A surprise package with lots of questions

I got this package in the mail today from Amazon.  When I opened it this was the message:

I then opened the box and this was inside.  40 W bulbs  I have not a clue why I would be sent light bulbs or what this is all about.  I can hardly wait to find out.  Jamie, you have me so curious.  Neal and I both just scratched our heads.  :-)

New pictures from California

Tucker just sent me these pictures from a place in Fresno that they discovered.  This will be a place we will visit the next time we go there.

Lexi decided not to have her picture taken and when she finally did, I was proud of her.  However, in respect for her wishes, I will not post it on the blog.  

Lynda Ann's Service Projects

Neal and Jeff went golfing yesterday out in Stansbury so I went out with Neal and took Annie to lWe lunch and to pick up a couple items for me and then back to her house to help her with her projects.  She is making quilts for a refugee family.  I am so proud of how Lynda Ann always seems to be doing service projects for others (including me!).  We tied two quilts and put on a third before I had to head for home.  We did play one game of Shanghi when the boys got back from golfing.  I took these pictures because I thought it was so funny that Saint decided to lay right on the piece of material that we were putting on the quilting frames.

This is one of the quilts we were working on.

I think Annie did four quilts that day.  I helped her with two and we got the third on one before I left and she did the next two after I left.  

Family Roles

I was watching Dr. Phil the other day and saw this Family Roles chart.  I was fascinated with it.  I tried figuring out where each one of my children fit in and then thought about where I fit in.  So as you look at it, see where what role you fit in.  Are you the Golden Child/Hero or the Rebel/Scapegoat or the Lost Child or the Mascot/Clown.

Interesting, don't you think?

Mallory's Mission President and wife

We just got this picture from Mallory.  This is her Mission President.  Name is President and Sister Stone.  I may have already posted this.  But twice is better than not at all.   Mallory, you look beautiful!

This is a picture of Mallory's first companion.  I don't know her name.

Water Heater

I noticed that there was a lot of water coming out of a hose that was attached to the water heater.  There has always seem to be some water dripping but there is a difference between dripping and a steady stream.  This was a steady stream.  I put in a call to Justin, our plumber at Hillcrest Plumbing, and set up an appointment for him to come out.  He came out the next day and much to our relief we didn't have to replace the whole water heater, just the valve at the top.  Had to  post a picture of what he took off and what he put back on.  So happy for people who know how to fix things!  Justin is great and we totally trust him to do a great job for us. The top picture is the part Justin took off and the next picture is the new part going down the side.

 I'm just positive that this is blog worthy!!!!

Stitching

I've started another counted cross stitch project.  I certainly don't need them but I love stitching and I will always have a project as long as I can count, see and stitch.  Here is my new project.  I don't think I posted the one I just finished so I will get a picture of it and get it on my blog.

 Getting started.  Of course I shall post each month as I go along.

Scout Project

Neal will be in scouting until the very day he dies.  If he weren't a Mormon he would want to be buried in his scout uniform!  That is how much he loves scouting and working with the boys to encourage them to get their eagle awards.  For a long time he has wanted to have a place to store the long poles that the scouts use when the build towers, swings and other item that require lashing.  These projects are called Pioneering.  He asked Merrill if he would spend a Saturday with him and help him build some shelves behind the scout storage unit at the Wesley Ward building.  The stake president gave him permission to build what he wanted as long as it wasn't attached to the building.  Apparently there was just enough space behind the scout building to put up the rack that would house the poles.  He was so happy when they got it all done and wanted me to come over and look at it and take a picture.

Christmas Cactus

I am always amazed that this plant given to me so many years ago when we lived on Lynwood, is still blooming every single year.  There have been years when it didn't get watered as much as it should and it should have given up but every time it would come back to life when given the care it needed.  I notice this morning that it is forming blooms for this year.  Thanks once again to Gretta McPhie.  I'll never know what made her decided to give it to me years ago when we lived on Lynwood, but for whatever reason she had, I'm glad every year that she did.

Mallory's first assignment

Just got a message from Lynda Ann that Mallory has now been assigned to Illinois.  Apparently part of her mission is half of Tennessee, a little of Arkansas and a little of Illinois.  She is about 3 hours from the mission home.  Her address is 1616 North Russell Street, Apt. B, Marion, IL 62595.  This is a picture the mission president sent to Jeff and Annie.  There names are President and Sister Stone.

I also got this note from Mallory.  I was so touched.  thank you Mallory for a beautiful reminder of who you are and how much love you have to give to so many.

 I also got this in the mail from Susan.  She is so thoughtful.  Always remembers holidays and always sends a card.

Getting Organized!

