Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Morning Sky
I never saw the sun again for the rest of the day.

Gospel Study

Numbers 15

A man stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath.

He was a sinner who refused to obey.

Moses clearly taught that one who violated the Sabbath would be put to depth.

General Conference Goals

"Be Meek and Lowly of Heart"

Elder Ulisses Soares

My goal: To become more meek and humble.
"Do We Know What We Have"
Sister Carole Stephens
My goals:
1.  To allow the Atonement to fill me with hope and faith.
2.  Exercise faith in God's plan and respect priesthood ordinances and authority.
3.  Keep my covenants so I can receive greater personal revelation.

James slept in today.  Something I rarely see him do.  I think it's that darn sinus infection he has.  
We were going to go into town to get my tire fixed, it has a slow leak, but James had a patch kit and was able to fix the leak.  The tire had a screw in it  I love having a husband with skills!

James had a doctor's appointment at 4pm with Dr. Memon's PA, Eric Olson, so we ended up going into town anyway.  He has to get clearance for his surgery on March 18th.  While he was at his appointment I went shopping at Walmart and I also picked up my three month supply of folic acid and blood pressure meds.  The store was so crowded, and picked over.  There were no grapes, unripe strawberries, and they have no fresh pies.  I was hungry for apple pie so I bought a frozen Sara Lee pie instead.  

On the way home I read to James from The Book Thief.  We had baked apple pie for dinner.  It was quite good but James said it gave him heartburn.  

James and I are both suffering from blocked sinuses, I guess it's allergies, so we have nasal inhalers all over the house.  I even put one in my purse.  

Today I watched The Walton's and Wind at My Back.  James is starting to enjoy Wind at My Back.  In bed before 9!

Facebook finds:

I could do this!

Interesting thought

Snow, and a barren tree,

two of my favorite things!

Monday, March 3, 2014

October 2013 General Conference

President Monson's opening address:

1.  Help the missionaries in your ward.

2.  Pray for investigators.

3.  Contribute to the missionary fund.

Elder Robert D. Hales

Ponder and pray about what you have learned in General Conference and then apply the truths to your life.

My right knee is swollen and hurts, and my right middle finger is itchy and swollen twice it's normal size.  Come on Remicade, start working!

Today I paid bills, did laundry, and cleaned our bedroom and bathroom.  

James gave Lexy a bath and then worked on clearing some brush.  It was clear and sunny today.  The high was around 50.

I should have done a before and after picture.

This evening James and I drove to the Stanford store to get me some diet Dr Pepper.  We got there a few minutes before 7 and they close at 7.  

We watched Castle when we got home. 

Facebook finds:

I've never seen a ponies wearing sweaters before!

Waterfall in Japan

An illuminated sandcastle in Australia.

 

Sunday, March 2, 2014

We woke up to snow on the ground this morning!

 On our way to church.

After church all the snow was melted.

Today is the day we have been waiting for!  Today the Gilbert temple was dedicated in three different sessions.  I attended the

 9am session.  Poor Lexy was a muddy mess when I arrived.  James was one of the ushers at our building.  Brothers MacArthur and Brimahll from the high council were the other two.  James was able to sit with me during this first session.  I was able to take notes in my Sunday journal up until the dedicatory prayer which was offered by President Henry B. Eyring.  We heard from Nancy LeSueur, her husband who is the temple president David LeSueur.  The LeSueur's donated the land that the temple is built on.  Elder Tad. R. Callister and Elder William R. Walker conducted.  David Layton, son of our friends Bob and Dianne Layton, gave the opening prayer.  Louise Jones led the choir and Jake and one of the Jones girls were in the choir and Mitch Jones, president of the Chandler Stake, gave the closing prayer.  

One of the things President Eyring said in the prayer was that the temple would be a sanctuary of serenity and a refuge of peace.  It was a wonderfully uplifting experience and one I will not soon forget.

 President Eyring and President Monson

at the cornerstone celebration.

When the dedication session was over I went out to get in Lexy to go home and I had a flat tire.  Luckily James was there with his compressor and put air in it for me so I could make it home.  How grateful I am for him!

On the way home I was grateful I had taken pictures of the snow this morning, because it was all melted.  I waited to break my fast until after 1pm., a little over 24 hours.  I had a green mixed burro for lunch and watched Sister Dalton and Sister Cook, formerly of the General Young Women's presidency speak on BYU TV.  I got the very end of Sister Dibb's talk.

After lunch I worked on Personal Progress.  I am working on devising two week menu plans for one of the Good Works experiences.  I also studied from Preach My Gospel and studied paragraph seven of the Proclamation on the Family.  My greatest accomplishment, well at least the one that I felt best about, was writing a March letter to all my children.  

James was home before five and brought with him some chicken salad, potato salad, and cookies.  The Relief Society provided lunch for the priesthood here from the stake.  

Before going to bed we watched the latest episode of "When Calls the Heart."

 

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Rain, rain and more rain.

 We are so grateful for the rain!

James and I stayed home, studied and worked.  At 12:30pm we started our fast.  We are fasting for family.  

At 2:15 we left for the Snowflake temple.  It rained on us the entire way.  Luckily I had my umbrella.  I spoke with Analee Hunsaker before going in to the 3:30 session.  We saw the second new film.  I think I like the actors in the first one better, except for Satan.  Clea Adams was the only person I knew in our session.  I spoke to her after the session.  I went to high school with her daughter Beverly.  One of my favorite memories from high school is a slumber party Beverly had for one of her birthdays.  We played hide and go seek in their cornfield and slept in their barn.  I am afraid we didn't get much sleep.  It was so much fun!  Clea said that Beverly and her husband Tom Welch, were serving a mission in Indonesia and learning to speak Jakarta.

Back in the dressing room as I was folding my ordinance clothes I spoke to Lorraine Tieman who is also a temple worker from our ward.  Sister Tieman's husband is in the hospital with a staff infection.  He has been sick for a very long time.  

From the temple we had a little time to kill so we drove through one of the subdivisions in Show Low, Torreon.  We ended up at the Show Low stake center where we watched the Gilbert temple cultural celebration with only two other people, Sister Marie Boblett, and a 12 year old investigator she had with her, Paige Garvin.  

It rained through the entire production which lasted almost an hour and a half, but the rain didn't seem to damper the spirits of the performers.

 Joseph with his knit hat.

 Alex and Michael.  

Where is Ben?  Is that him behind the sombrero? 

 The pictures without rain were taken earlier in the day during practice.  This picture shows the actual conditions these youth performed under.

The celebration was very inspirational and I am sure President Monson and President Eyring enjoyed it as much as we did.  

Elder Walker, President Monson, and President Eyring

 

Facebook finds

Two story treehouse.

 European castle.

Which would you prefer to live in?

Friday, February 28, 2014

Morning sky

Here are some notes that I took from my morning gospel study:

  How is it we show the Lord that we have symbolically put ourselves upon today's sacrificial altar?

  "When we overcome our own selfish desires and put God first in our lives and covenant to serve Him regardless of the cost, we are then living the law of sacrifice." -Elder M. Russell Ballard

  Our Light in Darkness:

  "The quantity of darkness surrounding us in the world simply does not matter.  Light is eternal and is vastly more powerful than darkness.  If we remain worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, our souls can reflect sufficient light to displace any amount of darkness, and others will be drawn to the light within us."  (Feb. 2014, Ensign, p. 77)

This evening we picked up Blain and Diana Curtis and drove into the Show Low stake center to attend Trenda Wilhelm's surprise 16th birthday party.  

 Trenda's sister Ruthie blowing

up a balloon before the party

Wow this is blurry!

Trenda's parents, John and Sandy and

Trenda dancing with her grandpa Wilhelm

 Trenda dancing with her dad.

We left the party early to go get something to eat.  All they had at the party were cookies and milk.  The Curtis's suggested Lotus Garden so we drove to Pinetop.  James ordered the seafood feast, and it really was a feast.

He said it was bland but he went

home and seasoned it the next day

and said it was delicious.

This was a fun evening and it gave us an opportunity to get to know the Curtis's a little better.  Diana is the Young Women's president and Blain is our ward clerk.  They are from Mesa and have been here about a year and a half.  Blain is a retired police officer.

 

 

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Cute pink clouds
Today would have been my dad's 83rd birthday.  Happy Birthday dad.

Numbers 7:84 

This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold.

(I thought this was interesting due to the fact that we will be attending the dedication of the Gilbert temple on Sunday).

I finished the October 2013 General Conference talks for the 5th time today.  

 James called to give me a report of how his visit with Dr. Ortega went.  He is scheduled to have the screw in his ankle removed on March 18th if he can get clearance from his heart doctor.  Instead of staying until tomorrow James decided to come home this afternoon.  Of course he brought green mixed burros from Burger House. 

This evening we went into Vernon to get the mail.  On the way home I made the comment that it would be nice to see some elk.  When we turned onto N3625, the electric pole road near our house, these was a herd of about 40 elk.  It caught us by surprise and they moved out so quickly there was no time to take pictures.  Oh yes, and it was quite dark.

Facebook finds:

 This is what happens when

Sheri watches Ruby

 Buildings in Russia

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Happy 17th Birthday to Joe

 Michael and Joseph

and

Happy 24th Birthday to Adam!

This morning I met the other Young Women leaders at the church at 9am to set up for tonight's New Beginnings.  James came down and made the punch for tonight before leaving for the valley.  He also stopped in Show Low at Center Tire and got two new tires for his truck.

Kaeli Nicoll is in charge of the Premortal Life room for tonight.

Randa was there to help her set up.  

When they were finished they came and helped me in the Earth Life room.

We all gathered in the Relief Society room to help Dianna set up the Celestial Kingdom room.

After we were finsihed I went in to town.  I made a deposit at the bank, shopped for a white blouse at Walmart, and picked up a pizza at Pappa John's on my way home.

At home I relaxed most of the afternoon until it was time to get ready to go to New Beginnings.

We all gathered in the north foyer of the church for the opening prayer and then we moved into the premortal room where Kaeli Nicoll talked about The Plan of Salvation.  

 The Plan of Salvation

Next we moved on to the Earth Life room where the girls explained the eight values and the symbols for each of the classes.  I read a letter from the First Presidency to the young women in the front of the Personal Progress manual.  The young women all recited the Young Women theme.  Alice Wilhelm led them.

Kaeli introduced the new Beehives, Alice Wilhelm, Heaven Lootans, and Khaya Westbrook,  and told a little about each one of them.  Dianna talked about the torch necklace and gave each of the new Beehives one and anyone else who had not yet received them. 

 The Relief Society room or Eternal Life was our last stop.  There was a large picture of Christ in the center of the room with a heart saying "Welcome Home."  The bishop welcomed us all to eternal life and tells the girls how happy our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are that they completed the Personal Progress goals, received their YW recognition, obeyed the commandments, and endure until the end.  The young women sing "Come Unto Christ."

Each heart in the background has the

name of a young woman on it.

Kilee, Shelly, Coty, Maddie, Kyah,

Jordyn, Kelly, Hope, Trenda, LeeAnn,

and Heaven is hiding behind LeeAnn.

For refreshments Sister Millie Scott made

a delicious cake and we also had James's

delicious punch!

One of the highlights for me was the fact that Hailey Lootans came.  I felt like when the girls sang "Come Unto Christ", 

they were singing to her.