Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday. You would never guess how old she is by looking at her photo, and I'm sure that she wouldn't really like my to announce to the world on the internet just how old she is. So, lets just say that she is LESS than 3/4 of a century. She has been such a wonderful mother.
I was an only girl, so she and I are very close. She taught me everything I know. She taught me how to cook and sew and put on make-up and do my own hair, and and play games and decorate stuff, and shop, and camp, and dance (oops she goofed there), and take care of children, play the piano, (goofed again) and clean, and go to church, and serve in the community and church, and so you can see that everything that is important I really did learn from my mom. I can't believe that I spend so many years in school, when the really important stuff in life, I just learned at HOME. We used to spend hours playing games, and just spending time together. I always wanted to be just like my mom when I grew up. She is so good at everything she does, and I just wish I could have the talent that she does. Everybody admires my mom, and I love it when people ask my if I'm her daughter because I am so proud of her.

Thanks, mom for being a perfect mother and teaching me so much, and especially for setting an example with your testimony of the gospel and your endless and unselfish service. You are my HERO. I love you.

Tiffany, It's your birthday, Happy Birthday Tiffany

Tiffany is 29 Years Old???? That means that I have been a mother for 29 years. Boy did that time go by fast. It seems like yesterday I was turning 29. Tiffany was the perfect baby. And just look at her, she was soooo beautiful. She was born with a head FULL of curly dark hair, and never lost it. (the hair, I mean) This is her on her blessing day. I had grown up with three brothers, and it was so much fun to have a baby girl. She was like a doll, and my mother and I had a ton of fun dressing her up.

This is Tiffany all grown up and with three children of her own. She is such a cute and wise mother, and I am so proud of her. She was such a fun daughter to raise, and the fun just continues on. Now she is not only my oldest daughter, but one of my best friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TIFFANY

Here are 10 things that I love about you:
1. You have a great sense of humor.
2. You are a strong person, you never give up, no matter how tough things get.
3. You are always concerned about others, and always there to help.
4. You are great at organizing things, especially your life!
5. You are a good example to all of us.
6. You are a really good cook, and share your talent!
7. You know how to choose a really great house in the perfect neighborhood.
8. You are good with kids.
9. You have some of the cutest kids I have ever seen.
10. You are the perfect daughter.

Brace Yourself

Three and a half years ago Cody got his braces on. And before that he spent about a year and a half doing abstactions/headgear/bumpers. It's been a long haul, but yesterday, it was all worth it!!! HE FINALLY GOT HIS BRACES OFF!!! I wish that we would have taken a picture on the day he got his braces on, but they hadn't invented blogs then. He looks so handsome. His orthodontist even said that he is going to but Cody's before and after model in his display case.
There has been a MAJOR improvement. Aside for the big bucks that he got from us, I'll bet that Dr. Heath is glad that he is finished with the Neumeyer family. He told me once that he has NEVER seen toothy problems quite like ours, (and he is an old guy) Our family presented him with a set of problems that he had never incountered before, but he has done a good job. All of the kids have turned out beautifully. As I was walking to the car after making the last payment, I was so happy. I thought, Gee I think I'll go but a new car!!

What do you think???

Like my dad would tell me everytime I was in pain from having my braces tightened,
"Its all in the cause of beauty"

I'm baaaaacckkk

NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH * NEWS FLASH

16 YEAR OLD BOY IS NO LONGER ABLE TO WALK

Centerville- A 16 year old boy loses the use of his legs and is no longer able to walk. His parents, Rick and Linda said that this disability came on VERY suddenly, without any warning signs, and they are dumbfounded. "He was fine one day, and the next day his legs just wouldn't work" says his mother. "He has always been very fit, active in wrestling and football. He lifts weights and worked out everyday. He didn't even drink soda pop...he was a very healthy eater, so we just can't figure out what brought this on." reports his father. The boy, Cody, was seen walking all over town, especially with his friends, always having a good time. He never complained at all about his legs hurting. His family notes that he still has enough strength in his legs to walk around his home, and he can still work out, but when it comes to going to even nearby places such as his church house, which is only one block from his home, his legs just can't get him there. His mother commented that if things don't improve with him, they are going to make an appointment with his pediatrician. In spite of it all he seems to have a better than usual attitude. His family told reporters that the ironic thing is that this happened the very day that Cody got his drivers license.

precious cargo

...and take a good look at this face, because tomorrow this boy gets his braces off!!!

Question Time With Linda

I get a lot of questions from my readers, and I would like to start answering some of them from time to time on my blog.

