Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Our friends Blain & Diana Curtis

Today we went to lunch with our dear friends Blain and Diana Curtis.  When Blain got in the car he said: "How are our best friends doing"?  What a nice thing to say.  We enjoy them so much!  I worked with Diana in Young Women's and really do miss working with her.  They are both great people!

We went to Licano's and while we were there we saw some more friends from our Vernon ward, Jim and Linda Diewald.  I went over to say hello and visited with them a few minutes.  I was Linda's visiting teacher and got to know them quite well.  They have two grandchildren on missions, a boy in Kentucky, and a girl in Uruaguay.  I am happy for them but it reminded me that we have four grandchildren old enough to serve mission and none of them have gone.  

We had a nice visit with the Curtis and we all said we should do it again soon.

Happy 16th Birthday Ben!

One of the nicest and most fun boys I know!

Ben has always been fun-loving! 

Instead of finishing my decorating, I watched Christmas movies with James.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Just a pretty picture I found

My weather app says it is 18 but feels like 5.  What does that even mean?  It is so confusing.

I had an epiphany as I was studying my ponderize scripture today.  I figured out what it meant by the evil gift.  I wrote about it in my gospel study journal.  

Today I read the chapter about the crucifixion in Jesus the Christ.  James and I read from Revelations in the New Testament and in 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon.  

I am still decorating the house, but I am slow.  I stopped to watch a Christmas movie: "A Family for Christmas."  

James cleared off the ice and snow from the front porch and from the bedroom balconies.  He is still having troubles hooking up the satellite.  I tried to help, but we still couldn't figure it out.

Early this evening we started out for town.  We stopped at the post office and picked up our Star Shower lights.

Love these lights!

We liked the Star Shower lights so well that I ordered another two sets to really light up our house.  

As we are going down the 60 towards Show Low, the phone rings.  It's Chris Skousen.  He had made an appointment to visit us tonight and wondered where we were.  Luckily we hadn't gone too far so we turned around and went home to find Chris and Ed Miller waiting outside our door.  They brought us cookies and we had a nice visit with them.  Ed told us about living in Alaska when his two oldest children were young.  All I can say is, Debbie is a saint!

After our visit, we headed back for town.  Our first stop was at Sonic for burgers and then we headed for Walmart.  I bought some scented pinecones and some other items.  I ended up spending $99.  On the way home we got gas and a carwash.

When we returned home we put the things away that we had bought and went to bed.

 

Monday, December 14, 2015

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

The wind is blowing the snow away and the sun is shining...but it's supposed to snow by 9am...., it didn't happen.

 

Because National Bank was closed Saturday I discovered that I could make a photo deposit on my phone. I was grateful we wouldn't have to go to town until I received an email from National Bank saying my deposit was rejected and I needed to call customer service, which I did.  I was put on hold the first time for 15 minutes and then was cut off.  I called back and was helped by someone named Sheri.  She put me on hold and then came back and said my check was rejected and she couldn't say why, except that maybe it was the squigily in the amount column.  I said I thought that was ridiculous.  She apologized and said we would have to go into town to make the deposit.

 

We got ready and left for town a little after ten.  We could see the clouds coming as we left.  Before we were halfway to Show Low it was snowing.  The sky disappeared in a white fog.

 

We made a deposit at National Bank and then we went to Show Low where I shopped for my visiting teaching luncheon scheduled for Thursday.  James helped me do my shopping which made it go a little faster.  Again, Walmart is filled with people.  School was cancelled and I wonder if people were bored and came shopping instead of staying at home in front of the fire.

 

Walmart parking lot.

 

It was almost a whiteout on the way home.  

 Crazy weather to drive in!

One of the sisters we visit teach, Jean Howard, never answers my phone calls.  I tried to call her again today.  When she didn't answer, I called my partner Lorraine Tieman, and ask if she would call Jean.  Jean answered her call.  Jean is in the valley and may be back by Thursday.  She said she might be able to come to our luncheon.

 

When we got home I got a call from Teresa Smith inviting us to come to lunch at her house on Friday.  The Giles's are going to be there too.  

 

On the way home from town we stopped at the post office.  I had a couple of packages, two of James's Christmas presents came.  We also stopped at Rosa Westbrook's and picked up some tamales she made for us.  When James told her we missed her yesterday she said: "I told him he crazy.  I been to church for 3 hours and I need to stay home and rest."  She is so funny, a sweet little lady from Mexico.

 

Stacy posted this on Facebook today:

"Yesterday during church, at a very reverent moment, Joshua turns to me and cups my face saying: 'Mom, you are the most beautiful girl that ever lived and if anybody says otherwise I will punch them in the face.' Ummm...how am I supposed to deal with that?"

 Ready to defend his mom's beauty.

You gotta love this kid!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Happy Birthday Carmen!

 Such a cutie!

James's sister Carmen is one of the most talented people I know.  She also has a great fun-loving personality! We wish she lived a little closer so we could see her more often.

 Carmen makes some awesome cakes!

We had to de-ice our windshield this morning before leaving for church.  James measured 10 and 1/2 inches of snow on his truck.  

We had some sunshine today, but it was very cold.

Brother O'Dair from the high council and Brother Peeler from our ward were the speakers in sacrament meeting today. Brother O'Dair's son David was the youth speaker.  He ask how we can become better leaders and his answer was, by following Jesus Christ.  The other two speakers spoke on leading by following Christ.  It was a great meeting.

I noticed Pam and Rick Giles attended our ward today.  I guess they didn't move to Snowflake, but were just trying out another ward when they attended there.

Today during sharing time we took pictures of all the children in Primary.  The Primary is in charge of the front of the sacrament meeting bulletin for January and February and the pictures of the Primary children will be featured there.

Small Primary 

My class is on the far left with Zemira, Braylin, Kacey, Joely, and

Talena.  Ashten is right in the middle in front of Macy who is the tallest girl in Primary.

My class plus Macy, Dakota, and Taylor.

James and I went home and had something to eat.  He went in the bedroom to take a nap and I laid down in the recliner in the family room.  He told me Brother Westbrook wanted to come home teaching but that he would call first.  The doorbell rings the same time it does in the movie I am watching.  The girl in the movie is asleep on the couch just like me!

It is Brother Westbrook at the door.  I go get James up and we greet Brother Westbrook.  The lesson for this month is on loving service.  We had a nice visit and he told us his wife Rosa was going to come with him but she had a previous engagement.  

I go visiting teaching with James because his partner, Rick Lauritzen, jlis sick.  We visit the Scott's and their 3 year old great grandson, Adrian.  We also visit the Wallace's where we almost got stuck in the snow.  Our visit with the Wallace's in their beautiful home was cut short because their neighbors got stuck and came to George to rescue them.  I told George I was grateful for all of the service he gives.  Tomorrow is his birthday.  

We had fried chicken and cilantro wontons for dinner.  Someone left them in our freezer.  

James and I arranged substitutes for our classes next week.  Ed Miller is teaching for James and the Primary President and my visiting teacher, Becky Skousen is teaching my class.  She told me she would anytime I needed her to.  I promised her I would not ask her too often.

We watched "A Boyfriend for Christmas" and "The 12 Days of Clhristmas."

 

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Snow everywhere!

A winter wonderland!

 Poor Lexy!

I love it when the trees are frosted.

We went into town to deposit a check at National Bank.  They were closed and we don't have a debit card for our account so I guess we will have to wait until Monday.  I tried to deposit it with my phone but someone told me it was rejected,  probably because of the squiggly line I drew after writing in the amount.  Whatever.

We went on to Home Depot and Walmart.  Walmart was insane!  You would think people would stay home in bad weather but that is not the case.  Lots of people were buying sleds.  It snowed most of the day.

We came home and I worked on decorating the tree.  I wanted to put ribbon on it.  At first James protested but when I was finished he said he loved it.  I love it too.

I added more ornaments but this is a start

 The fire makes it cozy while it snows.

Back home James tries to hook up the TV upstairs to the satellite.  He also got us some perfumed fir sticks to put on the tree.  They smell so good, just like the ones Kim and Brian had. 

Kim invited me to go to the SYTYCD live show in Phoenix.  I couldn't go but she and Sheri went.

This evening James and I watched: "All I Want For Christmas", and "The Magic Stocking".

 

  

Friday, December 11, 2015

Tyler Hunsaker's went to the temple with his parents in preparation for his mission.  He leaves on January 13, 2016 and will serve in the West Virginia mission.

I had to hit the recliner this morning because of my cough.  James brought me a bagel to eat so I could take my pain meds.  

It was windy and cold today.  I think a storm is blowing in.  It was a day you just want to stay home and, I did.  I was going to go to town but I didn't make it.  I had all the ingredients at home that I needed to make pumpkin delight for tonight's ward Christmas party.  

I made the pumpkin delight at James's request and he took it to the ward party without me.  I guess it was a big hit.  Kaeli Nicoll told me she loved it and so did Ashten Hall and Braylin Chaffin.  James helped serve and cleanup afterwards.  He brought me some food to sample, enchiladas, as the theme was mexican food.

I watched "Christmas with Holly" and "Eloise at Christmas."

It started raining this evening.

Paul posted this on Facebook.

 I guess Holly passed out at the top of the stairs.  The doctor says her heart can't take them.  They have to put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and carry her up.  The doctor only gives her a few months to live.  She is 13, or 91 in doggie years.

 

Thursday, December 10, 2015

My "ponderizing" scripture for the week.

James fixed us oatmeal for breakfast this morning.  I take my pain pills and start feeling a little better.  Cathi and Terry left for their work at the Records Office Center before I even got up and could say goodbye and thank you.  

We clean up and pack up, and say goodbye to the puppies and are on our way home.  James of course goes the Globe way so he can stop at Burger House. I went to Sonic, Sam's for gas and then headed for home going the Payson way.  

We met at the Persnikkity's in Show Low for lunch.  James beat me by 10 minutes.  

 James enjoying a salad and his favorite

philly cheesesteak sandwich.

The weather is nice in Vernon when we get home.  We unload and relax and watch movies.  

Someone at work gave Sheri tickets to tonight's Cardinals game against the Vikings. Max loves the Cardinals and Ben loves the Vikings, so she gave the tickets to them.  They were excited to attend the game.  The Cardinal ended up winning, 23-20 and clinch a playoff berth!

Go Cardinals!