OUR FAMILY

2012-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 29, 2012
This morning while I was preparing for my Sunday meetings Dallin was in playing some beautiful music on the piano. It was a nice prelude to the Sabbath.
James was invited to attend Geoffrey Dowdle's priesthood ordination this morning. Geoffrey just turned 19 and was ordained an Elder by his father, Jared Dowdle.
Our Young Women's and Young Men's presidents, Jen Coffey, and Curtis Whalen were the speakers in sacrament meeting today. They spoke on the theme for this year taken from D&C 115:5 "Arise and Shine Forth". Mike Ellsworth taught Sunday School we talked about the Liahona and the Holy Ghost.

Since it is a 5th Sunday we had combined Priesthood and Relief Society. The theme was Strengthening Marriages and Families. Adrienne and Mike Ellsworth spoke on marriage and Sharon Ballard spoke on strengthening families.

James made it to Sacrament meeting and then he had to come home and rest.

Blogger is not letting me add the photos I have of Dallin playing the piano. Grrrr....

2012-01-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Quote from President David O. McKay (the prophet I saw when I was a teenager)

"Man's chief concern in life should not be the acquiring of gold nor fame nor material possessions. It should not be the development of physical prowess nor of intellectual strength, but his aim, the highest in life, should be the development of a Christlike character."

This morning I started my walk at 6:15. When I got to the intersection of Willis and Arizona Avenue the light was red as it normally is. There wasn't any traffic except one car coming north on Arizona Ave. and I thought I had plenty of time so I began "running" across the street. I made it just in front of the car only to realize it was a police car. I thought for sure he was going to stop and talk to me, but he didn't. I brought back groceries including some prune juice for James which hopefully will alleviate the "tightness" in his stomach.

We got some "mail" from Evan today. He leaves mail for Joshua on our doorstep periodically. This time it was a poster from a school report Ben did with a large picture of Evan on it.

Brother Whalen and two of his little daughters, Eden and Ava stopped by to give James some gifts. They brought him grape juice and dark chocolates, two of his favorite things!!

Stacy applied for her dental hygiene license....a major milestone for her. We are very proud!

Sadness today as we learned that our friend Janny St. Onge's sister Kim passed away this morning. Kim just found out a couple of months ago she had cancer. Kim use to come to church with Janny when her kids were small to help. We are very sad for the Tolman family.

We had a baptism in our ward today, of a twelve year old young man named Andrew Alphus. Alex, Ben, Dallin and Michael all attended. James wanted to go but he wasn't feeling up to it.

I went to Angel Sweet's tonight with Sheri and brought James back a chocolate hazlenut gelato. It was yummy!

2012-01-29T07:15:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 27, 2012

Quote: "Those who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and cultivate the Spirit within their lives are entitled to have the things of God unfolded unto them, according to their own needs and circumstances as well as the mind and will of God." (D&C 88:68). Pondering unlocks the door to revelation.

I started my walk this morning at 6:30 while it was still dark outside. I felt like the little pig in the story of the Three Little Pigs who got up and beat the wolf by going to the fair early.

I had planned on going to the temple this morning but I didn't feel comfortable leaving James for that long. When he is sick he wants me close by. Right now I am reading to him from our latest Victoria Holt book "King of the Castle." It's one things that gives him a little comfort.

Darrel brought his kids over this afternoon so Trina could get some sleep as she is working tonight. Rowan and Addy rode their bikes and went down to Evan's to play. Ruby was content to sit out and play in the sand. She made a big pile of sand and called it her castle.

2012-01-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Elder David Bednar of the quorum of the twelve apostles promised wonderful blessings to those who respond in faith to do their family history: "Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safegaurded throughout your lives.
I have the responsibility right now of helping Dallin, Michael, Alex, Ben and Joe get registered on new family search and find names to take to the temple.
Sheri called and asked me to take Ben and Max to school today because Kim is sick. Later Alex called and asked me to take him to school. As a result I didn't go for my walk. My resolve is to begin walking earlier starting tomorrrow.
Today I went through the toys I've had on the backporch since Stacy and Paul moved. I threw some away, gave some away, and saved some after giving them a nice bath.
Evan had so much fun today playing in the sandbox. He must have spent at least two hours out there. Josh wasn't as interested.
I am worried about James. He is in alot of pain and is quite miserable. According to Terry hernia surgery is more painful than heart bypass.
Read Tricia's blog today about her nightmare experience at cosmetology school in Texas. What a disappointment.
My favorite TV show continues to be "Little House on the Prairie." My favorite ones are when Laura is young. Whenver she has a problem she goes to her Pa and he gives her such good advice.

2012-01-26T05:21:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
James's umbilical hernia surgery was scheduled today for 7 am. The instructions said we needed to be at the hospital by 5 am. We got there and checked in only to find out that the surgery had been postponed until 8:30. We complained and Dr. Flam did apologize and say his office should have called us. It was 9 am when they finally took James back. As they were rolling him down the hall I took one last look at him and feelings of love swept over me. I don't know what I would do if something happened to him. I depend on him so much.
I went downstairs to the cafeteria (Chandler Regional Medical Center), and got a breakfast burrito and a diet Dr. Pepper, and then headed back to the outpatient surgical waiting room. The big news of the day on the TV is that President Obama is going to be in Chandler today to give a speech at Intel.
James's surgery went well and we left the hospital a little after noon. We went straight home and after getting James settled I went to Walgreen's to drop off his prescription for pain meds and then I went home and took a nap with him. This afternoon when I went back to pick up the prescription I noticed they were blocking the entrances to the 202 so the Presidential motorcade could pass. Later I went to pick up hot and sour soup for dinner just before they blocked the freeway off again.
This evening I did Relief Society visits with Drea Boles. We visited 3 "new" sisters: Ina Sanchez, Nicole Chadwick, and Tippi Lawter. They were all good visits and I'm so glad we went! Adrienne is home resting and Diana is out of town. Adrienne has a bad cough.
While I was gone Darrel and Trina came by and brought James and I mango, pineapple smoothies from McDonald's. How thoughtful!!

2012-01-26T04:58:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
I found this definition of sanctification today:
"Sanctification is the process by which the Saints of God are cleansed from the effects of sin, spiritually renewed, and prepared to enter into the presence of God. The Atonement makes this process possible, and the Holy Ghost is the means by which it is fulfilled." Every time I partake of the sacrament I am going to think of this quote.
My major goal for the day was to work in the yard. I decided to tackle the grass and weeds in one of the front planters. It is a slow and tedious process pulling bermuda grass especially when the ground is covered with decorative rocks. This morning while I was busily working I got a call from James. He was over at Aunt June's. It seems that Beverly Mendoza, one of the sisters he home teaches, needed a ride to Tempe. I called Beverly and told her I would pick her up after I took a shower. She makes jewelery and the company she works for needed the jewelry before noon. I picked her up a little after 11. She had two children with her, Albert, the 11 month old son of her niece, and Jacob, a 5 year old son of her nephew. The reason she has Jacob is her nephew, Jacob's father is in court today trying to get custody of Jacob. We drove to Rio Salado Parkway and then down Price to get to the wearhouse where she needed to go. She said she would be about 10 minutes but it was more like 30. Jacob kept yelling and putting his hands in my face. I tried to be patient but I told him he shouldn't do that to people, because it was rude. He had a DS console but had no games for it. We talked about DS games and when i dropped Beverly off at home he wanted to come home with me. Sorry Jacob, but I needed to go home and take a nap. Beverly did thank me and gave me a necklace because I am always willing to help her. Thanks Beverly.
This afternoon James went down to Sheri's and put in a new garbage disposal for her. She was very grateful.
While I was outside working this afternoon around 5:15 I heard someone yell, "No,No" and then two gunshots. It came from behind Dave and Laura's which is unusual because most disturbances come from the trailer park. A few minutes later I heard police and firetruck sirens. Stacy insisted I needed to call 911 and tell them what I had heard. When I hesitated, she did it for me. Later we watched on the news that a 72 year old man was suicidal so his wife had called the police. When they got there he turned his gun on them and they shot him. Stacy says it's called suicide by cop. How sad.
We tried to talk to Jared and his kids on Skype this evening but the internet connection was bad. The kids did sing Happy Birthday to James.

