Jeff Gertson Parents here for a visit.

Annie invited Neal and I out to her house for dinner and to play games with Jeff's parents.  This is something Jeff's parents look foward to every time they come.  Richard (Jeff's dad) and I have a running competition in every game to see who can win.  I usually beat him but tonight he actually beat me for the first time.  We had a delicious dinner and a very fun evening.

A fun Saturday

Emmi called me two weeks ago and asked if I would spend some time with her.  We decided on Saturday.  She came to the house about 9:00 A.M. and we went to Mimi's for breakfast.  From there we headed over to the mall and wandered around there for a hour.  Then to Talbots to see what they had and to Barns and Noble to pick up a book that I had on hold.  From there we went to an ice cream shop for a delicious dish of ice cream.  Then we hit the Sports Authority shop and then home.  It was a delightful shopping day and it was so fun to visit with Emmi.  What a delightful time we had.  We even found her a couple new tops and a skirt.  Unheard of for Emmi.  She shops her mom!!!  Not easy to find something she likes.  We had a good time.  I'm glad she still likes to hang out with her Gam.

California granddaaughters

Jamie sent me this collage of pictures of Jordyn Lyn, Lexi and Peyton.  These were taken from their dance recital over Father's Day Weekend.  Wish we could have been there.  Very sad that we had to miss it this year.  Can't believe how these girls are growing up.  What beauties!  We love you and miss you!

Lynda Ann buys a clock for Jeff for Father's Day

Annie has always loved our big clock in our front room and I think has said she wants it some day.  Since they have been remodeling their basement, Annie has been in the market for furniture and accessories. Last Saturday the Gertsons were at Ashley furniture (I was invited to join them) and they didn't buy any furniture but they did end up buying a big clock!  She didn't realize how big it was until she got it home.  But, they love it.

 I think Andrew was bored with shopping and had cuddle up on a soft chair somewhere in the store!

Annette's birthday today and missing her!

Today would be Annette's 76 birthday.  Oh my goodness.  I can't even imagine Annette at 76.  Maybe that is the nice thing about dying young is that you always remember her as young and vibrant.  Annette was vibrant.  Her life was full of adventure and her journey on this earth had many twists and turns.  Annette was one who created what she wanted and when she was committed - there was nothing that could get in her way.  I think Mother was the most surprised when she decided to go on a mission because she knew what Annette had been through.  I believe it was Annette's way of solidifying her love and commitment to the gospel.  What a great example she was and is to me.  I love her and miss her deeply.  As her birthday rolls around each year memories of our childhood, teen years and adult years come flooding back.  We even lived across the street from each other as newly weds.  Here are some of my favorite pictures of her.  And this is how I choose to remember her.  The first picture is of Annette, Lila Mae and me.  The next two are of Annette as I remember her before cancer took her from us.

And this is my favorite picture of she and I together.

Still having the opportunity to serve as the Stake Relief Society President!

I am sooo happy that I'm not being released yet!  I'm now in my sixth year of my calling as the Stake RS President and loving every moment of it.  I started out with Emily Kikkert, Lisa Dahlstrom and Linda Knight.  Then Linda was called to be the RS President of her ward so I chose Vicki Parry to be my secretary.  Then Emily Kikkert was called to be the Stake YW President so I Vicki was put in as my first counselor and Debbie Woodward was called as the new secretary.  Then Debbie was taken to be the YW President in her ward and Rebekah Oliphant was called to be the secretary.  This year (last week to be exact) President Little called me and told me that Vicki Parry was being called to be the new RS President of her ward.  We have our stake conference coming up at the end of this month and my heart sank because I thought for sure he would just release us all and put in a whole new presidency but he didn't.  He said that he wanted me to think about who I wanted to call to take her place.  I was soooo happy!!!  Just want this calling to go on forever!!  I'm thinking that I would like Lisa Dahlstrom called to be my first counselor, Rebekah called to be my second counselor and then through some inspiration, prayer and temple attendance suggest a sister in the stake to be the new secretary.  President Little made the comment that if I didn't train them so well the Bishops wouldn't keep taking them away from me!

President Little also ask me to serve on a committee to change the ward boundaries.  Of course this is to be a well kept secret until everything is decided and announced.  I'm thrilled that he called me to serve on the committee and am anxious to see how this process works.

What a joy and so many blessing having the opportunity to serve in this capacity.  I think my Father in Heaven often for this calling that I love so much.  So thankful for my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.  Grateful for a good mother who sacrificed so much for me and did all she did, made all the decisions she did to help keep me growing and active in the church.

