Week of July 21 - 27, 2014

Monday - Today was a day of many many blessings! Though I was texted from an outside family member at 3:48 AM, I was blessed to get some exercises AND a great run in...and it felt cooler than an oven outside! Kaylee was a little cross on arrival, but didn't take long to get into the swing of things and we had fun in both her little and the big pool. Dee took my jeep down to get an emissions test without the expensive repairs...and it passed!!! HUGE blessing! I received a call that angels are caring for my daughter and her family in Las Vegas...and have generously eased the financial burden they were facing. Since they wanted to be anonymous, I have expressed prayerful gratitude for kind and loving people, whether an "aunt" by blood...or by love. I was blessed to get some of my Tuesday work done on Monday night, and we were blessed with a wonderful letter from a wonderful grandson in the mail. Awesome day!

Tuesday - I jogged and exercised, got the sunflowers with seeds cut off

and in the garage to dry, and I pulled up the rest. No more watering, since the next two weeks are scorchingly hot. Pool was brushed and after Kaylee got here, we had a brief swim. My visiting teachers came for a great visit. Dee was busy at suppliers most of the day. After work, we realized he had pack meeting, so he left for Rio Vista Park and fishing...in molten heat. I cleaned, took a quick trip to Dollar Tree, and came home. The evening ended with a swim and bed.

Wednesday - I slept in a bit and exercised this morning. It was 95 degrees when I woke up, so I was glad I didn't plan on running. The day was typical, though Kaylee just didn't seem right. Nathan's job interviews went so well that both jobs wanted to hire him. He decided to take the closer, more long term job rather than the one that was more interesting to him. I learned Jessica has been feeling very poorly, and Nate's headaches have not let up. So sad. I just keep praying. It ended up being 114 degrees today...and it felt like every single degree. No outside work done.

Thursday - I tried to hike this morning...92 degrees at 4:45 am, but Thunderbird Park hadn't opened yet, and I had to get Dee and Kayty up, plus brush the pool, so I went back home and exercised. When brushing the pool, I broke the brush. Kaylee kept me very busy the whole day.And by the time Ethan came, Phoenix had recorded 116 degrees outside.  After Ethan and Kaylee headed home, we went to WalMart for bait and Winco for salad...I did get most of Jessica's stocking done - almost all the sequins are on.

Friday - It felt much cooler...only 90...when I went running. I again enjoyed the lower temple lights on. Such a treasure to run by a temple that will be operating soon. Kaylee didn't ask to swim today, so we spent the day indoors. We finally watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas".  Dee had a good mid-year review from his boss. Kaylee kept me hopping...I think we played with every single toy available to her in the playroom. Dee, Ethan and Doran met Scott, Jenny and a friend at Lake Pleasant to fish. Cam and Kaylee went home, Kayty headed to a Bachelorette Party, and I finished Jessica's stocking!

The guys didn't contact us, but since I knew there were two boats, I wasn't worried, so I headed to bed. The fishing was very good...and they got a good haul!

Maybe lightening???

Saturday - We headed out to a few yard sales...NBJ (Nothing But Junk!)...worked around the house, headed out for groceries, cleaned and had some ward friends for dinner - Dee's grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and salad...Dee had to study for a lesson he had to give the High Priest's Quorum on Sunday. I fell asleep...and slept through a massive wind and rain storm! We didn't suffer much damage...only lots of junk in the pool and lots of raking to do on Monday.

Sunday - It was gorgeous outside when I got up!!! I am glad we take Sunday as a day of rest and don't work...but this would have been a tempting morning! Church was great, as always...and we learned that when they dedicate the Phoenix Temple, we will be sent to another church building so they can use ours for staging the open house. We will attend the building near Dorrie's house, and attend at 1 pm rather than 9 am. Glad it's not further to drive. This building a mile away from us has me spoiled.

We ate lunch and headed to Doran and Ambers to return some stuff he left here.

I held a Kooper...

...and played Barbies with Kelsie.

