Saturday, August 7, 2010

Summer Thunder Storms-Thoughts


Sammy took this picture the other night. The sky was bright with lots of clouds. It is haunting yet beautiful. I love summer storms. Thunder and Lightening. 

In some ways storms scare me. A lot scares me. Tops on the list heights, closed in places, my children getting hurt, someone sitting on my feet, mice and the list goes on and on. I really have some phobias.

Lately I have been a bad blogger. It takes time and for some reason I always think I need a photo to tell the story and I am always forgetting my camera. Sammy told me the other day I need to blog more so I updated July birthdays and am caught up so now I can blog about whatever. It is theraputic to blog and journal my life. I try not to share too personal of stories but sometimes I get typing and I forget this goes out to others. Because mostly I blog for me. It is my only journal.

This photo struck me as how I have been feeling lately. Bright light moments and dark stormy moments. I think that is life. I need to learn how to better handle the storms of life. 

I read this blog by Sherrie Johnson. I don't know her personally but I have followed her for awhile and I learn so much from her. 

New You

One of the lovely results of living in Truth is that all things, including your past, become new to you. Christ changes you and your life. As Paul explains it, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” ( 2 Corinthians 5:17). This is so true.

As we let go of hurts and offenses and negative ways of viewing the world, we make room in our hearts for new thoughts and new emotions. And through those new thoughts and emotions we see our past, our present, and our future differently. Instead of seeing how we were hurt, we see how others were hurting. Instead of feeling victimized, we feel remorse for what we did to contribute to poor relationships or situations.

At first this sounds like merely an exchange of bad feelings, but it is a release. As we let go of heavy, painful things, we experience an escape from bondage and unnecessary pain. We climb out of the dark Pit into the light of Truth and joy where we are free to express our true selves and feel and use the power of positive emotions to shape our lives and interact with others.

Letting old things pass away—handing them over to the Savior to take care of instead of carrying the burden of them around ourselves—is freedom. The death of the negative allows the birth of the positive.

______

I so need to live in truth and let go and hand things over to the Savior. I know I need to. I want to. But the how to do it. Really do it is something I am needing to learn.

Aaron's 23rd Birthday!

Aaron is 23 and I am really struggeling with it.
Neil was 23 when we got married. 
How can I have a son that old?
Does this mean I'm old?


They kinda like each other. Kinsey is working...always working poor girl.

Birthday meal choice. OutBack of course.
Seasoned and Seared Prime Rib.
Chocolate cake of course. I'm not sure I make the cake as well as Grandma but I tried.
Grandma has made Aaron his birthday cake every year. But she is not able to anymore.
Aaron really misses Grandma's cakes.


I love you my special boy! Ok my son is now a man. No way your always my boy.
Left over candles from Sammys b-day so 2 green for twenty and three blue = 23.

Aaron I love you and am so blessed to have you as my son. 
Thanks for being so Awesome!


These two kinda like each other. Happy Birthday son.

Grandma turns 80!

We are all so lucky to have grandma in our lives.
She is such a special lady.

Family Tree Cake.
Grandmas children and their spouses.


Around the cake is all the grand children and great grand children's names.


When I married Neil I was so blessed to have him as a husband.
But one of the greatest gifts was this special lady.
She has been a mother to me for the last 25 years. How lucky am I.
I lost my mom when I had just turned 10 years old and always hoped that when I got married I could again have a mom. I sure have been lucky. She has taught me so many things. Most of the things I have learned from her has been by watching her and seeing a wonderful example. She has helped me and loved me and been so important to me and my family. I only hope to be like her in some small way.

We had been hot all day outside 
and Neil and Aaron had played tennis and wiffle ball and Sammy was sick. 
Not our greatest looks. We were happy to celebrate grandma's 80th birthday with her. 
We missed you McKinsey so much. You were in our hearts all day.

Sammy is Seventeen


Happy Birthday Samantha Brooke Sammy Charmer Warner!
How are you 17 years old?
Thanks Kinz and Chelsey. You are Amazing friends. Love You!

Sammy's friends decorated her room. 
They went all out there was so much shredded tiny paper everywhere. 
It took Sammy weeks to clean it up. 


Look at all that paper. It was everywhere.


Lunch with the family at Olive Garden. We are so bad at taking photos. 
Sammy and her friend are so good at taking photos. They do almost every night.



Sammy's friends went all out for her birthday they made this fun list and sammy had to do 17 things.





Jenny, Maddie and Sammy.



Rice King with her friends. Rice King is Sammy's favorite

The party kept going. Sammy had a lot. I mean a lot of friends stop by for brownies, hot fudge and ice cream. The street was blocked with so many cars. 

Birthday ice cream cake. 

Blurry photo but we didn't get too many photos with family. 

Sammy Happy 17th Birthday. So glad you had a great Birthday we Love You!!