Thursday, October 11, 2012

James and Alex went fishing again today.  Yesterday James didn't have a license but today he did. 

Nice "Catch and Release."

Alex's smaller fish.

Alex's big  fish.

It was a great day for the fishermen.

Sheri, Kim, Evan and I took a ride up the mountain to see the fall leaves.  Kim, Evan and I started out on the Ranger and Sheri was in my car.  It started to rain so Evan decided to ride with his mom in the car.  Kim and I stayed on the Ranger a few more miles and then we stopped and got in the car too.  

A carpet of leaves.

When we got back to the cabin it was time for Sheri to go home.  Alex asked to stay and go home with grandpa on Monday.  So when it was time to go Sheri, Ben, Max, and Evan left and Alex stayed. 

Sheri had to watch a couple of episodes of The Mentalist before she left.  I have her hooked on the show now.  I am going to miss her and her boys.  We had alot of fun the last couple of days.  I am grateful that Kim is still here and I'm looking forward to spending more time with her.

Kim and I both went shopping at Walmart and then we came home and fixed tacos for dinner.  The boys, Cody, Dallin, Joe, Michael, and Alex went to Native New Yorker and got wings.  James, Kim and I enjoyed our "nacho" tacos.  (We used chips instead of taco shells.)

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

James and Alex went fishing today at Silver Creek by the fish hatchery.  I guess they had a great time because they want to go back tomorrow.

Back at home Sheri, Ben, Max, Evan and I went on a Ranger ride.  We drove up the side of the "Pit" and parked the Ranger and walked to the swing.  Ben and Max have been looking forward to the swing. 

This swing goes out over the hill and it looks

like about a 30 foot drop to the ground.

 Max is flying.

Safely back on the ground.

Evan pushing Max.  

Gee I wonder what Sheri's doing?

Ben's turn.

I wonder if she can text and swing at the same time.

 Hanging on with both hands.

I think she had texting withdrawals.

Evan posing on the swing, but not swinging. 

No way!!

Evan kept asking to go down the pit.  So we finally left the swing, which he did not like, and Sheri took us for a ride down the pit on the Ranger.  It was fun because this time we didn't go from the top.  Last time I went from the top and it was too scary.

Evan loved it!

Cody and Dallin arrived this afternoon and so did Kim, Joe, and Michael.  Kim is helping my young women make cake pops this evening.  Sheri made 3 cakes and I made one to use for tonight.  

We had a house full of seven boys.  Some of them enjoyed playing Rockband.

Michael, Dallin, Joe, and Cody Miner.

The music put Evan to sleep.

After the young women got here the boys moved over to the other couch and played their guitars and sang.

MaKenzi, Trenda, and Kilee.

Trenda and Kilee.

Taking a bite.

Spooky cake pops.

Cake pops and Evan.

Sister Nicoll (Kaeli), Jordyn, Hope, and LeeAnn.

Working on posters for the Halloween party.

Kim and Jordyn. That's Mary by

the dining room table.

Hope, Trenda, Kilee, Mary, Paris, and Hailey.

Mary.

Shelly and Sister Soderquist working on posters.

Spooky bouquet we made for Sister Miller who was

released as a YW counselor last month.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

While James is working hard at the Yoshimine's I am playing up here with Sheri and her boys.
I made the boys some monkey bread for breakfast.

 This was yummy!

Max, Evan and I had a marshmallow shooting contest outside.

Max was the contest winner.

The boys went down to Chocolate Lake.  Sheri got a text from Ben that Alex got bit by a snake.  I panicked until we found out it was only a water snake. 

Evan wanted a hat so I gave him this one.  He liked it at first but then he decided he wanted a red and purple one.

You gotta love this kid.

  I needed to go to town to get supplies for tomorrow night's Mutual activity.  Sheri and the boys went with me.  We stopped at Little Caesar's for lunch then drove toward's Walmart and stopped by Show Low Creek and ate our pizza.  There is a 1.5 mile hike you can take beyond the creek up in the trees which we took.  The boys loved it, especially Evan.

I think Alex was checking out the creek when I took

this picture.

That's Sheri with the red shirt.

Alex and Max at Show Low Creek.

My hiking buddies.

After our hike we went on to Walmart to do a little shopping and then we headed back home to Vernon. 

Sheri and I watched The Mentalist.  Now she's addicted too.  

James came home after a hard days work and brought us a bag of green chili burros.  It was too late to eat them this evening.

 

Monday, October 8, 2012

James left for the valley this morning to finish the Yoshimine's job.  I had big plans for the day.  I was going to go in to town to do some shopping but it never happened.  Instead I stayed home and puttered around the house.  There have been four seasons of The Mentalist and they have recently been featuring several episodes everyday on TNT.  I have been taping them and James and I have been watching them and we have about 30 episodes taped that we haven't watched.  James said he would never watch that many and it would be okay if I watched some episodes without him.  I watched three of four episodes today.
I did go in to Vernon to get the mail and to get some refreshments at the Vernon Store.

Sheri and her boys arrived around 9:30 this evening.  I was very excited to see them!

Sheri watching The Mentalist with me and

playing Head Banz with Evan.

 I love the expression on Evan's face.

Tricia sent me this picture of James at his first band concert.  He plays the french horn because a former band teacher told him it was the hardest instrument to play.  

 You have to admire this boy for choosing the hardest instrument.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

I watched three sessions of General Conference today, the 3rd and 4th sessions and the Priesthood session online.
One of the other announcements made yesterday was the building of a temple in Tucson, Arizona and one in Peru.
Here are a few of my favorite conference quotes: "Our youth have never been stronger.  They are better prepared than any other generation." -Quentin L. Cook
"I'm a Mormon, I know it, I live it, I love it." - Ann M. Dibb
"We need to become as little children, humble and meek so that we might be taught by the Holy Ghost." - Craig C. Christensen
"Look forward with hope instead of backward with despair." - Shayne M. Bowen
"Missionaries are powerful ambassadors of the Lord." - Elder Russell M. Nelson
"Is busyness a badge of a superior life?"  "Was Jesus too busy?"  "He gave the precious gift of His time." - President Uchtdorf
"5 Things Parents Can Do To Strengthen Families"
1  Pray in earnest.
2. FHE, scripture study, meal times together.
3.  Use the Church support system.
4.  Share your testimony with your children.
5. Organize family duties."  - Elder L. Tom Perry
"Let us deepen our commitment to Christ." - Elder M. Russell Ballard
"My testimony is my most precious possession." - Elder Robert C. Gay
"Do away with flaws to be temple worthy." -Scott D. Whiting
"Remain steadfast and immovable by praying, repenting, pondering scripture, and fasting." -Elder Neil L. Andersen
"We must protect and act for the well-being of our children." - Elder Dallin H. Oaks
"Strengthen your marriage, and help your children to become 'converted.'" - Elder D. Todd Christofferson
 "What you do when you are alone and no one is watching is an indication of your virtue." - Bishop Gary E. Stevenson
"How to strengthen conversion and family relations: 1.Pray always 2.Scripture study 3.Worthily participate in ordinances 4.Show genuine love 5.Obey the law of tithing 6.Fully live the law of Chastity." -Anthony D. Perkins
"Angels are round about you bearing you up." - Pres. Uchtdorg
"No one is intended for failure.  Each child has great, unique gifts." - Pres. Eyring
"A woman needs to be told that she is beautiful everyday." - Pres. Monson
"God is never hidden yet sometimes we are.  He is always close to us" -Pres. Eyring
"He who has repented is forgiven.  We are made clean through the blood of Christ." - Pres. Packer
"Observe then Serve.  We are the Savior's hands when we serve the one." - Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President
"Sometimes we need to change our To Do List to follow a prompting." -Walter F. Gonzalez
"Love God and remain clean from the blood and sins of this generation." - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"The Lord is in the details of our lives." - Pres. Monson
"What does it mean to be a Christian?" - Elder Robert D. Hales
"Neglecting our dead is done at the peril of our own salvation." -Richard G. Scott
In regards to gospel teaching: "Conversions is the aim, Love is the motive, Doctrine is the key." -Russell T. Osguthorpe, General Sunday School President
"Take the shield of faith and withstand all of the fiery darts of the adversary." - Marcu B. Nash
Elder Daniel L. Johnson asked his 23 grandchildren "What it means to be a disciple of Christ?".  He got an answer from all of them.  He shared 8 year old Benjamin's answer and it was wonderful!
"Principles of preparation for the Sacrament: Gratitude, Remembering baptismal covenants, repenting, looking for solutions to problems." - Don R. Clarke
"Testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth through personal revelation.  Conversion is an offering of self, a mighty change where we have no more disposition to do evil.  Come unto Christ and offer your whole souls as an offering unto Christ.  Bury your temptations as the converted Lamanites buried their weapons of war.  Lamps of Testimony and Oil of Conversion." -Elder David A. Bednar (my favorite talk!).
"Listen to the inspiring messages from the conference again, ponder them and apply them to our lives." - Pres. Monson.

