Friday, July 12th, 2019

Albuquerque, New Mexico

73rd operating temple

Dedicated: 5 Mar 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Firstborn

Isaiah 41:4

Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last I am he.

Book of Mormon

Alma 31:24-38

New Testament "What Wilt Thou Have Me To Do?"

Acts 9:1-22

General Conference

Behold the Lamb of God

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Brother and sisters, this hour ordained of the Lord is the most sacred hour of our week. By commandment, we gather for the most universally received ordinance in the Church. It is in memory of Him who asked if the cup He was about to drink could pass, only to press on because He knew that for our sake it could not pass. It will help us if we remember that a symbol of that cup is slowly making its way down the row toward us at the hand of an 11 or 12 year old deacon."

After scriptures and prayers I put on my big girl shoes and went upstairs to clean. James was a big help. He helped me put sheets on the beds and he cleaned the toilets and the bathtubs. He also did some vacuuming and moved the Noah's Ark onto the shelf by the stairs so no more pieces will get broken.

Randomly while I was cleaning I would take a break and come down and watch a little of "Marrying Father Christmas."

Adam and friends arrived somewhere between 1 and 2. Kaitlin said hi and then went upstairs to take a nap.. Adam said she has had a hard week because she broke up with her boyfriend. 

The first thing Adam, Kyle and Chris did was go upstairs to play video games. They found some bat poop on the couch. Darn! I thought I got rid of it all! Now they are concerned about bats. I told them bats only come when they have a food source and we had tried to get rid of all the moths and bugs. Well then of course they kept finding moths.  Later Adam saw a bat in the garage and he assumed that was the bat in the house and it had left. Anyway, we never saw any more bats or bat "sign." We did see a few moths and everytime Kaitlin saw one she would have one of the guys come and kill it for her. I told them waht Addy said when she was here and there was a bat. Trina was very nervous and Addy said, "Will they kill you?" Trina said no and then Addy said, "Well what's the big deal?" She is definitely Darrel's daughter!

I had wanted to go to town today to get a few groceries but James said he couldn't go and so I forgot about it. Later this evening he decides he needs to go to get some of the medication this new doctor asked him to get for his laryngitis. At first I said it was too late and then he said, "I'll buy you something to eat." That gets me every time. 

After doing a little shopping at Walmart my "something to eat" came from Taco Bell. That's fine. I got a taco and a double tostado. I think it was a double tostado because it had both lettuce and tomatoes. It was certainly not double in any other way. James didn't eat because the doctor said he should stop eating five hours before going to bed.

I had a nice visit with Adam for about an hour today, just the two of us. something I don't get to do very often.

James got someone to work for him at the temple tomorrow but I decided that I am well enough to go.

Happy Anniversary to the Heyman's

Contemplating

 Recording

Alex and Shayna

 Charlie and Holly were sealed to his dad and

her husband today. They are so happy!

Congratulations!

 Beach Beauties

 The Case Crew

Sharpening those teeth and

practicing her standing

Thursday, July 11th, 2019

Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

72nd operating temple

Dedicated: 27 Feb 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Firstborn

Psalms 89:27

Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

Book of Mormon

Alma 31:1-23

New Testament "What Wilt Thou Have Me To Do?"

Acts 8:4-40

General Conference

Hearing His Voice

David P. Homer

"Because our Heavenly Father wants better for us, He makes it possible for us to hear His voice. Most often, we hear Him through impressions given by the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He witnesses of the Father and the Son, was sent to 'teach us all things,' and will 'show unto us all things what we should do.'

"The Spirit speaks to different people in different ways, and He may speak to the same person in different ways at different times. As a result, learning the many ways He speaks to us is a lifelong quest."

Sold two books this morning. Made $15.

James had a barium swallow test at 7:30 this morning at the hospital. It was midmorning before he got home. When I asked him how it went he said that was the most informative hour that he has ever spent with a doctor. He felt like this doctor really cared about him and he wrote out a detailed description of what he should do for his laryngitis. He also told him he did not think it was necessary to have surgery on his adnoids so James cancelled his surgery. 

He gave him some medicine to use and some exercises to do. I asked him what the doctors name was and he said, "I don't know but I'm going to find out."

I cooked burgers for both of us for lunch and James loved his. 

I look and feel a little better today but I'm still not 100%. Jared wanted to FaceTime but I told him I wasn't ready yet.

The latest news is that Brother Kostusiak, who had open heart surgery now has a MRSA infection which doesn't sound good. He is in an induced coma.

I went to clean upstairs but got a little discouraged and came back down. I decided I would work in the morning and James said he would help me. Adam and his friends will be here in the early afternoon.

