T.V. Anyone?

No, Thank you!

I don’t know how long ago, but our Stake President (an area leader in the LDS church) started to give us challenges that always took place in April. One challenge was to take a break from watching T.V. for a week. Literally turn it off for a week. This challenge of not watching T.V. for a week, happened every April for years. The first time we did this, it was so hard. We all had withdrawals within the first day or so. We thought a week was going to kill us. Then one time he even challenged us to go a month without T. V. That was even harder.

We learned so much doing it though. We spent time reading, playing board games as a family, doing projects around the house. We spent time outside and doing activities with our family, like going for walks and playing at the park.

Well, all of this turned out to be good practice for our family. Last May, I was unexpectedly let go from my job. It was very bad timing. I was so worried about how we would pay for our bills. We also have our two darling missionaries serving, and that costs money, too. My first instinct was to cut whatever bills we really didn’t need to have. One of the first things we cut was our cable. We had enjoyed having a limited service from our cable company. We only had a few channels. Our T.V.’s are old and not compatible with digital service, so in order to have any T.V., we needed cable. We decided even though this meant we wouldn’t even have local weather and news, to cancel the service. That was eight months ago. We still don’t have T.V.

We do watch movies. But we only have the T.V. on for a few hours a day, if even that. Most of the time, the T.V. is off. I never watched it that much in the first place, but I did have a few favorite shows, like Masterpiece Theater on PBS and nature shows. I occationally miss those, if I think about it. But if we want to hear news or weather we can check the internet. What I am most pleased with, is that we don’t have a never ending stream of “who know’s what” coming into our home. We read more. We play more.

 Our home is quiet and peaceful. (Unless I have a half a dozen daycare kids here.) Even the daycare kids only watch one movie when they are here. Instead they play.

I don’t really ever want to have T.V. again. I am so glad our Stake President had us practice for all those years.

Nifty, Nifty, Look Who’s 50!!

It was my 50th birthday, and I was feeling old, and unappreciated. Mostly by my hubby who hadn’t said much about the day. I think my birthday might be my favorite day of the year, next to Christmas and Halloween, and basically all the holidays. So I was wondering if my sweetie might do something special with it being a fairly significant one, but when not much was said I was thinking, “Oh well, maybe being with my most favorite person is enough.”

We went to dinner at Bella’s it was wonderful, then went home. Really nice, but not super special. The house was quiet most days, with two of the kids on missions. When we got home the house was quite dark and I could tell no one was home.  I thought we might watch a movie and just finish the evening quietly together. When we got in the house and walked past the kitchen I noticed a cup sitting on the hutch and said, “Hmmm, that’s weird.” and continued walking. As I past the living room all of a sudden…

Suprise!!!!

My darlin arranged for lots of family and friends to be at our home to surpise me when we came home from dinner! That stinker! He really got me! They all got me! What a neat surprise!

I loved it! It was so nice of all of them to come, and celebrate my birthday with me.

I love you all!!
Here are all my cards and gifts! I think this has been my best b-day so far!

What a great 50th Birthday!

5ooth post!!

It has been 2 1/2 years! I am finally doing my 500th post! So I will reflect for a moment….I have done 101 posts on Family History, 6-10 posts on each of my children (but who’s counting), 70 posts on Elder Flexy-(it has been a year and 4 months since he left), 35 posts on Hermana Kelsey-(she’s been gone for 8 months), and 23 posts on my darling grandbaby, along with all of the “Beautiful Places” that I have posted about and the “Funny Things”, the “Bumper Stickers” and “Lessons.” You can’t forget my “Heroes”, and how every “Sunday” for quite a while has been the “Best”! This experience has been so fun and I am glad I started this journey. I have no plans to quit at anytime. So here are a few of my favorite posts from the last 500!!

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Isn’t she darling!

Posted on  by joyful
Isn’t she darling!! What a fun girl.

She was putting her hands under the stream of water and every once in a while she would say “woohoo!” Being a grandma is the best. Happy Thursday everyone. Love, Joy

—————

Bloom where you’re planted!

Posted on  by joyful

I often think of a time in my early 20′s when I was serving as a missionary in San Antonio, Texas. Like most volunteer situations, we were usually assigned where we would be serving. Needless to say, the area we ended up serving at any particular time would not necessarily be where WE would choose. The President of our mission used to say a quote that to this day is one of my favorites. Bloom where you’re planted! which to me meant grow and do the best you can -no matter what situation life finds you in. We don’t always enjoy any or all experiences while we’re going through them, but even the hardest experiences make us better than we would be without them. Sometimes the Master prunes us back and moves us to new soil, in a place He knows we might struggle, but He also knows we need to grow in. He knows us and has a plan for us, what He wants us to become. If we can learn to Bloom!, He will help us.
“If ye contuinue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” -Colossians 1:23

—————

Sweet Angel!

