*MONDAY MEMOS*
(If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge)
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!
dear monday, I got out on a walk. I only ran a mile but...still progress. When I got home I got Taylor to help me cut down some branches on a tree that REALLY needs trimming that Dave won't for me. Then I used the chain saw to chop all the branches into firewood. Kind of fun, but scary.
I practiced the harp for quite a long time. I worked on the home tour for Homemakers. I think it's going to work out pretty snazzy!
This poor kid does nothing but study. I guess he needed some new scenery and less heat! Hah
This poor kid does nothing but study. I guess he needed some new scenery and less heat! Hah
LILACS!!!
"Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by our lilac tree,
I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heav’nly Father created for me."
Lilacs are why I love spring!
They are my favorite scent and flower!
Lilacs are short lived just as some of the best things in life are.
These are the ones at my house. Oh, I can't get enough of that scent!!
This is the view from my bedroom! I love waking up and seeing that window all purple!
This is the view from my bedroom! I love waking up and seeing that window all purple!
Pretty much like this! ↑ Hah
dear wednesday, I ran 1.5 miles today! GO ME!!!
I came home and trimmed the spikes on our back deck. It was so hot and I was sweating. I forgot how hot summer can be, and it wasn't even that hot. Hah I ran to Seagull Book to try and find something for Mother's Day. No luck. But at least they required you to wear masks. I stopped by Carson's and took him a face sticker book I bought him and some cool crayons. I chatted with Sky out on the porch for quite a while about the thing I posted on Facebook this morning. It was an interview with Dr. Mikovits and the things that our corrupt government is doing and how this isn't all they are saying and Dr. Fauci is a dirty player and most of this wasn't an accident and about money and power. They give the hospitals 39K if they put their Covid patients on ventilators. And they get 13K for each Covid patient. 80% of people that go on Vents don't come off. The whole interview was just one thing after another about stuff like that. As well as all the stuff they are asking us to do saying it isn't necessary. It infuriates me the lies they have been telling. It has also come out that this wasn't caused by an animal or in the Wuhan wet market BUT it was created in a lab in Wuhan and it somehow (I use that loosely) was taken out and that is how it all started. Obama funded the lab. If it is all true (which I am not sure it is) but IF it is, I fear if this doesn't take hold like these evil people were hoping that the next step will be to assassinate the president. They won't have any other way to pull him down. SO much evil and corruption in our nation and the world. The video is called The Plandemic Documentary - The Hidden Agenda Behind Covid 19. It will be taken down soon no doubt. YouTube and FB take anything controversial down. Which says something right there. It's time for us to wake up and see what is really going on here. The corruption is definitely real though. My post got a lot of comments and a lot of shares. It is still up and so I hope it gets more shares so more people can wake up. One comment on one of the shares is how I feel. It said: I guess I’ll just say, what I find both most fascinating and also most disturbing about living in this time is how quickly even the smartest of people accept ideas that are utter falsehoods. When we hear something that we WANT to be true, we immediately accept it without any scrutiny whatsoever. But when we hear something that challenges our deep underlying paradigms, we scrutinize it heavily and ultimately find a reason to discount it. It makes us very vulnerable to crafty misinformation. It’s fascinating, and also a little heartbreaking every day.
I have never been able to figure out how the holocaust happened. Now I can see. People act out of fear and fear will make us do some crazy things and think crazy ideas. This is kind of scary what is happening. They took it down after about 24 hours.
I made McKay a Keto cake. He craves sweets once in a while and I feel bad for him. I made the same one I made for his bday and not sure why he likes it because it has the worst after taste. But he likes it.
I also made Banana Bread Bars with browned butter icing. Those things are to die for! I made dinner and Sky and Carson stopped by to get Sky's blow gun. We had a fun visit. We then ate dinner and we were supposed to go to the Moyle's little gathering for Doc's bday but Dave ended having interviews. I was kind of relieved because I am not sure I am ready to get back into doing social things. She said they would be outside and maintain social distancing but I have not seen that work too well when I have been shopping and to other places. Our freezer got left open and this is a package of Rhode's rolls we tried to save! haha Quite the lumpy loaf of bread rolls!
ONE. POINT. FIVE.
Yay me!
My ankle was feeling okay after though I think it's because I am just used it being sore now. I got in a total of five miles. I picked some lilacs and was getting high on their scent. Mmm.... Have I mentioned before that they are the best part of spring?
Sonny, who was Bryce's good friend and partner in the Christmas light business, died. So sad. He was such a good man. Also, my dear friend Alice passed away. We served in the RS Presidency together and made such good memories. Geeze, I am getting to that age where a lot of people die that I know well.
