Help and Donations requested!

O.K. my below post seems a little trivial compared to this! I received this email from a friend of mine and thought it a great idea to share with any one who frequents my blog. Please take the time to look at their blogs they really are so good, and donate if you can. We all know that we would want the same for us if we were in that situation! I have also added a link to the site where you can donate directly on my sidebar.


Hello friends,

The internet is an amazing thing, and these past few weeks I've seen how much good it really can do.

I have followed several blogs of two sisters for quite some time now. One sister lives in UT, the other in AZ. The sister in AZ, with 4 young children ages 6 and under, was in a fiery plane crash with her husband about 2 weeks ago, and they are both currently in a burn center in AZ, likely for many months. She was burned over 80% or her body, he about 30%.

The wife, Stephanie, has an amazing amount of readers from all over the world on her blog. She has been a dazzling example (funny adjective, I know, but if you read her blog, you'd agree) of what being an LDS wife and mother really mean, and because of her willingness to share her heart and her family, she has hundreds of readers. Her father is a UT state representative, and her mother is on the Provo City council. Word has been spreading about their tragedy.

Today is an auction, well many auctions actually (over 100 and counting), being held all over the world through the internet, to benefit them and their children. All proceeds go directly into their recovery fund. People they've never met, and probably never will, are donating all kinds of things. One site even has a BYU helmet and football signed by this year's entire team roster, others have jewelry, and on and on.

Take a moment to check it out. The cause is good. The story is amazing and inspiring each day as it unfolds through those willing to tell it.

Here are links to several sites that will connect you up with silent auctions (you bid through the blog comments). Happy bidding, and prayers for Stephanie & Christian Nielson and their children and families caring for them. Please spread the word to others; many auctions will continue for a week.

http://blog.cjanerun.com/ (this is her sister's site)
http://www.designmom.com/ (the friend that was the brainchild of this whole event, many links to auctions)
http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ (Stephanie's own blog - take a little peek at her life)

Good things Utah and first Peach

Hi all,
McKayla and I got to be on Good Things Utah during their "Chic on a Shoestring" segment. It was truly a lot of fun! And to see these women in action was really quite a treat! It was even better knowing that they (I think all of them) are LDS. What wonderful examples they are to the rest of us. I love hearing all of their fun stories about their children and their lives outside of work. Unfortunately, Reagan Ledbetter was not on the show today. I just love her and really wanted to meet her. So I guess I am going to have to go back to be in the audience! So here is a pic of us with the hosts after the show aired . . . we modeled clothes for the segment but we had changed before the pic. NO... we didn't get to keep the clothes (sniff, sniff. . . those shoes were to die for! But just a little pricey for my budget!).


I also have to show my first peach, from our first fruit tree! We didn't think it would bear fruit this year because we just planted it last fall but that little trooper gave us about 20 or so peaches. Sadly, the branch with the most broke off before we could support it. . . but hopefully the poor thing will survive and give us many more delicious peaches in the future! This one was the most delicious peach I have ever had!. . . no I'm not partial at all!!

Finally done!!

Big shout out because I am finally finished with the leotards! (Well, all but a few that I don't have measurements for yet.) I thought you all might like to see what has been keeping me busy over this last few months. I think all together I have completed over 160 leos. . . Each class has a different color of straps, 10 classes in all (2 groups have 3 classes each so really it is a total of 15 classes I think)! I am so glad that they are finally finished now I can scrap book and make some cards. I have been so missing that and with the kids back in school, hopefully I will have some time to be crafty!!

Pics from Mexico

She's Gone!

Well we got McKayla all moved in to her Apartment. Needless to say she is loving it and has already meshed with all her neighbors and some of the people in her ward. She is so excited for this new adventure. . . I am sure that we will not see her much, she will be too busy socializing! I am hanging in there though, I haven't cried yet. . . I guess knowing that she is less than an hour away makes things a little easier. It was much harder with Chris knowing that he is thousands of miles away and we won't be seeing him for a while (it's almost down to 1 1/2 years woohooo!). So the other two are looking forward to starting school again next week and that I am not looking forward to. The house gets way too quiet! Stupid me, I forgot my camera when we moved Kayla in so I don't have a pic but I will post some from Chris soon.

Check out my new site!!!

Hi Everyone! I am so excited because I just got my site up for my home business, GracieBella Designs You will have to check it out and let me know what you think and how it looks. I know all browsers are different so if it looks weird to you let me know. It is just pretty basic right now but I will be adding images and what not as I have time. Thanks for your input, and of course feel free to recommend me to your friends.

So much to do so little time!

It just seems like the summer time goes by too fast! While I have been busy sewing, trying to earn Kayla's college tuition, the summer has been speeding along. I can't believe the kids start back in less than a month! Kayla and I went down to BYU today to get her housing taken care of and get some of her books. . . Oh my goodness, I had forgotten how expensive books can be! It's crazy that she will soon be on her own. She has been cleaning out her room and getting rid of all the stuff that she has "packratted" over the years. We took 3 bags to the D.I. and she has 3 bags of stuffed animals alone that she wants to take to the women's shelter. Needless to say her room looks bare already and I am getting sad knowing that she will leaving us soon. Hopefully she will come back to visit often and not spend all her free time with the BYU bachelors!!!

We got a good letter from Chris this week. He got a new companion (thank Heaven) that he says wants to work really hard so that will be helpful. He has been so frustrated not being able to work as hard as he would like. He was in really good spirits though and is looking forward to having some baptisms soon. A few weeks ago we did find a day to take the boat out watersking, it was really fun. Mike and the kids all wake boarded, tubed, and skied, I even got up and slalomed! Even at 40, I still got it. haha!