Saturday, February 27, 2016

Happy Birthday Dad.

He would be 85 today.

James and I made a trip to town today.  We went to the bank and then James dropped me off at Walmart.  He was going to go look at storage buildings.  When he came back to pick me up he had a pizza from Papa John's and wings from Walmart.  The pizza was a think crust veggie, and it was delicious!

I texted Cathi today to see how they were doing and this is the response I got: 

"How funny.  I was just thinking about you.  Missing you, too.  We are healthy, happy, and a little stressed.  Leaders from the Family History Department in SLC came to Mesa last week and called us as the new directors at the ROC.  We start serving 5 days a week starting March 7th.  Yikes!"

I said: "Wow! I thought you were only going to serve 2 1/2 days a week. (They still wanted Colin to be able to spend the day with them once a week on Monday.)

Cathi: "That was the plan.  Terry always told me that you shouldn't turn down a call, so there it is.  Out of retirement we go."

Me: "You will be blessed!  I can't think of two better people to serve in that calling!  Congratulations!

Cathi:"Thank you.  I know that we will be guided by the Spirit and that is what is keeping me balanced.  I love you both and am looking forward to your next trip to the valley."

Me: "Thank you, so are we.  We are so proud of you!"

Colin, Terry, and Cathi.

Sheri called James today and shared this with him.  She said Max said to her today while they were shopping.  "I sure do miss my grandpa and wish I could see him more often."  I think this message made James's day.  

On the way into town we read our scriptures and on the way home I read from "Refuge at Highland Hall."  On the way home we also found part of James's muffler which he lost yesterday coming home from the valley.

In other news today:

I listened to Kelly Clarkson's new song "Piece by Piece" about her dad leaving her when she is six and how she knows her husband will never leave their little girl.  It is a very emotional song and Kelly does an excellent job singing it.

Trina and Lexy ran a marathon today.

Congratulations Lexy and Trina!

 Also Addy and Rowan both have braces now.  

Joshua is feeling better and Adam is getting ready to move in with Stacy and Paul.

We did not watch a Hallmark movies tonight.  We were both too busy working on our lessons for tomorrow.  Mine is on Enos and his prayer.  

 

Friday, February 26, 2016

Happy 26th Birthday Adam!

My favorite picture of Adam

Happy 19th Birthday Joe!

James left for the valley around 5:30 this morning.  He has a doctor's appointment with his cardiologist, Dr. Memon, at 9:45 in Chandler.  I stayed home in an effort to get some more rest and get well.  It seems like I should be getting better by now.

Dr. Memon told James everything looked good with his heart.  He also mentioned that the plans are almost ready for his 18,000 sq. ft. building he wants James to build.  He says he needs to retire because the government is making it harder and harder for him.  James checked online.  Dr. Memon made around $967,000 last year.  

James also went to Erik's about his truck.  On the way home this afternoon he lost his muffler pipe.  He also went to Glendale to check out the job site for the job he is bidding right now, and then he came home, with a stop at Burger House.  He was home by 4 this afternoon.  He was gone about 10 1/2 hours.  

Chuck Crane found a knife in the road and called James to ask if it was his.  It wasn't but James had seen the knife too and just never stopped to pick it up.  Chuck said it was a really nice $500 knife

Kim posted this picture on Facebook this evening.  She took these boys to dinner at Red Lobster to celebrate Joe and Adam's birthdays.

Nice looking bunch.

James and I watched an Amish movie on the Up channel called, "Charmed."  We both love the Amish culture and their values!

 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal

We originally got this handout from our good friend and former gospel doctrine teacher in the Del Rio 2nd ward, Jeff Chubbs.  Since this was part of James's lesson today he wanted to make them for his class.  He copied the one I had saved and we went into town to Allegra Printing to have the laminated.  We also stopped at Panda, Sonic, and Subway for lunch.  

On the way home we stopped at the post office.  I got two rings from Mobstub, but nothing from our friend Gerardo Rico.  When I got home I took a nap and then got ready for my 4:30 appointment with Claire Mercado.