2012-01-24T13:33:00.001-08:00

Monday, January 23, 2012
HAPPY 64TH BIRTHDAY JAMES!
I started out this morning by making him an omlet for breakfast and giving him his birthday package and card. I got him a new shirt, a blanket, and a towel.
This afternoon we went to see the movie "We Bought a Zoo" starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansen. It was a great movie and was only rated PG. After the movie we used the gift card we got from Terry and Cathi for Christmas to Claim Jumper and had some dinner. My filet was good but James did not care for the tri tip that he got. After dinner we stopped by his Mom's house where he was showered with goodies and presents. Darrel and Trina came by with their kids and brought donuts from Krispy Kreme. We sang Happy Birthday and James opened his gifts. $25 from Dawn and a 30 dollar gift card to Walmart from his Mom. Now he can get his hunting license. He also got a belt, white shirt and tie, a wallet, and a spotlight, and an apricot pineapple pie from his Mom. Darrel and Trina gave him Nestle Treasures and a Porter Rockwell DVD. When we got home Stacy had chocolates for him and Kim had left a David Archuletta CD. Jared called and said their gift was in the mail and they are calling tomorrow on Skype. All in all it was a happy day.

2012-01-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 22, 2012
The talks in Sacrament meeting today were about Personal Progress and Duty to God. Megan and Christy Wanlass spoke about Personal Progress and Bunny and Cody Minier spoke about Duty to God. Christy started her talk by telling about some of the requirements for Personal Progress 100 years ago. One of the requirements was to keep a hive of bees, and another was to swat 25 flies in a day, and another drive a team of horses 50 miles. Times have really changed.
The choir sang today and Katy Glemser asked me to watch her baby Alice. She is almost a year old and is so cute. She loves James. He was holding her and she was stroking his face with both hands just staring at him. Because her Dad has a beard I think she was wondering where James's beard was.
Morgan Skeen gave the lesson in Relief Society and did an awesome job. We discussed Elder Perry's talk about missionary work, "Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear".
This afternoon I came home and made James two Eagle Brand pies. It's the one thing he ask for from me for his birthday. This evening we had dinner at Sheri and Ian's. Ian cooked steaks and Sheri made salad, potatoes, and brownies. Her rolls didn't turn out so I went home and got some of the tasty biscuits I get at Sam's Club. It was a nice meal and I passed up brownies and ice cream. I lost 4 lbs. this week!

2012-01-22T18:00:00.001-08:00

Saturday, January 21, 2012
First real order of business for the day was to attend Case Lueck's baptism. Case is Max's best church and football friend so of course Sheri, Max and Evan were there too. After the baptism and confirmation Max went up and gave case a big hug.
At noon we went to Case and Max's and Braden Wanlass's flag football game. During fall ball this team was unbeatable and came home with the first place trophy. This season the schedule is a little tougher and they lost for the third time, this time 26-0. We are playing older guys and we are a young team. Max is the oldest on the team, and I might add one of the best players. That kid can run.
I went for my walk this morning to Walmart. That makes the 5th time this week. The nice weather makes it so much more doable. While I was there I bought the ingredients to make James two Eagle Brand lemon pies for his birthday. It's the only thing that he asked for.
James and I were going to use some of our movie passes we got for Christmas to go see the movie "We Bought A Zoo" this evening, but the theater was already 65% full and the guy said we would probably have to sit in the front. I refused and said we would come back on Monday when it wasn't quite so busy. Everybody that I know that has seen this movie has said it was great, including Michael and Alex. Speaking of Michael and Alex, I took them and Joe and dropped them off at the mall this evening. As they were leaving my car I shouted "Return With Honor."

2012-01-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 20, 2012
No walk this morning. My feet hurt too much from being on them most of the day yesterday.
This afternoon I did do some work in the yard. Pulling grass and weeds out of the planters is my least favorite yard chore. I did have some help from Joshua and Evan.
This evening James and I watched an episode of "Little House on the Prairie", "Body of Proof" and "Person of Interest." I must say I think my favorite was Little House with Person of Interest a close second.
We are also reading a book together, "King of the Castle", another one by Victoria Holt.
Tomorrow is the South Carolina Republican primary and I am afraid Newt Gingrich is going to win. My man Romney will probably come in a close 2nd.
James is having surgery on Wednesday and he cannot take any aspirin until after the surgery. He asked me to do something he's never asked me to do before.... buy him some Tylenol.

2012-01-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 19, 2012
I walked to Walmart this morning and bought a roast and came home and put it in the crockpot. We are feeding the missionaries tonight and I wanted the roast to cook all day on slow heat. Later I went back to the store and got the rest of my groceries.
This afternoon I vacuumed and dusted and got out the china and crystal all for the missionaries. Stacy helped me fix the dinner. We had: roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, corn, and rolls. For dessert Stacy made some brownies. At one point Elder Milne poured salad dressing on his potatoes because he thought it was gravy. James did the same thing. Oops, I thought I had made it clear which one was the gravy but I guess not. Elder Milne is from Logan, Utah and Elder Paige is from Grants Pass, Oregon. Right now they are teaching two people from our ward, Elliott Hall and a 12 year old young man. ( I forget his name). They are a little frustrated because Elliott will not commit to a date for baptism. Before leaving Elder Paige shared his favorite scripture story from the Book of Mormon, the story of the brother of Jared seeing the finger of the Lord and then seeing the Lord. It's always a spiritual experience to have the missionaries come over. It did take some effort though on my part. I pretty much prepared most of the day for it and was pretty exhausted after doing the dishes.
This evening James and I watched the Republican presidential debate with the four candidates that are left: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul. I am a big Mitt Romney supporter although I do see good in all of the candidates. I am a little irritated with Ron Paul because he is kind of the revolutionary and is taking away alot of Mormon's from supporting Romney.

2012-01-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Today during scripture study as we were reading 1 Nephi 22 I found this quote written in my scriptures:
"The fruit of keeping covenants is the companionship of the Holy Ghost and an increase in the power to love. That happens because of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change our very natures." I love this quote. It reminds me of the importance of partaking of the sacrament each week to renew our covenants that we might always have the Spirit to be with us as we remember the Savior and his Atonement.
I went visiting teaching today. Sheri joined me at Christy Wanlass's because she wanted to see Christy's new dog, a cockapoo named Max. I must admit that Max is adorable. But while we were there he piddled on the floor twice and bit Sher.
I also visited Lynn Ritz and Bev Hermann. I encouraged Lynn to come to church and talked to Bev about her job as a CNA at the NICU at Banner Desert. I really like both of these sisters.
This morning Karen Schneider and I walked at the mall. This evening we helped the young men in our ward, along with Terry Lambson, register on new.familysearch.org. I enjoyed helping Michael, Alex and Ben. Dallin was there but because he has done family history before wasn't as interested.

