Sunday, January 7, 2018

Friday, December 29th, 2017

Star Valley, Wyoming
154th operating temple
Dedicated: 30 October 2016
By: David A. Bednar

Jesus Christ Atonement through
Mosiah 13:28
And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.
Book of Mormon
Moroni 9:1-19
*Elder David E. Sorensen of the Presidency of the Seventy explained how a loss of love can happen in our homes: "In much of today's popular culture, the virtues of forgiveness and kindness are belittled, while ridicule, anger, and harsh criticism are encouraged. If we are not careful, we can fall prey to these habits within our own homes and families and soon find ourselves criticizing our spouse, our children, our extended family members. Let us not hurt the ones we love the most by selfish criticism! In our families, small arguments and petty criticisms, if allowed to go unchecked, can poison relationships and escalate into estrangement, even abuse and divorce. Instead, ... we must make full haste to reduce arguments, eliminate ridicule, do away with criticism, and remove resentment and anger. We cannot afford to let such dangerous passions ruminate, not even one day."
Doctrine Covenants Favorite Scriptures
DC 38:24
And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me.
General Conference
Seek Ye Out of the Best Books
Elder Ian S. Ardern
"Zeezrom's actions and words were 'a snare of the adversary, which he...laid to catch the people, that he might bring them into subjection unto him, that he might encircle them about with his chains' (Alma 12:6). Those same snares exist today, and unless we are spiritually vigilant and build a sure foundation on our Redeemer, we may find ourselves bound with Satan's chains and being led carefully down the forbidden paths spoken of in the Book of Mormon."



Sheri went out for a run this morning and it is obvious that Ollie misses her. We had cinnamon rolls and pumpkin bread for breakfast.

Sheri, Alex, Shayna and I went to the Walmart in Taylor this morning. Sheri always likes to go there because it is less crowded than the one in Show Low.  Afterwards we went to El Cupido so I could get a Big Jake burrito. While there we saw Ruth Gale, Shelly, Valeen and Valeen's husband and son. It was fun to visit with them. I had just mentioned to Sheri how I see Ruth quite often.

While we were gone shopping James paid a visit to Dr. Moffat who referred him to four specialists. It's obvious Dr. Moffat doesn't think he can help him anymore so he's turning James over to someone else.

Sheri and I played Five Crowns with Ben. It seems like every time we play with him he wins. That was true again today.

Alex and Shayna went on a Razr ride up to Green's Peak. They were gone three or four hours. Shayna has never been before. They came back looking like this:

I need to have a wall of shame for everyone
who comes back looking like this.

It was 64 degrees today. After the sun goes down it cools off. We built a fire in the firepit and roasted marshmallows and made Smores. Ian cooked us hotdogs and hamburgers for dinner. 

Michael, Alexis, Conner and Joshua arrived this afternoon. 

The Trezise family likes to watch Family Feud so it was on in the background most of the day. The boys also spent time upstairs playing video games.  

James and I watched the season 4 finale of Heartland. Lou had her baby and Tim finds out he has a son. The finales are always quite dramatic.

Sheri and her baby.


Fun around the firepit.








Friday, January 5, 2018

Thursday, December 28th, 2017

Fort Collins, Colorado
153rd operating temple
Dedicated: 16 Oct 2016
By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ Atonement through
Mosiah 4:6
I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, ad his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body -
Book of Mormon
Moroni 8:1-30
*What do you think it means that "little children are alive in Christ?" What do we need to do to become alive in Christ?
Doctrine Covenants Favorite Scriptures
DC 38:8
But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day.
General Conference
Do We Trust Him? Hard Is Good
Elder Stanley G. Ellis
"Hard makes us stronger, humbles us, and gives us a chance to prove ourselves. Our beloved handcart pioneers came to know God in their extremities. Why did it take two chapters for Nephi and his brothers to obtain the brass plates and only three verses to enlist Ishmael's family to join them in the wilderness? It seems the Lord wanted to strengthen Nephi through the struggle of obtaining the plates."


When I opened the blinds on the dining room window this morning there were eight bunnies eating grass outside. That is the most that I have ever seen.

James is asleep on the couch.  He slept util almost 10:30 at which time I fixed him hot lemon juice with honey, stevia, and cinnamon. I also gave him two aspirin and a Tramadol. 

