Thursday, August 9, 2012

Darrel and Trina insisted that we sleep in their bedroom while they slept on the couches.  It was so nice of them but so unnecessary.  We would gladly have slept on the couches.  We do appreciate their hospitality.
James's MRI was scheduled for 10:30 but he had to be there by 10:00 to fill out paperwork.  First, he dropped me off at Sheri's.  Sheri had a day planned for us to celebrate my birthday.  First we went to Sweet Tooth Fairy's in Scottsdale to get some cupcakes and cake bites.  I had the vanilla cupcake and let me just tell you that it is delicious.  It taste's homemade and it isn't too big and doesn't have too much frosting.  I loved it!
At around 12:15 we met Christy Wanlass and Drea Boles at the Paradise Bakery on Alma School and Queen Creek in Chandler for lunch.  Sheri bought my lunch.  I had the chinese chicken salad and creamy chicken soup with rice.  Very yummy!  Thanks Sheri.  After lunch we went for a pedicure, Sheri's treat again. I love looking at my toes after a pedicure, even if they are crooked.

After the pedicure it was time to pick up Alex from school, and then Max and Evan.  Ben has football practice until 5:30.  Joshua got home from school around 3:30.  Sheri, Max, Evan and I picked him up and took him to Target for his birthday date. Of course Joshua wanted a Lego set.  We finally ended up with a Batman Lego set and a ghost-monster smaller set.  After checking out I got pizza and a drink for Joshua and he was very happy.  Back at home Max and I put the Lego sets together.  Max did most of the work.  Thanks Max. 

Joshua had to take some time out to do his homework.

A happy, satisfied boy.

This evening I went with Kim and Sheri to dinner at the Olive Garden, one of my favorite restaurants.  Kim not only bought my dinner but she bought James's too.  We took it home to him.  He loves their stuffed chicken marsala.  I had chicken and shrimp with pasta and alfredo sauce, can't remember the exact name but it was delicious!  Thank you Sheri and Kim for making my birthday celebration so special.  I love both of you so very much!!  On the way back to Darrel and Trina's we stopped for ice cream at a Water and Ice.  It reminded me of when we use to go to Thrifty's with the kids for FHE only instead of 25 cents a scoop this ice cream was $3.59 for a double scoop. 

 Back at Darrel & Trina's Sheri was shocked when she saw her Dad.  He was so out of it with drugs he could barely talk to them.  She says she cried all the way home and then she emailed all of her siblings and asked them to fast for James this Sunday.  We were very touched and appreciated so much her concern.  She really does love her Dad. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday to Molly!  I love this girl and miss her so much even though she wouldn't talk to me on the phone.  She had to talk to Granpa and thank him for her birthday presents. 

Molly and her presents.

James and I left for the valley around noon.  We are staying at Darrel and Trina's and have a date with Rowan for his birthday this afternoon.  First we had to take the trailer we were pulling out to Chandler to park.  Rowan was so excited to go on his "Date."  He wanted to go shopping at Toys R Us and then have dinner at Paradise Bakery.  We couldn't find exactly what he wanted at Toys R Us so we went across the street to Target.  You can always find something you want at Target.  He got the Sumari Castle and a Darth Mall Lego watch.  He could care less about the watch, he just wanted the Darth Mall action figure. 

Rowan and his castle

When we were at Paradise Bakery Rowan wanted to take a cookie home to both of his sisters.  I told him I brought some cookies for them that I had made.  How sweet that he wanted to share with his sisters!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

I went for a walk this morning for about 35 minutes.  I am gradually working up to 1 hour and hopefully will be able to go 3 miles and burn 300 calories.
James gets up in the morning and after breakfast and scriptures he takes his meds and lays down for a nap.  This morning he slept until 11 and then decided it was time to get up and work on payroll.  It took a long time because he had to email about sixteen pages to John at the payroll company.  We have two new guys who are not in the system.
The weather is absolutely gorgeous.  It clouds up and rain s and cools down to 70 degrees.  I feel like I am in heaven.  James took me to lunch at El Rancho today and I discovered their shrimp tacos.  Delicious!
Some of the things I did today: made chocolate chip and peanut butter chip cookies using a new receipe that calls for pudding.  They were quite tasty.  Talked to my friend Karen Schneider.  Played Scramble on my phone, watched Foodnetwork, and watched Misty Mae and Kerri win another volleyball match.  They play for the gold tomorrow against the other team from the US.  Go Misty and Kerri!

My yummy cookies.  Thanks Marci Coombs for the receipe!

Monday, August 6, 2012

This morning I worked on updating my Sunday Church journal and I read the Young Women's lesson for next week on the importance of education and obtaining knowledge.  James and I sat on the porch and watched the clouds come in while we read from the Book of Mormon and our Victoria Holt book.  Also, I must confess I have anew addiction.  I love to play Scramble on my phone with Kim and Sheri.  I don't know why I play them because they beat me and they beat me badly.  The game is addicting though.
James and I went in to town this afternoon.  We had forgotten to take our trash to the dump on Saturday so we timed it just right today and got there right when it opened, at 1 pm.  We were going to go to LaCasita but it's closed on Monday's so we went to El Rancho instead.  There green chile burros aren't quite as good but I also had a shrimp taco which was delicious!  I did some shopping at Walmart while James waited in the car.  Afterwards we stopped at National Bank and opened an account.  James wants an account at a smaller bank.
Vickie and Dennis came out this evening.  Vickie brought James a walker and some pills and lots of advice.  It was very thoughtful of her.  We had a nice visit and watched a little of the Olympics.  Dennis, Denise and Denise's mom just got back from a trip to Chicago and now he's getting ready to go to Tennessee.
It rained again today and got down to 63.  The high was 72. 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Today I am fasting for two people who have health problems, Kim and James. 
We had a sweet fast and testimony meeting today.  Curtis Wilhelm, the 4 year old boy who has cancer and is doing chemo treatments so he has no hair, bore his testimony.  Ty Applegate a ten year old boy who fell out of a tree and is in a torso and neck brace, and has two broken arms bore his testimony and reminded us that Heavenly Father loves all of his children.  Sister Swansey, our new convert, just had surgery on her hand and she bore a touching testimony.  I am so grateful for the testimonies of other members because it strengthens my testimony.
James was so miserable but he wanted to come and partake of the sacrament.  I took him home after sacrament meeting.  When I got back to the church I asked Brother Wallace if he could send someone over this afternoon to give James a blessing.
When Sister Soderquist and I got into the young women's room no one was there except Jordyn Applegate.  Sister S.(Natalie) went out to look for them and she never came back so I went out to look.  The only person I saw was the bishop's wife, Denise Hall.  I asked her if she had seen the young women and she said yes, they were in opening exercises of Relief Society.  Oops!  That's were we are suppose to be on fast Sunday.  By this time it was too late for me to go in so I went back to the young women's room with Jordyn. 
Natalie gave the lesson on finding and using our talents.  I provided a handout.  We got a new Laurel class president.  McKenzie Hunsaker was released and Mary Swift was called and set apart.  She is an indian girl and her adopted mother, Sister Singleton was there for the setting apart.  Mary is a very sweet girl.  She is a bit of a tomboy and hangs out with the boys alot and loves to play basketball.  She is a senior and when I asked her what her plans were for next year she said she didn't have any.  This concerns me.
I spoke with Tina Allen today who is our young women's secretary about her two year old granddaughter who has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.  She is on methotrexate and enbrel and her hair is falling out.  She has it so badly that the doctors said if her mother hadn't caught it when she did that she would be in a wheelchair.  She is in so much pain she cries all the time and just wants her mom to hold her.  She also has night terrors (so do I) because of the meds.  My heart goes out to her and I will pray that soon her arthritis will go in to remission.  Her name is Marlee.
When I got home James was asleep on the bed with his white shirt and tie, pants, and shoes still on.  He slept until right before 4pm when Sean and Kip Hunsaker came over to give him a blessing.  James talked to them for a long time about the history of his back and heart problems.  I am worried about how he talks very slowly.  I hope it's because of his medicine and not because he has any damage from the carbon monoxide poisoning. 
Sean Hunsaker gave James a wonderful blessing and I felt so much better after they left.  Kip came back and brought a maching called a Chi machine that he uses for his back pain (the Hunsaker's work in concrete too) and some herbal tea that is supposed to be like a detox.  I am so grateful for the Hunsaker family.  They are goo neighbors. 
We had rain today and lots of it.  I love this weather!!  When it rains James and I love to go on the backporch and read.  First we read from the Book of Mormon and then we read from our Victoria Holt book of the week.  The one we just started is an historical fiction novel about Marie Antionette. 
Misty Mae Treanor and Kerri Walsh -Jennings won another volleyball match.  I love them!

