Angus Cannon Ensign Jr

my dad has been gone 10 years....my parents have been married 61 years on February 14th....He passed away February 18, 2001 after having been sick for a couple of years with diabetes and complications associated with that horrid disease.

if you want to know my dad----just meet my brothers and sisters---and me. we all share many of his best characteristics---and his weaknesses.

• my dad is a planner...a list-maker---(so is my mom---so we were all doomed to inherit this trait).
• my dad is as focused a person you'd ever want to meet----not a trait i got---- when he and  mom were on their temple missions, he expounded on the importance of temple work to all of us.... if he was working on his emergency preparedness, then we ALL should be working on emergency preparedness  ....when dad was sick and couldnt eat fast food---he decided that NONE of us should EVER eat fast food---no happy meals---nuthin....but before that he would eat ice cream out of the carton with a spoon with anyone who wanted to share---chocolate marshmallow or rocky road.. he also loves his chocolate---THANKS FOR THAT ONE, DAD!
• my dad loves for his kids to learn by experience---by struggle---and loves to tell the stories ....yeah, i'm a tough love mom----most of the time---but i dont enjoy it as much as he seems to.
• OH MY GOSH---my dad loves abundance--- when dad would come to visit us, he would fill--literally FILL our freezer with chickens---whole chickens....if one was good, two was better, five was best and 10 was WOW!.... it all makes sense now!
• my dad loves to sing, play the ukelele, dance ..... :)
• dad loves his toys...he collected calculators....bet he is experiencing the sweetest WIFI ever! ....and yeah---all his kids got this one---itouch/ipad/pc/pda.... car, gardening, kitchen toys----dad started us all on this!
• my dad is bald.....thanks...yeah...thanks dad.
• my dad loves to play games---and loves to win.....he would lead us in games of "marco polo" or "shark" in the pool...."fox and geese" in the snow.... monopoly, chess....i like games...i just dont like to keep score.
• my dad is a worker----and wants everyone around him to be working---yeah---i got that one---Saturday mornings he would be vacuuming (his inside chore) or working out in the yard----we would take our sweet time cleaning our rooms or whatever, 'cause if you finished early---YOU'D GET ANOTHER JOB!.... i tried to not do that.
• dad loves his family..and he loves the family as a unit...a well-oiled machine...he focused on family scripture study, family home evenings...table manners are HUGE to him....got that.
• dad likes his clothes....white shoes, belt, tie....all with red pants, shirt and sweater----of course, it was the 80's.....i like to think i'm stylin.
• dad has a temper......oops.
• dad believes in the saving atonement of Jesus Christ---and bore testimony of  it as we grew up....yep, I got that.  he believes in Joseph Smith as a prophet of God and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.... me too.
• dad serves his fellow man.... he believes in struggle---and then compassion.  At his funeral, there were so many people that came up and shared times of when dad gave them money, bailed them out of jail, gave them a hand up---and then advice and follow-up---to better their lives----most of the time, we never knew....wish i'd gotten that.
• dad loves my mom..... he loves to make her happy  ---with the exception of the past 10 years (dad, you are SO going to hear about that from her!).... yeah---i love my mom a lot!

now, Merf---you might be saying---your dad is gone----why are you referring to him as "is" not "was"....
because I know my dad IS.... he IS watching over his family....i believe he is up there getting my grandbabies in line---giving them advice, pushing them on the swings, playing "Duck, Duck, Goose" while they wait their turn---thinking he can help them NOT be 'terrible two's (he hates that phase)....bet he is sharing ice cream with the babies....i like to think he IS suggesting to God things that his family might need----you know, just an "oh, btw...." every now and then....i know my dad IS waiting for us (be patient, dad---yeah---NOT something he is!---me neither)  I know my dad IS...and i know my family WILL be.....forever.
love you dad---you need to call more.

as the clock ticks down....

to grandbaby number 6.............

jasmine feb 1, 2009...4 weeks before delivery

                                            jasmine feb 14, 2011 ---1 week before delivery

the most beautiful....

purse....ever.

Thanks Eden!

