Week of June 24-30, 2018

Highlights:

Spiritual

Sunday was good and we were blessed with great talks and lessons. I was able to use one of the talks for my letter to my inmate sister, Jessica. If you have never done it, as I had not, read the First Presidency Preface in the hymnbook. Choir was cancelled due to the director having septic tank troubles. Dad read and studied on Sunday.

Dad attended the temple on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. I attended Friday morning.

My cubs had pack meeting on Tuesday this week, and on Wednesday, I volunteered to help the young women sew pillows with book pockets for a school district. Dad's scouts swam Wednesday night, so he went to the temple.

I am in Ether 9 in the Book of Mormon. I continue to listen to a General Conference talk daily and am ready to begin the third time through Priesthood Session. I began reading the July Ensign magazine this week.

I have indexed 12076 records and reviewed 20723  records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins family is working hard and playing hard. They went to swim on Friday and had a great time!

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan, Cameo and the kids had a fun weekend just staying hear home.

 They saw Incredibles 2

Had a great meal!

And went to a local trampoline/bounce house location

Wadey is now wearing pull ups and going on the potty! He wants so badly to be a grown up. Kaylee and I had fun FaceTime on Friday. We even played a little hide and seek. She loves Ruger so much, and helped him feel a bit prettier this week.

Wadey also helped with Kaylees manicure...

The Doran Rice Family

This family is doing well and trying to endure the Summer heat. Doran was exhausted after working lots of overtime including Saturday, but the ended the week with a trip to Costco.

Morgan

Morgan is still enjoying his job and doing well.

Kayty

Kayty is doing well. She had a frustrating work week due to computer issues, but things were cleared up a bit by Friday. She bleached her hair Saturday in prep for our trip to LA in a couple of weeks for Harry Styles. I did find out that the Los Angeles Temple is nearby so Dad and I may get to go there.

One near save this week. 

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan and Jessica, Anna and Ellie are doing well. Ellie is trying to walk but is not giving in just yet. Nathan and Jessica both are busy with school and projects. Fishing gives them a bit of relaxation. Their garden is good and the weather is wonderful. I saw a temp up there Monday and was sure it was the same for us during Winter. Nathan has to complete a "group" project this week, though the other members of the group are too busy and he plans on completing it on his own. Frustrating. He said that he wants everyone who has every worked with him on "group" projects to be his pall bearers when he dies. (At least they will do something that helps him then!)

Dad's Garden

We pick up key limes every other day and dad squeezes them into bottles of juice. I have begun cutting up the old tomato vines and shoving them in the trash. Grapes are still hanging in there with the heat but as green as ever! I taste one every week...yuck!

Other highlights

I picked up 40 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast on Monday afternoon. I was thankful I got the order, since that morning, Zaycon Foods took down their websight. I have always had good chicken, and this was no exception. Dad cut it up, and I ground up most of it, packaged it into one pound portions, and put in the freezer. On Tuesday, I made meatballs to freeze as well. So sorry this company appears to be having problems.

Tuesday was the 28th anniversary of the 122 degree day in Phoenix. I remember...barely pregnant with Kayty...piled all the kids into our blue Ford Granada with no a/c, and drove on the freeway down to On Stage Dance Academy at 35th Ave and Dunlap for Allison's dancing lesson. We were melted by the time we arrived, and it didn't help that the a/c in the studio went out at nearly the end of her lesson. We all did survive though. It always feels like an accomplishment when we can get to this point in the year and have survived. 

Dad worked in the yard and raked and hauled a ton of mesquite beans this week. I got some of the tomato plants pulled out.

I went to Trader Joes to get dad Pumpkin seeds this week, and so I just had to walk through Hobby Lobby. Look what I found...

I had heard rumors, but wasn't quite sure. My heaven!!! My happy place!!

Not so highlights
We lost another hen this week. She just died. We have four hens left, though one may be crazy since she insists on sitting in the hot hen box on eggs that will never hatch. Crazy

Week of June 17-23, 2018

Highlights:

Spiritual

Sunday was good: an especially good Sacrament Meeting talk by Brother Grant Call on how we don't need to let our past and what may have happened define our future. He talked about his father and the great dad he came to know he is (as a teenager, he did have his struggles with his dad), and he found out later in life that his dad had not had such a great upbringing. Yet, he didn't let it define him. He chose to become a great dad and he is. Such a good message to us all. Dad's enjoyed pie after church to celebrate Father's Day.

