Christmas is tomorrow. Are you Ready?

Well, it's December 24. Are you all running around like crazy trying to get finished with last minute stuff or are you done? I've got to go the the grocery store and get dog food and milk. I think I'll run across the street and get a sled at King's in case any of the grandkids want to go sledding if they come to visit. We certainly have plenty of snow. I don't think any of them will come up tomorrow but maybe they'll come up this weekend. I'm not working Friday but some of them have to.

Jeff is working today. He is driving part-time as a courier for the hospital in Logan. He works about four hours and it's not too bad. He drives around to four or five out lying towns and picks up test that have to be run in Logan and delivers supplies. It's not much, but I think he enjoys it. He was supposed to drive once a week, but the weather has been bad and some of the drivers don't want to drive in it so he's working every day but Christmas this week.

I'm only working part of the day today. The agents keep telling me to go home. I think I'll take them up on their offer. It's really slow here. I think I've answered the phone three times all day.

At this Christmas time I want to tell you how much I love and appreciate my husband and my children and grandchildren. They are so good to me. If they never gave me anything but their love I would be a happy woman. Sometimes I haven't been easy to love, but they always give me another chance. I love my extended family too. I have a wonderful brother and sister. John's wife is so special. He is very lucky to have her. Their children are super too. They have great kids and I have fun being around them. My mom is a very special person. I have to say I'm a very lucky person. I am surrounded by loving family and friends. I have my health. What else could a person ask for?

I love parts of the Christmas season. People are more loving and patient with one and another. We seem to go out of our way to help others. I just wish we could act like that all the time. I know there are some that try and succeed to have a Christ like attitude all year long. I want to be one of those people. I'm going to try to think about the things I do each day. I want to keep the thought in my mind that Jesus is watching me because I know he is and I don't want to let him down like I've done in the past.

I'm grateful to Jesus for choosing to be my Savior. He is an important part of my life. I really need to try harder to learn more about him and to thank him daily for all he has done for me. I love the Christmas story and all it means. But there's so much more to know than that. If I want to go home and live with him again I need to work on a lot of my shortcomings.

I'm not a "resolution" making person. I have found in my life that it doesn't work for me. I do set my mind to do something and that works for me. It could be on January 1st or March 15th, or some other time. Jeff says he's amazed that when I seriously decide to make a change I do it. I'm going to set down this weekend and take some time to see what I need to work on most and "just do it".

Have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Hello to all of you. I wish I could say I got as much done the weekend after Thanksgiving as I planned, but that is just not true. It seems like when I try to get a lot done it just doesn't happen. Life just gets in the way. Nikki and I planned the Pace Family Christmas party this year. We held it on Dec. 6, in Highland, Utah at Nikki's house. Let me tell you,"Their house is wonderful." Donney has a huge projection screen TV in the family room. I wasn't sure Jeff was coming home with me. I had a hard time getting him away from the TV. We had dinner and then the kids made nativity sets. My ward had made them on a Super Saturday a couple of years ago and I bought some extras. They were perfect for the party.

If this picture looks familiar it's because I stole it from Nikki. I forgot my camera and had to rely on Nikki and Allison for pictures. Nikki had hers' on her blog. I haven't seen Allison's yet. She still has to send them to me.

The kids seemed to have a good time and I think the parents enjoyed helping them. We had them put their completed nativity sets back in the bags and started in on the gingerbread houses.

Rachelle put the main houses together and then we turned the kids loose. It was fun watching them decorate their houses.

This is Simon and Camille with their houses.

The whole evening was so fun!

Allison and Scott went home about 8:30 and left Taylor and Mikayla with us. We left Nikki's about 10:00 or so and Allison and Scott invited us to spend the night. So we stayed with them and went home the next morning.

In case you don't know who these wonderful people are I'll tell you.
Shawn, Me, and Nikki

Now I'll tell you the camera story. I had a list of all the stuff I needed to take to Nikki's for the party. I got everything loaded and checked my list. I was set. We got down to Nikki's and I realized I had forgotten my camera. It wasn't on the list. It makes me irritated enough that I have to make a list to go somewhere, but HOW could I leave off my camera.