I even snuggled Kooper to sleep (please pay no attention to the quiet child with eyes wide open.)

 Kelsie took some pictures of her own...

We returned home, ate, visited with Nate and Allison on the phone, and I set up my sewing room for ornament production.

Please do not ask how one gets the laundry done, the vacuum out, or into the garage. It is way to complicated to even explain, but I can have 15 or more ornaments going, and next week will be a busy one. 

Just a thought...for those of you who read this...many of our family members are going through struggles and after thought, Dad and I are going to fast on our next Fast Sunday for our family, that each one facing a challenge may be guided and directed to the solutions to those challenges. If you would like to participate, or even just to remember in your prayers, you are welcome to do so. 

Week of July 14-20, 2014

Monday - One purifying day, since I spent it sweating…a lot. I woke early, ran 3 miles, raked needles and bean pods, and used my new wheelbarrow for my needles.

 Our compost should be full of nitrogen next season! I woke up Dee and started my house work: bathroom, vacuuming…which worked up quite a sweat! I did work all day getting a visiting teaching appointment with one of my sisters…the next day at 4 pm and my companion could go as well! Score! Dinner was Hot and Sour Soup and some fried Korean things that Nate left in the freezer.

 After dinner, I sweated some more as I raked and bagged mesquite beans, and then worked on getting the outside stuff off the downed palm tree so Dee will be able to saw it apart. I learned how to from Youtube, but it's harder than it looks, especially when the tree is down. After 3 wheelbarrows full, I went inside to cool off, drink water, sweat some more, and watch Master Chef and 24…not sure if that was a good ending or not, since I didn't catch on to the series until a few weeks ago. Clean up, bathe, and bedtime followed.

Tuesday - Dee didn't sleep well last night, so thus I didn't sleep well. I finally got up at 3:15 and headed out the door on my run at 4 am. It's nice to run in those early hours right before dawn. After coming in the house, changing shoes, I headed out to brush the pool and get some mesquite beans raked and bagged up. Early wake up calls for both Dad and Kayty, since they had to be on the road early. I dusted and vacuumed, and headed to Michael's. I wanted paint for my ornaments, which they did not have. What they did have, however, was golds and browns, and purples and greens and pumpkins. Yes, Fall had arrived at Michael's and I was happy as a clam!
I ended up getting only four paints, plus some stocking gifts, both there and at Target next door. I headed home, started Grammy Bags for Kayty to take to the kids, but didn't get into much, since I had a visiting teaching appointment that afternoon. I got a call postponing the appointment, and so we worked in the yard - Dee fixed the drip system leaks and I pruned and raked and bagged mesquite beans. Dee talked with Grace and Allison for an update in the evening, while I recovered on the couch. After declaring that I smelled like a wet yak, we headed out to the pool, and then laundered Kayty's stuff from her last Vegas trip so I could re pack it after it dried. Sharynn called late, asking about Nate and Jess and the flooding rain in Pocatello, but since we hadn't heard, and I don't hover, we knew nothing. I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I crashed.

Wednesday - I kept hitting the snooze on my cell phone alarm, so I decided to exercise and do some yard work. I got my exercised half done, finished loading Kayty's suitcase from the dryer, raked some beans in the back yard and woke Dee and Kayty up. The morning was filled with cleaning and vacuuming, and reading Allison's blog. I headed out to my visiting teaching appointment late, but my companion and I had a good visit, and I headed to Fry's to get some groceries. While there, I got a treasured Joshy call, and ended up getting to talk to Adam and to Allison. It is hard as a mom to not want to just run and make things better, but I know that the Lord knows what's the right thing for these families my children are each part of, individually, and I must stand back and wait till directed. I do know that each child of mine is truly in the Lord's tender loving care. I pray with all my heart every morning and night, for my kids, for their jobs, for their health, for strength and protection for my school attending grandkids, for growth experiences. I truly know the Lord is watching over them, and loves each one of them even more than I do.

