Week of October 22 - 28. 2017

Highlights:

Spiritual
We had good Sunday meetings. Dad spent Sunday evening completing his home teaching with the last two families.

I attended the Phoenix Temple Tuesday morning and performed baptism, confirmation, and initiatory ordinances. Dad and I attended on Wednesday evening and I did an endowment for one of the sisters I baptized, confirmed and did initiatory work for.

For cub scouts, we had pack meeting this week. Our last meeting, for our skit presentation, we practiced new Cheers. Well, the effort was long and arduous and both Sister Day and I went home hoarse from trying to talk over them. Well, those awesome boys! They practiced the cheer they selected all week, and when it was their turn, they did amazing!!!

I couldn't coordinate schedules, so I ended up phone visiting teaching Yvonne. I also did text visiting teaching Linda. I have yet to get ahold of my new companion, but still am working on that.

I wrote another letter to my inmate friend Jessica.

We brought dinner on Thursday to the Harvey Family. He has had a hip replacement and his wife is unable to do much for herself. Dad made some very mild Chinese for them. Our home teacher came to visit on Thursday evening.

I am in 1 Nephi 18 in the Book of Mormon. I am nearly finished reading the General Conference talks.

I have indexed over 31229 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family
Wilkins family is well and had another busy week.

The Ethan Rice Family
Wade was still feeling poor on Sunday,

 Kaylee and Daddy worked on an adorable Halloween project.

 She showed me it on Monday night as we FaceTimed. They did a lot of work!

Ethan and Kaylee have done a lot of work outside making their house look great, and Cameo has done a lot of work inside too. Lots of lights, black cats, and spiders, plus a spinning bat that Wade loves to torment his sister with when he is feeling better.
Wade seemed to turn around on Monday and start eating again.  When Wade tries food, you know he is feeling better. He was having a good time playing with Daddy on Monday night, with some coughing interrupting the fun. So thankful for prayers answered and for modern medicine.

We got an adorable video on Thursday of Kaylee deciding on her own to change Wade's diaper. It was hilarious!!

Here is our Minnie and Mickey Mouse.

The Doran Rice Family
Doran and Amber took the kids to "Touch A Truck"...literally Kooper Heaven!

Looks like they had a blast!

The family spent Friday night at Fear Farm and had a great time, too!

And went target shooting with their neighbors on Saturday morning

Morgan and Christy
Morgan and Christy had a good week and he and Dad had a good evening canal fishing on Friday. They made a delicious looking meal on Saturday night...ribs and jalapeno poppers.

Kayty
Kayty had a good week at work. We got her Belle Dress hemmed...a crazy difficult project! She got home from work quickly on Saturday night, got ready, and went to a dance.

Total saves: 1 minor

The Nathan Rice Family
Nathan and Anna called on Sunday and Monday night. Nathan made a homemade apple pie, crust and all. It was awesome, but he decided pre-prepared pie crusts are just as tasty and not as time consuming. He had a week full of tests and projects at school, and he did very well on all of them. Jessica's religion class is almost completed. Anna has been a potty training superstar this week, and by Saturday, had filled up her potty chart with stickers and got a treat. On Saturday, they went to "Boo at the Zoo" at their nearby zoo. Both girls dressed in their Snow White costumes and Jess made Anna's hair beautiful! (Ellie doesn't have enough yet.) They had some car trouble later but had gotten home safely and fixed the key chip problem.

Dad's Garden
Dad's garden is doing well, and his new seeds he started are growing well too.

Year of the House Part 2
Wade and Doran worked hard on Thursday night and got the shower pan poured...

Dad mixed, hauled and poured bags and bags of Redimix concrete while Wade did the finishing. 

That cat! Too doggone curious!

Other highlights
Worked some on my village this week. I got all the buckets, boxes and tubs in the house. Dad bought me new Styrofoam but we ran out of daylight Saturday to cut it. Maybe next week.

Very busy shopping day on Thursday with Nano. First, another blood test at the lab, then off to find a notary, going to two banks before finding one to sign her car title, then to WalMart because she needed to shop and wanted to look at the Christmas decorations, then home. We were both absolutely beat!

We went with Russ and Jody Barton on Saturday on a hike north of Lake Pleasant to see an old Chinese Dam. Very interesting, though my toe only let a little hiking go on.

Not so highlights

Toe still broken. No running but I can exercise and go on a short walk so that is good. 

Week of October 15 - 21, 2017

Highlights:

I was reading in the Book of Mormon on Friday, in Moroni 8 verse 3.Mormon's words are to his son, Moroni, saying:

"I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end."

It brought to my mind all of my family, and how each and every one of you, from the oldest to the youngest, are in my prayers, continually. I like the words 'keep you', and that is what I pray that you will be kept in the constant care of Jesus.

Spiritual
We had a very good stake conference meeting in the morning. First, I had received an email that they needed more people in the stake choir and to go to church an hour early. We did meet, and I discovered that this indeed was the only practice for the stake choir. We did our best, and I did feel the Spirit, but if it sounded good to the congregation, it was purely the result of angels! It's very hard to get used to a new director and the way he conducts in 40 minutes. Oh, well, the meeting was wonderful and we were blessed to hear from Elder Aley K. Auna from the Quorum of Seventy. We spent the rest of the day studying scriptures and received a visit from the sister missionaries.

