Quotes of the Week

"Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now."  

-- Denis Waitley 

"If you want happiness for an hour -- take a nap. If you want happiness for a day -- go fishing. If you want happiness for a year -- inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime -- help someone else."  

-- Chinese Proverb 

"Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself -- no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are -- completely; the good and the bad -- and make changes as YOU see fit -- not because you think someone else wants you to be different."  

-- Stacey Charter 

Quotes of the Week

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." 

 -- Robert Louis Stevenson 

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."  

-- John F. Kennedy 

"A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away."  

-- Charles Schwab

"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision." 

 -- Stevie Wonder 

Quotes of the Week

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
--Thomas Jefferson

Once you embrace unpleasant news, not as a negative but as evidence of a need for change, you aren't defeated by it.  You're learning from it.
--Bill Gates

Luck has a lot to do with always being prepared, getting along with other people, en enjoying hard work.
--Unknown

Billats Now In Texas

Our friends, Jeff and Rebecca Billat, moved their family to the Houston area just a few weeks before Jacob and Laurie moved there. Both families are now living in the city of Spring. How random is that?

We knew the Billats from when we lived in Georgia. They moved to Colorado before we moved to Utah. Now they have moved on again.

I set up a time to go see Rebecca Billat the Friday afternoon we were there. Glen was busy working and Logan had become his best buddy, so they happily stayed at home together while Laurie, Claire and I went to see where the Billats live.

Rebecca was happy to see us! Their home is beautiful and sits on a big lot. Sure hope they have a riding lawn mower.

There is a pool in their back yard which Claire wanted to try out.

As both Rebecca and Laurie are learning--they must be creative in where to store things in their houses because they don't have basements. The Billats' master bedroom has a gigantic closet where they store a lot of their things.

Love the food storage cans on the top shelf.

Laundry room.

Formal dining room.

Office or study--whatever you want to call it.

Kitchen and dining area.

Great room.

There are two girls' bedrooms upstairs. Only one was presentable. The other was off limits to visitors.

Their son Chase's bedroom has quite the assortment of signs hanging on his door.

I guess we can all tell how he feels about girls.

Their family room upstairs is very nice.

I loved the desk area with the wrapping paper and ribbons easily accessible. Their media room is beyond the double doors to the left of the desk.

Claire's favorite thing was the little rocking chair.

The peep holes in their front double doors are huge. I had to laugh about them being the right height for me, but Rebecca could barely see out standing on her tiptoes.

She was a good sport posing whenever I asked. I loved seeing her home. I loved her being able to meet Laurie. Somehow it feels very comforting to know their family is so close to Jacob's family.

Thanks for the grand tour of your lovely home, Rebecca!! It is beautiful!! And so are you!!

Quotes of the Week

"Act with integrity. Live up to your idea of who you are."  

-- Frank McKinney 

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."  

-- Samuel Beckett 

"Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible."  

-- Cherie Carter-Scott 

"Take care to distinguish between things you can control and things you can't, so that you will no longer worry about the things you can't control and will instead focus your attention on the things you can control."  

-- William B. Irvine 

Meeting, Church, Popcorn and a Movie

I considered myself pretty fortunate to be with my two granddaughters on the first ever General Women's Meeting where all the girls aged 8 on up were invited to attend. Laurie and I thought it was pretty special we got to take Natalie and Emma to it and we could all be together.

Emma wasn't very thrilled to hear about the meeting. The girls were happy to hear there would be refreshments at the meeting. Unfortunately, the only goodies were served to the YW at their camp meeting before the meeting began. The food was all cleaned up by the time the meeting was over.

Our two girls were quite sad about it. So we remedied that was taking them to Mooyah for food and a milkshake. That put smiles on everyone's faces.

We got to go to church with Jacob's family. After everyone got all ready, I wanted a family picture of them in front of their house.

Jacob got busy fixing dinner when we got home from church.

While the potatoes were baking, we played a game--Would You Rather...?

With the baked potatoes and grilled meat, veggies and pineapple, it was a very delicious meal!!

Then it was off to the media room to watch Frozen while eating popcorn and bowls full of candy.

We really enjoyed our stay with the Jacob Thomas family in their beautiful new home.

Thanks for planning some fun activities and showing us some beautiful sights in Texas!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Rudy's and the Park

We chose Rudy's for our Saturday lunch meal.

This is the one and only time Claire let Glen hold her. She didn't really warm up to me much either.

We ordered our meats, beans, potatoes, chips and corn on the cob. They handed us a loaf of bread to go along with our meal.

Glen is having a sweat attack from eating Rudy's spicy BBQ sauce.

We took advantage of the beautiful day to go to a park. The kids spotted an unnatural sight among the beautiful nature scenery. There was a shoe sitting in a tree.

There were a lot of people at the park that day--especially under the pavilion--but we didn't mind. The park was so huge it didn't matter.

This was the cutest family there that day. Sleeping Claire was in the van with napping Glen when we first arrived.

Jacob was showing the kids how they can tell how old a tree is.

Super fun playground/rock area.

There was a huge grassy area and beyond that was a beautiful field of bluebonnets--the Texas state flower.

There were a lot of people taking pictures of their children or their animals out in the bluebonnet field. Emma is hunting for a good spot to pose for her picture while Luke and Logan run free.

Jacob couldn't resist striking a pose among the flowers.

What a cute little group of adorable children taking their turn posing in the bluebonnets.

Then on to the races. Ready, set, GO!!!!

A few more minutes on the playground before it was time to go.

Natalie struck a pose at the top of the climbing structure.

 We topped off the park with a yummy, cool, refreshing yogurt treat.

Mmmmmm, good!!! The whole day had been good!!!