Darrel sent me this picture of the construction on the temple being built in Phoenix.

 With the announcement of the Tucson temple that makes

six for Arizona!

Several of the conference talks were about children and families.  Children are such a blessing in my life.  I love my children, their spouses and my beautiful grandchildren.  Here are a couple of my blessings.

Making cookies after conference.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Happy Birthday to my awesome sister-in-law, Vickie Maxwell!

I was up early this morning baking muffins and quiche. 

Blueberry and Poppy Seed muffins.

Potato, Ham and Cheese quiche.

We also had biscuits with jam or honey, and grapes.  Everything tasted yummy and it gave us the energy to watch conference.  

Kiley, LeAnn, Mary, MaKenzi, Sister Nicoll and Alex.

Jordyn on the floor and Shelly about to run in front of her.(Notice

how Shelly is keeping her eye on the screen.)

Brother and Sister Soderquist and Jonah.

James going over to shake hands with Brother Soderquist.

Jordyn, Jonah and Adalyn on the floor.

That's Alex Jones in the green shirt.

The Soderquist's brought lots of cookies to share.  Chocolate with peanut butter chips, white chocolate macadamian and chocolate chip.  After each talk Sister Soderquist had each person share something they learned from the talk and then each person got to go get a cookie.  

The big news this morning was the lowering of mission age requirements, boys to 18 and girls to 19.  This announcement had Facebook and Twitter so supercharged that a number of smartphones burst into flame mid-tweet.  This is the biggest news in recent Church history - bigger, even, than the August 29 clarification that caffeinated soda had been taken off the Righteousness Watch List.

After everyone went home James and I watched the second session by ourselves.  I took careful notes in both sessions.  The afternoon session ended at 3 and by 3:30 we were at China Wadlington's baptism.  China will be the newest edition to our Laurel class.  We are so happy to have here as a part of our Young Women's group!

While James was gone to the priesthood session I fixed some spaghetti and a salad for dinner.

 It was a wonderful day!

 

Friday, October 5, 2012

Today James and I went on our first Ranger ride since our accident.  This time we wore our seatbelts.  The weather was perfect, around 70 degrees.

We had originally planned to go to Green's Peak to see if the leaves had changed color but changed our minds because there were so many elk hunters on the road.  I got this picture of a little bush.

 While James and I were going on a Ranger ride Brian was doing this:

I spent most of the day cleaning, getting ready for the young women to come over in the morning.  James went with Chuck Crane this afternoon to do a service project at the Olf's. ( an elderly couple that Churck home teaches.)
This evening we went to the Show Low, Winslow football game.  Show Low ended up winning 40-7.

The football team dancing with the spirit line after the game.  Colby is on the right in the front with his foot in the air.  He is number 4.  I tried to take a video but they big guy in front of me was kind of in the way.