I attended an Endowment Session at the Phoenix Temple on Tuesday morning. Dad attended a session on Thursday night and also did some initiatory work on Saturday afternoon.

My cub scout den met on Wednesday. We had all the boys there and it went well, thanks to Dad coming to monitor. Dad had scouts on Wednesday also. Sister Day and I met on Thursday and planned our den meetings through October.

I am in Mormon 2 in my Book of Mormon reading.

I have indexed 11980 records and reviewed 20,070 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family
Allison baked a special treat for Father's Day on Sunday. Sam added his own particular twist to the flatbread...

Adam was awarded merit badges and the Life Scout Boy Scout rank. The last rank before Eagle Scout. He will hold the rare position of being my only Eagle Scout grandson.

Congratulations Adam for a ton of hard work!!

The Ethan Rice Family

This past weekend, Ethan, Cameo, Kaylee Wade and Morgan christened their new paddle boat.

Wade loved the biscuits Cameo made from Father's Day Biscuits and Gravy

Kaylee caught a butterfly in her net. 

Cameo made peach pie homemade from the peaches they picked last weekend. Looks amazing!

Kaylee and I facetimed on Friday night. She taught me all about unicorns and showed me their new pedal paddle boat and the rain. Wade still is struggling with a stomach bug.

The Doran Rice Family

This family had a good week. Saturday was busy. Amber had events with her dog rescue and Doran worked on a stand for their camping grub box with Kooper's help.

Morgan

Morgan did well during their last fishing weekend.

Work is going well.

Kayty

Kayty was still coughing and stayed in bed most of the day Sunday. 

Three major saves on the same morning. Thursday did not start out well. Two major saves on Friday. This nearly killed me! She got up early Saturday morning to attend a water skiing trip with her ward and had a good time. The rest of the day was catching up on movies and sleep.

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan had a good Father's Day and prepared a wonderful Korean Stew for all. Ellie showed us her new teeth and is standing with the help of the high chair and is near ready to walk! He had a good day and was excited to finally be admitted to the Family History Sunday School class...apparently it's quite competitive to get in! Invitation only! We talked with Nathan on the phone Thursday. Fluids class is very tough, but going well and he likes the challenge. His group's product inventions are doing well, though he is tired of the wait for it to stop raining. Their garden is doing well...and so are the weeds with the constant rain, so they weeded half on Monday, half later. Anna and Ellie are doing well and Ellie is really trying to walk. Nathan says she prefers stealing Anna's bottle of milk to drinking hers, so they have resorted to placing a bottle in a conspicuous spot so Ellie takes it, thinking she is getting away with something. That girl! Lots of fun fishing and activities this week. So glad we could Marco Polo and FaceTime.

Dad's Garden

We are starting to pull out tomato plants now that they are nearly dead. Grapes are still growing, but with the heat, we are not sure how they will taste when they are finally ripe. 

Other highlights

Father's Day was good. The boys had all made contact and Dad spent time Sunday enjoying being the king of the house here: all he wanted, he got! Bed made. Lunch made. Me being quiet while he read. Computer time. He snacked on some great olive oil from Ethan and family...

He also received a soil tester that he is anxious to use!

He got help opening a new knife from Doran and family

Allison and family called Sunday night with sweet Father's Day greetings, a lovely song, and sweet Father's Day wishes. We didn't hear Ethan's call on Sunday so Dad called on Monday evening.

I learned something new this week:
"The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly."  Abraham Lincoln

Nano shopping this week included shopping for groceries at WalMart, going to the doctor for a B-12 injection, and to the bank. 

We paid someone to trim the palm tree on Thursday. Best $70 spent (and much cheaper than the emergency room fees if Dad took a tumble.)

Not so highlights
Momma hen disappeared Saturday morning and now we have a young chick under a small palm tree with no momma. We tried all day to lure, chase, coax, and even net that chick, but no way. 

Week of June 10-16, 2018

Highlights:

Spiritual

Our Sunday was great. We had two fantastic speakers in Sacrament Meeting from the Stake officers. It was the BEST High Council Sunday I have ever had.

I had a cub committee meeting after church, and then attended choir practice.

I had no cub meeting due to being out of town, and Dad's young men were involved in a joint ym/yw ice blocking activity, so he attended a session at the temple, as he did Tuesday and Thursday nights.

I reviewed 18147 records and indexed 11876 records so far this year.

I am in 3 Nephi 19  in my Book of Mormon reading.