We were blessed with wedding pictures from Jessica, texts that they didn't have any storming, a call from Morgan, and a visit from the missionaries serving in our ward, showing more of Family Search to us. We watched Duck Dynasty and ended our day.

Thursday - I ran and was totally surprised to run by the temple and see lights on. It wasn't the upper temple lights, but it looked absolutely gorgeous, and the fountains were operating!

After running, I brushed the pool, watered the sunflower seeds (sunflowers are now just ugly sagging things full of seeds. At city of Phoenix rates, the seeds I get will end up costing over $100, though they would cost about $5 at the Dollar Tree). I raked more mesquite beans and swept up the lower courtyard. It should look good...for a few hours. Morning was filled with dusting, vacuuming and cleaning, interrupted with watching and listening to reports of a Malaysian Passenger Plane with 295 people on board shot down by Russian loyalists in Ukraine. So sad. Christmas in July has been a little inactive this week, though I did want to start ornaments. My remaining paint has been shipped, so maybe my next week off will start that. I did get much of Jessica's stocking embroidered. Now, I start the heel and toe crosshatch stitching. Dinner was salad and venison and we worked in the yard, a lot on trying to get anything done with that doggone palm tree. I was DEAD in the evening and could barely see when I finally went to bed. 

Friday - I had to get people up for work today, so I decided to hike. What a surprise to find the upper temple lights on! I guess they are working the neighbors into the idea that the temple is almost complete.

 I had a great hike...less humid and more cool (the temp gauge in my car said 77 degrees when I pulled into the driveway. I started up Dee's computer, ran outside to water the sunflower seeds and let the chickens out, and noticed that, yes...the lower courtyard was full of mesquite beans! ugh! I raked and swept a bit, ran indoors to make Dee's breakfast and get to work. Dee got out the door, Kayty woke up, finished getting ready and left, and I cleaned and vacuumed some more. We have had a Check Engine light on for quite awhile, and it is now emissions testing time, so we have to discover what is wrong. Vacuum problems.

 Dee is concocting a device to make smoke to locate leaks in the vacuum system.

I am laughing...or rather snickering...a lot.

Saturday - We had to leave early, so I just jogged to the temple, hoping lights would be on. They weren't but it was still great. The weather was cloudy and I could see rain off in the distance.

Nothing for us, as usual.

I brushed the pool, watered the sunflowers, and let the chickens out, got ready and Dee up...and we headed out to the Gilbert Temple to attend a sealing. We had been invited by a young lady and her husband who used to attend Dee's dances. That temple is HUGE inside. The waiting room for the sealing attendance is huge. The sealing room itself was huge. It was nice to just sit and take it all in for awhile, rather than rushing through like during the open house.

We traveled home, I cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed....and turned on Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Music. So inspiring!!!! I worked on Jessica's Christmas stocking and made a lot of progress!

Dee worked on his contraption (I snickered some more.) We shopped for groceries, and after dinner, we put the contraption to work.

Now, in his defense, the contraption DID work. After a small explosion, a new stove since the old burner was harmed in said explosion, we did get smoke into the system and find a leak...where it's most expensive to have a leak and we have to have someone else repair. So, instead of buying the cheap 30 dollar fix, we spent fourteen bucks to learn we need to spend over three hundred. Sixteen dollar savings. Oh, well, I am really glad these things happen now that it's not financially devastating to us...just a bit of an adjustment.

We enjoyed pics from Kayty in Vegas. Wishing we were there, but happy they are having fun.

Sunday - I tried to sleep nearer the fan...and slept little, though we woke up late, but made it to church. Sacrament Meeting was awesome as always and nursery was short and sweet. We lunched, I got more pics of my Arizona grandson and combined it with one of my Vegas grandsons...

 sat around, Dee scanned pics to upload to Family Search, ate fish and salad for dinner.

We did find out Morgan and friends had a falling out, and his friend Latricia hasn't seen him for three days.

Kind of concerned...

Here is the summary of my week...

Pruned and raked...

but still more beans!

