Evolution of a smile...

Amanda got her braces off, today!!! I think she's happy. What do YOU think?

...and the ANSWER is...

a "Silly Girl"...

Type-casting, I wonder? Hummmmmmmmm????????

PS: Lakeview Academy's Girls Basketball team won their FIRST game, today! Congratulations to Amanda (aka a "Silly Girl") and her teammates!!! It was a GREAT game!!!

What will she be??????

....a feather duster? a teapot? a teacup? a wardrobe? a candlestick? a clock? a villager? or Belle?

Auditions for the school's Spring Musical: Beauty and the Beast!

Amanda made callbacks and callbacks are TODAY!!!!

DUN-DUN-DUUUUNNNNN!!! *insert dramatic music here*

More info coming soon to a "Happy Acres" blog near you!

Sometimes...

God sends us Angels to help us through our day. Yesterday, that Angel came in the form of my Jackie!

I had a busy, hectic day...to say the least. By the time I got around to making the new recipe I'd planned for dinner, I was falling WAY behind my schedule. Jackie jumped in and helped me with dinner preparations. Later, when I was lugging the next load of laundry around, she stepped right up and helped with that, too. It was exactly what I needed, when I needed help the most!

Sometimes, when you least expect it, and from unexpected sources, God finds Angels to minister to you. I'm so grateful He found this one for me!

...and sometimes those Angels have funny faces... lol

Oh the games people play...

So, Amanda is on the basketball team for her school, this year. It's a first for Mandy, but she's learning and getting better at it, everyday. We're very proud of her for how hard she's working.




While we were cheering-on Amanda's team, I saw other games being played... Having been a 13 year-old girl myself (once upon a time...); I recognized THIS game right away...

Can YOU tell what game it is??????

Joseph Smith, the Prophet

Tonight, for Family Home Evening, Kevin and I went with the Young Adults from the Ward where he serves in the Bishopric(Mandy & Jackie weren't feeling good, so they stayed home). We drove up to Salt Lake and met at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. That in and of itself is amazing to me. We used to come here as tourists. Now we get to live here and can come for Family Home Evening activities! That is SO cool!!

Anyways...We went to the Legacy Theater to see Joseph Smith The Prophet of the Restoration.

What a great movie! I loved what I learned about Joseph Smith as a man and a Prophet of God!


One of my favorite things was how his love of children (all children) was depicted. Somehow that made him seem more approachable.

When we first began taking the missionary discussion as investigators, Dad gave me a booklet entitled "The Truth Restored". It was the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel. That booklet and the truths in contained formed the foundation of my testimony of this Gospel.

Tonight, that testimony was strengthened. This is definitely the Gospel of Jesus Christ restored to the earth, by Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration. I know it's true!

...and THIS was the view as we came out of the theater....How COOL is THAT? ...And we get to LIVE here!!!

I LOVE where I live!!!

For the Strength of Youth...

The new theme for the Youth of our Church, this year is taken from the scripture in Joshua 1:9 in the Bible. It says:

"...Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

As the Mother of two teen-age girls, I know this can be a scary time for Youth and Young Adults. All around us, the world offers temptations to draw us away from our Heavenly Father. These temptations entice us and lure us farther and farther away from the knowledge of who we are and who our Heavenly Father wishes us to be. In the booklet "For the Strength of Youth", the First Presidency of the LDS Church speaks directly to the Youth of the world. They say, in part:

"You are choice spirits who have come forth in this day when the responsibilities and opportunities, as well as the temptations are the greatest. You are at the beginning of your journey through this mortal life. Your Heavenly Father wants your life to be joyful and to lead you back into His presence. The decisions you make now will determine much of what will follow during your life and throughout eternity. Because the Lord loves you, He has given you commandments and the words of prophets to guide you on your journey."

I just watched the video "A Brand New Year 2010" where youth from around the world bear witness of the power of living the standards in "For the Strength of Youth". It can be viewed at the website designed just for the Youth:
www.youth.lds.org I was inspired by the testimonies and faithfulness of these amazing young people.

Everyday, I see my daughters and the youth around me strive to do what is right. They give me hope for our future. They strengthen my faith. They radiate the pure love of Christ as they strive to be like Him.

To my beautiful daughters and all the incredible Youth and Young Adults out there I say:

"...Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

...and I will be there, too...

Freeway...

Back in November of 1995, I went to the AZ Animal Control Center (dog pound) looking for a new kitty for our family. I found a beautiful tabby-point Siamese kitten with sapphire-blue eyes (he was about 9 months-old). As soon as I took him out of the cage, he snuggled into my neck and started purring.

Kind of like he's doing to Kevin in this picture...

How could I not take him home with me? It turns out that he had become a favorite of the staff at the pound. Twice the paperwork on him had been "lost", extending his stay at the pound well past the time when he would have been put to sleep. The day he chose me was the last day he would be allowed to stay. Apparently the supervisor had put a stop to the staff "losing" his paperwork. In choosing a name for my new friend, I took that into consideration. As we left the pound, I looked around and saw that this facility was right under the loop 101 freeway there in Phoenix. Because of that and the fact that we were saving him in the nick of time, we named our new friend "Freeway".

Over the years, Freeway made new friends and saw them pass-away. He made more new friends, like "Smokey" in this picture... He became the undisputed "King of the House" among all the pets we've had.


As he got older and developed arthritis, he HATED being cold. Last winter, Jackie took pity on him and made a snuggly-nest for him to nap in. We called it our "Freeway-burrito".


Fifteen long, happy, well-loved years later; Freeway's time has finally come. My dear kitty-friend passed away, today. He went quietly in his sleep...snoozing in front of the warm fireplace...one of his favorite places. He will be sorely missed...the "King of the House" has gone to join all the pet-friends who passed before him.

Freeway was mine...or I should really say, I was his. He chose me as much as anything I had to do with it. He was a good kitty and gave us all a lot of love. When Grandma came to live with us, he adopted her as his favorite lap in the house. He LOVED keeping her company in her nice-warm sitting room.

So with lots of love and gratitude we say a very fond farewell.... Bye "Freeway-kitty"...we love you...and thank YOU.

I miss you...