New Enterprise

Wow! I am so excited to be venturing out of my confort zone as a manager of a vacation rental that our family owns in Laguna Beach! This is new territory for me. We have spend lots of time fixing things up for potential vacation renters! I love our little spot in Laguna Beach. We can walk to the beach, the Cottage Restaurant, the art museum, shops and restaurants, and take the trolley during the summer to the art festival. Anyway, if you or someone you know would enjoy some time in Laguna, let me know and we can work something out regarding our rental calendar.I hope to be posting more about our family and adventures in the near future! In the meantime, take a look at our vacation home if you haven't already....let your "snowbird" friends know that this is the place to come for a rest from the snow!
And those of us from Southern California always benefit from a
"stay-cation!
The site is www.VRBO.com and go to #384222.
My email is nancysmithctr@yahoo.com for more info.
Posted by Nancy Smith... at 8:35 AM

Friends

Today was a rough day for me.....Sandy leaves the safety of the MTC tomorrow for adventures unknown, and it has been busy in Relief Society and at work, and with other responsibilities I have, and so.....today, it just all seemed to be too much. You've all had days like that. But what made this a special day after all, was friends. Two dear friends of mine gave me just the support I needed. One gave me a "pep talk" over the phone, and the other one, just had the feeling that I was down today, and arrived on my doorstep this evening with a fresh loaf of home baked bread. Honestly, it was an answer to prayer. I felt cared about, loved, and listened to.....and I felt a whole lot better after the visits with my friends.

I hope that I can be in tune enough to help turn someone's day around like that. It truly made a difference, and I thank them for their love and support.

Change

So much has happened this summer which include a son who got married and a daughter who left on a mission. Lots of milestones. And now we are...empty nesters...at least for a time. Change is hard sometimes, and I have to baby step it much of the time. I am grateful for a supportive husband and family and the faith I have that we don't have to make this journey alone. We have a supportive and loving Heavenly Father to walk with us all the way, if we will but take His hand.

This picture was taken of our family the day before we took Sandy to Utah to enter the MTC.

(No one tells you how quickly your children grow up....before you know it they are adults and on their own!)

Philippines here she comes....

Exciting news, which most of you may know by now, is that Sandy has been called to serve in the Philippines, San Pablo mission. She will report to the mission training center in mid-July and she is thrilled to be able to serve on a mission.

San Pablo will never be the same!!!

Heaven on Earth

This has been an emotional, but wonderful couple of weeks. We were able to witness two weddings in the temple: First, our "adopted" daughter Allie and her husband, Michael. And then last Saturday, our niece Kacey and her husband J.J. Also, this month we were able to accompany Sandy as she went to the temple for the first time. It is not an easy thing to receive a temple recommend, and I am so proud of her hard work and diligence in working toward that goal. I was very honored to be her escort and to share that experience with her. Having so many recent opportunities to attend the temple gave me such peace and joy. My life has been very busy lately for a variety of reasons, and it has been so uplifting to spend some time in the quiet and beauty of the temple. The highlight of my temple experiences this month was the opportunity I had to see all of our children there at the same time. Sandy's brothers and sister and our daughter and son- in law were able to attend Sandy's endowment session. As they all stood there together, I had such a feeling of gratitude and I took a mental picture I hope to never forget.

We as parents, worked so hard to instill faith and love of the Lord in our kids, and it hasn't always been smooth sailing. But, somehow, those kids were able to hold on to a firm foundation, and find their faith for themselves, put their priorities in order, and follow the plan the Lord has for them. It is a work in progress, but I am so grateful to be their mom and mom-in-law, and to have been given the opportunity to nurture and love them. They bring me great joy, and I don't know of anything that I treasure more than family relationships.

P.S.

P.S. For pictures regarding Katie and the Special Olympics go to my daughter's post at ahulllotoffun.blogspot.com

From the Mouth of Babes

Just yesterday, our six-year-old granddaughter, Katie won second and third place in the special olympics wheelchair races. We were so proud of her. She really had her eye on the finish line. Katie was born with a neurological disorder called spina bifida. Although she struggles walking and has other issues that are difficult, it seems like Katie's glass is always "half full."
The other night, when I was at her house, I was sitting on her bed as she was getting ready to go to sleep, and she said: "Grandma, my teacher at school says that I have a can-do attitude." That statement by this young granddaughter just made my day. Here is a little girl who could feel sorry for herself and have a "poor me" attitude, and yet, her teacher recognizes that she is not afraid of challenges and has a positive attitude as she works at facing hard things.
I learned a lot from her that night. It made me think that having a "can-do" attitude allows us to face life with a lot more joy. It helps us to face life with a smile even when things are difficult. Instead of focusing on the negative, it allows us to turn things around and look at the positives.
I have been blessed with "glass half full" people all of my life. When our son, Scott was 14 and was struggling with cancer treatments, he made a note and stuck it on the refrigerator that said: "Focus on the Positives." That attitude helped him during a very difficult time in his life.
I am grateful for these young people in my life who taught, and continue to teach me positive concepts for more joyful living.