Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Double rainbow in the desert.

Helaman 15:7-16:18

How can faith and repentance bring about a change of heart?

When we experience a change of heart we are filled with the Savior's love.  The Savior's power comes from His love.  Would we suffer less if we loved the Savior more?  We cannot pray away another's agency. (These thoughts came from Elder Hales recent conference talk).  President Benson says we can stand "firm and steadfast" in the faith as we learn the doctrines taught in the Book of Mormon.

GC: 'The Soul's Sincere Desire' by Carol F. McConkie

"Every moment of precious prayer can be holy time spent with our Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Ghost."

James and I left for the valley today around 9 am.  Of course I read to him after we had our scriptures and listened to a conference talk.  The second book in the Millennial Glory series is called "Wars of Light."

We stopped at the Arby's at Fountain Hills and had some lunch.  We both got the beef and cheddar sandwich.  Neither one of us liked it very well.  

I dropped James off at the "yard" to get his truck.  First we had to go bad and get the keys from Adam so I got to see Joshua for a minute.  When I got to Cathi and Terry's I unloaded the car and got ready to go see Charlotte.  

Charlotte and I went to Deseret Book in Gilbert where I bought her an Ensign and myself another journal. 

I have about 20 of these 5 x 6 1/2 sized journals in all colors

and designs.   

We also got a mint truffle and a Stewart's diet orange soda.  Next it was on to Costco where I had over $36 in rewards to spend.  I ask Charlotte if there was anything she wanted and this is what she picked: 

She said we could both use this and divided up the four months supply between the two of us.

I also bought the DVD "Saturdays Warriors."  Before leaving we had to stop at the snack bar and get a hotdog and drink for $1.50 each.  

Our last stop was Target.  I had a $40 gift card and bought toilet paper and laundry detergent, lemons, and protein shakes.  It was almost 4 p.m. when I dropped Charlotte off at home.  I called James and he was taking Seth and Adam to work and said he would meet me at Sears where I was taking my car to be serviced.  They are changing the oil and rotating the tires.  When I ask for a lube too, the little Oriental lady said, no lube on this kind of car.  Ok.. Off to the mall food court I went to wait for James.

Desert pictures usually indicate that I am
in the Valley of the Sun.

  After about two and a half hours my car was finished and we headed for Tempe to see Lois and Dawn, James's mother and sister.  We had a nice visit and Lois gave us some pictures of our family for us to keep.  She is trying to organize and clean out all of her things.  She tried to give me some of her dolls, but I told her I would be back another time.  

Facebook finds:

Rowan playing with blocks,
three years ago.  It is amazing how much 
these kids change in three years.

Three years ago at October conference time
we had some visitors from Chandler.

Jared and Molly, just recently.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Another Brick'em Young temple,

this time it's the San Diego, 

my personal favorite!

Alma 51:13-21

How can we refrain from pride and be humbled? 

Sacrament meeting is the most important meeting where I can take care of pride and humble myself.  

"Prepare and prevent rather than repair and repent."

I left for the valley this morning at 6 a.m.   James didn't come with me.  He did some chores and left about 3 hours after I did.  I had an appointment at Aquila Dental with Dr. Higgs to see about getting my tooth pulled at 10 am.  The doctor talked me in to getting a root canal and crown instead.  He said he could do it in two hours and it would only cost me $2,100.  He said if I got my tooth pulled I would have to go to an oral surgeon because there was some complications.  I scheduled an appointment to come back on September 7th.  Things sure do change.  I had planned on spending $250 to get my tooth pulled.  

After my appointment I drove to Sheri's to receive instructions.   I am watching Max and Evan while she, Ian, Alex, and Ben go to Havasupai.  The main thing I am worried about is where to drop off and pick up for school.  Sheri drove the route with me and wrote the times down.  I am good to go.

James was starving so we went to get some lunch at Jersey Mike's.  Sheri, Alex, and Ian put in their orders and Sheri sent her debit card.

Darrel, Trina, and Sheri's friend Rachel from work and her husband Dillon are also going.  They had a quick meeting before taking off.

 Not sure where Rachel, Dillon, Alex

and Ben are.  Darrel offered a prayer

before everyone left.

Sheri forgot her shoes and James jumped in Ian's car and drove to Tempe to take them to her.  He told everyone they better not give her a bad time because they have all forgot things before too.

For dinner Sheri said to cook burgers and hot dogs on the George Foreman grill, which we did.  The only problem was we couldn't get it open and by the time we did, the burgers were overdone.  Evan ate his anyway and Max had hotdogs.  James and I made Evan some homemade fries because he said that's what his mom always does.  I know he loves them.

When Evan gets home from school the first thing he does is go in to the computer room to watch Youtube videos.  He and Max also go upstairs and make their own Lego Youtube videos.  Evan went to bed at 9:15 and Max stayed up until ten.  I was exhausted and went to bed after family prayer.  James says Max is in charge of family prayer because he is the oldest priesthood holder in the home.  He said he and I were only visitors.  Max is 13 and Evan is almost 10.

