Family Reunion

Everyone came and visited for a few days. All of my kids were home and the grandbabies got to play with each other. It was a lot of fun. The men played in a golf tournament while Teralyn finished working on Dad's surprise 50th birthday cake. We played games, went to church together, went to the Dinosaur museum, took family pics, etc. Fun was had by all.
The grandkids eating the individual cakes that Teralyn made them:


Great Grandma and Grandpa Allred, Great Grandma LouAnn and Great Grandpa Jerry and Josh:


Grandpa Kevin, Ty and T-Rex:


Kevin's 50th birthday cake. Made by Cake Chef Teralyn:

Arizona Babies

Awhile back we drove the 16 hours to Benson to see our Arizona grandbabies and kids. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed the weather. I just love hugging my grandkids and seeing my children. Here are a few pics:

Tyler broke his femur.

Well if you want the details you will have to go to Justin and Holly's blog. I was able to make him a bed rest pillow from some fabric I found at a yard sale. It is too bad that he will still be in his cast when the cousins come up. He gets his cast off the next week. So instead of going to the recreation center with the cousins we will be going to the dinosaur museum.

Letter to my children.

May 10, 2009


Dear Teralyn, Josh, Justin & Jake,

It is Midnight on Mother’s Day and I’ve decided to take this opportunity to chat with you about my dreams, ambitions and goals as a Mother. I want each of you to know that I love you dearly and would gladly give my life for you. As a mother I’m not perfect I have had my moments of insensitivity, impatience, disapproval, anger, distress, and the list goes on but during those moments I want you to know that I have never stopped loving you. I always wanted to be a mother I wasn’t sure about the cook and custodian part of it but I always wanted to be a Mom. Today I realized that I have hit another milestone in my life. I had to sit in Sacrament by myself today since Dad was working and I felt sorrow knowing that I will no longer be surrounded by children while I sit in Sacrament Meeting listening to them torment each other, that when I went home no one would be making me a menu and using all of the scotch tape to protect it, that I wouldn’t be receiving little handprints and droopy plotted plants from school. As each of you called I could hear the chaos of your lives oh but what wonderful chaos. I will never be able to say, “Sh—be quiet—you can’t fight it is Mother’s Day” again
.
Yet on the other hand I get beautiful cards and wonderful little handprints and drawings from my grandchildren and as much as I love you I love your children even more. My heart aches when I have to leave them and they want to come home with me or they say, “Grandma I love you! I miss you!” There is nothing harder then looking at a tear stained face as you drive away or having them ask when you are going to come again. But I would never give those thoughts and feelings away because I’m experiencing the true and unmitigated love that only a grandparent can experience.

This Mother’s Day I would ask that you forgive me for my imperfections and all of the mistakes I made as you were growing up. Please forgive me for the mistakes I have made as you have grown into adulthood. I’m not sure what my role as a mother-in-law is so I’m doing the best I can. Always know that the greatest gift you can give me is to be together as a family unit in my home. I know that those times will be few and far between but please know that I savor them and look forward to them. So if I seem selfish with your time it is because I value it so much.

As a mother these are some of the things that I wanted to teach you—if I didn’t teach them well enough I am truly sorry:
1. Know that I love you with all my heart and I would move Heaven and Earth for each of you.
2. Family is important—this means your spouse, children, in-laws, siblings, grandparents, etc. Please spend time with all of them because you never know when they will be taken from this Earth.
3. Church is important. Being an eternal family and following the gospel principles that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches is very important to you and your posterity.
4. That education is important no matter how you receive it. So please continue to read and study the good books that have been written and leave the trash for someone else.
5. Taking pride in your possessions. Not being prideful but just willing to take care of them so they will last longer.
6. Managing your money. Working at developing a budget and saving for your wants.
7. Having compassion for others yet at the same time not letting others influence you in a negative way. What I mean by this is that I feel like I taught you to be compassionate but I forgot to teach you to have a thick skin when it comes to other people affecting your self-esteem in a negative way.
8. Work hard at what you do but don’t try to be a perfectionist. Perfection does not exist in this world it will come after we are resurrected.
9. I didn’t teach this one very well. Let others serve you—tell your loved ones when you need help and let them help.
10. Say I’m sorry and don’t hold a grudge. It is easy to forgive strangers and enemies but extremely difficult to forgive those you love.