I ran over to Haylie's to be the third party in giving the kids to their dad. As I walked them out....well, they ran out to him and I walked behind, he said, "And who is this?" I told him I was Bryce's mom. Brinlee told him I was "Her Jodi" and then he said something to the effect of, "Oh so this is the famous and magical Jodi I hear about non-stop?" Brinlee answered with, "Yes, we are her grandchildren!" It was so cute. I chatted with Haylie for a while. We talked about Bryce and what a great guy he is. She told me when they were first dating that he started talking about Tyson once and she said she was just sobbing while he talked and that he cried some as well. She told me a story he told her about one time Bryce had a magazine photo and the woman in it was scantily clothed. Apparently Tyson put some coverings over it and when Bryce got home Tyson told him, "You shouldn't be looking at that stuff Bro." That made me laugh. I sure do miss him.
I have never been able to figure out how the holocaust happened. Now I can see. People act out of fear and fear will make us do some crazy things and think crazy ideas. This is kind of scary what is happening. They took it down after about 24 hours.
I made McKay a Keto cake. He craves sweets once in a while and I feel bad for him. I made the same one I made for his bday and not sure why he likes it because it has the worst after taste. But he likes it.
More Facetiming with Mr. C
dear thursday, it was rather chilly today. I walked around high school and Pioneer Park. The dirt was back and I can't resist doing this now when I see it:
Hey, there is ALWAYS HOPE!
I came home and practiced the harp and then worked on the Homemaker home tour and a post for that. I made dinner for Dave parents. I made sour cream noodle bake and it was yummy but I left ours on warm too long before we ate and it was dried out. Oh well. I visited with them for a while so it was worth it. Dave's dad retirement was announced in the paper and so he is getting a lot of letters and people writing him and sending him gifts and flowers and cards telling him how much they love him and one lady wrote he delivered all seven of her children. He is well loved. He was a great doctor. And man. I am not sure he is enjoying his retirement. I think he would work until the day he dies if he had his way. Which he would have if it hadn't been for him getting sick and then Corona happening at the same time. 
I took these to send to a friend and figured I would post on here. I want to re-do this room ASAP once shopping opens back up.
dear friday, no run today because I left early to head to O town and get some shopping done for Mother's Day. I went to Costco. I also returned Rinda (my robot vacuum) because she quit working. This is the third one I have returned. Ugh! I got my $400 back though. Costco is amazing that way. I am not buying another one until a new model comes out. This last one ate up my new rug and ruined my carpet in the family room. SO frustrating!
I rushed home so I could tend the Littles because Haylie had a virtual court thing with her ex. Taylor said he would watch them until I got home. They were so cute. Fun.
We got out the fireworks and did snakes and smoke bombs. It was a blast! Literally. Well, not really because we only did the legal stuff. Hah I smoked them out!
It was so fun to see everyone. It's been hard to not get together anymore since the lockdown. Carson facetimed us several times.
We then went to a drive by viewing for Nancy Whitaker. We waited for over 45 minutes in the car and the line wasn't even very long. They did not practice social distancing very well and no masks. Kind of made me crazy. We then went to Maddox drive in. Sign of the times:
On our way home we happened to be in the Corona Cruise night on Main Street. Every Friday night they have old cars drive up and down Main Street. We were in the middle of it. Pretty cool!
Costco requires masks or you can't come inside:
Do I look like a bank robber?
Shopping was fun! I enjoyed it! I haven't been for so long that it was actually fun. I also hit Krispy Kreme because today they had Key Lime glazed donuts! Mmm! So I ordered two dozen becuase I had a coupon for buy one dozen get one free. Well, they gave me the wrong second dozen and so I went back around and told them (they gave me plain glazed- who wants that?!) They told me I could keep them (#Corona) and then when I pulled up to the window the guy opened a box and asked me if that is what I wanted and I told him no (I just wanted plain Key Lime glazed) he got the right ones for me and gave me the other box too! I ended up with FOUR DOZEN donuts for the price of ONE! WHAT A LUCKY DAY!!! I had to give them away because we would never eat all of them and McKay is still on Keto! I gave a dozen to Sky and one to Bryce and a few to others. 
Scatchers is as big as Brinlee!
Haylie stayed and visited for a while and then Bryce stopped by after work. We had fun all just hanging out.
My 2018 Boston Bobblehead arrived!
They did an AMAZING job! I think I like this one better than the 2017 one.
Dave is giving it to me for Mother's Day!
Dave is giving it to me for Mother's Day!
The details are amazing!
dear saturday, I went on a walk/run to Pioneer Park today. I saw the cutest baby ducks! This mama had 14! They were so cute! I also saw some gorgeous Mallards!
I then went and got Carson and we took a walk to the cemetery. We enjoyed the lilacs again! I took even more photos.
We then headed to John Adams for a yummy party with the Toones! Aubrey and Sam were in town from Philly since he is working from home and she wanted to get together with us. It was our very first outing since the quarantine on March 17th! It was so fun to see everyone and talk to them! We weren't very good at social distancing even though that was the plan. Dave's parents even showed up! It was much needed!!!
I went to Smith's pretty late to get stuff for tomorrow for Mother's Day. I was beat!
Check out how clear this water is!
I then went and got Carson and we took a walk to the cemetery. We enjoyed the lilacs again! I took even more photos.
I found this bush that had a couple of different kinds on it. Check out how pretty the white ones are! They have purple inside the blossom!