They unloaded the dishwasher for me because I said I didn't know where anything went.  

Here are some pictures from Facebook today since I didn't take any of the boys:

This is Ian as a baby, his dad, his grandma,

and his great grandmother.

Some pictures from Havasupai

The water is so blue!

It looks like a huge goldfish.

I tried this and it works!

I love this picture.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

 

James left for the cabin this morning but he didn't get too far.  He got to Gonzales Pass and noticed a tire on the trailer was really low so he turned around to go back to get the tire fixed.  When he got to the 202 and Higley, he had not one, but two blowouts.  He ordered two new tires at Discount and came home to wait for them. 

 

While he was here he went to Jersey Mike's and got us sandwiches for lunch.  He knew I wasn't feeling well and wanted to stay home and work on my talk.

 

Soon he was back on the road.  I tried to talk him into going through Payson because I don't like him going through Salt River when he's pulling equipment, but he insisted that he would be fine.  

 

Another thing he did while he was here was to call the Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates to tell them how miserable I was feeling.  They called me back and I am going in for a steroid shot tomorrow at 11.  Hopefully it will give me some relief.

 

Michael, Alex, and Joe all had seminary conference today.  Their assignment was to report on a conference talk.  Michael told Stacy that Joe gave the best talk and that he bore his testimony. 

  

 

Random pictures I liked on Facebook today:

 

 

Colorado

Love this!

 







Wednesday, January 7, 2015

 

"The gospel of Jesus Christ opens the path to what we may become.  Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His grace, our failures to live the celestial law perfectly and consistently in mortality can be erased and we are enabled to develop a Christlike character."

-Elder D. Todd Christofferson

 

 

Am I ever going to sleep in my bed again?  I love the recliner in our bedroom almost as much as I love the one in the family room!

 

I got a good morning text from James at 5:19.  He is having more troubles and woes with the city of Chandler over the Hatch Hanger job at the Chandler airport.

I started my morning with what I call my lemon toddy which consists of: one squeezed lemon, one table spoon honey and one tablespoon vineager in a cup of hot/warm water.  This is supposed to be a good cleanser to use in the morning.  I am determined to drink more water.  Also, James and I are on a no junk food challenge for the next 3 weeks.  Today I had 8 glasses of water and one soda.  I told him I couldn't cut out junk food and sodas all at once.

 

Today was Niles Dutson's funeral.  I am sorry we missed it.

 

I worked hard today.  I swept, cleaned and polished the wood floors until I ran out of polish.  I changed the sheets on our bed and vacuumed and dusted our room.  I also paid bills and blogged.  James was home around 5:30.  He brought me an Asian salad and cup of chili from Wendy's.  We watched Downton Abbey and The Mentalist. 

 

The high today was around 50,  sunny and no wind.    It was 75 in the valley.

Gas in Show Low is $2.39 and in Chandler it's $1.87.  Come on Show Low!

 

Facebook finds:

 

Not sure what this is but I liked it.

 

 

It's always good to end with something spiritual. 

 

 

 



Wednesday, February 19, 2014

I am so glad I took the appointment with Dr. Caldron this morning.  The authorization for me to be on Remicade had already been sent by my insurance company so I was able to get my first infusion today.  Dr. Caldron says my secondary insurance will pay for Remicade but not for Enbrel.  

I stayed until after 12:30.  The infusion took two hours.  I went right home and picked up James and we went to lunch at Chili's.  (We still have gift cards.)  

This afternoon I went shopping at Deseret Book for birthday gifts for Cathi and Karen S.  I also bought journals for Kim, Sheri, Trina, and Stacy as part of their birthday gifts.  I also went to Target and Walgreen's today.  I am a shopoholic when I am in the valley.

Joshua is the star student for his class this week.  Stacy made a poster with pictures of him and information about him.  It turned out very nice.  ( I will try and get a picture to include here).

Facebook finds:

 

Saturday, February 15, 2014

I was up at 4am to get ready to go to the temple with the youth.  As I was getting ready I looked at Facebook and read this post by Alicia Hunsaker: It's been a LONG night.  Yes it's 3:50 am and I'm sitting in the ER in Springerville with LeeAnn been here since 11:50pm.  Test results in.  She has to get her appendix out.  No surgeon here.  I so didn't know that or would have gone west instead of east.  Could Have saved me some money!!!  All pediatric beds full at Summit, gotta wait here till 6am and she gets a ride in an ambulance to Sumit and straight to OR.  She's finally sleeping.  Good thing for pain killers.  LeeAnn is one of our young women and was supposed to go to the temple with us this morning.  Before our group left we said a prayer for LeeAnn.

Our temple group is small, but mighty: Bishop and Sister Hall, Lane (it's his first time), and Westin, John Wilhelm, Trenda, Talon and Alice.  Collin Dewitt, Jim Diewald, Rick Lauritzen, Diana and Blain Curtis, Shelly and Jordyn Applegate and myself.  Most all of us went to El Cupido's after the baptisms.  We finished in the temple before 8am.  Shelly and Jordyn rode over and back with me.