I am beginning to wonder if we are ever going to get any snow. Not only is there no snow, but it is 60 degrees. 

Sheri's family is waiting to get a valve stem fixed on one of their tires and then they will be on their way up here.  Kim and Brian are not coming because they are both sick. Michael and his friends are coming tomorrow.

Sheri, Ian, Ben, Max, Evan, and Ollie arrived around 6:30 with Alex and Shayna a few minutes behind. I had just taken three loaves of pumpkin bread out of the oven. After eating KFC for dinner, Max and Sheri had some bread. 

Ollie ran around sniffing everything which makes Sheri a little nervous. She took him outside, just in case.

James and I watched the end of "Broadcasting Christmas."  

The boys turned on the Houston - Boston basketball game. Houston was ahead the whole time until right at the very end they won 99-98. Everyone was happy, at least here in Vernon.



Hallmark moon in Switzerland

I guess penguins are curious.

James says this is a baby otter

I showed this to Joshua and he said he didn't
believe in Santa. How sad.

Is Addy the favorite child?






Thursday, January 4, 2018

Wednesday, December 27th, 2017

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
152 operating temple
Dedicated: 18 Sept 2016
By: Henry B. Eyring

Jesus Christ Atonement through
Mosiah 3:16
and even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.
Book of Mormon
Moroni 7:35-48
*Why do you think meekness and lowliness of heart are necessary in order to have faith and hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
Doctrine Covenants Favorite Scriptures
DC 35:24
Keep all the commandments and covenants by which ye are bound; and I will cause the heavens to shake for your good, and Satan shall tremble and Zion shall rejoice upon the hills and flourish;
General Conference
Apart, But Still One
Elder Joni L. Koch
"Brothers and sisters, we have no right to portray anybody, including from our Church circle, as a badly finished product! Rather, our words about our fellow beings should reflect our belief in Jesus Christ and His Atonement and that, in Him and through Him, we can always change for the better!"




I am feeling a little better today. I still had some chills and achiness so I took a shower and some Tramadol and I feel better. 

Sheri and Ian's family isn't coming until tomorrow so I have one more day to re-cooperate. 

The Crane's Suburban broke down again on the way home from the valley. This time they may need a new engine. Chuck asked to borrow our trailer on Saturday to tow it down to the valley so their son-in-law can fix it again.

James is working on the Hatch bid today. We read from "A Touch of Scarlet". Elizabeth forgives her mom. I also caught up on my Doctrine and Covenants, General Conference talks, and other scripture goals. 

By 1:30 I only had 4,000 steps. I ended up with 14,005. 

It was 60 degrees today. If I didn't know better I would believe in global warming.

I am two weeks behind on my blog. That is not a good way to end the year. 

Today I watched: "Cancel Christmas," and "The Christmas Dance."  James and I also watched "Heartland."



The Luke's



The flu season is in full swing. The nurses
at Gilbert Mercy aren't taking any chances.

Joshua at the circus with his cousins.








Tuesday, December 26th, 2017

Sapporo, Japan
151st operating temple
Dedicated: 21 Aug 2016
By: Russell M. Nelson

Jesus Christ Atonement through
Jacob 4:11
Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.
Book of Mormon
Moroni 7:20-34
*What do these verses teach us about Christ?
Doctrine Covenants Favorite Scriptures
DC 35:13-14
13 Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit;
14 And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them.
General Conference
God's Compelling Witness: The Book of Mormon
Brother Tad R. Callister
"How did Joseph produce a book that radiates with the Spirit, and where did he get such profound doctrine, much of which clarifies or contradicts the Christian beliefs of his time? For example, the Book of Mormon teaches, contrary to most Christian beliefs, that the Fall of Adam was a positive step forward. It reveals the covenants made at baptism, which are not addressed in the Bible."



Sheri says she can run a mile in 9 1/2 minutes. That is impressive!

Both James and I woke up sick this morning. I hurt in all my joints and I have a cough. James has a cough, a sinus infection, and achy joints.

I was down most of the day. I did do two blog entries. I am about two weeks behind right now. I will never catch up unless I can consistently do two entries a day. 

