Memorial Day with Family

For the past few years my nephew Mike and his wife Dejah (who is our Breana's Sister), have been having a Memorial Day BBQ and Pool party. Their community has a great pool, and no one
uses it that day!!
We have great time. Stephanie and Henry jump in right away!!
Grampa was having as much fun with our babes

Brendon and Steph are staying with Mike and Dejah (yay) for the month while Brendon does his rotation at L.A. Children's Hospital.
We really had a great day with our water babies, Hannah and Warner relaxin' in the little floaty boat.oh and their mommies and daddies too!!.

Warner was happiest with his daddy or mommy!
Henry and Daddy splashin' fun! Jordan and Kennedy chillaxin'!
They were adorable in their splashiness, and their floatiness!!

Great way to begin the summer! Thanks to the Morris' AGAIN!!

Saturday's next Gramma joy

As we headed home from the park, we knew that Brendon, Stephanie and Henry were on their way to our house from Utah! They made better time than they expected...and our adorable boy was hanging out in the front yard when we arrived! He thought he would do a little Norco "haystick" chewin' with a stick from the yard. We haven't seen him since December, but he let Gramma love on him, and played peek a boo with Grampa. He showed us his strong tummy muscles doing tricks with his daddy. Lots of good smiling, loving playing on our little choo-choo track with his beautiful mommy. Ahhhh good times with our beautiful family!

Great stuff for blogging!

Saturday was a big day! We were invited to our great-nephew Roy Ferguson's 4th birthday party.. ~ slash ~ going away party for his family, as they are moving to Texas. My sweet niece Leah (Roy's momma) on the right, with Grant's family...It was a great day to have my new CAMERA!! Kennedy and Hannah loved the freedom of the park as they ran, and ran, and played and played. Kennedy was having fun on the slide going down by herself.
However Warner was sticking close to mom and dad.
Baby Harley being her sweet self...
After a few hours of hanging out with family and friends...we headed back home for another yummy gramma experience!!

Different day

There was a time when all 8 kids were home, that we spent more on our grocery purchases each month than our mortgage payment. We did about a gallon of milk per day, and that was limiting the milk drinking to breakfast only. Since it is just Russell, Skyler and me, I have actually had to pour sour milk down the drain twice in the last few months.

Today Russell and I went to Sam's Club, left with under 100 dollars spent, and everything we needed for the week. Kinda crazy...kinda good...but truth be told...miss the full house days.

Ponderings of a Mother's Day

Mother's Day was just here, yes it was. It was a beautiful Sabbath Day, filled with the blessings of attending Church services, teaching my cute 8 year old class about how Jesus taught in parables. I came home and got my beans in the oven, made parmesan mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. Russell barbequed Shish-ka-bobs. Yummy day all around. Gathering the family is all about comfort food. Oh, yes, it is! Loving on those who could come...and missing those who could not.

Then my ponderings of the day...our new generation of motherhood...

Having just returned from Heidi's for a visit, I was still contemplating my beautiful daughter, and my daughters by marriage... being mommies, and a great ones at that. Thinking about how they are valiant women of God, taking up the spiritual, emotional and physical challenge of multiplying and replenishing. So blessed to have them be the women they are to give daily to their husbands and their children, friends, extended family and giving in service to the church, each being that godly woman.

Being away from family is hard for Heidi (and me), we have been blessed to see her little family a few times a year, either here or there. The beginning of the month I needed to see my "Colorado babies", and took a short trip. Filled my cup for a short while. This little family is amazing. Heidi is a great mom, enjoying the small and great things of making a home. Matthew works hard to provide and support, love and teach.

Thinking about my sons, and how they have each married the perfect woman for them. I read their blogs, get to Skype w ith Heidi and Matt and the kids, Brendon, Steph and Henry....love the gifts of cyber space. I love them deeply. I see Stephanie, her genuine self, in her giving supportive loving gifts to Brendon, caring so amazingly for Henry. Wishing we were physically closer as well, aching to squeeze this boy!

