Thursday, March 28th, 2019

Oquirrh Mountain, Utah

130th operating temple

Dedicated: 21-23 Aug 2009

By: Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship

DC 93:14

And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.

Book of Mormon

Jacob 7:21-Enos 1:1-10

New Testament "Come Follow Me"

Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23

"Fear Not to Do Good"

Henry B. Eyring 10/2017

General Conference

"Choose You This Day"

Elder Dale G. Renlund

As the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob said, I say with him:

"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves - to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. Wherefore, my beloved brethren (and sisters), reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil ...; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved."

So, choose faith in Christ; choose repentance; choose to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost; choose to conscientiously prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament; choose to make covenants in the temple; and choose to serve the living God and His children. Our choices determine who we are and who we will become. I conclude with the rest of Jacob's blessing: "Wherefore, may God raise you from ... everlasting death by the power of the Atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God."

James listened to and watched the Book Profits webinar while I got ready to go to town. It was Jim and Herman teaching again. 

Today was my Aunt Gene's, (dad's sister) 91st birthday. I went to visit her and stopped on the way to get yellow mums at Safeway. I chose yellow because I always think of the song, "You Are My Sunshine" when I think of Aunt Gene. 

When I first arrived at her house it was just she and I. She took me into the bedroom and gave me a picture of my grandma and grandpa from their 50th wedding anniversary. It was hanging on the wall in a frame and she gave me the frame also.

Arlee T. Maxwell and

Verdie Rea Robinson Maxwell

This is another picture that was hanging on the wall. Aunt Gene said this picture was taken when grandma and grandpa were first married.

Aunt Gene and I visited a little while when the doorbell rang. It was Harold and Dennis. I had invited them to come. Denise was at work and Vickie's allergies were bothering her. I am glad I invited my brothers. I don't see them too often and it's always nice to catch up. 

Dennis says he and Denise are going to Cleveland, Ohio in May to celebrate their anniversary at the Rock n' Roll and Football Halls of Fame. They love to travel and Dennis loves history of any kind. They will also be going to Texas at the end of May for Bettylea's high school graduation in Del Rio. I told them we were going to Texas also for two graduations.

Harold gave us an update on Monte. Right now he is not allowed to eat any food or drink anything He has a bag he carries around that supplies him with nutrients. On April 19th he is scheduled to have surgery at the Chandler hospital. We will be down on the 20th and 21st for Easter so hopefully we can go see him.

Aunt Gene is pretty independent for a 91 year old, kind of like James's mom. She just got back from a trip to Texas and Arkansas where she visited with her husband Clyde's family. She said she had attendants push her around the airport in her wheelchair and she gave a $5 to everyone that helped her. 

Aunt Gene has a great attitude. She says she focuses on what she can do, not on what she can't do.

We stayed an hour or so and then we said our goodbye's. I promised Aunt Gene I would be back soon to see her. 

I stopped at the post office and mailed a book we sold, "Visions of Glory." I went to the bank to deposit a check from Mario Chacon and then went on to Walmart to go grocery shopping. On the way home I stopped and filled my car with gas. 

James stayed home because he had some phone calls to make regarding work that was to be done today that Armando is handling. He went to town at 4:30 because that's when President Beeler said he could meet with him and sign his temple recommend. It is frustrating when we have to make two trips to town in the same day but I guess this time it couldn't be helped.

This evening we ordered books, I blogged, and walked while watching Hallmark movies. Maybe I am in a rut.

The ice hotel in this movie is amazing!

This girl loves books!

 Dallas, Texas temple

 Filmed in Bruges, Belgium

One of my favorites

Saturday, December 17, 2016

I know Mary wasn't Joseph's mother, but I am grateful to

him for his loving support of her.

Ether 12:1-21

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught concerning the need to center our lives on Jesus Christ: "We live in a world of uncertainty.  For some, there will be great accomplishment.  For others, disappointment.  For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living.  For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow.  We do not know.  But one thing we do know.  LIke the polar star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives.  He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2002, 107; or Ensign, May 2002, 90).

GC:  The Perfect Path to Happiness by President Thomas S. Monson

"In the film 'Man's Search for Happiness' a depiction of our premortal life is given, along with an explanation of our purpose on earth.  We witness a touching depiction of the passing from this life of an elderly grandfather and of his glorious reunion

with loved ones who had preceded him to the spirit world."

This is a picture of the house Kacey and Jared rented in San Antonio.  Kacey and her kids will be living here and then when she marries Jared he will join them.  

This morning on our trip to town James and I stopped by to visit my aunt Gene and to give her a small Christmas present.  She seems to be doing very well.

After Aunt Gene's James dropped me off at Walmart while he went to Home Depot and then to Panda Express to get us some lunch.  

