Farewell Party...

On Friday the 28th our good friends the Brunsviks and the Winieckes threw us a party so everyone could come say goodbye in one place.  There was lots of food (it just kept coming throughout the evening) and Cupcake Stef helped with the decorations and the cute picture frame was hers (you will see it in many pictures).  We thank everyone who came, we are truly going to miss all these wonderful and dear friends!

 DeAnn Brunsvik - sweet lady and a lot of fun!

 My dear friend Annette May - I have grown to love this sweet lady through visiting teaching her and our shared love of books.  We have become very good friends!

 The Wipflers and the Freemans...very wonderful people!

 Terry Olsen, my partner in crime!  We have served so many years together and had tons of fun in the process!  Gonna miss her like crazy!

 Emery, flirted a lot with Joel and his camera!  She's a cutie!

 Meghann Miller-Hernandez and Emery, and Donna Miller my bosom friend who goes to "Avonlea" with me every chance possible!  Meghann does my hair...what will I do without these two women!?

 Clark and Ashley came - but they aren't saying good bye yet!  We will miss our kids though...wish they were coming with us!

 Teri Stringham and Terry Olsen - a couple of fun and crazy friends!

 Sweet Kristi Call - she has had a big influence on our lives and we love her and her family very much!

 Diane Hayes and Karen Miles...two sweet friends that are very fun to be with!  

 Judi Smits - another wonderful lady!

 Melodee Swinney and Debbie Freeman...two amazing women who have been a big part of our family as well.

 I think this is my favorite picture of the evening...the hotess DeAnn demonstrating how to use the frame!  Picture perfect!

 Melanie Martinez and Terry - double trouble!

 And what's a party without clowns!?  Scott Olsen, Tom Martinez and Dave Swinney...all three very funny guys who bring any party to life!

 Joel with Wendy Freeman...this is a very fun friendship.  We will miss her coming over to our house!

 Co-hostess of the evening and one of my BFFs.  Ann Winiecke...she is a kindred spirit for sure!  

 Teri Stringham...another BFF.  Always there to help me with whatever project I need help with!  What will I do without her!?  We have spent many hours "playing" together with painting, sewing, and all other forms of projects. 

 Bishop Dan and Ann Winiecke...our game night buddies...what will we do on Friday nights now?  They have been a huge part of our lives since they moved here about 10 years ago!  We hope they will come to Utah often so we can play and eat and act like we never left!

 Melanie and Tom Martinez...what fun friends they have been!  Always good for a laugh...and a pretty cool Santa too!  Hope his sleigh comes to Utah!

 Our sweet friends DeAnn and Gary Brunsvik...they have been such fun friends...we have had many fun evenings at their house...it was fitting to have our last party here.  

 And last but not least...Terry and Cousin Scotty Olsen...I have served many hours with both of these fine people and am honored to be related to them through my Farnsworth line.  I have learned a lot from them and have enjoyed every minute spent with them.  I hope they come to Utah now and then for a visit...I know it's on the way to Idaho where they go alot!

 And one picture with our photographer Joel...it wouldn't be a McKinney farewell party without him...

and Terry knows he's ticklish!  

There were many other friends who couldn't be there that night, but we know they love us.  We will miss all of our Clovis friends so very much.  This has been our family for 16 years.  Thank you Brunsviks and Winieckes for hosting this party in our honor...we will forever love and miss all these wonderful people!

Now I can pack the sewing machine...

I had a couple of sewing projects to finish up before I pack up my sewing things...the first was one more apron...for a dear friend who loves toile fabric and the color blue.  I thought it turned out cute.  The second was the I Spy Quilts I have been making for Little David and Jacob...finally finished!  They turned out a little scrunchy, I just could not get things to lay flat and unpuckered...obviously I don't make pieced quilts!  But they are okay for a 5 year old and a 3 year old.  It was fun picking out all the different fabrics, mostly from scraps I and my friends had, and piecing them together for the boys to "spy" different things all over their quilt.  Teri let me use her fancy sewing machine to do the cute tacking on all the squares (at the corners), so quick and fancy!  And much better than tying.  I can't wait to deliver these items and hope that everyone will enjoy the gifts I made out of love (not talent!).  

Goin' to the temple!