2012-01-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Happy, happy birthday Anna dear. Our sweet Anna turns 10 today. She had a Justin Bieber birthday complete with a picture of Justin giving her a kiss on the cheek on top of her cake. Anna called me today to thank me for the Justin Bieber blanket, calender, and book. She said there was a picture of Justin in the book without his shirt on. When I apologized she said, "oh no, I loved it!" We missed taking her to Red Lobster for her birthday date to get crab legs, but I think her parents took her instead.
For a change I walked to Walgreen's today instead of Walmart. It's about the same distance. I didn't like walking towards the traffic on Alma School.
I worked outside today cleaning off our patio. The birds use it as their pooping grounds. Disgusting.
Cathi is gone to LA and her sister Pam came to stay with Evelyn. Evelyn fell this afternoon and Pam couldn't get her up so she called the paramedics. Laura, Dave, and I walked over to see what was going on. Pam felt so bad she was crying. Laura gave her a hug and told her next time to call one of us.
James worked at June's again today. He said Faye and June are in another "fight." It seems they can't get along for very long.
Stacy helped Michael with his science project on bridge building and even went to Michael's today to buy him some popsicle sticks to use to build some models.
I made Weight Watchers garden soup for dinner. It is delicious but not very filling.

2012-01-17T18:27:00.001-08:00

Monday, January 16, 2012
MLK day so the kids were out of school.
It was nice and cool when I went on my walk to Walmart. I warmed up by having a fruit and oatmeal cup at McDonald's for breakfast. You are right Sheri they are yummdelicious!
I had an appointment at Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology today. It's just my routine that I have every 4 months where I see the doctor and then have my blood drawn. (They took 4 vials today). My blood pressure was 112/62 and I'm not mentioning my weight. Let's just say I need to loose some.
In high school Stacy had a friend named Cindy Ganado. Cindy was a devoted Catholic girl and Stacy tried inviting her to Church activities but she was never interested. When they were 16 Stacy gave Cindy a Book of Mormon. Cindy ended up joining the Church and marrying a good friend, John Teasley, who also happens to be Mormon. Stacy got a Christmas card from John and Cindy this year (they live in Carlsbad, Calif.) with the following letter from John inside:
"Stacy, I wanted to share an experience with you that I had today at church. I teach Sunday school to the 14 year olds (including our 14 year old, Alyssa). This year we will be teaching from the Book of Mormon. Cindy has such a powerful conversion story, I asked her to come share her experience with how she came to know that the Book of Mormon is true.
Stacy, as you know, it was the Book of Mormon that you had the courage to give to her when you were 16 that she read when she received a spiritual witness as to the truthfulness of that book. As she related her experience of how the Book of Mormon was the foundation of her testimony, and how it was the something that she couldn't deny when deciding whether she should be baptized or not, I got to thinking. I started to think about what would have happened if you hadn't given her that Book of Mormon. When she began to have a mild curosity about the church when we were dating as freshmen in college would she have reached out to me or someone else to get a copy of the Book of Mormon? Probably not. She didn't even tell me that she had been reading it until she was well into the book. Other questions flashed through my mind such as: If that book that you gave her wasn't easily within her reach, would she have been baptized? Would we have been married? Would we have had kids born under the covenant? Would our lives and the lives of our children have been the recipients of the rich blessings that we have received over the years as a result of the gospel? Maybe, but maybe not. Regardless, it hit me like a ton of bricks today that I owe you a huge debt of gratitude for loving her enough and having the courage to write down your testimony and giving her that Book of Mormon back in high school.
Though she would never admit it, or even necessarily agree with it, today, Cindy is a force for good in the gospel. She is one of the most noble and valiant spirits I have evern known. She has affected so many lives through her example, love, and service. She has faithfully served in many callings. She has served in the Young Women's program, as a stake missionary, and as a Primary President. Currently she is the Relief Society President in our ward ministering to the temporal and spiritual needs of many. Most importantly, she keeps me on the right track, and is an amazing mother to our 4 children.
Please know that your single act has had a major impact for good in Cindy's life, my life, the lives of our children, and the lives of countless more. Thank you again, Stacy. I guess we sometimes wait for years to realize the impact of sharing our testimonies with others.

2012-01-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 15, 2012
I made mini-cupcakes using my new Babycakes appliance this morning. The cupcakes are for our Relief Society board meeting. Frosting them took way too long and I wasn't completely happy with the results, especially when I got to the meeting and saw the 'professional' look of the cupcakes Melanie Bentz made. The meeting went well. We are grateful to be fully staffed. I have the privilege of having 3 teachers for our Sunday lessons: Cathi Lambson, Julie Johansen, and Morgan Skeen. Janny St. Onge is the chorister and Karen Schneider our piano player.
Bishop Danny Conway, now a high councilman, spoke in sacrament meeting today. The theme was faith. We need to exercise faith in spite of our doubts and trials and move forward and the Lord will sustain us. Trevor Howe was his speaking companion. Stacy said he used to be in our ward when we were in the Cooper building. I don't remember him. He's Adam's age and Adam did remember him. Kim and Joe were in our sacrament meeting.
Ben passed the sacrament for the first time today. I am so proud of him!
Right after sacrament meeting we all went into Bishop Wilson's office for Michael's priesthood advancement ordination to the office of a Teacher.
Those attending: Bishop Wilson, James and I, Mary and Marvin and Nicole Johnson, Darrel, Trina, Addy, Rowan, Ruby, Sheri, Alex, Ben, Max, Evan, Kim, Brian, Joe, Stacy, Paul, Adam, Dallin and Joshua. Paul ordained Michael and gave him a wonderful blessing. All of the Melchizedek priesthood holders in the room were in the circle: Marvin, James, Bishop Wilson, Brian and Darrel. Michael shook hands and gave hugs afterwards. It was one of the special family times and the Spirit was strong. Michael is loved by everyone who knows him.
Stacy made her kids favorite dinner tonite, fried pork chops, and then had FHE with them. Jared Ammon and Danielle were here too.

2012-01-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 14, 2012

I read the following in Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon Volume 4:

"Zion shall begin to be built before the time of Christ's second coming in glory. The Saints who are gathered in all nations shall live for a season in love and peace (despite the degenerative condition of the world) prior to the Millennium. Because of the goodness of those who have given thenselves fully to the Lord and his cause, their meetings shall be pentecostal outpourings: the Spirit of God shall truly burn like a fire in their hearts. Prophecy and revelation and healings and angelic ministrations shall abound, for the faith of the Saints shall have rent the damning veil of unbelief and opened the heavens to the gifts and wonders enjoyed by the former-day Saints." Wow! I am looking forward to that day. Can you imagine being in a sacrament meeting where the Spirit is so strong that prophecy, revelation, healings and angelic ministrations abound?

James and I went to both Ben and Max's flag football games today. Ben caught a touchdown pass and two extra point passes. Although his friend Ian Wanlass was player of the game Ben was right up there with him.

Max carried the ball several times in his game and that boy can run. I think he might have some "Maxwell" speed genes.

Hallelujah! I finally finished racking up all of the leaves! Now I've got some major weed killing and cleanup to do outside.

I had a carne asada burrito from Filiberto's for dinner. I saved half for tomorrow. It was quite delish.

