Friday, February 14th, 2020

Helsinki, Finland

124th operating temple

Dedicated: 22 Oct 2006

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Judge

Isaiah 51:5

My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 9:27-54

The Atonement saves from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment - The righteous are to be saved in the kingdom of God - Penalties for sins are set forth - The Holy One of Israel is the keeper of the gate. About 559-545 B.C.

"Come Follow Me"

Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening

"Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord Abide with Me"

Reyna I. Aburto

"As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have made a covenant with God that we 'are willing to bear one another's burdens' and  'to mourn with those that mourn.' This may include becoming informed about emotional illnesses, finding resources that can help address these struggles, and ultimately bringing ourselves and others to Christ, who is the Master Healer. Even if we do not know how to relate to what others are going through, validating that their pain is real can be an important first step in finding understanding and healing."

Glorious Sunrise

 Happy Birthday Arizona!

 Happy Valentine's Day

 So sweet and I love the purple necklace

and earrings!

 My card to James along with a bag of

black licorce and Reisens

Card for the Grapp family

Peach tea for James and me courtesy of James. I made it until 9 am before I needed a cherry Pepsi. I usually have it first thing in the morning.

I blogged first thing this morning after my prayers and planning. Afterwards I finished up Valentines.

James went to town to get gas for the power washer so he could wash the car. He brought me back a sandwich and chocolate custard from Culver's. Their custard is so smooth and creamy. Thanks honey for the custard, but you can have the sandwich because I already had a frozen burrito for lunch. 

James spent a couple of hours washing the car and spraying off the garage and driveway. This fight with the mud is a constant battle. When James sprays off the sidewalk the runoff goes right in front of the house and creates a mud puddle. As soon as we can afford to we are going to get a load of cinders.

I read to James from "Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea". I also took a break and finished my chapter in "Live Up To Our Privileges" and "Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon."

When I was finished with the Grapp's Valentine box I wrapped Benson's birthday presents and got out Olaf for Leland since I missed his birthday in July. Next on the list, make the Rice Krispy treats, extra gooey using Kim's formula of less cereal and more marshmallow. I bagged them up and got ready to deliver. By this time James was making the cobble for tonight's Valentine party at the church. He made one but didn't treat the pan before he made the cobbler so he made another one too. He put them both in the oven before we headed to the Grapp's which is a good ten miles away.

When we drove up to the Grapp's all of the kids were outside playing and ran to open the gate for us. We handed each of them something to carry and told them we had to get home because we had a cobbler in the oven. 

We went back home and James took the first cobbler out. It looks pretty good. Both are cherry because I like the red color for Valentines day. 

When both cobbler's were finished we grabbed the last one and headed for the church to the ward party. Kerri and Michelle did a great job decorating. The food was provided by Shamrock, bbq meat, rolls and salad and lots of cobblers for dessert. 

James and I sat by the Woods', the Penrods', and the Bradys'. As we were eating I noticed that Celine Dion music was playing in the background. I went over to my friend Sister Finnell and asked if she was in charge of the music. I knew she had just been in Texas and gone to a Celine Dion concert. She said yes. I just said I thought she had a beautiful voice and thanked her for her good taste in music. 

As we were leaving Kerri asked if we wanted our picture taken at the photo booth set up in the Relief Society room. Like I dummy I said no. I hate having my picture taken but now that I think about it I wish I had done it to have a picture of James and I for my blog.

Oh well. Next time.

At home I did some cleanup and mopped the kitchen floor before James and I settled down to watch a movie. I texted Kaitlin and told them to park on the driveway and come in through the garage because the front was so muddy. They won't be here until after we go to bed because they always make a trip to Walmart before coming here.

The movie we watched was from the Gourmet Detective series on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries starring Brooke Burns and Dylan Neal.  This episode was called "Roux the Day." It was good and we both enjoyed it. Afterwards we went to bed. I forgot to walk and ended up with 9,392 steps. If I would have known I was so close to 10,000 I would have walked before going to bed. 

It was a great Valentine's Day! Jared's family got their package and Jared thanked me. He also sent me a video of Debbie receiving Randy's gift and note. I guess it was on Azfamily.

 I love this!

 Why do I like junk food so much. 

Does this count as veggies:

Potatoes and cucumbers?

