Week of July 9 - 15, 2017

Highlights:

Spiritual
We had a wonderful Sacrament meeting. Our Sunday School presidency spoke. Now, I will be honest, I anticipated it to be a very boring meeting. Boy did I repent!! They all gave wonderful talks about "Teaching in the Savior's Way" and each brother shared personal experiences that supported the doctrine shared. In Relief Society, we had a message on Self Reliance. I am so grateful to be part of such a loving and caring group of women of all experience levels, who shared the importance of letting your kids learn work and staying out of debt. We were singing the closing song, and the chorister, Judy Pulver, began shedding tears, and Sister Bywater got up right during the song, put her arm around Judy, and they both finished leading the song. I was asked to say the closing prayer, and expressed such gratitude for being a part of this great sisterhood.

I went to choir practice and enjoyed singing "Faith in Every Footstep", now a very missionary themed song. Afterward, my friend Wendy Berghian, who is in the Relief Society Presidency at the prison, wanted to share with me something that my Jessica asked to be shared in a talk being given in another ward about the prison ministry. Here is what Jessica wrote:


" I grew up in an inactive LDS home. My family stopped attending church when I was four years old. Though I was raised with the church's morals, I never had an understanding of who my Heavely Father and Jesus Christ truly were. My drug addiction go out of hand and I ended up in prison. Wehn I look back on my life as a whole, I can see how the Lord has continually tried to ge me to open the door for Him! Even during those times when I probably didn't deserve it, I had to hit my own personal rock bottom before I would let my hardened heart be touched.

I have read the Book of Mormon three times. I have completed the seminary study guide. I know without a doubt that it is true!! I know the way I feel each time I read it.

In the beginning of my studies, my testimony started because of Priesthood blessings. I have received several blessings that the things I was told truly came to pass? What an awesome way for our FAther in Heaven to show me that he loves me.

All of us here are so blessed to have the Lord's servants come to teach us each week. It always touches me each time I see them walking up the sidewalk with genuine smiles on their faces. They are a perfect example of how a person is supposed to serve their calling from the Lord.

Now that I have the knowledge I do, there is no turning back. I am so blessed that the Lord never gave up on me. I look forward to one day in the near future going to the temple. I am so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ! How I love my Savior! "

Jessica

Prison ministry works miracles. Heavenly Father loves ALL His children and NEVER gives up on them!!

Dad attended a temple session on Tuesday evening.

Dad visited the Barton family for home teaching on Sunday and spoke with Doug Burrow that day as well. He is in a lot of pain but is recovering from his open heart surgery

I completed reading the Book of Mormon this week and began again. I am in  1 Nephi 4.

I have indexed 21132 records so far this year. 

Family

The Wilkins Family
Poor sweet Sam ended up with an inner and an outer ear infection this week...




The Ethan Rice Family
Here are some pics of their 4th of July






 







 


Look at Wade go



 

On Wednesday, they went swimming with a friend, Katie Adair, and the Lake Dow Club

They checked out Perimeter Mall on Saturday










They are enjoying their new home and Summer in Georgia!

The Doran Rice Family
This family had a good week: rescuing dogs, working hard,

and they put together a shelf for Kelsie.

The Morgan Rice Family
Morgan and Christy are doing well. Morgan enjoys his four day work week, and spend lots of extra time fishing. Dad was able to join him on Saturday morning






Kayty
Kayty's last week at work was good, and since so many have quit, she got a little overtime in, and trained her replacement. She is looking forward to her new week, and spent Saturday doing this...


She got the tickets to the November Nial Horan concert that she wanted.

Total saves: 1 major with seizures, 2 minor

The Nathan Rice Family
Nathan and Jessica's time here is winding down. Nathan worked hard at work and is preparing presentations. Jessica had to cram two weeks of schoolwork into one, since her project partner is graduating next week. I got to play with Annalee while Mommy did homework and participated in a class meeting. They enjoyed having dinner with Grandma on Wednesday. Nathan worked on trying to get his projects done much of the day Saturday, and he and Dad enjoyed some New Asian Kitchen. He hurried home to get his Powerpoint Presentation for school about his internship complete and uploaded by Saturday night.

Dad's Garden
Peppers are struggling in the heat but are enduring.

Year of the House Part 2
Forms were put up, concrete bags purchased, and Nathan helped haul in buckets of concrete and got this thing poured.

Other highlights
Our "monsoon" is seeming to appear finally. While I do still run and come home a sweaty mess, it's because it's more humid, not because it's 99 degrees at 3:30 am.

I have been working on moving the sandpile for the last few weeks. I can fill my wheelbarrow with 13 shovel fulls and haul 5 wheelbarrow loads on most mornings after my run. I only could do four loads on Monday...just too tired...but I am making progress.

Nano is still struggling due to her medication side effects. We are at one week from stopping the meds and are just trying to patiently wait out her memory loss and confusion. She is awesome in the mornings, and I took her shopping again on Thursday, and she directed me where to drive flawlessly. Scott makes many evening visits to help her out. I have put signs over the oven controls so she doesn't get that turned on and have to call to get help turn it off. Keep her in your prayers. We may not see improvement till the end of August. Next Thursday, I will take her shopping and to get a haircut.

We had a lovely rainstorm on Saturday. Finally, our area gets the first good rainstorm. No trees were hurt, and the whole yard seemed to drink up the water!!

Not so highlights
Work is still a struggle. Mr. VP decided to take all their smart phones and issue flip phones. It seems he is under the impression that all their work is 8 to 5 at their computers. In reality, dad gets emails (and the dings that alert him) morning, noon, and night, six days a week, and he checks things out everytime. Emails and meeting notices come day and night, and he usually acts on them. Smart phones are also used on supplier visits for locating and to get checked in on flights. Dad's boss told them to place their flip phone orders, but he is holding them, hoping to help the higher ups realize that the Supplier Development Engineers need these little hand held computers to do their work, which is never ending!