Today is my birthday. Mikayla called me this morning to wish me happy birthday. I was kind of surprised because she was supposed to be at school. Well, she was, but the teacher had stepped out of the room for a minute so she hurried and called me. She wished me happy birthday and then told me she had to go. She called me back a few minutes later and all the kids in her class were yelling "Happy Birthday Grandma", and "We love you". Mikayla couldn't even hear me and I really couldn't hear her either. Anyway, she decide she needed to get off the phone in case the teacher came back in. The kids wrote "Happy Birthday Grandma K" on the blackboard and she took their picture with her phone. She's going to show it to me and I'll share with you when I can.

Are you surprised there are pictures? I am!!! I decided to try it. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I'll have to try some more things that you guys do all the time. I'm just a beginner and I'm a little slow to try new things.

Have a great day!!!

Well, here it is the day before Thanksgiving and I'm doing better than usual. The pie crusts are made and the pie filling is ready to go in them. When I get home from work I'll cook them and make sure I have everything ready for tomorrow. Angela has invited us to come to her house for Thanksgiving. We're really looking forward to seeing her and Jed and the kids. We're looking forward to seeing all the kids and grandkids tomorrow. I hope to take lots of pictures and learn how to share them. Mikayla is coming up after dinner and spending the weekend with us. That will be fun. I'm not working on Friday so I'm going to get some Christmas stuff done while she visits with her Idaho friends. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your friends and families. If you're driving be careful!!!

Good Afternoon,

I have found some patterns I was looking for on the internet. I was going to try to make all the kids a sewn Christmas present, but it's way too late. I'm going to start working on them so they'll be ready for next year. I did find some fun patterns and they are just what I was looking for.

I forgot to mention that I had one more dog. He was a weinie dog and his name was Max. Jeff and I have had him since he was about 8 weeks old. He was getting pretty old and he finally died about a month or so ago. He was a great dog! He started out as my dog and ended up being Jeff's. That's what triggered the collection of dogs we have now. I got Zoe a week or two after Max died and then the rest came like I explained yesterday. Life is always interesting around my house. Jeff never knows what to expect.

I also have 4 dwarf hampsters and a long haired hampster. (How long do they live anyway?) Then I have a cockatoo named "Powder" and a parakeet. She doesn't have a name. I won't even go into the cats. Let it suffice that I love animals.

I'm going down to Logan tomorrow to get some fabric. There isn't a single fabric store in Preston and I need to have some Christmas fabric for a couple of projects I'm working on. I also found the cutest pattern for a pin cushion that I want to try.

I have a friend trying to help me with the Maag side of my family history. I need to find a crack so I can work on mom's dad's side of the family. Sharol is a pro and is going to see what she can find out. Family history is a great love of mine and that's usually what I spend my Sundays doing. I haven't found any new names for a long time. That is always a special thing. If I can get something going on the Maag line maybe I'll have some more great experiences. For the time being I'm trying to find all the baptism, endowment, and sealing dates for everyone so I can make sure all that work has been done instead of assuming it has been done. If I can help anyone with anything they need let me know.

Have a great day! I know I'm going to.

It has been quite a while since I wrote anything. I should do better but I'm not sure I will. I was reading Nikki's blog and saw that she had posted things she was grateful for. It made me think of things I'm grateful for.

I'm thankful for a wonderful husband who loves and supports me. I'm thankful for seven beautiful children and their spouses and all my wonderful grandchildren. I am so thankful for their health and happiness. I'm thankful to live in Mink Creek. The air is clean, the neighbors are wonderful, and the life is just what I want to have. I'm thankful for a great brother and sister. I'm so glad we are friends as well as relatives. I'm thankful for a super mom. I don't see her as often as I would like to, but I do love her.

I'm thankful for this wonderful world that God and His son Jesus Christ made for me. I can't imagine that it could be any better.

I am very thankful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It gives my life meaning, direction, and purpose.