Here are the movies I watched: First, I am going to mention yesterday's. On Christmas night we watched the "When Call the Heart Christmas Special," and "Once Upon a Christmas."

Today I watched "Twice Upon a Christmas," "The Christmas Heart," and "Angels Sing," starring Harry Connick, Jr.

I got an interesting call from Stacy today. She asked me if dad chews tobacco. I thought it was a pretty outrageous question considering he is a temple worker and a high priest. I told her of course not and why would she think such a thing? She said Dallin told her. I guess one time when they were up here Michael and Alex found some chewing tobacco in one of the drawers. I couldn't figure out how it got there and then I remembered when James and I had our Ranger accident and I hit a rock and the side of my face swelled up that I asked James to buy some chewing tobacco so I could make a poultice to help the swelling go down. Wow! I'm glad we got that cleared up.

How did this happen?

Merry Christmas from the Geiger's

Last year's visitors. Looks like everyone has their
eyes closed except Kacey.



Quite an accomplishment when you are sick!





Monday, December 25th, 2017

Provo City Center, Utah
150th operating temple
Dedicated: 20 Mar 2016
By: Dallin H. Oaks

Jesus Christ Atonement through
2 Nephi 11:5
And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.
Book of Mormon
Moroni 6-7:19
*As we celebrate the Savior's birth, what can we do to better serve Him with real intent?
Doctrine Covenants Favorite Scriptures
DC 34:7-9
7 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.
8 And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble.
9 But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood; and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked.
General Conference
The Trek Continues
Elder M. Russell Ballard
"I have a deep conviction that if we lose our ties to those who have gone before us, including our pioneer forefathers and mothers, we will lose a very precious treasure. Rising generations must have the same kind of faith that the early Saints had in the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel."


Santa was up late last night getting things ready for Christmas morning. Addy got books, Rowan a bat and baseball equipment, Ruby got a skateboard, and Lola a bicycle. Plus, there were lots of presents to open from Mom and Dad. 

Ruby with her bowl

Taken across the room with the telephoto lense on my phone.

Christmas morning chaos



Rowan with his Xbox One









Ruby got sick to her stomach last night and went to her parents room. She made sure they knew that she didn't look at the presents!

After the opening of all the gifts everyone got ready to go to Sheri's except for Trina who is staying home with Ruby. James and I packed up all of our things as we won't be returning to Darrel and Trina's. 

As soon as we got to Sheri's James started making steak and gravy and I put two tubes of biscuits in the oven. Sheri was making bacon, and eggs. Darrel brought four bottles of orange juice. I also made a dozen cinnamon rolls. 

I played outside with Lola for awhile. She was a little bit afraid of the dogs, Ollie, Shipley, and Vader. At one point Rowan was petting Shipley and Lola wanted to pet her and kiss her. I saw a sneer on Shipley's face so I told Lola that we should find Vader instead. About that time Stacy reached down to pet Shipley and Shipley snapped at her. I am so glad I steered Lola away from her.

After everyone ate Sheri started a game. James and I were not involved. We were supposed to go to his mom's house for lunch and dominoes but we were so tired we decided to drove home instead.

We left town around 12:30 and were home in Vernon by 3:30. We made no stops and there was no traffic.

These are the gifts I received for Christmas. Sherry's Berry's from James. They were waiting for me at Darrel's when we arrived Saturday. It was sweet because that was the only thing I really asked for.  From Dawn and Lois a towel and bathmat set, an embroidered table runner, electric candles, and a $50 Amazon card.
A family photo from Darrel and Trina and one from Sheri. Darrel and Trina also got me a caligraphy set that hasn't come yet, and Sheri gave me a $50 Cheesecake Factory card. It's appropriate that today I posted the dedication of the Provo City Center temple because Jared and Kacey got us a Brickem' set of this temple! I love it!

Jared and Kacey celebrated Christmas on Saturday
with Autumn, Palmer and Scarlett.

Kacey sent me these photos after they unwrapped 
their blankets.

I love these pictures!

At Sheri's house for food and games on Christmas morning.

Sheri's unwrapping game



Games outside




Christmas Greetings from Friends and Family



The Maxwell's

The Andersen's

Darrel and Trina's Family

The Lorin Hatch Family