Here is one of the most frequently asked questions:

Q: I recently ordered some lemon bars from you, and honestly they are the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I know that you probably don't share recipes, but could you please tell me how you make this scrumptious treat? I would be willing to even buy the recipe from you. Name your price!!

--Marsha Stewvart, Conn.

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A: Thank you so much for that great compliment!!! I'm glad that you enjoyed your luscious lemon bars, and thank you for ordering them. Honestly Marsha, even if I could give you the recipe, (and if I did, I would have to KILL you), I don't think that they would turn out the same as mine, because you see, I have a secret. However, I am willing to share the "secret" with you.

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You see, I grow my own Lemons!!!! I know, I know what you are thinking.

You are thinking, "Gee she doesn't live in Florida, California or Arizona, does she? " Well, that is true. I do live in the mountains, but amazingly enough, I still grow my own lemons!!!!!

Here you can see my little granddaughter in a rare moment when I actually let her touch the tree right before I harvested the lemon. (Usually the kids aren't even allowed to LOOK at the tree) I use only home-grown, fresh Meyers Lemons for my lemon bars.

Anything else just won't do.

That lemon tree is my BABY. I have been nursing it for 5 years, and thanks to my son and daughter-in-law, who brought it back from the dead once, it is alive and doing well. It flowers in the spring and fall with blossoms that smell like honeysuckle, and it produces about 10 lemons every december. Next to my grandkids, that tree is my most prized possession. ---just for the record, if that tree could walk and talk and destroy, I wouldn't let IT look at my grandkids.

So Much To Be Thankful For

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!  Our whole family was together, for the first time in a long time.

Our feast was at Eaglewood, and with 35 family members, it was so nice to have a large place with plenty of room.  As a matter of fact, we could have invited 120 more people!  Probably the best part, though, was the 40 second dishwasher!!!

We made home-made potato rolls, and with all of this help, they were shaped and proofing in no time at all.

My mother made these cute little name cards.

However, somebody ate the candy off of several of them long before we sat down to eat.

Hmm....Does it look like he has anything in his mouth?????

I'm sure it wasn't them.  They look busy.

Guilty?

It wasn't grandma, she was busy playing games with the kids.

It wasn't Anabelle.  But she was busy eating the painted styrofoam berries.  As a matter of fact, she ate a whole branch of them.  Notice the paint-stained face.     

Maybe we should have checked this kid's boots.

                              I'm sure it wasn't this guy.  He was busy drinking all day long.

I don't think that Brent even knew that there were gumdrops,  because he was busy watching Kung fu Panda.

It wasn't any of the boys who were busy playing golf.  They probably had plenty of snacks anyway in the snack carts that they were driving.

I don't think it was this guy.  He looks too tired to be a gumdrop thief.  We might never know who it was.  Next time we all get together, we'll have to watch out for the bandit.

Gumdrops or not, we had a great day.  Thanks to everybody who brought delicious food, helped out with the clean-up, and stayed around for great conversation.

I'm thankful for a wonderful family.

PEEK at the WEEK

This is a great post for all of you who LOVE to watch other people's home movies and look at their photo albums. Yep, this blog's for you. This isn't about any big event, just a peek of what we did this week. The normal stuff.

This little guy did have a birthday this week. I guess that is a big event. Where did this month go, and why do babies grow so fast?

Ethan came upstairs with a new hat on. Coke Zero. They belong together, that hat and him.

OK, where did he get that marker, and what else is green now??????

Walking Carston to school has been a highlight of my day. Rain or shine.

Ethan came to sleep overnight. He brought his mom and sister with him. But I don't really think that we can call it a sleep over, since he doesn't really do much sleeping. Must be why he made himself a bed on these stools.

I had some fun taking pictures of the girls "reaching for stars"

I just happened to "catch" Anabelle reaching for the star all on her own, and I grabbed my camera real quick like to capture the moment. I love the lighting on this one.

Sometimes you just might need a stool. Karley set this one up.

On Saturday we were all together for a wedding. E V E R Y O N E came to our house after, and "hung out". Nichole took Nickolas home, and Tiffany and Ashley needed to run an errand, so I volunteered (?) to watch the kids. Crazy, I know. For the first little while I kept them entertained in between battles and tears by playing every game I could think of that could keep kids from age 1 to 6 interested. Each game lasted a matter of seconds. Finally it occured to me that I could let them watch TV (why didn't I think of that sooner?) This is what it looked like when their mommies came home. They thought that I had them in control the whole time, and that we had fun.

We did.

I just love these kids.