Saturday, June 7, 2014

I just finished reading 2 Kings in the

Old Testament.  My favorite chapter

was chapter 19.  Here is the heading:

"Hezekiah seeks counsel from Isaiah to save Jerusalem-- Isaiah prophesies defeat of Assyrians and death of Sennacherib--Hezekiah prays for deliverance--Sennacherib sends a blasphemous letter--Isiah prophesies destruction of Assyrians, and that a remnant of Judah will flourish--An angel slays 185,000 Assyrians--Sennacherib slain by his sons."

James and I left with James Hayden a little after 7 to take him to Silver City where his dad his picking him up to take him home.  Before we left James unloaded the Razr for Michael.  He has been dying to take his friends on a ride.  

James Hayden sleeps most of the way to Silver City.  He is still exhausted.  I guess they did alot of hiking yesterday.  James is pretty miserable and keeps complaining about his arm hurting.  We met Jared and the girls at the Taco Bell in Silver City.  Why didn't I take some pictures?

On the way home James and I stopped at the Basha's in Eagar to get steaks and some other things for dinner.  Their steaks were buy one and get one free so I bought one for Alex and Michael too.  They were very tasty and we decided that's where we should always buy our steaks.  The Nicoll's cooked chicken and corn so we had a nice dinner.

Here are some things going on in the valley today:

Kayla and Addy had their dance recital.

Darrel said he was very proud of Addy and what a great job she did.

Adam got to meet his favorite actor Nathan Fillian,

at Comicon.

Joshua, Evan, Max, and Ian also went to Comicon.

Darth Mall and Max.

The boys had a blast!

Up close and personal with R2D2.

Thanks to Adam and Ian for taking the boys because they had a great time.

 

Friday, June 6, 2014

Love is something more than feelings of the heart; it is also a covenant we keep with soul and mind.

I took a walk this morning.  Thanks to my Tracktivity device I know I walked 3, 610 steps, 1.52 miles and burned 203 calories.  

Jeff Nicoll, the husband of Ann Nicoll, who are the chaperones of the kids staying here this weekend got up early this morning to go out and look for wolves.  I guess he met up with a forest ranger with a tracking device and they tracked one for awhile but never saw it.

Michael and his friend Alexis Nicoll went on a walk this morning too.

After my gospel study I made a trip to town to get my new phone.  I got an iphone 5s, white and silver with a purple case.  I also got a Wifi gadget that will work for up to 10 devices.  I saw Harold and Vickie there at the Verizon store and Vickie reminded me that she told me a long time ago to go Verizon for wifi.  

When I got home I was frustrated because I still can't download pictures from my new phone to the computer.  It must be a problem with the computer.  I am frustrated but I do love the new wifi device.  Now James can bring his computer home on the weekends.

Tomorrow I am going to try to uninstall itunes and then reinstall it.  

Here is a picture of our guests:

Conner, Michael, Alexis, Julia, Ann and

Jeff, Gabby, Jordan and McKenna.

Alex and one of the girls are not pictured. 

I am not sure which girl is missing.

It was after 10 pm when James and the boys finally arrived home from their fishing trip on the Black River.  I was getting a little worried.  Alex caught 64 fish, Grampa James 31, and James Hayden 21.  They are exhausted!  The sad thing is they didn't even bring one fish back with them. Here are some pictures:

James Hayden

 They didn't say they were big fish.  At the Black River
it's not the size, but the amount.

The hike out.

Rugged country.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

I got up an hour late and as a result I didn't got for my walk.  Although I wanted to get my new phone today I didn't want to leave James home alone and I new it wouldn't be very exciting to go with me.  He took the Razr out a couple of time.  We played Five Crowns.  I won.  We played ping pong and he won.  

James and Alex arrived around 1 pm.  I had emailed James asking him to bring us something to eat but he didn't read it.  He brought me a burro from Burger House but didn't bring James anything.  I was upset and told James Hayden he could have my burro.  Later I ate Alex's burro because he said he didn't want it.  I calmed down and made up with James before he left.  

The three of them, James, Alex, and James Hayden loaded up, including the Razr, and left for the Black River around 5pm.  

Michael and his friend didn't arrive until after 9:30pm.  There were five girls, Michael, and two parents, Ann and Jeff Nicolls.  I told Michael I could see now why he wanted to bring his cross country "team" up.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Today is Emmy's 9th Birthday.

Emmy loves:

To swim,

play volleyball, softball, and tetherball.

She loves math and

loves to read.

I hope she likes her longboard.

For as long as I can remember Emmy has been asking for an Ipad.  This year she got a Nook which is just about the same thing.  I can only imagine how excited she it!

Happy Birthday Emmy, 

I love you!

I left Vernon around 8:20 this morning and arrived in Silver City at 12:15 or 1:15 their time.  I have been communicating with Tricia via email on my tablet.  While Tricia and James were at Subway having lunch I went in to Albertson's and got some strawberries and a little bit of cash for Emmy to go with her longboard.  

On the way back to Vernon James kept me awake.  He explained the entire movie The Ender Games to me.  He just got his haircut and his voice has changed.  He sounds a little bit like Joe.  We got back to Vernon around 4pm.  The first thing James wanted to do was take a ride on the Razr to Chocolate Lake.  I told him he could but not to be gone too long.  I was going to take a quick nap before going to Mutual.  I invited James to go to Mutual with me but he decided to stay home.  He had french toast for dinner. 