Posted on  by joyful

 


I’m pretty sure this is what an
Angel
looks like.
Who knew a person could love this much. I’ve heard it said that “the more we love, the greater our capacity to love is”. When I had my first child, I thought I could never love anyone as much as I loved him. Then I had another, and another, and one more still. And I realized, I loved them all more that words can say. How did this happen? Unless, my ability to love has grown. Now I’m a grandma and this little angel has come into my life. How could I possibly love another grandbaby as much as I love her? I can’t imagine it, but I know I will! Whenever that day comes.
Natasha = LOVE!
Love’s- nothing till you give it away, give it away, give it away……
You end up having more.
I love being a mom and a grandma!
—————

My Heroes!

Posted on  by joyful

When I was 5 years old, my best friend lived next door. We lived in the country so friends were few and far between, as they say. I spent quite a bit of time alone, not wanting to be too much of a burden to my friend, but once in a while I would go next door and he would be in the back of his house taking care of something important I’m sure. I really had a great time with my friend, when he could play. Sometimes I’d be gone for hours and my mom would wonder where I was. She would eventually find me…out in the field, plowing with my best friend. In case you couldn’t tell by now, my best friend wasn’t another 5 year old. It was Mr. Chard, a grandpa type who, like I said lived next door to me. I used to stand on the fence and say, “Mr. Chard, can you play?“ Even now thinking about him I miss him and his sweet and gentle way. This was many years ago; you could trust your 5 year old daughter with a man like Mr. Chard. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. I remember he never had time to “play”, but I remember riding the tractor next to him and plowing the fields for hours. It’s too bad that the world has changed. I would have never had a best friend when I was five if I didn’t have Mr. Chard. He has been gone for years, but this little girl will never forget his kindness and love.
—————

Lessons from the Mountain!

Posted on  by joyful

See this mountain…I have been on top of this mountain.
I love this mountain. It represents so much. From the time I was a small child till now, I have looked in awe at it’s majesty.
One lesson I learned from the mountain is this – you can do more than you think you can. We have untapped abilities that are only used when we really push ourselves. My sweetheart and I decided one year for our anniversary to climb the mountain. That was about ten years ago. It was going to be a testimony to our marriage and the work and effort that got us to that point in our marriage. We started at about 8:00 am. We had a great time talking and enjoying each others company. We talked about our kids, our life together so far, our goals and dreams, and of course we talked about how much we loved each other. As the time went on the trail became steeper. There were many switch backs. There were also beautiful views and flowers along the trail. We had not prepared at all for this hike. No walking or special training to build endurance. We just went for it. I remember saying to my darlin, “Do you think I can do it?” and he would say, “YES! you can”. After 7 hours of hiking we reached the top. I was exhausted, and Brett was tired. Remember, we have to get back down. Some where in the middle of the hike I remember thinking, this is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had given birth to 4 children and had gall bladder surgery, I was still thinking this is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. We hiked down for 5 more hours, using different muscles than we used going up. Toward the end of the hike we both really had to concentrate to put one foot in front of the other. It was more quiet than the hike up, because we were saving our energy for hiking down. Finally we made it. We were so sore, I mean soooo soorree!!! I couldn’t even look at the mountain for months without shedding a few tears. But I did it! I didn’t know I could. Now I know, I CAN do hard things. It takes alot of effort, but I can do what ever I need to or want to do in life.You can too!
(Oh, by the way the hike was 16.o5 miles)

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A little motivation is a good thing.

Posted on  by joyful

 Have you ever noticed that sometimes the best motivation for a needed change in our lives is rarely fun or pleasant. When I was tiny (yes, I remember being tiny), about the time I was potty trained, I would go potty in the middle of the night and was either too scared or too tired to go back to bed, so I developed a habit of falling asleep on the rug in front of the sink. Sometimes I slept there the rest of the night. Sometimes I got cold and went back to bed.

When I was five, we moved to a very small farm house in the country while my Daddy was building our new home. Before we could even move into the farm house, a lot of cleaning up had to take place. In fact, the home had basically been abandoned and left empty for quite some time before we moved in. Mom and Dad had 5 kids at the time, and there was only one bedroom in the house. All of us kids slept in the one room. My three older brothers slept in a full bed, and I slept on an old army cot next to the crib where my baby brother slept. Mom and Dad slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room. Sometime in the moving process it was mentioned that there “sure were a lot of mice around”. This, of course, was a concern to me, because I thought they were scary. In the back part of the house was a small wash/storage room. Mom would keep her canning jars there, along with the washer and dryer. The first time I walked back in that room to get something I heard many of the canning jars shaking and rattling. I realized that the mice (not mouse) were running through the jars to escape. Ok, so now we are at the motivation part of the story. I don’t think I ever fell asleep on the rug in front of the sink ever again. I avoided the trip to the bathroom in the night time, all together. I was so good at going potty before bed and staying in bed. I became a parents dream.
I know, I know -he’s darling!!!
Just not in my house!
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Happy, Happy 100th POST!!! 100 WAYS TO CHOOSE JOY!!!

