Monday, September 9, 2013

A beautiful sunrise and the elk are bugling!

I was working on Personal Progress for Young Women's when James calls me in to wash his back while he soaks in the tub.  What a life!

We took a ride up to Buckelew Springs to see if they were running, and they were.  This time there was more water than ever!

The Falls

The creek bed.

So much water!

Wish it was always like this!

We made it home just before another drenching downpour!  We ate lunch, watched The Walton's, and took a nap.  

I had to mail checks to Zaki and I needed to get a Reeses Stick candy bar for one of our young women, Alex Jones.  It's her favorite candy bar and today is her birthday.  I made a trip into Walmart.  I also went through the car wash which only got the first layer of mud off my car.  On the way home from town I dropped Alex's gift off at her house.  Along with the candy bar she also got a young women's value bracelet.  Alex wasn't home so I left the bag on her front porch and texted her.  

Since it rained last night and the elk couldn't fee, James thought they would be out early this evening so we too off on the Razr to see what we could see.  Well, it wasn't my favorite ride.  I was cold and the new hoodie I bought has no strings to tie it on and we only saw four measly elk, one of which was a small bull.  

When we got home my hair was such a disaster I asked James to please cut it.  At first I hated it.  I thought he cut too much and I look like a dutch boy.  I went to bed quite upset and every time I got up during the night to go to the bathroom I would look in the mirror and almost cry!  I didn't think I would be able to go out in public for at least a month!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

James left at 5:15am for the stake center for his high council meeting with Brother Owen Peeler.  Frome there he went on to Cibecue with Blaine Curtis.  Meanwhile, back at home we had rain and a rainbow.

After I took the picture I realized it was a double rainbow.

I had a slippery ride to Church down our hill.  I also had the muddiest car at Church.  I went a little early to help Diana Curtis put up posters for our pancake breakfast on the 21st.  Since Blaine and James are both gone Diana and I sit together at Church.  

The theme for sacrament meeting was priesthood keys.  The speakers were Jackson Allen, Wes Miller and Chris Skousen.  Jackson is the Teacher's quorum president, Wes the Elder's quorum president, and Chris is the High Priest Group Leader.  

In Sunday School Brother Wilhelm taught about Brigham Young becoming the prophet and the Saints receiving their endowments before leaving Nauvoo.

We have some new girls in our ward, Kathryn and Mary Stock.  Della and Loran DeWitt are their grandparents.  They seem like really nice girls and seem to fit right in with our other girls.  The Wilhelm family were gone today.  They are on a family vacation at Roosevelt Lake.  Denice Hall taught the Mia Maids and the Laurels.  The lesson was on using good language and being honest.  We watched a video about an LDS boy who has become famous for starting the No Cussing Club.  

The skies were gorgeous on the way home from Church.

James gets home about an hour after I do.  He eats some lunch and then I take him back to the Church because he has been assigned to do an audit for the Vernon ward.  Another slippery ride up and down the hill.  It has been raining about 36 hours. 

For dinner we cooked pork chops.  We had a contest, I cooked and he cooked.  I am afraid his were better. 

We watch The Walton's and read our scriptures and a conference talk.  James's foot is really swollen.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

It started raining here in Vernon around 11 am and rained the rest of the day. 

Evan and Rowan had their first soccer game today.  Thank goodness for Facebook!

Go numbers 4 & 7!!

Joe and Michael had their first cross country meet today also.  Kim posted this picture of Joe on FB:

Go, go, go Joe!

Today I typed James's talk on Temple Blessings for him.  I also worked on stripping wax off our wood floor with of all things, Krud Kutter.  Kim used this stuff and so did I to get wallpaper off our walls in Chandler. It is amazing!

James and I spent a cozy day at home watching it rain.  I am so grateful for my blessings and a wonderful, loving husband to share them with.  We watched two of our favorite shows, Cedar Cove and The Waltons.

We finally finished off all the bbq beef this evening for dinner.  We also had snow peas and coleslaw.  For dessert James made some chocolate covered stawberries.  They are my favorite!

We got a group text from Jared today.  He also sent it to all of his siblings.  They will be in Gilbert, Chandler, next week for Brianna's baptism and he wants our family to get together next Friday night.  The plan is to go to Oregano's for dinner and then over to Sheri's for dessert.  We will be there!

Friday, September 6, 2013

James and I went to the temple today.  James forgot his temple clothes but now we do know that the Snowflake temple has clothes if you forget yours.  We left a little after 8 in hopes of making the 9am session.  Well, if there was a 9:30 session we would have made it but there is not one.  There is a session at 8:30 and one at 10:30.  I sat and read scriptures for awhile.  I met Jack Pearce's wife and her 90 year old mother and sat by them during the session.  James sat by an old friend from high school, Vern Turley.  As we were leaving we saw Stephen Reidhead at the desk checking recommends.  That's the fun thing about coming to this temple.