Alex helped James finish getting our toy hauler ready for sale. The people came and picked it up today. They are so excited to have it but not as excited as we are to have the money from selling it. Now if we could just sell a couple of lots.

2012-01-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 13, 2012
Today is Friday the 13th. My Mom always said it was her good luck day. I think that's because her birthday was on the 13th. I'm going to call it my good luck day too in honor of my Mom.
I read an article about Elaine Dalton and her love for running. It went something like this: Question - You love running: what first got you hooked on it?
Sister Dalton's answer: "I didn't always love to run. When I first started it was hard. I would run ten steps and walk ten steps. But I persisted and it is in the daily habits that we gain strength and power. I never dreamed I would run a marathon, let along 17 of them. But looking back, it was the daily habit that made the difference. Anything we persist in doing becomes easier. Now I can't imagine my life without a morning run. It makes me happy."
Sister Dalton is the Church's General Young Women's President. Because of her I am going to start incorporating a morning walk/run in my routine.(Who am I kidding, I can't run.)
Friday is my errand day. On my way to do my grocery shopping I went by the Stonebridge apartments to drop off a birthday gift for Allison Warren, a sister in our ward whom we rarely see. I talked to Allison on the phone and left the gift at the door. I hope that she knows that we in the Relief Society love and care for her.
James is trying to get our house re-financed in order to lower the monthly payment. He is "jumping through hoops" for the bank and asked me the amount of money I took in draws last year. It was around $48,000. My goal this year is to lower that to $39,000.
James and I watched one of our favorite T.V. shows this evening, "Person of Interest."
We were in bed and ready to go to sleep by 9 pm.

2012-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 12, 2012

I just cancelled the landline phone that we have had for 41 years. No more 480-963-7444. It was a classic, but like Brian says, the only people who use landlines are telemarketers.
It was cool outside today. I went outside to work and put on a sweater. Once I got working I took the sweater off. I love working outside in good weather!! Thanks to Dallin and Michael and Adam for picking up most of the leaves from our trees. I filled 3 bags today and there are still some left. I wonder how many total bags we have filled. Probably around 15-20.
James made steak and gravy for dinner and I made biscuits and broccoli. Joshua was so excited for the broccoli. He sniffed it as I put it in the bowl and said: "Oh that smells good." What kid likes the smell of broccoli? He ate two bowls.
Adrienne, Diana and I had RS presidency meeting this evening. Billy, Adrienne's cocker spaniel came and laid down at my feet, and then passed gas. Billy's a sweet dog, but not so sweet smelling.

2012-01-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

To walk or nap that is the question....today the nap won. Maybe it's because I had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Maybe it's because I knew I was going to work in the yard and I needed to conserve my energy. (Which, by the way, I didn't end up doing.)

I actually got to spend some time with Sheri today. It was her day off and we went to lunch at Arby's and then shopping at Target. I love my girls! (And my boys too.)

Trina had a doctor's appointment today about the "spot" on her lung. The doctor says it is benign but they will check it every six months just to be sure. Trina's kids were here and at Sheri's this afternoon.

I worked on family history and scrapbooks today. It's always fun to look back a few years and see how much the kids have changed. Today I went back to 2007 when Evan, Rowan, and Joshua were a year old. It was the year Jared Ammon had his long hair. He looks so much better with short.

This evening I went to the stake family history center to help the young women in our ward sign on to new family search. I helped Kristin Miner. Hopefully she will have lots of names for baptisms because her mom's family are all non-members.

James had a not so fun night with the young men. Dave Miner was teaching them at the Del Rio building about how to interview their ancestors and Dallin misbehaved. James had to come home and report it all to Stacy and Paul. Not a fun situation for a Grandpa to be in.

2012-01-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Things that Evan ate at our house today: 3 cinnamon rolls, a hamburger, and a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch.
Walked to Walmart again this morning. It's not as far as I thought. It's only a little over a mile one way.
I began cleaning out the laundry room today in preparation for our upcoming move. Who knew so much stuff could be stored in such a small room. I took 5 bags of stuff to Goodwill and I'm only halfway done!
Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire primary and the Iowa. Two down, 48 to go.
James installed a new toilet at aunt June's and now she can't close the bathroom door. Well, she does live alone so it should be okay, right? Jk, he has to try and take it back to Home Depot without the box, which he took to the dump.
As much as I'm enjoying the nice weather I sure would like to see some clouds and rain.

2012-01-10T05:31:00.001-08:00

Monday, January 9, 2012
I read last week in an article in LDS Living that Elaine Dalton, the General Young Women's President, has run 17 marathons. I was inspired and motivated by her so today I decided I was going to walk from our house to Walmart and back, a distance of about 1 1/2 miles each way. The weather was beautiful, about 60 degrees and I didn't even have to wear a sweater. I bought a Justin Bieber book and calendar for Anna's birthday and headed for home. I felt so good I think I'll do it again tomorrow! (Also ordered her a JB blanket and had it sent directly to her hourse.)
Paid bills today. I'm always grateful when we have enough money in the bank to pay our bills for another week!
James worked at aunt June's again today. Not only is he putting in a new kitchen floor, but he is also doing some remodeling in her bathroom.
This evening James and I went by Sweet Daddy's and got a cupcake for Edonna Wells's 8 year old granddaughter Megan. Her birthday was on New Year's Day. She came to church with us yesterday and now she says she wants to get baptized. That would be wonderful!
Evan and Joshua had preschool this morning. I guess Joshua sang the Miser Brothers Christmas song for his class. Evan fell asleep on the couch today waiting for his Mom to pick him up after work.

2012-01-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 8, 2012
Cathi, Stacy, and James all bore their testimonies today in our fast and testimony meeting. I am grateful to be a part of such a wonderful family.
We have been waiting for years for Elliott Hall to join the Church. He has been coming faithfully with his wife Jackie to sacrament meeting for the past year. Today he came to our Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Sunday School class. I think he is preparing for baptism. What a day that will be!
Cathi gave the lesson in RS. She said it was partly because of my testimony that she decided to join the Church. I had no idea. She is such a wonderful example to me and I never realized I might be in some small way an example to her.
We had FHE with our kids and grandkids this evening. There were 18 of the 29 of us in attendance. We talked about obedience and how Lehi and Nephi were obedient to the Lord but Laman and Lemuel were not. How can we learn to put the Lord first in our lives?
Joseph shared a scripture from Deuteronomy about the rewards for keeping the commandments and the consequences for breaking them. Addy recited the First Article of Faith. Ben gave the opening prayer and Joshua sang with great enthusiasm the song from "The Miser Brothers Christmas." Thanks Sheri for the delicious chococlate chip and cranberry oatmeal cookies!

2012-01-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 7, 2012
Thanks to James and Michael for helping with the yardwork this morning. I chopped grass and weeds in one planter and quit. I don't seem to have much stamina lately.
I had the opportunity to serve today. A sister in our ward was babysitting for her niece who is in the hospital in Winslow and she ran out of formula and diapers. I went to the rescue and even braved the lines at Walmart on a Saturday.
Darrel was here with his kids this afternoon while Trina slept, (she worked last night). They had fun "shopping" in the shed where they have their stuff stored.
James worked at aunt June's this afternoon. When he got home we started our fast. Also went for a ride so we could listen to Tim Glemser's new piano music CD. Brother Glemser is a member of our ward who is very talented. He wrote all of the music on the CD and it is beautiful!!
Missed Max and Ben's football games today.