I listened to part of the book webinar training this morning and watched these movies today: "Engaging Father Christmas," "Remembering Christmas," and a new one this evening with James, "Christmas Camp."

Happy Birthday Palmer!

Scarlett likes the kitty on his card

 The desert has it's moments of beauty

 Our friends the Coffey's in Russia

So willing to share

 Guster Concert for these four

This goes so well with the experience James

had today after his swallow test.

 Alice the Firefighter

 Baby ocelot

 Ollie's second birthday

Wednesday, July 10th, 2019

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

71st operating temple

Dedicated: 26 Feb 2000

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Family of

Acts 1:14

But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

Book of Mormon

Alma 30:46-60

New Testament "What Wilt Thou Have Me To Do?"

Acts 7:37-60; 8:1-3

I read about the martyrdom of Stephen today and watched the video in the "Come Follow Me" lesson. I read this quote for the New Testament Student Manual: "Stephen's declaration that his accusers were like their forefathers and had rejected the Savior is what ultimately led to his martyrdom."

General Conference

Feasting Upon the Words of Christ

Takashi Wada

"Enos likewise shared his personal experience of the enlightenment that comes from contemplating the words of Christ. As Enos let the words that his father taught him regarding 'eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sink deep into his heart,' his soul 'hungered; and he kneeled down before his Maker ... in mighty prayer' (Enos 1:3-4). In that prayer he came to know the Savior and learned that we have great worth, are loved and can be forgiven of our mistakes, and are truly children of God."

James went to work at the Howard's this morning. He was gone a couple of hours and then he came back home. He needed to go to Springerville to get a couple of log spindles for the railing he is making and wanted to know if I wanted to go with him. I am beginning to get cabin fever and I said yes I wanted to go as long as I didn't have to see anyone face to face. He assured me all he was doing was going to pick up the spindles and then we could go to a drive thru for lunch. 

The drive to Springerville is pretty desolate but I do love Eagar and the drive up the 260 to the log place. The place is owned by the Nicoll family who are also from Ramah, New Mexico and James knows them. 

I tell him I'm just going to wait in the car and he says it shouldn't be too long. Well after 15 minutes I begin to wonder what's going on. It's about 85 degrees outside and my arm is in the sun and getting hot. I'ms afraid because I am on methotrexate that it's going to break out like it used too when I would work in the yard when we lived in Chandler.

I texted James and he texted back, "Just a few more minutes." Ten more minutes went by and I rolled up the windows and turned on the air conditioning. Five minutes later he threw the spindles in the back seat and said he was sorry. I said, "I thought the order was ready." He said, "So did I but evidently it wasn't and they had to make them on the spot." 

We drove back into Eagar and ate at the Aliberto's. I had two beef tacos and James had the carnitas. We drove to the McDonald's parking lot and ate our food. Afterwards James went and got me an ice cream. It was a nice outing even though I had to wait in the car so long.

Here are the Christmas movies for the day: "Sounds of Christmas," "Christmas Bells Are Ringing," and "Operation Christmas."

I forgot something that happened on Monday that I am going to tell about here. My friend Cammy, a sister I minister to and her family, love "When Calls the Heart." They have watched all of the past seasons but don't have "live" TV so they have not seen the latest season. I had told them I would have them over to watch this seasons episodes. I texted her Monday to explain that I was sick and would have to postpone for awhile. She texted back and ask if she and the kids could bring us some bread and some get well cards the kids had made. I told her that I really couldn't see anyone right now and she said, "Well, we will leave them out on the rocking chair on your front porch." 

A while later the door bell rang. James went to the door and sure enough, there on the rocking chair was a beautiful loaf of Cammy's homemade wheat bread and several get well cards the kids had made.

Cammy's wheat bread is the best James has ever tasted. Those are his words. When he texted her to thank her he ask if she would give him the recipe so we could make it. She said she would do better than that, she would show him how to make it whenever he was ready. My husband is going to learn how to make homemade bread! I'm so excited!

I don't know how I forgot to tell this story on Monday but we are most grateful for the Grapp family. Cammy offered to bring us dinner but I told her the bread was enough. She said they would be praying for us. I said that would be wonderful!

 You threw away the ice cream?

Go for the gusto!

 So happy for these girls!

Sleeping like a baby...bunny

 What is so incredible about a

dust storm?

 Trina's longhorn. She named him 

Ross Perot. I wonder if she knows Ross died.

 Daydreaming

Scarlett and friends

 This is the work that James has been doing

at the Howard's.