Saturday, September 9th, 2017

Las Vegas, Nevada

43rd operating temple

Dedicated: 16 Dec 1989 by Gordon B. Hinckley

Helaman 1:1-17

What causes anger and contention and how can we avoid it?

truijillofamilyjournal: "Pride and selfishness cause anger and contention, and so do hardness of heart. You can avoid anger and contention by having humility, realizing our dependence on the Lord and that no one is perfect. Striving to have charity, the pure love of Christ and patience is what we all should be striving for."

DC 132:1-17

How can we prepare our hearts to receive instruction?

melanieryerse:"We need to inquire or pray to God to prepare our hearts to receive instruction. That is what the Doctrine and Covenants is all about. We need to inquire, receive, and make needed changes."

General Conference

Brighter and Brighter Until the Perfect Day

President Boyd K Packer taught: "The Spirit of Christ is always there...The Light of Christ is as universal as sunlight itself. Wherever there is human life there is the Spirit of Christ."

James got up and went to help clean the church at 7:30 this morning with Jared, Kacey, and Summer. I stayed home ad read scriptures and worked on my blog. 

As we were getting ready to go to Molly's baptism, I asked Jared if he would like his dad to give him a father's blessing and he said yes. The Spirit was strong for me during that blessing. It was a sweet father - son moment.

The baptism was quite a ways away. Tricia and the kids are in a different stake than Jared and Kacey.  We arrived a few minutes early and I was able to give Molly, Emmy, Anna, and James a hug. 

I even said hello to Tricia and gave her a hug. I also gave James his birthday card and Anna the money I owed her for the last birthday cards she did. We also said hello to Tricia's parents, the Wallens'.

I took a picture of Molly and Jared.

Here is a copy of the program:

Molly was baptized by Jeremy Fernandes instead of Jared and Tricia's dad confirmed her. I don't think these were Molly's wishes. I am sure she had some coaxing from her mother. I know this was difficult for all of us but we should restraint. 

James and Jared were the witnesses for Molly. James did a great job playing the piano. I gave the opening prayer. Another hurtful thing was the song by Jeremy, Anna, and Tricia Fernandes. I guess we can be grateful that the program said Molly Lambson. Oh yes, one more thing. Tricia was not the chorister, Emmy was. I think maybe she needed a little more coaching.

We took a picture with Molly before leaving. I gave her the scriptures and tote I bought for her and we left right after the photo, not staying for the refreshments. Jared did go in and said goodbye to his kids. 

We attended another baptism five years ago on this day.

There is just something about a girl in a white dress.

James and I suggested that we all go to lunch at Olive Garden and use the gift cards I got from Kim and Brian, and Darrel and Trina, which we did.

I ordered the Braised Beef and Tortellini. It is my new favorite dish at Olive Garden! The beef was so tender. I sat by Summer and James and across from Kacey and Jared. Kacey ordered salmon and said it was a little dry. James got the stuffed marsala chicken. I can't remember what Jared got. Summer got the fetuccini and steak but didn't eat very much.

We dropped Summer off at home and then the four of us went to the San Antonio temple to do sealings. Jared had an amazing amount of sealing cards run off. Children to parents, and couples. I am grateful for the research he has done. He is definitely our family history specialist!

Doing sealings was a joyous experience

Also Jared told us we were going to Sonic

on the way home.

Back at home Jared and James quickly changed clothes and went to the Hursts (old friends of Darrel and Trina's), to pick up an entertainment center they are giving to Jared and Kacey. It was funny listening to James and Jared talk about how to set this entertainment center up. It looked very nice once it was all done. Wish I would have taken a picture. Maybe Jared will send me one.

Rest time and writing on my blog this afternoon while James took a nap. 

There are lots of oaks in San Antonio. By oaks I mean trees and streets. There is Hardy Oak, Stone Oak, Enchanted Oak, Majestic Oak, Wilderness Oak, and Crescent Oak, just to name a few. The streets are windy and without a GPS I don't think I could ever find my way around. 

This evening Jared and Kacey went shopping at the big grocery store near their home. It is called H.E.B. (H.E.B., not HEB) I guess the name is the initials of some famous Texan. They brought back dinner for us just as I had convinced James to go out and find a Taco Cabana. There was barbequed brisket, beans and potato salad, and a regular salad. Jared said there is a restaurant inside the store. Oh yes, and don't forget the Blue Bell ice cream. Our flavor of the evening is camo. The green in the camo was pistachio, the cream colored was cheesecake, and of course the brown was chocolate. It was quite delicious. A nice dinner and dessert. Thanks Jared and Kacey!

