Wednesday, April 11, 2012

This is a picture of Joshua on a preschool fieldtrip with Adam as his chaperone. Adam is a handsome guy and he loves his brother Joshua and Joshua loves him.

Today I mowed the back yard and then took my car in to Lexus to get it lubed. They say it also need new back brakes but we will save that for Erik to do on another day. James also took his truck in to Sear's to be lubed. Tomorrow we are taking my car to get a new tire.

I also met with Dave and Laura this morning regarding our trip to Texas in May. They both wanted to know where James was. He is madly scurrying around trying to get ready to leave for Vernon. Originally we were going on Tuesday now it has been pushed back until Thursday.

Stacy and Joshua went to Dallin's track meet this afternoon. She kept texting me to come but I was in the middle of cleaning out the hall closet. There is more stuff in there than I ever imagined.

For dinner James and I went to Jersey Mike's. We brought Adam back a meatball sub.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

This is a picture of my handsome grandson, Jared Ammon, and his girl Danielle. We don't get to see these two very often as they are both students at ASU. Jared also runs track and Danielle works. Jared and Danielle, we love you!

James and I went to the Mesa Temple today to do a session. James went in without his recommend. He lost it the last time we went to the temple. We had to wait at the front desk for someone for the recorders office to come up and take down his information. A few minutes later he was cleared to go in. Thank goodness for computers and scan codes. My friend Jacque Hatch was one of the ordinance workers in our session and she was actually my helper at the veil. After our session we had lunch in the cafeteria. I had the vegetable soup, 1/2 an egg salad sandwich and a piece of coconut cream pie. Yummy!

Watched Evan this afternoon while Sheri worked at Chandler Eyecare. I am going to close with a quote from Brother Jeff Chubbs as spoken in our gospel doctrine class on Sunday:
"Our hearts need to be pricked so they can be filled. We can't level out or quit trying in the gospel. We have to keep climbing and moving forward."

Monday, April 9, 2012

Today I am posting pictures of Dallin and Joe Here Dallin is running relay for Chandler High.

I stole this picture from Kim. She took it a couple of years ago.

This picture was taken on a super activity with the Teachers and Priests in our ward. These are the falls at Havasupai in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It looks like Dallin has no fear.

Dallin singing while Joe plays the guitar at FHE.

Joe and Dallin performing at our Christmas party in the Del Rio 2nd ward, December 2011. Dallin is singing an original song he composed and wrote the lyrics to. It's called "Christmas Don't Go."

Dallin and Joe in San Diego summer of 2011. The guitar and singing attracted a group of girls.

Dallin is a talented and handsome 16 year old. He is a junior at Chandler High. He can sing, play the guitar and play the piano. He has never had a piano lesson. He can listen to a song and then play it which to me is incredible. Joe is a freshman at Hamilton High. He write his own songs and loves to play guitar. He is also very talented, sweet, and handsome.

Today we had dinner at Rudy's with Kim, Brian and Joe. We wanted to treat Brian because he helped James move his office furniture. Instead Brian ended up treating us. He said it was for letting them stay at the cabin. Thanks Brian. Joe and I loved the pulled pork. Kim did not like it but she liked the brisket. James and Brian liked everything. It was a fun evening. I sat by Joe.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Today's spiritual thought is by Pres. Thomas S. Monson:

"Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place - the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed.

The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job's question, 'If a man die, shall he live again?' To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, If a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth.... My beloved brothers and sisters, in our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: "He is not here; for He is risen."

James and I drove separately to Church today because he left after sacrament meeting to go hear Trina speak in her ward. I couldn't go because Adrienne had ask me to say a few words of goodbye in Relief Society. This is our last Sunday to be official members of this ward.

Paula Casto sat by me in Sacrament meeting. My nickname for her is Tinkerbell because she is so tiny and cute. I was sad because none of the Trezise's were at any of the meetings. I enjoyed Bro Chubbs's Sunday School class. I got to sit by Paula for all three of our meetings. I teased her about Bro. Stermetz and said he had a nice profile and didn't she think he was cute. Cathi gave the lesson in Relief Society on the immortality of the soul. How appropriate since the passing of her mother last month. Laura and Dave are back in town. They just got back from Idaho and Utah.

We had FHE this evening but the only ones here were Stacy, Adam, Dallin, Michael, Joshua, Alex, Ben, Max, Evan, and James and I. Using pictures from the Gospel Art Packet, we talked about the last week of the Savior's life. Everyone participated. Evan helped James hold up a picture but then he left early. I bore my testimony at the end. These are the pictures we used: 1. The Triumphal Entry, 2. Cleansing the Temple, 3. Sermon on the Mount 4. The Last Supper 5. Jesus washing the Apostles feet 6. In the Garden of Gethsemane 7. The Betrayal 8. Peter's Denial 9. The Crucifixion 10. The Burial 11. Christ's appearance to Mary 12. Christ's appearance to his Apostles 13. The Ascension 14. The Second Coming. Stacy said she really felt the Spirit and she told Paul he missed a good lesson.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Today's spiritual thought taken from Elder Bednar's talk on the atonement:

"King Benjamin teaches about the journey of mortality and the role of the Atonement in navigating successfully that journey: 'For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord' (Mosiah 3:19). I draw your attention to two specific phrases. First - "putteth off the natural man." The journey from bad to good is the process of putting off the natural man or the natural woman in each of us. In mortality we all are tempted by the flesh. The very elements out of which our bodies were created are by nature fallen and ever subject to the pull of sin, corruption, and death. But we can increase our capacity to overcome the desires of the flesh and temptations "through the atonement of Christ." When we make mistakes, as we transgress and sin, we can repent and become clean through the redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I was up at my normal time, 4 am but instead of studying the gospel I was cooking. I started out making my Calico Easter beans. After I got them in the crockpot I started mixing up a batch of sugar cookies to replace Stacy's that got eaten yesterday. Next came Marci Lamoreaux's strawberry cupcakes, then the cheesy potatoes and the ham. Thank goodness for Sheri. She picked up Darrel's girls, frosted the cupcakes and the cookies for me so I could take a shower.

Oh yes, she also hid the Easter eggs, and made delicious homemade rolls. Kim brought two desserts and with the cookies and cupcakes I made we had four desserts. I also had cranberry celebration from Fry's because it is a family favorite. After eating the kids went out to find the Easter eggs. Everyone had two eggs with their names on them. Each egg had a dollar in it. Most of the rest of the eggs (there were 110) had quarters, and a few had either gum or candy. Ian hid the two $5 eggs, one for the kids 8 and under and one for the kids over 8. Max found the one for the younger kids and Dallin found the one for the older in a drain pipe and his $5 was all wet.

Sheri was the lifeguard for the kids who wanted to go swimming. James did the dishes so I could go lie down. Darrel offered to but I knew he was tired from camping and his feet really hurt from his arthritis.

James and I went to Costco this afternoon to get some of their yummy filet mignon steaks to cook for dinner tomorrow. We also got some Alpine Valley bread. I spent a relaxing evening in front of the tv just vegging out. I watched Pioneer Woman and American Idol while the Gonzo's were gone to Rudy's.

Friday, April 6, 2012

In this month's Ensign there is an article by Elder David A. Bednar entitled: "The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality." I learned so much from this article and I will be sharing excerpts from it for the next few days.
"President David O. McKay said: 'The purpose of the gospel is . . . to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature.' Thus the journey of mortality is to progress from bad to good to better and to experience the mighty change of heart - to have our fallen natures changed (see Mosiah 5:2). The Book of Mormon is our handbook of instructions as we travel the pathway from bad to good to better and strive to have our hearts changed.''

I spent several hours this morning spraying off the porch, patio and deck in preparation for Easter. This afternoon Kim, Joe, Sheri, Alex, Ben, Max, Evan, Trina, Addy, Rowan, and Ruby came over to dye Easter eggs. Joshua joined in the fun too but he only did one egg. He wanted it to be red so he left it in the dye a good long time. It turned out to be a beautiful dark pink.
Tomorrow is our egg hunt and potluck. I spent the evening filling plastic eggs with money while I watche Person of Interest with James. I have decided this show is too violent for me.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

No walk to Walmart this morning. Sheri and I went to the grand opening of Rudy's BBQ on 54th Street and Chandler Blvd. We got there around 6:30 am for a 7:00 opening. We had said if there was a large crowd we wouldn't stay. There were 12 people ahead of us in line. When the doors were opened we were greeted by a row of friendly people and one of them handed us a gift card worth $20 in Rudy's BBQ Bucks. The first 100 people all got one. Sheri and I bought ready made breakfast tacos (burritos). I bought a bacon, potato, sausage, and a brisket. James said the brisket was really good. On the way home we stopped at Circle K and got diet Dr. Pepper. It was our lucky day!
For lunch Karen Schneider asked me to go to the mall with her. When I went to pick her up she had lamps, a clock, candler holder and a huge comforter and some pillows she wanted to give me for the cabin. Thank you Karen. You have such good taste and nice hand-me-downs. We had lunch at Paradise Bakery. I had a salad and chicken noodle soup. Karen is a good friend and I am going to miss her.
I got my grocery shopping done at Fry's and Walmart before Sheri called me to go to north Scottsdale to visit a new confectionary shop there called Sweet Tooth Fairy. They have one in Provo, Utah and now this one in Scottsdale. They sell cupcakes and a delectable little treat called cake bites. I bought a baker's dozen of cake bites. I almost went in to a food coma on the way home. Very sweet and delicious. My fav was the fairy fetti. I did save some for Kim to try. Boy, it's a good thing it's in north Scottsdale because I shouldn't go there very often.
This was a day for eating out. Something I won't get to do nearly so often when I move to Vernon. James and I took Alexander to Nello's for his birthday date. We went there last year too. I forgot how good their pizza is!! First we got a pizza crust as an appetizer at Alex's request. Yummy deli-iscious! I had the individual bbq chicken pizza and let me tell you it was a little bit of heaven. I was going to save some for tomorrow but I couldn't stop eating it. James got a thin whole wheat crust crab pizza that he loved. It's Alex's favorite restaurant and now it's one of mine too!