Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Sunrise

 

James and I went out on a Razr ride this morning.  It was a great way to start the fourth of July. 

 

Did I mention that James brought green chili burros from Burger House back with him yesterday.  I had one for breakfast, also a good way to start the day!

 

James and the boys take a ride on the Razr up to Greenspeak.  It starts to rain so they call me to come and rescue them.  I go outside and the Ranger is parked behind me so it takes me a few minutes before I can leave.  By the time I head up the hill I pass James and the boys coming down.  They don't even stop so I am a little upset.  Oh well, I got over it.

 

Kim and I went for a ride.  I took her up to where we had girls camp.  We enjoy our ride but little rocks keep flying up and hitting us in the face.  We need a windshield.  I am putting that on my list.  We only got rained on for a few minutes.  When we get back to the cabin Brian is here! 

 

For dinner we cook a feast.  We always have good food when Kim and Brian are here. We had steak, corn, broccoli, and Brian grilled some veggies.  It was yummy!!  Oh yes, did I mention we also had garlic bread.

 

We watched the Capital Fourth on TV and played "Fact or Crap", and "Five Crowns".  Kim wanted to get the boys away from Rockband for awhile.

 

To end the evening Brian gave Alex some fireworks he had up in their closet and Alex put on a show for us.  It was a fun way to end the evening.

 

 

 

 



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

James made me watch a video on Youtube about Senator Elbert Guillory, a black man who explains why he became a Republican.  Very inspirational.

James left for the valley this morning.  He has a meeting with an agent from the Registrar of Contractors at the Shakir home.  The meeting went well.  Out of 15 complaints issued mainly by Ariana Shakir, the agent only felt 3 needed attention. 

He also met with the realtor about selling our house.  Some investors have made a good offer so now we need to decide if we are going to sell to them or put it on the market and try to get a higher price.  James also picked up the last check from Lake Park Village for $28, 271.94.  That job saved us this summer.

Back at home I go into Vernon to mail bills and I stop at Midway station for some ice cream.  While the guy in front of me is checking out the cashier, (I call her Annie Oakley), asks him: "Do you grow pot?"  When he says yes, she says: "That's what I thought."  And he says: "Am I in trouble?"  "Oh, no, you're cool."  I felt like saying: "Hey people, I'm here." Weird!

Kim arrived around 4:30 pm.  The boys were gone on the Razr. 

I made some brownies and poppy seed muffins to take to Young Women's this evening.  We are assigned to clean the church.  These are the young women who came: Maddie and her friend Jamie, Jordyn, Shelly, and Trenda.  The boys also helped.  I am afraid I deserted Trenda when it came to cleaning the men's bathroom.  There was a terrible smell and with my gag reflex I just couldn't stay in there.

When I came home Kim had made her delicious homemade macaroni and cheese.  Also, James was back from the valley and he was in a good mood!!
 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Dallin got a job at Harkins today and registered for college at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.  Hopefully he is still planning on going on a mission. 

I checked my credit score today before going in to Show Low Motorsports to buy a Polaris Razr4.  I was pleasantly surprised. 

Before going to town James had to chase some cows. 

 

Well, we went to town and bought the Razr4, which seats four people.  James drove it home on the back roads.  I took a picture of him but that picture was lost when he lost his phone in the hospital.  I will take another one tomorrow and post it.

 

When James got home he picked up the boys and took them to the pit.  Afterwards we went on a short ride just as a wind, dust and rainstorm hit.

 





 This picture was taken later when Darrel's family came up

but it's the only picture I have of the Razr.

The ones we took on James's camera got lost.

 

Tonight we played Five Crowns and Michael won his first game. After Five Crowns it was back to Rockband for the boys.

 

 

James and I went to bed early because he has to leave for the valley early in the morning.



 









Monday, July 1, 2013

Today is Max's 10th birthday.  Happy Birthday Max!