2012-01-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 7 2012

Took Evan to preschool. Joshua didn't go because of his cough. It's always fun to see the progress on the Gilbert Temple.
I did my grocery shopping at Walmart this morning. The experience was fine until I went to check out and had to wait 15 minutes to get to the register. Remind me again why only 3 registers are open in a line of 20.
My good friend Kay (Stauble) McClellan came by for a visit this afternoon. She was so excited to see Joshua. She told me all about her visit with Jared and his family. She and her husband John fell in love with Molly. She says she has grandsons for all of Jared's girls to marry. She lives about 6 miles away from Jared in McKinney, Texas.
Since I finished watching all my Christmas movies I am back to watching "Little House on the Prairie."
James took Dallin and Michael to work at Aunt June's. He was a little frustrated with Dallin because he would rather throw tangerines in the backyard than work.
James and I played Kitties in the Blender with Alex and Joe. It's not really as bad as it sounds.
Stacy has been walking on air since she passed her exam.

2012-01-06T06:32:00.001-08:00

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Relief Society Presidency meeting at Adrienne Ellsworth's this morning. Diana Dowdle is out of town. I think she and Jared took their kids on a cruise to Mexico. This family loves to have fun and vacation together. For spring break they took their kids to Disney World in Florida. Their son Geoffrey plays in the ASU band and they recently went to the ASU bowl game in Las Vegas.
Adrienne, Drea, and I updated the visiting teaching routes for our ward. We are excited to have some new families in our ward, the Lieb's and the Hill's.
Cleaned out the frig this afternoon. The smorgasboard of unused leftovers was appalling.
Sandy Finder's funeral was today. I am sorry I missed it because of presidency meeting. Years ago we were in the same ward and we use to play softball together. Sandy fought a long battle with breast cancer.
NEWS FLASH: STACY PASSED HER DENTAL HYGIENE EXAM with a 94.5%. She can now get her license and start looking for a job! Way to go Stacy.

2012-01-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

While Sheri was at work today I took Alex to the orthodontist for a routine checkup on his braces. On the way home he told me how much fun he had going to dinner at Red Lobster last night with Adam, Joe, Michael and Dallin and then afterwards coming to our house to play games. (I missed out on the fun because I was already in bed). Stacy had told me how loud they were in the basement and how she kept telling them to be quiet. One of the games they played was "Kitties in the Blender." How fun does that sound? Alex proceeded to tell me how to play but I'm afraid I just don't have the stomach for it.
In other news I made a trip to Scottsdale to deliver a check and packet of information to the attorney who is representing us in our lawsuit against Norquay Construction. I had intended on working in the yard this afternoon but since James was at his Aunt June's with Michael taking up her old kitchen floor I was elected to go to Scottsdale.
Spent the evening at Young Men and Young Women's watching Terry's power point presentation on Family History. He did an awesome job!

2012-01-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Kim,

Maybe the reason so many of the lights for my tree don't work the next year is because they are so hard to get off the tree I have a tendency to pull too hard. Sorry. How many lights did you put on this tree?

The Sunday School course of study for 2012 is "The Book of Mormon." Hooray.

The Relief Society/Priesthood course of study is The Life and Ministry of George Albert Smith.

Today is my dear friend and sister-in-law Cathi's birthday. She is one of my heroes. She is fulltime caretaker for her invaide mother Evelyn. Her example of dedicated love and service is such an example to me. Happy Birthday Cathi, I love you!

Joshua went to the doctor today. He has an ear infection and bronchitis. After his visit he made the comment: "I'm all better now that I saw the doctor. I need to go to Cafee's (Cathi's) with grandma cuz it's her birthday."

2012-01-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 2, 2012
Stacy vs. The Christmas Toys
Stacy is obsessed with keeping track of Josh's Christmas toys. Yesterday she got super glue on her teeth while gluing his Legos together. I think it was the way she opened the tube by putting it into her mouth and biting down on it. This from a girl trained in the art of having healthy dental hygeine. We've come to the conclusion that 5 year olds should not have Legos or toys with small pieces that are prone to fall apart. I am concerned the poor girl is wearing herself out trying to keep track of all of these tiny toys.
Trina and her family have had their two Christmas trees put away since the day after Christmas. We were over there for dinner last week and if I didn't know better I would think they didn't even celebrate Christmas. The house was devoid of any clutter, Christmas or otherwise. Today I took the decorations off our tree only to find that Josh had rearranged the pipe cleaners on a bear ornament I made years ago. Now it looks like a spider and had to be thrown away.
In other news, I only have two more Christmas movies to watch before I can return to my regular TV programs.
One of the highlights of my day was visiting Sister Betty Windle for her birthday. Sister Windle is an older sister in our ward who doesn't get out much because of failing health. When she realized I was there to wish her a happy birthday her face just lit up. It made my day!

2012-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

Thank goodness we didn't have Church until 11 am today. I love this schedule, especially on days I have a lesson to give, like today. My lesson was for Relief Society and was on the life and ministry of George Albert Smith. What a wonderful, inspiring Prophet of God he was.

When we got in the car to come home I looked at the thermostat and it said 81 degrees. Not the way I want to start the new year! We need some clouds, rain, and cooler weather.

James came home and made one of our favorite meals, steak and gravy. It's yummy over the frozen Pillsbury biscuits I buy at Sam's Club. After a late lunch/early dinner it was nap time. When I started to awaken from my nap, I noticed it was dark outside but my alarm clock only said 5:09. James reminded me that the electricity had been off and I needed to reset my clock to 6:09. Wow this new Sunday schedule makes for a late nap time.

No day would be complete without Joshua watching "A Miser Brothers Christmas" and singing all of the songs.

ABC Tag

2008-10-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Kim because she says I haven't blogged since May. That is true, but I have written in my journal faithfully every single day for the past 13 3/4 years.

A - Attached or single: Attached, forever and always.

B - Best friend: My attachment.

C - Cake or pie: Cake. Most any kind but two of my favorites are Texas sheetcake and Lois's Italian ice cake.

D - Day: Sunday

E - Essential item: My purse. I don't go anywhere without it.

F - Favorite Color: Purple, purple, and more purple, and a little pink too.

G - Gummi bears or worms: Worms, because they are more juicy.

H - Home town: Show Low, Arizona. I've lived in Chandler longer but Show Low feels like my hometown because I spent many of my growing up years there.

I - Indulgences: Aunt Lena's gelato and going out to lunch with friends.

J - January or July: January, because it represents a new beginning.

K - Kids: Yes, I love kids.

L - Life is incomplete without: Marriage, family and kids

M - Marriage date: June 1, 1968

N - Number of siblings: two brothers.

O - Oranges or Apples: Apples if they aren't mushy.

P - Phobias or Fears: Spiders and snakes.

Q - Quote: "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good..."

R - Reason to smile: So many, family, friends, and the gospel.

S - Season: Fall

T - Tag: Sheri, Tricia, and Trina.

U - Unknown fact about me: I may be going to China.

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of animals: I don't oppress animals, I just eat them after they are dead.

W - Worst habit: There are many. Diet Pepsi.

X - Rays or Ultrasounds: I've never had an ultrasound so I guess x-rays.

Y - Your favorite food: Italian ( Olive Garden and Carrabas), Mexican (Serranos), American (The Keg, Black Angus, Applebees, and Cheesecake Factory), Chinese (Pei Wei and P.F. Chang's).

