Memorial Day

We had our ward picnic yesterday, and we had a great day for it. It was over 80 degrees and sunny, and then a little breezy at the end. We were at Braddock's Bay park up near the lake. We had a great time!

Brooke Saves the Day....and the House!

Last night was a hot dogs and baked beens night. So, Crystal asks me to grill the hot dogs. Well, we have only a few tiny trees in the backyard, and so any leaves that blow around in the fall are usually ignored...and they were. So, I light the grill. I go inside while the grill warms up and a few minutes go by then I hear Brooke yelling "Daddy! Daddy!" And, as any parent knows, kids often cry "wolf"....so I kind of ignored her. After a few seconds (i'm not sure how long, but saying "seconds" makes me look better) I walk out to the back yard to see why she's yelling for me. That's when I see that the ground....and neglected leaves under the grill....were on fire. Yep, my leaves were burning under the grill. Now, there's not a lot of leaves, but about 3 feet away there was a much larger pile of (neglected) leaves right next to the house. The grill is only about a foot from the house and all these leaves. So, smoke is rising, ground is burning and Crystal's yelling "What do you want me to do?" I heard her, I did, but I was on a mission. I drop my new fancy Hot Dog Tongs (not thongs) and run for the hose. Now, here's where I'll allow myself some creative liberties. Seeing that I'm a fly fisherman, I know a thing or two about controling long lines....or hoses in this case. So, with the skill of a fly fisherman I "cast" the hose off the holder and crank the water on! I run back to the grill and start dousing the flames! It worked, the fire stopped, and after a bit more water, just to be sure, we were back to life as normal.

Crystal and I both made sure we told Brooke what a great job she did by yelling for us. Crystal said that next time she can yell "FIRE" as loud as she can, instead of just "Daddy!"

Seriously, it wasn't a huge deal, but only because Brooke said something. If she had not been out there playing, it would have only taken a minute or two before we would have had the house on fire and my fly fishing skills would have been good for nothing except providing us a few meals while we camp in the woods until the house is rebuilt.

Thanks Brooke! Great job!

Food Storage and Saving Money

Last night I attended an Enrichment activity at the Brockport ward with a group of sisters from 2nd ward. It was awesome! My head is still spinning at all of the cool info I gathered. I'm working on getting it together to make some sense, and as soon as I do that, I will post again with the awesome ideas. Who knew it could be so exciting and FUN to follow the prophets and do as we are told?

True Friendship...an email funny

1. When you are sad -- I will jump on the person who made you sad like
a spider monkey jacked up on mountain dew.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.


3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must
be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I
get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how
much Worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay away from me until you are well
Again. I don't want whatever the heck you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy butt.

9. This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end.
'Why?' you may ask; 'because you are my friend'.

Friendship is like peeing your pants,
everyone can see it,
But only you can feel the true warmth..

Cinco De Mayo

Today is the 8 year anniversary of my baptism! Wow, how time flies and how things change!

Another Fun Creation from Storybook Plus

This is an invitation I created for Brooke's b-day. I was able to customize it for each girl, so where it says Princess, I put their first name in there and then printed it. This is the earthy power palette, and the three circles are individual stickers. It only took about 5 minutes or so. I think it's so cute!

You're Invited!

I'm so excited to start my business as a Creative Memories Consultant! Scrapbooking and pictures have always been a passion of mine, and now I can help others to organize your photos, printed and digital, create framed artwork to decorate your home, and record your own stories! Here is the first thing I created with the awesome software we offer. It's an invitation to my open house next Thursday. Anyone who would like to come, you are more than welcome. If you know anyone who needs help with their photos, pass it along. If you aren't local, but need some great supplies, you can order directly from my website at www.mycmsite.com/crystalsimmons . Your products will ship directly to you, and many of the digital items are available for immediate download. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me!