I pruned this one...the one I thought had so few mesquite beans. I learned that big tree means many beans, but they are just spread out, kind of like when I used to spread the canned peas out on my dinner plate so they didn't look like as many to eat. 

My growing pile: 5 wheelbarrows full of palm tree stuff, four feed bags full of mesquite beans plus two hampers full, many mesquite branches as well as some mulberry and orange tree trimmings...

Pathway I pruned to above pile through stickery desert trees. 

Pouty sunflowers. I am still not sure they are worth ALL the water they get...

Nathan cut down the palm tree and Dee got it into more pieces which are way too heavy to get out to the pile. Ethan's gonna help when he gets Kaylee one night next week. 

My efforts at palm tree shaving...this is the good side...

This is the not so good side...

More mesquite beans in the lower courtyard. I promise this was empty, or nearly so, a few days ago.

And the tree is full of more...ugh!

brushed pool...beautiful!

 And Jessica's stocking...

Week of July 7 - July 13, 2014

Monday - The day began with a very muggy 3 mile run. I was grateful for the clouds. Kaylee came and we had a good day. We celebrated Christmas in July by watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".

Kayty was off and took her in the pool after her nap. Our friend helped complete our slide and delivered it. I took the first trip down.

After dinner and a trip to Lowe's for more paint for my chairs, I made sugar cookie dough, hoping to make some cookies for Christmas in July…on Wednesday, National Sugar Cookie Day.

Tuesday - I took a shorter jog…2 miles…and then exercised for a half hour before brushing the pool, cleaning the house, and Kaylee's arrival. Nano made an unexpected visit, so Kaylee and I spent the morning indoors. We watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, got a wonderful call from Joshy and family (I just LOVE it when Joshy calls me! I may not understand all he says, but it makes me feel loved and not so far away!) and after her nap, she swam with Kayty and Grammy went down the new slide 8 times trying to lure her to try it. Nothing doing! It took Daddy coming and putting her on the slide, and she went down over and over without a thought.

Kaylee shows Kayty how to sweep the floor. 

Kayty is NOT a good student!

I spent the evening baking star shaped sugar cookies to prepare for my Christmas in July activity tomorrow: icing sugar cookies.

 I was so tired after I finally got everything cleaned up that I just went to bed.

Wednesday - Dee had a rough night, and ended up in the recliner in the family room, which meant I couldn't get out to run or hike, so I ended up trying to sleep. Waking every 15 minutes is NOT sleeping, so I didn't get rest. National Sugar Cookie Day, and Jessica's birthday, were great, though it didn't work out the way I thought it would. Kaylee is not comfortable in new situations, and so this yellow icing thing, though tasty, was just too much after the first cookie, and she was done.

It was all good, though, and she took 9, or rather 6 cookies home (she made Mommy try a couple when she came to get her.)

We tried Charlie Brown Christmas, but she wasn't that interested, so we will attempt tomorrow. I did receive a call, and that spot on my back that hasn't changed in years and years, but IS dark and irregular shaped and colored, needs to be removed to make sure it doesn't' turn into melanoma. Appointment was scheduled for July 31st.

After a taco dinner, and Kaylee heading out with Mommy, we were Skype called by nephew Braydonn and were able to hear where he will serve his two year LDS church mission: Mexico Villahermosa Mission, right at the southern-most part of Mexico.

 We were so thankful to participate with our Utah family. After a quick trip to the Dollar Tree for unnecessary junk, and a brief stop by the Phoenix Temple to see another lighting test, we spent the rest of the evening readying for rest.

Thursday - It was humid, but humid makes a morning much more tolerable! I jogged and raked some pine needles, got the house clean and worked on Grace's baptism gift until Kaylee arrived. We swam, which was nice to do in the warm water, and with the deck still being cool. The day was filled with 18 month old play, a nap, and a sometimes cross little girl. Not sure what's wrong…but something isn't right. She perked up when Ethan came to get her! Dad painted more of my birthday chairs, and the evening was spent just recovering from the day.

