Tuesday, December 24, 2013

I finished wrapping all the gifts this morning.  It was easier than most years because I had so many gift bags.

Gifts for Jared & Tricia's family

I know, I'm crazy for posting all these pictures of packages, but, hey, it was fun when I did it!

Sheri and her boys, Darrel and Trina and their kids went on their annual hike up A mountain.  (Addy says it's her mountain).  Afterwards they went to the Mello Mushroom for pizza.

Did I forget to mention that Michael

and Joe came too?

These guys played some football

James went to Circle K this morning on the way to see Bill Valentic and got me a drink.  How thoughtful.  When he returned I went shopping at El Sol for some homemade tortillas and delicious refried beans.  Afterwards I went to Fry's for food for our Christmas morning breakfast.  Stacy needed to do some shopping so James and I took Joshua to lunch with us at Chili's.  He had pizza and broccoli.  He at all of the broccoli but took half his pizza home with him.  Why didn't I take a picture???

We went home and took and nap and then did some visiting.  We dropped gifts off to Dave & Laura and Terry & Cathi and then went to see Lois and Dawn.  Dave and Laura, Aunt Faye and Aunt June were there too.  We had a nice visit but didn't stay too long.  Lois seemed to really like her Mother's bracelet. 

Back at home we went down to Sheri's.  Stacy and Paul and their boys were gone to Mary's for their annual family Christmas party.  I took my beans and tortillas from El Sol to share.  James played on the computer while Sheri, Alex, Max, Evan and I watched Elf.  Ben was asleep and Ian was still at work.  

We hit the bed early tonight because tomorrow is a big day.  Merry Christmas Eve everyone.

Monday, December 23, 2013

I went shopping at Deseret Book this morning for Elder Holland's book "In Troubled Times".  Michael Ellsworth mentioned it yesterday during Sunday School and James said that would be a good book to have, so I got it for him for Christmas.  I also bought the book "Armor Up" for Stacy, Sheri, Kim, and Jared.  I gave all the teenage boys one and I want their parents to read it too.

I went to the Walmart on Germann and Gilbert to do some shopping for food and more wax warmers.  The wax warmers seems to be my "go to" gift this year.  I was also looking for large gift bags but they were all out so I went to the Dollar Store near our house and found as many as I needed for only a dollar each.  A good find!  I also went to Sam's Club for ham and rolls for tonight's family Christmas party. 

I came home and made Grinch kabobs using strawberries, slice of a banana, a green grape, and a mini marshmallow.  I was going to post a picture but I think it got erased.

Almost everyone in town attended our party, including Dallin, Jared Ammon and his dog Dobus. Ian was not able to come because he was making late deliveries for UPS. We also had a special guest, Miss Kaitlyn Booth who just graduated from NAU.  We love having Kaitlyn come to our family Christmas party!  We sure do miss Jared and Tricia and their kids!
We started out on a spiritual note with some Christmas stories and James reading from Luke 2 and then bearing his testimony.  I shared the symbols of Christmas and what they mean.  Dallin sang the Christmas song he wrote a couple of years ago, and Addy played the guitar.  The kids had a gift exchange and then the adults from Max up played the White Elephant game.  Here are some pictures:

Stacy took charge of the kids gift exchange.

Here are some of the gifts given in our gift exchange: The Elf movie with cookies, a leopard blanket, and a soft teal blanket, an ASU mug with a Cardinals knit cap inside, sparkling cider, Taylor Lautner poster with an XBox game, (notice Ben holding up the poster in this picture), an apple cinnamon candle, movie tickets and free popcorn, a Coldstone gift card, a box of useless stuff, a jar of peanut M&M's, a Circle K gift card, two OZ posters, and the movie Marley & Me.  It was a fun evening and great to be with family and friends!

 Facebook finds:

Gail's family Christmas card

 The Ellsworth's

Dane, Michael, Marissa, 

Adrienne, Grady, and Audrey

Three of the four Wanlass children,

Taylor is serving a mission in San Antonio. Texas

Pictured are: Megan, Braden, Ian

and their dog Max

Sunday, December 22, 2013

I got up this morning and did some studying.  I also wrapped some gifts.  I wrapped all the "couples" gifts, the sheets I ordered from Nomorerack.  Joshua keeps asking to play with my phone.  I told him he would have to wait until after church. 

