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!

Good Sabbath!

I always think of Fiddler on the Roof and how right before the Sabbath they wish everyone "Good Sabbath!"  My friend wished us that yesterday on Facebook and it was so fun to hear someone else say it!  We truly did have a good Sabbath today.  Dave was ordained to the office of a High Priest by his father.  It is always so special to hear fathers ordain their sons.  We appreciate Terry and Barbara driving down from Folsom to spend the day with us at church.  Bro. Tanner, Bishop Winiecke, and President Dockstader all took part in the ordination.  They are all good friends and wonderful examples!  Dave will be hanging out with some good guys!

 We had our visiting teaching conference in Relief Society and I was asked to give a short talk (I am a counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.)  I was more nervous than usual and I'm not sure if it was because ALL the women were in there so the crowd was larger than normal, or if it was because my sweet mother-in-law was sitting right on the front row!  Whatever the reason, I got through it and we did have a delightful Sunday.  We had rootbeer pork waiting for us when we got home and enjoyed a good meal together.  I am truly blessed to have such wonderful parents-in-law and especially blessed to have their son in my life - a wonderful husband and father who honors his priesthood and is a great example to me.  I am honored to be a McKinney!

David is 4!

Four years ago today, I became a Grandma!  It was the best day ever!  Who knew being a Grandma could be so much FUN.  And what an amazing thing it was to be able to be there when he was born.  In cold, frozen Provo, Utah!  He was beautiful and we were all so happy to get him here!

 Little David has been such a joy in our family and we LOVE it when he comes to visit!  And helps me make cookies!  We cannot believe he is already four...he loves preschool and is a big helper to his mommy and daddy and a wonderful big brother to Jacob.  We love you David!  Happy Birthday!  Wish we could be in Georgia helping you celebrate!  Eat a piece of birthday cake for Grandma!

Collecting Spoons...

I collect spoons.  My friends and family know that.  So as they travel, they often bring me back a spoon from some fun location they have been too.  And yes, a few of them I have bought myself as I have traveled through the years.  Dave suggested that I "catalog" the spoons.  Where they are from and who gave them to me.  That could be a bit of a challenge,  but most of them I think I could remember pretty well.  I think.

 As you can see, I have many, many spoons.  In fact, I had to buy a second rack!  My very FIRST spoon was a little thing, and it was a pin that you could wear.  My dad bought it for me, and it was either from Atlantic City, New Jersey or the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center (I was at both places with our family).  But sadly, I can't remember where it was from, I have not looked at it in a long time.  Then as I went to take these pictures, I could not see it on my rack.  It has ALWAYS been there.  Right up on top, and it sat up high because of the pin on the back.  It is not there!  I am so sad to think how I could have lost it.  I looked everywhere.  In my jewelery boxes, on my dresser, anywhere it could possibly be.  Nowhere.  You cannot imagine how sad this makes me. 

We moved into this house almost 8 years ago (really?  Wow...it seems like yesterday!) and as we just moved from a house down the street, we just pulled things off the wall and put them in our car and brought them here.  I cannot remember if I took all the spoons off the rack and put them in a box...but I surely would have just put them all back on the rack when I hung it on the wall.  Oh I am sad...but in the meantime, I do have all these other lovely spoons given to me by family and friends.  I will have to make a list of them and perhaps take some more up close pictures of them, hopefully not to bore anyone but for my own record and enjoyment.  I can see that I also need to polish some of the sterling silver ones...and dust the rack.  But that will be another day.  When I am not so sad about the loss of one special spoon.  

Starting 2012 off with a birthday!

Happy Birthday Clark!  I cannot believe this little munchkin turned 24!  Clark has always been such a fun part of our family.  I love to hear him laugh!  He's always been a tonka truck and can take anything that comes his way.  He is also our Superman.  We love you Clark!  Jan. 3rd is his special day...

His birthday dinner request was stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut.  Done!  We added our favorite rootbeer...

...and Clark's favorite ice cream...Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough...Yum!

Ashley joined us straight from work...she is trying to hold up the 2 and the 4 fingers for Clark, but the pic turned out blurry...

We gave Clark our Lord of the Rings extended version DVD's...he's a big fan.  He was happy with it! 

He also got a funny card and cold hard cash...that's what they all want and need isn't it?

We had fun celebrating his birthday (Dad, Joel, and Mario were also with us - not sure why I don't have pics of them!).  Clark works hard and plays hard.  He is a wonderful son and we are thrilled to have him as part of our family!  Love you Clark!  Happy Birthday!

And he's off...

