The Masters

This golf tournament has to be Stephen's favorite of all time.  He waits with anticipation every year.  He watches the commentaries leading up to the event and then is like a little kid on Christmas morning when it actually starts.  As the tournament unfolds and changes with each day, Stephen watches passionately.  I hear him talking to the tv and talking to the players.  He cheers for them and is upset when they fail.  My favorite is when Stephen says, "I could do better than that and that golfer is a professional!"  After dinner on Sunday, Stephen's Dad joined him and watched for a while.  I love it when they find something to share and have a Father/Son moment.

Treats

I sent my wonderfully, helpful son, Landon into the grocery store to pick up a few things for Sunday dinner while I waited in the car.  I was just too tired from gardening all day to even move.  With his list in hand, I told him that he could grab a couple of extra things that might look good to him if he wanted.  Well, this is what the boy wanted, Milanos and TruMoo Chocolate Milk.  Landon informed me that I had never bought Milano cookies and he is always jealous of his friends who bring them in their lunches.  And TruMoo chocolate is the best because it has no high fructose corn syrup.  Well, there you have folks.   

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls and General Conference go together in our home!  Be careful what you do for your family because it could turn into an expected tradition.  I'm not sure how long ago this tradition started, but I made some warm, gooey, cinnamon rolls during the middle of a conference session once and planned to have them come out of the oven at the halfway mark during the Sunday morning session.  It was kind of like having half time during the broadcast.  Well, the tradition continues for another session of conference.  Enjoy these pictures and I hope your mouth doesn't water too much.  They really were a good batch if I do say so myself.  We love conference in our house!

 Easton picks the best one in the batch

 Charlie thinks he's going to snag a nibble...

 Landon digs in while wearing his Falcons snuggie.

Missing

 

Last week we received a big, yellow box in the mail from Elder Carroll!  It felt like Christmas as we opened the box and pulled out the treasures.  There were soccer shirts for everyone in the family and some other goodies.  Dallin also included a pair of Nike sneakers that he took with him but evidently didn't need, some long sleeved white shirts that he used in the Provo MTC and a pair of sweats.  I placed them at the bottom of the stairs like I do with so many items that are waiting for a trip up the stairs to be put away.  Charlie came exploring and discovered the shoes and clothes.  He frantically started sniffing and kept sniffing the shoes and then the clothes.  He kept sniffing for quite a while, which was kind of unusual for him and then he plopped his little chin on top of Dallin's shoes and settled in.  I really think that he could smell Dallin and was missing him.  Look at that sad little face, missing his crazy, fun Dallin.

 

Thirty Days

 

 

Thirty?  That's the number of days Stephen and I were engaged before we got married.  I gave my poor mother thirty days to plan a reception and get everything done.  We had thirty days to get our engagement pictures taken, my bridal pictures taken, invitations ordered, printed and mailed, bridesmaid dress fabric and patterns picked out and given to the bridesmaids to sew, and tuxedos ordered for a bazillion guys.  We had thirty days for my mother to find her dress to wear, for the flower girls to sew their cute dresses all full of ruffles, for Janelle's Junior Bridesmaid dress to be sewn by my Mom, for the food to be planned, to attend five amazing wedding showers, to have floral bouquets and corsages made, to decorate the Homer home with lights and extra special Christmas trees.  There were thirty days for the out of town people to plan and buy airplane tickets so they could attend the event.  And thirty days to schedule our sealing at the Salt Lake Temple.  I have to say after 24 and half years of marriage....what were we thinking? 

 

I do apologize profusely for the stress we must have caused so many people during the month of December so that Stephen and I could be married on December 20, 1988.  I am so appreciative to all who helped behind the scenes to get my mother ready for this event.  I know she could not have done it without you!  Janelle tells me that the Christmas I got married was the worst Christmas of her life because everything revolved around the wedding and Christmas was an after thought that year.  Sorry Janelle!

113?  That's how many days Brandon and Ashton gave me to help get ready for their upcoming wedding.  With gratitude in my heart, I sincerely say thank you!!!  I like 113 way better than 30.  We're almost ready and I can't wait for April 27, 2013. 

Who's the leader of the Band?

"Who's the leader of the band, that's made for you and me?  M-I-C-K-E-Y  M-O-U-S-E!!!"
It was sad to hear of the passing of Annette Funicello today.  I know it sounds weird but I feel like I knew her.  I loved watching the old re-runs of the Mouskateers on television as a child.  Annette was my absolute favorite Mouskateer.  She was bubbly, sweet and had a personality that just made you feel like she could have been your best friend.  Bobby was my favorite boy Mousekateer.  I always hoped that Annette and Bobby could be girldfriend and boyfrineds.  The Mousekateers was  a good wholesome children's show.  It would be great if Disney could bring back a new generation of Mousekateers for the children.  Thanks for the memories, Annette!

The Boy's Club

I'm so grateful to see the Priesthood holders in my home heading off to their General Priesthood meeting, otherwise know as the Boy's Club in our home.  Easton was able to go for the first time with his Dad and Landon this time.  It's a wonderful thing to know that the men in my life value their priesthood and use it to bless others.  My thoughts turned to Dallin in Brazil who is also honoring his priesthood by serving others and teaching the gospel to others.  What a great thing to know that all four of the priesthood holders in my home were able to watch the priesthood session together, no matter where they are in the world.

Coolest Mom Ever!

Easton will have to agree that I earned the Coolest Mom of the Weekend award when I took him in his jammies through the drive thru of Chick Fil A to get some yummy chicken minis for breakfast Saturday morning.  Oh, Landon will have to agree to that also because I brought him home a tasty breakfast too! 

Male Bonding

 Stephen and Landon watched an important game in the Final Four basketball tournament on Saturday night.  I came in my room and there they were, chairs pulled up close to the t.v. having a good old time together.  I love it!  They were whooping and hollaring into the wee hours of the night.  I finally grabbed my pillow and slept in Ashton's room.  I was too old, tired, and uninterested in basketball to care enough to stay awake.  Glad they have each other.

Opening Day

 In celebration of the Opening Day of baseball season this year we had a fun little dinner with the missionaries.  With a few decorations, some red and blue Braves colors and of course, some Cracker Jacks we were ready to party!

 Barbecue chicken on the grill, baked beans, red-ripe strawberries and biscuits rounded out our tasty dinner.  The most exciting part of the meal was our ballpark style Dippin' Dots Cookies and Cream ice cream in our own individual cups.  Just like being at the baseball field, no doubt!

Oh, and one of the missionaries broke our chair.  We didn't celebrate that.

More Fun with Charlie

 Easton loves his dog and is content to just hold him and love him.  I captured this shot while Easton was waiting for me to take him to school early.

 When you say, "Want to go for a ride," Charlie goes bonkers and heads for the garage door in anticipation of a great adventure in the car, not sure what he is hoping for.  He just enjoys being with us, I guess.

This morning while cleaning the kitchen, I heard Charlie growling at something in the living room.  He sometimes growls out the window to the birds and squirrels, but this growl sounded a little unusual, a new more threatening growl.  Charlie was in protect his family mode and I had to peak around the corner to see what was going on....

 Charlie was protecting his family from the scary Easter decorations that I needed to put away in the basement.  The bunny was so intimidating to Charlie as he tried to get closer for examination and inspection.

I was so glad my camera was handy so I could capture the moment.

 Charlie never made it too close to the menacing ceramic bunny, but continued to growl intently from the safety of the stairs.

 And finally, Charlie cuddles up in one of his favorite spots, the safety of the laundry pile while I fold and stack the clean clothes. 

Legacy of the Veil

My Mother wore a beautiful veil for her wedding. When I got married I wore the same veil except I took off my Mother's headpiece and added a big, puffy, eighties-style one to make it my own. I loved my veil and I remember very clearly how it blew in the wind on the cold, blustery December day that I married my best friend. It kept blowing above my head and Stephen had to hold it down while we were getting our pictures taken. I have an awesome picture of us in front of the Salt Lake temple with my veil all puffed up from the wind. It was kind of like a "Gone with the Wind" moment, so dramatic and beautiful. It was a special feeling to know that I was wearing my Mother's veil that she had worn almost 25 years earlier when she married my Dad.

 

My sister Janelle also wore the veil when she married her husband, Bren ten years ago. She altered it quite a bit by cutting some of the length off, adding a simple comb with a pearl trim, sewing a border of tiny white satin ribbon along the edge and some delicate clusters of tiny pearls were beautifully glued on the veil. It was simply elegant and matched Janelle's simple, classic style. 

