Saturday, January 24, 2015

 

'From the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi we read:

"For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way,

and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5)

We must never let the noise of the world overpower and overwhelm that still, small voice.'

-Elder L. Tom Perry

 

In conjunction with their ward conference Jared's ward had a service project today.  There is a site called BillionGraves.com where you can download an app for your mobile device.  James and I downloaded this site on our phones and when we got to the Memory Gardens of the Valley Cemetery we were ready to take pictures of headstones, transcribe the information, and download it to the BillionGraves site.  Jared for some reason could not download the information onto his phone and James and Anna's minipads don't have a data plan so all the work our family did was with our two phones.  I downloaded 68 names and James did 47.  I was a great service project and involved the youth as well as the adults. 

I am not sure what is wrong with Molly. 

She spent most of the time we were here playing with her friends from the ward.

I believe the ward did over 2,100 transcriptions.

 

James left the cemetery service project a little early because of award basketball game.  When we were finished, we went and watched him play.

James played in his jeans until Jared got there

with his shorts.

James's team, Franklin 5th ward, won 23-17!

 

After the basketball game we were all starving so we headed for Kiki's for some authentic mexican food.  We are still celebrating Anna and grandpa James's birthdays.  This treat was on Jared.  Thanks!

Waiting to be seated.

Looking at the menu

Emmy and Molly shared their meal.

James Hayden, Jared and I all got the machaca.

Might tasty!

 

Back at Jared's Molly and Emmy working on building snow people.

 It's so funny to see snow in the desert!

Molly's snow family

These two can be the best of

friends when they want to be.

Anna dropped her phone in the toilet awhile ago and now it randomly calls people.  Emmy practiced her spelling words again today.  Here were some of the words she practiced:

trattoria, capricious, archipelago, pizzicato, just to name a few. Pretty had words for a 4th grader, but Emmy is super smart!  Of course Molly wants to do whatever Emmy does so she would practice spelling them too. 

 

James spent a lot of time trying to get papers the realtor sent him for selling our commercial lot.  I think we might have to take care of this business when we get back to Chandler. 

James Hayden was going to go to the stake dance but on the way there he decided not to because he "just didn't feel liketalking to people."  The kids watched the movie "The Pacifier."

 

 

Back at home in Arizona:  Evan scored the only goal his team made at the soccer game this morning.  Sheri took this picture at the game:

 

Joshua didn't go to the soccer game.  He went to the Pinewood Derby instead.  He got first place in our ward and third place in the stake.  Congratulations!

 

 

















Friday, January 23, 2015

Happy Birthday to this guy

who turned 67 today.

For his birthday we made a trip to Deming and to El Paso.  He was supposed to meet Gerardo Rico at the court house and take care of some tax business and then Rico was going to pay him for this month's rent but he was a no show. 

I had read on Glenn Beck's Facebook page that the Adobe Deli in Deming was a good place to eat so we MapQuested it.  It was out of town off the beaten path, but we found it.  This is what we found on the outside and James swore up and down it couldn't be a restaurant.  I asked him where his sense of adventure was and we headed inside.

 

When I saw this sign I knew we were at the right place!

From the outside it did look like someone's barn or shop.

Lots of antiques and animal heads on the walls

finished up the décor inside.  James just corrected me,

and said it wasn't heads, but full body mounts.

I sat next to this guy.

James ordered the Reuben sandwich and I ordered a BBQ beef.  We both got a side of coleslaw. 

James taking a dainty bite of coleslaw.

How do you take a dainty bite of this?

MY BBQ beef sandwich.  I could only eat half but took the

other half with me.

Snow on the mountain leaving Deming.

James almost ran out of gas because I was reading to him.  We could not have gone another ten miles.

 

Molly and her snowman that she built

on Jared's back patio.  He lives up against the mountain and

there was still snow around his place. 

The road into Jared's place.

View off Jared's patio

We picked up a cake at Baskin Robbins at Jared's request and

sang Happy Birthday to Anna and grandpa James.  Anna would not let me take her picture.

That's Anna getting ready to blow out the candles.

Grandpa and Emmy

James and his namesake, James.

Molly with her ice cream and cake

Jared was so nice to give us his bedroom and bath while he slept

with Molly on the air mattress we brought. 

 

After cake and ice cream I helped Emmy with her Italian spelling words.  Some of them were really hard but she wants to learn them because there is a spelling bee this coming Thursday.





Thursday, January 22, 2015

Phoenix temple

 

"I believe that Heavenly Father binds us to our

kindred dead in many ways.  I feel bound to

Great-grandmother Ballard by the priesthood sealing

ordinances.  I also feel bound to her faith, which I

have learned about through her own written

words and those of other family members who have

recorded her history."

-M. Russell Ballard

 

While James and David were finishing up at the Willis' this morning, I went shopping for James's birthday at Kohl's.  I bought him a shirt, pants, and shoes.

 

This afternoon we went to the Gilbert temple.  On the way we stopped at Deseret Book and got another book by the same author of the last one, Laurie Alice Eakes.  This one is called "Reluctant Courtship."  I think we missed one that goes between this one and the last one so we will be reading them out of order.  Oh well.

This series is called The Daughters of Bainbridge House.

 

Oh temple session was wonderful, and just what I needed.  I always feel such peace and comfort in the temple.  We took the opportunity to put several family names on the temple prayer roll. 

 

After the temple I met with John Usher and we walked around the yard.  It looks worse than I have ever seen it.  He came me a price and said he would come and do it while we are out of town on Saturday. 

 

This evening we joined the other fans of the "Scuba Steve's", the name of Michael and Joe's band, at Sozo's Coffee House.  They put on an awesome show!  One of their favorite bands is "Good Ole War" so they sang some of their songs.  One of the guys who used to be in the band "The Format" introduced them.  Tara, Paul's sister,  even came clear from the British Isles to hear Michael perform.



 

"Better Weather"

I had to include this!

John, Michael, Matt, and Joe

 

 

Joe doing a solo

Michael and Joe

Connor joining the guys on stage to help sing Michael's original

song, "The Pirate and the Bear."  I think it was my

favorite song of the night.





Wednesday, January 21, 2015

 

"The effort and the determination to seek Him and to follow Him will  be rewarded with the blessings we need"

-Elder Eduardo Garret

 

I went to Staples today and made copies of this 3 month schedule for reading the Book of Mormon.







Here is the deal:  Everyone who reads the first column by our first FHE on February 15th gets $20.  The second column by March 13th when Jared and his kids are here for the next FHE is another $20.  And the last column must be read by Easter, April 5th for the last $20. Stacy, Kim, Sheri, Ben, Michael, and Joshua are really trying to make the deadlines.  Sheri is way ahead and says she loves reading 3 or 4 chapters a day.  It's fun to see people excited about the Book of Mormon.

 

We took my car to Sears today to get the oil changed and the tires rotated in preparation for our trip to El Paso on Friday.  While there we had delicious grilled fish tacos from Rubio's and read from our book "Necessary Deception."  

 

I missed my meeting with John Usher, the guy who is going to give me a quote on cleaning up the yard, because Sears was so slow.  

 

In other news, the Pinewood Derby is this Saturday and Paul takes it very seriously.  Michael and Dallin took first and second in the stake when they were in Cub Scouts so he feels like he has a reputation to maintain.  

  Joshua sanding his car.

 



Max's pirate gun came today.  The first one I ordered was plastic.  This one looks like the real deal and came all the way from Europe. 

  

 

When we take the kids to Disneyland they get to choose a souvenir.  Max wanted a pirate gun but they were all out so I told him I would order him one.  I think he liked it.

 

 

Evan is an artist and a writer.  This is a picture he drew for an assignment for school.

 

I especially love the guys face!

 







Tuesday, January 20, 2015

 

"Irony and contradiction are two of the best descriptors of Gethsemane's bitter cup, causing thoughtful disciples to reflect on the nature of tests and trials in mortality and how the lessons of the bitter cup can have profound meaning in their lives."

-Andrew C. Skinner

 

James got locked out of his truck three times this morning.  If he leaves it even for a minute it locks.  He was so frustrated!

 

I had my own frustration this morning and ended up cutting almost an inch off my hair.  James helped me with the back but he kept saying that I cut it too short and I kept saying, "It will grow back."

 

 

We went to Olive Garden for lunch today.  In keeping with our "diet" I had no pasta or breadsticks.  I had a new lo-cal chicken dish that was quite tasty. 

 

After lunch I went over to visit with Dave and Laura.  They are concerned because Laura seems to need oxygen more than she did before her surgery.  Hopefully that will get better with time. 

 

 

Gas was $1.68 for regular at Sam's Club today.  We haven't seen it that low for years. 

 

 

James got a call from Debbie Holyoak, the postmaster in Vernon.  They have been trying to forward our mail to Chandler but the Chandler post office keeps sending it back.  I made a trip to the post office here in Chandler this afternoon to straighten things out.  I filled out a form for Lambson Construction and for our personal mail. 

 

Made a trip to Costco to get some groceries and while there I saw my friend Shellie Seymore.  We had a nice visit. 

 

James painted at the Willis's today and while he was working Janis came out and sat in a chair and visited with him.

 

James and I had Chili's leftovers for dinner. 

 

Evan wrote a story and had me read it.  I didn't tell him this, but it was a little disturbing. 

 

Joe and Michael practiced their songs for the big show on Thursday.

 

My big accomplishment for the day was doing laundry.

Monday, January 19, 2015

 

Today is Martin Luther King Day so there was no school.  Here is one of my favorite Martin Luther King quotes:

"Education without morals is like

a ship without a compass,

merely wandering nowhere."

 

James worked at Reed and Janis Willis's today.  I had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Allen.  He wants me to start on my second hormone, Estradiol.  After my appointment I went through Sonic and got a chicken sandwich and a drink. 

 

Sheri and Trina took their kids on a hike this morning.  Afterwards Trina and her kids came out for a visit.  At one point Ruby came to Sheri to report that Ben was taking Sheri's chocolate.  Sheri posted this on Facebook:

 

 

Rowan had a great time playing with Joshua, Evan and Max, but Addy and Ruby were a little bored so Sheri, Trina and I took them to Bahama Bucks. 

 





Yummy!

Ruby is amazed!

Ruby needed a little help. 

Poor Lola, all she got was an empty

water bottle.

 

I had a little talk with Addy about reading the Book of Mormon by Easter.  She said that reading 5 1/2 pages a day was just "too much" for her. 

 

James and I had cooked cabbage for dinner.  We watched a Hallmark movie called "Wedding Bliss" and read from our book "Necessary Deception." 

 

Laura is feeling a little better today.