When I arrived at Claire's no one was there so I called her on her phone, but she did not answer.  I wait a few minutes and then knock on the door.  As I suspected, there was no one at home.  I left the framed family proclamation and a candy bar on her front porch.  I just home no animal comes along and eats the candy bar.  I also texted Corrina to see if she was coming, she forgot.  After waiting 20 minutes, I left for home.  

The only other sister we have to visit is Jean Howard.  I tried to call her the other day but I think I woke her up from her nap.  She asked me if she could call me back, but she never did.  I don't know what to do.  I don't want to be a pest.  I get the feeling she is not interested in having me as her visiting teacher.  I know she has alot of health problems and maybe that's it.  She is always very nice to me when I talk to her on the phone, but still, I am hesitant.

James texted Jared Ammon about picking up his car tomorrow.  Come to find out, I had the wrong phone number for Jared.  Maybe that's why he never returns my texts.  

James has an appointment in Chandler tomorrow with Dr. Memon.  He is leaving early in the morning without me.

We watched a movie called The Locket.  It is based on a story by Richard Paul Evans.  We both really enjoyed it.

I love this quote by John Wayne!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Karen.

This is a picture from last year as we celebrated her birthday at

Firebirds.

Today was my visiting teaching appointment with Hailey Chaffin.  Because she lives on a ranch several miles out of town and the road is terrible, James agreed to drive us.  We left our house a little after nine and picked up my partner, Corrina, on the way.  This will be the last month that Corrina will be my partner.  She and her family are moving to Royal City, Washington on March 4th.  Her husband, Joe, has a job at a grape vineyard.  They have 5 children ages 13-4, three girls, and two little boys.  

Hailey called Corrina on our way to her house.  She said she had to do some shopping while she was in town and she was running a little late.  She wasn't there when we got there so Corrina and I walked around outside as we waited for her.  

A calf Brother Chaffin made for his kids to practice

their roping.  I want James to make one for us!

We didn't have to wait more than five minutes or so for Hailey to arrive.  We helped carry her groceries in for her.  Hailey seemed a little stressed.  She told us she has four calling; Scout advancement chairman and a member of the Scout committee, assistant librarian, and a member of the Relief Society activity committee.  Tonight is the Blue and Gold banquet and she is in charge of decorating, and making some of the food.  I offered to go with her to the church to help decorate but she said it wasn't necessary.  

Corrina gave the lesson and I read the quote on this bag of chips by Elder Bednar.

  Candy bar and chips to help Hailey get through her day.

On the way home Corrina asked if we could stop at the Stanford store, which we did.  She did a little shopping and James got me a drink.  

I went home and took a short nap and watched a movie.  James worked on his bid for awhile and then came down and joined me on the couch.  

Tonight at 7 p.m. I had an appointment in Show Low with President Danny Crandall of the Show Low stake presidency for my temple recommend interview.  We had a nice visit and he says he knows Harold and Dennis and has visited with them in their homes.  

It always feels good to have a new temple recommend!

We went home and watched, "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered."

 

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

James's cousin Hayden is a wildlife artist and so is his son Dallen.

This picture was done by Dallen and reminds me of the time James and my brother Harold went bear hunting.  When they actually saw a bear, they were so excited that Harold grabbed James's rifle, and James grabbed Harold's rifle.  Needless to say, they both missed.

James left for the valley at 5:30 this morning.  He went to check the building he is bidding on in Glendale.  He also went to Erik about fixing his truck.  He was home in record time, at 3 p.m.  He brought me two burros from Burger House.  I ate the bean burro tonight and save the green burro for tomorrow.  

After James left I couldn't go back to sleep.  I kept thinking how small the bags of chips were that I got for my visiting teaching handouts and remembered seeing larger ones at the registers when I was shopping yesterday.  At 7 a.m. I left the house to go to Walmart.  I got my bigger bags of chips and also got protein shakes, and cough drops.  I should shop this early in the morning more often to beat the crowds.  I got a sausage Mcmuffin and hashbrowns at McDonald's as I was leaving.  Both were subpar and I couldn't even eat the hashbrowns.  I didn't even go to Sonic to get a drink even though it was the a.m. happy hour.  

