He's the little man that we adore!

I never knew that being a grandma would be so special!!

I just love watching that little guy grow and change and develop his own little personality.

I miss him so much and wish that I could see him more often.

But I have the best son and daughter-in-law that send me pictures all the time of him.

And we do video chat online so I can talk to him too. Technology is amazing.

Its not as good as being there in person but it is the next best thing.

I love to hear each new word that he is learning and watch him play with his cars and Buzz Lightyear. I love hearing the stories of everything he does and says.

It is the highlight of my week!!

I hope that by seeing us and hearing our voices it will keep us in his memory so he doesnt forget us. I think he knows who we are because his face lights up when he sees us.

I am loving this stage in my life. I look forward to more little special spirits coming into our family in the future so I can spoil them and just give them lots of hugs and kisses!

Being a grandparent is the most awesome role ever!!!!

Joe and I LOVE it!!!!!

Today I saw this poem and it expresses just how we feel about our "little buddy". So I thought that I would share it with you and some recent pictures of this special little man that we adore!!!

Grubby little fingers,

Dirty little face;

Racing through life at the speed of light,

There's no one could take his place.

Riding on a stick horse,

With a cowboy hat and a gun;

Accomplishing his mission in life,

To bring mischief, laughter and fun.

There's no one like a grandson,

To bring a grandparent joy;

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails,

All wrapped in a little boy.

A little bit of sunshine,

A blessing from the Lord;

He's got us right where he wants us,

He's the little man we adore.

Allison Chambers Coxsey

©1995 ~ All Rights Reserved

Visiting his brothers grave on Memorial day!! Isnt this just the most precious picture?

He loves his new pool for summer fun!!

That water is hot!!!

Look grandma at my new bike!!!

He loves his helmet and wears it everywhere!!

That rock is almost as big as he is.

What a strong little dude!!

Can you see that someone decided to do a little decorating

while mommy was on the phone?

What a good little artist!!!

I didnt do it!!! Billy (the dog) did!!!!

Dont ya just love that little guilty face?

"If I had known how wonderful it would be to

have grandchildren,

I'd have had them first." ~Lois Wyse

Is it worth it to continue?

Ok, as you may have noticed (or maybe you havent noticed) I havent been too good at

keeping up with my blog lately.

For one reason is the fact that I feel like my life is pretty boring and that I have nothing of value to share that anyone would be interested in.

(Are you interested in reading about my boring life?)

Secondly, I dont have alot of extra time and it does take time to enter these posts.

(Is it worth your time to read my boring posts?)

Another reason is I feel like so many people, that I know, have also quit doing

their blogs ~ choosing to keep in touch and

share their life on Facebook and Twitter, etc.

(Is Facebook and Twitter enough or is their still a need for blogs?)

So I'm asking for your help as I make a decision as to whether

I should keep doing a blog or not.

#1 - Does anyone out there in the cyber world have any interest in me, my life and my blog?

#2 - Will it be worth my time and yours if I continue this blog?

#3 - And......what kinds of things are interesting to those of you that do still read blogs?

So it would be really helpful if the 2 or 3 of you that follow my blog

will help me make my decision of how to spend my extra time

and if it is worth it in the end to spend it here in the blogosphere.

I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This is one of my favorite recipes. We LOVE it!!! It is easy and yummy. I posted it before a couple of years ago but thought that I would share it again for my newer blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce (about 1-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend, divided
1/3 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
6-8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
6 cups hot cooked spaghetti

PREHEAT oven to 375°F.

Pour spaghetti sauce into 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside.

MIX 1/2 cup of the cheese and the bread crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in butter, then in cheese mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides. Place over spaghetti sauce in baking dish.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve over spaghetti.

This and that.......

Well I havent been very good at blogging lately. So this post is just to catch you up on some things going on at the Gneiting Home in 2011.

The most exciting thing that has happened so far this year is the return of our Russian missionary.

She is home!!!!!

Sister Gneiting (aka Mindy) flew home from Russia and arrived home on Jan 6, 2011.

Her total trip, including layovers, took her about 42 1/2 hours.