Now on a lighter note you won't believe what's going on at my house. I think I told you I had gotten a cute little puppy. I named her Zoe. A week or so after I got her she died. I was heart broken. I found Lacey to replace her. Lacey is a great dog, but she wasn't Zoe. I do love her but it's different. While I was getting Lacey Jeff found me a new weinie dog. When the guy came to deliver him there were two of them. They were brothers out of different litters. I had to take them both. (You can't break up brothers can you???) Now I had three dogs. They are fun and Oscar has adopted Jeff. (He's one of the weinie dogs). Then I ran into the gal who had given me Zoe and told her what had happened. She gave me Zoe's sister. She's precious. I think she's smarter than Zoe. Her name is Buffy. I call Jeff almost every day to check and make sure she's alright. It is definitely interesting around my house. Jeff complains about them but he really likes them. Pepper (the other weinie dog) even rides on his 4-wheeler. I had a chance to get a cute little poodle, but Jeff wouldn't let me have her. (I don't know why.)

I love life and I love my critters.

And you thought your life was weird!!!

Good Morning,

I can say I hope my plateau period is over. I went to WW's last night. I thought I had done pretty good, but I'm always nervous. My scales and theirs aren't always in agreement. I lost 6.6 pounds. I was elated!!! I have lost a pound, gained two pounds, lost a pound, gained a pound (I think you get the picture) for over a month. The leader told me last night it looked like I was over my plateau. I sure hope so. I want to finish getting this weight off and I was getting depressed. I know I won't lose that much again, but if I'm going down that's the right direction.

We canned apple-pie filling Wednesday night. Linda got hung up with a client and so it was just me and Natalie. We did 14 quarts and they looked beautiful after they came out of the cooker. It makes all the work worth while when those bottles of fruit look so perfect. I'll have to take a picture and show you. If I sound pretty proud of myself it's just because I am. I haven't done this sort of thing for a long time. I still remember how to do it and I can still do a good job.

The critters are all good. Lacey is my latest aquisition and she's great! She and Zoe are so cute together. They want to play with the cats. Milo will put up with Zoe, but none of them want to put up with Lacey.

I have to tell you where my indoor kitties came from. First I got Pill from my son and daughter-in-law. They sold their house and moved into an apartment. No pets; so I took Pill. Then Allison got married. Her kids each had a cat. Scott has a pug and he and the cats didn't get along too well so Grandma (me) took in the cats. All three of them have been neutered and declawed so they can't just be outside kitties. So I have Pill, Milo, and Oreo. They are great!! That's the story behind my inside cats. I have four outside cats. When you live in the country you have to have cats. I do have to say that Milo had a mouse the first of the week. He and Pill still get those mice every chance they get.

I'll tell you more about my other critters another time.

Have a great day!!!

It's Sunday evening. I just about have dinner ready. We're having an elk roast, potatoes and gravy, and veggies.

We had a good Sunday. Our church meetings were great! My visiting teachers came. They had a great lesson, but that's nothing new. They always do. We have all been canning and we exchanged stories about that. We all have gardens. We exchanged stories about that. We had a very good visit. It was fun to remember things from the past. I am lucky to have two such wonderful ladies come to my home to check on me.

I have a new dog. Her name is Lacy. She's a Sheitzo (I know that's not spelled right). She is a fun dog. She is well mannered and very polite. She's not neutered yet, but she will be. Now we have 3 dogs, 7 cats, and 3 birds. Oh, I can't forget 4 hamsters and 6 bunnies. Jeff never knows what I'll bring home next. I enjoy animals and plants (I have a lot of them too).

Every critter has a story. I won't go into that right now.

I cleaned, made jam, and made bread yesterday. I feel like I did the dishes about 10 times, but I think it was only three. I didn't get started on the apron. I might look at my fabric later and at least decide what I'm going to do. Jeff even took me out to dinner because I was too pooped to fix him anything. He spoils me sometimes.

Jeff goes up and cuts wood for an older couple in our ward that he home teaches. He has been working with an old chainsaw so he bought a new chain saw. He got a wood permit Friday so he'll probably start cutting wood tomorrow.

I hope life treats you well. Take care.

Well, I have to say it has been quite a while since I wrote. I'm going to do better. I'm trying to get the hang of this blogging stuff. Allison has a great blog. Cameron and Rebecca have a great blog. Nikki has a great blog. Grannie K is just trying to figure out what she's doing. I'm going to try to get a new picture and set up a slide show.

I have to confess something. I haven't been doing good at all on WW's lately. I weighed in tonight and it was enough to shake me up. I'm going to get back on the wagon. I let chocolate get the best of me. It just went downhill from there. I'm going to start exerciseing again tomorrow. I have been really lax in that area too. You guys check up on me now and then to see how I'm doing.

Things are good. I have a new dog. Her name is Zoe. She's a pompoo. Her dad is a pomeranian and her mom is a toy poodle. She's cute. She needs a hair cut though. She looks like a powder puff with legs. She loves to play with Milo (the cat). He just puts up with her. The other cats don't put up with her so she sticks with Milo. I'll have to take some pictures of her so everyone can see her.

I have two parakeets. They are trying to teach Powder (my cockatoo) to talk more softly. Any of you who have been around cockatoos know that they can be really loud. I haven't even named them yet. That's unusual for me.

I don't know if anyone is interested in WW's recipes. I could include some of my favorites if there is any interest. That will probably help me stay on track.

I have been doing some canning lately. Some friends and I canned chicken a few weeks ago and we canned barbeque last Tuesday. Preston has a county cannery that is open from August until the end of October. We are able to can just about anything there is a recipe for. It's great and very economical. The appointments are all filled for the rest of this year so we're planning what we want to can next year. We will be better prepared. We can still do dry packing and I might go down and dry pack some things before they close for the season. We went to Natalie's yesterday evening and bottled applesauce. The three of us did 41 quarts of applesauce. That kind of thing is so much more fun when you work with friends. We are going to do apple pie filling and then we are done for the year. I will probably do some freezer jam on my own, but the group effort will be over after the apple pie filling.

I am in a apron swap. I want to get started on that this weekend. The lady I'm making the apron for wants it made out of Christmas fabric. I have to check my stash and see what I have on hand.

Make sure you check out Cameron and Rebecca's blog, Allison's blog, and Nikki's blog. They'll keep you up on family news. I'll find out if anyone else has a blog and let you know.

Take care. See ya soon.

I just took the funnest quiz. It's called "Which Princess are You"? I will figure out how to put the quiz here so you can all try it. I'm Jasmine. I don't think of myself as a princess, but the explanation nails me to a tee.

You Are Jasmine!

Independent and adventurous. You don't want much; just to break out of the guilded cage society has put you in and experience life to the fullest. Following orders isn't really one of your strong points, and you would rather live a life of poverty than being forced into something that you hate.

Hi Everyone,

Cameron took his boys and headed for Utah this morning. He had to stop in Logan and pick a trampoline. Then he had to stop in Willard and drop off his nephew. It was wonderful to see him and all his family. Cameron and the boys helped Jeff and Richard pick up hay. They worked hard. Then they rode horses and played hard. Cameron and Rebecca rode up to the radio tower. There are lots of pictures I want to share with you as soon as I learn how to do it. It was a wonderful month. Taylor and Mikayla were here through the first part of the month (July). Then Matt and his family came for a day or two. Shawn and Ginger came up and brought Nichelle for a visit. Cameron and his family came while Nichelle was here. She had fun getting to know her cousin, Macie. Cameron and his family took off for Yellowstone for Rebecca's family reunion. Shawn and Ginger came up to get Nichelle. He and Jeff wear the same size so Shawn brought him up some shoes and shirts. Jeff has worn all but one pair of the shoes and he loves them all. The day Shawn left Cameron and some of his family came back. Braden and Trevor had gone on to Utah for an "Especially for Youth" get together. Cameron and the boys were such a big help for Jeff and Richard. They worked so hard in the hay. They were invaluable. Jeff is wondering how they are going to finish things finished up without him.

Well, I'll work on learning how to do a slide show and show you what was going on around here.

It has been a wonderful day. I got a lot of things accomplished at work today. I went to Stoke's (our local grocery store) and got rodeo tickets for Cameron and the boys. I came home and enjoyed some tomatoes and cottage cheese. I have checked out my daughter's blog and will check out Nikki's after I'm finished here. I helped the agents get ready for the parade. I will be taking my cameras to work tomorrow. I'll probably take pictures all day long and during the parade.

