Lunch and phone shopping on Wednesday

While we were in AT&T looking at getting new phones I noticed Peyton had found a display phone that was working and stood there for most of the time playing games on the iPhone.  This is a good example of how much our little grandchildren know about the computer world that Neal and I can barely maneuver through!  I really like our 1, 2, 3 step phones and getting knew ones that do everything is going to be a real challenge for Neal and I to navigate until we have had them for a while.  Oh, we didn’t buy one that day.  We will probably get new ones when we get home.  This is a BIG step out of our comfort zone.

Sliding down the hall!

Jordyn and Gam sewing!

This is a project that Jordyn started in her achievement class.  She sat by me for a couple of hours and was able to finish it so her mom can get it framed.  Very nice job Jordyn Lyn.

Thanksgiving week in Kingsburg, California

Neal and I left Monday morning for California.  We made one stop in Primm to shop at the outlet stores.  Neal couldn’t find one thing to buy.  But I always manage to find something as I wander the store waiting for Neal to finish in Tommy Bahama. 

We arrived in Kingsburg about 9:30 p.m.  Tucker kids have a cat named Kitty.  The cat took a liking to Neal which got us all laughing.

Tuesday Neal and Tucker went golfing at the Kings River Country Club.  Tucker came home grinning from ear to ear.  He had out played his father for the first time.  I guess Tucker can now cross this off his bucket list. 

?While the men were golfing Jamie and I took the three little girls and went to her shop Trinkets and Things, then to a consignment shop called “My Sister’s Closet” and then to lunch.  We had a fun day.  I bought a few trinkets for the granddaughters for Christmas and found a few items at the consignment shop that I really liked.

Tuesday evening Jamie brought in one of the rabbits.  Below a funny picture of Jamie showing us the rabbit’s teeth.

We played pictionary with the kids and then visited with after the kids went to bed.

Early Thanksgiving

Neal and I hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner because we are leaving early in the morning to drive to California for Lexi’s baptism.  We will be having Thanksgiving in California this year.  We had a wonderful gathering at our home.  Lyndsy was even able to come for an hour just for dinner and then back to work.  There was a mix up on the dinner time and Jeff and Mindy arrived at 1:00 instead of noon, but all worked out well.  We had the traditional dinner and from what I observed everyone seemed happy and stuffed!

The traditional setting.  I didn’t even assigned places for people to sit and eat.  Everyone just found a place and sat down.

Poor Hayley was sick the whole day.  You can see her barf bucket she kept with her at all times.  Andrew had been sick the day before and he wasn’t feeling on top of the world but was at least vertical for most of the day.

 

Neal surprised me with a Christmas apron to match his Christmas shirt.  Better than a dress and shirt matching!

Andrew’s card house that he spent quite some time building. 

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

Nalen’s oldest son, Sam received his Eagle Scout award.  Nalen called Neal and asked him to speak at the court of honor.  Neal wanted to do something special for Sam so he carved a neckerchief slide.  But, there is also a story that goes along with this project.  Neal gets all his carving tools and wood together and will usually sit in our bedroom and watch TV while he carves.  He will drape a large bath towel across his lap to “supposedly” catch all the chips.  Then when he is done, he hauls the towel outside and throws the chips over the fence.  He followed that same scenario this time only he forgot to take his knives out of the towel and, yes, you know the rest of the story.  He heard the knives hit the other side of the fence.  He was able to retrieve his two knives by climbing over the fence with a huge flashlight and searching among the layers of weeds and who knows how many rodents he disturbed. 

Neal’s two knives that he accidentally threw over the fence with the wood chips.  It was a two man job to retrieve them!

A busy weekend

Jaden had his final football game.  This was for the championship.  It was a cold, snowy and rainy Saturday so Maren called and asked if I would be willing to tend Brock and Boston because they would be miserable at the game.  I was happy to have them.  Jaden came back as part of the victory team.  Neal said he played hard and tackled the quarter back on the second hike and put the kid out of the game!  Congratulations Jaden for your hard work and commitment to help your team win the championship!

