Sunday, February 9, 2014

James leaves for high council at 5:20 this morning.  I got up and ironed his shirt for him and then stayed up to prepare a backup lesson for Young Women's just in case.  At 7am I attend ward council in place of Diana who is not going to be here today.  By attending ward council you find out what's really going on behind the scenes in the ward.  I was excited to get Elder Russel and Elder Westover's report on who they are teaching.  Now I can pray for these people by name.  I wore my purple skirt and the purple scarf that Lorraine Vaught gave me today. 

James met me at church before sacrament meeting.  The messages were on missionary work.  Trenda Wilhelm was the youth speaker, and the main speakers were Steve Allen and Mel Wilhelm.  In Sunday School today I got to read a quote by Elder Scott to parents of wayward children.  It was really good! 

Randa Covert gave the lesson in Young Women on the premortal life.  We only had five girls attend.  I wonder where Maddie, Kelly, Hope and Heaven were.

Rosie Lauritzen gave me a valentine card and a candy bar today.  So sweet of her! 

James took citrus fruit to Lorrain Vaught, Sean and Sefani Hunsaker, John and Sandra Wilhelm, and the Crane's.  Kathy Crane was so exicted.  She says citrus fruit is one of the things she misses since moving away from southern California.

As we were going in to our Book of Mormon class Analee Hunsaker said to me: "It feels like spring."  It really does.  It is in the 60's here and in the 80's in the valley.  Where did winter go?  I guess back east.

After our Book of Mormon class I came home and fixed what I call one of our "years supply" dinners.  I used Stovetop stuffing, canned chicken, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup.  James loved it!

We watched "When Calls the Heart" this evening. 

Facebook finds:

Cathi's daughter Wendy with

Kenny Chesney.

 Old Man Winter.

This looks like something Carmen would do.

Carmen?

Rusty Allen from the Vernon ward just put

his mission papers in.

Rusty is one of the nicest young men

I have ever met.

From Richard G. Scott's message in the

February Ensign.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Happy 42nd Birthday Stacy!

You are almost too old for me to post your age!

 Stacy's birthday gift.
I call her Lulu because that's the name of the
designer.

Michael went to Circle K this morning and got Stacy a Code Red drink, a Caramello bar, and a teddy bear for her birthday.  What a thoughtful guy!

I had planned on going to Max's flag football game this morning but I was hurting too much.  I needed to get home to give myself an Enbrel shot.  I have been giving myself a shot every other week instead of every week to make the Enbrel last longer.  I only have one shot left.  I hope I get approval to start on Remmicade soon!

James got a power sprayer at Home Depot.  I went next door to Staples and got me some colored pens.  I also went through the drive-thru of Krispy Kreme.  We wanted to go visit Darrel and Trina before leaving town but Darrel is at work and Trina wasn't home.  Maybe next time.  I went home the Payson way and of course James went through Globe so he could go to Burger House.  

I was sad when I got home to see that the snow was all melted.  Everyone is getting concerned because of the lack of moisture we have received this year.  We have drought like conditions just like California.

When I got home and the car was unloaded I put on my pajamas and crashed on the couch.  I watched the latest episode of Sherlock with James and we also watched When Calls the Heart and a Hallmark movie "Chance for Romance.  For dinner we had our Burger House burros.  

I forgot to mention that before leaving Chandler James visited with Cathi's son Chris and his wife.  They are making a National Geographic special about them and their life on Kodiak Island.  Cathi was so happy he came.  She hasn't seen him in 15 years.

Random pictures:

James's new favorite candy bar.

Joshua took a picture of Skittles.

Sheri and Christy ran in the Color Race

at Tumbleweed Park.

This is their before picture.

This is the after picture.

Friday, February 7, 2014

For breakfast this morning I had two Krispy Kreme donuts.  They only have 160 calories each and boy I love them!  There is a drive thru Krispy Kreme on the corner of Chandler Blvd. and Alma School.  It's a good thing I don't live here anymore!

After breakfast I went shopping for Stacy and Trina's birthdays and for Valentines candy.  I started out at the Super Target on Gilbert and Germann.  While there, I bought James and I a new air mattress.  It's a Coleman and it's 18" high.  Next stop was Marshall's, but I didn't see any purses I liked that were in my price range, so it was back to Penney's.  I found lots that I liked, including a purple one for me but only ended up getting one for Stacy.  Sheri says she thinks Trina just got a new purse so I will probably get her a Visa gift card. 

James and I went to lunch at Jersey Mikes.  Afterwards we went home to take a nap on our new bed.  We like it!  After nap time I went out shopping again at Walgreen's and Target Greatland.  I asked all the kids what the grandkids favorite candy was and Alex and Ben's is Caramello which I have not been able to find.  I finally find them at Circle K.

Here are some of the favorites:  I don't know Adam and Jared Ammon's so I just give them some random candy.  Dallin - Snickers, Michael - Nerds, Joe - Hershey's hearts and Nutella,  Alex and Ben - Caramellos, Max - sour worms, E
Evan - Skittles and Starburst and some sour worms, James - a "fancy heart" with chocolates, and sour worms, and Anna, Molly, and Emmy - sour worms.  Addy - sour worms, Rowan and Ruby - suckers.  I got the couples Jordan almonds.  Of course I got James dark chocolate with almonds and dark chocolate with hazlenut and Nutella. 

James and I were going to go to Chili's for dinner but it was too crowded so we ended up at Elmer's for machaca tacos and burros.  Yummy!

Stacy loved her purse!  I watched part of Sherlock Holmes with her and Paul while filling Valentine candy bags.

Facebook finds:

Joshua and Jared Ammon at Tara's wedding reception.

 

Friends from Vernon

Owen and Donna Peeler

 

Friends from Chandler, Christy,

Ian, Eric, Megan and Brayden Wanlass

I loved shopping at Smitty's

Naptime

 Hotel somewhere in Europe

 

Thursday, February 6, 2014

I left for the valley around 9am this morning.  I stopped at the McDonald's in Payson for a chicken nugget Happy Meal for lunch.  I love their hot mustard sauce first introduced to me by James.  When I get to Chandler the first thing I do is go home and brush my teeth and then head for the dentist's office. 

My temporary crown comes off and my permanent gold crown goes on.  I now have three molars with gold crowns and the other one still has a silver filling.  I have to wait an hour before I can eat but that's okay because my next stop was at an imaging place by the hospital to get a chest x-ray which was ordered by my rheumatologist before I can go on my new medication,  Remmicade.

After my x-ray I meet James at home and we head for Outback to use our giftcard that Darrel and Trina gave James for his birthday.  I had the Victorian steak with a salad and a sweet potato.  Oh my, that sweet potato was good!  They put butter and brown sugar on it.  After dinner James was sweet enough to let me run in to Hobby Lobby to get some Valentine goodie bags.  He really is a sweetie.  

Back at home, I was tired and was lying on the bed.  James came in and flopped down, and then got up and then flopped down again and then got up.  Somehow he punctured a hole in the bed with all his flopping around.  We had to sleep on the twin mattress on Stacy's bunkbed.  Not only was it tight quarters but that thing has no box springs so the mattress is hard as a rock.  I didn't get much sleep.  We started out with our heads together but I changed and made it head to feet.  I kept feeling like I was going to fall of..

Oh I forgot to mention something cool that happened today.  Kim ordered James and I handkerchief's for the Gilbert temple dedication.  They have our names embroidered on one side and a picture and name of the temple on the other.  Here is a picture:

These are such a special keepsake of a sacred occasion

Thank you Kim!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

I am gaining some valuable insights from reading Elder Bednar's conference address on tithing. Here are a few:

1.  Spiritual and temporal blessings come into our lives as we live the law of tithing.

2.  A grateful person is rich in contentment.

3.  Do more with less, prioritize and simplify and take proper care of the material possessions we already have.

4.  Change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else.

5.  When we plead for relief rom physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience.

6.  Honest payment of tithing is an important step in personal sanctification.

I made another trip to town today, don't ask me why, maybe I was lonely.  I saw Mary Swift.  I always look for her when I'm in Walmart.  There was a little snow again today.  On the way home I stopped at the Jalapeno Cafe and got a sweet pork salad.  It was quite good.

Back at home I saw a herd of about 10 elk walking across our back yard.  I was afraid to open the door to take a picture because I thought I would spook them.  While talking on the phone with Sheri I also saw a bluebird.  I took a picture through the window.

Sorry he wasn't looking at me.

Tonight Analee and I were the only Young Women leaders at Mutal.  Diana wanted the girls to cut out hearts for our New Beginnings program. 

It's blurry, but it's the only picture I got so I'm keeping it.

I let the girls have the Krispy Kreme donuts I bought from Trenda.  They ate the entire dozen.  After they were finished making hearts, most of them went out to play basketball.  Shelly went into the primary room to practice the piano.  She just started taking lessons.  

Trina sent out a group text to Sheri, Kim, Tricia and I to tell us that she's having a girl.  She told me to tell Stacy since she doesn't have her number.  After telling us the baby was a girl she sent the following text: 

"Also there is a cyst on the baby's brain that could be a normal variant

but could also be a sign of a fatal defect so I have to go back in 2 weeks

for another ultra sound so pray for the baby."

That is so scary, and we will definitely be praying.  Trina wants to name the baby Mae.  Although Nannie's name was Myrtle Mae she always went by Mae, so I am pretty happy with that choice.

 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Today is my brother Harold's 64th birthday.  I tried to call him to wish him a happy birthday, but I didn't get an answer so I left a message.  I want to have him and Vickie, and Dennis and Denise over for dinner but it probably won't be until March.  February is so busy.

James took Zaki to the temple open house today.  Zaki really enjoyed it but while James was gone from work the guys didn't do very well.  Now instead of finishing the job at Lake Park Village on Friday, he won't be finished until next Monday.  He had to call me and vent a little.

I worked on my 2013 scrapbook.  This highlights for last year were Emmy's baptism and Dallin's graduation from high school.

To keep from being lonely I turn the TV on while I work. I watched several episodes of the Walton's while I was working on my scrapbook.

I am so thankful for my hard-working husband.

Facebook finds:

Sounds yummy!

Monday, February 3, 2014

Took a picture of the gorgeous sky this morning.

I love mornings like this!

James left for the valley this morning with a bottle of water and a Jimmy Dean ham and cheese croissant.

I am home alone and I'm already feeling lonely.  This afternoon I paid some bills and took them to the Vernon postoffice.  I went into Show Low to deposit a check and ended up at Walmart.  It was cold, cloudy, and we had a little snow today, but not enough.  I had Taco Bell for dinner.  

I talked to Stacy this afternoon.  She had to tell me about the Super Bowl and how excited Michael was that his team finally won.  This is the first Superbowl win for the Seattle Seahawks.  She said she felt sorry for Peyton Manning, the quarterback for the Broncos.  Adam came over for their "Superbowl party."  Not that he likes the Superbowl, he sat and read a book the whole time, but he was anxious to eat some of Paul's burgers.  Jared Ammon had to work but they took him a burger at work.  Dallin was a no show.

  I wish I could say I took this picture,

but I didn't.  I found it on Facebook.