Posted on  by joyful

 

100 ways to choose JOY!
(in no particular order);)
—————————————————
100-go for a walk
99-cuddle your sweetheart
98-jump on a trampoline
97-research your family tree
96-go for a drive
95-clean a closet
94-serve dinner at a shelter
93-play scrabble
92-cuddle a sleeping baby
91-watch “The Princess Bride”
90-read a good book
89-make a new friend
88-make treats for your neighbor
87-do some ironing
86-take a long hot shower
85-lay on the grass and watch the clouds
84-watch planes take off and land
83- give the dog a bath
82-call an old friend
81-look at your eyes in the mirror
80-go to a museum
79-let go of things you can’t
 do anything about
78-paint your nails
77-make play dough for the kids and play with them
76-sing a song at the top of your lungs
75-do the dishes by hand
74-finish a project
73-practice saying “I love you” to the mirror
72-take a nap
71-start a blog
70-clean out your purse
69-write a letter
68-count your blessings
67-read to a small child
66-braid someone’s hair
65-sit in a park and just watch
64-buy flowers for yourself
63-plan your dream house or your mansion in heaven
62-try cooking something new
61-go for a hike
60-kiss someone you love
59-forgive
58-go on a picnic
57-set some goals
56-write a special memory for your posterity
55-notice the little things
54-plant a tree
53-learn a language
52-sit in the sunshine
51-pray daily
50-have a song in your heart
49-visit a historical sight
48-one word: “chocolate”
47-visit a rest home
46-don’t JUDGE
45-give a massage
44-stand for right
43-believe in God
42-listen to beautiful music
41-play with someone’s hair
40-go for a run
39-balance your checkbook
38-dust your home
37-go to a farm when the baby animals are being born
36-read about great people
35-donate to a charity
33-drink clean water
32-use the toilet
31-”do unto others…”
30-share dinner with friends
29-shampoo, massage your scalp
28-clean up someone else’s mess, without anyone seeing you
27-take pictures
26-get a pedicure
25-”if you can’t say somethin’ nice,
don’t say nothin’ at all”
24-get things done (no moping)
23-have a candlelight dinner
22-start a rock collection
21-HUG
20-listen more
19-count the stars
18-watch ants
17-don’t compare your worst with someone else’s best
16-chew bubble gum and blow bubbles
15-be grateful
14-LOVE
13-feed the birds
12-create something from something else
11-SMILE
10-ride a horse
9-smell brownies
8-Listen to your heart
7-tend children for a tired momma
6-jump a rope
5-lotion your whole body
4-close your eyes and feel the breeze
3-take a class
2-fold laundry
1-Choose it! choose JOY!!!!
Thanks for reading and spending the last 100 posts with me!
 Love, Joy
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This seat is saved!!

Posted on  by joyful
So darling!!!!!
I had to take this picture!
My kids have sat in the same spot in our BMW (basic mormon wagon) for as long as I can remember. We’re not all in the car always at the same time, but when we are this is where my children sit. In these exact spots. I didn’t assign them places, they decided where they wanted to sit and it’s been that way ever since. I mean we’re talking years and years!
 This was our last family day, before Riley left, I had to snap a pic.
I love my children. I’m so proud of the people they have become and are becoming.  
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Thanks for reading!! Love, Joy

Thejoyfulnest is 2!!



It’s true! I have been officially blogging for 2 years! 
It has been a wonderful thing! 
What has been my goal for the past two years?

  • To have a joyful and happy place for people to visit!
  • To write fun and interesting stories about life and family?
  • To be informative about how to get started doing “Family History!”
  • To make a history of my family and my darling missionaries!
  • To tell the world that I believe that life is wonderful, and challenging, and if we “just keep swimming” it will be great!

My goals for the future of thejoyfulnest?
More of the same! I will hope for a few more visits and new friends! 
Love, Joy

Happy Birthday and Miracles!

