Here it is the beginning of May. I'M wondering what happened to April. I'm not good at journaling (is that a word) but I am going to try and write in my blog at least once a month.
I was able to spend time with my Arizona family and friends in March and returned to Portland April 08. My daughter-in-law Dawn picked me up at the airport. It was good to be back and see her and my son Michale and grandson Cole. We shared some time together talking about my Arizona visit. I had a great time in Arizona seeing my daughters and grand kids. The next day after my return I shut down and went into a depression off and on like I do for the first week after Christmas. I always get bummed when the tree comes down, all the lights and decorations come down and I no longer able to listen to the Christmas carols. This is how it felt coming back to Portland and leaving the kids and grand kids back in Phoenix. As the week goes on I finally adjust and my world gets back to normal. As normal as it can get with not being with all my children and grandchildren. My mood is improving and I'm not crying every time I think of the kids.
Dawn joined a movie club for Cole so we have been going to the movies once a week . Personally I can't go to the movies enough. One of my all time favorite things to do.
One day this month Cole had woman's day at his school. Dawn and I went and did an art project with Cole and had lunch with him. This was really a fun day for all of us.
Sister Tuttle and I got our visiting teaching done for the month. I love visiting withe the sister from church.
On days the weather was nice Dawn and I would walk to school and pick Cole up. We even managed to do some walking at the golf grounds. Dawn and I actually hate any kind of exercising. We try to avoid it at all cost !!!!!!!
We always look forward to Monday evening family night. One Monday we had the missionaries with us and we listened to John Bytheway CD. Another Monday we had Brother and Siser Umi and their four children over. They brought the pizza and Dawn made salad and a dessert. After eating we played a bible board game with the kids. Fun and uplifting evening for all of us.
One evening we went to the Lowe's. Mike and Joe were working on a food storage project. Us girls did some Blogging. Tiffany decided I needed to be on LDSSINGLES.COM so she signed me up. I'm not really to interested in the idea but promised I would try it for a month. I think my family and friends are much more interested in finding a husband for me than I am !!!!! I kind of like my single life. Being single has a way of simplifying my life.
One of the most exciting things that has happened this month has to do with my daughter Christina and her family. Maybe I should start from the beginning. Our family here in Portland has been doing a 21 day promise plan that was given as a challenge to our ward from one of the brothers at church. The plan is to write down several names of family members or friends who you would really like to share the gospel with. And for 21 days we give a special prayer and read a scripture for the list of names. My daughter Christina who lives in Federal Way, Washington was on our list. Christina has been inactive for several years. Within a very short time of our 21 day promise we get a call from her telling us she is taking the missionary lessons with her daughter Kristine and her grandson Cody. Kristine has also been inactive for years. Our hearts are full and thankful for the 21 day promise. A few weeks later we get another call asking Mike if he would baptise his great nephew Cody !!!!! You can image the joy we were all feeling.
So the weekend of the 17th we drove to Washington. When we first got to Tina's home Cody was at his dad's house. While Cody was gone we decorated the house for his special event. Cody was so excited and surprised when he came home. After the baptism on Saturday the missionaries came over and had cake and ice cream with us. And later on during the evening we had Mexican food and played games. The baptism was extremely humbling. Cole who is Cody's cousin stood up and gave his testimony. He had everyone in tears. Cole is only eight years old but you can really feel his sweet spirit. Myself with several other members of the ward also got up and gave our testimony. His Nana Tina also got up and that was very touching because she has not been to church in years. We were all crying and feeling very humble and thankful. Cody had a great turn out with ward family members and his own family. What a wonderful day this was !!!!!! Sunday at church Mike confirmed Cody. After church we stayed for lunch and then we had to go home because Mike had to work on Monday. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for all his wonderful blessings. My cup runneth over !!!!!!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
CODY'S BAPTISM ...APRIL 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
EASTER SUNDAY AT THE CONNERS 2009
Our Easter Service at church was so nice. Judy Weeks (our good neighbor and friend) spoke on her conversion to the church and bore her testimony. It was very touching and heart warming. After church the Lowes and their four children, the Weeks, Jerry and Judy and the missionaries all gathered at our home for some great food and fun. My son Michael and his wife Dawn really know how to entertain and make you feel right at home. All the kids colored Easter eggs and watched a dvd "Enchantment"while the adults played dominoes. We all ate to much like you usually do on holidays. But everyone had a great time.!!!!!!!!
