Scout Week-end

We had SNOW....it really came down .....AFTER....the scouts went home. They camped Friday night on our property then Mark had to take them up to Sunrise to play in the snow....if only they didn't have to go home after I fed them on Saturday afternoon....it really started coming down. I made my first snow bear and put him on the deck looking in the window so Dan's boys could see him from inside. They were so impressed that I put eyebrows on him LOL!
Here are a couple of scouts in Friday night by our campfire.
The trees are SO BEAUTIFUL with all the snow on them....it felt like the holidays.
Dan's car got covered and he got the snow plow out ...as we were worried about more coming down on Sunday....and IT DID! Mark drove the scouts home on Saturday afternoon....we came home on Monday.
Back home to the valley and finally replaced all my poor geraniums that got the frost damage right after Christmas. I love Spring flowers....even though it really isn't Spring ...yet!

Fantasy!

I have always had the dream of owning a playhouse. I had a little neighbor girl in California with a two-story one. I would climb over the fence to play with her and get inside that thing. WOW! Her grandfather had built it. This one above....is ONLY 48,000.00!
Okay...if that is TOO pricey...try this one....ONLY 38,000.00. Like I said....FANTASY!

More Service

Took a meal in to our friends we met on the Book of Mormon tour in 2004. Bro. W. was bishop, stake president and mission president in Oklahoma. He is now 82. He had knee surgery a few weeks ago and got home after 3 weeks of rehab. We took a meal in on Friday......Saturday night he fell and BROKE HIS LEG!!! Ouch! I didn't find out until I went over to pick up my dishes. They are not in our ward, so we don't see them as much.

I sat and talked with Sister W. She showed me her mission scrap-book. He broke the same leg he had knee surgery on.....! I played a recital in their home in 2009. I found a book at the BYU organ workshop on the spiritual lives of the Great Composers. Great book..everyone should read it. I love to share the composers' spiritual lives and their testimonies.

Today we take a meal in to Sonia. We didn't know her whole family has the flu and SO SICK! Tomorrow we take the Scouts snow-camping and a stop-over at the cabin for a warm meal. Hope the Scoutmaster doesn't get sick.....AGAIN!

Service

Found these "candy" lights. What a find!!! Some of the strands are even scented. I contacted a business in Heber and they LOVE my cookie houses. I may be very busy this summer. I thought the Lil Sweet Shop ought to have some of these lights....can't wait to meet the owner and share my ideas. I would love to decorate her front window with all my doll "stuff!"
Taught RS on Sunday. Next lesson is on Service. Decided to give the Valentine house to a young girl in our neighborhood with a very rare disease. She is in constant pain with her foot. We helped fly her back to Chicago to Mayo clinic with her mom. She is having to miss this whole year of high school. Their family is investigating the church. The girls in our ward haven't been so nice to her, so now she is attending another ward. Her mom and other younger sister are still coming.

I just don't think I have time for this blog anymore. Hubby gave me an Ipad for Valentine's Day. I have a new addiction......it only cost 15 dollars to download ALL the scriptures and manuals and EVERYTHING! WHOOT!

My fist "i tune" was Nessun Dorma with Luciano Pavarotti singing.....(SIGH....) I am so excited to download more.....heh, heh.

My Valentine Dress

This picture isn't the best....but it is the only picture I have. I never thought of it as being my best Valentine dress....but wow ...guess it is! I wore it to play my second solo recital in Pomona California at the private Scripps College Recital Hall, my senior year. My professor was the most awesome person. He helped me get to college by having this scholarship recital for me as well as giving me a job in his store. He posted my picture in the paper and sent his best piano over from his music store. He taped me playing in his studio and sent the tape to ASU for my audition. I owe him so much.

This is me with the young man who brought the gospel into my life. He left a message in my yearbook that prompted me to investigate the church. He went to Sweden on his mission. I visited there this past summer, as well as Denmark. He left without baptizing me into the church because my parents were totally against it. I joined the beginning of my sophomore year.....September 7, 1973 is my special day.