Today is my brother Keith’s birthday. He is here because of miracles. I called him today to tell him Happy B-day, and asked his permission to tell a little about him. He said, “Of course.” So here goes. 
My brother Keith is only about a year and a half older than me. Sometime in the process of growing up Keith lost his way. I say that, because the way he was going, was not the way our parents had taught him. He became involved with drugs. He used many drugs, Nicotine, Alcohol, and others. The drug that caused the most damage to Keith’s body is Cocaine. When using Cocaine he injected it into his body and became infected with Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C attacks the Liver and destroys it. After years of drug abuse, Keith ended up in big trouble. He ended up in jail, awaiting what might be the biggest possible change, time in prison. I’m sure he was very upset and felt like he didn’t deserve this. Or at least he didn’t want what was happening to him, to happen. He spent 6 months in jail waiting to find out, what the judge would decide about his future. It was a very difficult time for him, no drugs and all day long, day after day to think about life and what might happen. Even that was a miracle. To go from being under the influence of drugs, and not seeing clearly or caring only about the next fix. To having the opportunity to really see, or think about his life. After this period of time in jail, Keith was allowed to go home to my parents instead of prison. That was another miracle. He was 34 years old and had been given a second chance. There was so much prayer and fasting going on during this time. So he was home and was really ready to start a new life. He was aware of the way his life was and he knew what he needed and wanted to do, to make his life better. But what about the Hepatitis C? Well, it was still there, doing damage. Keith had been given a second chance but might not be able to be around very long to enjoy it. He married a wonderful and caring woman, and they started building their life together. But as time went by, we all realized that we would need, another big miracle for Keith. By 2007 he was in really bad shape. He would have to spend time off and on, in the hospital to help him survive his illness. He was on the -transplant waiting list- waiting for a new liver, but you don’t always get one. Sometimes you die while you’re waiting. Then on July 7th 2007, Keith received a call. They had a liver and could he be down to the hospital within a few hours. Keith and his wife Teresa went as fast as they could, down to the hospital. We all gathered in the waiting room to wait and pray. We felt very positive, everything would be ok. Sure enough, after hours in the operating room the surgery was finished and our Keith was alive. We went to visit him the next day and could not believe the difference. He was ready to really live his life. We had received another miracle. We are all so thankful to the donor family for their great sacrifice. Their decision blessed Keith, and gave us a miracle in the middle of their sadness. It has been almost 4 years since Keith received his new liver and he is doing great. I am so glad he is here to have another birthday! I love you, brother!

Family History Friday: Been awhile!

Family

I’m still here! Sorry, I haven’t posted for a little bit. I worked 46 hours this week and I am bushed. I had a party tonight, and I am hosting a party tomorrow. You should see my house! It’s gonna take a miracle to be ready for it. We are not really pack rats (I don’t think), but we are all busy, and just don’t put the first thing away before we get the next thing out. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have A.D.D. I am a cosmetologist, real estate agent, Mary Kay (whatever they’re called), not to mention, I am a genealogist, scrapbooker, I sew when the opportunity presents itself, I volunteer in the church and community and work a full time job (which by the way, I absolutely LOVE). If my house was always perfect it would be a miracle. I’ve always said that at our house “it’s 5 against 1”, meaning I’m the only one who cares what the house looks like. OK enough of that! For FHF I want to tell you how much I love my life. Every messy, disorganized and busy part of it. I don’t think I would be happy if I didn’t do all of the creative and busy things I do. I also want to tell you that the most important thing in Family History is Family! I know our Father in Heaven gave us families so that we could love and support each other as we live and learn here on earth. I have learned to relax alot and enjoy my time making memories and loving my family. Try it, try to relax a little more when things aren’t perfect around the house. I heard a poem that I love and it taught me this principle.

Some houses try to hide the fact
that children shelter there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly
the signs are eveywhere.
For smears are on the windows,
 little smudges on the door,
I should apologize I guess
for toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children
 and we played and laughed and read,
And if the doorbell doesn’t shine,
their eyes will shine instead.
For when at times, I’m forced to choose
the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife, but first
I’ll be a Mother!
Let’s all make lots of great memories with our families.
Some of these memories become the favorite stories our families tell for generations.
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday: Heirlooms!

Most people have special things that they have accumulated in their lives. They’re usually calledfamily heirlooms. My parents and their parents are no exception. One thing that my parents did that I will always be grateful for, is this; they divided almost all the heirlooms up about six years ago. After moving from an almost 4500 square foot home to a two bedroom apartment, they didn’t have room for all the stuff, and felt like it was a great time to share with their children, all six of us. Dad opened up the garage and let all my brothers and my husband take a turn picking a tool to keep, till all the tools were gone. Mom, gave us our choice of what we wanted. If I wanted something the most, and no one else cared as much about that item as I did, it was mine. There were things that I wanted, that were not on the top of my list, but they were on the top of one of my brothers list, it became theirs. And guess what? I’m OK with it. Some things, like special pieces, my parents chose who they wanted it to go to. When they’re standing in front of all of you, telling you who they want it to go to, there most definitely won’t be a quarrel. I have heard of families becoming enemies over “things”. My parents are still living six years later, and if you were to talk to them about it, they would say how much they have enjoyed watching us enjoying our heirlooms. If you think of “the grand scheme”, things are not the most important anyway. We can’t take them with us, and they can be lost in the blink of an eye, but the bond of family and the love will last forever, if nurtured. I love my family. Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Mom

Dad