 

When we went to bed last night we were not aware of any fires in the state, but since we are not regular watchers of the news, how would we know.  A new fire in the state started near Yarnell a little town near Prescott. Of course it is being called the Yarnell fire.  It will go down in history as the worst fire related tragedy in the state of Arizona.  Last night 19 hot shot firefighters gave their lives.  Here are their names and ages: Andrew Ashcraft, 29; Anthony Rose, 23; Christopher Mackenzie, 30; Clayton Whitted, 28; Dustin Deford, 24; Garret Zuppiger, 27; Grant McKee 21; Jesse Steed, 36; Joe Thurston, 32; John Percin, 24; Kevin Wayjeck, 21; Eric March, 43; Robert Caldwell, 23; Scott Norris, 28; Sean Misner, 26; Travis Carter, 31; Travis Turbyfill, 27; Wade Parker, 22; and William Warnecke, 25.  Each one of these men left behind a story and a life.  For example, Andrew Ashcraft was an LDS father of 4.  Such a sad tragedy. Two thirds of the town of Yarnell was burned.  More than 8,000 acres have burned so far and the fire is not contained.

 

James and I made a trip to town today.  The boys did not go with us.  We had lunch at Licano's and then did some shopping at Safeway.  I promised the boys I would make them baked ziti for dinner.  I am using Dallin's friend Kevin's recipe. 

 

The boys loved the baked ziti and so did James and I.  After dinner we had a FHE with the boys.  We watched Mormon videos.  We watched a blind boy play the piano, we watched Dayton's legs - the video about the Dewitt's grandson Spencer, a conference story video about a scorpion bite and then a video someone placed on Facebook about a man from India who cares for the poor.  It was a good FHE. 

 

James and I went on a Ranger ride today and the hood flew up while we were driving.  It was quite scary.  Later the boys went on a ride and a bird flew into Michael and hit him in the chest.  When he came back he was pretty shook up.  Not a good day for Ranger rides.

 

 

 

 





Sunday, June 30, 2013

Happy Anniversary to Stacy & Paul.

I took these visiting teaching handouts to give to my sisters at church today.  Does that count for visiting teaching? 

A bookmark and handout about

Family History

I put a roast in the crockpot before we left for church.  We also had family prayer with the boys, Alex, Joe, and Michael before we left.  We got there a little late but I found a place in the front by Lane Hall and the Hunsakers.  I told Lane I was impressed with the line drive he caught in a friendly game of softball last night at the party.

 

Tyler Hunsaker was the youth speaker today and Michael and Chris Brady were the main speakers in sacrament meeting today.  Chris Brady leads the music in sacrament meeting so we see her every week but neither James nor I ever remember seeing Michael before.  He says he has lived in Vernon or the area most all of his life.  Interesting.

 

I was proud of the boys.  They stayed for the entire block without complaining.  Alex has become friends with Trenda and I think he and Michael wanted to see Maddie but I am not sure they got to.  She isn't in their Sunday School class. 

 

During Sunday School we had a lesson entitled, "Seek Learning Even by Study and Also by Faith."  During the third hour the priesthood, Relief Society, young men and young women were all combined.  Sister Klug, our ward family history consultant spoke about family tree and how to use it.  It was quite good.  Sister Klug was a Goodman before she got married.

 

After church our home teacher's Chuck Crane and Collin Dewitt come by for a visit.  Since Chuck's wife Kathy is out of town we invited him over for dinner.  The roast I put in the crockpot got a late start because I forgot to turn it on. 

 

The boys were hungry after church so James cooked them some chicken on the grill.  Alex liked it so much he ate at least eight pieces.  He then went downstairs and took a long nap. 

 

James went home teaching this afternoon.  We he returned he helped me get dinner on the table.  We had BBQ beef sandwiches, beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob and watermelon.  It was fun to have Chuck over for dinner.  He has helped us so much it was nice to be able to do something nice for him. 

 

Visited Pasha Westbrook and took her a family history handout and bookmark.  When I was visiting with Lannie Gillespie she said her foot is broken again and she is going to have to have surgery.  Oh dear.  This had been a problem for her since I have known her.  It just won't get well.

