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.

Friday, July 7th, 2017

Star Valley, Wyoming

154th operating temple

Dedicated: 30 Oct 2016 by

David A. Bednar

3 Nephi 25

At the Second Coming, the proud and wicked will be burned as stubble; Elijah will return before that great and dreadful day; Compare Malachi 4.

Alma 29:8-30:11

*Search Alma 29:10,14, and 16 looking for the blessing Alma received as he helped others come unto Christ.
*Have you ever felt the joy that comes from helping others come unto Christ?
*Read Alma 30:6 looking for a word that describes Korihor. (Anti-Christ). One definition of anti-Christ is: "Anyone or anything that counterfeits the true gospel plan of salvation and that openly or secretly opposes Christ."
DC 98:23-38
23-32, The Lord reveals His laws governing the persecutions and afflictions imposed on His people; 33-38, War is justified only when the Lord commands it;
General Conference

Our Father's Glorious Plan

Elder Weatherford T. Clayton

" I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit."

Adam left for home this morning. Ben said he had to clean up after him in the bedroom where he slept.

Molly wants to celebrate her birthday with us while she is here. I took her and Ruby to Walmart this morning. I got about to the Vernon dump when James texted me and said he wanted to go, so I turned around and went back and picked him up. 

While James took the girls shopping I went and picked up the few items of groceries we needed. James checked out and I finished up with the girls. Molly got a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of shorts, and a jewelry making kit and some other small items with her $50.  Ruby spent some of her money too. She says she is saving the fifty dollars I gave her for her birthday for when she goes to Universal Studios, Harry Potter.

When we got back home to the cabin it was about time for lunch. I realized we were out of catsup so I made a trip to Dollar General while James fixed the boys popcorn chicken and french fries. When I returned everyone had eaten and no one had even missed the catsup. 

Darrel and Trina went on a walk this morning and then came back and cleaned upstairs before leaving for home.  They said they want to buy a horse and keep it up here if we would help them take care of it. Of course we would.  

Before Darrel, Trina, Addy, Ruby, and Lola left for home we had a party for Molly. Jared made her a cake and we had more ice cream.

Molly will be 8 on August 8th.

Ruby cried when she realized she had to go home and wouldn't be seeing Molly anymore. Jared and his family went into Fool's Hollow Lake and Licano's for burros this afternoon. James, Ben, Max, Evan, Joshua, Rowan and I all piled into our car and drove to Greer. As soon as the boys got out at the creek it began to rain. We didn't stay long. I guess Jared and his group got rained on too and the water was too cold to swim.  He said it wasn't a total bust because they got burritos.

We stopped at Sonic on the way home and got the boys food so they seemed happy.  

It rained a little this afternoon in Vernon, but not much. There were cows outside our fence so James turned the fence on. When the boys found out, they began touching the fence to see how much of a shock they could get. Rowan took his shoes off and got it the worst. It was like a game to them.

Jared made ribs for dinner. His kids didn't eat much because they will still full from their burros. 

This evening Jared wanted to go to bed early and then get up and drive home at midnight. Everyone was just going to stay up and sleep in the car. I thought maybe they would want to watch "Private Eyes," Jared's favorite movie when he was a kid, but the boys were watching "Nacho Libre" again.

James and I said good bye to Kacey, Tanner, Emmy, Molly, and Jared before we went to bed. Anna, Summer and James were somewhere upstairs. I am sad to see everyone go because I know how far they are going and that it will be a long time before we see them again.

More Photos:

Taylor a girl in my Primary class

Evan Face timing with his mom.

Alex got to see the London Bridge today.

Our kids loved this movie when

they were growing up.

Saturday, June 24th, 2017

Salt Lake

4th operating temple

Dedicated: 6-24 April 1893 by

Wilford Woodruff

3 Nephi 16

Jesus will visit others of the lost sheep of Israel; In the latter days the gospel will go to the Gentiles and then to the house of Israel The Lord's people will see eye to eye when He brings again Zion.

Alma 21:1-23

Aaron and his brethren preach the gospel in spite of trials and imprisonment.

* One of the trials Aaron faced was opposition from the Amalekites as he taught them (see Alma 21:5-10). What can we do if someone wants to argue with us about religion or challenge our beliefs?

* If we faithfully persist through trials, the Lord will help us do His work. (Read Alma 21:16-17 to see how the Lord helped Aaron and his brethren do His work.)

DC 90:17-37

19-37, Various individuals are counseled by the Lord to walk uprightly and serve in His kingdom.

General Conference

The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"Any person that had seen the heavens opened knows that there are three personages in the heavens who hold the keys of power, and one presides over all..."... these personages ...are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the Witness or Testator. It is the province of the Father to preside as the Chief of President, Jesus as the Mediator, and the Holy Ghost as Testator or Witness."

