Week of March 20 - 26, 2017

Highlights:

Spiritual
Dad and I attended the Wednesday evening session at the Phoenix Temple.

I had a cub scout planning meeting with my co leader on Tuesday and we have the next couple of months ready to go.

I had planned to attend the baptism of one of my new cub scouts on Saturday and right after I was all ready to leave and just looked at my phone, there was a note that the baptism would be held three hours later. There had been a scheduling conflict with the building. Two stakes now share one baptismal font and this was our stake's scheduled time every month, so I am not sure what happened but it meant I couldn't attend. Kayty came out in the family room with me and watched the LDS General Conference Women's Session...first time in a long time I have not been sitting alone! So nice, and the messages were wonderful and so uplifting. I cannot wait to be able to read them on Thursday.

Kayty came to our ward on Sunday. Nice to have her with us!

I am in Alma 60 in my Book of Mormon reading.

I have indexed 9069 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family
Not much on Facebook from the Wilkins this week. I do know Josh had his last soccer game this week and the pics I saw looked like he enjoyed every minute!

The Ethan Rice Family
Cameo celebrated her Mom's birthday on Sunday last week...











On Monday, I picked up Kaylee and we had a very, very busy and exhausting day! Drawing, playing games, outdoors (though 91 degrees makes it tough outside), making tents,

 Quite a comparison...

On her last full day in Phoenix, the weather was cool and cloudy, and I finally convinced her it wasn't hot outdoors. We had a picnic and enjoyed the lovely weather

On our way to the house from Grampy Wade and Grandma Leeza's house we visited our old goat friend, who had a new little friend with him. 

 She enjoyed the puddles from our light rainstorm

We tried to comfort Lily Rey and even drew pictures of her

We made lunch and had a picnic as Kaylee had requested for her last day here. 

We fed the chickens the rest of the large snow peas, but Kaylee had some herself too. Mama hen is looking and wondering why she isn't eating peas!

I got to snuggle and giggle with Wade for a few minutes when I took Kaylee "home". 

They packed on Friday and flew home Friday afternoon.

While I will miss them a lot, I will be so very, very happy when Ethan has his beautiful wife and kids home and this family is back together. The family is the strongest unit on earth and in heaven and nothing can't be overcome with a family working and praying together.

The Doran Rice Family
Doran is loving his new job and he had a good birthday, seeing all the wonderful wishes he received on FaceBook. Dad called him on Saturday and he was cleaning up his work vehicle. He was able to travel to Flagstaff on Thursday for a job assignment: snow everywhere! Amber continues working and being crazy busy with her Pet rescue. Kelsie and Kooper are well too.

The Morgan Rice Family
No news from Morgan and Christy this week.

Kayty
Kayty started her new job on Monday. She really liked it, except for the fact that the company is so small that they do not offer health insurance. She will have to check out other options and see if she can afford to continue working there or needs to find another job with benefits.Lily Rey had surgery this week. She is no longer broken...but is now fixed. She was crazy funny staggering around that first night home and she is slowly getting back to her old self.

The Nathan Rice Family
Nathan has been working hard at the end of this semester. As you go further along your education path, more "interesting" teachers come along, and Nathan has had a couple this semester! He was very blessed to find someone who actually had taken the course from another teacher and studied with him. This help was awesome and Nathan could understand concepts and ended up scoring a perfect score on his test. He was studying late on Wednesday and actually was kicked out of the study center since it was about to close.They have been trying to find a vehicle so they have two to use when they are here in Phoenix, which has taken much study time, so Dad is prayerfully setting out this week to locate a vehicle for them.

Work
Dad's work week began with meetings, reports, contacting suppliers and engineers, yet another directive that involves a new complicated reporting spreadsheet, and trip expense filings. He had a few supplier visits, directives begun almost every day, one actually cancelled the same day it was initiated, and meetings galore.