 Now, 24 years from my wedding the legacy of the veil continues.  With the announcement of my daughter, Ashton's engagement, she made it very clear that she wanted to wear Grandma's veil. It was very important for her to be a part of that tradition.  While on a wedding dress hunting trip to Utah, Ashton, my Mother and I tried to figure out the best way to change the veil so that it would fit the newest bride's style and would work with the existing veil that had been changed three times already.  Ashton really wanted it to be long, touching the ground, but since Janelle had created a shorter veil for her wedding, that was going to be a challenge.  

With my creative mind working overtime, I decided that we could add a very long piece of new tulle under the shorter piece of Grandma's to create the third generation veil.  With a gentle touch, I unpicked the original veil and I worked extremely carefully as I attached the two pieces of tulle on top of each other, symbolically binding each generation together as each stitch was gently sewn onto the comb. 

Delicate, sparkling rhinestones were added to each pearl cluster.   I couldn't help but ponder the amazing legacy of this veil.  It started with an amazing, young woman, just starting out her married life fifty years ago.  With each new generation the veil has been changed just a little to fit the new bride's personality.  The veil was always added to, as if linking the generations together.  Each new bride was different than the one before, but still had some of the same inherent qualities received from previous generations, just like each new veil that has been created from the old, vintage one.  The veil...a symbol of love, connection, commitment, and family.  The fabric of our lives overlapping with each new generation.   This veil is a priceless treasure that I hope future generations of brides will continue to change, add to and use with a fond remembrance of the legacy of the veil that came before them as they look ahead to their view of eternity.

Happy to Help

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Elders.  I love them all no matter where they are serving.  I have always loved the Elders, but I love them even more now that one of those Elders out in the field is my very own son.  I admire their courage and their desire to serve the Lord.  I admire their maturity (well, most of the time) and I admire them for wanting to help others find out about Jesus Christ.  They work hard and they are growing into men.  The Elders in our ward have figured out that I can sew and    because of that I have fixed a fare share of ripped pants and hems.  Just last week one of the Elders in our ward called and said his hem had ripped out and was wondering if I could fix it for him.  Of course!!!  He was over at the house in about thirty minutes with the raggedy pants.  I told him I could have it done in about ten minutes if he just wanted to wait for them.  I offered them cake and ice cream while they were waiting, but they opted to head outside and play basketball with Landon and Easton.  As I promised the pants were done in about ten minutes, but the Elders kept playing basketball for a while longer before heading out.  One of the Elders even grabbed Dallin's old shoes out of the shoe pile and put them on so he could really play hard.  Gotta love those Elders.  I hope that somewhere down in Brazil there is a nice Mom who will help my son when he needs it.  That's what Mom's do for missionaries you know, no matter where they are serving!

Another Singing Carroll

Another singing Carroll is at it again.  Easton is enjoying participating in the North Gwinnett Middle School choir.  This picture was taken at their Large Performance Group Evaluation.  The choir prepares two songs for this event performs it in front of judges.  I was fortunate to be able to go and hear their performance and I must say, I was impressed.  This middle school did an excellent job performing, watching their conductor, and the blended sound they created was awesome.  I've been to a lot of things in my day, and this was definitely and great group.  They received a superior rating, the highest one can receive.  Congratulations Easton!

Cruising

Oh, our little puppy Charlie....we added him to our family almost two years ago.  I never imagined how much everyone would love him, including me. (cough, cough)  I wasn't raised with dogs and quite frankly, was afraid of them.  I blame that one on my mother!!!!  I captured this picture this morning as I was driving home through the neighborhood after dropping Easton off at school.  I remember when we first got Charlie as a puppy how scared he would get when riding in the car.  He would literally shake and whimper and want to be sitting in my lap while I drove.  Now he hears my keys in my hand and wags his cute little nub of a tail in anticipation and the hope that he will join me on my driving excursion.  He waits patiently until I acknowledge his desire by saying, "Want to go for a ride?"  Immediately he runs to the door leading to the garage and waits with excitement so he can get in the car.   He loves looking out the window and watching the cars go by.  He's our little buddy!