Alice and Trenda Wilhelm, Shelly and Jordyn Applegate

When I got home I made a Texas sheetcake for tonight's friendship dinner.  This afternoon James and I went on a Razr ride.  I wanted to go as far as Gillespie Flat and come back but the road got muddy so we turned around and came back early.

This evening we had dinner at Audrey Guerrero's with Audrey, Rosa Westbrook, and Elder's Westover and Russell.  Audrey cooked steaks,green beans, and salad.  Rosa made scalloped potatoes and I brought homemade rolls.  It was nice.  Afterwards we went to the church for dessert and to meet up with the other members of our ward who went to dinner at various homes.  Elder Russell is from Tucson so of course I had to tell him how ASU beat UofA in basketball last night.  He was surprised.

At the church there was dessert and then we played a getting to know you game.  These are some things we learned about fellow ward members:

Tamara Applegate was born in Iran.

Elder Westover has 18 siblings.

Kathy Crane was a singer and dancer at the Golden Horse Saloon at Disneyland.

Millie Scott helped her husband build a boat in their garage, then she sold it to pay the rent.

Brother Scott still hasn't forgiven her.

Wendy Dewitt has a case full of beauty pageant trophies and crowns.

Addy and her dance group competed in a dance competition in Tucson and they got first place even though they were one of the youngest groups competing.

 

Facebook finds:

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Happy Birthday to one of the nicest people I know:

Trina Lambson

 

Now

Then

Evan said to Sheri: "Was Washington the president when dad was born?"

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." - Alma 37:6

There is a great article in the Ensign this month to strengthen marriages: "Speak, Listen, Love."

I love my Book of Mormon Made Easier and Old Testament Made Easier books by Brother Ridges.  They help me understand the scriptures better.  

James came home today with flowers, an Azaela plant, cranberry celebration, and green mixed burros from Burger House.  I am so glad he's home, only I had to leave and go off to Mutual.

Tonight at Mutual we planned and prepared for New Beginnings and the girls sang: "Come Unto Christ."  It sounded so beautiful even though we only had five girls attend  Kelly, Maddie, Hope, Heaven, and Kilee were no shows.  The girls loved their Valentines but I still have lots more to hand out.  

 

Diana was back from the valley.  She got her hair cut in a short pixie cut.  It suits her very well.

 

James and I watched "Hope for Christmas" when I got home from Mutual.  He liked it as much as I did.

Facebook finds:

James and Joshua are good buddies.  Here James is teaching

Joshua how to tie his show.

Love this picture.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Last night I had imaginary visitors again.  This time they were outside in a green truck stealing our red tractor. Maybe it was all that red and green Christmas stuff I put away yesterday. 

Gospel Study

"The Moral Force of Women" 

by 

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

'Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures.'

I love how Elder Christofferson esteems and appreciates women.  It makes me want to be better!

I also studied the Abrahamic covenant in conjunction with my Old Testament readings, and 1 Nephi 8, Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life.

For breakfast today I tried the Jimmy Dean ham and cheese croissants I bought.  Sixty seconds in the microwave wrapped in a paper towel and they are a delicious way to start the day after my warm lemon toddy.

I wish James were here so he could tell me what kind of bird this is.

 Not a good picture.  He's on the right.

He said it was a snowy owl.  This is what they look like:

So pretty.  They are my new favorite owl.

I did lots of vacuuming today and then prepared for Young Women's Personal Progress night where we are working on the value of faith.  I found some Faith candy wrappers on line.  I ran them off and then made a quick trip in to town to get some candy bars.  I made it back in town just in time for our YW presidency meeting at the church.  Diana announced that Coty Iannoli's mom, Sandra Kuper had her baby.  Strange that she couldn't remember if it was a boy or a girl.  Brother Dewitt and Brother Diewald came to the end of our meeting to discuss our trip to the Gilbert temple on February 1st.  

For Mutual the Beehives and Mia Maids met together.  I talked a little about Personal Progress and then challenged the girls to work on their Personal Progress goals for at least 30 minutes a week.  Everyone there committed to do so and I gave them each a candy bar.  Shelly talked about prayer and gave the girls a handout and then they painted rocks.

Trenda is holding baby Natalie.  She is the baby whisperer.

Next week we are suppose to have our pinewood derby with the young men.  Here is the Young Women's leaders car made by Brother Curtis.

I hope it's as fast as it is cute!

Facebook finds:

I have a passion for purses!

I wonder if this one comes in purple.

Once we get on wi-fi I am getting one of these.

Brother Sean Hunsaker's pride and joy!

Bobby and Darlene Noel.  Dear friends of ours from our early days in Chandler until

they moved to Utah where he became the baseball coach at BYU and she worked at the MTC.

Venticular clouds.

I love this picture.

Marvin Johnson and his boys.

Paul, George, Darren, Mike, 

Devin and Aaron.