Saturday, August 4, 2012

I was up before 5 to get ready for the temple.  We met at the Church at 5:30.  It was almost 6 before we left.  These are the leaders who went: Wes Smith from the bishopric, Sean Hunsaker, the scoutmaster, Brother Diewald, the young men's secretary, and Bishop Hall, and myself.  Wes Smith assigned who was to ride in what car and we were on our way.  The following young men who went: Aaron Windsor, Kendall Hall, Westin Hall, Tyler Hunsaker, and Talon Wilhelm.  The young women: Trenda Wilhelm, Kilee and Leann Hunsaker, Mary Swift, and Shelly and Jordyn Applegate.  Mary, Shelly and Jordyn rode with me. 
When we arrived at the temple the first thing we did was go into the chapel and have a devotional.  We sand "I Stand All Amazed".  The temple president and his wife, Brother and Sister Baldwin spoke, and Bishop Hall spoke.  It really set the tone.  Each youth was baptized and confirmed for 15 individuals.  Most of the names came from Sister Ruth Wallace who is a member of our ward.  I sat in on the girls confirmations and then handed out towels.  It was a wonderful experience and the right place to be on a Saturday morning.

The youth in the Vernon ward are awesome!

When we were finished at the temple I asked the girls in my car if they would like to go to McDonald's to get something to eat.  The Applegate girls said in unison, "No!" "Let's go to La Cupidas."  We followed Bishop Hall and he lead us  right to La Cupidas.  The Hunsaker's were there too.  This is the place to get breakfast burritos!  They were delicious.  Kilee Hunsaker talked me into buying here some Skittles and then she rode home with us.  Some people slept on the way home.  Luckily I wasn't one of them.

In other news today was Vernon Days at the Vernon park.  There were vendors selling their wares, games, and food.  Brother Applegate helped prepare the BBQ pig.  I drove past on my way to the post office but didn't stop.  I didn't want to go by myself and James wasn't feeling well.

It was cool and overcast with some rain today.  James and I went on a Ranger ride.  As we were coming back I took a picture of James's favorite tree on our property.  It is so sad that it is dying.

James says this tree is at least 500 years old.  

Maybe it just got tired of living.

Friday, August 3, 2012

James is so miserable most all of the time except when he takes his drugs and then he is sleepy.  I wish I knew what to do to help him feel better.  Once he gets his MRI we can go from there as to what to do next.
We went to town today.  We went to the bank and then to LaCasita for lunch. I absolutely love their green chili burros.  They are just as good as the ones at Burger House.  James loves them too.  He also loves their crab enchiladas.

  Since I am leaving at 5:30 in the morning to go to the Snowflake temple we got gas and washed my car.  It did rain today so it may be muddy by morning. 
This week's Sunday School lesson is Alma writing letters to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton.  The lesson emphasizes the need to communicate to our children, both those who are doing well, and those who may need some encouragement to choose the right. 
I watched Project Runway and Chopped this evening.  It's the Grill Master competition on Chopped and they are outside at an old west movie set here in Arizona.  There are 16 competitors on 4 different segments.  The winner gets $50,000.

Leann Hunsaker made this for us when she spent the night.