Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Today is my only day to do Christmas shopping somewhere other than Walmart or online.  My first store of choice was Target where I bought Legos and Lalaloopsy dolls.  I wanted to find something about bats for Joshua so I went to the teaching supply store on Gilbert and Southern but I found nothing.  I also went to the Deseret Book next door but most of their books have been moved to the new store in Gilbert.  At this point I took a break and went back to Chandler to go to lunch with James.  He chose Jersey Mike's.  He is now addicted to their Jersey Shore Favorite sandwich as I am.

After my lunch break I drove over to the new Deseret Book in Gilbert, next to Costco and not far from the new temple.  What an awesome store!  I also go across the street to the Barnes and Noble at SanTan Village, another of my favorite stores.  Next it was time to go home to rest before going out with Sheri.

While I was gone my Christmas present came but James wouldn't let me open it.  He says I have to wait.  When Sheri gets off work we go shopping at Sports Authority and Target Greatland.  I got seven giftcards at Target and bought Kelly Clarkson's Christmas CD for Sheri.  My shopping is mostly done and I am tired.

James and I take Ben to Nello's for his birthday.  Max and Evan come too.  They have the best pizza ever!

I think Ben's in a food coma.

I had the chicken marguerita pizza and it was divine!  We had a great time with these boys!

This evening Stacy said something that got me to thinking.  She said, "I hate Christmas because it's too commercial.  I had to agree and I think I want to do things differently next year.  I want to focus more on the Savior and giving the gifts he would want us to give.

In other news.  We have had some successful hunters in our ward recently.  Not only did Talon Wilhelm get his elk but both Alice and Trenda each got one too.  So did Tyler Hunsaker and Collin Dewitt. Gail's friend Paul's wife Janelle got her deer and it was a nice one.

 On the Blue in Arizona

James was so impressed with Paul and Janelle.  They gave him some smoked salmon from Oregon which he thoroughly enjoyed and they have invited him to come up to visit with them and they will take him fishing. He wants to go next summer.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Happy 14th Birthday to Benjamin David Trezise!

Benjamin (on the right), and his

best friend, Ian Wanlass.

 Sunrise in Vernon

Gospel Study

"The Strength to Endure"

Brother Richard J. Maynes

"Our ability to endure to the end in righteousness will be in direct proportion to the strength of our testimony and the depth of our conversion."

We left for the valley earlier than I had planned because James had to take care of a traffic ticket in Show Low before 11 am. We delivered cookies to the Peeler's, the Crane's, both Hunsaker brothers families, the Curtis's and the Vaught's.  After delivering cookies and taking care of James's ticket, we went to Arby's for lunch in Show Low.  

When we get to the valley it's 75 degrees.  I make a trip to Walgreen's where I see Janette Bleazard.  She calls me Cathi and I correct her.  For dinner Stacy, Joshua and I went to Chik-fil-a.  Joshua tells me that he wants to be a zoologist when he grows up.  He is very interested in bats.  I guess they studied them at school.  

I am frustrated with my order from Disney.  I ordered two Olaf's and only received one.  I call the store and they guarantee that my other one will arrive before Christmas.  I am doubtful.  

The reason we came down today was to attend the Chandler High Choir Christmas concert.  Joseph, Michael, and Alex are all members of the men's choir.  The concert was awesome.  Those who attended:

James and I, Stacy, Paul, Joshua, Kim, Brian, Sheri, Ben, Max, and Evan, Darrel, Trina, Addy, Rowan, and Ruby, and Dallin.  All of us except Dallin sat in the same row.  

 Chandler High Choir

Dressed in their pajamas for

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

That's Michael on the left.

After the concert Diana Dowdle gave me a Christmas card.  On the front it said: To James and Laura Lambson.  I have been in Chandler less than 24 hours and I have been called Cathi and now Laura.

I walked out with Addy and she was excited to tell me that her family is the proud owner of two rabbits, Hoppy, and Brownie.  Of course Rowan and Ruby had to tell me all about Brownie and Hoppy too.

