Tuesday, May 15, 2012

We left this morning at 6am Texas time.  James keeps reverting back to Arizona time and that's why I have to qualify.  We stopped at McDonald's drive-thru for breakfast and then we were on our way down 1-20.  We arrived in Gordon around 12:15.  Laura's sister Elaine met us at the Bar-B Restaurant to pick up Laura and Dave.  I guess her home is way out in the country and she didn't think we could find her.  We said our goodbyes and were on our way to Frisco. I downloaded Map Quest as Jared suggested and we had no problem finding his house. I like this app because if you are driving alone "Tracy" will tell you what your next move should be.  We arrived just as the kids were getting home from school so it was perfect timing.  I love their house and the way Tricia has decorated.  The thing that I noticed is there is no dirt here.  There is either grass, concrete or red brick houses.  I love it!  For dinner Jared and Tricia took us to a place called "Babes".  I ordered the chicken fried steak.  There were only 5 choices.  It was a fun place.  This evening after the kids went to bed we watched "Dancing with the Stars."  Derek and Maria went home.  I was surprised.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

James and I didn't get up until after the kids went to school.  Tricia was already gone to the gym.  We packed up Molly and followed Jared to the tire store.  After dropping his car off we all went to the Corner Bakery for some breakfast.  I had the chicken apple sausage and egg panini and it was delicious!

Molly wanted to go to the park.  James wasn't feeling well so he went to lie down while Jared, Tricia, Molly and I walked to the park.  It is quite warm, in the 80's and a little humid, but there are huge trees and everything is green.

When the kids got home from school Emmy wanted to play WordQuest.  We tried to play but it was hard with Molly. 

This evening James and I had dinner at Kay and John McClellan's home in McKinney, about 6 miles from Jared and Tricia's.  The homes in this area are more established with large trees and of course Kay's home is gorgeous.  Kay was babysitting her little granddaughter Rose who is a year old.  Our dinner was delicious and we had such a nice visit with Kay.  We didn't stay long because they had just returned from Atlanta where John's daughter was married. 

Monday, May 14, 2012

James, Dave, Laura and I left at 5 am for Texas.  We drove to Demming and had lunch at Denny's with James and Dave's Dad, George.  I am sorry I didn't take a picture.  We drove through El Paso and thought about Jared and Tricia living here.  I told Jared they should live in Las Cruces, New Mexico because it was much prettier and only 40 miles away.  Our next stop was in Van Horn, Texas where we spent the night at the Motel 6.  All I can say is there was no wasted space in that room or the bathroom.  James has felt miserable the entire trip.  His shoulder is really bothering him.  Laura and I went shopping at one of the only two stores in town, The Dollar Store.  I got all of the things I needed including dark chocolate for James.  We had dinner at the Subway, went back to the hotel and went to bed.  This town has one main road and many of the businesses have closed down.  It's a dying town.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day.  Yesterday we visited James's Mom and took her Mother's Day gift to her.  She said she had watched part of the series (Downton Abbey) and would look forward to watching the rest of it.  We also got to visit with Dawn.  Lois told us that Gail had been having trouble with Jasmine running away so he sent her to live with Heather and Drennan.  They have both been counselor's for troubled teens so maybe they can help her.

This is where we went to church this morning.  This is the Del Rio building in Chandler.  Today will be our last Sunday going to this building for awhile.

Yes, that's James standing behind the bush.  We have lots of wonderful memories in this building.  Sheri was blessed here the first meeting held in the building in 1975.

Cathi Lambson and Bishop Wilson were the speakers in sacrament meeting today.  Afterwards all the women got See's candy bars.  Jeff Chubbs taught Sunday School and Karin Gonda taught Relief Society.
My friend Paula wasn't here today.  I missed her.

After church James came home and fixed me lunch.  We had tenderloin fillet steaks, grilled asparagus, salad, rolls, and cheesecake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.  It was delicious.  Afterwards I had to take a nap.

Trina and Darrel came over this afternoon.  They brought me scotch mellows from See's and two $25 gift cards to go out to eat.  They know the way to my heart.  Kim and Sheri both came by this afternoon and Jared called me.  Sheri got me some beautiful purple flowers.  All in all it was a good day.  I do miss my Mom though.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Worked in the yard this morning.  I mowed the front lawn and swept  I trimmed the two honeysuckle bushes in the front yard.  I swept the side and I swept the patio and put the new cushions on the patio chairs.  They look nice. 

