Tuesday, December 26, 2023:14 degrees, Drippy ceiling from Alayna's shower, James's sauna blanket, cut same board wrong 2x, Town, no Bookshelf app, shop for Evan, Pizza Factory Gonzo's and Evan, Grapp's card

 

Lisbon, Portugal

166th operating temple

Dedicated: 15 Sep 2019

By: Neil L. Andersen

Book of Mormon

Moroni 7:20-34

Come Follow Me

Revelation 16-18; 21-22 The Lord invites me to flee Babylon and inherit "the holy city."

October General Conference

"Eternal Truth" by Elder John C. Pingree, Jr.

It was 14 degrees when we got up this morning. 

We had a drippy ceiling this morning. James went upstairs to see who was taking a shower in Darrel and Trina's room and had left the shower curtain out of the shower. When Alayna answered the door she had a turbine on her head. James told her the problem and she apologized. This afternoon after going on a Razr ride she took another shower and did it again but that was the last time.

James had a miserable day. He was so cold that he got into his sauna blanket. He also said he cut the same board wrong two times and that his thumbs really hurt. 

Sheri sent me $100 for food for Evan so James and I went into town to buy food. We have no book to listen to because my Deseret Bookshelf app is still down. 

James and I went to Walmart. James was looking for batteries for our key fobs and for the garage door openers while I was shopping for Evan's food. I bought turkey and ham lunchmeat, provolone cheese, two loaves of bread, 4 frozen pizzas, fruit snacks, Flamas Doritos, a case of water and two packs of lemonade. I spent $90.88 I told Sheri I would send the rest back via Venmo and she told me to keep it. 

James and I had Firehouse for lunch. 

Later this afternoon the Gonzales's took Evan to Pizza Factory for dinner. The dogs were distraught when they left, especially Sophie who howled for awhile. He follows Stacy everywhere and when she is gone, she doesn't know what to do with herself. Finally they all settled down.

So much for the doggie blankets I got

out for them. They prefer the newer, softer ones.

Sophie, Shipley, and Vader.

We stopped and picked up the mail this afternoon as we came back to town. We got a gift from Jared and Kacey and several Christmas cards, including one from the Grapp's along with a picture of the family and a summary of each of the kids for the year. I was excited to get this and immediately wrote a card back to them. We also got a card from the Johnston's, Carmen & Steve, and the Lemmerman's. 

Carmen's handmaid card

Rebecca's card and small book

Lemmerman's

Ruth Gale 

The Grapp's

The Johnston's

This evening we walked and watched another Up movie. 

Moon in Norway

Christmas Eve hike

The Umphress family

The Ray's 

Scarlett

The Montgomery's got a mission call to

Houston, Texas.

Denise's grandkids

Rachel and Thor and their girls

Final judgment

Carmen's gift

Gift from Jared & Kacey

Monday, December 25, 2023: gifts from Lois, Dawn, Kim, Brian, Sheri's for family brkfst, Darrel better, Lois & Dawn's for lunch, pickup Evan, Vernon, S,P,J,A & dogs Vernon

 

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

165th operating temple

Dedicated: 1 Sep 2019

By: David A. Bednar

Book of Mormon

Moroni 6:1-7:19

Come Follow Me

Revelation 15-22 "He That Overcometh Shall Inherit All Things"

Introduction

October General Conference

"Jesus Christ is the Treasure" by Elder Dale G. Renlund

I woke up at 2 am and my right arm was throbbing. I couldn't sleep because of the pain, so I got up and ate a roll and took some Tramadol and went back to bed.

When James and I got up we unwrapped our gifts from Lois, Dawn, Kim, and Brian. Here is what I opened: a purple towel set, shopping bag full of gizmos and gadgets for the kitchen, 2 tops, an Amazon $50 gift card, a bracelet and a Family Tree to list birthdays from Lois and Dawn. From Kim & Brian - A leather journal with Philippians 4:13 on the front and a set of colored pens. Also a Disney 1500 piece puzzle.

Here is what James opened: From me two shirts and a pair of pajamas. From Kim & Brian a $50 Amazon gift card. From Lois & Dawn: a nice leather portfolio and a leather journal, a cold weather hat, a top and some socks, James says, "the good kind."

A little before 10 we left for Sheri's for breakfast. She was already cooking bacon and scrambled eggs and some of the biscuits we got from Stacy last night. She had a tray of cinnamon rolls that she had bought. They looked like homemade. I had one and they were delicious. I also had a couple of pieces of bacon to make sure I got my protein. There was orange juice but I didn't have any.