Back at the Trezise's there was a party for Ben.

 Ben's birthday treat is a long john donut

Stacy and Joshua's trees

Sunday, December 15, 2013

I woke up early, around 4am, to study for the lesson I am giving in Young Women's today.  It is about fellowshipping less actives.  James speaks in the Sierra Pines ward today and it start's later, so I left for church by myself.  The McArthur's, the Pope's, and the Horne's are in the Sierra Pines ward.  James is speaking on the Savior.

Tyler Hunsaker was the youth speaker in our ward.  He spoke on gratitude and did a good job.
Ron and Bennett Brewer were the main speakers.  Bennett is a member of the high council and Ron was his speaking companion.  Ron spoke on missionary work and Bennett spoke on the Savior. Bennett said we need to develop a personal relationship with the Savior.  He said we need to realize the love the Savior has for each one of us.  We need to turn our hearts to the Savior.  Are we prepared to kneel at His feet and have Him reach down and lift us up?  We need to share the things we know about the Savior with others.

Hans Soderquist had business in Arizona so he visited our ward today.  It was nice to see him. 

In Young Women's we made plans to visit some of the less active girls in Young Women's.  We are going to Christmas carol at Alex Jones's, take a tree and gifts to Arizona Hill and her family, and visit Hunter Crowe for her birthday.  Shelly Applegate is the one girl who volunteered to go with us. 

We had corn casserole and Katy Crane's cinnamon bread for lunch.  I made cookies for 8 families. 

I watched "Prancer", and "Snow Globe."

Stacy called and asked me if I had any information on keeping the sabbath day holy.  She wants to do a FHE lesson for Michael and Joshua.  I told her I gave a talk in July and would check my notes.  Here is some of what I found:

"The matter of Sabbath observance remains as one of the great tests which divides the righteous from the worldly and wicked." - Elder Bruce R. McConkie.

"In this day of increasing access to and preoccupation with materialsim, there is a sure protection for ourselves and our children against the plagues of our day.  The key to that protection is found in Sabbath day observance.  -D&C 59:9

"It is a test by which the Lord seeks to "prove you in all things (D&C 98:14), to see if your devotion is complete."

Facebook finds:

The Trezise's elf Jolly enjoying a some snickerdoodles

Making gingerbread houses

Joe's gingerbread house.  

Nice job!

 Friends from Chandler:

Tim and Katy Glemser

with Kiter and Alice

Saturday, December 14, 2013

All week I have been planning my trip to town.  I was going to go on Thursday but instead I cleaned and decorated.  I was going to go yesterday but I had to finish cleaning and decorating.  Today was the day.  I told James I was going and he said: "Maybe I should hide the checkbook.  I said: "Fine, because I don't write checks anyway."  As I was getting ready to leave he says:  "Oh, I'm going too, and we are taking the truck."  I was a little frustrated because I felt like my plans were being interrupted.  I pouted for awhile but I couldn't stay made too long because James was so sweet about it.  We had to take the truck because he needed to take a ladder to Horne's.  A red flag should have gone up in my mind at the word ladder.

I shopped at Walmart and then we went to the drive-thru of Panda and got lunch.  Next we went to Horne's where James had to do some touch up painting.  I took this picture while I was waiting in the car for him and posted it on Facebook.

I told him he was grounded from ladders,

but he didn't listen.

Back at home I made two corn casseroles for the ward party and also cooked some just plain corn.  James took it to the church and was also suppose to take our roaster oven, while I typed his talk for tomorrow.  

There were probably about 250 people at our ward Christmas dinner.  We sat by the Curtis's and Audrey Guerrero.  The food was delicious.  I especially liked the smoked turkey I had.  There was plenty of food and neither one of my corn casseroles god used.  After the dinner I spent 20 minutes looking for my roaster oven only for James to tell me that he forgot to bring it.  I was a little frustrated because I feel like sometimes he doesn't listen to me very well.  What's wrong with me.  Nothing a good Christmas movie can't fix.  Tonight it was "Baby's First Christmas."  It was a good one!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Gospel Study

"No Other Gods" 

-Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"What is our ultimate priority?  We must not set our hearts so much on the things of the world that we stop trying to achieve our eternal destiny."

