Wednesday, August 7, 2013

James's meeting with Zaki went well this morning.  Zaki guaranteed that there would be no hearing with the Registrar of Contractors.  He says he's going to file for divorce soon. 

I go shopping for Josh's birthday and get one more gift for Rowan.  I get Joshua some Batman stuff because he told me that was what he wanted.  I also get Ro a Batman to go with his Ninjago dragon.  I go to Sprouts and Fry's for James.  I get some bread, although Sprouts didn't have the Alpine Valley bread that James likes, and at Fry's I get some cranberry celebration and some tuna salad.  I also get gas and my car washed at Sam's Club. 

Paul fixed the leak we had in the kitchen but Stacy says she thinks there is some mold and that she is getting sick from it.  I couldn't smell anything.

We leave for home around 10:40.  We stop at KFC in Payson for lunch.  When we get home we take a short nap.  I had to be at Young Women's at 5:30 to help Diana Curtis set up for our Personal Progress Pajama night.  Here are some pictures I took.  It was a fun night and the girls had a blast!!

A couple of cuties, Maddie and Trenda

Another cutie, Jordyn!

Fun and Games!

Hope and girls at the refreshment table. 

All of our refreshments started with a P.

It was a fun night. Those who attended: Diana Curtis, Analee Hunsaker, Kaeli Nicoll, Denice Hall and myself in the way of leaders.  The Young Women: Ashten Hall ( she's 8 and Sister Hall's daughter), Jordyn and Shelly Applegate, Trenda Wilhelm, Maddie Carroll, Alex Jones, Kilee and LeeAnn Hunsaker, Hope Lootan, and Kelly Reynolds.  I think Brother Smith was a little irritated because we were late finishing up.  

Ann Miller had a baby boy today.  They named him Hyrum.

Here are a couple of pictures I stole off the internet:

Dave's kids: Teresa, baby Wendy, Charlotte, and Kevin.

Kayla and Addy all dolled up for dance.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

It is 5:41 am.  I am sitting at the dining room table with the windows open and it starts to rain.  I love to hear the sound of a light rain as it hits the ground.

Spencer W. Kimball once said: "Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity."  I feel extremely blessed right now.

I walk into the bedroom and feel the cool air because the widows are open and I can hear the rain.  I am so grateful for this beautiful place I love and the gorgeous weather. 

I had a bogus charge on my debit card when I checked my account this morning.  I got gas at the Splash and Dash carwash on Saturday.  I filled up my car and then I filled the gas can for the Razr but instead of two charges there were three.  The bogus one was for $50.32.  I called the bank and they said they would have it removed immediately.  That was easy!  I won't be buying gas there anymore.

This afternoon we get ready to go to the valley because James has a meeting with Zaki in Chandler early in the morning.  I order a Pappa John's Pizza for us to eat on the way.  It was yummy although it was James's favorite, the vegetarian, and not my favorite, the bbq chicke.  We stop in Payson and get ice cream cones at the McDonald's.  When we arrive in Chandler we stop at the house just long enough to drop some things off to Paul that were left at the cabin last week.  Joshua is excited because there is a toad in the pool.

We arrive at Sheri's at 9pm.  Alex had cooked some pork chops for dinner and he said I could have the one that was left.  It was delicious!  I give Max another $10 because I felt like I shorted him on his birthday money.  We watch SYTYCD with Sheri.  When it's time to go to bed we sleep in Ben's bed which is in Max and Evan's room.

The only picture I have for today is one of our friends, Ralph and Jean Lamoreaux on their wedding day about 50 years ago.  

Monday, August 5, 2013

I love getting up in time to see the sunrise!

I get up and study and get myself something to eat then I take James his pills and protein shake and then I fix his breakfast.  Afterwards we go outside and read from the scriptures and our book in the gorgeous weather.  It was overcast and rainy all day and we even had a little hail.

I mailed Molly's birthday package today.  Afterwards I went to see if the sunflower field is blooming yet.  Just a few more days and I'm sure it will be in full bloom.

Okay, it's official, I love The Walton's.  James says it reminds him of his family when he was growing up in Ramah.  There is always a lesson to be taught by their good old fashion family values.  They always eat dinner together and discuss what happened to them during the day.  Grandpa is my favorite character.  In the episode we watched today John Boy goes to NYC to see if Hastings House received the manuscript for his first book.  I got a little teary-eyed and had to save the episode.  John Boy reminds me of Adam.

There was a dead bat on Sheri's bed today almost lying with his little head on the pillow.  It was freaky because Tara had just stayed in that room.  I was going to call Chuck Crane to come and remove him for me but James wouldn't hear of it.  He climbed up the stairs, put the bat in a Walmart bag and scooted back downstairs on his backside.  I love this man!

There was lots of loud thunder tonight as I sat at the end of the dining room table with the window open so I could feel the cool breeze on my back, feet, and legs.  It is raining hard!  Suddenly there is a loud crash of thunder.  I jump up and close the window!

 Rain on Mt. Vernon

Our dead tree.

Bishop Wilson and Tammy's Wedding Picture

Clouds at Sunset.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

For my morning study I am reading three different places in the Book of Mormon and I am also reading the Doctrine and Covenants.  Today we are fasting that we will be able to get out of debt. 

Sunrise

We said goodbye to Paul and Joshua before leaving for church.  Tara and Trisha are still upstairs.  James went to fast and testimony meeting, Sunday School and Priesthood.  He is pretty miserable though.  Today we learned in Sunday School that Liberty Jail was more like a temple than a prison because of the Prophet Joseph and the things he learned from the Lord.

We divided into classes today in Young Women's.  Randa Covert taught the Beehives and Denice Hall taught the Mia Maids and Laurels.  The topic for the month is marriage and family.  Denice has a unique way of teaching and the girls lover her.

