Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

One of my all time favorites!  So happy when I heard the choir sing this again this morning on the broadcast.  Beautiful when the bagpipes begin the song.  

Winter Days, Grandkids, Fun

Had an extra fun day with these kids. 

They went sleigh riding in our backyard...

then inside to decorate a gingerbread house,

run around and be crazy and have hot chocolate and toast.

Dreams of having a little nap! 

 Not happening with this bunch. 

 (I'll have one later..the minute they leave). 

 

Happy Birthday Taylor

Can you believe that this handsome young man is my oldest grandson?!?

  He turns 17 tomorrow. 

 He's  smart, he's athletic, he's good, just the right kind of kid to head up all the boys that follow him in our family. 

 (A grama  could brag, but I'm just telling the truth, of course!)  

 What a great day that was all those years ago when Taylor arrived. 

 It's been nothing but fun ever since. 

 Happy Birthday Taylor. 

 Love you tons, 

 Grama Polly

A Quiet Moment by my Tree- Merry Christmas

After a fun day with Dylan I sat down and enjoyed a quiet moment by my tree.

  It's a lovely time of year.

  Merry Christmas.

Christmas Decorations, Parties and Sam's Birthday

It's only December 4th, and already the month is moving along with activities.

  Got the house decorated over the weekend.
 Jim got the lights up just before the big snow hit,
 which spread the holiday spirit..inside and out.

Got the trees decorated.  Love getting out all the old decorations. 

They remind me of Christmas's past. 

 Love our Golf Club, my crystals I purchased from Harrods when I visited with Nick in London. 

 The old sleds mom had painted for each of the kids,

 ornaments purchased from places we have visited

and my very special Bonnie Blue Butler, given to me and signed by the real Bonnie Blue!

  What treasures!

Put my beautiful Nativity on the Mantle.

  I love the simplicity of this nativity and love that my family gave it to me. 

All ready had a party. 

We had Jim's family over for dinner last night.  It was fun to get together with Tam, Kevin, Kathy and Lanny.  We visited and enjoyed great food.

  Love seeing family over the holidays.

But the most important day so far was yesterday!

  My little Sam turned four years old! 

 He couldn't wait until it was his birthday. 

He is the most fun child.  So expressive.  So determine, so ACTIVE!!! 

 I love his smile, the way he talks, his hugs. 

Today he asked me if I would stay even when his mom got home. 

 He put his little arms around my neck and had tears in his eyes and said please stay grama, please. 

 I almost did..almost. 

 I love you Sam.  Have a happy year. 

You are my sunshine!

love, grama

So goes the first week of December.

"A Bell is no Bell til you Ring it.."

 

 

I started decorating my house for Christmas this past weekend. 

 Boxes were brought up from the storage room.  Treasures were unpacked.

  Jim was given instructions and was so good to do his part. 

 He builds a wreath around the front door, puts the outdoor lights up and any heavy lifting needed. 

 

As I unpacked Christmas decorations and got to my collection of bells I found that they were badly tarnished. 

So I decided it would be a good idea to polish them up a bit. 

 As I rubbed the tarnish away, the dates engraved became clear. 

 

 My mom used to give us these beautiful silver bells for Christmas. 

 Each had our name and the date.  1977..1984..1986..and it goes on. 

I love those bells.  I love how they shine. 

 I love the memories they provide. 

 

Tonight I was reading, once again, my mom's lesson outlines from when she was a Relief Society Instructor. 

 I just happened upon the lesson that had a verse from a song from the

"Sound of Music."

It seemed fitting that I would find this particular lesson tonight.

"A bell is no bell til you ring it.

A song is no song til you sing it.

And love in your heart was not put there to stay,

Love isn't love til you give it away."

 

Thank you mom for the memories, the bells, and for always giving your love away.

Thanksgiving

From the time I was small, I always loved Thanksgiving.  We spent our holiday at my grandmother's or in our home, where the table was set with lovely china and the aroma of turkey came from the kitchen. 

I loved setting the table, I loved the gleam of the silverware. I loved being with the family, having everyone sit down together.  I loved that my grandmothers and my mother, strived to make things nice for their families.  I especially am grateful for the way these people lived their lives.  They were all hardworking, loving people.  They loved their families and they loved the gospel.  They set an example for those that would follow. 

When our kids were little, we split our time between Jim's family and mine.  Each was equally nice.  I learned from Maude how to make Yams (the right way).  We were all having kids at the same time, so where ever we went for Thanksgiving it was crazy, with lots of noise, but lots of fun as the cousins grew up together.  I am grateful for parents and in-laws who loved us so.  Nothing made them happier than gathering their families together, and as I get older I understand the joy they felt when they got to have everybody together. 

