The Familia that I love so much!

Well, okay, after about a gazillion years I decided that I could post something on my blog again.
A week or so ago we did some serious huckleberry picking. I went four times! It was really very fun, and we got a bunch of berries, which taste amazing! The last two times we went we found some awesome bushes! Amberlee came with us the first and last time we were up there. She is such a good picker! Her little hands are proof of that! Every time she picked berries that were really big she made sure she showed all of us :) She has such a cute imagination and mind and she filled all of the would be silent moments with questions, comments, and observations. Autumn went with us the first time we were up there and she did a great job too! We told her that we should probably carry her so she would not get hurt while we were up there but she very adamantly said "I AM NOT SCARED!" And she certainly wasn't. She scampered up and down those hills and through bushes that were almost as tall as she was without a bit of complaint. Whenever she fell she just got back up and continued her search for the huckleberries.


That white bucket is only one of three that we got that day!

Amberlee is a true huckleberry picker!

My friend Ashley is having a baby girl, so I made her a few little bows for her baby shower. They were really fun to make. I have never made hair clips before, but I thought they turned out pretty cute!

This is just a pretty rose that I cut from my rosebush. It smelled so good and was beautiful.

"Is This A Good Activity?"

This last weekend was SO much fun! I spent the weekend in Utah playing and visiting friends. I would just like to say that I have a new favorite activity...it's jet skiing! I have never enjoyed any toy as much as I enjoyed those jet skis.

I Know You, And Hope For You

My sweet little Amberlee girl gave me a letter a little while back while Doug and Lydia were here for Christmas. The note was mostly just a jumble of letters that she had typed in, but then there was also a little part that she had Amy Jo write for her what she wanted in the letter. It was just a little statement, but it was a little statement that was packed with meaning and sweetness. It said:

Dear Goo (my nickname),
I know you, and hope for you.
Love, Amberlee

It's amazing how children can touch our hearts in ways that no one else can, and how thy can teach us like no one else can. I needed to read those words that day... They reminded me that the Lord knows me, He is aware of what is going on in my life, and He cares about me. He wants whats best for me, He wants me to be happy and to succeed. These words also taught me about how I need to love others. I should have a sincere hope and desire for good things in the lives of all those that I claim to know and love. So... I would just like to pass this message on to Doug and Lydia and their sweet family, with that sweet new baby...
"I know you and I hope for you."

I am 21 going on 12... wait...

21 was the BEST birthday ever! My parents made it a really special day for me! And it was made even better by my wonderful family and friends that celebrated with me. People were so sweet to me; I got a lot of calls and birthday wishes that were so nice! I was especially happy to talk to my awesome brother on my birthday and Lydia and Amberlee the day before.
I got the best gift EVER! My parents had my cedar chest, that I started in high school, finished and gave it to me. Isn't it beautiful!!

Sister Mortensen, Me, Angie

Also, my mom made me the best cheesy potatoes EVER! They were delicious and, figuratively, the icing on the cake. Thank you mom!

Once angain... isn't Dominick SO cute!! I had to put this little quote on the bottom of his picture... because it fits! I was so happy that Steve and Christina came to celebrate with me too; they are the best!

From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

I just got done reading a really cute book for my Children's Literature class. I thought it was a very clever book. It was an easy read and had some really chuckle worthy moments. To me what made this book so good was that it was a cute clever book, but then at the end it was one that made me think a bit too. The story is about the adventures of a young boy and girl who run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for a week without being discovered. During this week away from home they find themselves drawn to a new statue that the museum had acquired and to the mystery behind whether or not this little statue was truly carved by the artist Michelangelo.

There were a few quotes at the end of the book that I thought were very good, so here are a few of them.

"The adventures is over. Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you. It's the same as going on a vacation taking pictures so that when they get home they can show their friends evidence that they had a good time. they don't pause to let the vacation enter inside of them and take that home." - pg.140

"I could tell that she felt happy. Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around." - pg. 151

"Claudia said, 'But Mrs. Frankweiler, you should want to learn one new thing everyday....' 'No,' I answered 'I don't agree with that. I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take the time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hallow.'"

Anyway, just thought I'd share that little bit with you! :)

"Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life." - Anna Akhmatova

I have just been thinking this week about how much I would love to be able to go to Italy. Of all the places I could visit, Italy is at the very top of my list. I thought I would post a few pictures that I think capture my interest for Italy, since I have not posted anything for a while.



Someday I want to take a gondola ride!



I want to sit at a beautiful sidewalk cafe and just enjoy watching people.


Someday I will be able to go to Italy and enjoy taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of a place that intrigues me, but for now I am content just working towards my goal of being able to visit there! :D