Monday, April 27th, 2026: CFM, President Eyring's talk, walk early, sciatic nerve pain keeps me from going to the temple, I stay home and rest instead, James leaves @ 5:15 and gets home @ 10:30

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Temple #58

A rough night for both James and I. Neither one of us slept very well. We always wake up stiff and hurting. The first thing I do is drink a shake and take some Tramadol. Well, I should l say that the first thing I do is say my prayers, and then I do the shake, Tramadol combo. 

Today I read Exodus 35 and 36 all about the children of Israel building the tabernacle in the wilderness according to the Lord's specifications. The purpose of the tabernacle was to help them to remember the Lord and to keep Him close to them.

The tabernacle/temple remind us of Jesus Christ. Sacrifice strengthens faith in Jesus Christ. Today our sacrifice is a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

James and I read Mosiah 18 as part of our daily Book of Mormon study. Alma remembers and records the words of Abinadi and flees the courts of King Noah at the peril of his life. He starts a following of believers in the wilderness and begins to baptize the people. 

I finished my book, "Faithful Tides" by Sister Sarah L. McConkie and started another of her books, "Dual Devotions". 

It was a lazy day for me because I hurt so much. I did contact AARA and asked to schedule my cortisone injections. I have not heard back from them yet.

James brought me some shrimp from Culver's for lunch and they were so delicious! They probably have more carbs than I would like to have but they were worth it. 

I texted Jared Ammon today and asked him if he would take family pictures for us after great-grandmother's funeral on Saturday. He said he would. He has a great camera which he will set up on a tripod and use an automatic timer so he can be in the picture too.

Because James and I are planning on doing a session at the temple and then we are helping to clean it tomorrow evening, I changed my lunch date with Pat Tedder from tomorrow to Thursday. I then schedule our session for tomorrow evening at 7 and printed off family name cards for both James and I to take. We are going to with the Crane's to the temple.

I saw 5 elk in the yard this afternoon. James was a little disappointed because they were all cow elk, or females. 

James fixed our leaky faucet today which made me very happy.

Scott Tibbets passed away this evening at 7:45 just a week after his grandmother. My heart goes out to Rebecca and her family. Here is something Scott gave to us for Christmas a couple of years ago:

"All of us can have a new beginning through, and because of

Jesus Christ. Even you."

- Elder Patrick Kearon

Exodus 39:30

And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, 

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

Lady elk

 

Sunday, April 26th, 2026: Up @ 4:30 for study, early arrival @ church for setup, it is sooo windy! Wilhelm's speak in sacrament meeting, RS, Millie, Rosie, Kristine, Lunch, rest, blog, ride, talk with Jared, Sheri's offer

 

Bogota, Columbia

Temple #57

I was up at 4:30 this morning to finish my lesson outline and to take my pain pills. I was finished in time to take a 30 minute nap before it was time to get ready to go.

We had a wonderful sacrament meeting today. LaNell or Nellie as her loved ones call her, was the youth speaker. She just turned 8 and was baptized yesterday. Basically she said in her talk, that she was baptized because she wanted to be clean and she wants to be close to Jesus. 

Sandra Wilhelm - Sandra was asked to speak on remembering the Savior. Here are some of her remarks that I wrote down:

Write them down to remember spiritual experiences. Like the children of Israel, do we forget the miracles in our lives? Think of Him first in daily decisions. Think of Christ first before responding. 

We take the sacrament we lay our sins at His feet. He knows our heartbreaks, struggles and efforts. I feel my Savior's love when I have a constant prayer in my heart. Look for ways we have seen God's hand in our life. Reflect and Record.

John Wilhelm - I am grateful for Sandra who always looks for the positive in others. Always remember Him. The Spirit prompted John to tell one of the girls on Ruthie's softball team that "Jesus loves her." He is always there. Line upon line, precept upon precept, He will lead us along. Are we asking the right questions. Do I have faith to receive? All things come through Christ. Find ways to always to remember Him. Make every interaction positive. Seeds may no germinate until the next life. John then bore his testimony.

I congratulated Nellie on her baptism and told her how beautiful she looked in her white dress. 

My lesson went well and I had plenty of handouts. I am grateful for Kristine Hipps. She shared how her mother had passed away before Easter and how grateful she is for the Resurrection and the knowledge that she will see her mother again. 

