Book of Mormon
Moroni 1-3
October General Conference
'They Are Their Own Judges'
Elder David A. Bednar
I was miserable this morning until I got up and took some pain killers. James went out for a walk this morning as he did last night after the party. He said it was raining both times.
After prayer and Book of Mormon, we forget "Come Follow Me", we went shopping at the Walmart on Gilbert & Germann, still in Chandler. Yesterday was the "hood" Walmart today's experience was much nicer. James drops me off and says he's going to the Home Depot just a couple of stores down to check of flooring installation for the Ravi Gupta office job.
When James comes back to pick me up, he hands me a receipt. I think it was an accident because the receipt was posted today for Deseret Book. It was for a $100 gift card. He was a little embarrassed, so I didn't make a big deal about it. I just said, well I guess you didn't go to Home Depot after all.
It is overcast and sprinkling as we head to Kim's to borrow a crockpot at Stacy's request. Stacy says she wants to put mashed potatoes as she is using her crockpots for the two roasts she is serving for dinner tonight. We also stopped at Walgreen's and picked up two $50 Amazon cards, one for Dawn and one for Mom.
Back at Stacy & Paul's I visit with Stacy while she frosts sugar cookies and I sign cards for Mom, Dawn, Cathi, Terry, Dave, Laura, and Wendy. James is upstairs taking a nap.
Sheri dropped by and delivered us chips and some of her homemade salsa. Yummy!
Around 2 p.m. we got to Cathi & Terry's to see Mom and everyone else who lives there. I visit with Mom while James visits with Dawn, showing her pictures on his phone. She said she had never been to our house and wanted to see pictures. She has been to our house, but she doesn't remember. She also wanted to see pictures of the horses. She and James had a really good visit. Dawn's memory is getting worse.
We visited with Cathi and Terry a bit and then Wendy came in. When she came in both dogs, Zoe and Wally jumped up on her lap and sat giving each other kisses. It was pretty funny.
Cathi tells us about Scott being in the hospital and how stressed Rebecca is. Not only does he have leukemia, but he has a fungal infection in his lungs which is affecting his breathing. We decided we wanted to go visit Scott and then maybe go and see Aunt Faye.
I left the card for Dave & Laura and ask Cathi to make sure they got it. I felt guilty doing that, and more guilty as time wore on. We rushed off in such a hurry, we forgot we should have gone across the street for a quick visit with them.
Before visiting Scott, we went back to Stacy's where James called Rebecca. She said Scott was alone in the hospital so this would be a good time for us to visit. The hospital is on Higley at the 60. Instead of taking the freeway we took surface roads to Higley and it took much longer but allowed us to go down Higley which I really enjoyed. At Higley and Guadalupe there is a subdivision called Morrison Ranch. The yards are spacious and it kind of has a country feel. I wouldn't mind living in this area.
Scott is at the Banner Andersen Cancer Center. One of the best cancer centers in the country, according to Scott.
James says Scott is in room 1578. We wonder around until a woman at a check-in desk says there is no room 1578. I tell her we are looking for Scott Tibbetts. Scott is in room 1528, in the leukemia center.
We had an amazing visit and conversation with Scott. He knows this trial was designed for him and has made him a better person. He has a fungal infection in his lungs. He says the anti-fungal drugs are very scary. "I've turned my life over to the Lord." He says he is trying to record his thoughts and experiences for others to learn from.
We felt good and uplifted after our visit with Scott. Rebecca says they always feel the same way when they come away from a visit with him.
Nathan & Lily were supposed to fly in this evening, but they missed their flight. I happen to be on Facebook and Nathan & Lily were singing "O Holy Night" with Lily plucking the tune out on a stringed instrument. She has a beautiful voice and so does Nathan. I really enjoyed it. They will be coming in tomorrow evening, so Rebecca and Nathan came back to the hospital to spend Christmas Eve with Scott.
James tried to call Aunt Faye, but she didn't answer. She was probably having dinner with Uncle Paul who is here for a visit.