Scouts on Wednesday was "interesting". Both Sister Day and I barely had a voice at the end...lots of reminding those six boys to sit down. And we were rehearsing our skit for pack meeting, which was actually adding new cheers to the cheer box so they weren't being lectured or anything. We figured part of the reason was that they were out of the scout meeting routine.

Dad attended a session at the temple on Wednesday evening and we both went and performed sealing ordinances on Thursday evening. It was special to be part of sealing children to parents for time and for all eternity.

I received a very touching letter from Jessie, my inmate friend. She was struggling with being away and missing things. I was grateful for inspiration, both from Jessica Rice and from heaven as I wrote to her this week.

I have indexed 30,800 records so far this year.

I completed my Book of Mormon reading this week on Saturday and have begun again. Currently on 1 Nephi 2.

Family

The Wilkins Family
Grace and Josh started at their new school on Monday. The whole family seems to be doing well.

The Ethan Rice Family
Ethan left for Phoenix Monday on a working trip. Wade took advantage of Kaylee being at school and a busy mommy and tried this...

Ethan came by on Monday night for some of Dad's awesome Chinese and a fun visit. It was so nice seeing him!

Kaylee had a great field trip on Thursday that Cameo and Wade got to enjoy too. It was a trip to
The Pumpkin Patch at Yule Forest. Cameo shared this:
"On Thursday, Kaylee’s class went on a field trip to The Pumpkin Patch at Yule Forest. It was her first time attending a field trip (and mine and Wadey’s too). We met at the farm at 8:45am. It was a cold morning (in the 40’s), so K was dressed in 4 layers. (This is why she looks like the marshmallow man). They watched a video about pumpkins, went to the bee 🐝 barn where live bees were making honey 🍯, they watched a puppet show, were educated about farm animals (and dinosaurs too), went on a hay ride, went to the petting zoo, went through a hay maze, and played in the kids zone. I think it is safe to say all of the kids had a great time. At the end everyone got a baby pumpkin and a snack to take home with them.

Kaylee also had a dental appointment that day. Wade started having some health troubles, and by Saturday, they were at Urgent Care with Wade coughing and not wanting to eat. Diagnosis: double ear infection, virus. They gave him a breathing treatment that evening and will get his meds the next day.

The Doran Rice Family
Doran, Amber and family are busy and well.

Morgan
We spoke with Morgan a couple times this week and saw him as he picked up some of his things and returned the trailer and engine hoist. He and Christy are well.

Kayty
Kayty had a great time last night at her Harry Styles Concert.

She had a good work week, though not as much overtime. She spent evenings watching Cooking Shows and dressing up in various princess attire.

The Nathan Rice Family
Nathan called on Sunday evening to talk with Dad about work stuff and hunting stuff. In class Monday, his high score on last weeks test of 87 was bumped up to a 93...highest score in the class. He almost got a deer on Tuesday. He and Jess also took the girls to feed some ducks...very hungry ducks...and I got to experience via FaceTime. Nathan spent a lot of time hunting deer this week: does through Friday and then buck season opened on Saturday. His robot team at school altered the design of their robot. They needed to get components ordered early so hopes are that everything arrives on time.

Dad's Garden
Dad keeps the garden going in the warmer weather with lots of watering. He also planted some sugar beets as a try out crop. Some of the plants started bolting (going to seed) so he purchased new cabbage plants to replace. This warm weather is confusing them.

Year of the House Part 2
Dad and I got the corner seat poured this week.

Bathroom is slowly coming along. Next is the difficult pan pour, and then Dad will be in familiar territory laying tile, building the wall, putting up a new light fixture and mirror.


Other highlights
While I was in Idaho, I received a call that there was something suspicious on my mammogram and had to be scheduled for another mammogram and ultrasound. I was taken back for a day or so with the news, but received great comfort from prayer. On Monday, I did have those tests and it was determined what they saw was gone, or was not cancer. I am so very, very grateful. It seems the past years have been full of many friends of mine going through chemo and radiation for breast cancer. I have a new perspective on how very brave these sisters have been. How thankful I am for answers to prayers and guidance in my life!

Took Nano out Thursday morning: to the lab for bloodwork, to the doctor for a B-12 shot, to the bank and to the grocery store. Good day.

My dental appointment this week went well. So, after a month, all check ups are done!!

My visiting teachers had the three sisters they visit over for lunch on Wednesday. It was a fun time to visit with people I don't normally visit with. We had yummy enchiladas and a great time.

Since my visiting teachers weren't coming to my house this month, that meant I could start the Village ... it takes a long time! Got the backdrop up...and then Elfland. The mountain I tried to recreate for the ski resort in the upper right didn't come out as I wanted, but there is next year for that.

Notice Naughty Lilly!

I also succeeded in selling some of the Dept 56 and other pieces I purchased from the neighbor. I am working hard to make the money I spent back.

Dad played music for our ward Trunk or Treat. The youth ran the event and it looked fun. I talked to a few people, got dad food, but wasn't going to sit alone, so I went home. Kayty and I ate stuff here, and I pinned a dress she needed hemmed.

Not so highlights

After my close call mammogram, nothing seemed to be a Not So Highlight. I feel very thankful.