2010 Father & Son Campout

Samuel took the boys-

{I can't believe I can say that: 

I have BOYS!}

-up the hill to our ward's annual Father & Son Camp-out.

It's something we all look forward to,

the girls and I love the alone girly time,

and the men get to be burly

and stomp around in the grass for awhile!

This year Samuel was in charge of the food and he spent the better part of the afternoon mixing pounds and pounds of pancake batter.  Before he left I begged him to take photos and he came through with flying colors.  There are a total of two, yes two, photos which does qualify for my request for photo"S"!

Thanks hon!

They enjoyed beautiful weather,

fire-side skits,

ate a world-class breakfast,

and came home safe and sound!

Until next year...

Uncommon Friends...And the Tears that Fall When You Say Good-bye

You know what I'm talking about. 

And if you don't, you surely will one day.

I never thought that one of my best friends would reside "just over the fence".  And yet, when we moved to Roseville nearly two years ago now, that's exactly what happened.

We passed sugar, eggs, and who knows what else over that fence.  

We laughed together,

cried gobs of tears together,

and just were.

We not only shared a love of cooking,

but a between the two of us,

we had a bounty of life experiences that tried us,

and yes,

ultimately strengthened us.

Thank you, friend.

Our family has been richly blessed to know you and yours.

We dearly miss you all.

And look forward to keeping in touch.

Queen Victoria:

"You will go when I dismiss you.
I am your queen, and I am telling you to stay!"

Prince Albert:

"Good night, Victoria."

[Exits]

Queen Victoria:

[Storms over to door.]

"You may not go!
You may not go!
I order you to stay here in this room!
Albert!"

{Mmmm.}

I suppose they'll be no ordering you to stay...

Afterall it didn't work for Victoria, did it?

Anyhow, we love you and

we wish everyone all the best!

Thank you again...

for everything.

Olivia

P.S. 
And the Jackie Roll...
How can I ever repay you?

My Fabulous Four-Star Mother's Day

I am so grateful for my sweet children and a wonderful husband who always make Mother's Day special for me. 

This year it all began with breakfast at the world famous...

"Elmer Restaurant"!

The elegant table, complete with a floral bed sheet tablecloth, held a bounty of edible treats...

The menu featured all of my favorites, including an egg white omelet and chocolate dipped strawberries!

The restaurant was all decked out with family photos and...

one-of-a-kind artwork!

Of course there were gifts, and yes,

that's a tea bag resting on my eye!

It's my spa treatment and it supposedly works miracles on tired eyes!

Are you guys trying to tell me something?

Anyhow,

It was a wonderful, wonderful Mother's Day!

I am grateful to have such beautiful, loving, and mostly well-behaved children!

{Smile}

Weeds, Work, & Love

Samuel and I participated in the state-wide,
"Mormon Helping Hands" service project
alongside tens of thousands of members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California. 

Weed-eaters in hands,
we took to a lengthy section of Roseville's biketrails
and cleared the over-growth. 

It was an invigorating experience,

and my favorite moment was hearing of how a local neighbor

 saw what we were doing and jumped in to help out. 

The spirit of this gospel is catching,

and I am grateful to be apart of this great work

and to share it with others.

After the project Samuel and I were starving! 

We headed to Togos for our favorite:  The Number 24. 

And laughed at the number of odd looks we garnered

for being covered from head to toe in remnants of wild brush!

Even though we talked very little during the project-
the noise from the weed-eaters made it virtually impossible
to hear anything!-
I felt close to my sweetheart.
 
It was definitely an experience that drew us closer together.

Service has a way of doing that.

Reading Rewards & Stomach Cramps!

Each of my beautiful daughters was awarded a dinner certificate for reading at a local restaurant.  They were super-proud of their accomplishment, and it was fun to take them out for a night on the town!

The upside:

We always have a great time together. 

Tonight was no different.

Also, the signature monster chocolate cake was a hit with the kids. 

Who wouldn't love 7-layers of incredible yummy goodness?

The downsides:

Owen decided that now was the time to

 launch crayons way high up in the sky during dinner.

Hello!

He never does that!

I was APPALLED!

And then, an hour after leaving, Samuel became super, super sick.

He vowed never to order fish from a restaurant again!

All in all, it was a typical night for the Samuel Elmers:

There's the good, the bad, and the UGLY!

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Samuel might though.

{Smile}

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!!!

In May our ward held their second annual

Mother & Daughter Relief Society Event

with a

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

It was a huge hit and we had the largest turnout ever!

We had incredible sisters serving on the board,

and together the event ROCKED

with authentic Mexican food, colorful decor, & fun!

My Grandma Irene was kind enough to allow us to borrow a number of her artifacts and they were beautifully displayed around the room.

Would you believe that a sister in our ward, Shana, MADE this? 

It looks AMAZING-and far and away better than anything you'd buy at the store!

What better way to conclude then whopping a pinta until candy spills to the floor?  These girls can power swing!

What a night! 

Our ward had just recently split the Sunday prior, and this evening gave the sisters from both sides of the new boundaries an opportunity to reminisce and cement friendships despite the changes.

Buenos Noches!

{Good Night!}

Sunshine!

This is what it's all about.

Simple sunshine!

Bright.  Cherry.  Fiery.  Bold.  Warm.  Light.

Iris,
thank you for being my ray of sunshine. 
You truly do brighten everyday,
and I love you!

XOXOMom

Garbage Duty

Ava took it upon herself a few weeks back to take over garbage duty!  She's done a great job and Samuel loves the help!

Thank you Ava!

Ta-Da: A Mother's Day Tea!

This year we were so excited to create an elegant Mother's Day Tea for Clista, my mother-in-law. 

Together, the daugthers and daughters-in-law fussed in the kitchen to our hearts content, then donned our pearls, and arrayed the table with the fruits of our labors!

{Note how talented my sister-in-law Elizabeth is. 

She made that incredible floral print dress!}

The Menu

Petite Turkey Crossaint Sandwiches

Sun-dried Tomato & Feta Puff Pastry Crisps

Classic Scones

Chocolate Orange Squares

Chocolate Truffles

Fresh Fruit

Parmesean Twists

Crackers & Fresh Herb Cheese

Herbal Teas

She arrived under the pretenses of helping Samuel with a Mother's Day Gift for me, and was delightfully surprised!

Clista and her beautiful daughters (from the left: Rachel, Leah, & Elizabeth).

We had such a great time, and it really was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this great woman who has helped to influence us all for good.

We love you!

{Note:  Jessica, my sister-in-law wasn't able to attend but we sure missed her!}

Mother & Daughter Tea

The girls school held their first annual Mother & Daughter Tea.  I volunteered to dress a table, and it was so fun getting out the nice dishes to create a whimsical setting for my daughters.

After setting up, there was a mad dash for home to get ready for the event.  This was real dress-up affair, and the girls and I had fun getting girly and posing for pictures on the lawn.

The tea party itself was amazing!  And I wish I took photos of all the delicious treats.  I don't think anyone managed to snap a photo though, in the blink of an eye they were all gone!

We had some great mother-daughter time, and this tradition is something we'll surely continue!  I especially can't wait for my youngest daughter, Iris, to join us.  She played tea-party at home with dad, but I know she'll be thrilled to join our table next year as an honest-to-goodness kindergartner!

Until then...

One lump or two?