 Monique and Dave

 Colee and Troy

 The Tomlinson's

The Coomb's

 A delicacy I remember from 

BYU Women's Conference

 Lola and Ivy

Ward Party:

Sean and Michelle running in front of the

bishops camera

Wednesday, January 8th, 2020

Dedicated: 4 June 2000

By: James E. Faust

Jesus Christ, Jehovah

Jonah 1:9

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Book of Mormon

1 Nephi 3; Sunday School lesson; Book of Mormon Student Manual

General Conference Daily

"The Spirit of Revelation"

Elder David A. Bednar 4/2011

Oct 2019 General Conference

"Found through the Power of the Book of Mormon"

Elder Ruben V. Alliaud

"My uncle had called my mother to teel her not to worry, that I would get over this soon. Four years later, when I received my call to serve in the Uruguay Montevideo Mission, my mother called my uncle to ask him exactly when I was going to get over all this. The truth is that from the time I was baptized, my mother was a happier mother."

It was cold and windy today. I ventured out this afternoon to deliver the Relief Society birthday cards to Maxine so she could sign them. I am puzzled why it is already the 8th of January and we are just now signing cards for January. There are several birthdays the first week and these cards are going to be quite late by the time we get them to Paula  to mail. I'm going to suggest we sign them at our presidency meeting the month before.

On the way home from Maxine's I went by the post office to pick up the mail. In the mail James got his summons to court from the state of New Mexico. I got a thank you from Maxine for the calendar I gave her for Christmas and we got a star ornament of Charlie from Texas. It is so cute, I'm going to hang it and look at it all year. My car was covered in mud by the time I reached home.

James came out and cleaned off my windshield so the next time we go out we will at least have a clean windshield.

I had four glasses of herbal tea today. Making up for my diet coke addiction I guess but tea doesn't have caffeine or aspartame.

I depostied the check from Mario using my phone at home, vacuumed our bedroom and packed up the 2018-19 financial files both business and personal and took them to James's office. I emptied trashes in our bedroom, the laundry room, hall bath, and "recycle" in the pantry. I started watching the newest Hallmark movie, "Vail in Winter" starring Lacey Chabert and Tyler Hynes.I had walked 10,000 steps by 5:30 this afternoon. I blogged and studied "Come Follow Me." I listened to the following podcasts:

"All In" Morgan interviewed Emily Belle Freeman and Emily told about her new book, "Grace for All Seasons". I also listened to Emily and Dave in the "Don't Miss This" podcast and I listened to a new podcast on Joseph and the First Vision produced by the Joseph Smith Papers. 

It was a busy, productive and happy day.

 This picture was taken when they visited us.

She is trying to get in to a small black wire basket.

 generations

 James sent me some random pictures,

these are some of them:

Addy a couple of years ago

Monday, November 25th, 2019

Las Vegas, Nevada
43rd operating temple
Dedicated: 16 Dec 1989
By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Head of Church

Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Book of Mormon

Mormon 6:6-22

New Testament

1Peter 1; 1&2 Peter: Introductions to I/F and SS. FHE with friends Goodman's and Peeler's where we went through and discussed the entire lesson, 1&2 Peter: "Rejoice with Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory."

10/19 General Conference

"Holiness and the Plan of Happiness"

President Henry B. Eyring

"My dear brothers and sisters, I have prayed for the power to help you in your personal search for happiness. Some might feel happy enough already, yet surely no one would reject the offer of more happiness. Anyone would be eager to accept a guaranteed offer of lasting happiness.

That is what Heavenly Father; His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost have offered every spirit child of Heavenly Father who now lives, will live, or ever has lived in this world. That offer is sometimes called the plan of happiness. It was so called by the prophet Alma as he taught his son, who was mired in the misery of sin. Alma knew that wickedness could never be happiness for his son - or for any child of Heavenly Father."

Consider two words: willfulness, willingness - How would I compare these two attitudes?

RWC: Ancestors and posterity: Do I have a saving influence in both directions?

"Daily repentance is the path to purity." -Russell M. Nelson

This morning I made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. I bought The First Vision calenders from Scott Proctor. I signed up for The Redheaded Hostess website and ran off the "Come Follow Me" lesson for this week. As part of the lesson there was a Thanksgiving handout:

Hand these out at FHE or Thanksgiving and have everyone fill them out without putting their name on them. Someone reads every one's responses and the others try to guess who it is. Save and read again next year.

I ran off enough of these for the Grapp family, the Halcomb's, and the Finnel's. Lynda Finnel is my partner and we are visiting the Grapp's and Halcomb's today.

I also ran off the rest of the Redheaded Hostess lesson for James to use in preparing his Primary lesson this week.

This afternoon Lynda and I visited with Cammy Grapp and her children. The wind was blowing so hard when I tried to go into their home that I almost fell over with the plate of cookies I was holding. The Grapp's just returned from a trip to Idaho to buy a three seater truck. The truck was stretched and that costs alot of money. I wish I would have taken a picture. Cammy had to tell us all about the trip. I gave her the cookies and the Thanksgiving activity. Later she thanked me for the activity saying that they used it in FHE.

Lynda followed me to the Halcomb's as she has never been there. Both Kerri and Catherine were home. Catherine invited both of us to a luncheon she is having and wanted to make sure the date would work for us. The best date for both of us was Wednesday, December 11th. Catherine is making Christmas gifts for her children and grandchildren. Kerri says she starts in January. She is 86 years old and is pretty amazing.

Again when I left the wind almost blew me down. 

Back at home I got out my big nativity set and placed it on the table you see when you first come into our home. I worked on my blog until the Goodman's and the Peeler's arrived around 7 p.m.

We sat around the dining room table. I said a prayer and we went around the table and read the lesson, discussing and reading scriptures along the way. It was a good experience and we looked at our December calender and planned to meet two times in December, the 9th and the 16th. 

When everyone left, James and I finished watching the movie, "Sweet Mountain" on the LifeTime channel. Tonight was the finale on "Dancing with the Stars." We did not watch but fast forwarded to see who won. Hannah and Allen won, my least favorite couple. Oh well. So be it. She is a good dancer and has greatly improved from the beginning of the season.

Elder Heyman's birthday

 Allen and Hannah

Friday, October 4th, 2019

Tucson, Arizona

157th operating temple

Dedicated: 13 Aug 2017

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd

Genesis 49:24

But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

Book of Mormon

Helaman 14:20-15:6

New Testament: Ephesians: "For the Perfecting of the Saints"

Ephesians 5

General Conference

The Joy of the Saints

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"Joy comes from keeping Christ's commandments, from overcoming sorrow and weakness through Him, and from serving as He served."

Sold two books today. One was a merchant fulfilled Victoria Holt book, "Lord of the Far Island." I was introduced to Victoria Holt by my "Nannie." She gave me "The Mistress of Mellyn" to read when I was a teenager. I think I have read most all of her books. 

We left the house at 9:30 this morning. I was reading to James and he missed his turn off the freeway so we had to do a little back-tracking. It happens every time.

He dropped me off at 10 o'clock at AARA for my 10:45 infusion appointment. I was only there a few minutes when Frances came and got me. I lost 4 lbs since last month! 

James dropped me off early because he had an appointment at Sonoran Spine on Rio Salado Parkway. He said the woman who check him in is a 6'2" Russian named Jelena. She makes him feel like a midget.

After my infusion James picked me up and we drove to Olive Garden again for lunch. We had three gift cards and we are just about to use them all up. Today I had soup, salad, and asiago tortellini. It was delicious and the lunch portions are the perfect size. Our waitress, April, was very friendly. When I told her we had a long drive home she gave us extra mints and a glass of water and a glass of ice. James had his ASU shirt on so she struck up a conversation saying she was an ASU graduate. She practiced criminal law but didn't really like it so now she's waiting tables again, just like she did in college. It is a good job for her because she is so friendly.

We stopped at the Walmart in Show Low before going home to get bananas, herbal tea, cream, and some markers. 

On the way through Vernon we some members of the Hunsaker family walking away from the graveyard after Analee's burial. Here are some photos that I got from Instagram and Facebook:

 Kip's girls: Kaylynn, Brielle, Hailey, Makenzi, LeeAnn

Analee's favorite color was purple

 Sean's daughter Camrie and her children

A young Analee

The Analee I knew and loved.

When we got home and my stuff was all put away I grabbed a Dilly bar and watched the season finale of Chesapeake Shores. James made me some BBQ pork leftovers. It was delicious with some Sweet Baby Ray's sauce rather than the sauce it was cooked in because I thought the sauce it was cooked in was too hot. 

I walked and did some blogging while watching a movie on the Up channel. James watched it too.

 I'm going to post this on the door to my pantry to
inspire me to do this again!

The Price's just got back from their mission.
I think they went to Martin's Cove.

I taught these two in Primary. Such great kids!!

 The woman is a police officer. She shot this man's
brother and killed him. She thought he was in her
apartment but she was in the wrong apartment.
She has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Rowan was chosen from his football team to go to this
leadership conference. He said it was boring.