Kacey teaches first grade at a school about 45 minutes away. She was grading papers this evening and realized some of her kids need help with reading and spelling. 

Summer went out with friends from the ward. One of her girlfriends had her 16th birthday party.

Here is what's going on in other parts of the country:

 Montana and all over the Northwest.

Miami Beach before the 90mph winds of 

Irma hit. I wonder if the tall skyscraper will survive.

A video Brian sent James of the rain in Vernon.

Kim said it rained most of the day until time 

for their evening elk find on the Razr.

This video doesn't play. Not sure why but somehow

in the transfer from James's phone to mine, I lost it.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

"I love to see the temple,

I'm going there someday,

To feel the Holy Spirit,

To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God,

A place of love and beauty

I'll prepare myself while I am young;

This is my sacred duty.

Alma 31:24-38

24 - Alma was grieved because of the wickedness of the people and that their hearts were set upon gold, silver and all manner of fine goods.

25- Also their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride.

26 - He prayed: O, how long, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that they servants shall dwell here below in the flesh, to behold such gross wickedness?

27 - They cry unto thee, but their hearts are swallowed up in their pride.

28 - O God, their hearts are set upon the voice things of the world, and their costly apparel, 

29 - They say thou hast made it known unto them that there shall be no Christ.

30 - O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that I may bear with mine infirmities. For such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul.

31- O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ.  Grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of my people.

32 - Wilt thou give us success and comfort our souls in Christ.

33 - Give them (us) strength to bear our afflictions because of the iniquity of this people.

34 - O Lord grant us success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. 

36 - Alma clapped his hands and those with him were filled with the Spirit.

37 - They separated themselves from one another.

38 - The Lord provided for them that they should not be hungry nor thirst.  He also gave them strength in their afflictions and they were swallowed up in the joy of Christ.  This was Alma's prayer and he prayed in faith.

GC: "To The Rescue: We Can Do It" Elder Mervyn Arnold

When James was the bishop of the Del Rio 2nd ward in Chandler we had a young married couple move into our ward in about 2006, Justin and Kate Gunther.  They were excited to become parents and they were hopeful for many years.  Finally, just this last month they had a baby boy.  His name is Evander.  There were complications at his birth.  Let me share with you a post Kate put on Facebook today:

Evander update: Evander is continuing to progress at the

Phoenix Children's NICU.  We're hopeful to be home by the beginning of August!  We have seen/been a part of many

miracles over the past three weeks and are so grateful for the love,

support and prayers on our family's behalf.

More details: Evander was born with a diaphragmatic hernia.

His intestines/spleen, etc. were all up inside his chest cavity, squishing his left lung, due to a hole in his diaphragm.

He underwent surgery to have this hole repaired and to diagnose the remainder of his condition.  He was blessed that his left lung had developed 50% (most kids with the condition are considered

in a good place with just 30%).  He's gone from a respirator

to oxygen. to now room air with just some flow to help keep his lungs open.  Due to the nature of his condition, he's been on

a feeding tube for the past few weeks, but yesterday the staff started working with hi on bottle feedings.  To give some perspective,

most kids with his condition do not survive, and when they do they usually have complications with their heart, lungs, and intestines

that require several surgeries and a lengthy stay in the NICU.

So far, this is not the case with Evander.  We have been told

that our son is phenomenal by the medical staff.  

Of course, we understand that he is a miracle.

Thank you again for everything!

Kate has red hair and it looks like Evander does too.

For lunch today I made the garden vegetable soup recipe I got from Weight Watchers years ago.  This is a zero points food so you can eat as much as you want on the Weight Watcher's diet and it is delicious!

I added some potatoes so mine isn't

zero points.  It was yummy.  James and I both loved it!

James ordered some abc for his concrete pour on Monday and now we have a big pile of it in the back.  Also, he was digging trenches today and he broke a gasline for the hot water heater and furnace on our bedroom side of the house.

It looks like a mess right now but it is going to be nice!

We left for the temple at 5:45 this evening. We don't have to be there until 7 but James wants to do some initiatories and I have some baptisms I want to see if I can get someone to do.  James did two initiatories and I got one brothers baptism done.  I was too late for the sisters I have.