I missed going to the temple today but I just feel overwhelmed by all the things I have to do to get ready for Christmas.

I wonder how this would work.

I came home this afternoon and made six loaves of pumpkin bread.  Four loaves are for the families James home teaches, one loaf for his companion, and one loaf for our neighbors, the Cranes. He insisted that I put pecans in all of the loaves.

This is a Christmas memory of last years white

elephant gift exchange.

While baking pumpkin bread I also worked on my last Primary lesson for this year and finished up the kids Book of Mormon cards and Article of Faith notebooks.

Sheri, Max, and Evan went ice skating with Sean, Megan, and Mattea.

I think they had a good time, although I am not

sure about Mattea, she doesn't have a smile on her face.

Today was Sadie and Aaron's wedding and wedding reception.  The reception was in Snowflake this evening and we did not go.

Here are some pictures posted online:

Pictures from their wedding announcement

Leaving the Snowflake temple

They look very happy

Maddie is the blonde, I don't know the next girl,

then Sadie, Mary, and Brooklyn.

Sadie has seven brothers and one sister.  Mary is

on Sadie's left.  Here are some of her brothers and her Dad.

The two guys without hats are Sadie's brother Sam and

her dad, Dave.

Cutting the cake.

In other news, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford

recently got married.

A long time coming.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Salt Lake temple

Alma 54:13-55:14

13 - Moroni to Ammoron: Ye have sought to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves.

16 - Ammoron: I will avenge Amalickiah's blood upon you.

17 - Your fathers robbed the Lamanites of their right to govern.

18 - Become subject unto us and we will lay down our weapons of war.

19 - We fear not your threatenings, Moroni.

20 - We will exchange prisoners and wage a war to subject the Nephites to our authority or to their eternal extinction.

21 - Concerning God, we know not such a being.

22 - If there is a devil and a hell, he should send you there for murdering my brother.

23 - I am Ammoron, a descendant of Zoram.

24 - Now I am a bold Lamanite.  I am avenging their wrongs and their right to government.

Alma 55:1-14

1 - Moroni is angry with Ammoron.

2 - I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron unless he withdraws his purpose.

3 - I know where the Lamanites do guard my people who have been taken prisoners.

4 - Moroni searches among his men for a descendant of Laman.

5 - He finds one, a former guard of the king whose name is Laman.

6 - Moroni sends Laman and a small number of his men to go forth unto the guards over the Nephites.

7 - They were in the city of Gid.

8 - Laman says to the guards, fear not, I am a Lamanite.  

9 - The Lamanites say to Laman: Give us of your wine to drik for we are weary.

10 - Laman says: You may do according to your desires.

13 - The Lamanites take of the wine freely and it was strong.

14 - They become drunken.

GC: "See Yourself in the Temple" by Elder Quentin L. Cook.

I got ready this morning and went in to town to visit Aunt Gene.  I left James behind doing surgery on the house.

We have been smelling dead mice.

He found five.  He sealed up the wall where they

were coming in from the garage.

Aunt Gene is in room 110 at the Summit Hospital in Show Low.  When I arrived around 10 am.  The room was full of family:

Rita, Bill, Randy, Debbie, Rita's kids: Chris, Rick and Gina.  And Gina's three year old boy Bentley who reminds me of Evan.  He told Aunt Gene he would give her a big prize if she would get well.  So cute.  

Aunt Gene looks very tired and frail.  She has had nothing to eat since last Thursday.  They want the blockage to go down on its own because they are cautious about doing surgery because of her age.  I don't know how long they will wait.  I stayed for about an hour and visited and then I felt like I should go.  I did a little shopping at Walmart and picked up some lunch for both James and I at Panda. I had to take this picture of Show Low Creek on the way home.

Our sunflower field in Vernon didn't bloom this year because the rains were so late.  This one is almost as beautiful.  It is

prettier than this picture shows.

I got a package from Jared today for my birthday.  It is a very large book entitled, "The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics."  I was hoping for The Great Divorce because Jared likes it so much but this has not only The Great Divorce but six other books.  Thank you Jared!

Speaking of Jared, his kids started school today in San Antonio.  Tricia posted this picture:

They grow up so fast!

I think Molly has changed the most in the past year.

This afternoon I did a little cleaning, reading, and blogging.  For FHE we filled out our voting ballots and prepared to send them in.

I cooked some navy beans in the Power Cooker in less than an hour.  They turned out quite delicious.  I used the same recipe I use for pinto beans with tomato sauce, El Pato, and butter.

Mary took Paul, Stacy and Joshua out to dinner for mexican food.

Xavier's Casa Reynoso in Mesa

House is this for a guest house:

It has a Victorian look.

For my closing picture:

Mt. Ranier