Back at home I unload family pictures from the garage.  I take down all the pictures in the hallway and decide to make the hallway a family photo gallery.  This one of Anna & James is a favorite.

 Such a cute little couple.

Of course, before James and I went to bed we watched a Hallmark movies together.  I love the fact that my husband likes these movies almost as much as I do.

I love C.S. Lewis!

 

Monday, February 22, 2016

National Geographic Picture of the Year

Shall we dance?

Today for scripture study James and I read through 2 Nephi 14.  We are in the Isaiah chapters.  I read chapter three of "Blueprint for Christ's Church".  The chapter was: 'When and How Did the Restoration of Christ's Church Take Place?'  Some things mentioned, I would have never realized.  A very informative chapter.

James had to go into town to pick up some plan copies at Allegra Printing and he ask me to go with him.  I had a burst of energy this morning and cleaned the kitchen, made our bed, and folded laundry all before I took my shower and got ready to go.  We read our scriptures and from our book on the way.  After picking up plans at Allegra, James dropped me off at Walmart while he went to get us something to eat.  I bought some candy and chips to go with my visiting teaching handouts and some colored ink for the printer.  James bought me a green chili cheeseburger at Grumpy Jake's because he remembered how much I enjoyed the one I had last week.  He got himself a green chili chicken sandwich and he said it was delicious.  

I made two visiting teaching appointments for this week.  One with Hailey Chaffin for Wednesday morning and one with Claire Mercado for Tuesday afternoon at 4:30.  I worked on my blog and this evening James and I watched, "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered from Paris."

I ordered another ring from Mobstub and it arrived today.  Ignore how ugly my hand is and just focus on the ring.

  Not bad for $16.

This picture was taken last year when Emmy came on her "Daddy/Cousin Date."

 

Sunday, February 21, 2016

I love President Hinckley

I finished preparing for my lesson on Jacob and Sherem, and left for church around 8:25 to set up my class.  When Brother MacArthur spoke last month he said the stake president wanted us in our seats for sacrament meeting at ten minutes before the hour.  Goal accomplished for today.  

Today was high council Sunday.  Jimmy Applegate from the high council, and John Larson from the Linden ward spoke to us today.  Talon Wilhelm, the youth speaker, did a nice job talking about the priesthood and what it means to him.  

Back in Chandler Alex gave a talk about choices.  I wish we could have been there!  He texted me his talk so James and I could read it.  It was great.

I just had the three boys, Braylin, Curtis, and Zemira in my class today. The lesson was on the first anti-Christ in the Book of Mormon, Sherem.

Can you tell which one is Sherem?

  Curtis was out of control, acting like a dog in class, and Zemira was showing off for the girls in sharing time.  I can't let Zemira sit by Talena anymore.  I had a temple recommend interview with John, Curtis and Zemira's father after the block.  I mentioned to him that Curtis was a little out of control today.  

Today was our neighbor Kathy's birthday.  I hope it was a happy one. 

Chuck and Kathy

It was also my visiting teaching companion's birthday.  Happy 33rd Birthday Corrina.

 Joe & Corrina

I had lunch alone today.  James went home teaching with Rick Lauritzen.  Rick made the appointments, gave the lesson, and drove.  He's a good partner.  James still has laringitis.

When James returned home from home teaching he told me a funny story about Ed Miller teaching his Sunday School class.  The discussion was on having pure thoughts and Brother Miller said he had heard that when you have bad thoughts you are supposed to sing a hymn.  He said he was a convert and didn't know very many hymns by heart so he would always sing a country tune if he had a problem.  (He and his son, our bishop, have their own band).  He said he just had to be careful that none of the songs he chose were the ones that talked about wild women.  I love his since of humor.

We had pizza for dinner this evening and watched an Up movie, "Somebody's Child."  Alex, you will be happy to know this movies was about a black family.

Arizona sky