Family

The Wilkins Family

I headed up to Vegas on Monday to help transport kids to school on Monday. Mike and Adam left for a Camp Trip on Monday to San Diego where they enjoyed the beach, touring the SS Midway and seeing other sights before returning on Thursday afternoon. I arrived Monday afternoon, unloaded, visited with Sam, and then took both Allison and Sam to pick up Grace and Josh at school. The school is new and beautiful and is located in North Las Vegas, 30 minutes away. It was awesome to be able to see them as they came out of their classrooms.

This is their garden...

First Tomato! I told them to pick it, fearing the heat would get it. 

Our routine for the next few days was pretty much the same: afterschool snack, relaxing and fun which included eating beef jerky from Papa, jumping on a sprinkler filled trampoline, making slime, and playing ipad games.

Then dinner. Then a walk around the neighborhood or to the park, some time for a game

Bedtime routine included showers, preparing for school the next day, studying the scriptures, reading a book, and tucking in. Allison would then head off to work, and I would wait till the kids were asleep and then go to sleep too. 

Mornings, Grace woke around 6 am, Josh at 6:30, and we would head to school at 7:00. I would return sometime after 8 am, keep Sam happy till Allison woke up, breakfast, and then Sam's preschool time.

Lunch while Allison did laundry...and then all over again.

Thursday was the last day of school. The kids woke up to a sweet note, half a homemade cinnamon roll from the temple, and wore their newly created Las Vegas Golden Knights Hockey Team shirts

I left after Allison got up on Thursday, right before Mike and Adam returned home. 

It was a great visit and I was so thankful they asked me to come and help!!!

Last time at this school location (one is opening closer to their home in the Fall)

The Wilkins Family Summer Bucket List finally started being checked off on Saturday with a family picnic at an epic park.

More adventures to come!!

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan, Cameo and family had a good week. On Sunday, they were invited for some fun fishing with their friends, the Adairs…

Picking blackberries

This is Kaylee's "boyfriend" (her words) Braydon, and the turtle he caught, which now resides in Kaylee's aquarium. 

Ethan was asked to apply for another position at Home Depot with a new acquisition, and his is waiting on the progress of that. They went during the week

Kaylee seems to have selected quite an interesting broom to travel on!

and purchased a paddle boat and were excited to use it on Saturday. (I was talking via Facetime to Kaylee and she wanted to use it that night...mosquitos and all!) They are doing well and Wade is increasing his knowledge of where his nose and eyes are, as well as his daredevil nature...

They also during the week picked blueberries and blackberries. Georgia seems full of wonderful summer fruit.

The Doran Rice Family

This family had a good week and came over for dinner and swimming on Saturday evening.

Kelsie's friend, Morgan, joined us. 

 We feasted on pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, Papa's French fries, salad.

 And we made ice cream sundaes for dessert.

Morgan

Morgan enjoyed fishing with the family on Sunday. He did pretty well too!

Work is going well for him and he is doing well.

Kayty

Kayty did well this week. (I had asked her to be KIND to Dad, but it seems we need to define kind.) Work was good and she read and watched movies at night. She still struggles with a lung infection. 

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan, Jessica, Anna and Ellie had a good week. Nathan and Jessica are plugging away at school. Nathan continues to work on projects with his team. This week, they were working on an axe that won't break, that included a reinforced handle. For fun, they went fishing and did pretty well. We visited via FaceTime on Saturday night. They purchased a beautiful wood inlaid table at Deseret Industries for $15 dollars. Quite a score!!! Nathan also scored an internship in Boise that will fill the seven weeks between semesters. 

Dad's Garden

The final few tomatoes are ripening on our kitchen table. Dad will enjoy a few more salads and then they are gone. Grapes are still growing. 

Other highlights

I had so many blessings on my drive home from Las Vegas: when getting gas in Kingman, I noticed a small nail in my new tire. I just said a prayer and I made it home. There was a huge cloud that gave me awesome shade for miles between and kept the forecast heat from being so hard on my car. As I drove through Wickenburg, the street was lined with American flags to celebrate Flag Day...so beautiful.

Nano shopping was Friday this week. We shopped at WalMart, went to the lab for her blood work, and picked up some prescriptions.

Friday and Saturday we humid and cool. While we received only a few drops of rain, it still made for lovely weather on Saturday, which made yard work not so much work! Dad blew leaves, mowed, weed ate, and I raked and we both created a small birm to retain some future rain runoff for the pine tree. 

Not so highlights
I forgot to get my Gracie hug before I left!