Just a few thoughts from the past few days...

I've been going through some of the things I brought home from mum's last week.  We cleaned out her filing cabinet and each of us took a stack of folders home. Mom was really organized!  I hope to be this organized some day, but that would really take some doing!

Anyway, I had a folder that was neatly labeled "Letters".  It was full of old letters from friends and family.  I spent a lovely afternoon strolling through the past thirty or so years of mum and daddy's life....through the eyes of their friends and loved ones.

It was wonderful and humbling to read the many thank you notes and letters from friends, family, and people I had never heard of....thanking them for acts of kindness or service they had given to them.

They truly touched and influenced so many lives.

Been missing mum a lot lately. It feels like yesterday when she was here with us....it was January 10 when she came down here to live with us, so this time of year brings all those memories back to the surface. ( every time I turn on the tv and The price is right, or Jeopardy is on, I get a pang of lonliness for her)  That was a very special time for me. 

I've decided I really like the way the Japanese people take care of and honor their elderly family members.  I like how they keep their family together with the parents living with their married children. 

 I love the idea of them not having to be alone when their spouse dies, still feeling like they were needed and loved.  They could teach their grandchildren so much and influence their lives for good....not to mention all the joy having children around would bring to them.  I wish our culture was more like that. 

Don't worry Camille..I'm just sayin...

This was a picture Candice found from about a year and a half ago.  Camille and Candice had gone up there with me and we spent a good day with mom.  We sang some of the oldies mum had taught us.  The girls have learned a few of them and it sure is fun to hear them singing them.  Now I can see why mum always wanted us to sing for her. 

So glad they had her sweet influence in their lives.  Now when they sing, it's like they have a part of their grandma in their hearts that they can carry with them even though she is gone.

This was something we found in the cupboard downstairs...my wedding cake decorations!  Wow!  That brought back a ton of memories! 

I can still picture the cake. ..all done in yellow and peach.  Very pretty on our wedding day for the reception in our yard!  Then we tried to take it down to Salt Lake for our reception there...oh boy, that didn't work. It had lots of fragile loopy sugar work done on it and that did not survive the drive.

We  ( and when I say we, I don't know who did it...probably my mom...I was off in la la land) pieced it back together pretty good and it looked fine for the reception. 

 I finally got Sam's jammies done....this is what happens when I procrastinate sending them and leave them lying around...Hmmmmm they fit giant panda pretty good...hope they will be big enough for Sam!  and also I don't appreciate the needle through crochet kitty's head.

Candice came over Sunday and we finished the puzzle.  That was a fun one! 

I went to a stake choir practice later that night.  We are singing for Stake conference next week.  We are singing two really beautiful songs.  Our Savior's love and If we will seek the Lord.  They are the kind of songs that give you goose bumps when you get to sing them and hear them sung well.  Muriel is directing and I sure do love her.

How cute is my sweet Olivia...all ready for church!

 We took Candice's cedar chest over to her house and I got this classic shot of her...

She is pretty even when she just rolls out of bed.

Last night, my sweet friends took me out for a birthday dinner.  What a fun night! We talked and laughed till they were ready to shut the place down.  Sure do love these dear ladies.