Can you tell that we had just made chocolate chip cookies and Brock still had the evidence on his cute face.

Picture of Jaden – one tough, mean, lean machine! 

November Visiting Teaching delivery and message

On the back I had the visiting message about the Forget-me-not flower.  By the way, you should try this soup, it is wonderful.  Be aware that it makes a lot so you might want to cut the recipe in half.  And, it does call for all kinds of beans.  I added garbanzo beans and I wouldn’t do that again.  I just don’t like the texture of them.

As I was coming back into my little neighborhood I looked up and there saw why I LOVE where we live and am always in awe of this beautiful earth we live on.  This is a scene on a crisp winter evening.  How can we not thank our Heavenly Father every single day for the beauties of the changing seasons and the beauties of nature. Of course, Mt. Olympus will always remind me of a summer day when (with Tucker’s planning and help) I sat at the top of that majestic mountain.  Thanks, Tucker, for helping me accomplish that long time goal of mine.

Changes are part of life- some harder than others!

Last Sunday brought about more changes and challenges in the life of Neal and I.  I shall try and explain the happenings of last Sunday.

Neal received a call from a stake president in a singles stake.  He asked Neal to meet with him Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. and bring me along.  Neal was asked if he would accept a calling in a singles ward to serve as 2nd counselor in a Bishopric.  After Neal accepted the stake president turned to me and said, “Now we need to talk about you.  I have talked with your stake president and have been told that you have a very important calling in your stake as the Stake Relief Society President.  I told your stake president, President Parry, that he should release you from that calling as soon as possible.  I didn’t hear anything else he said to me because my mind was screaming “No, you can’t do that.  You can’t ask me to give up this calling.  I love this calling, etc.”  We left the office and headed home.  The moment I walked in the door, I put in a call to the stake clerk, Brother Hand, and told him that I had to get in to see President Parry today and could he fit me in somewhere – please.  He told me that there was 10 minutes at 3:00 p.m.  I told him I would be there. 

In the mean time, our day was filled with singing in a quartet in Sacrament Meeting, going to Neal’s new ward to be sustained and after to be set apart leaving us just enough time to get to the stake center.  President Parry stepped out of his office, looked at me, held out his hand and smiled and I blurted out with, “I’ve come to tell you how to run the church!”  He laughed and said, “Come in and let’s hear what you have to say.”  As we sat down I proceeded to tell him that he just couldn’t release me from my calling, not now.  That I love my calling and I loved the sisters of the stake and that I knew I could balance my calling with supporting Neal’s calling.  President Parry is such a kind and gentle man and as we talked he said, “Ever since I talked to the Stake President from the singles stake and he said I should release you, I’ve been thinking about it and I’ve drawn a blank.  I really have.”  I told him that was because it wasn’t the right time, not now.  He assured me that he would not do anything until I had a chance to see how things go and a few months down the road we would talk some more. 

I can’t possibly express how relieved I was at that moment.  I have needed this calling more than the ward presidencies and sisters of our stake have needed me.  It has been a wonderful refining experience for me and has strengthened my testimony of the gospel and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is for selfish reasons that I want to carry on.  I want to continue to grow and mature in the gospel.  I know the blessing of Heaven have been poured down on me. 

P.S.  I’m speaking today at a Ward RS Visiting Teaching Conference.  This are one of the many times of growth for me. 

Winter has come to Utah

We woke up this morning to a couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground and more falling quietly from the sky.  So now here is winter.  I love the changing seasons along with the different holidays and celebration each one brings.  Nice to have wonderful summer memories of staying outside longer in the evenings, enjoying the beautiful planters that Neal cared for so diligently, visits from family and many trips. 

God has given us an incredible planet.  One that moves through space and creates movement in our surroundings, making us beings of transition.  Even so, I sometimes find myself fighting the changing seasons.  But as each one comes (including winter) I adjust and look for the beauty and the coming adventure that each one brings.  I feel safe inside the adjustment.