We are so grateful for our ward and the support they give us in our new calling as temple cleaning coordinators.  We had 21 people come to help: Jim and Linda Diewald, Darla and Ronnie Freeman, Owen and Donna Peeler, Chuck and Kathy Crane, Jerry and Millie Scott, Bishop Miller and his dad, Ed, Wes Smith, Tamara Applegate, John and Linda Price, Sister Thompson, the Klugs, and Mel and Ruth Wilhelm.  When we got home and said our prayers our hearts were filled with love and gratitude.  Love for our ward family, and gratitude to Heavenly Father for providing us with this opportunity.

Millie Scott told me about a good deal on blueberries so we stopped at the Taylor Walmart on the way home to get some.  Basha's has a pint of blueberries for .75 cents.  Walmart does ad match so they sold their pints which normally go for $2.64, to us for seventy five cents!  Thanks Millie for the heads up!

For the first time in months we parked our car, Lexy, in the garage!

I love this quote by Mother Teresa.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Someone I admire very much.

After reading scriptures with James and having family prayer, we drove to town to see Dr. Moffat.  James is very sick with bronchitis.  While I was waiting for him I read a chapter from "A Witness and a Warning", President Benson's book about the Book of Mormon.  It was chapter 8, entitled, Be Faithful in Christ.  I felt the Spirit as I read this chapter.

While we were waiting for James's antibiotic that Dr. Moffat prescribed to be filled at CVS, we went to Arby's for lunch.  According to Dr. Moffat the antibiotic is a very strong one and James only has to take it for five days.  

On the way home I read from "The Governess of Highland Hall."  We stopped at the post office.  Our 2013 taxes are ready.  Thankfully we only owe a small amount of money.  2014 will be very different because of the Hatch Hangar job.

James went home and took his medicine and laid down for a nap.  The doctor told him he shouldn't go anywhere.  

I watched an episode of "Last Man Standing" and then took a nap before I started my afternoon activities.  I worked on my blog and studied my Primary lesson.  I also emptied one box from the garage. 

For dinner I fixed pork chops, asparagus, and whole wheat English muffins.  It was a tasty dinner. 

James and I watched a Hallmark movie we had seen before, "June to January".  I liked it again, especially because Wes Brown was the star.

 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

I got updates from Trina throughout the night regarding James's surgery:  This text was sent at 12:50 am:
"He's out of surgery.  I just talked to Dr. Ortega.  He was able to place screws and bars.  They are going to watch the swelling every day.  They will do a ct scan later today to figure out the extent of the injury.  After the swelling goes down the earliest would be Monday, they will go in and place a plate and nail.  (They actually placed three plates and a rod.)

 Recovering from surgery

Exterior hardware

3:16 am. "They got him to his room.  He's eating ice.  His nurse is great.  I'm not going to stay because the room is tiny and he has a roommate.  There is nowhere for me to be, but he's good.  They are giving him pain medication now.  He is in room 410."

I got this message from James at 3:54 am: 

"This is my new home for about a week.  They will do another surgery on Sunday or Monday. (They weren't actually able to do it until Thursday).  Please bring me some garment changes, and shirt and pants and socks.  They cut off my clothes.  Please bring my medicine as well.  You are the love of my life!  Trina stayed with me all night.  Darrel is very blessed to have her.  I'm so drugged that it took me 30 minutes to do this text."

I left Vernon around 8:00am.  I stopped in Show Low to get gas and wash my car and to get something to eat at McDonald's.  I got this text as I was coming into Payson: "Where is my sunshine?"  I texted back: "On my way."  "What does that mean?"  "Payson."  "Be careful."  "OK."

James is so happy to see me when I finally arrive.  He is in alot of pain and very tired.  His nurse, a young black girl named Ryan tries various drugs for pain.  

This afternoon Tricia and her kids, who are in town, come for a visit, and so do Trina and her kids.  

James had a roommate, a hispanic man by the name of Ernie, but he checks out at the end of the day.

I stay until 9:30.  James wants me to stay but there is really no where for me to stay.  We ask the nurse about the empty bed and she said if I did use it we would have to pay for it.  Well I guess not.  I really do hate to leave but I need some rest so I can be here for him tomorrow.

I am going to close with a quote I saw today on Facebook by Mother Teresa:

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway."