Monday, May 6, 2013

I got to have scriptures and prayer with James this morning before he left for the valley.  We are on the 2nd round of reading the Book of Mormon  for 2013. 
After James left I spent a couple of hours looking for an activity for the Young Women to do with the Relief Society sisters on May 22nd.  I jotted down some ideas I found online and then I gave Diana Curtis a call.  She had been looking too.  She found an activity of using bandanas for making bags and we decided that's what we wanted to do.  I am so glad to have that decision made.
Nothing like having left overs for lunch: enchiladas, refried beans, and banana cream pie. 
Around 2:30 I met Teresa Smith, Audrey Guerrero, and Diana Curtis, at Judy Hunter's house.  We all went in Audrey's car up to the girl's camp site.  The property was donated to the Church by one of Judy's relatives so she was our guide.  The camp is on the Vernon-McNary road and is in a beautiful spot.  We didn't go inside the gate because it looked like guys were working there.  We will have a ramada with tables, bathrooms, showers, and electricity!!  Judy also took us to a spot her family still owns where they have their family reunions. 

Diana, Audrey, and Judy pointing something out.

Diana and Audrey watching Judy move a log.

Teresa heading back to the car.

This part of the property still belongs to the Neagle family.

They use it for family reunions.

Zaki's wife is causing James so much stress and she is delaying paying us what they owe on their house in the process.  He is trying to meet her every demand but it is apparent that she does not trust James and it is causing him to want to resign from the job.  Hopefully James and Zaki can work something out.

In national news today three women who have been missing for ten years were found today in Ohio.  They were held prisoner in a small house by a very evil man.  It is amazing that they are still alive.

Tonight I watched Dancing With the Stars and Castle, by myself. I can't decide who is my favorite out of: Kelly Pickler, Aly Raisman, Zendaya, or Jacoby Jones.

 

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Sheri posted these pictures on Facebook this morning:

I love this picture!

Typical boys.

A member of our ward, Marcy Westbrook, bore her testimony today because she and her family are moving to New Mexico.  In her testimony she mentioned being Wade Butler's daughter.  Wade & Jackie Butler went to high school with my parents and they lived across the street from us when we lived in Show Low.  Jackie was my Beehive advisor and I was friends with their daughter Leann.  I talked to Marcy afterwards and told her of the connection I have with her family.  It's fun living in a place where I know so many people.

In Sunday School we talked about spiritual gifts, the greatest of which is charity.

Kaeli Nicoll gave the lesson in Young Women's on patriarchal blessings.  

After church I took a short nap and began preparing for tonight's dinner with Dennis & Denise, and Harold & Vickie.  Today is Dennis's 59th birthday.  

We had Lois's enchilada's which Denise said were to die for, Dennis's spanish rice, Mary Johnson's refired beans, and a nice salad.  For dessert we had pie, lemon meringue, Dennis's favorite, chocolate cream, Harold's favorite, and banana cream, my favorite.  

We also taught them how to play Five Crown's.  It was alot of fun.  We had to stop after the Jack round because Denise has to get up at 4:30 and go to work.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

D&C 6:7

Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. 

Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

D&C 6:20

...Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, 

and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love.

I wanted James to watch "The Magic of Ordinary Days" with me this morning and he did.  He loved it almost as much as I did.  I am saving it for when Kim and Sheri come up so they can watch it too.  

We had to make a trip to town this morning to make a deposit for Francesco.  He is working in California and is out of money.  James owes him some money so we stopped at Bank of America and made a deposit in his account.  Of course if we are in town we have to go to lunch.  The waitress at La Casita knows us now.  After lunch James went to C-A-L to get more primers for reloading.  This time they were out.  While he was in there I walked across the street to CVS to get some chocolate.  While there I also found a bag of cinnamon fire stix which they don't have at Walmart.  

James reloaded 50 bullets and says he saved $40.  Considering how much the reloader cost he really hasn't saved anything yet.  The reloading table he built:

Last week James planted two aspen trees and three apple trees.  Elk came in and ate the aspen trees but the apple trees are still ok.  I guess that's why people build electric fences (the Cranes) around their place.

James is really complaining about his back hurting.  I feel so bad for him.  Hopefully he can get something done that will give him some relief.  He also came in frustrated because he wanted to do some work around the place and he can't get the tractor started.

I want James to build some benches like this to go around our fire pit.

 

We started our fast this afternoon.  We are fasting for Dallin.

Friday, May 3, 2012

Sheri took Max and Evan to the zoo this morning.  They were so excited.

Here they are at the sting ray pool.

Jared posted this picture of Molly this morning on Facebook.  I guess she is giving her morning concert.

I wonder what she's singing?

Alex Tolman had surgery today.  He now has 3 metal plates and 15 screws in his leg.

He had a bad motorcycle accident.

He's still smiling though.

Our Vernon ward priest quorum spent the weekend fishing and having fun at Lake Powell.  Here is a picture of Rusty Allen with a fish he caught.

Rusty is such a nice boy!

James had to send some more invoices to satisfy Ariann Shakir before he left for New Mexico this morning.  That woman is really stressing him out.  How can Zaki be so nice and his wife be so unreasonable and unkind?

James left around 9am to visit with Cindy in Demming about his Dad's estate.  Afterwards he is going on to meet Jared and James at the Priesthood Commemoration Outing at Lake Robert's in New Mexico just outside of Silver City about 30 miles.  James spent the evening fishing and having dinner with James Hayden and Jared and then he decided to come home so he could sleep in his comfy bed.  It was after 1 am when he got home.  I was happy to see him, even if he did wake me up.
What was my day like?  I did errands in town.  I got gas and my carwashed, stopped at Book Barn to get a book my N.C. Allen that James wanted called "The Grecian Princess."  Went shopping at Walmart for the stuff for Dennis's birthday dinner on Sunday, picked up prescriptions at Walgreen's, and mailed Natalie Soderquist's package of seed potatoes.  I also watched two really good Hallmark movies: "Little John", and "The Magic of Ordinary Days."

Thursday, May 2, 2013

I actually started putting things away in my upstairs office today.  While working I listened to a CD Sheri loaned me which belongs to Nancy Van Vleet called "For All Eternity" by Dr. John L. Lund who is a marriage counselor.  The CD is about strengthening your marriage. 
My marriage was strengthened today.  James came home from the valley and stopped at LaCasita in Show Low and got me a chicken enchilada with green sauce and a green chili burro for tomorrow.  He also fixed the Ranger and we went on a ride.  We did the Christmas Tree Trail Loop which takes about an hour.  We saw a flock of turkeys and two herd of elk.  It was so much fun!
We came home and this evening we had elk in our yard too.  It was nice to be able to spend some time with James.  He is not here that often, and he's leaving again tomorrow for New Mexico.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mike Elmer was honored today by the Chandler Police department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is a federal agency, for saving the life of a customs officer a few weeks ago.  Mike Elmer was our bishop and good friend and neighbor for several years.  Here are some pictures:

The Elmer family with the officer whose life 

was saved.  The officer is in the yellow shirt.

Bishop Elmer is standing next to him in the white shirt.

Bishop Elmer receiving his award.

Chelsea and her Dad.

I spent the day getting ready for tonight's camp meeting.  I even made an agenda in case our camp director, Julie Wilhelm doesn't bring one.  I read from the camp book I bought and the Church's camp manual.  I felt quite prepared for the meeting.  On another note, I wore my pajamas all day.  It's so weird being here alone. I can do pretty much whatever I want, and wear whatever I want.  

Our camp meeting was at 6, one hour before mutual.  Those attending: Brother Smith and his wife Teresa who was the YW's president before Natalie and loves the girls, Julie Wilhelm, Kaeli Nicoll, and myself.  

Julie brought an agenda and seems to really be on top of things.  One of the exciting things I found out in the meeting is that camp is not going to be out in the cedar flat like I thought but actually up on the mountain on the old Neagle family ranch.  Judy Hunter, who is a member of our ward, is part of the Neagle family as are the Nicoll's family.  Teresa Smith is going to be a great help and support.  Our next step is to get a food specialist called.  We asked for Wendy Dewitt.  The theme for camp: "Girls on Fire."

Tonight for Mutual Kaeli Nicoll did an activity with the girls called "Making Something Out of Nothing."  They made book marks from paint chip strips.  I think she wanted the girls to see that you don't always have to spend money to make things.  Sometimes you just need a little creativity.

Making something out of nothing.

Stamping designs on their paint chip bookmarks.

The Priests quorum in our ward leave for 

Lake Powell tomorrow while our girls are making

something out of nothing to save money.

A cool picture of Michael.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Abinadi teaches King Noah of the ten commandments.  I think the ten commandments need to be re-emphasized in our society today.
Well, it's the last day of the month and I have not yet done my visiting teaching.  I tried to call Linda Diewald a couple of times but never got a call back.  I haven't seen her at church for awhile so I am wondering if they are out of town.  I am a little intimidated by Lannie Gillespie.  She is very had to contact and is so busy it's hard to schedule a time to visit.  I took a quote from the lesson by President Monson, ran it off on nice paper and sent it to her with a note.  Hopefully I can get a visit in next month.
I did get to visit Rosie Lauritzen this afternoon  We always have such nice visits.  We discussed the message on the importance of the temple and then we just visited.  Rosie and her husband went on a little trip yesterday to Walnut Canyon to see the indian ruins.  She told me all about it and it sounds like it would be a fun place to take some of the kids this summer.  I found out that Rosie was the camp director a couple of years ago so we discussed camp and some of the young women she had worked with.
After my visit with Rosie I drove in to Show Low to satisfy a craving for KFC chicken and coleslaw.
When I got home James had called and said Zaki's wife Arian wants all the invoices for the expenses on the house.  I spent an hour scanning and emailing 19 invoices to satisfy her.
I got to see Twitch and Allison dance on Dancing with the Stars.

Tonight's Sunset.