We stopped at El Cupido for lunch.  I had a Big Jake burro and James had a mexican pizza.  In Show Low we went to National Bank, the Book Barn and then home.  We were gone 7 hours.  When we left Snowflake it was 88 degrees and it was 77 degrees when we got to Vernon.  We have decided we want to go to the temp 2x a month to put family names on the prayer roll.

The rest of the day was spent in more leisurely activities: reading, napping, watching The Walton's and going on a Razr ride.  This is the most time we have spent together since we got married.  We love it and we love living in Vernon!

Here are some pictures I took off Facebook:

Mary and Joshua.  It was grandparents day at

Joshua's school.  Sorry I couldn't be there.

Joshua at Sweetie's.

He looks amazed, doesn't he!

Ruby in her ruby red dress.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Happy 35th birthday Darrel!!

Darrel and his sweet family.

There is a fire in Yosemite right now called the Rim fire which was started by a hunter on August 17th which has burned nearly 371 square miles.  It is one of the largest wildfires in California history and has cost 81 million dollars to fight.

James and I had our weekly lunch date at LaCasita today.  Afterwards we went to Home Depot to get some shelf brackets for our bookshelves and some Krud Kutter to remove the wax from our wood floor.  While walking in we saw James's Uncle Delbert and so we stopped and spoke with him.   Uncle Delbert is in his mid 90's.  He said he just returned from visiting with Curtis in Iowa. 

After shopping at Home Depot we went to Walmart.  James waited for me on a bench in the front of the store while I did my shopping.  Just outside the store we had seen a woman holding a homeless sign.  James had me get $10 to give to her.

This evening we went on a Ranger ride.  We saw a wild turkey, an owl and a large six point elk near home.  On the way home from town we saw some antelope in the field across from the post office.  James counted 9 does and 6 bucks.  We also saw some archery antelope hunters scoping them out.  Here's hoping the guy is a lousy shot.

Some pictures I took today:

Mary Johnson, Paul's mother posted this picture on Facebook today:

Paul is the youngest, just to Mary's left.

 

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

James got the money from Zaki's bank today, which is a big relief.  We thought maybe they would freeze the funds because of Zaki's and Ariana's divorce. 

I paid more bills today.  I also went to the dump and got rid of 8 bags of garbage. 

This evening at 5:30 I attended a Young Women's presidency meeting with Diana Curtis, Analee Hunsaker and Kaeli Nicoll.  We discussed, among other things, our fundraiser coming up on September 21st.  We are doing a pancake breakfast at the park.  Analee was just called to be a temple worker.  She is also our ward organist, so she now has three callings.  I guess it's a good thing she is older and all of her kids are grown. 

Tonight the young women made signs to advertise for our pancake breakfast.  Thos attending: Jordyn Applegate, Shelly Applegate, Maddie Carroll, Kilee and LeeAnn Hunsaker and Hope Lootans.  We missed Trenda.  She has several AP classes and school and sometimes has lots of home work.  I enjoy being with the girls and the other leaders.  Maddie told us a story about how they had a family roping and she won a pot of candy for being the best roper. 

 Maddie, Shelly, and LeeAnn

Hope, Shelly, Maddie, Diana Curtis, LeeAnn, Kaeli Nicoll

Kaeli Nicoll, Kilee, Hope

Shelly, Jordyn, Maddie

I wore blue nail polish to Mutual because I am working on Divine Nature as this month's value.

Came home and watched The Walton's with James.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

James has a speaking assignment in Cibecue next Sunday and needs a speaking companion and someone to drive him there.  He tried getting one of our home teachers, Chuck Crane and Collin Dewitt, but neither one of them could do it.  I told him to call Blaine Curtis and he did.  Blaine said he would be glad to do it.  Thank goodness!  He saved me from having to go.

We finally received the check for the work done on Desert Highlands golf course in July.  It came to our home in Chandler.  Sheri picked it up and deposited it for us.  Now we can pay some bills!

We started out to go to Buckelew Springs on the Razr but remembered we didn't have enough gas so we came back.  We made a trip to the post office to mail the Ft.McDowell concrete bill and then to get gas for the Razr at Midway station. 

I finished off the black walnut ice cream I bought for the Young Women and felt disgusting afterwards.

James is preparing a talk on the importance of temple attendance to give in Cibecue.  He has given several talks on the temple and will use some of the information he has given before.

Sherry Swansey, a convert of a little over a year, went through the temple today for her own endowments.  About twenty sisters from our ward went to be with her.

A flock of Canadian geese flew over this afternoon.  It was overcast all day with some rain but nothing like yesterday.