Week of July 7 - 13, 2019

Highlights:

Spiritual

Sunday was very interesting at church. Our entire bishopric was out of town. Our Elders Quorum president was out of town. So, presiding and conducting Sacrament Meeting was our Stake President (who is a member of our ward and who came home from a reunion to check on a house remodel project and do some laundry), the high councilman responsible for our ward, and our 15 year old teacher's quorum president (he was the only one there with priesthood keys). Fast and Testimony Meeting and Sunday School were very good as well.

My ministering sisters stopped by Sunday afternoon to bring me these...

a late birthday gift.

I completed listening to General Conference for the third time and began my fourth time.

I attended the temple and performed sealing ordinances on Tuesday morning. Dad attended on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

I had scouts. Instead of the promised three boys, only two came, but we were able to complete the pioneer activities we had planned.

I continue to read the Book of Mormon daily.

I have indexed 14106 records and reviewed 30214 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

This family had a good week. Allison is getting ready to work teaching Chinese children online. She was released as the primary chorister and called to serve in the Young Women's presidency. Adam is doing well. Grace made a lovely quilt top. Josh is doing well and his head is healing nicely. Sam is a happy guy and is enjoying the family all together in the Summer. Mike is well and busy as ever.

The Ethan Rice Family

Here are some pics from Ethan and Cameo's trip. Morgan, Aimee, and Emileigh joined them for one evening fishing as well. 

They also celebrated Chick Fil A Dress Like a Cow Day

Kaylee had a great time coloring the cow spots on her shirt.

The Doran Rice Family

Doran, Amber, and family are doing well and surviving a very hot week while living in a small travel trailer.

And where do you spend a 114-degree day in Arizona? Why, at hot Lake Pleasant, of course. This family did it right.

Morgan

Happy 30th Birthday on Tuesday, Aimee!

They are surviving summer humidity.

Kayty

Kayty was blessed to have overtime at work this week. 

The Nathan Rice Family

Happy Birthday on Tuesday, Jessica! Nathan brought the girls by after work and they enjoyed a quick Olive Garden dinner. They created a fabulous birthday cake which they tried after the girls went to bed.

Annie enjoyed her dancing class and is looking forward to her recital next week. Nathan worked long days during the week, and he and Dad headed to Payson after work on Friday to see some woodworking equipment that someone was selling. 

Dad's Garden

Dad harvested honey from the hive that started on its own in our yard years ago. Bees in that one are NOT friendly and dad ended up getting stung on his chin while getting some of the honeycombs from a tire. 

Christmas In July
I completed the first third of my ornaments on Monday and started the second third. Completed that on Friday. Only one third to go. I enjoyed some Christmas Music and watched The Santa Claus. 

Other highlights

I jogged in 75-degree weather on Monday morning which is unheard of for July 8th and 73-degrees on Tuesday. However, by Friday, it was 93 when I headed out.

Nano and Sharynn went on a great adventure to Los Angeles. Thursday was full of delayed flights but they arrived at their hotel late at night. Friday, she saw her cousin Diana and had a good visit and a meal at Red Lobster. Saturday, they met up with Sharynn's birth cousin and then later went to see Nano's brother, Bob and his wife.

On Saturday Night, Dad and I attended the surprise 90th birthday celebration for his aunt Betty Rice Wetzel. We drove to Scottsdale ( as it turned out, the location was just east of Scottsdale Rd where the power lines are on Pinnacle Peak Road. This area is where Dad's dad used to take him hunting a lot for quail, rabbits and even deer. It is now all houses. It is also the location of the quartz rock hill where 2-year-old Allison, One-year-old Ethan, and newborn Doran III went and gathered rocks for our living room fireplace facade!) and enjoyed a happy circumstance to gather with rarely seen family members (rather than a funeral). I will try to share who was there and how they are related, as best as I can discern.

Doran Charles Rice (your dad's dad) was the eldest of five children. One sister died in infancy. He was called "Junior". From his lineage in attendance was Jerry and Sherry Toscano, Mike and Marina Fleetwood, and Dad and I.

Next child was Iona Rice Tyree, whom everyone called Aunt Cissy. She passed away years ago but her husband, Connie, is still alive. From that line in attendance was Timmy (Tim) Tyree who is doing well surviving after a serious bout with cancer. He used to be a bodybuilder, and, though quite thin, preaches the value of good healthy eating.  

The next child was Tom Rice, who passed away a year or so ago. In attendance was Uncle Tommy's 84-year-old wife, Ann Rice, as well as cousins Becky Rice, Tina Rice Cates, and Tommy Rice.

The youngest and surviving sister is Betty Ann Rice Wetzel. In attendance was her first son Mike Wetzel, his former wife Becky Dong Wetzel, their son Jeff Wetzel and his daughters. Her daughter Laura Lou Wetzel Haldeman Bessler (hosted the party with her daughters) was there with her husband and her children Joe Haldeman and his girlfriend, Allyssa Haldeman Ruof and her family, Amanda Rowley and her family and Andrea Ridgeway. Her youngest son, Steve, suddenly passed away years ago. His wife Nancy Birdsell Wetzell along with (as best as I can tell...they have twelve children and most are adults) Steve Wetzel Jr with his wife and kids, Christina Wetzel Valadez with her husband and almost eight children, Mark Wetzel and his girlfriend.

It was a very nice evening.