Monday, July 23, 2012

I miss James and hope he can come home tomorrow evening.  His back is still really bothering him and he tried to make a doctor's appointment but Dr. Wilson and the physician's assistant are both out. 
I made cookies this morning before I went visiting teaching so I could take some to the sister I was visiting.

  I had an appointment to see Rosie Lauritzen at 10 o'clock this morning.  She drew me a map to her house, which is about 10 miles away but I got lost and she had to come and rescue me.  Rosie is the 1st counselor in the RS presidency and she teaches 4th grade.  Her husband Rick is the ward executive secretary and he has his own marriage counseling practice.  Theresa Smith is Rosie's neighbor and she came by for a visit while I was there.  The three of us had a nice visit and I am grateful to get to know these two sisters a little better.  I think I could be good friends with both of them.  Theresa is alot of fun and teaches line dancing every Monday afternoon and invited me to come.  Rosie is more spiritual and I really feel drawn to her.  After our visit I made a trip in to Walmart to get some appliques to use for visiting teaching cards and for YW's. 
It rained all afternoon and in to the evening.  I am so sorry that James is not here to enjoy this beautiful weather.

Can you see the rain?

 I had a nice visit with Karen Schneider on the phone this afternoon.  We had some catching up to do.  I played Scramble on my phone with Kim and Sheri.  They beat me so badly I don't know why I go back for more.
Today was the first day of school in Chandler.  Both Evan and Joshua started kindergarten. Max is in 3rd grade and Kim is the aid in his classroom.   Alex and Michael started high school and Ben started junior high.  Dallin is a senior.  Here are pictures of Josh, Evan and Max.

Joshua

Evan

Max

Sunday, July 22, 2012

I went to bed at 1am after I finished the handouts for today's lesson in Young Women's on service.  I was up at 5:40 to finish preparing the lesson.  At 7 am I attended ward council since Natalie Soderquist, the Young Women's president is still out of town.  I was supposed to do the training from the handbook but no one had told me so I read a few paragraphs and made a couple of comments and that was it.
We have several things coming up this week in the ward.  For Mutual it's a combined activity at the skate park in Show Low.  Friday night is the adult pinewood derby, and Saturday there is a stake dance for the youth, and Sunday is a stake youth fireside.  I found out today that Trenda Wilhelm's little four year old brother has leukemia and goes for treatment's every week to the Phoenix Children's Hospital.  Trenda is such an awesome young woman and the Wilhelm's are a wonderful family with 8 children.  I will be sure and pray for little Curtis.  Trenda is the oldest.  She is only 14 but seems older and is quite mature.  Maybe it's because she drives her dad's truck to church.  Things are different here in the country than they are in the big city of Chandler.
The them for sacrament meeting was pioneers.  At home Dave, Laura and Ben were the speakers in sacrament meeting.  Their theme was also pioneers.  I am so sorry I missed Ben's first talk in sacrament meeting.
Kilee Hunsaker made me feel good today in Young Women's.  She said I was her favorite.  I told her jokingly that maybe that's because she doesn't know me very well, but I was touched by her comment.
Our lesson went well and I told the girls I would be emailing every night this week and giving them a service challenge.  We are going to be Secret Service Agents.  Here is a picture of my handouts:

The spoon goes along with the story that is attached and represents loving and serving.  

The gum wrapper says: "Chews you this day whom ye will serve."

I came home from church and enjoyed some down time.  I had something to eat and did a little TV watching.  I watched Project Runway, the finale for The Next Foodnetwork Star, Justin won, and the finale for The Bachelorette where Emily chose my favorite guy, Jef, who is from Utah and is definitely LDS.

Here is a picture of Emily and Jef

I am going to miss Trina's delicious dinners.  I am still eating the enchiladas left over from Darrel's farewell luncheon.  They are delicious.  It rained hard this evening for a long time.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

James left very early this morning for the valley.  He has a job starting at Troon North Golf Course in Scottsdale. 
Trina and I went to the Show Low Farmer's market this morning while Darrel stayed home and took the kids on a Ranger ride. 

Part of the Farmer's market.

We met a guy from the Milky Ranch named Traegin Knight.  He knew my Dad.

After the farmer's market we drove up to the swap meet at Blue Ridge High School to see if we could find some bow and arrow sets like Trina got for her kids but we didn't have any luck.  Our last stop was at Walmart.  I took a picture of Trina's car and labeled it "Cars of Walmart."

Darrel, Trina and their kids left this afternoon sometime between 3 and 4 o'clock.  Before they left we put up Darrel's hammock in the backyard.  Ruby and Rowan tried it out.  Addy was too busy playing Barbie's.

I am going to miss these kiddos so much.  While Darrel & Trina were packing and cleaning I went outside and played ball with Ruby, Rowan, and Addy.  When I said goodbye to them Ruby said: "Don't worry Grandma, we will be back tomorrow."  Darrel said after they got home he explained to her that they weren't going back and she got really sad and said: "But I want to see my grandma."  Love that girl!



I am home alone.  I worked on my Young Women's lesson for tomorrow on Service.  I made a trip to Walmart to get some supplies to make handouts.  I will post pictures tomorrow.

Friday, July 20, 2012

At a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises", in Aurora, Colorado a madman set off a tear gas bomb and went up on stage and began shooting at people.  At first the audience thought it was part of the show but then pandemonium broke out when people realized it was for real.  12 people were killed and 50 wounded.  Such a tragedy.  Why do people do such horrific things?

The kids went out this morning to look for lizards and came back with this guy.