I also enjoyed Amy Bowen's comment about how sometimes the way to be a peacemaker is to stand up for what is right in spite of conflict and gave the example of the Lord cleansing the temple to restore peace to His Father's house. 

I am grateful for the text I received from Rosie Lauritzen after the meetings were over and I was relaxing in my comfy chair:

Rosie - You did another wonderful lesson and I LOVE the little teacup handout you gave...you are so creative and thoughtful!!

Me - Thank you Rosie. It means so much to hear from you, someone I love so much!

Rosie - Everyone loves you Karen...my whole week goes better after one of your spirit filled lessons!! I hope you have a week of strength and peace in your heart.

Me - Thank you Rosie. You really are the best!

Rosie - Same to you sweet sister!!

Teresa Smith is back from the valley. It was so great to see her along with Ingrid and Joyce.

Millie Scott said her heart surgery would add 10 years to her life but she's not sure she wants to live that long. She is 83 years old.

I talked with Kim about her talk and she said she thought it went okay and she only cried once. 

For lunch James cooked the two filet mignon steaks I had purchased the other day. They were cooked perfectly and went well with the salad I made. 

James and I had just left to go for a short ride this evening when I got a call from Jared asking what we were doing for dinner on Sunday in the valley. I told him we hadn't made plans but I would talk to Sheri. Sheri said she would make both lunch and dinner for us and for Jared's family, and cookies for Charlie who said that Sheri's cookies were very good.

James wrote up a paper this evening of memories of his mom when he was a boy. I typed it up for him and he will send it to Cathi tomorrow. Carmen and Dawn will include it in their talk about their Mom at the funeral.

Autumn's Annual Tea Party which

was held on Saturday

What a wonderful party!!

Somehow Natalie Robles got two of my handouts and Ethan and Makenzi had their own tea party.

Dianne & C.T. Davis, one of our former bishops.

C.T just turned 89

Happy Birthday

My 60 handouts

Alicia & Stefani accepted a challenge to

dress alike and do their hair alike.

They are both Hunsaker's as they

married brothers.

Saturday, April 25th, 2026: Sammy finally returns, BM scriptures to Adam, James does a beautiful job washing my car, my book: "Faithful Tides", I finish my handouts

 

Madrid, Spain

Temple #56

Sammy was still gone this morning but he came back later in the day. His paw seems to be fine now.

I send the Book of Mormon scripture reading everyday to Adam. I wonder if he reads them. Sometimes I make comments but he never responds.

A slow moving day around here, except for the wind. It is moving a little too fast for my taste. Kathy Crane went to the dump and I got the garbage ready for her because I couldn't find James and he didn't respond to my phone call. I tied a $5 bill to the top of the large bag to help with the dump fee.

James used our new power sprayer to wash the car and the truck today. On my car he sprayed all of the bugs off the front and got all the mud out of the wheel wells. It's been there since the last rain. The windshield was spotless. There was no dust on the back of the car. It was beautiful!

I am really getting in to the book I am reading, "Faithful Tides." It's about a ship of 482 Latter-day Saints who left Liverpool, England in 1854 for Zion. They endured so many trials and tests which required great faith to overcome. I wonder if I would have been able to overcome all the trials these saints had to endure as a part of their faith.

Sheri's post

I wonder if Sheri knows about these.

Friday, April 24th, 2026: Sammy is missing, new book - "Faithful Tides" by Sarah L. McConkie, finished my handouts, Larry & Kat get paid, too much Tylenol,

 

Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua

Temple #55

Sammy is missing this morning. I hope he is okay.

Today in Exodus I read about the story of the golden calf. I just don't understand why Aaron, the supposed leader, would do such a thing.

Our Come Follow Me study was about how sin is turning away from God and repentance is turning toward Him and away from evil.

We did not go to the temple today. I spent the first part of the day finishing up my handouts for my lesson on Sunday. Now I can focus on the lesson.

Larry and Kat came today and worked on the logs with James. I will be so grateful when this project is complete. Will the upkeep on this house ever be complete?

According to what James read on the Tylenol bottle I have been taking too much lately. When my body is hurting it responds better to both Tramadol & Tylenol, (I call it T&T) but on the bottle it says to not take Tylenol for more than 10 days in a row. Oops. I guess I better cut back because it is bad for my liver.