We got to watch them put a coffin in a hole they had dug earlier. Carson was totally mesmerized. It was pretty cool to watch though.
I came home and made chicken salad and Smore bites. They turned out so yummy! I could have eaten them all! I will post the recipe.
Everyone had a good time being together!
Cousins!
Here is my yummy chicken salad recipe:
Here is the Smore Bite recipe:
S'MORE BITES
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup finely crush graham cracker crumbs (about 7 whole graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted (I used less - about 4 TBL)
- 12 marshmallows (regular size, not mini marshmallows)
- 2 full size Hershey's Chocolate Bars, unwrapped and divided into 24 pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and melted butter.
- Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop the graham cracker crust mixture into the 24 cups. Gently press the crumbs into the bottom of each cup and up the sides to form little cups.
- Bake the mini graham cracker crusts at 350F for 4 minutes until golden brown. I baked mine at least 8-10 min.
- Cut each marshmallow in half to make 24 round marshmallows. Place one marshmallow in each graham cracker cup, cut side of the marshmallow facing down.
- Set the oven to broil. Place the pan of s'mores in the oven under the broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes, just until the marshmallows are soft and beginning to look toasted. Note: the marshmallows can burn fast, so watch them very closely.
- Top each marshmallow with one piece of the Hershey's Chocolate Bar. Allow the s'mores to cool for 15 minutes, then use a butter knife to lift them from the pan.
I could not love this little guy anymore! He melts my heart!
Some of my cards:
From the ward and my VT:
Fun day
One of the gifts I gave my mom.....a glass photo of all her grands.
YUMMY food!
Great company!
Cutest littles!
And bigs!
Peek-a-boo!
Liam and Bryce have the same walk! Cracked me up!
How cute is this? ↓
My FB post:
╔══════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ══════════════╗
☼.......Wishing a VERY Happy Mother's Day to my Mama!......☼
╚══════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ══════════════╝
I am not sure why I was so blessed to have this amazing woman as my Mama, but I am beyond grateful! She has made this ride of life so much fun and has been right by my side the whole way! Thanks Mom for your example of what a mother is! I love you!💜
So blessed to have this lady as my mama. SO blessed to have her with me today!
We have fun!
"A woman with all sons will be surrounded by handsome men the rest of her life."
My boys!
I had all of them with me today! And I know Tyson was looking down from heaven as well!
My mom cracks us all up!
The ants came for Carson's ant farm and so Sky and Dave put it together. FUN!
We ran over to Dave's parents to wish his mom a Happy Mother's Day even though it was after 8 pm.
My parents got to meet their great grandchild. It is Chantel's baby named Calvin James.
Teri J Winn
Jodi VanDenakker Wilding Stacey Winn Hedrick Melinda Mathis Becky Skeen Barrett Sarah Bates Johnson 😇😇😇🦋🦋🦋😇😇😇🦋🦋🦋🌷🌹🌷🌹💞💜💞💜🌷🌹🌷🌹💞💜💞💜 .... Happiest Mother’s Day !!! LOVE To Each One of You, Along to All of those Other Moms who belong to this group of mothers 😇😇😇😇 Have a Beautiful Day!!!!
Some thoughts on motherhood:
Mercy River
Dear Mom,
For some reason, the phrase “you are enough” has never sat quite right with you. You know the words are well intended; they’re supposed to make you feel better. But they seem flat, almost like an excuse.
Because when it comes to your children, you know the truth:
You are not enough for them.
You never will be. There is not enough time in your day, energy in your body, or wisdom in your heart to give them what they need or deserve. They have holes and aches you cannot fill. They have needs you could never meet. And that’s just how it is.
But there is someone who can. The only One who could truly give them everything they need is God.
Sometimes you forget this, and you panic and cry. You let your inadequacies scare the heck out of you. Trust me, I know the words “you are enough” are not comforting to a woman who knows she could be doing better.
“He is enough” brings much more peace.
Let these three words take the pressure off your mothering. Speak them when you feel overwhelmed or inadequate. Write them down. Hang them up.
You may fear you aren’t teaching them all they need to know. You may be ashamed of your weaknesses, the way you lose your temper, your messy house. You may even see your kids losing faith and you don’t know what to do.
But He is enough.
Because He is the Savior, not you. Your job is to love and lead. He figures out the rest.
Replace your fear with gratitude that He is in control. Remember that His one objective is to gather them safely to Him. And rejoice that every effort you give, no matter how small or imperfect, will be magnified in His hands.
Because, while you are not enough for them,
He is.
He is enough for us all. ❤️
dear quotes and random:
Scratchers. Such a beautiful cat!
Beauty always lies beneath the surface of broken things.
LOVE THIS!
My friend Guru Gary made these for me. He is very talented and so kind.
1 comment:
Great post, Jodi.
I miss the blogging days. I just can't get myself to "start again" and then keep up on it. I have always admired how you are with journaling, even when you boys were tiny.
So glad that you are healing and reaching your goals, step-by-step.
Jody
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