They named him "Flash."

Kylie is the one who caught him.

Lexy and her kids, Kylie, Kayla, and Kreed left this morning around 11:30.  They will be missed.  We had alot of fun while they were here.  I especially enjoyed hearing Kreed call James Grandpa.

Today was Darrel's last day at his work.  He had to do a presentation and then they had a luncheon for him to say goodbye.  Trina and the kids went and Trina took her famous chicken, black bean enchiladas which were a big hit.  

This afternoon Darrel, Trina and I and their kids went to the Butterfly Museum in Greer.  Addy had studied butterflies in school and so she was excited to see some butterflies.  It turned out to be kind of a dive and more of an historical museum than a butterfly museum.  There was a small display of dead butterflies in one of the rooms.  We had fun anyway because it had been raining and the weather was gorgeous!

Being Silly.

Love these kids.

Back at the cabin Grandpa caught a baby bluebird and brought it inside.  

There seems to be alot of bluebirds around our place.  Alex caught one when he was here too.

This evening  I watched the Wizard of Oz with the kids because Rowan asked me to.  We had to get out my little miniature dolls I collected from McDonald's.  Rowan said he had been looking for the Munchkin in the movie that looked like the Munchkin doll but he hadn't been able to find it.  He was so excited when we saw the one we thought was her.  He snuggled against me and even put his head in my lap.  

Thursday, July 19, 2012

James decided to go to the Urgent Care in Show Low to get some new pain medication.  I road in to town with him and read to him from our new Victoria Holt book, "Secret for a Nightingale."  He dropped me off at Persnikkity's Bakery where I met Trina, Lexy and the kids and Darrel. While we were there we said hello to Cher, Harold & Vickie's daughter-in-law who works next door at the beauty salon.  The kids had McDonald's and we had good food from Persnikkity's.  Darrel and I had the chicken almond salad sandwich and Trina and lexy had salads with chicken and cranberry.  We drove to the park and ate our lunch.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous.  We said goodbye to Darrel who had to go back to work and then we let the kids play at the park for awhile.  The park is right next to the Little League field and there was a Little League AllStar game going on with people from Nogales.  We hadn't been there long when it started to rain, so we packed up an left.

Here are some pictures of our picnic.

One more.

Back at the cabin Trina, Lexy and I watched an episode of Downton Abbey. Actually I think James and Darrel watched it with us.  The Emmy nominations were announced this week and Downton Abbey got 16 nominations!    James spent 4 hours at the Urgent Care and came back with two pain killer prescriptions., prednisone and hydrocordone.  Hopefully they help!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

James's back and hip and causing him a great deal of pain.  He spoke to someone at Healthnet who told him that it could be after affects from the carbon monoxide poisoning.  Whatever is causing it, it is almost unbearable for him.  He takes hydrocordone but he is almost out.  Our reading sessions aren't even relaxing for him because it is difficult for him to sit comfortably. 
We went into town yet again today to pick up a perscription, get some gas for the Ranger and to get some plates for the cookies I made for Mutual tonight.  James was miserable the entire time.  He did go with me to Mutual tonight which was a service project the ward is doing for a sister in our ward.  The priesthood quorums are involved so that's why James went.  Tonite the young men and young women and the priesthood took Judy Hunter's roof off of her house.  After all the old roofing was removed the attached a blue tarp because they won't be putting the new roofing on for a few days.  I was proud of the young women who participated: McKenzie, Leann, and Kylie Hunsaker, and their cousin Addy. Shelly and Jordyn Applegate, Trenda Wilhelm, and Mary Alice Swift.  I took my cookies and Sister Hunter had sloppy joes and homemade coleslaw and chips for everyone.  It was a fun evening.  I spent most of my time visiting with Sister Hunter.  She is very nice and friendly.  She gave me some more Vernon history.  On the way home we stopped at the Gillespie's and I gave Lannie a plate of cookies and spoke with her a few minutes.  She seems very nice.  Judy said she is actually the assistant superintendent of all the schools in Navajo county.  I am concerned about her though.  She had surgery on her foot in May and she says it is not healing correctly, that the bones are not fusing together.  Instead of cookies I should be taking her dinner.
I guess there was a bat in the cabin this evening.  Trina made all the kids stay in the bedroom.  Addy said: "Why?  Does he suck blood?"  When Trina said no, Addy said, "Then what's the big deal?"  Love that girl.
Lexy and Trina waited for me to get home to watch So You Think You Can Dance.  We were sad that Alexa, the girl from Chandler was sent home.

Here are some pictures of the roofing project.

 

The cute girl is McKenzie Hunsaker.

 

 

A silouhette of the cutest, sweetest girl, Trenda Wilhelm.

 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The doctor told James to take it easy today so that's what he did.  We did take a trip into town.  We had lunch at El Rancho and then made our usual stop at Home Depot and Walmart.  James picked up our blinds at Home Depot and I got stuff at Walmart to make chocolate chip cookies for Mutual tomorrow night.  Trina had taken the kids into town to play at the Show Low Park and then she went shopping at Walmart.  When she came back to the cabin there was a white Toyota van following her, just like Sheri's on it wasn't Sheri, it was Lexy and Kreed.  Lexy is married to Trina's brother Bryce and she is Kylie and Kayla's Mom along with Kreed's. 
We were all outside this evening enjoying the good weather.  James had to show me the huge pile of branches he had prepared to burn.  The kids had found a piece of metal to use for a slide for their club house.  Rowan found a horned toad and named him "Horny".