Week of April 23 - 29, 2017

Highlights:

Spiritual
 Sunday Morning for me was Stake Conference. It was the first stake conference for the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake. While our ward and Mountain Ridge Ward met in our building and there were many glitches with the broadcast from the Glendale Stake Center, the meeting portions that we heard were very spiritual, and I especially was touched by President Edwards talk on Faith in Christ Unto Repentance, and President Jackson's talk on the Prodigal Son, asking us to put our own face on each individual involved in the story.

On Sunday evening, I attended a most spiritual meeting with the Prison Branch President, the Relief Society Presidency, and most of the letter writing sisters. What spiritual power was present in that room. The experiences shared were just amazing and I have such a strong testimony of Heavenly Father's love for ALL his children and his love towards those in prison is evident.
Family

I spent a few hours on Tuesday reprinting a letter that had been destroyed in the mail to my inmate sister, and then writing her a new one.

Pack meeting on Tuesday went well and our scouts had a good time.

Dad attended his regular Wednesday evening temple session. He worked on Home Teaching Thursday and visited one family (he had appointments but had to leave town and his companion was unable to go.)

I finished my visiting teaching, as best as I could, by delivering a bunch of sunflowers to one sister on Friday.

I am in 2 Nephi 5 in my Book of Mormon reading

I have indexed 12859 records so far this year.


The Wilkins Family
On Monday, Sam enjoyed some preschool activities with Mommy...

 
So glad the stuff Kaylee didn't use/like is coming to good use. 
Dad enjoyed his brief but wonderful visit with the Wilkins family on Tuesday night. He loved talking to the kids, the piano solos, the awesome taco salad dinner, and being with these kids!! (Allison and Mike too!!)

The Ethan Rice Family
Ethan called and FaceTimed me ... wished us a Happy Anniversary, and then I got to see Wade eat some pears Daddy was feeding him. Arms and legs would go like crazy in between bites. He really enjoys eating, and Ethan couldn't feed him fast enough. Kaylee had a couple of minutes and is excited about her friend Braydon's birthday party coming up. We played two games of hide and seek before she headed to bed.


This pic was taken when Kaylee and Wade were four months old.

Kaylee went to a birthday party Saturday for her friend, Brayden.




 

 

Asia, Kaylee, Imogen, and Hudson

 The Doran Rice Family

The week started out with Parvo worries. They are medicating as well as making sure the ill pet eats and drinks. Wednesday, the pets seemed to turn the corner and were feeling better. They Facetimed us on Thursday evening and I talked to Kelsie, who was working on a career presentation for school (she wants to be a baker when she grows up) and Kooper showed me his puppies and his new green motorcycle and he even agreed to let me play with it!


The Morgan Rice Family
Busy work week, enjoyable Saturday



Kayty
Kayty had a good work week. She likes her job and finds it very interesting. However, she cannot live on the paycheck, so she contacted CVS to see if she could return there when they rehire temporaries this Summer. She learned on Friday morning that her favorite Harry Stiles has scheduled a concert here for October. She was overjoyed.


The Nathan Rice Family
Nathan and Jessica both had busy work weeks. Nathan is really enjoying the challenges at Chromalloy and Jessica is enjoying working on updating family resources as well as instructing family classes. They stayed here Wednesday night and I cared for Annalee on Thursday while Jessica worked.

Nathan hiked with Jessica's Dad on Saturday while she got homework completed and they went out for a date night on Saturday and Annalee played here.

Work
Monday's meeting was a waste of time. The company he is working with refuses to take responsibility for the bad parts they ship to Honeywell, blame Honeywell for things it has no control over nor does, and they basically attacked Dad the entire time. He is there to help them, if they need it, but this company is run by an individual that doesnt feel a need to do the best job, or even a good job. Dad has alternatives for many of the parts they produce so that other suppliers can do the job via another method. He tried to keep the parts at GSC, but to no avail.He was swamped the rest of the week, and found out Thursday that they are selling Honeywell Aerospace. Not sure what this means so Dad is working on his Vocational Teaching certificate. Nathan suggested Dad work on LinkedIn to get jobs. I didn't realize he had already done this and he hasn't gotten any leads yet. We hope to have Nate look at what he has and see if we need to do anything more. We are also planning to see Dail Meikle to see where our finances are at and what we should do.

Dad's Garden
I found the first tomatoes on Monday, April 24 when I went out to water.

While rabbits have been "enjoying" Dad's bell peppers, he spent time caging plants in and we prepared covering from the sun since 100 degrees is not far off.

Year of the House Part 2
Wade Wallin came by on Wednesday and helped Dad figure out the wonky wall. Dad put in shims that Wade brought over Saturday morning, and later that afternoon, after dad put in these additional stud pieces...

They nearly completed the drywall. (They would have, but we need to decide shower items and then Dad will plumb for that. Then, drywall.)


Other highlights
Dad's Utah Adventure

And on his return home

Happy 37th Anniversary on Monday
We were in two states, but family and friends likes and messages on Facebook made it a wonderful time for both of us. I did remember to text Dad an "I love you" at 9:28 am, as I have most years we have been apart.

Dad got the pool filters cleaned off Saturday. Winds have been crazy here and cleaning is much cheaper than replacing.

Not so highlights
Just Dad's job. We have lived in job limbo for 37 years. When the kids were little, I thought it would be easier to be in this situation when we were older. Not true. It's just as difficult with insurance and getting someone to even look at a new employee who is 60. We aren't losing sleep worrying, though. It's just a concern right now.

Week of April 16 - 22, 2017

Highlights:

Spiritual
Mom spoke in church on Easter Sunday. She also sang in the choir. The meeting was very spiritual and inspirational, and I loved the songs that the choir sang!

Dad and Mom attended the Wednesday night session at the Phoenix Temple. 

I completed reading the Book of Mormon on Thursday, April 20. I am now in 1 Nephi 4 in my next time through this great book. I am so thankful for the blessing of having the Book of Mormon to guide me, to give me peace.

I have indexed 12080 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family
Sam and Grace called and talked to me via FaceTime on Sunday. I loved talking to Sam. He was eating a Peep and talked about nursery and smiling as cute as can be. I also talked to Grace. She has the cutest new haircut! She showed me some of her candy and recited to me some of the Gettysburg Address that she is memorizing. She did a great job! I saw Josh's head briefly. They had a great day on Easter! Mike, Allison, and Adam spoke in church, the Easter Bunny came, and they had the missionaries over to share their dinner. Mike grilled chicken and they had brussels sprouts and carrot cake for their dinner.

Grace helped Dad work on the car in preparation for the boys' Father Son Campout

Mom and Grace had an awesome ladies' night home. Cafe Rio, Painting Toenails, a movie and just absolute fun. 
 

The Ethan Rice Family
Ethan, Cameo, Kaylee and Wade had a wonderful Easter. They attended church, and their dinner was lobster, mussels, ham, mashed potatoes, cabbage salad, and carrot cake.

Pics from their ward Easter Activity


 
 
 
 
 









 
 
 

 And from Easter in Georgia

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 




 
On Wednesday, this family headed to South Carolina to celebrate their 11th anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Ethan and Cameo! The rented a condo and enjoyed a brand new state for Cameo, Kaylee and Wade, the Atlantic Ocean for Cameo, Kaylee and Wade, and swimming in a pool for Wade. Kaylee loved boogie boarding in the Atlantic Ocean!




They went to an Aquarium on Saturday. Kaylee said she saw rattlesnakes! I swear those doggone snakes are everywhere!!

Kaylee sent some "sweet" pics later...

The Doran Rice Family
Doran, Amber and Family had a good week, though Friday night was rough! One of their rescues, who had all his vaccinations, was diagnosed with Parvo. This would be a tragedy for those puppies so near being old enough to find a new home. Bleach and a workforce came to help disinfect indoors and outdoors.


