Today's shift in the weather...love it!!!

A fun surprise visit for me today from Christi and the Boys...

My little Sweet-Peas....

Treasures From My Swap Buddy - Jerusalem Greer!

Jerusalem Greer is a very talented and creative woman...You need to check out her blog at: www.miastoriadivita.blogspot.com
She made this adorable little Halloween Door Hanger for me and I quickly found a place for it on my front porch!

She also made me this gorgeous treasure of a Happy Halloween Banner! I love it. It's constructed from great papers, beautiful, vintage-style lettering and then, each letter is circled with tons of fabulous and sparkly black glitter! So wonderful - you all must know how much Sparkly means to me by now!!!

A totally GREAT pin for Fall! Old buttons...can't go wrong with those! I love Autumn Leaves and since we live in California, we don't see real autumn leaves until practically January......this will be very fun to wear! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL TREASURES JERUSALEM! I love everything! This was very fun and I hope you enjoy what I sent to you!

The Battle for the Souls of Men

"When armies are formed, battles are generally fought on vast battlefields.
But this battle for souls is quite different. The conflict goes on each day in individual lives and pits the Lord's troops against Satan's forces of greed, selfishness, and lust. . . ."
. . .The weapons of choice are not spears and swords wielded on a chaotic field of battle.
"Rather, the weapons of eternal worth reflecting the whole armor of God are truth, righteousness, faith, prayer, and the word ofGod (see Ephesians 6:13-18). These weapons are wielded in our minds, mouths, and movements. Every righteous thought, word, and deed is a victory for the Lord. . . .
"The stakes are extremely high. The prizes are the very souls of the sons and daughters of God, their eternal salvation. And these souls will be won or lost on the basis of virtue and cleanliness, on the basis of charity and service, and on the basis of faith and hope."

-Elder Robert C. Oaks, "Who's on the Lord's Side? Who?"

The annual Hot Air Balloon Sighting in my Neighborhood....

Leslie's little Saturday Day Trip to Oakland...

The beautiful Oakland Temple with all the wonderful flowers...and Leslie and her friend Jason.

A Bridal Shower....

We had lots going on this weekend...yesterday was the shower I helped Christi and my mom throw for Megan, Christi's very good friend. It was fun and Megan was so happy.

Tonight we were in Madera to say goodbye to Donnie, my nephew. He's leaving for his mission to Mexico this week.

We had an impromptu family photo taken....which are the only kind we ever have taken. I keep wanting a professional photo of our family. In the meantime, these little snapshots of us will have to do.

Kim's Thought of the Day...

"Remember, a good attitude produces good results, a fair attitude fair results, a poor attitude poor results. We each shape our own life, and the shape of it is determined largely by our attitude."

--M. Russell Ballard

Well, isn't this the truth?
I'm going to do better and aim higher....a fair attitude produces fair results....I spend too much time with a fair attitude...and sometimes I dip down into the "poor" attitude level - especially when I don't get enough sleep because of my i n s o m n i a.
How about this:
A sparkly attitude produces sparkly results...? I like sparkly.
Or...a chocolaty attitude produces chocolaty results...?
Maybe a size 8 attitude produces size 8 results????
What if things could really be that easy?

Halloween Goodies....no sugar added...no fat...no calories!

I have not been able to make any new jewelry for weeks! Maybe it's because it's been too hot in this town...maybe it's because Migraine is my middle name.......maybe I was just too busy getting the kids back in school...whatever the reasons - - I MISSED MY LITTLE escape to BeadLand every day. BUT I THINK I'M BACK! We'll see.....

Baby Grant's Bday...He's TWO!!!

Christi and Ryan made that cute train cake for Grant's bday. The picture below is of Grant and his Great Grandpa (my dad) watering the plants after another long hot summer day. Cute! Notice the large quantity of cake. It was a family birthday party- we celebrated 4 different birthdays on one day...but my mom loves cake like I do. We sometimes get carried away!

Ryan's 16th Birthday last week....time for cake!

I love cake....and any reason to eat it.

But, I love Ryan more...and now he's 16 whole years old. Time has flown and now he spends a good deal of his time yearning to "fly" down the highway in my car. For now, here's pictures of him, his cake, my little grandsons - Grant and Nathan.

The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish Writer

A Halloween Swap!!!

I'm going to be participating in a Halloween Swap this month with someone I haven't yet met. I'm excited!!!

If you're interested in participating simply email Debra at: www.hophopjingleboo.blogspot.com by tomorrow, Sept. 1st.

If you have made mistakes...there is always another chance for you...you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.

- Mary Pickford (1893-1979) Canadian Actress

"I urge you to please notice when you are happy,
and exclaim or murmur or think at some point,
'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'"
~Kurt Vonnegut

Christi and Baby Nathan...

Whether you be man or woman you will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.

-- James Lane Allen (1849-1925) American Author

There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.

-- Aldous Huxley (1864-1963) English Novelist

Dandelion Wish

Forever and Always...You're My Little Girl

Sean's Playdough Day...

Sean has begged me the entire summer to make homemade playdough and I always change the subject and pretend to not really hear him. So, I gave in today and this is the happy sight I came across when I went into the kitchen. Any day now he'll never ever want to make playdough again and make me a tray full of hearts. So, I decided that as long as he wants playdough I'll make it for him - no more changing the subject and trying to get out of it. He's definately my little sweet heart. Since posting this picture he has smashed the hearts and is making them into Star Wars figures, light sabers and ships.

Cocoa, Mint and Cream - Gold

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

-Wallace Stevens

My Idea of the Perfect Diet...."Cocoa, Mint and Cream"

No weight gain with this diet!

Friday and Saturday in Cambria....

Coming from 105 degrees in the valley...we were hit with 45 degree temps on Friday night...we were NOT prepared for the cold. We were all discussing how silly it was that we didn't pack better clothing....more appropriate to the coast. We're all in "hundred degree mindset" I suppose - shorts, tshirts, flipflops, etc. We had to buy Ryan and Sean sweatshirts at a local gas station. ha! It was nice to actually have a cold nose and cold toes for a change rather than a face (and body) covered with riverlets of perspiration!

Look at all the Sea Pixies we found at the beach!