Z - Zodiac sign: Leo

BROOKE WHITE SIGHTING

2008-05-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Darrel on Saturday in which he said: "Guess who's in front of Trina in the Paradise Bakery line?" "Who? " "Brooke White." "I'm there, don't lose her." Dallin and I jumped in my car and I grabbed Brooke's CD "Songs From the Attic" as I rushed out the door.
On the way to the Chandler mall I called Darrel and asked if she, Brooke, was still within sight.
"Oh, no, she left the food court awhile ago, but Trina knows where she is going. She's going to the Quicksilver store and then on to Nordstroms. I drove to the parking lot closest to Nordstrom's and quickly found a spot, not easy to do on a Saturday afternoon. As Dallin and I entered the store I was wishing I had remembered to bring my camera. I told Dallin we needed to go to the shoe department because I know Brooke really likes shoes. Trina had told me she was with her Mom and sister and she was wearing a green top and a white skirt. She was easy to spot right in front of the shoes and next to the makeup department. She was speaking to a woman who worked there and we just casually waited, pretending we were looking at the women's shoes. As she started to leave I sent Dallin after her with the CD cover and told him exactly where I wanted her to sign it. Bless his heart, he stopped her and that gave me time to casually saunter over. When she saw me she asked me where I got the CD but all I could say was "Thank you!" Now I realize that the CD was re-released without her permission. After we left I was wishing I would have said: "I loved you on American Idol." But I always think what to do and say after the fact. Thanks Darrel, Trina and Dallin for making my day before Mother's Day so great!!

Catching Up

2008-02-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't written on my blog for two months. Here are some of the things that happened during that time:

1. James and I volunteered at the Mesa Cannery.

2. I attended a break dancing concert for James Hayden, a hiphop concert for Anna, and a ballet - tap concert for Emmy.

3. Ben had his 8th birthday and he was also baptized by his father Ian.

4. Michael had his 10th birthday party at Organ Stop Pizza.

5. Paul and Kim both celebrated their birthdays in December.

6. We celebrated Christmas and New Years.

7. We fed the homeless.

8. I went to the Phoenix Zoo with Kim, Joe, and Joe's friend Christian.

9. James and I went to see the Broadway musical "Annie" with Anna and Tricia.

10. James and I went to Disney on Ice, "Princess Wishes" with Addy.

11. Anna celebrated her 6th birthday.

12. James celebrated his 60th birthday.

13. James's sister Dawn received her doctorate degree from ASU.

14. James almost got snowed in at the cabin this week.

15. Shaquille O'Neal is playing for the Phoenix Suns.

16. Mitt Romney is dropping out of the race for President. I am sad about this.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks"

2007-12-17T08:50:00.001-08:00

On Friday Kim and I had planned on taking Joseph and Ben to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks" for Ben's birthday. Joseph has been waiting for this movie since the trailers started showing up on T.V. He can do a pretty good chipmunk imitation and knows all of the key lines from the movie. Kim called me a couple of hours before the movie and said Brian was at Urgent Care and couldn't drive himself home so she had to go pick him up. This left me to take Joe and Ben by myself or wait for another day. I don't think Joe would have liked that idea so I said I would take the boys anyway without Kim. Max wanted to see the movie too since he loves to do whatever Ben does, so it's me with 3 boys. Joseph loved the movie, one of his very favorites ever. Simon is his favorite chipmunk because he feels a kinship with him: They are both tall, they wear glasses and Simon is the smartest. The best part of the movie for me was when we were getting ready to leave and Max says: "Grandma, will you hold my hand so I don't run off?"
We were entertained by Joe's one liners from the movie in his chipmunk voice all the way home.

I Never Was Very Good At Tag

2007-12-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Well here goes six things you probably already know about me:

1. Because my last name was Maxwell growing up one of my favorite nicknames was Max. Maybe that's why I'm so happy to have a grandson named Max.

2. Once I was walking across main street in Show Low carrying all my school books when I fell in the middle of the street right in front of a semi-truck who honked his horn. All my friends were laughing so hard they couldn't come to help. I never pass that spot in Show Low without thinking of that most embarrassing day.

3. James and I are actually quite closely related. My grandpa and his Dad are first cousins. My Granma Maxwell was very upset when she heard we were planning on getting married. She was heard to say: "They can't get married, they'll have idiots for children." Luckily we proved her wrong.

4. I am a fan of Preacher Joel, Joel Osteen. I just find him very positive and uplifting.

5. I taught school and there were 83 kids in my classroom. There were two teachers and two aids. We had a team of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. It was one of the busiest years of my life but also one of the most enjoyable and rewarding.

6. When I was in college at ASU I lived in two of the older dorms, the Quad and Gammage. I don't think either one of them exists today. We had no beds in our room but all of us on the same floor slept together in a large room with lots of beds. Back in those days I could wake up without having to set my alarm. I would just think about what time I needed to get up before going to bed and I would automatically wake up at that time. As people began to realize I had this talent I was asked to wake them up so they would not have to set their alarms. I should have charged for this service. I could have made a little extra lunch money.

2007-11-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING 2007

2007-11-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I realize how truly blessed I really am. I am so grateful to have all my children and grandchildren close by so we can spend so many fun times together. Thanks to Jared and Tricia for hosting our "feast" day this year. The turkey was delicious and the weather perfect for an outdoor picnic. I asked each of the grandchildren to tell one thing they were thankful for and then one thing they wanted for Christmas from Grampa & Gramma. Here are the responses.

Thankful List:

Adam - Music & Books

Jared - I'm thankful for my friends

Dallin - I'm thankful for bandaids (Dallin cut his lip playing ball)

Joseph - I am thankful for my family, Disneyland, and lots of other things.

Michael - I'm thankful for freedom and football

Alexander - I am thankful for sports to give me some free time, and they keep me active.

Ben - Family

James Hayden - I am thankful for my family and play fol dogs and soft fre(furry) cats.

Anna - I am thankful for Gramma and Grampa

Max - I am thankful for a book. The Book of Mormon.

Adalyn - I am thankful for Rowan.

Emma Lee - I am thankful for my Mom & Dad, and baby Mickey Mouse.

Rowan - I am thankful for Addy.

Joshua - I am thankful for my brother, for Grover, and for music that I can dance to.

Evan - I am thankful for my mom and dad and brothers.

Now here's the Christmas List:

Adam - Uh, if obtainable, an X-Box 360. If not, then I don't really care. (I didn't anyways)

Jared - An Ipod video 160GB

Dallin - I don't know what I want yet.

Joe - I want stuff. Book, toys, stuff.

Michael - a Nintendo DS

Alexander - I want a Santana Moss for the Redskins jersey. (You can get it at the mall). He is not Randy Moss for the Patriots.

Ben - DS

James Hayden - Drum Set (I loved the picture he drew)

Anna - I want crafts

Max - For Christmas I want a Spiderman computer.

Addy - For Christmas I would like a camera.

Emma Lee - A Big Wheel or baby stroller

Rowan - I would like a book

Joshua - For Christmas I want my own room. (Come and live in Grampa & Gramma's guestroom.)

Evan - For Christmas I want a years supply of diapers. (Actually should be on Sheri's list)

2007-11-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

THIS IS HALLOWEEN !!

2007-11-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Pictures of my grandchildren and the one group of trick or treaters we got that weren't grandchildren were the Jiminez girls from our ward.

Something is wrong with my computer. More pictures to come as soon as I take care of the problem. This is Joshua in his Winnie-the-Pooh costume. He watches "Pooh" everyday on T.V.