Please, please remember that I love each of you very much and the greatest gift you can give me in return is your time and time with your spouses and the beautiful children you have created. I’m trying harder to be more demonstrative and let you know how much I cherish each of you but it is not in my natural make-up so I have to work at it constantly. Also if I have hurt your feelings please let me know so that I can try and repair the damage.

Thank you for being my children and choosing to live with me in all of my imperfections. Thank you for letting me love you, cherish you and care for you. Remember that I’m always here for you both physically and emotionally.

Love,




Mom

This is what Easter is about...

My Grandkids are the Cutest

I love taking pictures of my grandkids. They have such fun personalities. Since I'm unable to take pictures of Leif and Ella because they are too far away you will have to see their fun pictures on their Mom's blogspot which is http://www.azallreds.blogspot.com/

I'm Learning To Quilt

I'm learning to quilt and having a lot of fun. You can go to my quilt blog you will find the link to the right of this post. I even learned how to do invisible applique. I also have another quilting blog since I couldn't upload photos on my "The Quilt Show" blog. So you can also find my on www.vernalgrandma.blogspot.com

Craft It Forward

The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. As for you, this offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!Who's in?

New Is In--We must be wanting Spring.

Maycee is showing off her new outfit and I'm showing off my new short hair cut. Everyone told me not to cut it but I did it any way. I needed a change and I've always wanted spikey hair. I also have red highlights. So right know I love it and if everyone else hates it, it will grow out.

President Monsen Wiggling His Ears

Bompa & Maycee

Maycee always wants to "dance-dance" with Bompa. They have to dance to Rascal Flatts. It is cute how Maycee calls him "Bompa". She would dance all day if Grandpa had the stamina.

It's snowing, it's blowing the old man is snoring...

We woke up to 13 inches of snow and it is still snowing. They actually closed school early which never happens. The Holiday Inn is even offering discount rooms to those teachers that can't make it home. Hopefully Jake makes it home from the phosphate plant and Dad makes it to the phosphate plant.

Can you find our white Bonneville in this picture:

Can you find Justin's green car in the picture:

Look at the snow on top of the fences:

One of the Advantages to Being a Grandma

One advantage to being a grandma is that you can buy the biggest lollipop in the store, set your granddaugher in her high chair and give it to her. The secret is to do this while the parents are there that way the mom will clean up the sticky mess. :)

The Many Faces of Jake

Jake is the youngest of our four children. He is a typical 20 year old male which can be annoying at times but he also has the kindest heart. He would do anything for his sibilings or nieces and nephews. He can be flippant since that is a 20 year old trait but he also shows great concern and love. He is very spiritual even though he pretends that religion is not important. We love him very much.

Tormenting Justin

Justin had just shaved his head and it looked like a perfect palette for artistic expression. Dad had to hold is head since he wasn't exactly cooperative.

Ahhh to blog or not to blog that is the question!!!

Well I'm like Teralyn I haven't blogged for awhile so I guess I had better get grooving--

For Christmas this year Dad and I have been making quilts for the grandkids. I have finished some and I'm still working on others. Here are pics of the ones that I have finished--

Ty's Quilt

Maycee's Quilt

Kaitlyn's Quilt

On Kaitlyn's quilt is was my first time I used free motion quilting--that is how we sewed the castle on the quilt. Dad even helped. We made Makayla a princess quilt as well but I can't find the picture dad took. I'm still working on Ella's and Leif's and I'm making Isaac's for his birthday.