Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

143rd operating temple

Dedicated: 4 May 2014

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship

Moses 3:18

And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone wherefore, I will make an help meet for him.

Book of Mormon

Mosiah 4:16-30

New Testament "Come Follow Me"

Luke 9:1-17; 18-21

General Conference

"Feasting Upon the Words of Christ"

Elder Takashi Wada
"Feasting upon the words of Christ can happen at any time and on any occasion if we prepare our hearts."

We sold the book, "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" which is an Oprah Book Club book and another romance novel, "As You Are." James insists we need to start selling five a day. We are making money but it is very slow. 

James did some repricing this morning. I tried again to create a removal order but there is still a glitch in Amazon's seller central system. I tried to call support and was told there is no longer a number for seller support. In order to get help you have to use the automated system. I did. I reported my problem but never heard back. Amazon's Seller support system stinks. If one of their automated answers doesn't help, you are out of luck. What kind of a system is that? Can you tell that I am frustrated?

James took the last shipment into the UPS store. It was a box of 16 books and two envelopes with one book each. One envelope has the wrong weight on it. In order for UPS to correct it, it would cost $19. James brought it home and I made a duplicate shipment. Instead of the book costing $4.55 to ship it cost $5.93.

James brought back another armful of books to sort and inventory.

It felt like winter was back today. Monday was a beautiful spring day with the high around 75. Yesterday was very windy. Today the high was 45 and we got some pellet like hail this afternoon. Crazy.  

James bought two books that are gated, which means we can't sell them. They are two copies of the same book and they each cost $9.49. He insists they weren't gated when he ordered them so what can I say. I felt bad for him and I actually didn't say much. The name of the book the Therapeutic Exercise. It's a hard cover textbook in very good condition. We aren't sure what to do with the books. We can try and sell them on Ebay for much less than we could sell them on Amazon or we could hold on to them and hopefully in the future we will be un-gated and able to sell them. Sometimes Amazon does this to newer sellers until they prove themselves.

Denise texted me the other day to make sure we were ok. She said she was at the hospital working and heard there was an accident out near Vernon and she was checking on us. How sweet!

Pellet hail

 Sleeping Beauty

Pouty face

 So adorable

Woohoo!

Thursday, November 1st, 2018

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

143rd operating temple

Dedicated: 4 May 2014

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Davidic descent of

Isaiah 11:1

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Book of Mormon #1

3 Nephi 18:1-14

*How can we better focus on Christ while partaking of the Sacrament each Sunday?

- The Savior taught that the principal purpose for taking the sacrament is to remember Him. We have an opportunity to concentrate on the Son of God during the sacrament ordinance; we should not allow our thoughts to wander or be distracted. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland described several appropriate ways to remember the Lord while renewing our covenants through the sacrament: "We could remember the Savior's premortal life and all that we know Him to have done, the simple grandeur of His mortal birth to just a young woman, His miracles and His teachings, His healings and His help. We could remember that Jesus found special joy and happiness in children and said all of us should be more lie them. We could remember that Christ called His disciples His friends. We could and should remember the wonderful things that have come to us in our lives and that 'all things which are good come of Christ.' (Moroni 7:24). On some days we will have cause to remember the unkind treatment He received, the rejection He experienced, and the injustice He endured. We can remember that Jesus had to descend below all things before He could ascend above them, and that He suffered pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind that He might be filled with mercy and know how t succor His people in their infirmities." 

 I also like to study The Living Christ during the sacrament.

Book of Mormon #2

Mosiah 18-20

Old Testament

Ezekiel 9-10

General Conference

Opening Remarks

President Russell M. Nelson

"The long-standing objective of the Church is to assist all members to increase their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Atonement, to assist them in making and keeping their covenants with God, and to strengthen and seal their families."

When I got up my clock said it was after 5. I had wanted to get up at 4. I came in the kitchen and the clock said 3:50. I guess when I set my clock last night after James through the breaker I set it wrong. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised. I started out ok but before too long I was tired and had to take a nap. If I am going to get up at 4 I have to go to bed before 10, not 11.

James went out hunting this morning again after scriptures and prayers. He went over by Eagar and Big Lake again.

I made 3 loaves of pumpkin bread this afternoon. One for Donna, one for Cammy, and one for James and I. Donna and Cammy both have birthdays tomorrow. James ministers to Donna and I minister to Cammy. 

After the bread was baked, cooled and out of the pans I covered two loaves and tasted the other. Delicious!  

I posted on my blog for October 31st but didn't have time to download all of the Halloween pictures so I will have to finish tomorrow.

It was after 4 when I left for town. My first stop was at the bank for some cash. I am going to the valley tomorrow with the Halcomb's for Time Out for Women and since they are driving me and letting me stay in their room, I figured I would need some cash to pay them. I also went to Walmart to pick up prescriptions and to do a little shopping. I bought both Cammy and Donna a candle to go with their bread. I am so original. 

It was after dark when I got home. James was already in the shower from working at the Howard's. I hurried and put the groceries away, put the bread in bags and tied some ribbon around the bags, got some birthday cards from upstairs, and slapped a bow on top of the candles, and James and I headed out. First stop was the Peeler's because Donna goes to bed at 8 and it was already 7:30. We knocked for several minutes and finally Donna came to the door with her walker. I felt bad that she had to get up. We should have texted her that we were coming. We gave her the bread and the candle and wished her a happy birthday. She invited us in but we declined because she already had her pajamas on. 