Michael

2007-10-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

We have 15 wonderful grandchildren. Once in awhile we like to spend some one-on-one time with each one of them. This month it was Michael's turn for a Grampa & Gramma date. On Wednesday we decided to go goofy golfing. I love going on the freeway rather than the surface streets so we headed north on the 101 about 3:45 in the afternoon for Golfland in Mesa. James was driving. Just as we were approaching the Baseline exit James slows down, and it's a good thing. The pickup truck in front of us slammed on his brakes and they locked up on him. He spun around backwards and hit a light post by the side of the freeway. I looked up and saw the post falling and yelled "look out." James stopped the car just as the post fell in front of us. A close call for Lexy (my Lexus). We got out and tried to move the pole but it was too heavy. Not to worry, help was on the way. Four guys jumped out of an SUV and the pole was moved. It was blocking three lanes of traffic. The guy in the pickup was okay and was making a call on his cell phone so we continued on our way to Golfland, a little shook up but okay.

It was a great day for golfing. No waiting and beautiful weather. It was Michael's first time. His score was pretty good considering. He got a 72, I got a 65 and James impressed us with his 3 or 4 hole in ones and a final score of 44. And he says he doesn't like to golf.

We came back home and Michael ate dinner with us. We had BBQ country ribs which were very tender and delicious. Sheri and I got the "receipe" from Tiffany's friend Holly. Thanks Holly.

While I am on the subject of Michael, let me just say I was very proud of him yesterday. He bore his testimony during the Primary Children's Sacrament meeting and did a wonderful job. We love you Michael!

Eli's Family is Movng

2007-10-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our friend's Eli and Sumar Housein are moving. We are really sad to see them go. They have been wonderful neighbors and friends. Eli does all the irrigating and mowing for our neighborhood. He and Sumar were two of the first ones at the hospital when James broke his back. Eli has been our mechanic for several years now. He is quick, fair, and does a good job. We love you Eli and Sumar and wish you all the very best at you new home in California.

So You Think You Can Dance

2007-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Jared and Tricia were so inspired by the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" that they enrolled all of their kids in dance lessons. James is learning to break dance and Anna is taking hiphop. James loves to dance with Zac Efron and sing along with him in "High School Musical 2". Anna performed on stage at Grandmother's 80th birthday party. Emmy is enrolled in tap dance. Here she is "striking a pose" for me.

Girls Tea Party at Fairy Cakes

2007-10-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Gramma, Kimmy, Anna, Addy, and Emmy had a great time at Fairy Cakes one Friday morning in August. The girls ate cupcakes and then picked a souvenir from the cute little shop. Since a cupcake isn't a very nutricious lunch we went to McDonald's afterwards. It was great fun. Anna wins the prize for eating her cupcake the fastest.

Tea Party at Gramma's House

2007-09-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Lunch at Peter Piper Pizza

2007-09-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

OUR NIGHT AT "AMAZING JAKE'S"

2007-08-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Every first Sunday of the month our entire family gets together for a combined Family Home Evening. There are 27 of us so it gets pretty crazy until it's time for the opening song and prayer. Each month we have a lesson, an activity, refreshments and a spotlight person. We tell a little bit about the spotlight person and then tell things we like about them. For July our spotlight guy was Max. Part of the fun is he gets to go on a date with Grampa and Gramma. We told Max he could take a friend with him on the date and he chose his best friend and brother Ben. The four of us headed for Amazing Jake's where we ate dinner and then had lots of fun!

2007-08-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Goofy Golfing with goofy kids

2007-08-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

THE FROG HOPPER

2007-08-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ben and Max had to ride the Frog Hopper twice because it was so much fun the first time. I don't know if you can see the look on Max's face but it's one of sheer delight.

THE RACE IS ON

2007-08-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Car #9 with Ben and Grandma, (Grandma is not seen in this picture as she is taking the photo),

was clearly in first place for most of the race until they were rudely bumped aside by some green car and Max and Grandpa in car#10 won the race. It's okay because this is supposed to be Max's special night.

I've Been Tagged by Laura

2007-07-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions I have to answer:

1. Four jobs I have had.
- Grocery store clerk
- School teacher
- Mom
- Chief cook and bottle washer

2. Four movies I can watch any time.
- Phantom of the Opera
- Pride & Prejudice
- Funny Farm
- Somewhere in Time

3. Four places I have lived:
- Phoenix, Az.
- Show Low, Az.
- Tempe, Az.
- Chandler, Az. (and that's all the places I've ever lived)

4. Four T.V. shows I like/watch:
- American Idol
- So You Think You Can Dance
- Super Nanny
- Suns/D-backs Games

5. Favorite Foods
- Chicken salad croissants
- Chicken tacos
- Pei Wei's hot & spicy chicken salad
- Chili's grilled chicken carribean salad

6. Websites I visit daily:
- Sheri's blog

7. Places I'd rather be:
-Sitting on the beach in California or Hawaii.
- Disneyland

8. People I want to tag:
- Sheri
- Kim
- Tricia
- Cathi (why don't you have a blog?)

A Donut A Day

2007-07-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Everyday of this trip the boys had a donut. This is in front of the Safeway in Pinetop as they eat their Long Johns.

Bear Poop

2007-07-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Alex and Michael thought this sign was so funny. It's a store called Surprise Closet that sells Bear Poop.

Righteous Warriors

2007-07-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

When I look at these boys I am reminded that they will need to be "Righteous Warriors".

Little Colorado River in Greer, Arizona

2007-07-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day to be in Greer and play in the water.

2007-07-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Alex and Michael climbing the tower at Green's Peak. The top was closed so the boys came back down and tried to catch a squirrel that they had seen under the tower.

No Trespassing

2007-07-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

This road leads to the "Chocolate River". Yes, those are no trespassing signs. I told them to be careful and not to destroy any property. Another one of Michael's "cabin" experiences is a trip to the Chocolate River.

2007-07-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Michael chauffered Alex around on the Ranger. For the longer trips Grampa or Gramma drove.

2007-07-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

After a hard day of fishing and playing Michael and Alex are watching a movie from the best seats in the house.

2007-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here are Grampa and Alex having their fried fish dinner. Michael took one bite but said it didn't taste like anything. Michael is an interesting boy.

2007-07-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Michael says that one of his "cabin experiences" includes a bonfire.

2007-07-25T15:37:00.001-07:00

Last night the boys were on a Ranger ride with Grampa looking for wildlife. The Ranger was low on gas. Both boys said a prayer they would make it back safely before running out of gas, and they did.

Grampa's Fish

2007-07-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

"The one that got away was this big.

2007-07-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Alex is holding up the fish that he will have for dinner this evening. It's a German Brown Trout (or is it a minnow)?

2007-07-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yes boys, fishing is fun!!

2007-07-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Alex said this was one of the best spots to fish. Michael is trying to keep from getting bored.

The Adventures of Michael and Alex

2007-07-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Dennis had told us that the best fishing was at Fred's Lake in Pinetop. We went by Fred's Lake and it was closed because of high water temperatures so on we went to Hawley Lake. Alex had fond memories of being at Hawley Lake earlier in the summer and he wanted to "show" Michael around. He told us which side of the lake was best to fish on so that's where we started. We had to wait awhile in the truck because it was raining. Michael had just thrown his first line in the water and waited a few minutes before saying: "This is kind of boring." I would say that both boys were more interested in finding crawdads than they were fishing.