We were able to track her flights online through the airlines which was fun. They had a screen that showed her airplane while it was in route and so we watched with excitement as she got closer and closer to home. She flew from Russia over Norway, Iceland, the southern tip of Greenland, across the Atlantic Ocean, Newfoundland and dropped down into New York City, where she had a long layover. Then she flew to SLC where she spent the night and then on home to Idaho.

Rhiana and Amy were able to make it home to see Mindy fly in.

The rest of the family came the next day.

These are the signs we made to welcome her home. As you can see a couple of them are in Russian. We wanted to test her to see if she really had learned and understood Russian. haha.......and we found out the she did!!!!!

Our first glimpse of our Russian missionary!

Such a happy happy reunion!!

Back on American soil!!

All of our family came home to see her and we had a wonderful weekend together. She gave a beautiful report of her mission on Sunday Jan 9, 2011 and we all felt her love of the gospel and the country and people of Russia as she shared her testimony that day.

She is adjusting well but really misses her mission. Especially the friends that she made while she was there. But luckily through Facebook and Skype she is able to keep in touch with them. We are so proud of her and her willingness to serve the Lord and spread the gospel to the great country of Russia!!

Like I said - everyone came home to see Mindy. It was the first time we had all been together for almost 3 years. We had a lot of fun and crammed alot of stuff into a few precious days.

Our daughter Amy was able to go through the temple to receive her endowments that weekend. It was a very special day for her. And it was extra special because our WHOLE family were able to be in the temple with her.

We celebrated Joes birthday which was a few days after they all left. We also celebrated Christmas too!!!! And after Mindys mission report at church we had a luncheon and had several family members and friends come over to visit.

And of coarse we all played and played with the little Trentster. He was so fun and kept us all laughing. It was a great weekend and I'm so grateful for my family and how supportive they are of each other.

I hope it doesnt take us another 3 years to get together again!!

A little food for thought........

Adult Truths

Someone sent this to me and I got a good laugh from it so I thought that I would share. It is amazing how many of these things I found myself nodding in agreement too.

Hope this brings you a little sunshine if you are experiencing the January doldrums like I am.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5 - I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

Enjoy life!!!

Sister Gneiting is almost home!! 11 days!!!! YAY!

Here's some pictures of Mindy enjoying the Siberian Winter.

This is her zone in Novosibirsk and the picture they sent to all of their parents in a Christmas card!

Modeling some of her winter wear!

Not sure if they are dancing or doing Karate. But it looks like she is having fun as usual.

Playing dress up?

Sister Gneiting with Russian members.

Mindy's time is winding down. She will arrive home on Jan 6. I cant believe that it is time for her to come home. It really has gone by very fast. It has been a joy to have a missionary again, from our family, serving the Lord. It really has brought such a sweet spirit into our home. Her emails have been a weekly gift that we have looked forward to and enjoyed and we will truly miss those emails.

I am having mixed feelings about her time being almost done. I am so excited to see her again of course but I know how much she has absolutely loved her mission and my heart feels sad for her that this wonderful experience is almost over for her. I know that she has met some wonderful people in the past 18 months and I know that she will have a hard time saying goodbye to her fellow missionaries, but especially to the wonderful people of Russia. And of coarse it has been wonderful to see her testimony and faith grow over the past 18 months.

We look forward with anticipation to feeling of her spirit when she gets home and of coarse

to get to hear her speak Russian.

No more wrapping woes!!

I remember when my kids were little I would procrastinate wrapping the Christmas presents and then I would be up all night on Christmas Eve trying to get everything wrapped.

It drove me nuts and sometimes ruined my holidays.

Does this sound familiar to you?

Well if any of you do the same thing I have found the solution to the problem. I saw this on my friends blog and this could change your life!!!! (well maybe just a little!)

This would save alot of time and alot of headaches and you could actually enjoy the holidays.

No more "wrapping woes"!!!

To see what I'm talking about go HERE!!

Merry Christmas and you can thank me later for helping to

make your Christmas more enjoyable!!

Holiday Eating Tips!

I posted this valuable information last year and thought that it was important enough to share again.

I hope this will help everyone enjoy a guilt free holiday.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving fudge.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-oholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. STOP! Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's! You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Holiday cookies, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each! Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day??

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming:

"WOO HOO what a ride!"

Enjoy your holiday munching!!!

A light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

Here is the Christmas story told through missionaries from 25 countries. This is a must-see video clip that will move you; it will move anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and wants to feel the spirit of the season. Share this one as much as possible.