James made scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast. Afterwards he and Kacey and Jared go to the Phoenix temple. Kacey wanted to go to a temple that she had never been to before.

I didn't go because of my cough.

Kacey and Jared at the Phoenix temple

Cute picture 

I wish they were holding hands.

Ian, Sheri, Ben, Max, and Evan came over to swim today. 

Ben's face says it all!

I'm not sure who won.

Patty cake, patty cake

There goes Evan!

After swimming they all came back inside our room.  Sheri, Max, and I played Five Crowns and then it was time to say goodbye.

Soon after the Trezise's left, James, Jared, and Kacey returned.  They changed clothes and I got dressed.  We all headed to the Olive Garden in Scottsdale to use the gift cards James got for father's day and the one I got for mother's day.  

After Olive Garden we went to Bass Pro Shop so James could get some ammo and exploding targets for his Top Shot competition at the cabin.  Kacey couldn't believe it was 120 degrees outside.

Thanks for smiling Kacey!

When we got back to the resort Kacey and Jared watched "Beauty and the Beast," I worked on my blog, and James took a nap.  

After the movie Kacey and Jared went to Sonic for drinks.  Of course I ordered one.  For dinner the guys grilled us hot dogs and hamburgers.  I fixed corn-on-the-cob and beans, and strawberry shortcake.

  

After dinner we played Five Crowns.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Ether 7:1-27

How can I better listen to and obey the words of the prophets?

     In His kindness and mercy, the Lord sent prophets to warn the people of Shule's kingdom.  As first they reviled and mocked the prophets; however, the prophets were protected by the righteous king's proclamation.  Shule's people then heeded the prophets' warnings and repented, thus avoiding the destruction that would have come as a result of their rejection of the prophets' message.

     President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency explained why the Lord warns His children of their wickedness: "Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger.  That call to warn is made harder and more important by the fact that the warnings of most worth are about dangers that people don't yet think are real" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 40). 

     Why do prophets often get mocked and reviled?  Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

"Prophets must often warn of the consequences of violating God's laws.  They do no preach that which is popular with the world...

"Why do prophets proclaim unpopular commandments and call society to repentance for rejecting, modifying, and even ignoring the commandments?  The reason is very simple.  Upon receiving revelation, prophets have no choice but to proclaim and reaffirm that which God has given them to tell the world" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 52).

     Elder L. Aldin Porter of the Presidency of the Seventy explained another reason people often reject the prophet's counsel.  He explained that people erroneously believe that prophetic warnings interfere with their agency: "Some complain that when the prophets speak with clarity and firmness, they are taking our agency away  We are still free to choose.  But we must accept the consequences of those decisions.  The prophets do not take away our agency.  They simply warn us of what the consequences of our choices will be.  How foolish it is to fault the prophets for their warnings" ( in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 82 ).

GC:  A Witness of God by Elder Neil L. Andersen

From the miraculous intervention of God to Daniel came the

prophesied future of the gospel of Jesus Christ being restored

to the earth, a kingdom that would fill the whole earth,

"never to be destroyed...but to stand for ever."

In 1831 the Prophet Joseph Smith received this revelation:

"The keys of the kingdom of God and the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth are committed unto man on the

earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of 

the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain'without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth."

GC:  Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus by Elder Quentin L. Cook

"The remarkable and celestial blessing of the Savior's Atonement is that through repentance, sinful conduct is blotted out.  After Corianton's repentance, Alma concluded, "Let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance."

Instead of a selfie, we took a picture of the temple.

Christmas Nativity

Today was my 35th time at the temple this year.  I am so grateful that we have a temple close by so we can attend frequently.

James saw some old friends from high school which is always fun.  The former student body presidents.

We stopped at Sonic on the way home for some lunch.  I think I would have rather gone to El Cupidos but it was James's turn to pick.  

For some reason I was very tired when I got home so I sat down to watch a Christmas movie.  It was an old one, "Holiday Switch."  

I postponed my Primary party until next week.

Biosphere in Oracle, Arizona

I was grateful that James cleaned all of the dried mud out of the garage today.  While I was blogging I watched another Christmas movie, "Christmas Proposal."  

I got out some more Christmas decorations from downstairs.  James and I read by the fire and then we watched "Hearts of Christmas" a new movie about nurses in the NICU in a busy hospital.

Devil's Bridge in Sedona

Family and Friends:

Bluth family

Molly and Ruby last year after Christmas

Lola enjoying her Cheetos as a soccer game.

     

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Guess where we went this morning?

On the way to the temple we listened to a conference talk and read our scriptures.  I also quoted my ponderize scripture, Mosiah 4:12, my eight sentences from the Family Proclamation and the Living Christ.  It got us in the mood for the temple.  The conference talk we listened to was Elder's Gong's "Always Remember Him."  I felt the Spirit just saying the title.