This picture is of the two of us at a dance at ASU. It's funny how I like red...I wore a red outfit at ASU to enter the concerto competition a few years ago, when I went back at age 41 to try and finish my degree. I ALMOST made it, I never played my senior recital since I injured my hand in the competition with over-practice. It took a whole year to heal and I decided to not have hand surgery. I think I am prouder of my algebra grades at that time. I had always struggled with math. To get an 'A' at the college level in my three math classes just really rang my bell LOL! I always got A's in my piano juries so that just didn't mean as much to me.

Thank you, Dennis!

Grandma Gigi's Valentine House

Okay...I had to play around today. This is my version....with LOTS of candy!
Now I just have to ponder about who to give it away to.....

Crafty Valentine

Lara made this cute little Valentine house for me and filled it with Smarties! Thanks Larkie. I am amazed at how she could cut all the little windows, etc... without using an Exacto knife...just plain scissors. I couldn't do that. Her grandmother-in-law stopped Dad in the temple and gave her high marks. We are so proud of you Larkie..you are a special girl to us too!

February Birthdays

,Sonia went with friends to the cabin to celebrate the big 34. We babysat the kids Saturday and Sunday. Grandma Gigi baked a cookie house. The kids loved going to SWEETIES candy warehouse. We then hit Jambo ...which is an indoor play place for kids. Keira told me about the email sign-up. Instead of paying 9 dollars each to get in. We only paid 5. The kids loved it. Dalton and Peyton's handiwork here.
Mark showed them a church video called the "MAZE" on Sunday. They had to have a quiz afterwards and liked the video so much we played it again. Gosh...how come our own kids never asked for a repeat on church videos....BA HA HA HA!
Each one of them decorated a different side. Ashton did the front, Sutton did the wall on the left.
We ate more of those cherry yogurt-flavored pretzels than we should have......YUM! Ryder chose Toy Story Legos for his birthday and today we took Peyton to choose his gift. He chose Legos too. Peyton will be up in Prescott for his birthday this year. Have fun guys!

Groundhog Predicts MORE WINTER!

Well...this is a FIRST for us...our front fountain is FROZEN this morning....
The upper pond in the back yard is frozen too. Should I try the waterfall??? NO!
Lower pond frozen TOO! The blast from Canada got us.....

Happy Groundhog's Day.....

I got busy and organized and cleaned my pantry. Just had to have a special shelf for the candy and crafts. I raised it a couple of levels to help the grandkids learn to "climb" BA HA HA HA!
February blew in with a cold front on the 1st. Uncle Morgan is running his crew and four snowplows night and day back in Illinois. Big business for him while his nursery is closed for the winter.
We went to the Boyce Thompson arboretum a few weeks ago...what did I find? A tiny green rock that says "forever." It looks pretty cute with my miniature "courting"bench I picked up in California. Gina and I went NUTS over that garden shop. She loves birdhouses. I loved their miniature fairy garden section. Can you see the tiny shepherd's hook with hanging pot. Can you tell I dropped it and had to glue it back together???

Oh Cupcake..

I don't decorate my house for many holidays...just Christmas....Valentines and sometimes Easter. I don't do orange and black at my house.....shrunk this little clip-art down to display in my miniature fairy garden on the front porch.
I found these in a great shop in California...somewhat pricey....now I found them online in the "What's New" section of my favorite online baking supply shop. This is the LARGE one...holds four cupcakes.
Isn't this DARLING? My favorite pick....this holds one cupcake...for my friends who are dieting....I found a great book from a New York bakery that does sugar-free, gluten-free, baking. It is called Baby Cakes.....love it!
Well...I just HAD to add these little characters. Sonia's kids are coming for the week-end while she has her birthday marathon with friends up at the cabin. Guess what Grandma Gigi and the kids are going to be putting together on Saturday? Think they will be pretty cute with our Valentine house.