Week of April 13 - 19, 2015

Highlights:

Spiritual: Dad went to two sessions at the temple this week. He really likes spending Wednesday and Thursday evenings there.

I finished reading all the General Conference talks this week and was so thankful I could read them right away. I am prayerfully deciding the ones I need to reprint and reread for the next six months.

I completed more indexing and did more than 50 names.

Family:
 Allison, Mike, Adam, Grace, Josh and Sam are well and we are so excited to go see them this week!!! It has been so long!

Ethan, Cameo and Kaylee - on Monday, Dad and Nate were welcomed on one of Ethan's few nights off to come and do some reloading. Cameo is doing new job tasks and is enjoying the chance to learn new things! Ethan worked at the pizza place and had some good evenings! Kaylee had a great week at Grammy's and loved her weekend with Mommy and Daddy.

Doran, Amber, Kelsie and Kooper are doing well and Amber is feeling better every day. Her ankle looks pretty rugged, she says, but Doran's ankle brace really helps her. Kelsie is doing great and is a happy little lady, and Kooper is busy getting into interesting things!

Morgan is fine and enjoyed having the canoe at Kyle's apartment for the week.

Kayty was very busy at work. She was bugged to find out that her car, "Ellie", was taking an extra week to repair, but she is having fun with "Ruby" for now. She

Nathan, Jessica and Annalee May - Yes, her name is going to be Annalee May Rice. Nate was over working on his truck, working on Dad's truck, getting brass polished for reloading, and being a great help!!!We are so thankful for Jessica sharing her sweet husband with us. She was busy working and giving her parents a bit of a break for a  few days.

Work:

Kaylee and I had a busy week. It was "Flower and Bee" week and we had a great time doing lots of things.

It was a windy week, but we had a good time in what she refers to as our "sand tent".


Dad's Truck: Nate was such an awesome help this week. I don't know what we would have done if they hadn't decided to temporarily relocate. Nate was over nearly every day helping Dad put things on...take them off...locate things that were misplaced, and get the engine out...and in...and out...      . He  sanded the underside of the whole body so Dad could get it primed and painted. He also mowed the lawn for Dad so he could get more work done. And, the most amazing thing...

We have a vehicle in the garage!!! Thank you to Keith, Jacob and Wilken Gibson for the pushing assist!

Dad's Garden: Dad was up early Tuesday morning and, after his bike ride, he planted melons. Kaylee counted six baby cabbages that are still growing.We worked on Saturday to get the tomatoes off the playground sidewalk and bird netting on top.

Other highlights:
We had an early birthday celebration for Dad. I made his favorite cake and cupcakes..

 We had great meatloaf dinner and a fun birthday party for Dad...

Not so highlights:

My allergies were crazy still at the beginning of the week but got better. I avoided weeding but will have to get on it next week, possibly with a mask on.

Kayty was bugged  that her car repair was slow, making her have to pay for another week of car rent, but it was still cheaper than the deductible would have been.

Dad and Nate had to reset the truck engine twice, due to things not fitting properly, and they may have to do it one more time, since there is a concern that the oil pan with hit the axle.

The house next door is progressing, and I think we are in a peaceful mode and that the wall they are building will not exceed 3 feet in height. The remodel has been beautiful for that house, but there are some inconsistencies that make us wonder if it really is a house...or a place of worship. It won't bug us, but there are people out here that will be fiery mad!

Week of April 6 - 12, 2015

Highlights:

Spiritual: It was a busy week, but I was blessed to be able to attend two early morning sessions at the temple this week. I was going to go another time, but my allergies from weeding were making my nose and sinuses crazy, so I stayed home. Dad was so busy with preparing and teaching cub scouts, and working on his truck, that he just couldn't make the sessions in the evening on time.

There had been a mixup with my visiting teaching route, and one of our sisters had been assigned to another person...two months ago! She had been getting double visits! Anyway, our route was reduced to one visit sister and one letter only sister, so that was a blessed relief this month. We had a great visit, and after we find out about our new bishop status, I will write to the other sister.

I started the Doctrine and Covenants, and when the General Conference talks became available, I began reading them. They are marvelous as usual.

I indexed over 100 names this week.

