Friday, March 20th, 2020

Cedar City, Utah
159th operating temple
Dedicated: Dec 10, 2017
By: Henry B. Eyring

Jesus Christ, Judge

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Book of Mormon/"Come Follow Me"

Jacob 6

The Lord will recover Israel in the last days - The world will be burned with fire - Men must follow Christ to avoid the lake of fire and brimstone.

Jacob 7

Sherem denies Christ, contends with Jacob, demands a sign, and is smitten of God - All of the prophets have spoken of Christ and His Atonement - The Nephites lived out their days as wanderers, born in tribulation, and hated by the Lamanites.

October 2019 Gen Con

"Covenant Belonging"

Elder Gerrit W. Gong

"Dear brothers and sisters, as witnessed by the Holy Ghost, everything good and eternal is centered in the living reality of God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the Mediator of the new covenant. Testifying of Jesus Christ is a covenant purpose of the Book of Mormon. By oath and covenant, God's restored priesthood authority is intended to bless all God's children including through covenant marriage, generational family, and individual blessings. 

Our Savior declares, 'I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world.' With us at the beginning, He is with us, in all our covenant belonging, to the end. I so testify in the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Ensign

"Inconveniently True"

 Max and Ruby were both up early this morning. By early I mean before 10. I think Joshua was up too but he may have been walking outside.

I worked on my blog and my book business most of the morning. The kids ate cereal. I helped Lola get her Honeycomb. I guess all of the Apple Jacks are gone.

Addy ran on the stairs because it was cold outside this morning. 

I fixed lunch for Rowan, Joshua and Max. Rowan and Joshua had grilled cheese sandwiches and Max had a couple of hotdogs. 

Much of the time they were here the boys were upstairs playing video games. Lola likes to be a part of the action so she would sit and watch them.

They also played Settlers of Caitan, Scattergories, and Apples to Apples. One day all of the kids played Sardines which is like Hide and Go Seek except when you find a person you hide with them. When it was Rowan's turn to be it he asked me if there were mouse traps set in the pantry. I told him yes so he decided to hide somewhere else. 

One night they tried to play Gray Wolf but I think it was too muddy and they came in. Max thought the game would be too scary and didn't want Lola to play but Addy told him she wasn't scared of anything.

The girls and I did a puzzle together. Lola did the two small 100 piece fairy puzzles and all of us did a Snow White puzzle that had 300 pieces. We were a little miffed to find that one of the pieces we had spent a lot of time looking for was missing.

Trina sent money so we could go get the kids pizza this afternoon. I had to go to town to get my Tramadol and Metoprolol prescriptions anyway so when we got to town I called and ordered two large pepperoni pizzas and a large cheese pizza from Pizza Factory. No one has had Pizza Factory pizza except Joshua but the majority wanted to try it so that's what we ordered. It disappeared all but a few pieces in a flash. I guess you could say it was a good choice.

During "Come Follow Me" everyday Lola has read a verse of scripture. Today was no different as we read Jacob 6 and 7 and discussed how Jacob could not be shaken by Sherem.

Addy baked the roll of cookie dough we bought in my round pizza pan and I got out the homemade vanille Bluebell ice cream so we could have pazookie and ice cream for dessert. The only ones who ate any were all of Darrel and Trina's kids and me. The other three boys were too busy upstairs playing video games.

Tonight is the last night the kids will be here. I hope Evan is able to get a good night's sleep. He has difficulty sleeping up here.

I saw one of these uninvited guests in my house

Ziggie's under the bed

"Master the tempest is raging"

I love this!

Thursday, March 19th, 2020

Meridian, Idaho

158th operating temple

Dedicated: Nov 19, 2017

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Judge

Romans 14:10

But why dost thou judge they brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Book of Mormon/"Come Follow Me"

Jacob 5: 50-77

The Restoration and the Millennium

October General Conference

"Spiritual Treasures"

President Russell M. Nelson

"Now, in closing, I would like to leave a blessing upon you, that you may understand the priesthood power with which you have been endowed and that you will augment that power by exercising your faith in the Lord and in His power.

Dear sisters, with deep respect and gratitude, I express my love for you. Humbly, I declare that God lives! Jesus is the Christ. This is His Church. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."

March Ensign
Sherem's Skepticism: Tactics of a Faith Shaker

 We woke up to about 5 inches of snow this morning. At least those of us who woke up early did. By the time most of the kids were up a lot of the snow had melted. I didn't take a picture but my friend Lynda did:

Addy took this picture sometime in the

afternoon:

James shoveled the snow from the driveway before it melted.

The pandemic continues and most of the world is quarantined. 

School has been postponed, many businesses are closed or like Chandler Eyecare limiting the amount of patients they see.

Meanwhile, life goes on. We got some sad news today although it did not happen today. Tianna Hood, the mother to Jace and Jayden Hood, two boys in our ward, passed away in her home in Whiteriver this week. Jace is 11 and Jayden is 8. They live with Sister Singleton in our ward and have not seen their mother for awhile. We are all wondering what cause Tianna's passing and will be anxious to here the results of the autopsy.

Ruby and Addy went for a walk today. Lola came in and told me they were going up the hill. She didn't want to go so she came in and worked on a fairy 100 piece puzzle.

When Ruby and Addy got back from their walk they were very excited. They had seen a herd of elk and Addy took a video on her phone to show me. 