Not quite four days after Christmas, Clif was ready to head to Idaho.  We can't believe the time has finally arrived, but it has!  He got his car all loaded up the night before he left. It was packed FULL.  He could not have taken another passenger if he wanted to!  We hope he had everything he needed in there, but are grateful there is a postal service and we can ship anything he might have forgotten.  We are excited for his new adventure to begin as a college student at BYU-Idaho!  He will stop in Salt Lake and stay with my little brother Eric for a couple of days, and then drive on over to his apartment in Rexburg.  It is right across the street from the temple and he will have 5 other roommates.  Should be interesting!  He will be a Chemistry major, still planning on doing the pharmacy school down the road...

God speed our fine young son!  We love you and will miss you, but are excited for all the new doors that will be opening for you in Idaho!

Sweater, shorts, and slippers...traveling attire for the young single adult...

And now that he is moving on...I have transformed "his" room into the "spare room" or shall we say, craft central for me!  Dave and Joel moved our old computer desk in and now I can FINALLY leave my sewing machine and cricut machine out all the time!  I don't have to lug them in and out of the hall closet anymore!  When Amanda comes to visit she will help me paint and decorate...for now, we will keep the bright blue walls even though some of my pictures don't really match it.  I also moved the exercise bike in there and will NOT be using it for a clothes rack in my bedroom anymore.  I am going to pedal it!  I can't wait to get all my card making, scrapbooking, sewing projects organized!  We did keep the bed in there so it can be a "guest" room too.  And when Clif comes home during semesters, he will still have a place to sleep.

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Here are the shelves, we left Clif's things on the top two...the rest of his things are packed away neatly in the closet...someone tell me how to organize that big bin of rubber stamos!!  This is going to be a fun room...2012 is looking to be a fun and productive year!

Merry Christmas 2011!

Merry Christmas!  We had a lovely Christmas day.  A first ever for being so late to open gifts!  We had church at 9 and the kids didn't come over until after 11.  We opened gifts and then had a nice Christmas dinner.  We later web-cammed with the Georgia kids and it was just a lovely day! 

Our church service was wonderful, lots of beautiful music and two talks...a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas as we remembered the birth of our Savior and worshipped Him through word and song.  And also, what a privilege to partake of the Sacrament every week and remember His Atonement and Resurrection and the covenants we have made to always try and be like Him.  I am truly grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and the many, many blessings I enjoy each day through my relationship with Him and the gifts He gives me...like my family...LOVE THEM!  I am grateful for this day to celebrate the birth of the sweet baby Jesus.  I found this picture this year of Mary, it's called "Kissing the face of God." What a beautiful depiction...

And here are our Christmas day pictures...Joel, Clark, Ashley and Dave...mostly done, looking at all the mess...

Everyone seemed happy and enjoyed their presents...

Clif checking out some of his hand/toe warmers we got him for Idaho...

It was great having everyone here!

Ashley and Dave double checking to make sure we didn't miss anything under the tree...(the laundry basket is full of more stuff for Clif's "apartment living" in Idaho...

Joel got a chocolate Monopoly game!  Maybe I would actually play this one with him...ha ha...

Joel's pile of trash was the biggest...guess that means he's the youngest and gets the most stuff, right?

Here's our sweet little Georgia family...so happy we got to chat with them!  Wish we could be closer and share special days more often!!  Aren't those the cutes garndsons ever?  Love you!  They sent us a cute book full of pictures of them...I will enjoy looking at it a lot!

My friend Teri gave us this beautiful puzzle of Santa and the manger scene...It is a painting by Greg Olsen.  We started it on Christmas day and finished it the day after.  It was fun!  We love puzzles and did two more 1000 piece puzzles between Christmas and New Year...Merry Christmas from the McKinney Family!

A quarter of a century...

Happy Birthday to our Clifton David!  Wasn't it just yesterday he was this cute little loveable boy?

And now, on December 20th, Clif turned 25! He is still cute and loveable! 

 He had to work his shift at Target until 7:30 that evening, so we just had cake and ice cream when he got home from work.  Birthdays get more uneventful around here the older you get.  ha ha.  Here he is holding up 2 and 5 fingers to represent his age. It's always been the tradition since they were little to hold up how many fingers as they were old...I guess it continues.  Love it!

We did light the candles and make him blow them out...and it's funfetti cake, his favorite...

Then while Dad dished up the dessert, Clif opened his presents...

Since he would soon be leaving for BYU-Idaho, we got him some important gear for his car...

Real exciting, huh? 

Jumper cables and tire chains!  We did throw in some movie tickets and Ho Ho's for a "little" fun...

And Clark and Ashley brought him a Star Wars M&M machine...cute!  Happy Birthday Clif!  We sure love you and are happy you are part of our family.  We are excited for your BYU adventure and expect to hear many wonderful things from there!