I got a text from my friend Janna Grombach today. She is in the hospital with a bowel blockage. She waited most of the day for them to decide they were not going to do surgery but sent her home to rest. I am grateful she doesn't have to have surgery but I am still worried about her.

I talked with Pat, Janna's mom. I am her ministering sister and told her if she needed a ride to the hospital I would be happy to take her. She said because of flu season she wasn't going to go unless Janna was going to have surgery, which she didn't. Anyway, Pat and I have a lunch date this coming Tuesday. It's been awhile since we have had a good visit.

My right knee has been bothering me lately but my shoulders and other knee are doing quite well. I am holding off on my cortisone injections as long as I can.

"The family proclamation has a divine origin, so we must treat it with the reverence deserving words from God."

- Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Exodus 32:26

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

Why don't we all live there?

Oh yeah, alligators and hurricanes.

Thursday, April 23rd, 2026: Scooter is back, 5 parts of the tabernacle, Inklings, new YW names, Jennifer Long's husband dies, "Forgotten Notes", James goes to town,

 

Anchorage, Alaska

Temple #54

I hadn't seen Scooter since yesterday morning so I was pleasantly surprised when he showed up this morning. Kathy Crane says we need to get him fixed. I guess he's been going over to their house and admiring the female cats. 

Sammy has a hurt paw that he isn't walking on. I tried to get him to let me look at it but I was not successful. He is still very skittish. 

James put Sammy's food up on the little table where Sammy was sitting so he wouldn't have to get down. 

I studied about the tabernacle today.

I love all of the symbolism and explanations

as to what each object represents.

They are making a life-size tabernacle in

Snowflake for people to tour.

I got some sad news this morning. My friend Pam Giles posted on Facebook that Jenny Long's husband had passed away. He has been ill for some time. Jenny also has a daughter that has a brain tumor. Jenny is not a member of the Church but she is an amazing, positive woman whom I love although I have only met her a few times. I donated some money to help with taking meals to the family and got Jenny's address from Pam so I can send Jenny a card.

I listened to Inklings with Emily and Amy who runs HXP a non-profit service organization for young men and women were the presenters. The talk was Elder Kearon's "About His Business" regarding Church callings. Here are some notes I took:

Invitation: Every calling, whatever it may be, is "His business" when embraced with a humble and willing heart and a desire to lift and comfort His children and share His good news.

Promise: Everything is better - everything is better - when we are about His business.

Favorite Quote: "Common consent is not a mere formality but a beautiful mix of our agency, unity, and faith. It is a voluntary, personal commitment to support, uphold, and help."

Affirmation: I choose to serve with a humble heart, trusting that every opportunity is shaping me. As I look outward and give, I grow - because in serving others I am serving God.

Sometimes sustaining means showing up.

We are all called to do the same work. We are to encourage one another and be instruments to bring others to Christ.

Living faith at full speed is contagious.

Allow the Lord to use us and then step back and not get in his way.

Be aware of the power of our voices and  be intentional about making them positive.

A prophet of God has said that women in the Church in the last days will be distinct and different in happy ways and will bring others into the Church because of it.

It is not where we serve, but how.

How can I building the kingdom today?

Some callings are highly stretching. It's about Becoming.

Amy blocks out 30 minutes a day to ponder who to serve for the Lord.

James had to go to town again today. Something about screws and cash to pay Kat and Larry who are coming back to work tomorrow. I gave him a check to take to the bank. He came back with $500. I told him he should have gotten more. 

James was putting on the new plywood on the scaffolding when I heard a loud crash. I was almost afraid to look. When I did, James was at the side of the scaffolding assuring me that he was okay. I really do wish this project was complete. I don't care how much Kat and Larry charge, James needs their help for my sanity!

Something Emily said in Inklings made me stop and think about my personal conversations, especially with James. I need to be more aware of the power of my voice. I need to remember a Prophet of God has said women in the last days will be distinct and different in positive and happy ways. So good.

I finished my book, "A Proper Charade" and started a new one, "Forgotten Notes" by Sian Ann Bessey. An LDS return missionary visits Wales and meets a harp playing girl who is not a member of the Church. Of course, they fall in love.

"Simply put, discipleship takes self-discipline. It is not a casual endeavor, and it doesn't happen by accident."

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Exodus 31:13

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

Quite a Bro-mance