After I ate breakfast I took a walk around the neighborhood. The weather was perfect. I got 1200 steps.

Ben was excited to tell me that his blanket was the best one he has ever gotten. It is purple and soft. 

Glad you liked it Ben

Here are the rest of the Trezise blankets:

Here are the Horak blankets:

 

Dark blue

Darrel and Trina's family:

I wrapped most of the blankets going to Texas before taking pictures. Kacey's was like Kim's and Jared's was like Rowan's. Charlie and Scarlett's were white with pastel dots or hearts and they each also got a Christmas blanket. Autumn's was white and I think Palmer's had stripes. Anna's was white, James's was black, Sadie's purple on one side and white on the other. Here is a picture of Emmy's and Molly's.

Summer's was a light shade of purple with white flowers and I can't remember what Tanner's looked like. I like to take pictures of the blankets I give so I don't duplicate next year. 

Some of the Texas gifts

It was good to see Darrel this morning. He was in bed yesterday with vertigo. He feels much better. Trina worked today, making $900. 

Dallin and Jared Ammon were not there.

Cathi and Dawn were working in the kitchen and said they didn't need my help. Aunt Faye came over and sat by me and we visited and Uncle Paul sat by James. 

Uncle Paul is 92. He looks good for his age.

Aunt Faye was very enjoyable to visit with. She told me about the retirement home where she lives. She wanted to do something useful rather than play Bridge or other games some of the residents played. She started a hymn singing group a couple of times a month and a weekly bible study. She is a retired minister so these are the things that are important to her.

She also shared some stories about babysitting for James and his brothers when she was 14. She said Lois and George were in Gallup where they were filming a movie. They were extras in the movie and were supposed to return in the evening but the weather got bad so they stayed overnight. Terry was a baby who slept in a buggy that had a hole in it near the bottom. She put a blanket in the buggy to stop up the hole. When she woke in the morning Terry was not in the buggy. She panicked and began looking everywhere even outside in the chicken coop. (Terry wasn't old enough to walk so I'm not sure why she looked there). She asked Dave and James where Terry was but they weren't old enough to know anything. Those were her words, not mine. As she called for help someone told her to look under the bed. When she did she saw him curled up asleep under the bed. What a relief!

Another story about Terry as a baby and his older brother James (Older by 14 months). Terry was drinking his bottle and she heard him start to cry. She went in to see what was wrong and found Terry without his bottle. She looked under his bed and there was James sucking on Terry's bottle for all it was worth.

As we sat down to dinner I was seated next to James on one side and Aunt Faye on the other and across from Lois. Lois thanked us for the dinner and I said that Dawn and Aunt Faye helped pay for it and they should be thanked too.

The dinner was good. I am glad James and I brought some cranberry celebration. It was perfect and one of my favorite things. 

Lois ate very little. Dawn says she has been gagging and throwing up alot which is very concerning. Because of the gagging she never wants to eat and when she does she doesn't eat very much. I suggested to Dawn that maybe she get her some liquid Ensure. She said she would.

We went back to Chandler to pick up Evan before heading home. 

Stacy, Paul, Joshua, and Alayna and all of the dogs, Sophie, Shipley, and Vader made it to the cabin a few minutes before we did. 

It is cold as we unload the car and start putting things away. 

Paul brought up a Honey Baked ham and he and Stacy put together a dinner for everyone. 

James made a big roaring fire and soon we were no longer cold. 

Evan, Joshua, and Alayna played games in front of the fireplace. 

Stacy and Paul watch the TV in the family room. James and I go into our bedroom to walk and to watch a movie starring Erin Cahill who lives on a cattle ranch. It is an Up movie which is a little different than Hallmark. It was a little rough in spots but had a good message. I think it was called, "Christmas on the Range."

Lola giving Santa a hug

Sheri got these plant pots from Alex & Shayna.

They made the figures of Ziggie and Ollie.

Ben gave Sheri this puzzle of Ollie

and Ziggie.

My socks were purple and there

was a $100 gift card to Deseret Book

inside the white bag.

Thank you Sheri!

Sheri made these for gifts:

A bag of Giradelli candy instead of a

white snowman sack with a sock for

the hat and a sock for the scarf.

So cute!

Merry Christmas

from Texas!

Now, back to yesterday to post some more pictures that I found.