My work week included dusting, mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing, laundry, picking peas, preparing meals, completing a product survey (I received the product late Sunday night, and photos and review were due on Monday, plus the product had to be returned. I worked like a crazy person, but got it done before I picked up Kaylee and mailed it back late Monday after Family Home Evening), tested paint for the bathroom, took out trash, hauled tables, weeded the entire pool area

 Dad will use weed poison, but never on areas where food is growing or where the grandkids might walk and play, so he spent hours and hours over the last weeks digging and digging those weeds throughout the yard that weren't poisoned. We think we have gotten all of them, and will keep vigilant to make sure we get them at the earliest sign.

Dad's Garden
Peas are still waning and I didn't pick every day. The heat of the last couple of weeks sent the message to the plants that its too hot and so we ended up cleaning out carrots, spinach, and turnips.

I washed and bagged all the carrots I could fit in the fridge drawer. Dad had to put the turnips in the mini fridge on the back porch till we find some poor soul who enjoys eating turnips besides him. He made some pretty awesome Chinese Saturday with my pickings...

Dad then dug up and prepared the old carrot bed and readied it to plant peppers.


Year of the House Part 2
Bathroom progress is slow. I tested paint colors and decided on a different stone for the countertops, but that stone is no longer available. Quarry is gone! So, we went with the original stone and Jessica's dad filed the paperwork for us to get it with his ROC#. Dad needed some advice from Wade on the walls and the curb pour. He did drill the holes deeper and it's ready for the bolts to go in.

Other highlights
I had spectacular running this week. Started the week in shorts and a t shirt and ended in sweats and a hoodie but it was wonderful.

Pretty good yard sales Saturday. I actually got out of the car to look at a couple of things. We didn't spend more than a couple of bucks but it was nice to have decent things to look at.

Not so highlights
Nothing too unbearable happened.

Notice: I am thinking about changing the publishing days of this blog. The blog week will begin on Sunday starting in April and go to the next Saturday. Often, things happen after the blog is published Sunday, and they get forgotten or are left unposted. Not that many see this, but just to let you know...

Week of March 13 - 19, 2017

Highlights:

Spiritual
I went to the Phoenix Temple on Wednesday morning to do some Initiatory Work. Dad went in the evening for his regular Wednesday evening session. The temple seemed very busy this week, especially in the baptistry area. When I was coming out, there were two young women going in the baptistry door and the parking lot was full of temple patrons, many of them youth, on Wednesday evening.

My cub scouts went well and we are enjoying the larger group of boys.

Dad had the duty of locking the church building this week. We went down every evening, near to 9 pm as we could since the fob for the doors (electronic unlock) doesn't work after 9 pm, but often the building was still in use. We checked every door and window, locked all we could, and asked those there to turn off lights and lock up after they were done.

Dad taught his regular lesson in High Priest quorum on Sunday. It was a lesson on prayer.

I substituted for the Sacrament Chorister, and then substituted in the nursery for two hours. Lots of people left town for Spring Break this next week.

I am in Alma 44 in the Book of Mormon.

I have indexed 8382 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family
Josh had 2 awesome soccer games on Saturday! He scored at least one goal in each game...and even kicked without a shoe!




I was able to FaceTime on Saturday and Sunday with the kids!!! I am so thankful because I was missing these kids SO much and I just felt so far away. This was one of those great blessings that come without your even asking. The Lord heard the prayers of my heart and now I can talk to all 10 (well, 9 ) grandkids and SEE them!!!

Adam is doing well. He had a health problem but has a final diagnosis and, though the situation is chronic, he knows what it is and what to avoid. He is preparing to audition on piano for a fine arts high school.

Grace is doing well and showed me her room, her pink walls and her new glasses, which look very beautiful!

Josh read 20 books and Mom and Dad gave him a pair of roller blades he had wanted for a long time for accomplishing this feat! He loves soccer, but when he can't kick a ball, he is off on wheels.

