Friday, July 21, 2023: Willie & Ralph & Roger, lemonade, "One in Christ," Beautiful rain storm, James has to go to valley tomorrow, Joshua & Evan

 

Idaho Falls, Idaho

8th operating temple

Dedicated: 23-25 Sep 1945

By: George Albert Smith

Jesus Christ, Types of, in Anticipation

Galatians 3:24

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Book of Mormon

Alma 36:25-37:10

Come Follow Me & AprGenCon

Studied my lesson for Relief Society, "One in Christ" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Willie Grombach, Ralph Sedig, and Roger Wallace came over this morning to help James with his stable. Ralph to the welding while the rest of the crew, including James got things ready to weld. They worked about 3 1/2 hours and won't accept any pay. We made them some lemonade and James told him he was going to take them out to dinner when they were through. They are about half way finished. 

James enjoyed visiting with these friends. He said Willie held the record for the 400 yard dash at Buckeye High School for over 40 years. I had no idea he had been a runner. 

James came in and took a nap. I took one too. Afterwards I made him some lunch. Beans and a hot ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato. 

My focus today is to work on my lesson for Sunday, "One in Christ."

I also got a call from Stacy. We talked for almost an hour about her kids, her business and a spiritual experience she had with the scriptures this week. It was a great conversation. 

I worked on my lesson, "One in Christ", and did my walking and watched a Christmas movie. I also worked on my Christmas in July puzzle called "Special Delivery". It's a series of Christmas stamps from around the world. 

This afternoon as I was walking I looked out the window and saw that the sky was dark towards Springerville and New Mexico. As I looked towards Show Low the sky was blue with a few fluffy clouds. The dark sky was moving in our direction and soon we had a nice rainstorm. I love the late afternoon summer rains storms that cool everything down. 

James plans on going to the valley tomorrow to see if the 51st Avenue "patch work" is done as the doctor is moving in on Monday.

Evan is a junior at Chandler High.

His first day of school was Wednesday

Ben "having fun" at a birthday party

Joshua is a junior at Chandler High

Scarlett and her mom rollerblading

Trina & Lexy took their older kids to hike

the highest mountain in Arizona

Mt. Humphrey in Flagstaff

Thursday, July 20, 2023: Temple sealings w/ James, dirt for yard, 101 to Snowflake - 76 coming home, Pat Holland passes away, Barry Flake,

 

Mesa, Arizona

7th operating temple

Dedicated: 23-26 Oct 1927

By: Heber J. Grant

Jesus Christ, Types of, in Anticipation

2 Nephi 11:4

Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

Book of Mormon

Alma 36:1-24

Come Follow Me

Acts 10:17, 20 Spiritual Defining Moments

AprGenCon

"My Mind Caught Hold Upon This Thought of Jesus Christ" Elder Neil L. Andersen

This morning Perkin's Cinders delivered a load of dirt for the backyard. Now we have a dirt mountain in our dirt yard. 

As I was getting ready to go to the temple this afternoon, Kim texted and asked if I had heard that Pat Holland had passed away. No, I had not. I knew Elder Holland had been sick but I didn't know his wife was ill too. I heard Sister Holland speak in Mesa years ago when she was in the General Young Women's Presidency with Ardeth G. Kapp. They both spoke and it was a wonderful evening. Two of my favorite speakers.

This afternoon James and I went to the temple to do sealings. I have 12 couple sealings. I thought the sessions were 30 minutes so I only took six of them into the session. We would have had time to do all 12 because the sessions are an hour long. 

We left the house at 3 p.m. As we were driving towards Snowflake on the 77 I looked down and the temperature was 101. Wow! That is hot for this part of Arizona. On the way home is was overcast and cool with rain in some areas. The temperature had cooled down to 76.

James and I love going to the temple and feeling the Spirit that is there. It was no different today. Brother Johnson who was a former counselor to President Hancock the temple president before President Palmer. There were two other couples, the Williams's and the Jackson's. There were also two temple workers who came in to be witnesses. One of them was an old friend from high school, Barry Flake. 

