Friday, August 26, 2016

So true!

Alma 56:41-57

41 - Helaman: "We continue to flee before the Lamanites."

42 - In the morning of the third day of the seventh month, the Lamanites halted.

43 - We didn't know why they halted.  Maybe to catch us in a snare or because Antipus overcame them.

44 - Helaman: "What say ye my sons, will ye go against them to battle?"

45 - Never had I seen so great courage.

46 - My sons said unto me: "Father, behold our God is with us, and He will not suffer that we shall fall; then let us go forth; . . .

47 - Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 - We do no doubt our mother's knew it.

49 - We returned to help Antipus fight the Lamanites.

50 - Antipus's army was about to fall.

51 - Antipus and many leaders had fallen by the sword.

52 - Lamanites halt and turn upon Helaman's army.

53 - Antipus's army attacks from the rear.

54 - We, our two armies, did surround the Lamanites and sley them insomuch that they gave up their weapons and became our prisoners of war.

55-56 - Not one of my young men had been slain.  They fought with great strength!

57 - The prisoners of war were sent to Zarahemla.

GC: "Always Remember Him" by Elder Gerrit W. Gong.

James's back hurts so bad this morning that I rub some Deep Blue on it and he goes back to bed.  He is also a little discouraged because he does not have his temple clothes or his temple recommend for tonight.  He called the temple and they said he could wear scrubs and booties and then he called the bishop and he said he would call the temple about his recommend.

We have the privilege of cleaning this temple tonight.

I finished all the Church magazines for the month of August.  Now I can start Septembers.  For lunch today James and I both had beans

and salad.

Sadly the "treat yoself" always wins.

I am not looking forward to going to the valley tomorrow.  We are going down because Michael is being ordained an elder on Sunday.  I am proud of him and would not want to miss this special event.

We left early for temple cleaning to get gas, wash our car, and run through Sonic for some dinner.  I had a grilled cheese sandwich because I felt like it wouldn't be messy.  James, who was driving, got a hamburger with mustard.  Of course he got mustard on the sleeve of his shirt.  The temple looked something like this:

We had 25 people come to help us clean the temple.  The Burkey's who are summer visitors, and the Price's who are visitors.  Rick and Pam Giles, Teresa and Wes Smith, Owen and Donna Peeler, Fred and Barbara Klug, Gary and Maxine Thompson, Tamara and Jimmy Applegate, Sister Virginia Chaffin, Brother Clayton Reidhead, Sister Garp, Ann Miller, Rusty Allen and Steve Allen, Kip Hunsaker, Sam Gordon, and Steve Butler.  What a great feeling to have a ward that is so supportive!

These are my brother's Harold's youngest grandsons.  They belong to Monte and Tasha.  One is almost 13 and the other will be 16.  They are such handsome boys!

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Celebrating 100 years of National Parks!

Alma 56:18-40

18 - Because Antipus received strength to his army the Lamanites are commanded not to come against them.

19 - Helaman: "And thus were we favored of the Lord

20 - Ammoron commands his men to maintain the cities they have taken.

21 - The Nephites want the Lamanites to attack because they don't want to attack them.

22 - The Nephites spy on the Lamanites.

26 - The Lamanites make no attempts to attack but are determined to maintain.

27 - The Ammonite fathers bring Helaman's army provisions.

28 - Helaman is sent 2,000 men from Zarahemla for a total of 10,000.

29 - The Lamanites try to stop the provisions and support to Helaman's army.

30 - The Nephites strategize and Helaman and his little sons march forth as if carrying provisions to a neighboring city.

32 - They marched as if going to Antiparah.

33 - Antipus takes a part of his army and marches forth after Helaman.

34 - The Lamanites strongest army was in Antiparah.

35 - The Lamanites in Antiparah come forth and march against Helaman.

36 - Helaman fled northward before them.

37 - The Lamanites see the army of Antipus pursuing them.

40 - Helaman's army continues to flee before the Lamanites.

GC: "The Holy Ghost" by Elder Robert D. Hales.