At 11 Kim and Sheri took me to lunch at Cheesecake Factory for Mother's Day.  I had the chinese chicken salad for lunch so I could have this for dessert.

Yum deli iscious!

Trina worked today and Darrel needed to study for finals so Sheri watched their kids this afternoon. 
Addy, Max, Rowan and Evan waiting for Sheri to come down so they can go swimming.

Ruby decided she didn't really want to swim.  She would rather hang out with Grandpa and eat M&M's.

This evening James and I finished the British TV series The North and the South.  It was quite depressing throughout but it had a good ending. 

Friday, May 11, 2012

Ran errands today and picked up Joshua and Evan at preschool.  I went to three Barnes and Nobles and bought something at each one.  I bought season one and two of Downton Abbey to give to Lois for Mother's Day and I bought the cupcake puzzle again for Stacy.  Sheri spilled water on the last one. 

James surprised me today and bought a new dishwasher.  What was more surprising was when I came home this evening and he was putting it in. 

This were going quite well until water started gushing out from under the sink.  James went outside to turn off the main water valve and Stacy and I ran to get towels.  James came back in with a frantic look on his face.  The shut-off valve box was completely full of dirt from gophers.  He finally got it dug out and the water turned off.  

This is after the flood.  Notice the towels on the floor.  Alls well that ends well and this ended well.  Our new dishwasher is installed and is working properly.  It looks great!

Michael and Alex had their state track meet today.  Here is Michael in his track uniform.  I missed getting a picture of Alex.  Michael got 2nd in the 800 and brought home a medal.  

In Texas James and Jared had their fathers and sons outing.  It rained.  The rain brought out the frogs.  When life gives you rain, catch a frog.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

I read this story this morning that made me cry.  It was a good cry.  It's called "Epiphany in The Elm Tree" and is taken from the book 'Walking on Water' by Michael Wilcox.  The story is about him.
"The first real testimony I had of Jesus came when I was a little boy about seven years old.  I was sitting in a sacrament meeting with my mother who had a beautiful singing voice.  The sacrament hymn that day was 'More Holiness Give Me.'  Normally I wasn't too interested in sacrament meeting.  I was wanting to get back home, to The Wonderful World of Disney and the Ponderosa ranch on bonanza, so I fidgeted through sacrament meeting.  But for some reason as I listened to my mother sing "More Holiness Give Me," the words of the hymn began to fill an empty place in my heart that was reserved only for sacred and special things  Nothing had ever touched that spot in my heart before, but those words went in and touched that spot.  When she came to the line, "more longing for home," I was filled with an intense homesickness for a place - but more for a Being, for two Beings.  Then I heard the last line, "More, Savior like thee," and I knew somehow that the secret to my returning to that place and to those beings that I longed for was to be "More, Savior, like thee."  In my little-boy heart, I wanted to be like him.  I went home that afternoon to the elm tree that grew in our front yard.  I climbed up into it and sat there in the leaves and I quietly sang that song over and over again to myself.  I so dearly wanted to go home.  I wanted to be like Jesus so that I could go home.

When I read this story I think of the innocence of little children and how they really are more like the Savior than any of us.  This little boy had an opportunity to feel the Spirit because he was in the right place at the right time and it profoundly affected his life forever.  It reminds me of the great responsibility we have to help our children feel of the Savior's love for them.  I needed this story today because it was one of those trying days where minor irritations become major inconveniences.  It started out with our printer.  We spent $54 on ink yesterday and now the darn things won't print.  I tried all my tricks and after about an hour I gave up.

We had taken our car to Erik's this morning because he was going to put on new back brakes.  He couldn't find the wheel lock so James went to Discount Tire to see if they had it.  No they didn't.  I drove to Chandler Lexus and they a set of wheel locks but they didn't have the one for my car so I ended up driving to Scottsdale to pick one up.  Another minor irritation, my CD player won't work.  After making the trip to Scottsdale and picking up the wheel lock which we have to have before going to Texas in case we have a flat tire, my day got better.

James and I  finished "The Hunter's Moon" today and I was right, Holly went home on American Idol.