If you want to add it to your blog you can go HERE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

(Make sure to pause my music below first.)

An Attitude of Gratitude!

It's that time of year . . . .

. . . I'm feeling an Attitude of Gratitude coming on!!!!!

I know that I shouldn't wait for Thanksgiving to express my gratitude . . . .

but I am grateful that we have this holiday that reminds me to focus on what is important in my life.

I am so blessed and have so much that I am thankful for.

The gospel, my family, good friends, blogs and other forms of media to keep in touch with those I love, a roof over my head, heat to keep me warm, running water, food to keep my belly full, to be living in this beautiful country where I enjoy so many freedoms, a car that gets me to and from the places I need to go, hot chocolate, computers, good books to read, the Lord's blessings over me and my family especially my daughter that is in Russia, good music, my Ipod filled with good music, exercise equipment to use while listening to my Ipod, airplanes that can take me to see my family and bring them home to us, toliet paper :), toothpaste, clothes and shoes, laughter, snow plows . . . well you get the point!!! My list is really endless and I am forever grateful to my loving Heavenly Father who continues to love and bless me even in my weakness and failings. I see His hand in everything in my life and the best way for me to thank Him is to try each day to be a better person and try to be more like He wants me to be.

I am trying . . . .but I know that I can do better!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

What are you thankful for?

A Powerful Book

Ok, So I started reading the Book of Mormon once again.

It is such a powerful book and there is so much to learn from reading it. Everytime I read it there are different things that stand out to me. I wanted to share some of the scriptures that stood out to me yesterday and touched my life. (sorry this is long but I just felt like I needed to share)

Simple truths that

touched my life in a powerful way!!

At the end of 1 Nephi 6:6 Nephi explains that the Book of Mormon is written for our benefit when he says that he doesnt want to "occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." I have heard this before, of coarse, but it really stood out to me that as Nephi was deciding what to write he made a conscience decison of what was important and what to include that would benefit us in our lives. Because of that I am trying to pay more attention as I read to the little things that can make me a better follower of Christ.

Then in the next chapter, 1 Nephi 7, it talks about how after they went back to Jeruselem to get Ishmael and his family to join them - some of them including his own brothers turned against Nephi and in their anger they bound him with cords and wanted him to die.

Can you just imagine how Nephi felt to have his family and friends turn on him like that?

He must've really felt discouraged and alone.

(Have you ever felt discouraged and alone? I know that I have many times in my life)

Well just as things seemed very bleak Nephi prayed to the Lord and he said in vs. 17: "O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound." And just as he said these words the bands were loosed from his hands and feet.

Nephi prayed for strength to be able to change his circumstances.

I realized that we can pray for the Lord to change our circumstances but sometimes we can pray for the strength to make the changes ourselves. That was so powerful to me! The Lord is willing to help us but we need to be willing to work hard and prove that we are worthy of his help. I appreciated in Mindy's last letter she said that she realized that even though she had been working hard at the missionary work she can always work harder. I feel that same way as well. I can do better in many areas of my life.

Then one more thing that stood out to me was in 1 Nephi 8 when it talks about Lehi and his vision of the tree of life. Lehi is telling about this dream that he had and in vs 7 he says that he found himself in a "dark and dreary waste." And in vs 8 he says that he "traveled for the space of many hours in darkness."

Do you ever have days when you feel like just giving up - that your world is full of darkness, despair and no hope? Satans loves it when we feel like that - and I'm sad to say that I have far too many of these kinds of days.

It was at this point though that Lehi began to pray to the Lord to have mercy on him and show unto him His tender mercies. It was after that prayer that he saw the vision.

Once again we are taught the importance of prayer

and relying on the Lord in our times of need.

As I read this it hit me that many times we travel in darkness in our lives not knowing what to do or where to go or what direction to take in our lives. It can be a miserable feeling to be so lost and alone. . .

. . . . but it is in those kinds of moments when we feel like there is nothing left and we are losing

our faith that we are humbled enough to turn to the Lord and we inquire of Him in an

attitude of learning.

We become humble and teachable and that is when the

Lord can mold us into who He wants us to become.