I have a coupon for a 1/2 Pappa John's pizza if I order online.  I order James's favorite: thin crust veggie and we go and pick it up.  James gets five pieces and I get three.  We are reading a new book by a new author: 

This one takes place in America in the 1800's.
It is about a doctor trying to cure tuberculosis.

It rained hard in Vernon today and we even got a little hail!  Around 3pm I went to see Jean Howard with my partner Kaeli Nicoll and her daughter Natalie.  These are the handouts I made for the lesson:

The lesson is on nurturing families

and the handout says:

"One of the best ways to invite love and

harmony into our homes is by speaking

kindly to our family members.

Speaking kindly brings the Holy Ghost."

We were at Jeans for almost an hour and a half.  Kaeli is expecting a baby in a week or so and she got to talking with Jean's granddaughter, Dakota about childbirth.  Jean and I were at the table together so I read the handout to Jean and gave it to her and told her the lesson was on nurturing families.  Jean is going to see her heart doctor tomorrow to see if he will give clearance to her to have surgery on her back.  Something is wrong with the metal in her back reacting to her body and she is in a great deal of pain most of the time.  My heart goes out to her.

Good news!

James is in alot of pain today from working on the drain in the drivewa.  He did make some temple calls to remind people of our cleaning assignment tomorrow evening. He also cooked onions and squash for dinner and then fixed me some Pero.   I read to him from "The Great Divorce", and "With Every Breath."  I also read from The Lincoln Hypothesis.  

Rita reported on Aunt Gene.  She is in alot of pain.

Here are a couple of pictures in honor of Throwback Thursday:

Look how cute they are!

Sheri's Facebook post.

Since I am interested in playhouses right now.  I have decided to post one a day for awhile.  Here is today's:

I am trying to convince James that ours needs

a bathroom and small kitchen.

This picture is from awesomeglobe on

Instagram.  I am not sure where this is.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Sedona

Alma 56:1-17

1 - Moroni receives an epistle from Helaman in the 30th year.

2 - Helaman gives a report of the war in his part of the land.

3-5 - 2000 of the sons of Ammon have taken their weapons of war to come forth and defend our country.

6 - Ye know concerning the covenant their fathers made to not take up weapons of war.

7 - They were about to break their covenant.

8 - I convinced them not to break their covenant.

9 - I marched with these 2000 young men to Judea to help Antipus.

10 - I joined these men to Antipus's army which caused him to rejoice.

13 - These are the cities the Lamanites have obtained possession of:

14 - Manti, Zeezroom, Cumeni, and Antiparah.

16 - Antipus's men were depressed in body and spirit when we arrived.

17 - They were determined to conquer in Judea or die.  My little force of 2,000 gave them great hopes and much joy.

GC: "The Holy Ghost" by Elder Robert D. Hales

James made two trips to town this morning.  First to rent a saw to work on the drain in the driveway.  Next he had to return the saw and do the rest of his errands.  He can hardly move when he returned from town the second time.  While running the saw he did something to hurt his back.  He took hydrocodone, aspirin, and 800 mg. of Ibruprofen and went to bed.   Later he was up trying out our new power sprayer.

He is wearing a back brace.

This evening I worked on my family history and printed out all the new temple cards with people I have found who need ordinances done.

I printed off all the white cards.  The colored ones

are the ones we still have left to do of the ones 

Jared researched.

Aunt Gene went in for surgery today at 4pm.  We thought she would be in a couple of hours but it was after 8pm when we finally heard that the surgery had went well and she was in recovery.  They took out a couple of feet of her small intestines.

Here is some of the news for today:

Thank goodness all the missionaries are safe!

So much violence throughout the world.

Very interesting.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Snowflake temple

James got up this morning and got dressed to go to the temple with me and then realized he did not have his recommend or his temple clothes.  He left them in his truck which is in the valley.

I went to the temple by myself.  It rained the entire way, but when I got out to go in to the temple it stopped.