I get to spend time with Julia and Breana weekly. It has been a gift to myself to share time with them while Grant and Jordan are in school. I have been richly blessed to get to know them better and deeper. Watch them in love with their man and their babies. Then to have grandbabies in my lap, playing, reading, feeding, talking, bathing, laughing at this early stage in their lives. New Holmes generations...Amazing. I watch all of my (yes, my) girls and am so appreciative of who they are and the gifts they all bring to our family. They are living the words of Sister Beck at the recent Women's Conference.

"The female responsibility of being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend...is all about nurturing, teaching and influencing. These are non-negotiable responsiblities. We can't delegate them. We can accept them. These are thing we understood before we were born, and we can't negotiate with the Lord whether they're part of His plan. These are our responsibilities."

I say these are our blessings. It's not easy, but so worth it. A special thanks to my girls for being the elect ladies they are, blessing our family with their righteousness.

Shhh...

Don't tell...my family is getting me a new camera for Mother's Day...I shall be back amongst the blogging life soon!! CAN'T WAIT!!

Full weekend with Many emotions - & very wordy!

On Friday evening my hubby, Bishop Holmes called, he was on his way to a family's home in our ward, later to find out that the husband and father of the home passed away. Russell spent the evening with the family, and was very full emotionally and spiritually upon his return home at 11:30 that night. We are in the midst of supporting, offering comfort and sharing a message of love and hope to this family as they go forward.

Saturday morning I was up early putting on the finishing touches for a talk I was asked to give to the second year Laurels in our Stake. (I always have to practice, practice and still seem to forget a few things I wish I had shared). the Corona Stake YW presidency (love these women!) has created a wonderful tradition, taking the senior girls overnight, for workshops, fun and a trip to the temple for Baptisms for the dead ordinance work. This year we were on the coast of Newport Beach, on a beautiful pre-Spring California morning. There was an amazing workshop talk given by Malinda Merrill, beautiful young mother, inside and outside, giving the girls wise counsel on the decisions they are embarking on as they enter their Young Adult and college years. She brought the spirit, she walks the walk.

I was asked to share how you stay on the path in service and faith. I am blessed with an Eternal marriage with my love, we are on the same page, blessed to be equally yoked. We continue to strive to include the Lord in our lives personally and as a family. We also know that we all have our agency, and have learned that lesson these past two years more than ever. The Blessings and the struggles of this life experience.

My phrase for the day with the young women..."Decide Today, I will not Stray".

I have seen in recent years the blessings of those who continue on the path of righteousness. I have witnessed personally the blessings when you do. I have also in recent years seen with heavy heart too many that I know and love that have chosen to walk a different path than the Lord's blessed Path. Seen too many that I know and love, some subtly, some blatantly walk away from the Lord, instead of toward His Light in their struggles. That ripple in the water of choice affects more than just their own salvation and peace, but those who watch them and take lessons for good or ill away from their experience.

I have spent the last 13 years entrenched in Young Adult life with my own children and all that it entails. I pray for young adults, that they can keep their vision and hold onto the light that they have experienced as they find out who they are and can become. It makes the journey full of joy and clear if they will but heed His call to them.

Next ... my Cody moved to Utah today. I am excited for him as he follows his prayerful search for what is next for him. But I am saddened that the empty nest is growing still. I shall miss his smiling face and his obedient spirit.

I missed my Grandson Henry's 1st Birthday. This week he turned a year. It is so hard to be away from family, and not have alot of control over the time and space that separates you. Thank heaven for the internet, skype. He is a love, and I miss his bright smile and generous loving spirit. Love this little man!

We are so blessed to have an amazing, stretching, learning and growing family. So blessed to know that the Lord is there, only a prayer away,only a thought away, only a hug from a fellow saint and friend away. As the Young Women's song reminded us all on Saturday..."He's closer than you know, reach up, He'll take your hand".