Loved this cartoon that Jeff H. sent me.

Jeff said that this cartoon was him and Mindy when they got engaged.  Has to make every woman smile!

Annie's basement

All kinds of changes are taking place in Lynda Ann's basement.  She is finally getting her basement done and is so excited.  Here are some pictures of what is going on.  I'll post some update as Emmi send me more pictures.  Annie's dad has been with her for the past three days helping her with painting and hanging door and putting the wainscoting on the walls.  You can see where it trim goes.

Last Wednesday was a crazy evening!

I had to post this because I know in the future I won't remember exactly how the evening went and that I could actually accomplish all I did from 5:15 (the time I arrived home from work) until 9:30 when I was done and had everything delivered.

Thursday night the ward RS was having a share your recipes and food night.  I had signed up and then found out we were leaving for Scofield Thursday right after work.  I couldn't very well go back on what I had committed to and the recipes that I had submitted were Swiss Bread, Lasagna and garlic spread.  So, I got home at 5:15 and started making the bread.  I was getting ready to add the flour to the liquid when my doorbell rang and it was my visiting teachers.  I was already stressed but with a smile on my face patiently listened to the lesson and visited with them for about 45 minutes.  I could feel the stress building inside me!  When they left, I went back to the bread, got it all mixed and kneaded and in the bowl to rise.  While the bread was rising, I started making the lasagna sauce.  The sauce has to simmer for an hour so as I finished the sauce and turned it down to simmer, I punched the dough down and shaped the dough into braided loaves and put them in the pans to rise.  While they were rising and the sauce was still simmering, I made the garlic spread for the french bread.  I then put the bread in the oven to bake.  While the bread was baking I cooked the noodles and layered all the ingredients into the two 8x10 dishes.  Just as I put the lasagna into the fridge, the buzzer rang for the bread.  I pulled the bread out of the oven, buttered the tops and put them on a cloth to cool.  I gathered the lasagna, the garlic spread, the French bread and two loaves of Swiss bread and headed over to the RS President house to deliver everything for Thursday night.  I also gave Sally (RS President) a loaf of warm bread for a late evening snack.  I got home about 9:30 and cleaned up my poor disaster of a kitchen and at 10:00 headed up to bed.  What an evening!  But I did it and was proud of my accomplishments.  Never tell a woman that she can't multi-task when put to the test.  I am living proof.

I'm going to write a talk!

Neal and I had the opportunity to be invited again to Scofield with Ron and Judy.  What a delightful weekend we had.  I've already put pictures on about their cabin and golfing but there was one incident that took me so by surprised and I just had to take a picture of it and thought it might be a great subject for a future that I'm sure I shall be giving in some Sacrament Meeting as I move forward in this fabulous calling that I'm experiencing.

So Judy mentioned that she wished she had some flowers on her table.  So cute Ron went out and gathered a bunch of dandelions and put them in a vase on the table.  We all laughed about his ingenuity.  As we were getting ready to leave and head home on Sunday afternoon, Ron noticed that one of the Dandy Lions had actually kept going through it process of budding, flowering and turning to seed for someone to pick, make a wish and blow the wish to the wind.

I looked at it and thought, "what preserverance".  This Dandy Lion was not going to give up.  It was going to endure to the end, fulfill it's purpose of reseeding until it was no longer anything but a stem! What a great subject for a talk.  I think I'll have this picture printed and maybe even hang it somewhere.

Sharing a very personal and beautiful experience

Now that my blog is blocked, I feel more comfortable writing more personal things.  I've had a few experiences in the temple that I've never recorded but feel a need to get them on paper for my posterity.  First let me say that I LOVE the temple.  There is no where one can go to get more training about the gospel and about life and the plan of salvation.

Just last week I decided to leave work a little early and drive out to the Jordan River Temple and go through a session.  As I was driving out there I was thinking about my mother and how much I still missed her.  I don't think that deep need for my mother will ever go away or lesson with time.  So as I entered the temple I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if I could feel her presence in the temple."  I went to the dressing room, changed quickly, received the name for the person I was going through for and headed up the escalator.  As I reached the top a sister asked me if I was with someone or alone.  I told her I was alone and she said that if we hurried she might be able to get me in on the session that was just getting ready to start.  We hurried down the hall and just as they were closing the door, I slipped in.  I sat on a row by myself and as I sat down I felt the presence of someone by me.  I was so overwhelmed with the feeling of love and peace that tears flowed down my cheeks freely.  After a few minutes the feeling slowly slipped away and I enjoyed the rest of the session.  As I walked up to the veil the very same feeling came across me again.  I could hardly speak clearly my part.