Rain everywhere

Charlie Lewis was the officiator in my session.  His dad, Eb Lewis, was one of my bishops when I was a teenager growing up in Show Low.  I sat next to Loren Hatch's sister Rose Marie.  We had a nice visit.  I also saw Jani Huso Johnson who was working in the temple.  She ask me if I heard about Jeannie Wilhelm Turley passing away.  I had.  Her funeral is September 3rd in Vernon.  She is Mel Wilhelm's sister.

Alma 55:15-35

The Lamanites guards are drunk and in a deep sleep.  Moroni takes weapons of war to the Nephite prisoners while the Lamanite guards sleep.  Moroni and his men surround the armies of the Lamanites. When the Lamanites awoke in the morning they beheld that they were surrounded by the Nephites without, and that their prisoners were armed within.  The Lamanites surrender and liberate all the Nephites who were prisoners. 

Moroni did cause the Lamanites whom he had taken prisoners that they should commence a labor in strengthening the fortifications round about the city Gid, and then he takes them to Bountiful.

The Nephites began again to be victorious and to reclaim their rights and their privileges.  Moroni makes preparations to attack the city Morianton.  Thus ended the twenty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

GC: "He Will Place You On His Shoulders and Carry You Home"

by President Uchtdorf.

Might be referring to James getting ready to go to

the temple but having to stay home.

After the temple I stopped by El Cupido's for a green chili mixed burro.  It was quite good.  I took one home to James. He liked it but said it wasn't as good as Burger House.  I think I would agree.

I also stopped at the Walmart in Taylor and picked up some bread and some chocolate pudding.  These are two necessities at our house.

So true!

I got a report about Aunt Gene this afternoon.  Her vitals look good.  They probably should operate but are waiting to see it the swelling goes down on its own because of her age.

Bill and Rita Solomon

I saw these two yesterday when I went to visit Aunt Gene.

Rita is Aunt Gene's daughter.  She and I are the same age, only she would tell you that I am a month older.

Our wood floor in the family/living room is so dusty.  I finally got it cleaned today but not yet polished.  That will have to wait until tomorrow.

Here is another idea for our playhouse business:

I love the dormer windows and flower boxes.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Salt Lake temple

Alma 54:13-55:14

13 - Moroni to Ammoron: Ye have sought to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves.

16 - Ammoron: I will avenge Amalickiah's blood upon you.

17 - Your fathers robbed the Lamanites of their right to govern.

18 - Become subject unto us and we will lay down our weapons of war.

19 - We fear not your threatenings, Moroni.

20 - We will exchange prisoners and wage a war to subject the Nephites to our authority or to their eternal extinction.

21 - Concerning God, we know not such a being.

22 - If there is a devil and a hell, he should send you there for murdering my brother.

23 - I am Ammoron, a descendant of Zoram.

24 - Now I am a bold Lamanite.  I am avenging their wrongs and their right to government.

Alma 55:1-14

1 - Moroni is angry with Ammoron.

2 - I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron unless he withdraws his purpose.

3 - I know where the Lamanites do guard my people who have been taken prisoners.

4 - Moroni searches among his men for a descendant of Laman.

5 - He finds one, a former guard of the king whose name is Laman.

6 - Moroni sends Laman and a small number of his men to go forth unto the guards over the Nephites.

7 - They were in the city of Gid.

8 - Laman says to the guards, fear not, I am a Lamanite.  

9 - The Lamanites say to Laman: Give us of your wine to drik for we are weary.

10 - Laman says: You may do according to your desires.

13 - The Lamanites take of the wine freely and it was strong.

14 - They become drunken.

GC: "See Yourself in the Temple" by Elder Quentin L. Cook.

I got ready this morning and went in to town to visit Aunt Gene.  I left James behind doing surgery on the house.

We have been smelling dead mice.

He found five.  He sealed up the wall where they

were coming in from the garage.

Aunt Gene is in room 110 at the Summit Hospital in Show Low.  When I arrived around 10 am.  The room was full of family:

Rita, Bill, Randy, Debbie, Rita's kids: Chris, Rick and Gina.  And Gina's three year old boy Bentley who reminds me of Evan.  He told Aunt Gene he would give her a big prize if she would get well.  So cute.  