2007-07-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Some of the other fun things we did besides fishing and riding the Ranger: We saw a lizard, wild turkey, sheep, a giant moth, cows, horses, elk, antelope, deer, ground squirrels, chipmunks, jack rabbits, cotton tails, prarie dogs, snakes (Dallin when he was running down Green's Peak), fish?, salmon eggs, worms, crawdads, bluebirds, dogs, muggles in the Forbidden Forest, a dead cow, an Indian burial ground, a hawk, beatles, black ants, spiders, a pig with a mohawk and Shrek ears (Joseph saw this in a cloud formation), rain, Dallin as a black speck running in a field, free food from the inept Sonics in Springerville and Show Low. Dallin cut his thumb and Grampa said he was to young to have a knife and then Grampa cut his hand while working on the cabin. We saw two Equine Dentistry vehicles, we ate at a slow Denny's and we saw a girl in a car wreck that looked like Denise's daughter Rachel. We laughed on the way home as the boys mimicked the characters from Harry Potter in their best British accents. We did puzzles and read Harry Potter. It was a fun trip.

2007-07-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Dallin in a contemplative mood. He's trying to think like a fish so he will know what to do to catch one; but first he needs a fishing pole.

2007-07-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here is Joseph at Big Lake trying to catch the "big" one. Joe didn't want to leave but it was getting late. We had to promise we would take him fishing again.

2007-07-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Fishing on the West Fork of the White River near Big Lake. Joseph was very serious about wanting to catch a fish. Maybe we will have to get an expert fisherman like Uncle David to take him fishing or at least give us a few pointers.

Joseph and Dallin

2007-07-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's Dallin and Joseph's turn. The following week, Kim and I brought Joseph and Dallin to Vernon. Grampa was already there. The first thing they wanted to do was go for a ride on the Ranger. Don't worry Mom, Dallin put his seatbealt on.

2007-07-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

Besides fishing the boys also enjoyed riding
the Ranger/4-wheeler. On Saturday we went
to see the movie "Oceans 13" and then had
lunch in Pinetop at El Rancho.

2007-07-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on the North Fork of the White River just a few miles from Hawley Lake. James caught a fish but it really wasn't worth the effort as it was only a few inches long.

2007-07-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

Maybe the fish just weren't hungry for salmon eggs or power bait. Grampa was very patient and helped the boys untangle their lines, etc.

Fishing at Hawley Lake with Adam and Jared A.

2007-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun with Ben and James last week we decided we wanted to have a mini-vacation with our older grandchildren, two at a time. This week it's Adam and Jared. Jared had been fishing with Grampa on the Black River where he caught many fish. This trip to Hawley Lake was a little disappointing because the boys did not catch any fish. On the plus side the weather and scenery were fantastic.

2007-07-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

This was a familiar sight on our trip. This is Ben and James in the trailer playing video games. On Saturday their friend/cousin Seth joined them. It was fun to see Gail, Dianne, Seth, Jasmine, Kit, Erik, Amelia, and Tim at the reunion.

2007-07-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Ben and James on their hike with Grampa at the Lambson Family Reunion in Ramah, New Mexico. At one point James was sliding down the rock and Grampa had to step on his hand to stop him from sliding off. Grampa was impressed with what good climbers these two guys were and more impressed with the fact that they never complained. The next day they wanted to go on another hike.

2007-07-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

Lambson Reunion Hike

2007-07-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Lambson Reunion

2007-07-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

Grampa James, James Hayden, and Ben at the Lambson family reunion, Ramah, New Mexico, June 2007

2007-06-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

This is what the cabin looks like the summer of 2007. James has done most of the work himself.

Vernon Cabin

2007-06-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is what our cabin in Vernon looked like one year ago in May.

Riding the Tram

2007-06-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

As we were leaving Disneyland for the last time we asked Addy what her favorite rides were. She thought a minute and said: "Peter Pan" and "Buzz Lightyear." Thanks Addy for a wonderful time that we will always remember.

Love,
Gramma and Grampa

2007-06-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

While in ToonTown Addy went to Minnie's house. When she came out Minnie was there to greet her.

2007-06-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

Addy loved riding on the Dumbo ride. She wanted a "green" one but we had to settle for yellow.

2007-06-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Rowan enjoys a bread bowl salad at California Adventure.

2007-06-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

TThis trip wouldn't have been complete without mentioning Rowan. He was a real trooper and never complained once that all we saw was Princesses. When it's his turn I wonder who his favorite character will be. Adam used to love Minnie Mouse and Joseph's favorite was "The Little Mermaid."

2007-06-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Trina made sure that Addy was first in line to see Ariel. There is nobody like your favorite princess to make you feel special. Ariel was not able to join the other princesses in the dancing. Maybe it's because it's hard to dance when you don't have any legs. Addy didn't care.

2007-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

You can't really tell by this picture but Addy was not happy about her Dad being in the drivers seat. She wants to be the driver!!

2007-06-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Addy loved the cars in ToonTown. She liked to pretend that she was driving. She is definitely a little girl that likes to be "in control." Grandpa and Dad took her on the ToonTown RollerCoaster. At first she thought it was fun but then she got scared. This was one ride that when it was over she did not say "let's go again."

2007-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Addy was so excited to get to meet her new friends Jasmine and Aladdin. Since we've been home from the trip she has asked to watch their movie at least once a day. Now she says she wants a Jasmine party for her birthday

2007-06-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

Two of Addy's favorite rides were Buzz Lightyear and the Rockets. Here she is riding on the rockets with her Dad. Notice that Addy's the one in the driver's seat. When the ride was over she said: "I want to do it again." Dad wasn't ready to stand in the line again.

Dancing with the Princesses

2007-06-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

I know you can't see Addy but she's right there with Trina. This was the most fun part of the dance for her.

Dancing with the Princesses

2007-06-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

It was a day for dancing, at least for Addy, Trina, Darrel, Rowan, and the Disney Princesses.

Princess Fantasy Fare

2007-06-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Addy got to dance with the princesses at the Princess Fantasy Fare Coronation ceremony.

Addy Meets Ariel

2007-06-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Addy got to meet her favorite princess, Ariel.

2007-06-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect, at least for those of us from Arizona. It was overcast and in the low 60's, just cool enough for a jacket in the morning. Addy and Grandpa enter the gates of Disneyland.

Summer Fun

2007-06-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

On May 28th we began our journey to the magical land of California. This trip was to celebrate three things: 1) Addy's potty training, 2) Darrel's graduation from ASU, and 3) Our 39th wedding anniversary. We left our home in Chandler at 10:20 a.m. and arrived at the Embassy Suites on Harbor Blvd. in Garden Grove at approximately 8:40 p.m. Yes, you read that right, a ten hour trip for what normally would take 5 1/2 hours. But who said we were normal? We made five stops, including a jobsite in LaQuinta. The traffic in Palm Springs was terrible as everyone was coming back into the L.A. area from the three day weekend.
The first thing James and I had to do was make a trip to Target which is within walking distance of our hotel, although we didn't walk. As we were checking out we realized we knew the person standing in line in front of us. It was Rondalee Lamb Jones. Rondalee is the daughter of Jerry & Nygra Lamb, friends of ours from our Chandler 2nd ward early days in Chandler. She informed us that her parents had just left for the MTC. They are headed for Sharon, Vermont to serve a mission. Isn't it interesting that we drove 350 miles to hear news from home.