Tonight is a camp prep night for the Young Women's.  Diana did alot of preparing.  She had notebooks, bags, water bottles and flashlights for the young women.  I got to visit with Analee and Winna Ulmer while helping prepare materials.  We sang Happy Birthday to Diana, Ruth and Julie Wilhelm.  Audrey made a cake and Randa brought some cupcakes. 

James was playing the piano when I returned home.  He plays quite well  

A picture of James taken before he got his hair cut.

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

"As we make and keep commitments, even small commitments, we begin to establish an inner integrity that gives us the awareness of self-control and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives.  By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater than our moods."

-Stephen R. Covey

Seven Habits, p. 92.

James left for the valley around 5 or 5:30.  We had prayer together before he left.  I went for a walk around 6 when it was nice and cool.  Jared Ammon fixed breakfast for himself and Catherine after their run.  They had eggs and toast.  I guess Catherine really likes eggs.  

They left to go fishing at Big Lake and Greer.

  I am home alone again.  I take a nap and then try to download pictures for my blog but the download icon never comes up.  I am so frustrated and sad.  I thought maybe I needed to upgrade my phone but after an hour it says that the upgrade failed and my phone loses the connection to itunes and I can't restore it.  Now not only can't I download pictures, but I have no phone.  This has not been my best day ever.

To calm myself down I watch a BYU devotional talk by Elder Donald Hallstrom on leading a reverent life.  It is so good that I forget about my problems for awhile.

I am worried about having no phone tomorrow as I go to Silver City to pick up James Hayden.  Jared Ammon suggested that I take my tablet and communicate via email with Tricia.  Great idea!

There was a heat advisory in the valley today.  The high was 110.  Ben had football practice and forgot to bring water.  He was desperate and kept texting Sheri to bring him water but she was at work.  Ian Wanlass shared with him but I bet he doesn't forget his water again.  

Monday, June 2, 2014

"Be of good cheer,

for I will lead you along."

-D&C 78:18

Jared Ammon and Catherine went on a short run this morning.  They said it was difficult to run because of the high altitude and loose cinders.  Sheri had the same concerns when she was here.  

James and I made them a big breakfast.  We had hashbrowns, eggs with onions and green chilies, turkey bacon and french toast.  They seemed to be very appreciative.  Jared mentioned how good the french toast was.  After breakfast Jared, Catherine and James took off in the Razr for Green's Peak.  About an hour or so later I got a call from James asking me to come and rescue them.  Before I got there he had the Razr fixed.  James rode home with me and Catherine and Jared took the Razr with Catherine driving. 

Jared and Catherine went to town this afternoon to get some groceries.  Catherine is a nice girl.  She is from Tyler, Texas and came to ASU on a track scholarship.  That's how she and Jared met.  She is not a member of the Church.

While Jared and Catherine were gone I read to James from Edenbrooke and we took a nap.  I got up and fixed some taco soup from years supply items and I also paid some bills.   

We had the taco soup for dinner and everybody loved it.  The best thing about it is that everything in it can come from your years supply.  After dinner we taught Catherine and Jared how to play Five Crowns.  Catherine took the game very seriously and took a long time to make her move.  James said it was the longest game he had ever played, but it paid off for Catherine because she won!

Some other happenings today: I called James Mr. Fixit because he fixed the Razr, Darrel's shower and toilet, and got rid of the ants in Sheri's room.  It was 89 degrees today and it was smoky because of the Tank fire near the Black River. 

Sunday, June 1, 2014

" It is true of families as it is of nations that elimination of wickedness and selfishness will produce harmony and unity.

The spirit of contention is of the devil."

Happy 46th Wedding Anniversary!

 

I was up at 3:30 this morning to finish preparing my lesson and my lesson handouts. My lesson is on the blessings of the Priesthood.  The best part of the lesson was a short video by Elder Hale's from a conference talk he gave way back in 1995.  

I got to church a little early to set up but then I was late going into sacrament meeting.  Luckily James was there to save me a place.  

Bishop Hall was not here today.  I guess he has started a new job hauling oil out of North Dakota and will be gone for 30 days.  James thinks we will probably get a new bishop because Bishop Hall will be required to be gone too much for his new job.  

We had a good fast and testimony meeting.  My favorite testimonies were Carmen's, the German exchange student who has been living with the Sean Hunsaker family, Sean Hunsaker, and Aaron Windsor who just got his mission call to Reno, Nevada.  Carmen is going back to Germany this week but she says she will be back to be baptized by her American dad, Brother Hunsaker.  I went home during Sunday School and got the book on light by Sister Uchtdorf that we bought yesterday.  James and I put our testimonies in it and gave it to Carmen.  She seemed very appreciative.  

 I made it back in time in Sunday School to hear Brother Peeler tell everyone how I get up at 4am to study the Book of Mormon.  A little embarrassing.

My lesson went well.  I was a little sad because today was Trenda's last day for a couple of months.  She and her brother Talon will be working in Washington state most of the summer at their uncle's fruit farm.  They will both be missed.  Trenda loved her journal and said it was even her favorite color.  

James fixed lunch and did the dishes afterwards.  He gave me a sweet anniversary card.  I made him a peach cobbler.  We were just finishing our FHE from Preach My Gospel when Jared Ammon and his friend Catherine arrived.  They will be staying with us until Wednesday.