Aunt Gene looks very tired and frail.  She has had nothing to eat since last Thursday.  They want the blockage to go down on its own because they are cautious about doing surgery because of her age.  I don't know how long they will wait.  I stayed for about an hour and visited and then I felt like I should go.  I did a little shopping at Walmart and picked up some lunch for both James and I at Panda. I had to take this picture of Show Low Creek on the way home.

Our sunflower field in Vernon didn't bloom this year because the rains were so late.  This one is almost as beautiful.  It is

prettier than this picture shows.

I got a package from Jared today for my birthday.  It is a very large book entitled, "The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics."  I was hoping for The Great Divorce because Jared likes it so much but this has not only The Great Divorce but six other books.  Thank you Jared!

Speaking of Jared, his kids started school today in San Antonio.  Tricia posted this picture:

They grow up so fast!

I think Molly has changed the most in the past year.

This afternoon I did a little cleaning, reading, and blogging.  For FHE we filled out our voting ballots and prepared to send them in.

I cooked some navy beans in the Power Cooker in less than an hour.  They turned out quite delicious.  I used the same recipe I use for pinto beans with tomato sauce, El Pato, and butter.

Mary took Paul, Stacy and Joshua out to dinner for mexican food.

Xavier's Casa Reynoso in Mesa

House is this for a guest house:

It has a Victorian look.

For my closing picture:

Mt. Ranier

Sunday, August 21, 2016

I love this family tree and want James to draw

me one in our hallway.  The only problem,

he doesn't like it.  Boohoo.

Alma 53:18-54:12

What can we learn from the stripling warriors courage?

18 - Two thousand warriors took the oath to defend their country.

19 - They became a great support to the Nephites.  Helaman was their leader

20 - They were all young and exceedingly valiant for courage, strength and activity.  They were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

21 - They were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him.

22 - Helaman marched at the head of his 2,000 soldiers.

23 - The 28th year ended.

Alma 54

1 - Ammoron wants to exchange prisoners with the Nephites.

2 - Moroni wrote to Ammoron:

3 - Repent and withdraw your armies into you own lands.

7 - An awful hell awaits to receive such murderers as thou and thy brother unless you repent and return with your aries to your own lands.

11 - Thou art a child of hell.

GC: "Fathers" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

Today was high council Sunday.  Montana Westbrook gave her first talk in sacrament meeting since turning 12.  She spoke on her favorite scripture story, about Lehi and Nephi as recorded in Helaman 5.  She did a great job.  This is one of my favorite scripture stories too.  Cory Davis was the next speaker.  I believe he is a recently returned missionary.  He spoke on priesthood keys and authority.  Rob Jones was our high councilman speaker.  I know his wife Fawne.  She was the stake young women's president when I was in young women's.  They live in Clay Springs.  The first thing Brother Jones did was remind us of the blessings President Williams promised us at the end of our last stake conference if we would participate in the Find, Take, Teach family history program.  Here are the blessings: 1) We will receive help beyond the veil, 2) Our burdens will be lighter, 3) We will feel more forgiveness and we will forgive others more easily, 4) We will have a deeper testimony of prophets, priesthood keys, and others around us will notice this about us.  President Williams also ask us to memorize the Family Proclamation and The Living Christ.  This is something I work on every morning during my gospel study.  

 Thank you President Monson!

Today my Primary class consisted of: Braylin, Curtis, Kacey, Zemira, and a visitor from Eagar, Joely.  I think Joely is related to the Grap family.  Our lesson was on "Signs of Jesus Christ's Birth in America" covering 3 Nephi 1-2.

During sharing/singing time I was sitting by Curtis.  Braylin drug his chair around to my other side and started talking to me about the Fablehaven book series that he just finished reading.  He knows I am reading it too.  On the other side of me Curtis starts telling me about the series he is reading called "The Amulet".  It was like stereo book report all during singing time.  I tried to quiet them down but it wasn't easy.  On the one hand I am glad they want to share what they like with me, but I don't think singing time is the appropriate time.  It was funny.