Last night, June 26, we took Joel to the temple for his endowment.  What an exciting day!  We were to arrive at 6 - so he could be all prepared for the 7:30 session.  After a brief and sweet meeting with a member of the temple presidency, I left to go to the women's dressing room and do some initiatory ordinances while waiting for Joel and Dave.  About 30 minutes into it, the power went out.  What?!  There was a back up generator that keeps the previous session going, but in the dressing room there was only two overhead emergency lights on.  We of course hoped the lights and air conditioning would come right back on, but they didn't.  I was of course praying that they would so that Joel could finish his temple work and not have to come back another day!  The sister workers gathered up a few flashlights and we continued doing ordinance.  It was actually a special experience as we imagined the pioneers doing temple work day and night in Nauvoo and how they must have used lanterns.  Anyway, about 7:15 I went ahead and got ready for the session, exercising my faith that the lights would come on and we could still have our session.  At 7:28 the lights came back on!!  We went in for our session and we started a little late as all the people who had been waiting in the foyer were finally sent in to get ready for the session.  Things were going great, and then guess what...the power did stay on, but the video went haywire!  The sound went totally out of sync with the pictures on the screen.  And I don't meant the lips were a little off from the words, I mean, the words were spoken and about 20 seconds later the picture would portray that part...I don't know how to explain it, but it was major technical difficulties!  Such a distraction!  It took awhile for them to get it going right.  Poor Joel.  I feel it's confusing enough the first time you go through, that all that distraction had to have made it worse.  But he was a trooper!  Not in my 30 years of attending the temple have I ever seen technical difficulties with the movie.  Wow.  What a night.  I'm sure Joel will remember it well!  The presidency member took him and Dave back in after the session to finish his instructions which had been interrupted by the power outage.  So we were literally the last ones to leave the temple and it was almost 10:30 by this time!  Some of our sweet friends were still outside waiting.  The Freemans were there and their daughter Wendy who is a good friend with Joel had been doing genealogy at the family history center next door while we were all in the temple.  Isn't that sweet!?  The Swinneys and of course Kristi Call.  Joel had Sister Swinney and Sis. Call as seminary teachers.  It ended up being a sweet night, though a little distracting and different.  We will go back this week so hopefully Joel can experience a "normal" session.  What a night!  We are grateful to have a temple right here and for Joel to have his endowment.  We are again feeling very blessed!

Our Lindon House...

Dave and Joel drove to Utah last week.  They loaded a 20 foot U-Haul with all our garage stuff and a few other boxes and things.  Drove all day, unloaded it into a storage unit the next day and then Randa came and was their taxi driver out to see the house and then back to their hotel.  Bishop and Ann Winiecke picked them up on Friday and they spent the day on the BYU campus shopping and people watching until the Winieckes were ready to head to St. George.  They brought Dave and Joel home for us (they were up dropping Amber off at BYU).  We appreciate their taxi service!  They spent the night in St. George and arrived home at dinner time on Saturday.  A quick and tiresome trip!

This is the Lindon home we will be renting.  When we first saw it on KSL.com, Amanda said, "Mom, this house looks like you."  I think she was right!  We of course loved it and Amanda's sweet friend Erin went and looked at it for us.  A few days later when the property manager called us and asked if we were interested, and then accepted us the very day we turned in our application, we knew it was where we were meant to be.  We had already been turned down on one home and had an application in on another one (which we never did hear back from!) so when they said yes, we jumped for joy!  The landscaping is included in the rent and we are glad because the yard is HUGE.  The grandkids will love the playsets and I will enjoy the patio and the view of Mt. Timpanogos right there!  Joel took tons of pictures for me when they were up there this week so I could see it all...I will just post a few here...the kitchen/dining area and the steps down to the basement as well as a shot of the master bedroom (I loved the master bath in the ad pictures and I don't think it will disappoint!) and the little sewing nook with a window and built in ironing board. It's the little things that make me happy ie: our own mailbox in front, a clothesline in the back, a garden spot (Dave is especially happy about that) and a window seat in the master bedroom overlooking the back yard.  Yes, I think this home will do just nicely for us.  The landlords are very nice people and are actually going on a mission to California Ventura!  Too bad it wasn't Fresno and we could just switch houses!  I cannot wait to get there and see it all in person!  We feel so blessed!

Father's Day...

Today was a very special father's day...we were simple in our celebration of Dave for the main reason that our house is being packed up and we didn't have much time or means for planning anything big.  AND, my oven stopped working the day before, so I couldn't even make him his favorite bread pudding!  But Dave likes not being the center of attention so he didn't complain at all.  But it did turn out to be a very special day...for the wonderful reason of Dave using his priesthood and ordaining Joel to the office of an Elder!  I cannot even begin to express the joy this brings me.  What a blessing to have the priesthood in my home and to now have Joel in the Melchizedek priesthood preparing for his mission.  We appreciate Bishop Winiecke and Ryan Budge who also stood in the circle...what great friends and leaders they have been.  It was a lovely day and after that, Joel visited with the Bishop and with the Stake President and now has his recommend to attend the temple!  Yes, it has been a wonderful day!  I am so grateful for Dave, the father of our children.  He is a wonderful man and a righteous example of a loving and giving father and grandfather.  I am truly grateful to have him as my eternal companion.  And of course my thoughts were turned to my own father today, for whom I am also very grateful for his love and devotion to our family over the years.  He is missed very much, but especially on days like today.  Congratulations Joel & Happy Father's Day Dave!  Love you!  

This coming week will busy as Dave and Joel will be driving a U-Haul up to Utah and dropping a load of our "stuff" in a storage unit.  Dave will also sign papers on a house we found to rent.  They called us, and it was meant to be.  We really feel that way.  A 7 bedroom 3 bath house with a beautiful yard and in an almost country setting in Lindon, Utah.  And the funny thing is, it happens to be on the same street as my cousin Phil Brown, and his sister Chrissy lives just a few blocks north!  I look forward to reconnecting with many long lost cousins from both sides of my family when we get to Utah.  