It was raining when we came out of church.  We came home and broke our fast before taking a nap.  I worked on my blog this afternoon and this evening we watched "The Walton's" and "Cedar Cove."

 So pretty and green!

My petunia's love the rain!

I love dead trees!

Ominous clouds.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Today is the biggest event of the year at the Vernon Park.  It's Vernon Days!  Our nieghbors the Crane's are basically in charge of this event as Chuck is the park president.

Paul, Tara and Trisha leave for Johnnie's mother's funeral in Snowflake.  Paul says she was one of the nicest people he ever met, just like Johnnie.

James, Joshua and I rode the Razr into Vernon to get gas at the Midway Station.  There were lots of people at the park for Vernon days.  It was a beautiful morning for a ride and it did James a world of good.  There was no gas at Midway but I got Josh a treat, potato chips and a Sprite. 

When we got home we went out on the deck to watch the hummingbirds.

Grandpa showing Joshua his bird book.

I had to make a trip to town.  My first stop was the Vernon dump to get rid of five bags of garbage.  I also went to Walmart to get some groceries and the gas station to get gas for the Razr.  I stopped at McDonald's and picked up some lunch for Joshua.  On the way back from Snowflake Paul and his sisters have lunch at La Casita.  

When I get back from town the first things Joshua says to me is: "Grandpa took me for a ride on the Razr."  I said, what?  Oh Joshua you must be joking, I'm going to talk to grandpa.  Joshua's response was: "That's okay but if he says we didn't go then he's lying."  Oh dear.  It was true, he drove Joshua to Chocolate Lake.

I fixed dinner for Paul, Joshua, and his sisters.  I made hamburgers, beans and mac and cheese.  James and I are fasting.  During dinner we went out on the deck and read from our book "The Grecian Princess."  Paul and Tara come out later and say how gorgeous it is here.  It really is because we have had so much rain.

Paul helped James buy mudflaps and a windshield for the Razr on Ebay.  Tara and Paul played a game of Five Crowns with us and then Tara left to go visit some of Andrew's friends.  Andrew was Tara's husband who died a couple of years ago.  They met in Lakeside when Tara lived in Snowflake.

Sunset

August 2, 2013

Owen Taylor, Casey, his daughter, and Owen's cousin Bruce come to visit James.  I clean the bedroom and bathroom downstairs.  For my lunch break I watch Project Runway.  It's a rainy day!

I am cleaning today because Paul and his sisters are coming tonight.  They are going to a funeral in Snowflake tomorrow.  It takes me most of the afternoon and evening to clean upstairs because I take breaks and because there is so much to do.  There are lots of moth wings all over the floor!  I wash sheets, vacuum, put up new shower curtain rings, and clean three bathrooms, James's office and my office, Sheri & Ian's room, and Darrel & Trina's room, and the common area.

Paul said they were leaving at 4pm but then texted at 8pm and said they were just now leaving.  They were going to bring Tara's car and she was in an accident where she rear-ended someone.  Her car was not drivable so she got a rental car and that's what they brought with them.  We were in bed when they got here.  It was Paul, Joshua, Tara, and Trisha.

In other family news today Ben and his friend Ian Wanlass made the Bogle Jr. High football team.  Sheri posted this picture on Facebook.

Two handsome and talented boys!

Also posted today on Facebook was this picture of Jared and Tricia's family:

What a cute family!!

Love this Sunset!

August 1, 2013

Today is September 20, 2013 and I am just now doing this post,  I can't believe I am this far behind.  Thank goodness I take good notes.  My goal is to be all caught up before we go to Disneyland in November.

This morning I was able to get up and read my scriptures before we left for the valley at 7:ll.  We stopped at McDonald's in Show Low for breakfast but we didn't have time to go through the carwash.  We also made a pitstop at the McDonald's in Payson for me.  We made it to James's doctors appointment three minutes late but no one noticed.  The PA, Brittany, apologizes because they were running late.  We told it there was no problem!  She took James's stitches out and she told us there would be no more need for anymore blood thinner shots.  Yah hoo!  She gave James a band for exercising, and a prescription for physical therapy and a new hydrocodone prescription.  His next appointment is August 29th.

We went to Live Garden on Chandler Blvd. for lunch.  Sheri wanted to join us but she had to take Alex to get his cast off.  My lunch looked like this:

Chicken scampi is delicious!

James had his favorite dish, chicken stuffed marsala.  I am sorry I didn't get a picture.  It's funny to have good pictures on the same post as James's injured leg!

After lunch I took James to Zaki's to check the guys who were laying block and then to the house.  He was supposed to meet with the realtor, but he never showed.  In the meantime I went to the mall to get Molly a different Tinkerball doll.  Now instead of two "Barbie" style Tinkerbell's, one is a larg stuffed one.  I also got two books for Kaeli's baby at Barnes & Noble.  The first is "Time for Bed", Sheri's kids favorite bedtime story when they were litt, and a "Toot & Puddle" book.  I love the illustrations for Toot & PUddle, who are two little pigs.  This particular one is called, "Charming Opal."  My next stop was the Lego Store for Rowan's Ninjago.  He wanted something with the gold Ninjago.  I got him a set with a cool gold dragon.

Rowan's Birthday Gift

When I got back to the house, James was ready to go home.  We said our goodbyes to Dallin, Josh, and Jared,  I never even saw Stacy.

When we got to Show Low we stopped at CVS to fill James's hydrocodone prescription.  They said it would take about thirty minutes so I decided to drive up to the Show Low cemetery where I took these pictures.

 My Grandma & Grandpa Maxwell

My Dad needs a headstone!

Arrived home in time to see a beautiful sunset!