James and I came home and had a salad for lunch before he left to go home teaching with Brother Rick Lauritzen.  They visited George and Ruth Wallace, and the Kip Hunsaker family.  When he returned home a couple of hours later we had some pesto flatbread and then James went in to take a nap.  I texted Randy to see how Aunt Gene was doing.  They are putting her in ICU tonight to keep a better watch on her.  I plan on going to see her tomorrow.

Michael left for college today.  Joshua was still asleep and was very sad when he woke up and Michael was gone.

Moving is hard work.

Michael's space.

Nice blanket.

Joshua was so upset he didn't want to go to church.  It was just him and Stacy because Paul went with Michael.  At one point he got up to go to the bathroom and told Stacy he was leaving to walk home.  She looked at him and said, "You better not."  He has never done anything like that before so she really didn't think he would.  He never came back and when she went to look for him he was nowhere to be found.  She went home, and there he was, sitting on the couch with Shipley.  He probably walked a mile and had to cross McQueen Rd.

On Sunday evening James and I usually start working on our lessons for the next week but this week we didn't need to.  Next week Michael is being ordained an elder and we are going down to the valley.  We read and James called Ed Miller to teach his class.  I will talk to Hailey Chaffin tomorrow to see if she is available to teach my class.

 Clouds over Mt. Mentoso

Baby Lola

She has changed quite a bit in two years!

Guest house of the Day:

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Lots of beautiful places in Arizona
Monument Valley

Alma 53:1-17

1 - Guards were set over the prisoners.  The prisoners were Lamanites and they were burying the dead.

2 - Moroni puts Lehi over the city of Mulek.

3 - Lamanite prisoners commanded to build a ditch around the city Bountiful.

4 - They built a breastwork of timbers upon the inner bank of the ditch.

5 - Bountiful becomes a stronghold ever after.

7 - No more battles this year.  Moroni employs his men in preparing for war, in making fortifications and in providing food for his armies.

8 - Some dissensions among the Nephites.  Lamanites obtained possession of a number of cities.

9 - Because of dissensions among themselves, the Nephites are placed in dangerous circumstances.

10 - The people of Ammon, in Zarahemla, continue to be protected by the Nephites.

13 - The Ammonites see the dangers and affllictions of the Nephites and were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in defense of their country.

14 - Before they break their oath Helaman and his brethren stop them.

16 - The people of Ammon have many sons that had not taken the oath.  They take up arms with the Nephites.

17 - They cvenanted that they never would give up their liberty but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.  How can we fortify ourselves against Satan?

GC: Do I Believe? By Bonnie L Oscarson

We took a trip to town today to get some chili shrimp at Panda and to get my birthday present.  We were disappointed to find out that the chili shrimp was just a promotional item and they no longer have it.  

We also went to Walmart to get my birthday present, a Power Cooker.

It's an electric pressure cooker, a rice cooker, a canner

and a slow cooker.  You can also brown and stew in it.

I love it!

My Aunt Gene is in the Show Low hospital.  I got a text from Rita yesterday wishing me a happy birthday and telling me about her.  I was going to go see her but I have a bit of a queasy stomach and I thought maybe I should wait until Monday.  

Aunt Gene, Debbie and Randy and their daughter,

a great granddaughter and a great, great 

grandson.

The summer Olympics are over and Mike Phelps is the big time winner.  "Michael Fred Phelps II is known principally as the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold, spanning over four Olympic Games.  He has actually competed at five Olympics; however, he did not medal at his first Games in Sydney, Australia."  He has just been hired to be the swimming coach at ASU.

This evening as I was reading to James at the dining room table he spotted elk in the backyard.

The elk go marching two by two,

hurrah, hurrah.

The grass James planted looks better every day.  

There is something about grass that is so soothing.

This is the clubhouse I want him to build for

the kids.

Alex just bought his first car.  It is the red Cadillac that Joe used to drive.

2004 Cadillac

Addy posted this on Instagram.

I love it.