I did get to speak with my kids that live out of state. At least with Tina and her family and Gwen. I never got a hold of Tammy and her girls. I was sorry to miss them. I hated missing Jayden (who is now one years old) coloring and hiding the Easter eggs . I am however expecting pictures!!!!
All in all we had a very enjoyable Easter with family and great friends. Coloring eggs and the Easter Bunny is a lot of fun but we must never lose sight of the real importance of Easter. The resurrection of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is always in my mind and heart but even more so on Easter.
Friday, April 10, 2009
CONNERS TEMPLE ENDOWNMENTS
CONNERS WITH WARD FAMILY
MOM WITH MICHAEL & DAWN AT THE PORTLAND TEMPLE
CONNERS & LOWES
DAWN & MICHAELCONNER
SWIFT FAMILY
SEXY !!! TAMMY & TRAVIS
TAMMY & TARA
TARA & JAYDEN
MOM & DAUGHTER...TAMMY & TARA
TAMMY'S FUTURE HUSBAND !!!!!
VACATION IN FEDERAL WAY WASHINGTON
DAWN CONNER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY
CODY'S GETTING A NEW BIKE!!!!
MY LIFE AS IT IS
I haven't been on since my friend first help me get on. Mainly because I do not have a clue to what I am doing. This was last November!!! So thought I might give it another try and see what happens. I have been staying with my son in Portland. I oringinally came here to help my daughter-in-law, Dawn who was having surgery last November 2008.
I love the sweet spirit that is in their home. My son and his wife did invite me to stay as long as I would like to. So I did return to Arizona and packed up a few of my personal things and left everything else behind. It is now April of 2009 and I am still here.
Leaving Arizona was not as easy as it sounds. I struggled with leaving because I have two daughters and grandkids that I have never been away from. I also have a sister who is there plus my very bestest friend who was as hard to leave behind as my kids. I did talk it over with my kids and my best friend. It was also hard on them when I decided to go spend some time in Portland. But they were very supportive.
At the age of 65 and being retired I decided while I was still healthy and able to travel it would be a good time to travel back and forth for a few years. This way I am hoping I can have the best of both worlds. I can spend time with my son Michael and his family in Portland. My daughter, Tina and my grandaughter Kris and my great grandson Cody are just a few hours away in Washington. I also have a sister, Beverly who lives in Washington. I can go back to Phoenix a few times a years to see my daughter Tammy and her girls Tara and Taylor. My grandaughter Tara has a precious son, Jayden. My other daughter Gwen and her husband Dean and their kids Richard, Josh and Hannah are also in Arizona. Matter of fact I just got back from visiting my kids in Arizona. I was there for over a month and had wonderful time visiting with the kids and grandkids. We went to church together. We went to movies, played games, spent time at the park. There were times we did nothing, just set and watched television, did a lot of catching up just talking. We had a great time together just hanging out. I was able to spend time with my best friend Mary catching up on all the gossip. Mary and I are both movie buffs so needless to say we went to dinner and a movie every Saturday. Mary is part of our family so she spent a lot of time with the kids and I. It was great spending time with my sister April and my two other friends Brenda and Nancy. Brenda, Mary, and Nancy and I have been friends for more years than I want to say out loud!! ha ha I first met Mary when I was in the eight grade. I met Brenda and Nancy when I was first married. We lived on the same street and raised our kids together. So you can see my friends and I go way back.
I also met up with an old friend who I dated as a young teenager and later again as a young adult. There was no love connection but we had a great time and we plan to stay in touch with each other. I look forward to seeing Dewayne again and hope we will continue to keep in touch.
I find it hard to leave any of my kids and grandkids wherever I might be at the time. So for time being I will continue to travel back and forth and spend as much time enjoying each of them whenever I can.
At the moment I am back in Portland with Mike and Dawn and we are visiting with their best friends the Lowes. Tiffany decided I needed to be on the LDS Single.Com so she signed me up. This is so unlike me so it will me interesting to say the least. I didn't want to do it but she made me. Ha Ha