This is kind of funny but Stacy keeps calling to make sure Joshua is brushing his teeth. She said he forgot his toothbrush from home. I told her I had one I would give him. When she called today she asked if I had given him a toothbrush. I told her I offered but he said he already had one so I didn't bug him about it. Stacy was concerned that it was an old one. I told Joshua he needed to call his mom because I didn't want to be the toothbrush police. He said he called her but she didn't answer. I just let it go.

The Howard's told James he could have one of their mares but right now she had gotten away and was wandering around the forest. When she returns Tom will let James know. She is a paint horse and is very good with kids.

For dinner this evening we had pork chops, Sheri sent some and I bought more, macaroni and cheese, rolls, salad, and hashbrowns.

We had some help cleaning up after dinner:

Ruby helped too, you just can't see her in

the picture.

This evening during "Come Follow Me" we finished Jacob 5 and had a review. 

As we went to bed James asked the kids to start winding it down around 10:30. I had asked them earlier to be in bed by 11.

 This is Winter Hoose, Christina's little girl.
She swallowed a quarter and had to go to 
the hospital.

Look how careful she is being.

 Oops, I spoke too soon!

 This looks so good to me right now!

Wednesday, March 18th, 2020

I

Tucson, Arizona

157th operating temple

Dedicated: Aug 13, 2017

By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jesus Christ, Judge

Romans 2:16

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Book of Mormon/"Come Follow Me"

Jacob 5:29-49

The Great Apostasy

Oct 2019 Gen Con

"Two Great Commandments"

President Dallin H. Oaks

Mothers and fathers and all of us are responsible to teach both of the two great commandments. For the women of the Church, President Spencer W. Kimball described that duty in this great prophecy: 'Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world ... will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different ... from the women of the world. ... Thus it will be that female exemplars of the Church will be a significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church in the last days.'"

Ensign March 2020

Don't Give Up On Me

I worked on books all morning while the kids slept. I think Joshua was the first one up. I heard him open the front door to go outside for his walk. 

James got up at his normal time around 7 and began typing his contract. One thing about him, he doesn't give up easily. Before I started my book business he would have asked me to type the contract for him. When he was finished he emailed it to me and I ran it off on the new printer. He is not connected to the new printer yet.

Addy went for a run. The rest of the kids had cereal for breakfast. When Addy was through with her run and had her shower, she, Ruby, Lola, and I went to the Walmart in Taylor. 

Our first stop in Taylor was at the Taco Bell. We couldn't go inside so we went through the drive-thru and ate in our car. Ruby and Lola devoured their bean burritos. Addy had a taco and saved her burrito for later. I had my burrito and my taco. The woman at the drive-thru would barely open the window to send the food out, and when she did open it she turned her head away from me. She was being so careful to not spread whatever it was she had. jk

At Walmart it was business as usual. These are some of the things we got: strawberries and blueberries, ice cream and a tube of chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreo's and cream cheese for Addy's cream cheese oreo cakes. Hashbrowns and more turkey bacon, there were no biscuits so we got the canned croissants. I also got some butter and two peach teas and two citrus sunshine tea.

Bread shelf at Walmart 

When we were finished at Walmart we drove over to the temple because the girls had never seen the Snowflake temple. We took pictures and I showed them how you could see Green's Peak only there was so much fog that you couldn't see it. I took a picture, but not with the temple in the background. I am just so shortsighted sometimes.

The hill just down from the temple

pretend like they are standing in

front of the temple.

Snowflake temple

Addy loved the big huge home just down from the temple, the one with the basketball and tennis court. She said some day she is going to own it.

After getting home and putting the groceries away I told Addy I needed a 30 minute rest time and then we could start making our desserts for the tea party. In the mean time I got a text from Tamara saying she wanted a meeting tonight. I told her I was doing a tea party and breakfast for dinner this afternoon and evening but that I would try and make it to the meeting, which I did.

Addy made the Oreo mini cheese cakes and I made strawberry baby cakes which are mini cupcakes in my baby cakes maker.

Ruby and Lola helped set the table with the china and gold flatware. James served us peach tea and we had strawberries, blueberries, and assorted chocolate candy at our little party.

Scattergories before the tea party

Tea Party Extraordinaire

While we are here partying, 

Trina is at home taking care of the sick

people at the Gilbert hospital emergency

room.

After the tea party, which was cut a little short, James and I both

had meetings at the church. James went with Chuck and I drove myself. It was raining.

Kerri announced after our meeting that she has kidney failure and is supposed to go down and get on a transplant list but her appointment was cancelled because of the pandemic. I already knew. 

I drove home in a snow storm and could barely see. I think I hit a big rock. Hopefully it didn't do any damage.

Back at home James and I worked together to make breakfast for dinner. We got Evan to come but this time Addy skipped out. She doesn't eat much, kind of like her mom.

After cleaning the kitchen we had "Come Follow Me". We read Jacob 5:29-49 and talked about the Great Apostasy. After family prayer I asked the boys what was their favorite part of the day. They all said playing four square. 

I forgot to mention that James took the girls up to Buckelieu Springs to see the falls running. They didn't stay long because Yogi and Hailey were there celebrating Yogi's birthday. He didn't even take any pictures. After they left I asked the boys if they wanted to go. No one wanted to except Rowan and he didn't want to go by himself. 

There was an earthquake in Salt Lake with a 5.7 magnitude. The temblor knocked out power to thousands and diverted flights. It also knocked the trumpet out of the Angel Moroni's hand.

Our friend Christy lives in Lehi and felt the tremors.