Was it mother?  I can't say for sure, but I think so.  Was it the sister I was going through the session for?  I just don't know maybe she was there too.  I can only tell you that it was real and undeniable.  I am so thankful for these kind of experiences that give me a firm testimony that our prayers are not only answered but that there is life beyond here and that the veil is thin enough to look through if we were righteousness enough to have the spiritual eyes needed.

What a wonderful blessing I received that day!

A fun evening

Last night Neal and I met up with Midge and Jim, Sherry and Merrill and Tibby and Howard for dinner at a place call China Platter.  We had some delicious Chinese food and laughed and talked for nearly 2 hours.  We left there and went to Howard and Tibby's home to play some bridge.  We didn't get home until about 12:30 and by the time we were ready for bed it was a little after 1:00 a.m.  Short night for sure.  Neal didn't even make it to the temple this morning.  He has a long day ahead of  him even without starting off with the temple.  He had a hair cut this morning and then off to UVU to teach all day and then back to Salt Lake to teach a night class for U of P.  He won't get home until after 10:00 and I know he will be exhausted.

About 11:00 that evening I got this picture from Emmi and couldn't figure out what it was.  I had to text her and ask her what she was trying to show me.  She said the Jeep just turned over 200,000 miles!  Pretty good for the little green Jeep that I bought in 2002.  It just keep running!  It's been a great little car for Emmi to use to get back and forth from work and at BYU.  Let's hope it last a few more years.

Sunday afternoon

I was having trouble again with my blog so I called Mindy and she and Jeff came over and Mindy worked on my computer and got everything figured out and fixed.  She was on her way to the airport to fly out to Wisconsin for two days for business.  She seems to be traveling all over the place and seems to be enjoying her new promotion, pay and responsibilities.

I also got a call from Lynda Ann who said that the storm last night brought winds that were so severe that some of the shingles on their home were ripped off the roof and with the heavy rain fall they had a leaking roof this morning.  They are hoping that it will just take a small amount of money to have the shingles put back on the roof and then not worry about the inside for the time being.

It has been a relaxing Sunday with no extra meetings and no assignments to worry about.  I was able to go to my home ward for all three meetings and then come home for the rest of a relaxing and perfect temperature day.

I found a saying that I absolutely love:

"You want to come in my life, the door is open.

    You want to get out of my life, the door is open.

  Just one request.

         Don't stand in the door, you're blocking the traffic."

Now really.  How profound is that.  At 70 years of age, I'm rather liking that saying.

Oh yes, here is a picture of the BYU pot planted,  Neal has all the pots planted and arranged on the patio.  I'll have to take a picture.  Remember that it was this time last year that he planted the pots and he was so sick he hardly had the energy but he did them anyway.  He loves his flower pots!

 

Sad news yesterday when we lost Apostle L. Tom Perry

This is one of my favorite quotes of his:

"The Lord is very kind.  Even though some experiences are hard, he floods your mind with memories and gives you other opportunities.  Life doesn't end just because you have a tragedy -- there's a new mountain to climb."

I think about the turn of events in my life and that of my children's lives and I believe 100% what L. Tom Perry said.  The Lord is kind and he does give us a new mountain to climb.  We learn and we gain more knowledge as we climb and continue our journey.

I'm so in love with this gospel and my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

A Father's Day and Mother's Day present from the Gertsons!

Lynda Ann, Jeff and the kids were so excited to give us our presents for Mother's Day and Father's Day.  We love them and Neal already has one filled and the other is waiting for him to find some blue and white flowers!  Great gifts Gertsons.  Thank you!

Trying out my new golf clubs for the first time today!

As you know, Neal bought me a brand new set of golf clubs for our 25th wedding anniversary.  They were $1,000 and were marked down at Sheels for $699.00.  Rediculous amount of money to pay for a set of golf clubs but I've been using the same set that he ask me to marry him with so I think I'm due for a new set.  They are hybrids and are gorgeous.  Can you tell the wind was blowing like crazy.  I had to put my sunglasses on my head to keep my hair out of my eyes!

 I also got a picture of some gooslings with their mother and father who were guarding them very carefully!  The closer I got to the babies the more alert and ready to attack the parents got.