We attended the Galveston third ward today with Sheri and Stacy.  We know many people in this ward, some from Del Rio 2nd and some from Chandler third and tenth wards years ago.  Here are some of the people we saw and spoke to: Robin and Kerry Finlinson, the Miner's, Cathi, Terry, Dave & Laura, Paula Casto, the Ellsworth's, the Boles, Lynda Cull, Karen & Lance Schneider, Brennan Ray, the Braddock's, Laurie Jensen, the Coffey's, Janny St. Onge, the Leib's, Wanlass's, and the Jiminez's.  Although Jeff Chubbs is no longer in this ward, James called him today to wish him a happy birthday.  It was so wonderful to re-connect with old friends.

We really enjoyed the Christmas program presented in sacrament meeting.  Lynda Cull is the choir director and she did a wonderful job.  Ernesto Jiminez was the narrator.  It was fun to hear the choir sing and to be able to join in on many of the Christmas carols.

It seemed like old times with Michael Ellsworth teaching the gospel doctrine class.  He ask James and I to give the opening and closing prayers.  He had prepared a lesson on the Savior supporting us in our trials.  It was really very inspirational. 

Cammie Soderquist, (I don't know her, but I loved her lesson), taught Relief Society.  I got to sit by my dear friend Karen Schneider.  Cammie's lesson was taken from President Monson's conference address: "I Will Not Fail Thee, Nor Forsake Thee." 

After the block Sheri's family, Stacy, Joshua, and Michael and James and I all gathered in Bishop Lewis's office for Ben's ordination to the office of a teacher.  James did the ordination with Ian and Bishop Lewis in the circle.  It was one of the best ordination's and blessings that I have ever heard.  It was very spiritual.  Afterwards Evan said: "Boy, that was a long prayer."

After Ben's ordination James and I saw and visited with President Jones and his wife Kathy.  They just returned from their second mission at the temple in Monterrey, Mexico.  President Jones was our first visit when we moved to Chandler and Kathy and I were visiting teaching companions.

Sure enough, as soon as we got home Joshua asked to use my phone.  He had me download a game for him to play.  I wonder why he never asks to use Paul's phone.

I had lunch, took a short nap, and did some more wrapping.  I visited a little while with Stacy and then James and I went down to Sheri's.  She was making rolls and had some delicious homemade berry jam to go with them.  Yummy!  The family was watching "A Christmas Story".

Back at home James and I read scriptures and he visits with me while I wrap a few more presents.  It was a wonderful Sabbath day.

Facebook finds:

 Happy Anniversary to our friends,

Wes and Jill Lueck

The Megan (Bogle) and Reuben

Craghead family

A Mario game that Evan made

Saturday, December 21, 2013

This first thing I did this morning when I got up was finish making out and addressing Christmas cards.  I hadn't been in the mood to send them until now.  Around 9 am our home teachers, Brothers Church Crane and Collin Dewitt came for a visit.  Collin brought cookies and we gave cookies and a calender to each of them.  We had a nice visit about the importance of missionary work.  When they left I finished packing and getting ready to go to Chandler.  James sat and read his Uncle Delbert's book, "When Comes the Spring."

It takes me awhile to pack up because I am all the Christmas presents I have yet to wrap.  Well James waits until I am ready to go to decide that he needs to winterize everything, so instead of him waiting for me, I am waiting for him. 

We made cookie deliveries to the following people: Alex Jones, Kaeli Nicoll, and the Covert's.  We took Lynda Tanner a wax warmer, night light and Uncle Delbert's book.  She posted on Facebook a little later in the day how much she loved the book.  She knows Uncle Delbert and really likes him.

We meet Bishop Hall in the parking lot of Panda Express to deliver his family's cookies.  I told him to make sure Westin got his fair share because of the help that he gave me the other night when we went caroling.  On the way out of Show Low we went through the post office and mailed our Christmas cards.  We went the Payson way so we could drop off gifts to Dennis and Denise, and Harold and Vickie.  It was snowing when we left.  Here are some pictures I took at home and along the way.

We stopped for water at the Circle K in Star Valley.  James is tired of driving so I drive the rest of the way to Chandler so he can get some rest.  We arrive at the house, unload the car, and take Michael to Olive Garden for his birthday dinner. 

This was my dinner, chicken, pasta, and peppers in

a delicious sauce, topped with cheese.

After Olive Garden I went shopping at Walmart to get some food for tomorrow.  I see Charlotte Mattice in the parking lot and visit with her for a minute. 

Friday, December 20, 2013

Gospel Study

"Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage"

-Elder Quentin L. Cook

"Our challenge is to avoid bondage of any kind, help the Lord gather His elect, and sacrifice for the rising generation."

The clouds are rolling in this morning.  It is suppose to snow and I am so excited!

I made more cookies today but this time I used my new Kitchen Aid mixer.  Yes, I talked James into letting me open it early.  It is a dream!

My new mixer, which I love!

We made a trip into town today.  We got two checks today, one was the final one from Horne Auto.  We went into town and made a deposit and then we went to lunch at Panda.  It was packed!  Afterwards I did some shopping at Walmart.  I bought some wax warmers as Christmas gifts and I bought an electric shaver to give James.  

I made chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies today.  James made a home teaching visit to the Hunsaker's and then he took cookies to the John Wilhelm family.  He wasn't able to visit with the Wilhelm's because they had company.  We were going to deliver our other cookies tonight but decided to go tomorrow on our way to the valley.  

Tonight we missed Michael's birthday party at Organ Stop Pizza and Addy's guitar recital.  Addy did say she would play the guitar at our family Christmas party on Monday.

James and I watched "Christmas in Conway."  It was good, but a tear jerker.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Happy 16th Birthday to Michael!

I had a visit from my visiting teacher's today, Alicia Hunsaker and Dian Gillaspy.  Colter was here too but he mostly visited with James.  The message this month is appropriately on the life and mission of the Savior.
Alicia gave me a plug in light and wax warmer.  I love it!  I gave each of them the book "What Would a Holy Woman Do?" by Wendy Watson Nelson.

I went visiting teaching this afternoon.  I visted with Linda Diewald and Rosie Lauritzen.  Rosie's husband Rick, fulfilled a life long dream by getting a Mastiff dog.  Yikes!  Poor Rosie and her cats!   As I visited with Linda and Rosie I bore witness of the Savior and gave them Sister Nelson's book.  My partner, Joell Miller just gave birth to a baby boy.  Excitement for their family as it is there first boy. 

I wasn't able to set up a visit with Lannie Gillespie.  She is the assistant superintendent of Navajo county schools and said she was in Holbrook today and could I see her after Christmas.  Will do.

This evening I picked up Shelly Applegate at the library where her mother is the librarian, and we went to Diana Curtis's.  We helped wrap gifts for the Hansen children and then the three of us delivered them along with a tree and decorations.  One of our Young Women, Arizona Hill, is a part of this family.  After the Hansen's we met Denice Hall out on the road and she led us to Hunter Crowe's, another of our Young Women.  It's Hunter's birthday tomorrow and we took her a gift.  I met Hunter for the first time.  She has never attended Young Women's since I've been here.   We never would have found where Hunter lives without Denice.  We passed three dead end signs before we got there.  They are in a beautiful spot surrounded by pine trees.  We had a nice visit.  Shelly rode home with me and I gave he the mini Preach My Gospel book I bought for her at Deseret Book.  She was so excited you would have thought I gave her a $100.  I love this girl!

Went home and watched "Finding Christmas" with James.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

I got up at 5, did some studying, and then went back to bed and didn't wake up until 8:30.  We began packing up and soon left for home.  On our way we stopped at the Walmart in Chandler and then we stopped at Burger House in Miami.  On the way we listened to scriptures and then I slept while James drove.

We were back in Vernon in the early afternoon.  I watched the finale for The Voice.  I'm glad Tessanne won even though she if from Jamaica.  I loved her redition of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", "Nowhere to Hide" and her duet with Adam, "Let It Be."

I tried to do some indexing but it was slow going.  I only did 15 names. 

At six I met Diana Curtis and Kaeli Nicoll at the church to get Christmas goodie bags ready for the Young Women and to sign the CD's Kaeli made for them.  The CD's have the pictures from camp on them that Kaeli showed at our Young Women's in Excellence.

For mutual we went Christmas caroling with the Young Men.   Brother Mayfield brought his wagon with bales of hay for us to sit on.  The weather was nice enough for us to be out in the open and it was very enjoyable.  Westin Hall was such a gentleman.  He helped me in and out of the trailer at every stop.  The first home we went to was that of Alex Jones's.  We sang, but no one ever came to the door.  At Pasha Westbrook's she ask us to stop because her children were sleeping.  Every where else we went we were well received.  We sang at a nonmembers home and Kaeli invited them to church.  It was a fun and successful evening.  We had hot chocolate and cookies at the church.  The Young Women were in charge.

We sang by the light of the moon

Came home and watched Holidze with James, starring Jennie Garth and Cameron Mattison.