "girl" time and I LOVE it!  Happy Valentine's day!  Share the LOVE all month!