 

Saturday, June 29,2013

James made steak and gravy for the boys for breakfast and I made some biscuits.  I guess I should say I took some frozen biscuits out of the freezer and put them in the oven.  It was a very tasty breakfast.  Alex says it is his favorite. 

The boys started on a walk for Chocolate Lake but didn't last long.  This time they said it was too hot. 

James and I made a trip to town.  We went to Safeway.  The one big reason we go to Safeway instead of Walmart is because they have a coleslaw salad kit that we love.  We also went to Auto Zone to get a tire plug kit to fix the flat tire on the Ranger.  We went to Show Low Motorsports to look at the Razr4 we want to get.  We still haven't made a final decision.  Also we picked up a couple of pizzas from Pappa John's.  I got the veggie supreme because James and I like it and I got a pepperoni for the boys and some breadsticks.  To say the boys were happy was an understatement.

James fixed the tire on the Ranger so the boys took it to Chocolate Lake.  After their ride they came home and watched the movie, "That Thing You Do", which is kind of a tradition for them here at the cabin.  They also watched "Parental Guidance."

James cleaned some bullets and then he and I watched an episode of the Walton's.  We are also doing some serious thiking as to whether we should buy that Razr.

Tonight we went to a potluck dinner our ward was having at the Vernon Park.  We took a big batch of coleslaw.  The boys weren't too interested in staying so James took them home early and then came back to join me for the entertainment, which was open mike karoke.  Here are some pictures I took:



 

Trenda Wilhelm at the mike.

 



 

Talon Wilhelm, Lane Hall, Jacob Flake, and

Westin Hall.

Holly and Hailey Hunsaker.

Trenda and Kaeli singing JB rap.

Sean Hunsaker and Kendall Hall

Sunset at the Park

 

Teresa Smith taught some of the young women how to line dance. She couldn't make it tonight because she flew back to Ohio to be with her mother who is dying.  The girls were going to be dancing with some of the guys from the fire station but it was getting late and they still hadn't performed so James and I went home.  





Friday, June 28, 2013

This morning we took Max to IHOP for his birthday breakfast.  Addy, Rowan, Ruby, and Ben came too.  As we order our breakfast Ruby decides she wants macaroni and cheese.  Rowan and Addy ordered chocolate chip pancakes.  Ben and Max ordered the buttermilk pancakes with sausage and so did I.   James had chicken florentine crepes.  Rowan got the clean plate award for the kids and James for the adults.  Ruby didn't eat much of her mac & cheese but Addy finished it off.

We went back to the resort and James, Ben and Max left for Chandler.  I stayed to wash sheets and towels and clean as Ian and Sheri are spending the night. James had to fax a letter to the Registrar of Contractor's for the Shakir's.  They have issued a complaint.  Sheri faxed it for him at Chandler Eyecare.

I took a cleaning break to play a short game of Five Crowns with Addy.  She won.  When I was finished I took Addy, Rowan and Ruby home.  Afterwards I went to Target to get Max's birthday money and card, and then I delivered it to him.  I stopped by the house to get my Enbrel and Jared Ammon was there.  He got his haircut.  The last time I saw him it was looking pretty shaggy.  He looked so much better. In other Gonzo news, Dallin passed his driving test. 

I also have a story to tell about Adam, but it requires it's own paragraph.  I guess he was out jogging the other night and some guy with a knife attacked him.  Adam grabbed the guy and got the knife from him and cut him in the exchange.  When the police came the guy was long gone.  There was blood on the ground and when they asked Adam where it came from he told them he had cut the guy and as he ran away he left a trail of blood.  Adam had a small scratch on his hand.  Wow! I guess he's got some of that Lambson toughness.  I am not sure how tough the Gonzales side of the family is, but I sure wouldn't want to meet Adam in a dark alley if he was mad at me. 

James left for home before I did.  He took Alex, Joe, and Michael with him.  l wasn't too far behind them.  When we left it was 118 in the valley and it was 82 when we arrived in Vernon.  It was smoky because they are doing some prescribed burns in spite of the extreme fire danger. 

The boys went for a walk after dark but didn't stay long because they got spooked when they heard a noise.

It is always good to be home.