As our children got older, I have had Thanksgiving in our home, most of the time.  We've done different things a few years, yet I still enjoy making the meal, setting the table and gathering everyone together.   

 

We are grateful to be having Thanksgiving with Ty and Melanie this year.  Just have to show up with a few dishes and enjoy the day.  Loving the day as always, remembering those that are gone, and enjoying those who surround me.
Happy Thanksgiving..Where ever you may be.

A Tuesday With Wren

I went up to see Whitney and Wren today.

  Had a good time seeing them, watching Wren play,

walking and having lunch at City Creek.

Took this picture of the Temple as we walked by. 

 

What a lovely Tuesday.

"Why God Made Little Boys" And Adding Another to Our Gang

"Why God Made Little Boys"

 

God made the world out of His dreams

Of magic mountains, oceans and streams,

Prairies and plans and wooded land,

Then paused and thought "I need someone to stand

On top of mountains, to conquer the seas,

Explore the plains and climb the trees.

Someone to start out small and to grow,

Sturdy, strong as a tree.."  And so,

He created boys, full of spirit and fun,

To explore and conquer, to romp and run.

With dirty faces and banged up chins,

With courageous hearts and boyish grins.

When He had completed the task He'd begun

He surely said "A job well done."

 

~Author Unknown

 

 

We've got a houseful of boys in our family. 

They love to climb, explore..they are full of spirit and fun.

They do stand tall, are courageous and I love their boyish grins.

 

We are about to add another boy to this group.  Tyler and Melanie told us this week that Dylan is having a little brother.  He will be well loved by this group.

 

And so.. our beautiful Wren..

remains our little princess.

loved and taken care of by her army of cousins.

 

 

 

God made the world with towering trees,

Majestic mountains and restless seas.

Then paused and said, "it needs one more thing..

Someone to laugh and dance and sing.

To walk in the wood and gather flowers..

To commune with nature in quiet hours."

So God made little girls

With laughing eyes and bouncing curls,

With joyful hearts and infectious smiles,

Enchanting ways and feminine wiles.

And when He'd completed the task He'd begun.

He was pleased and proud of the job He'd done.

For the world, when seen through little girl's eyes

Greatly resembled Paradise.

 

~Author Unknown

Being a Grandmother, Autumn Days, Grandkids

"I loved their home.  Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture." 

 

~Susan Strasberg

 

This is how I felt about my grandparents and their homes. 

 Both sets of grandparents lived close by and I visited them often. 

 I loved the feeling I had as I entered their home.  The homes were old and worn,

 but I felt safe and secure there. 

There were delicious smells and certain objects that stand out in my mind. 

 My Grandma Lundgren's old stove and her black phone in the hallway. 

I loved her big front yard with the roses that ran along the sides.

  Grandma Bagley's home had an old hand washing machine in the basement and a laundry shoot.  They had a huge garden and a fish pond. 

 

I am a different kind of grandmother.  I tend three of my grandchildren on a regular basis. 

 I sometimes worry that they will think of me as a babysitter rather than a grama,

 so I try hard to have fun, rather than discipline. 

 Plenty of hugs and loves, but I want them to learn from me as well. 

When we pick up Jake from school, Sam always points out the Temple, so whenever he sees it we start singing

"I love to see the Temple" 

 when he can't see it we stop..then when he sees it again, we start up again. 

 

Yesterday it was Veterans Day. 

 There were lots of flags waving as we drove along.  I explained to my young audience that their great grandfather had fought in a war to keep them free.

 Sam's reaction to this was

 "You've got to be kidding me!!!" 

 I said

"NO, I am not kidding!!!"  

 I told them, " That's why the flags were waving"

so, they started counting the flags. 

 

When we got home Mike had raked up a lovely pile of leaves..

he should have put them in bags and carted them away, because we had a lesson on how the leaves fall during the autumn..

 

Jake said, as he usually does 

"It's a beautiful fall day!"

 

And then the leaves got spread all over the yard!

 

Sam and Dylan love jumping in the leaves!!!

Wren came over..she wasn't so sure.

Jake likes the leaves,

 but would rather climb a tree.

 

 

So whatever kind of grandmother I am, my relationship with all of them is simple. 

 I don't know what they will remember about me, but I will remember days like these. 

The beauty of an autumn day.  Their smiling faces as they play and ask questions, and learn, their arms around my neck,

 and that I love them.