It is quite a ways to the Grapp's, several miles so it was after 8 when we got there. The whole family, except Liana came to the door. Cammy said she loved pumpkin bread and it would probably be gone by the time they went to bed. Benson grabbed the candle and lit it, turning off all the lights in the house. We visited a few minutes and I explained that I was going to TOFW and wouldn't see her tomorrow. She said how much she loved TOFW but decided not to go this year because of the baby. 

When we got home I had to clean the kitchen and walk. James worked on Book Trades. He bought four books. We have credits on our credit card so it did not cost him any money. He kept asking me for help so it took me longer than usual to clean the kitchen.

So adorable! I love how she does her toes.

 Stacy got her hair done.

These two!

 Scarlett is so cute!

Dallin and Sarah

 Cousin Randy and his wife Deb

The "Super" Jones's

Wow!

Friday, July 27th, 2018

Orlando, Florida

46th operating temple

Dedicated: 9 Oct 1994

By: Howard W. Hunter

Jesus Christ, Creator

Hebrew 1:10

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

Book of Mormon

Alma 40:15-26

*What happens between death and the Resurrection?

- vs. 21...there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, body and spirit.

Old Testament

Esther 3-5

3 Mordecai, the Jew, refuses to bow to Haman - Haman arranges a decree to kill all the Jews in the kingdom.

4 Mordecai and the Jews mourn and fast because of the king's decree - Esther, at the peril of her life, prepares to go in unto the king.

5 The king receives Esther - She invites him and Haman to a banquet - Haman plans to have Mordecai hanged.

General Conference

Ministering as the Savior Does

Jean B. Bingham

"Another blessing of these inspired announcements is the opportunity for young women ages 14 to 18 to participate in ministering as companions to Relief Society sisters, just as young men their age serve as ministering companions to Melchizedek Priesthood brethren. Youth can share their unique gifts and grow spiritually as they serve alongside adults in the work of salvation. Involving youth in ministering assignments can also increase the reach of Relief Society and elders quorums' caring for others by increasing the number of members who participate."

James left this morning for the Howard's with dusters, a mop bucket and a mop, and a bottle of lavender scented Fabuloso.

Before he left we read from the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon and a chapter from our book, Abby's Crossing. 

Jared texted me this morning with a dilemma regarding Rutledge brothers born in 1775 and 1777. It looks like they were both married to the same woman. I got on Ancestry and started to do some research when I discovered someone who has the same family tree only her tree is private and not to be shared. I emailed her and explained our dilemma and what Rutledge we were related to and ask if she would be willing to share her research. I am still waiting to hear from her.

I talked to Kim about her helping me make my birthday cake on the 18th of August. She said she would love to so I sent her the link with the recipe of the cake Jared made. I am excited!

I forgot to mention yesterday something that Brother Peeler said about why they decided to move to this area. When he was the director of the canneries and storehouses in the southwest region he visited Snowflake quite a bit. He said he loved the people he met and their desire to serve the needs of the people in this area. I said that is one of the things I love about living here, the goodness of the people and their willingness to serve.

James came home at lunch time for the day. After eating and taking a nap we decided to take a ride up to Paradise Creek to see if that's where we want to go for our couples retreat. 

We went on the back road to McNary and came out on Highway 260 where we turned left. We had not gone too far when I saw something by the side of the road I have never seen before, six large bull elk with racks standing at attention. I was dumbfounded and speechless at first unable to believe that what I saw was real. By the time I told James and he saw them he did not have time to stop. We went down the road a little ways and turned around to go back. Two other vehicles had stopped and the elk were running through the trees back into the woods.

If there were six of these and they were all 

standing in a row with their heads up, that would be the

scene that I saw. Incredible!

Well if we don't do anything else on this drive, that scene made it worth coming. I have never seen that many bull elk all together. James said that this time of the year they are in bachelor herds. 

As we drove down the highway towards the Horseshoe Cienega turnoff the low tire light came on. Horseshoe Cienega is the way to Paradise Creek. We went down the road a little ways and discovered that the asphalt has not been maintained and it was full of potholes. We decided not to go any further but to drive in to Eagar and get some air in our tire. It's a good thing we did because the tire only had 5 lbs. of air. Before we left home I heard James using the air compressor in the garage and I thought he was putting air in my tires. Come to find out, he was putting air in the tires of his truck.

On our way back down the 260 we turned in to check out Southfork. It is not how I remembered it being years ago and is not somewhere we want to take the kids. Now James tells me that you have to have a permit to go to Paradise Creek and may Three Forks would be better. He says Three Forks is further and we don't have time to go there today so we go back to Eagar and Springerville to stop at Safeway and get ingredients for smoothies.

We got rained on and there were rain clouds around Vernon but no rain. On our next outing we will be going to Three Forks where we camped with Harold and Vickie when Kim was a baby.

Washed my temple dress and watched a Christmas movie before going to bed.

I love, love love this picture of Scarlett!!

The prettiest thing in the Springerville Safeway.

 Leaving the store

Cutest carry out available.

My sweet friend and former neighbor who I made strawberry freezer jam with and who always beat me in raquetball passed away this week: