Saturday, January 30, 2016

Log Cabin Tiny House.

We slept on the recliners last night because James says he can breath better there.  I left around 8:45 this morning to clean the church with Amy Reynolds.  Alice Wilhelm has offered to help and I am meeting her there at 9 to take her to Stanford to get her a snack.  She wasn't assigned to clean but volunteered to. James had asked Trenda to help but she is at the junior high state wrestling tournament in Tucson.  Show Low Jr. High took the state championship! The Wilhelm's son Andy is on the team.  So is Ty Applegate, another boy in our ward, and Steve Allen, our elder's quorum president is one of the coaches.

Amy Reynolds arrived at the church around 9:30 and the three of us went to work.  Amy's packing a pistol so I feel pretty safe if anyone tries to break in. Also, Amy used to be a body builder so that's another plus.

 One of the nicest people I know!

Alice and Trenda at Trenda's high school graduation!

At least we didn't have to shovel snow this time.  I was home by 11.

 

I had scriptures with James and prayer, and then read from our book.  We had lunch and then it was nap time.  He is still feeling pretty miserable.  

I worked on my blog and Primary lesson and then fixed chicken marsala for dinner  I turned out really good.  

We watched a new Hallmark movie, "The Dater's Handbook."

 

 

Friday, January 29, 2016

Someone I admire very much.

After reading scriptures with James and having family prayer, we drove to town to see Dr. Moffat.  James is very sick with bronchitis.  While I was waiting for him I read a chapter from "A Witness and a Warning", President Benson's book about the Book of Mormon.  It was chapter 8, entitled, Be Faithful in Christ.  I felt the Spirit as I read this chapter.

While we were waiting for James's antibiotic that Dr. Moffat prescribed to be filled at CVS, we went to Arby's for lunch.  According to Dr. Moffat the antibiotic is a very strong one and James only has to take it for five days.  

On the way home I read from "The Governess of Highland Hall."  We stopped at the post office.  Our 2013 taxes are ready.  Thankfully we only owe a small amount of money.  2014 will be very different because of the Hatch Hangar job.

James went home and took his medicine and laid down for a nap.  The doctor told him he shouldn't go anywhere.  

I watched an episode of "Last Man Standing" and then took a nap before I started my afternoon activities.  I worked on my blog and studied my Primary lesson.  I also emptied one box from the garage. 

For dinner I fixed pork chops, asparagus, and whole wheat English muffins.  It was a tasty dinner. 

James and I watched a Hallmark movie we had seen before, "June to January".  I liked it again, especially because Wes Brown was the star.

 

Thursday, January 28, 2016

 Tiny House

James and I read 1 Nephi 18:5-20.  I also ready three conference talks.  There are deer in our yard this morning, two does and two fawns.  No pictures this morning.  

James and I left for town at 2:30.  I dropped him off at Dr. LeSuer's and I drove to Walmart to do my shopping.  When James was finished at the doctor's he walked to Walmart and helped me finish my shopping.  We discovered that Walmart does not have Marsala wine.  We finally asked someone.  We got some grape wine so I can try and make Olive Garden's chicken marsala.

We went to pick up James's prescription at CVS but it wasn't ready.  While we were waiting we went to Sonic and got burgers and a drink.  

When we return home we discover we have deer in our yard again.  There were two does, and a 5x5 buck. James was excited!

He says he is the biggest buck he has ever seen in this area.

Roasted chicken and apple pie for dinner.  James watched the Republican debate and I watched an episode of "The Gourmet Detective" starring Brooke Burns.

 

 

 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Another tiny house.  This one is for Hobbits.

We had 24 elk in our yard this morning and James had a photo shoot.  

We read 1Nephi 17:48-13:4 for our scripture study.  I always say our morning prayer, and James says the one at night.  I also studied two conference talks.

 

Molly learned how to ride her bike today.  Tricia posted a video on Facebook.  Congratulations Molly!

 

James had a doctors appointment with an ear specialist today.  We started a new book on the way to town.

This is book one in a series of three.

 

It was a beautiful day today with the high around 45.

I vacuumed and dusted today.

  This evening we had elk in our yard again.  They got spooked when my visiting teacher, Becky Skousen came by for a visit. 

 

James is congested so we sleep on the recliners tonight.

We watch a movie called "Jack's Family Adventure."

  I "see" a group of people in the entryway  Someone is holding an animal in their arms, it looks like a baby lamb, and the group is dressed in biblical clothes.  I can't go to sleep.  Not only am I seeing things but I am also thinking about my kids and grandkids and the challenges they have right now in their lives. 

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

One of the tiny houses I want James to build

This morning I got up and studied.  Here are some of the things I studied from: "A Witness and a Warning", President Benson's book about the Book of Mormon. I worked on my 2015 and 2016 Sunday journal, read from the January Ensign, read 1 Nephi 17:31-47 with James and listened to three conference talks.  

I also swept and mopped the floors in the kitchen, dining room, hall, hall bath and laundry room, entry, and our bathroom floor.

I colored my hair and fixed taquitos for dinner.  

Stacy took Michael shopping today and bought him new Sunday shoes and new jeans.  It was a bonding experience for them.  They need more of those.

This evening I visited Claire Mercado, who is Amy Reynolds daughter, with my partner Corrina Westbrook.  Corrina announced that they are moving to Washington state.  Her husband can't find work here.  He has been chopping and selling wood to pay the bills.

We will miss their family.  They have five kids, three girls, two who are in Young Women's and one who is in Primary with her two younger brothers.  Last week is was Elida Pope who announced she was moving.

Corrina and her kids on their way to church.

Her husband Joe is already working in Washington.

Macey, Blue (Traven), Joely, Kyah, and Stratton who you can't see.

After visiting with Claire I met James at Kip and Alicia Hunsaker's for home teaching.  We love their family and had a nice visit.  After our visit they demonstrated their "glow in the dark" floor.  The kids love it, you can tell.

A friend of our friends here in Vernon,

Cope and Amy Reynolds.  He is LDS.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Cathi gets ready to leave for California and we get ready to leave for home.  We wash all the sheets and towels and rugs before we leave and make sure the room and bathroom are clean.  We really do appreciate Cathi and Terry allowing us to stay with them.  They make us feel very welcome and we love their dogs.

We pack the vacuum and file cabinet into our car.  We have shakes, walnuts and bananas for breakfast.  James makes a Sonic run for Cathi and I before we leave.  

We stop at Bass Pro Shop and James spends $200 of his gift cards on various items.  I buy some sugar-cinnamon coated almonds while I am waiting for him.  

Is there really $200 worth of stuff in that bag?

By the time we got to Payson we were hungry so we stopped at Chili's for lunch.  I had a 6 oz. steak with a salad, cooked tomatoes, garlic and avocados.  It was delicious!  James has fish tacos but forgets to ask for corn tortillas.  

There is still lots of snow on the rim.

 We stopped at the bank and Show Low.  When we got to Vernon, Chuck was on Owen Peeler's tractor grading our road.  We do appreciate our good neighbor.  He stops to tell us that our garage door is open.  Oh dear...how many days have we been gone?

We put stuff away and I put the new bedspread on our bed.  I love it!

 This picture doesn't show how really purple it is.

This shows it a little better.

 We watched three movies tonight:

"Unleashing Mr. Darcy"

"The Apple Mortgage Cake"

(We loved this one!)

"Comeback Dad"

 

 

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Chandler West Stake building on the corner of Galveston & Dobson.

We attended the Galveston 3rd ward today.  This is a pretty amazing ward.  They are one of the highest indexing wards in the church.  Here is a group of their indexers.

James's brother Terry and his wife Cathi are in this group.

Can you find them?  Chris Braddock is the youth on the left.

He is an amazing asset to the indexing team!

Ben blessed the sacrament for the very first time since becoming a priest in December.  Sheri said he shut the door to his room and practiced all morning.  He did a great job.  

Max was the youth speaker.  He is 12 and gave his first talk in sacrament meeting.  I can honestly say it was the best talk I have ever heard given by a youth.  People were amazed!  He told about losing his Uncle JD a year ago and how he was worried about seeing him again because he was cremated.  He told how is grandpa read Alma 7:11-13 to him, which tells how everyone will be resurrected and he was comforted.  He was assigned to talk on Sister Neil Marriott's conference address entitled: "Yielding Our Hearts to God."  In her talk Sister Marriott talks about her daughter who died in a bicycle accident while her family was serving a mission out of the country.  Their family theme is: "If you do your best, it will all work out."  It was difficult at first after their daughter died, but with an eternal perspective they realized that their motto could help strengthen them.  

Max

I forgot to get a picture of Max in his Sunday clothes.  This picture was taken the next day before he left for school.

James and I attended Brother Hirt's Sunday School class which we always enjoy.  Terry and Cathi left early because Cathi had a work emergency she needed to deal with at home.  

Gerry Price taught the Sunday School lesson on Elder Stanfill's talk: "Choose the Light."  A quote from the lesson:

"We must choose to heed prophetic counsel, recognize and act upon spiritual promptings, be obedient to God's commandments, and seek personal revelation."

I visited with Janny St. Onge who was blown away by Max's talk, and with Debbie Leib who came and sat by me.  

My shoes were killing me and I could barely make it to the car.  We went back to Cathi and Terry's and ate our sub sandwiches that I bought from Walmart yesterday.  We took a nap and when we got up Cathi was watching the end of the Broncos vs. Patriots game.  The Broncos won, 20-18 which means they will be in the Super Bowl next week.  Of course Cathi was happy because she is from Colorado.  I imagine Brian is pretty happy too.

Sheri invited us down for dinner.  She had steaks for everyone.  James grilled them for us.  We also had rolls, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.  It was a delicious meal.  

The guys had the Cardinals vs. Panters game on but it was kind of a blowout.  The Cardinals couldn't do anything.  The final score was 49-15.  Now that the Panthers are going to the Superbowl, I will be cheering for the Broncos.

Joshua roasting a marshmallow at Kim's house.  She had a day camp at her house yesterday and he is in her den.  Lucky kid.