When we got back to Stacy's she and Joshua were both at work. Stacy will be home for the family Christmas Eve dinner and get together but Joshua won't. He works at a restaurant in Scottsdale, Oceans 44 and won't be home until late. Stacy has a short shift delivering packages for Amazon.
We will miss him tonight
Earlier in the day Joshua went Christmas shopping and bought several books, etc. for his brothers. Stacy and I showed him how to wrap them. Books are so much easier to wrap than blankets!
When we got back from the hospital visiting with Scott Paul and Jared Ammon were the only ones at home. Jared gave me a hug. He also sent me $300 from the money he owes us. We are very grateful. Ellie couldn't come tonight because she had to work but she made a batch of Monti's Casa Vieja bread, a Gonzales family favorite, for our dinner. I cut up some carrots and put them in with one of the roasts. Again, Joshua had made a batch of mashed potatoes and they were in one of the crockpots.
When Stacy got home from work, we all had dinner together: Stacy, Paul, Adam, Jared Ammon, Dallin, and Michael. Everyone except Joshua.
After dinner we shared Christmas memories. Stacy talked about Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and Cabbage Patch dolls, how she didn't want one but because I didn't want her to feel left out, I got her one anyway. All I could find was a bald preemie. Actually, the way I remember it, Trudy Lamb got up early in the morning in order to beat the crowds and got me my Cabbage Patch dolls. It was when I came down with arthritis and she was my visiting teacher.
James talked about Joe Robinson dressed up as Santa showing up in his Cadillac and coming into the kids' room to tell them they needed to go to sleep.
I told about Grandpa Maxwell bringing a load of trees down and how we would line them up against the fence and the neighbors would come and pick up a live tree cut down in the great White Mountains of Arizona.
I also talked about the time I found a doll bed before Christmas in one of our closets and my mom said it was for one of our neighbors, Carol, and we were hiding it for her mom until Christmas. When I woke up Christmas morning and there was a doll bed under our bed just like the one I found, I said: "Look, I got a doll bed just like Carol's."
Paul told about family Christmas party's at Marvin's parents house in Phoenix with all of the cousins and how much fun they had.
Adam told about shopping with his mom the year he wanted Optimus Prime. She gave him one to hold while she tried on something in the store and when she bought it for him, she told him he couldn't have it until Christmas. The excitement was high and it was hard to wait.
Dallin told about the year we got them a trampoline and as they were jumping on the trampoline, they could see the new tree/playhouse we had made for them in our backyard.
Michael said it was hard to tell his friends he was poor when he told them about riding the ATV around the orchard.
I don't remember Jared sharing but Dallin shared one more thing. He said he couldn't believe his parents got him two great gifts one year, an iPod and a skateboard. He was outside listening to his iPod and
riding his skateboard thinking he was the coolest kid around.
Stacy sang, "Christ Is Born" while playing the piano. It was beautiful. It's a Karen Carpenter song.
Next we watched some family videos that Paul had posted on YouTube. The first one was a time the Gonzales's and Tricia and her kids were at the cabin. Anna, Dallin, Michael and Tricia had silver gloves on and were dancing to a Michael Jackson video.
Dallin and Joe playing their guitars at a Del Rio ward Christmas party and Dallin singing "Christmas Don't Be Late."
Dallin singing with some of his friends.
Afterwards Stacy played the cartoon "Olive the Other Reindeer."
Weird.
Everyone opened their blankets. Michael seemed to really like Jared's. Stacy said she loved hers. Adam had gone somewhere so I didn't see him open his and of course Joshua wasn't there.
Time for bed. Goodnight, everyone and Merry Christmas!
I didn't get pictures of the Gonzo's with their blankets and I am pretty upset. Here are the pictures the other families sent me:
"We love our blankets!"
Love this!
Traditional Christmas Eve
hike up A mountain.
Usually, Trina and her kids come too. This year, because of schedules, they went on their own.
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