Life is hard at times

and yet it is through these hard times that we see the growth in ourselves IF [keyword]

we will pray to the Lord and turn our lives over to Him and then be willing

to walk the path that He wants to lead us down.

Again such powerful words from the book of truth. I am so grateful for this powerful book that was written by inspiration for us, in these latter days, to help us as we walk along this, often-times difficult, journey called life. I have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that if we will read it and heed the counsel in it we will be much better people because of it.

If you are still reading this Thanks for letting share these feelings with you. I hope that you can find the peace, hope, comfort and knowledge from this great book as I do when I read it.

If you would like to read this book you can find it HERE.

To learn more about

The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints

you can go

Here and Here

You need to try this

All I am going to say is

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad!

If you love it ~ you will love this!!!

If you havent eaten it ~ you need to try this!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you can find it HERE!!!

Amazingly yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

. . . . enough said. . . .

Someone help me please!

Ok all of you blog experts out there - I need your help!!

I have heard that you can actually print your blog into a book or something.

Can anyone tell me how to do this?

It seems like I saw it once on here somewhere but now I cant find anything . . . .

I would appreciate any help that you can give me.

THANKS!!

Domestic Violence Awareness Month - Oct 2010

Did you know that Oct is Domestic Violence Awareness month?

Thankfully I have never experienced this in my own life but I have had some close friends that have. One of my good friends had to actually run for her life in the middle of the night to protect herself and her children from her abusive husband. I also had a class awhile ago where I did a lot of research about abuse. The personal accounts of abuse survivors horrified me with the violence and pain they suffered through, but inspired me with their courage and resilience. What I learned touched me deeply and motivated me to advocate for victims and for an end to violence.

Did you know?
Nationally. . . .

• 25% of all women will be victims of domestic violence in their lifetime.
• 1 in 4 teens is shown to be a victim of dating violence.
• Each year, domestic violence costs over $4 billion in healthcare costs and billions more in workplace absenteeism and lost productivity.
• 60% of victims cited job loss, including being suspended and fired, as a direct or indirect result of domestic violence.
• Pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause.
• 75% of domestic violence related deaths occur during or after leaving the abuser.
• Adults who physically abuse their partners typically enacted a first episode of dating violence by age 15.
• A woman is beaten every 15 seconds.
• While women are less likely than men to be victims of violent crimes overall,
women are five to eight times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner.
• 4 million women are victims of severe assaults by boyfriends and husbands each year and about one in four women is likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime.
• Each day, more than three women in the United States are murdered by a male intimate partner.
• There are 16,800 homicides and $2.2 million (medically treated) injuries due to intimate partner violence annually, which costs $37 billion.
• It is estimated that anywhere between 3.3 million and 10 million children witness domestic violence annually.
• Research demonstrates that exposure to violence can have serious negative effects on children's development. Witnessing violence between ones parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.
• Thirty percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically
abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.

Shocking statistics but this is reality for many women in our country!!

Even more shocking is the fact that these women are in our communities and are our neighbors.

If you want to read more facts about this subject and why it matters go HERE.

If you are as passionate about ending Domestic Violence as I am, share your voice to raise awareness during the month of October.

One way that we can help is to donate our old cellphones to give victims of Domestic Violence a voice. Go HERE or HERE to learn more.

If you want to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of thousands of victims, survivors, and their families, go HERE.

If you are in an abusive relationship or you know someone that is please call for help at the

National Domestic Violence Hotline at

1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Breaking the cycle of Domestic Violence begins with awareness!!

Zucchini Pineapple Bread

I dont know about you but we have had a TON of zucchini and I've have been trying alot of different recipes with it. I have tried a couple of different bread recipes and this one has been our favorite one so far. So I thought that I would share it with you.

Zucchini Pineapple Bread

2 Loaves (or 3 smaller ones)

3 eggs

1 c. cooking oil

2 c. sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 c. shredded zucchini

8 oz crushed pineapple

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 c. flour

2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 c. raisins (opt)

1 c. chopped nuts (opt)

Beat eggs. Add oil and sugar. Beat until thick and foamy. Add vanilla. Stir in zucchini and pineapple. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and nuts. Stir into zucchini mixture. Pour into greased pans.

Bake at 350º for 40 mins to 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

(This is a very moist bread and isnt too sweet.)

Enjoy!!