My favorite kind of projects are projects that are getting things organized.  It was interesting to talk with Jamie about how fun it is to organize things.  I absolutely love it.  Everything from my kitchen cupboards to the storage areas downstairs.  I have wanted to have a place to hang all my wreaths in the storage area under the front porch.  There is plenty of wall space that is just going to waste.  This morning I finally got Neal committed to get it done.  I was so excited.  Of course it wasn't an easy project - they never are!  But after a trip or two to Home Depot I had a place to hang my wreaths.  I also took things down from the shelves and rearranged and hauled stuff off to DI.

Looks so much better and feels so much better!  I still have some more stuff that needs to be organized but I'm making progress.  If you will notice the top three shelves are devoted to suitcases and Christmas China.  I used to keep the Christmas china under the steps but felt better about having them up on shelves where the boxes couldn't be damaged in case we have any water leakage like we did last Spring.

Thanksgiving

We started out the day by getting the turkey stuffed and in the oven.  Potatoes and carrots peeled, cut up and put in pans ready to be cooked.  We then left for the bowling alley and met members of the family.  Maren, Jaden, Taylor, Brock and Boston;  Jeff and Annie, Emmi, Abby, Hayley and Andrew;  Mindy, Maddie, Ryan and Grayson; and Lyndsy, River and Desmond.  We all bowled two games and had a fun time.

 Even Saint came along.

 After bowling, Mindy headed home to host her Thanksgiving dinner, Maren headed to Cutlers to have dinner and Lyndsy was off with the kids for other activities.  Lynda Ann had to work so she headed to the hospital and Jeff and the kids came home with us for our Thanksgiving dinner.

This is the only picture I took.  We had a delicious dinner and then played a game of Shanghi before Jeff and the kids had to head back so Abby could be to work at 6:00 p.m.  We fixed a dinner for Annie that they took to the hospital on their way home.  

Surprise

Neal and I were sitting at the gate waiting for our plane to come in to take us back to Salt Lake.  We saw the plane pull up to the gate and as people came off the plane we noticed two sister missionaries walking toward us.  We stopped them and asked them where they were coming from.  They told us the MTC in Salt Lake.  We were so excited.  They were in the California, Fresno mission.  We asked them if they new Mallory and when we explained she was 6' they both knew who she was.  As we talked, more and more missionaries came off the plane so, of course, we had to take a picture or two.

And here is a picture of our missionary at the Salt Lake Airport getting ready to board the plane for Nashville, Tennessee.

We hoped may she might have a stop in Fresno but she didn't come off the plane.  We love you Mallory and are wishing hyou the happiest mission you could possibly have.

More Fresno

The girls have a board that they practice spinning on.  They are good at it and try to see who can spin the most times around without falling off.  Neal decided he wanted to give it a try (he was cautioned not to do it).  After two tries of never making it around even one time, this is how he ended up.  Tucker caught the whole thing on tape.  Here is the ending picture.  No, he didn't hurt himself.  No worries there.  Just a very dramatic fall.  A picture that I still bust up laughing every time I look at it.  Tucker's timing with his phone was perfect!!

Tucker decided he wanted to make some bread so he got out the recipe and I watched as he put the ingredients together.  Wished I could have been there to taste the end result.

This is a picture he sent me of the bread after he braided it and put it in the pans.  He needs a little help on the braiding but it actually looks pretty good.  The funny thing is that he didn't know it had to raise in the pans before putting them in the oven.  He text me that they were in the oven and I asked him if he had let them raise in the pans.  He had not!  He said they were only in the oven for about 4 minutes so he took them out quick to raise.  I never got a picture of the finished product but hope they turned out delicious!

We went to eat at a fun hamburger place as we were heading to the airport.

Goodbyes were said in the parking lot and Jamie and the girls headed back home and Tucker took Neal and I on to the airport were, of course, I cried as I gave my son a hug goodbye.  We had a safe trip back home.

I would add here that the company that Tucker worked for folded and he was let go.  So now he is looking for another job.  He had a good interview today and was told that he would be called to do a face to face interview in December.  The company has narrowed the candidates down to five and he is one of the five.

Fresno continued

Tucker, Jamie, Neal and I dropped the girls off at dancing and the four of us went to Bella Rose Bakery and Café for lunch.  It was a delicious lunch and nice to spend some time with just Tucker and Jamie.  We also saw some signs that Jamie made and she and Jordyn Lyn went late at night and stapled them on to the bill board.  She said she had tried to contact the city to get permission and got nowhere so she took matters into her own hands and made the sign and put it up.

I have more to post but I'm tired and I'm going to bed.  I shall finish it tomorrow afternoon.  I will say that we had a fabulous time and enjoyed every single moment of the time we spent with them.  Love this family!