Saturday, October 20, 2012

Today we had a family Saturday.  Kim, Brian, Stacy, James and I all attended the 10 a.m. session together.  Afterwards I put all of our children, their spouses, and grandchildren's names on the temple prayer roll.  It was a good feeling.  The temple is all about families. 
"When we bless our ancestors with saving ordinances, they are suddenly endowed with power to help save our children.  Whoever seeks to help those on the other side receives help in return in all the affairs of life."-Elder John A. Widstoe.
After the temple we took Kim, Brian, and Stacy to lunch at Joe's BBQ. I loved their pulled pork sandwich!

James went back to the house and took a nap while I went out to finish my Halloween shopping.  I bought each of the kids a Halloween cup filled with candy, and also bought lots of glow sticks. 

At 5 pm we met everyone at Discovery Park in Gilbert.  Adam, Brian, and Trina were the only ones not able to be there.  Jared Ammon and Danielle came!  The older boys, Max and up, and Ian and Paul all played football in the park until it got too dark.  Addy, Ruby, Rowan, Joshua, and Evan loved playing with the glowsticks.  Stacy talked Dallin, Michael, and Joseph into playing and singing for us.  Danielle, Stacy, and Sheri visited.  Kim, Addy, Joshua and I tried to get a game of kickball going but it kind of fizzled out. 
Grandpa took a walk around the park with Ruby. 

Notice the top of the Gilbert Temple in the background.

I had to put in this picture of

Ruby that Trina sent me earlier this week.

Cute Addy.  Love the
Smile!

Alex caught this fish earlier in the day at Power Ranch.

 

 

 

 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Since Adam is still recovering from surgery Laura took me down to the Chandler Municipal Court this morning to take care of Adam's parking ticket.  The attendant told me that my license had not been suspended.  They only do that for moving violations.  That was a relief.  It was nice of Laura to take me and Adam did pay me for the ticket when I got home.  Disaster averted.

Today is my friend Charlotte Mattice's birthday.  She is 74, 10 years and 2 months older than I am.  Karen Schneider picked me up and then we went to pick up Charlotte.  We went to Applebee's and had their soup and salad lunch.  I had french onion soup and spinach, shrimp salad.  We had shooter hot fudge sundaes for dessert.  Everything was delicious, but not too filling.  Charlotte shared with us that she told her children not to contact her for her birthday.  Her son Kelly came over last Monday and pretty much told her that none of her children liked her very well.  I know Charlotte had a little "bite" to her, but I don't think any mother deserves to be told her children don't like her.  She said Karen and I were the one bright spot in her life,  so I am glad we took her out for her birthday.

Kim went with Evan and the other kindergarteners on a field trip this week.  She took this picture:

"Look Mom, I got him."

Like mother, like son.

This afternoon I went with James to Bass Pro Shop to get a pair of shoes with the money the Braddock's gave him for helping Alex with his Eagle Project.  He got camo boots to work in and we had dinner at Islamadora's.  This evening we went to Sheri and Ian's and watched 3 episodes of The Mentalist.  

Denise texted me about the Show Low vs. Blue Ridge game.  Blue Ridge won 24-14.  I guess Colby threw a pass that Blue Ridge caught and scored on.  I bet he felt terrible.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Ardeth Kapp is my idol.  She is amazing.  I had an opportunity to travel with her in England and she is one of the most kind and gracious, loving, warm people I have ever met.  Is it any wonder that I buy her books and then quote from them on my blog?
 "Self-worth cannot be earned or affected by anything that may happen in this life.  Worth is constant and unchanging.  It is a fact that worthiness does not determine worth.  You cannot sin enough to change your worth to the Lord who loves you.  In Jacob 2:21 this principle is explained very clearly: And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other.  I think we innocently allow the theft of our "identity" by focusing more on our esteem than on our worth.  It is not until you and I comprehend the magnitude of our eternal destiny - who we are and Whose we are - and find peace, regardless of life's circumstances, that we reach our potential.  Recognizing our self-worth controls ultimately our ability to love God, to love others, to love life, and to love ourselves."  Ardeth G. Kapp

James and I left for the valley this afternoon.  We got about 10 miles down the road when we realized we forget our meds.  When you are old you can't go anywhere without your meds so we had to turn around and go back.

Joshua was happy to see us and gave us a big hug.  Evan and Max gave us hugs too.  Alex was excited to see Grandpa and immediately started giving him the latest update of information he has researched regarding the building of the pond at the cabin.  Dallin gave up his room for us.  Thanks Dallin. Adam had surgery today to remove a cyst from his spinal cord.  He was sleeping when we arrived. 

James did some errands this evening and I went to see a movie with Kim and Sheri.  We saw "Pitch Perfect."  I think the girls liked it better than I did.  It could have been a cute movie but I was offended by some of the language.  I did like Fat Amy.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

James left early this morning for Demming, New Mexico to see his Dad.  About an hour after he left he called and said he was on his way home.  I guess his Dad called and said he wasn't ready to meet.  George has not been feeling well and wants to get his affairs in order before he passes away.  He has asked James to help him.  James said he was going back next week and was wondering if I would like to go with him and go on over to El Paso to see Jared's family after he's finished with his Dad.  I said that sounded like a great idea.

My visiting teachers, Alicia Hunsaker and Linda Price came by for a visit this morning.  Linda actually lives in the valley but she is up here for a couple of weeks.  I always enjoy their visits.  Colter, Alicia's four year old son came too.  He played with the toys and when he was finished he put them away and announced to his Mom that it was time to go.

We had a combined Young Men, Young Women service activity this evening.  Some of the high priests and elders helped too.  We went to the Hunsaker's and split wood for the widows.  I was so impressed with some of our young women, especially the Applegate girls for how hard they worked.  We split 13 cords of wood.  Here are some pictures:

Shelly Applegate.  This girl never stopped working!

Kilee Hunsaker.

Victoria Alexander. Victoria is the DeWitt's granddaughter 

and she lives in Gilbert.  Her family brought their

wood splitter and helped with our service project.

That's Jordyn Applegate in the hat.

Shelly catching a block of wood thrown to her by

Brother Allen.

Running the splitter.  That's Kaeli Nicoll in the gray sweatshirt.

Steve Allen, Natalie Soderquist, Kaeli Nicoll, and LeeAnn Hunsaker.

MaKenzi Hunsaker doing it the old-fashioned way.

The girls want to do everything the boys do.

Mary Swift.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Today's thought is from Ardeth Kapp's book "Doing What We Came To Do" p. 9.
"The adversary would, if possible, like to keep us busily engaged in a multitude of things - even good things - that would distract us from the few things that make all the difference.  Pruning may require cutting back, eliminating, and discarding distractions.  These may not necessarily be bad things.  More likely, we will find that it is some of the nonessential distractions that can weigh us down. Pruning takes careful thought concerning what we really want to have happen after all is said and done.  Ponder. Pray. Prune."
I got a letter from the City of Chandler in the mail James brought back.  It was a parking ticket for Adam's car which he got on August 22nd.  Since the car is in my name the ticket was also in my name.  When I called the city the woman said that my license was suspended.  This seemed very unfair and according to James unconstitutional.  I told her I would be down on Friday to take care of the matter.  I guess James will be driving.
James and I went to town this evening.  He came back and watched the presidential debate and I watched Donny Osmond sing on "Dancing with the Stars." 
I found this poster that Evan made while he was here.  He had posters up all over our house.  Some that said: "Closed, Keep Out."  "Come in."  "Do Not Open."  He loves to write.

At the top it says Efan instead of Evan.

I guess he couldn't find a v.

Monday, October 15, 2012

James and Alex left early this morning for the valley, so that left me home alone.  During my gospel study I found this quote about patience by Elder Neal A. Maxwell:
"If our patience is being tried, we might expect that our faith is also being tried; if or capacity for patience is increasing, we might also expect that our faith is increasing.  In the eternal scheme of things, we cannot become as God without having developed the ability to demonstrate infinite patience with perfect faith.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that God would give us multiple opportunities to gain invaluable experience with patience and faith."  The law of the harvest is this: whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap.  Between sowing and reaping lies enduring with patience.
I watched an episode of "The Mentalist" from the new season.  I did some laundry and  started to clean the wood floor but realized I needed some more Swifer pads so I got ready to go in to town. My gauge showed I could go around 30 miles.  I knew it was going to be close but I thought I could make it when I first started out.  I got about three or four miles down the highway and I just had the feeling I needed to go back to the Vernon gas station and get a little gas.  When I got there the attendant told me they were still out of gas.  Well by this time I knew I would be cutting it way to close to get into town so I went back home.  I called James and asked him to bring home some gas.  Not only did he bring gas but he also brought me a green chili burro!  James said Alex went with him and worked all day at Yoshimine's with him.  The money he earned will go towards buying some new fishing flies.

Before James got home I watched Project Runway and Cupcake Wars because I know James does not like either one of these shows.
   

Sunday, October 14, 2012

I love Sundays.  This is the first time I have been to sacrament meeting since we went with Jared and Tricia in Texas on September 15th.  I have missed taking the sacrament and mingling with friends.  It was nice having Brian, Kim, Joe, Michael, and Alex attend sacrament meeting with us.  Westin Hall was the youth speaker.  He spoke on the 6th Article of Faith.  He has a great sense of humor.  He says: "I hope you are all wide awake cuz I'm going to put you to sleep."  A new couple who just moved here from Mesa, the Curtis's were the main speakers.  I told Natalie we should get Sister Curtis in Young Women's. 

I realized that I didn't get a good picture of LeeAnn Hunsaker at our Young Women's activity the other night so I took one of her today.

LeeAnn is our youngest Beehive.  She is artistic, sings in the choir and plays the flute and the clarinet.  She is
a very sweet girl and I love her dearly.  She and her cousin Kilee spent the night with me this summer.

After the block the young women and their leaders had a song practice with Sister Jones the Stake Young Women's President.  Next week is stake Young Women's in Excellence and we are singing the song introduced at the General Young Women's meeting this year, "Arise to the Mountain."  I'm fine with singing but I am not so sure I will have it memorized like they want us to.  After the song practice we had class presidency meetings.  I met with Shelly Applegate, the Mia Maid class president. 

Back at home James and I fixed lunch for everyone before Kim, Brian, Joe, and Michael left for home.Alex is going home with James in the morning.  James has some more work to do at the Yoshimine's.

  I marinated some chicken this morning and James grilled it while I fixed rice pilaf and corn.  It was a nice way to say goodbye to our guests and to wish them a safe trip home.

James went home teaching this afternoon while I took a nap.  At 6:00 I attended a YM/YW leadership meeting put on by our bishopric at the church.  All three members of the bishopric spoke.
Brother Applegate talked about teaching youth how to lead.  He said that we work for the youth.  He encouraged us to have our youth ready for BYC.  He also said class presidents should make assignments.  There should also be reporting on assignments given.  Advisors should be doing training in class presidency meetings.  He said as far as knowing what to teach that the Lord would tell us.
Brother Smith talked about being called but not necessarily chosen.  We are only chosen if we act as the Savior would act if he were here.  He encouraged us to read the first five chapters of the Church Handbook and he taught from D&C 121:34-46.  He said there should be no unrighteous dominion and that we should be patient and kind like the Savior.  In the Church and the family people, not some much objectives, are what' important.
Bishop Hall talked about being involved in the lives of the youth and letting them know that you love them.  He encouraged us to use technology as a tool.  He said that leadership should be united. 
This was one of the very best training meetings that I have ever been too.  I felt motivated and inspired when I left.