Sam is as sweet as ever, and I was able to talk with him and soak up those winning smiles after he woke up from his nap. He is such a sweetheart!

Mike was away at a baptism for a co-worker, and Allison is looking beautiful!

Thank you again for the ability to FaceTime!!!

The Ethan Rice Family
Ethan's work hours finally eased up, and so Cameo booked a flight home. Kaylee was here on Monday and Thursday, and we enjoyed lots of fun things, and especially talking to Ethan back and forth via messenger. She is still not sure about Daddy playing with her Doc McStuffins stuff, but decided he could, as long as he wouldn't hurt anything.
Monday and Thursday were both in the 90s here, so we stayed indoors a lot, playing outside only after 4 pm

They ate dinner out Thursday with Cameo's long time friend, Jessica

 

 
They had lunch at Villa Luna with Michelle Starrett and family Saturday morning



 And Wade came to his first Rice Pizza Night and met more of his family









The Doran Rice Family
It was Spring Break this week, and Amber and Kelsie enjoyed a day of shopping


 

 Kooper had fun too...


We celebrated Doran's birthday on Saturday at Pizza Night...

The Morgan Rice Family
Christy and I messaged back and forth this week. They have been absolutely swamped, Morgan with work and Christy with the many things she does with her girls and for the family and friends.

Kayty
Kayty applied and interviewed all week...and finally was hired on Friday. More info to come next week, since she now knows nothing about pay or benefits, and health insurance is a must.  She helped with Kaylee when my visiting teacher was here, and she spent the week getting new drivers license, getting new contact lenses, and keeping her crazy cat entertained. Spaying comes next week for Lily Rae...and not one moment too soon!

She went and saw Beauty and The Beast Friday night and loved it...
 
And colored her hair from pink to black on Sunday night. 


The Nathan Rice Family
We found out on Monday that new baby Rice is...
a girl!!

We are all so very excited!!!

They shared more of their family pic session



School and work kept them very busy. Nate is training his replacement as the Machine Shop TA, so that is taking some time. They were so blessed and prayers were answered so they were able to sublet their apartment and when they move here, they will be staying in Sun City with Jessica's grandfather. He has two big tests this coming week and he is studying for one with someone who had a better teacher for the same class so prayers are being offered in their behalf.

Work
Work for dad included meetings, new directives, corrections to new directives, phone calls, emails, supplier visits, more corrections, training, re training and untraining.

My week was filled with laundry, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing sinks, toilets, shower, hauling trash, cooking, cleaning up after, etc.


Dad's Garden
Many, many peas this week. Plus, with the heat, he pulled up most of the carrots and the turnips are basically coming out of the ground themselves. We are going to put the carrots in bags in the fridge since we lack a root cellar.

Year of the House Part 2
Dad picked up the stone we ordered for the wall pattern in the shower. He also looked at the same stone for a countertop piece.

Other highlights
Wonderful jogs this week. Weather was cool but not too cool.

Dad worked like crazy, especially on Saturday, and finally got all the weeds across this acre of land picked, dug, pulled up, blown and bagged. It nearly killed him!

St. Patrick's Day
I wore green...not Dad, not Kayty!
I cooked corned beef and made cabbage salad.

Dad went swimming this week. Still way too cold for me, but he enjoyed...

The nasty hedgehog cacti we have are not my favorite...51 weeks of the year. However, this is the week I love them...

Pizza Night
We don't have too many pizza nights any more. We have half our pizza makers living out of state and it makes for a lot of work. We did want to have one while Cameo and the kids were here, so Saturday night it was.

Here are some highlights

 

Not so highlights
 It's been doggone warm this week! Our house is feeling hot now and I refuse to turn on the a/c in March. It's just a bother, not a crisis. When I see what people in the rest of the country have to deal with when it snows, a little heat is not a big deal: a/c in car, in stores, in church...just moments of heat is all we need endure.