Dear Doctor,

Dear Doctor Ohman,


I hurt here....
Can you make this go away....
There's gotta be a pill for that...
What the heck is this....
Love,
              merf

Dear Merf,

Nice to see you...what hurts bad enough to bring you in?

I know.... sorry...take Tylenol for it EVERYDAY for the rest of your life.

Hmmmm....lets get a blood test ....and try this cream

There is...but you have to TAKE the pills....EVERYDAY....REALLY.....i'm not kidding

How old are you?

Love,

          Dr Ohman....

ps---by the way---since you are here---lets schedule your tri-annual well-woman check---and mammogram (yes, merf---you are supposed to do it every year)---what did you have for breakfast (M & M's? really? how many? okay---we'll check your cholesterol since you are here)

Dear Phlebotomist,

My veins roll

My veins are deep

My veins arent very good

I bruise

Love,

          Merf

Dear Merf,

 

Sorry...twice... in 3 places..sorry

love,  phleb

nesting?

.....jasmine is due in 11 days.....my niece and american idol buddy, Jackie, is due in 2 weeks.....nieces, Katie & Ashley are due April and first of may-ish---another niece, Mary Ellen, is due end of May---ANOTHER niece, Lindsay, just announced... have i forgotten anyone....oh yeah. ....LEAH AND LYRIC ARE BOTH EXPECTING!

okay---that deserves a line all by itself----JASMINE, LEAH & LYRIC---ALL PREGNANT---ALL EXPECTING--- GRANDBABIES 6,7 & 8---ON THE WAY.... stop for the happy dance....

okay---back to business.....
add to this two or three girls in our ward and daughters of friends---all pregnant....PLUS working in the nursery at church---all i think about is babies and toddlers!

.....the crafting bug has hit me hard---again---i've gone thru decades of the latest trends in crafts---EXCEPT scrapbooking---yeah---never did that---or card making---never did..... but years ago we did the whole tole painting, wood baskets, holiday decorations, cross-stitch----and 13 years ago my mom helped me FINALLY learn to crochet.... very cathartic---not that good---not very fancy---but i enjoy doing BABY blankets.... add to that knitting looms for hats....those held me thru my 40's....

NOW......i've done magnets, coasters, cookie decorating (well---if you consider my tomato pumpking cookies decorated)---i google 'diy' on everything----jas is making sock puppets for nursery---i LOVE modge-podge....

i've been crocheting amigurumi animals---essentially small stuffed animals---my first, a seal---looks more like a walrus---but i'll get there....

I've done a bunch of 'homeless' gloves---'texting' gloves.....essentially just a sleeve and a thumb-hole---but perfect for warm weather chilly winters....they go up fast (very important for me) and i love to wear them---i dont often do projects that i keep---but i love me my homeless gloves (is that pc? sorry---love me my texting gloves)...

i'm about to finish Beth Hall (jasmine's new baby and MY FIRST GRANDDAUGHTER) blanket---and i learned a new stitch (HUGE FOR ME, FOLKS)---its called a v-stitch....you can teach an old dog new tricks....

oh---btw---finishing a craft is HUGE for me----i jump from project to project and then have to stop myself to go back and finish it.... and quality is not always my goal----my life's motto "close enough" totally shows up in my crafting projects.

i'm about to start knitting baby socks on a knitting sock loom---CANT WAIT---have some really cute yarn---i'll let you know....

i want to make a gumball necklace----got the idea from my niece, Olivia, on her clever blog (Gnome, Sweet Gnome)...

 and you can bet miss Beth will be getting this cardigan---or my version of it---next year---for the one day in New Orleans that she needs a sweater...

 my craftiness includes cooking and trying new recipes---cowboy lasagna from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook---big hit with the guys here at the house

 chicken empanadas---made with pie dough---great for snacks----will do them again when the grandboys are up here visiting

this week i DIY colored rice-----for "look and find"s......plastic jars with little random toys/beads then filled with colored rice---for toddlers to shake and move around to find the little random toys...like a Where's Waldo that you can hold.....

so am I nesting? i dont think so---but let me google "diy nest crochet"---betcha i can make it!

p stinkin s ....i googled "diy crochet nest:"------ AND IT EXISTS!  i'm so going to have to make this!