The first thing we did was remove the kneeling bench on the sisters side and put in a chair. Sister Jackson and Sister Williams neither one can kneel. I have to admit that I used the chair too. Here are the couples we sealed together from my family lines:

Stephen T. Wilson & Sarah Wilson Rutledge

John William Joyner & Mattie J. Tyson

Franklin Alexander & Pattie Strickland

Charlies Lewis Smith & Lila Mae Parker

Pinkney J. Strickland & I. A. Williams

William Francis Wright & Margaret E. Walker

Most of these are my grandpa Strickland's relatives, but Sarah Wilson Rutledge and Margaret E. Walker are both from Nannie's line.

We went through Sonic and got chicken Slingers and a small order of mozzarella sticks before going home. 

Although it can be hot in the afternoons here the evenings are still beautiful. I noticed as I looked at the names I did this week that I did the initiatory for Sarah Wilson Rutledge, her endowment and now today her sealing to her husband. I almost feel like I know her and someday I will.

Next week I will be in the valley. James and I are planning an endowment session on Tuesday at the Gilbert temple. Maybe we can get Kim or Stacy to go with us. Sheri already has a monthly schedule and she likes to go to the 7:00 session. That's a little too early.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023: Slow morning, Barbara's passed inspection, T-Bo's haircut, Wlmrt, Accountant, HD, LaCasita takeout, Alice's w/ Kathy, Kathy's news

 

Cardston, Alberta

6th operating temple

Dedicated: 26-29 Aug 1923

By: Heber J. Grant

Jesus Christ, Types of, in Anticipation

2 Nephi 2:7

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

Book of Mormon

Alma 35:1-16

Come Follow Me

11:26 I am a Christian because I believe in and follow Jesus Christ.

AprGenCon

"When To Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing" Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita

I didn't get up until 6:37 this morning. It was another restless, up and down night.

James met the inspector over at Barbara's and came back with a big grin on his face. They passed the final inspection! While he was there T-Bo asked him to please give him a haircut. He also said that Barbara's son has not left Nauvoo yet. They were in the pageant and just finished. I guess there wasn't the big rush that I thought there was.

The electricity was off for an hour and a half again today. I'm beginning to think this is planned. It was right when I was getting ready to go to town. I finally gave up doing my hair and just made the best of it without curling it. Right after we left James had to come back and get a check for the accountant. I waited for him in the truck. When he got back he said the electricity was back on. 

James dropped me off at Walmart while he went to the accountant's to pay her for doing our taxes. He called me and asked if I wanted him to order lunch from LaCasita. I said yes. We got the mail on our trip and I got two new credit cards to replace the ones that were used without my permission. I also got another puzzle which I can take with me next week to the timeshare. 

We enjoyed our enchiladas when we got home. Also, James ordered us a mixed burro to share tomorrow for lunch. Getting lunch at LaCasita is cheaper than Firehouse and Culver's and the food is quite delicious!

I picked up Kathy Crane a little before 2:30 and we drove over to see Alice Wilhelm who lives in the MacArthur's house. The MacArthur's left their dog, Ernie, and he was the first to greet us. He especially likes Kathy because she likes him. I'm a little indifferent because I don't want him to jump on me. 

We had a nice visit with Alice. She is engaged and lives with her boyfriend. She has several tattoos and her entire left arm is covered in one. She quit going to church when she graduated from high school and moved out of her parents house. Her parents are in our ward. Alice is a paramedic and a firefighter. She and her boyfriend love to hunt and they have mounted skulls with horns all over their house. 

Back to Alice being a paramedic. In January her grandpa Mel, her dad's dad and who is also in our ward, had a heart attack. Alice was working in the hospital at the time and when he stopped breathing and his heart stopped she was the one who brought him back. Now he tells everyone that Alice saved his life. Alice is a likable girl. Kathy and I both her her in Young Women's and we both gave her a hug when we left.

When I drove Kathy home she told me a little bit about what is going on in their life. Yesterday their car broke down on the way back from Globe and they had to wait three hours for a tow truck. Their air conditioning in their house has been out for several days and they can't seem to get anyone to fix it. And last, but not least, their son and his family who live in Gilbert have sold their home and they are moving to Richmond, Virginia. They had thought about moving up here, but Jeff, their son, who grew up in California, wants to be by the ocean. Kathy is so sad about her grandchildren moving away. I felt so sorry for her. I wish there was something that I could do besides pray for her.

I helped James set two more poles and then he saddled up Luna and drove off another herd of cows before coming in.

Friends from working at the temple

Sleeping Beauty

James's marriage in Philly

Meet Ernie