The Morgan Rice Family
No news from Morgan this week

Kayty
On Easter, Kayty attended church in her ward. We ate leftovers for dinner and later, she went to Cookie Night at another single adult's house. She had a good work week. She was able to answer problem phone calls on Monday while one co-worker had the day off. She handled it well when the caller blamed the next door neighbor for somehow luring a swarm of bees onto his property.She is learning much every day, and has firmly decided she will NEVER own a rental property. Saturday was sleeping and rearranging her room

The Nathan Rice Family
Nathan and Jessica and Annalee had Easter Dinner with her family after attending church in the Sun City Ward on Sunday. They really enjoyed the ward!Jessica started a college class on Monday and Nate started his internship job on Tuesday.They made it through a long week, with finding it needful to stay with Jessica's parents on days she needs to work. Annalee came and played a couple of times this week, and we enjoyed Friday night visit while Jess visited a friend with a walk and fun at home.
Nathan spent hours outside working on their vehicles Saturday. He fixed the sliding door, replaced the front passenger window in the other, and made them happy with new oil. The family also swam for a bit. Now, the Idaho folk were brave enough to get into the pool. Not the Phoenicians!

Work
Monday was very frustrating for Dad and he was ready to quit when his 14 hour day was complete. Tuesday seemed to go a bit better and he was making plans for a driving trip to Utah for next week beginning Saturday. He made it through his Thursday presentation, even with the whole "deliverable" being changed two hours before the meeting. He left by 7 am Saturday after picking up the rental car on Friday and headed to Ogden Utah. This trip has an unsure nature to it. If the supplier works with him, and lets him in the plant, he will be able to accomplish his assignment. If they only give him one hour, problems will not be solved and he will be done and heading back toward other Utah suppliers and then home.He did have a safe and enjoyable trip up. He stopped at a rock shop near Kanab, saw the Payson Utah temple, delivered some clothing to someone in Provo, and met Sharynn, Rollin and family at a Mongolian Barbeque to share dinner.

My work week included the typical Monday Wednesday Friday dusting, vacuuming, mopping, the Tuesday/Thursday bathroom scrubbing and house vacuum, laundry every day, preparing three meals every day, seed harvesting, weed pulling, yard picking up, grocery shopping, etc. I also painted a few scuffs on the door to the sewing/laundry room.

Dad's Garden
Tomatoes are great and he picked some peppers

and he picked these monster beets on Friday

Year of the House Part 2
Work in the bathroom still trudges on. When you see these remodeling shows and witness the problems they have with older homes, you understand what we encounter. Wall studs are twisted and we could not figure out for the life of us what was happening on the back wall. He could not get things plumb/straight/flat. Bondo, planing...nothing worked. He called Wade Wallin and asked for advice and he will look at it next week and tell Dad what's going on.

Other highlights
Awesome, cool morning jogs continue. So thankful!

Happy 60th Birthday, Dad!
We are going to officially celebrate with a family pizza night in May, but I did have a pineapple pie baked

Made his favorite seafood chowder

He received birthday greetings on Facebook via Allison and Ethan, Doran called later in the evening, even with their puppy troubles, and Nate and Jess brought him racks for his Weber Grills

and this

He had Chinese Lunch with his mom, swam

and enjoyed the happiness from family and friends far away on the computer. One of the only GOOD things on Facebook.

Not so highlights
Dental Work. Mine was miserable. Novocaine shot sights were many, I did feel some of the work he was doing, though I could not feel all of my ear and part of my neck. I had to determine if feeling what he was doing was worse than recovering from another shot. I found myself all tense, with hands clinging to the arm handles and my back actually arched in the chair every time there was a rinse break. It is no wonder it took till Friday for my jaw to be able to open without pain. Dad's went much better, however.

Silly gripe, but with cold weather elsewhere comes no salad from Smart and Final. I expressed sorrow and woe over my having to cut my own heads of iceberg lettuce to our favorite cashier. I pulled together my pioneer spirit and did it on Saturday. So proud of myself!