Yes, we feel truly blessed this day for many reasons.  Our hearts are full of gratitude and love to our Father in Heaven who is guiding our path and letting things fall into place for our move. 

Last day of work...

June 14, 2013

My last day of work at McCormick Barstow law firm...my early retirement!

They had a potluck lunch for me...and it was bittersweet.  I am so happy to not be working outside the home, but I will truly miss some of the people I worked with.  Like these two...Ruth Lopez...I sit by her everyday.  We have been friends a very long time!  Since I first started there in 2002!  And James Taylor, first my co-worker, then my supervisor.  He has been so good to me over the years.  I enjoyed the days he sat on the other side of me.  A true Star Wars geek/fan.  I can't hear the Darth Vader theme without thinking of him whistling it on the days he was in a good mood!  The three of us had a good time almost every day!  When he took over the mail room as well as the file room, he moved to an office downstairs and we don't see him as much...he too has become a good friend over the years.  I will miss these two!!

 Ruth brought this very yummy chocolate cake!  Does she know me or what?  And yes, I did have a piece!  I am not TOTALLY sugar free as you can see!  She also gave me a cute gift...a hot chocolate travel mug, sugar free hot chocolate, mint/chocolate marshmallows, and a painting pad with washable kids paints to do with the grandkids.  A thoughtful and appropriate gift for my move to Utah!

 James gave me this lovely cake platter!  He said it's for all the yummy desserts I make!  He is very thoughtful and I will love using this!  I have several thoughtful gifts he has given me over the years.  I most recently gave him the eclair cake recipe our family loves...he has made it more than once already!  Yes, we share recipes.  He is that cool.

Then there's these two.  Two of the nicest secretaries in the building!  Sweet, sweet, ladies and dear friends.  Betty Kitchen is on the left.  I used to do her filing many years ago...we have been friends ever since.  I still have many of the sweet gifts she has given me over the years...most notably the Willow Tree Angel "Remembrance" which she gave me when my dad passed away.  I also have a welcome sign she gave me when we first built our house, and a cute bicycle that holds plants when we finished our patio.  She has always been so thoughtful and kind.  

 On the right is Angie Brown.  She came to the firm when I was off taking care of my mom.  When I came back to the firm I met her and we hit it off right away.  Her desk is close to the file room so she comes in daily for files and oftentimes more than once!  She has a great sense of humor and we have enjoyed each other's friendship.  These two ladies made me cry when I said goodbye!  Many other people said goodbye, but these two I will truly miss!  Both of these ladies made yummy salads for the potluck.  I am still waiting for their recipes!   But that is not all... 

...When I arrived to work on Thursday, these flowers in this darling vase were on my desk.  They were from Betty!  With a very cute Dr. Seuss card that was perfect for the occasion.  Yes, I will miss the sweet ones!

 Then there's Brian Maldonado.  He worked here when I first started way back when, and then awhile later he left to go to school in Missouri.  He has been gone a long time...got his MBA and now he is back!  He just started back a few weeks ago, but we picked up just like we never left off!  He has put on weight and lost his hair, but is still one of the nicest guys around.  He was sitting next to me, as he took the place of Janell who moved to the fourth floor to be a receptionist.  She wasn't there that day for me to get a picture!  She has promised me lunch before I leave, so I hope to get that picture!  He gave me a cute card for my "retirement."  For old times' sake we decided to try and recreate this picture from about 2003 or 2004... 

That's Brian at the top, standing on the shelves, Ruth on the right in front of him and me in the middle, our friend Jenny by me, and then a girl from Armenia on the bottom and Kristen Powell...those three left a long time ago, but here is our recreation with the people we have now.  Too funny!  Brian tried to stand on the shelves!  The other girl is Heather Ward who is my replacement.  Ruth has changed much since her fresh-out-of-high-school days...she is now a married woman with a 2 year old!  Heather is a fun girl and the three of them will get along just fine.  

Yes, it has been a long time I have worked here.  9 years all together!  I have made some lifelong friends and some lifelong memories!  There are a lot of mean and cranky people I will not miss, but this handful of people, I will truly miss.  Thank goodness for email, texting and facebook so we can keep in touch!  Here is a little gift I made for Ruth and her daughter...

 Except for Betty and Angie making me start to cry a little...I did very well bidding everyone adieu.  Until I went downstairs to say good bye to James.  He helped me get everything into my car and then he started to cry!  He got all choked up and then I did lose it for a few minutes.  I truly think he liked and respected me!  He's a hard one to earn that from, so I feel privileged.  He even posted on facebook that one of his favorite employees was leaving the firm today and that he would miss me.  Wow. It seems weird not getting up and going to work, but I am ready to head out to my new adventure!  Farewell McCormick Barstow...thanks for the memories and the lifelong friendships!