Friday - The day began with a run, and a quick jump in the pool when I got back. Cameo took Kaylee to visit the doctor, so I worked on Grace's baptism gift (completed part of it) and Jessica's stocking. Kaylee finally arrived after noon, and the rest of the day was spent trying to get a urinalysis sample. Yep, you guessed it. Epic Fail! I tell you, I don't know whose idea it was to tape a bag on a toddler, in her diaper, and expect her to cooperate. I wouldn't have cooperated with that thing! We tried her potty too...nothing doing. She rested later, and was glad Mommy had come to pick her up. We headed to Costco, but Dee was bugged by the store not carrying the book "America" by D'nesh DeSousa, so I just hurried to get my necessities: water, salad, and some more alcohol (not the drinking kind) and peroxide. Nate gave us a phone call and told us of his week. He continues to look for work and work on the vehicles there. It was so nice to talk to him.  We watched the encore presentations of Master Chef and 24 because we missed them the other night (though the 24 episode was the one on the week prior, not the one we missed! Heck, we hardly watch any tv anyway, and when the wrong thing is on: waste of wasted time. Dee chatted with Gracie later, and heard of all the doings of the Wilkins family. I tried to encourage Dee to get to bed earlier, since we had to be up early for Saturday stuff...but he couldn't get to sleep till almost 2 am.

Saturday - I got up at 4:30 am, thinking I would exercise, when I realized we had to LEAVE by 5:30 am and I had a pool to brush, flowers to water, a tree to pull a hose to, and chickens to take care of, so no exercising for me. I got Dee up and going, and we headed out to the National Memorial Cemetery. Two young brothers in our ward are working on their Eagle Scout projects, so we went out and spent a little over an hour sweeping gravestones. I tell you, it was humbling to just read the names, and branch of military and the wars fought. I was so glad we spent some time there! On our way out, I looked and saw a vehicle with the back hatch open. Next to it, under a tree, sat a sweet elderly lady in a folding chair, right by a grave. She had bent over to get something off of the marker, and had flowers placed there. I thought of how sweet it was for her to come there to be able to spend time near someone she obviously loved very dearly. There were and continue to be many sacrifices for our freedom and way of life in America. I was so much more grateful. We yard saled, Dee napped while I cleaned, did laundry, and got my 2014 Christmas ornaments under way. We headed out to D.I. to leave a donation, and went to Smart and Final, Dee ate his favorite Chinese, Harbor Freight (blech) and home.  It was pretty hot, so the afternoon was more of a siesta time. Dee worked on my chairs when the clouds came out, and we actually took a swim...longer than a few minutes! (I have been waiting for these biopsy spots to be healing...and I finally could swim!) Evening was spent with Kayty spending the night at a friend's house, and we watched a movie on television, cleaned, and got ready for Sunday.

Sunday - I was awakened with a text from someone at church; the step-mother of those two eagle project boys from yesterday, asking if I could substitute in the nursery for her. She must have had too much sun the day before. I gladly said I would, and after another wonderful Sacrament Meeting at church, I spent the next two hours in the nursery. I was absolutely and totally wiped out afterwards, since we had one of the nine children in there that cried the entire time. Dee and I hung around church because we were attending the next ward's Sacrament Meeting to hear Brian Godwin, one of Nate's childhood friends, report after returning from his two year mission in Poland. Nate and him just missed each other by a couple of days. It was a very interesting and informative talk. I learned so much of Poland and the challenges Brian met and the difficulties life has brought for many many years to the Polish people. All the time, I could remember back to the time Nate and Brian and another young man in our ward went out trick or treating, all dressed as the Three Musketeers. Now they are all grown up! We arrived home, ate, and had a wonderful visit from Ethan, Cameo and Kaylee. The evening was spent just reading, etc.

Christmas in July this week covered two movies, sugar cookies, getting my ornaments ready to paint (I only have to buy a few more colors of paint), and working on Jessica's stocking, which I made a lot of progress on.