I love these bushes.  They are all over the temple grounds.

Alma 22:1-14

1 - Aaron was led by the Spirit to the land of Nephi, to the house of the king.

2 - We are the brethren of Ammon whom thou hast delivered out of prison.  I guess his friends went with him.

3 - . . . we will be thy servants . . . the king wants to know why Ammon didn't come.

4 - . . . the Spirit of the Lord called him another way.  He went to Ishmael to teach the people of Lamoni.

5 - King: What is the Spirit of the Lord?

6 - The king also ask about repentance.

7 - Aaron: Believest thou that there is a God? . . . if thou sayest there is a God, behold, I will believe.

8 - Behold, assuredly as thou livest, O king, there is a God.

9 - Is God the Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of Jerusalem?

10 - Yes and He created all things in heaven and earth.

11 - I believe the Great Spirit created all things.  Tell me concerning all these things and I will believe thy words.

12 - Aaron began from the creation of Adam how God created man after his own image, and that because of transgression, man had fallen.

13 - Creation - Fall - and the Atonement taught.

14 - also the Resurrection.

There is a dead cow elk on the side of the road between Taylor and Shumway.  I want to stop and take pictures next time.  Shumway is so beautiful and green.  James called it Silver Creek Valley.

After the temple we did some shopping at the Walmart in Taylor.  Afterwards we had lunch at Sonic.  I had a cheeseburger.  James had a hamburger and a New York dog.  I ate a couple of bites of James's hotdog, but was just too full to eat anymore.

I baked cookies this afternoon to take to the kids in my Primary class who never come.  While I was baking James went to the ward party and got me a Navajo taco.  It was delicious, one of the best that I have ever had.  He also stopped at the post office and got our church magazines and a check for the Desert Highlands job.  Thanks Honey!

I got a call from Sheri today and texts from Alex, Michael, Kim, Trina, and Stacy.  I sure do love my family!  Oh yes, Jared made it to Arizona with his kids.  

I was pretty tired after baking cookies all afternoon so James and I went to bed pretty early.

I have been having nightmares again.  I had them last night and again tonight.  The sad thing is that James can't get any sleep because I wake him up shouting out that someone is in the room.

I wish I knew why I do this so I could stop it.

Guess who lost a tooth today?

Miss Ruby!

   

Thursday, April 21, 2016

A stroll down memory lane.

This is the drugstore where I stopped everyday after school for a snack.  The school bus stopped across the street and we walked across highway 60 into the doors of Show Low Drug.  I would usually have a baked ham sandwich with barbequed potato chips, and a fresh limeade with plain water.  The cost: .75 cents.  Those were the days.  We sat in a booth next to the soda fountain.  The waitress never had to move out of her work station to wait on us.  Today the Dominoes pizza occupies this spot.

When I got home I would put on a record and relax.  Here was on of my favorite artists.

 Ooooh Ricky!

Today's scripture study: Mosiah 12:17-13:4

How do you apply your heart to understanding?

Through humility.  The condition of being meek and teachable.  Humility includes recognizing our dependence upon God and desiring to submit to His will.

James took me visiting teaching to Hailey Chaffin's.  Next time I am confident I can find it by myself.  I made her a basket.

The lesson was:

"Daughter of Our Eternal Father"

After Hailey's James and I went in to Show Low.  It is an absolutely gorgeous day here.  The high is around 73.  The first place we hit in Show Low is Sonic for my diet coke with regular cherry flavoring.  James picks up our Pappa John's thin crust veggie pizza while I do a little shopping at Walmart.  Walmart has a laminating machine for $20.  I am putting that on my wish list.  I had to pick up my folic acid at the pharmacy and then I was on my way.  On the way to Hailey's and Show Low we finished listening to the priesthood session of general conference.  On the way home we finished "The Magician's Nephew."  

At home we both took a nap and then James went out to go to work.  I went in to the computer to work on my Primary lesson and my blog.  I felt a little achy so I decided to take a whirlpool bath.

Just what the doctor ordered.  That is Nemo in

the corner with a striped hat.  Alexis made it.

I got it last year in our white elephant gift exchange.

 

For dinner I had a cheddar and jalapeno bagel with some of the salad I made on Tuesday.  

James is working until it's too dark to work so he doesn't get in much before seven.  He has to hurry to get ready for our movie which I like to start by 7:30.  Tonight's was a mystery, "Sandra Brown's White Hot."  It was okay but I like the romantic comedies or "feel good" movies better.

James's Pero was especially tasty tonight.  That's because he put more chocolate and sweetener than usual!

 

The moon was gorgeous tonight.  We tried to capture it, but never can do it justice.

 

Facebook find:

A purple house!  Have I died and

gone to Heaven?