 Out of control burning

Paul, (Gail's friend), called James this morning.  They are in Miami and are on their way up.  I guess they are so slow because they are pulling a travel trailer that is about 30 feet long.  They arrived in Show Low in the afternoon and made the mistake of going to Walmart.  Paul said to James: "Why didn't you warn me about that Walmart."  Because it was later in the afternoon and James knew they wanted to make it to their hunting spot up near Alpine on the Blue, and we had to leave for the high council Christmas party by 5:15, he met them at Midway Station to give them a map of the Blue.

James really wanted to go to this stake presidency, high council, auxiliary, Christmas party, so I said I would go.  It was casual and very low key.  We sat by friends from our ward, Owen and Donna Peeler, and the high councilman from our ward, Brother McArthur and his wife Jeneice.  It was a pleasant evening and the most enjoyable part of the meal for me was the cheesecake we had for dessert.

Happy Birthday to James's little sister Carmen.  Friday the thirteenth is her lucky day.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Gospel Study

President Eyring

'To My Grandchildren'

"There is not one of us but what God's love has been expended upon.  There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed.  There is not one of us that he has not desired to save, and that He has not devised means to save.  There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning.  We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eys of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels - invisible beings of power and might - charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping." 

-George Q. Cannon

 

Gail's friends my be here today so instead of going to town like I planned, I stayed home and clean and finished decorating for Christmas.  James got here around 4pm from the valley.  He brought burros from Burger House.  Bless him!  

I washed the sheets on Sheri's bed but hadn't finished cleaning her room yet.  James said Paul, Gail's friend, called and said they were going to stay in Phoenix for the night instead of coming up here.  Instead of finishing the cleaning, I took a break and watched some Christmas movies.  I did finish the tree and it llos very nice.  James loves the new silver bulbs I got at Target.

 Later I added my two poinsettas by the fireplace

Christmas movies: Santa Baby, Santa Baby Two, The Mistle Tones, A Princess for Christmas, Santa Switch.  I may have watched some of these while I was cleaning and decorating.  Believe me I did not sit around all day watching movies!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Gospel Study

Abraham Lincoln:

"If you would win a man to your cause, first convice him that you are his sincere friend."

- Pres. Monson "True Shepherds"

It has warmed up.  Yesterday morning it was 2 degrees and this morning it's 14.  I slept in until after 6.  We stayed up too late watching that silly Christmas movie last night.

James left for the valley this morning.  He is bidding a job at Troon North Golf course in Scottsdale and is also checking on the Hatch job.  I am left at home alone.  I was so tired this morning I nestled down in my recliner and watched a cute Christmas movie I've seen before called "Help for the Holidays."  I did manage to get up and get dressed after the movie.

I worked on my blog and brought up the rest of the Christmas decorations and did some decorating but still haven't started the tree.  

We had an all board meeting, including class presidencies, tonight before Mutual.  Diana Curtis did some planning with the girls using the new Church youth activities website.  We planned a Young Women combined activity for February and one for March.  For Mutual I interviewed some of the girls for Personal Progress and Diana taught Kilee how to index.  Randa Covert played games with the girls waiting for their Personal Progress interviews.  It was nice that there were three of us there to cover all bases.

Gail's friends from Oregon are suppose to come by tomorrow and may be spending the night on their way to a hunting trip on the Blue.  That means tomorrow will be a busy day for me.

We watched the move "A Christmas Tail", starring Jenny Garth.

Facebook finds:

 Melanie Bentz and her daughter.

Melanie was in our ward in Chandler.

Brookly Carroll, Vernon ward.

The Aaron and Kari Lambson Family

Tricia and her sister Stacy.

Maddie Carroll, one of my sweet young women!

The Westbrook/Carroll clan:

Sadie, Brooklyn, Marie, Maddie, and

Rosa

Sheri with Benjamin Boles