Cameron is here from California for a few days. His wife, Rebecca, and all their kids were here. Then Rebecca and some of the kids went to a wedding and the two oldest boys, Braden and Trevor went to an "Especially for Youth" event. Cameron, Adam, and Dallin stayed here to move hay and enjoy some time with their grandparents. We've barbequed, we've made S'mores, they have moved hay, and today they worked and then they went over to Croslands' to play. The Croslands have tree houses, rope swings, all sorts of animals, fireman poles, and more. It is like going to a extra special park. They will come home tired and happy. Jeff and Cameron just went over to get them and bring them home.

Tomorrow they are going to the parade and the rodeo. They are getting really excited. They work hard in the hay. Then they play hard afterward. They have been riding horses too. It's too bad there's nothing to do at Grandma and Grandpa's.

We have had family here most of July. Matt and his wife and kids came up. Taylor and Mikayla came up after Allison's wedding and spent a couple of months here. Mikayla worked on the ranch. Taylor played on the computer a lot. Shawn and Ginger came up and visited and then left Shawn's daughter, Nichelle, for about 10 days. Shawn and Ginger came back up and picked her up. They left and then Cameron and his family came. It has been a busy month for Jeff and I, but we love our kids and grandkids. We enjoy spending time with them and love to have them come to see us.

My adherence to my Weight Watchers this month has been horrible. I don't think dieting and entertaining family go well together. I'll get back in the saddle in August. I love the fact I have done so well, but I want to get to goal so I'll get back to work soon.

Good Morning,

It's already July 25. Time is going so quickly. I love summer and think it should last longer. Who do I send my wishes and desires on that issue to?

Allison had a beautiful wedding. The weather had been kind of crappy before and I was a bit worried, but she had a positive attitude and everything was perfect. Her photographer was a kid she has known forever. I'm not sure but I don't think she even knew he was in the business until she met him. Her dress was perfect! Everyone looked wonderful! It was a very special day. She married a very wonderful and special man named Scott Blakley. My favorite part of the whole thing is that they are both so very happy. They are perfect for each other.

The famous Preston Rodeo Days are coming up this next week. There is a parade Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Richard will probably have the horses in the Saturday parade. That's usually what happens. I'll try to get some good pictures and include them next week. I work at Exit Realty and our broker dresses up as Capt. Jack Sparrow. I'll get some pictures of our float and him too.

Weight Loss

About a year and a half ago I decided I was too heavy. I got out of breath doing simple things and I was on the verge of going to a size 24. I just couldn't handle that. I joined Weight Watchers. I need the accountabilty of getting on those scales every week and having Corlis look up at me and tell me how good I'm doing (or not). The program is wonderful and is a great way to change your life style. I have to say it is hard for me because when I want a hot fudge sundae an apple isn't going to cut it. But I've learned a lot about portion control and I really eat anything I want. I just don't eat everything in sight. I've lost 50 pounds about three times, but I'm determined to do it right this time. If you have any good recipes or need one maybe I can help you or you can help me. I would love to share tips and/or recipes.

Grannie K

Taylor and Mikayla are staying with us. They came up a few days after Allison and Scott's wedding. Mikki is having fun and staying really busy. I'm not so sure about Taylor. I think he's having a harder time this year.

We just had our yearly open house at the horse ranch on June 14, 2008. Mikayla participated in the flag ceremony and several other parts of the show. She was pretty nervous. She didn't want to drop her flag. She did great. She did carry a horseshoe in her back pocket. Taylor helped me take pictures. It was a fun afternoon.

Allison and Scott's wedding was beautiful. They got married on May 24, 2008. The weather was perfect. It wasn't too hot or too cold. It had been rainy, but the sun was shining for the wedding. Allison looked perfect and Scott was very handsome. The thing that made me happiest was that they were both so happy. They had written their own vowes and they were so special. I hope they wrote them down and kept them, because the two of them ought to read through them at least once a year on their anniversery. (Just my opinion, but then who's blog is this!) Family and friends were on hand to wish them well and support them as they started their life together. The food was wonderful. The caterer did a fantastic job. Jeff even commented on how good everything was. The photographer was a guy Allison had known from Idaho Falls. He was in her Grandma Knudson's ward. They had know each other since they were kids. That was interesting. I haven't seen the pictures yet so I can't tell you how they turned out, but I'm betting they will be super. Allison and Scott went to Italy for their honeymoon. I haven't heard a whole lot about it or seen any pictures. She just told me it was wonderful.