Family:  This week: youngest to oldest!

Nathan and Jessica: They completed their temporary relocation this week...AND...they found out that their little baby (I refer to as Tater Tot) is a girl! Both Jess and baby are doing well, and they are adjusting moving from cold to heat, and from a one bedroom apartment to a "studio" situation at Jessica's house. Nate was able to give Dad a TON of help on the truck and the garage this week, too.

Kayty: Car accident was a set back, but our insurance refers to us as gold members, so no deductible needed to be met. However, if Dad and I are ever in a collision, she agreed to pay half our deductible. She had three days off work and used them to recover from a cold and watch television and read.

Morgan:  We didn't see Morgan and didn't hear from him until late Saturday night, when he and his friend Kyle wanted to use the canoe. I was nearly asleep, but Dad got up and got them all fixed up.

Doran, Amber, Kelsie and Kooper: Doing well. They had a dog event on Saturday.

Ethan, Cameo, Kaylee: Busy, busy, busy!

Allison, Mike, Adam, Grace, Josh and Sam: They look well. We saw pics of sweet Sam and Jessica said he is the happiest baby she has ever seen!

Mom- week off was full of work, as usual. I did run a couple of times, but stayed home from any activity after the allergy act-up. I managed to get part of the front yard weeded, though.

Weeds are a menace.

I picked up a few kids books, some building blocks, and a few pink receiving blankets at yard sales. Dad got some cool huge seashells...

Dad worked on the garden, trying to work some more plants in the garden. He also taught a bunch of Wolf Cub Scouts about tools and woodworking and they made bookends on our back porch. He and Nathan got the engine installed on the truck frame, wire wheeled rust of bolts, did some grit blasting and painting, and sought lots of advice on how to put this truck back together.

Lily thought I was pretty sketchy...even after some ham and an oatmeal cookie!

Work: Dad worked hard this week, starting with a full day and then late Monday meetings and dinner. He met his newest edition of the new boss. He attended many meetings, both at home and at the Deer Valley plant. He spent hours on the phone with a supplier in Michigan.


Dad's Truck: With help from Ethan last week, and Nathan this week, the engine fits and is installed in the truck...AND...
for the first time EVER, we have a vehicle (well, the frame anyway) that fits in our garage!!! (Thank you, Morgan, for the initial clean up, Nathan for the final cleaning, and Dad for the courage to toss!)

Dad's Garden: Our plants are full of green tomatoes...and with the warmer weather will come many red tomatoes. It's time to pull up the dead pea vines but he hasn't had time, and my nose will not permit! Grapevines are full of leaves and young grapes. We will need to thin.

Other highlights:

We headed to Cabellas one evening and used some of our Cabela's points to get a 10 x 10 pop up awning...free! We are using it over the sandbox to replace our cut down tree's shade, but it will sure be nice on camping trips, when cars need to be repaired, etc.

Not so highlights:

Thursday was quite a day! After my regular exercises and brushing the pool, I went out in the front yard to weed. The house next door had many workers there, including some who were right near me measuring. Thus began a few days of discussions over easements and fence heights. We are not sure the fence height (we want it 36 inches, they want to wall us in), but we are sure they are building in the dedicated easement, which we have tried to explain is not permitted. Hopefully, the City of Phoenix can talk to them before footings are poured and walls are put up. Then,  we received a rather upset phone call from Kayty. She has rear-ended someone on the way to work. We hurried to the scene, and were grateful that no one was hurt, and that the lawyer she hit had minimal to no damage on his car. Her car would run, so Dad drove it home, and after she contacted the insurance company, and he duct taped the bumper and hood, she was able to go to work. "Ellie" is now in the shop and she is renting "Ruby" until it's fixed.

Week of March 30 - April 5, 2015

Highlights

Spiritual
Dad attended the temple twice, doing work for family members. He also spent time Monday evening at Kathy Hayes' house and she showed him how and where to do research. After he left, Kathy and her husband even found some names and information for him. We were also blessed again this month to see a man that he home teaches that doesn't let visitors come. When we see him at a yard sale, he and Dee have a great visit, talking about gardens and fishing.

I couldn't get to the temple with the later nights, exhaustion, and the temple closing for General Conference, but I did get names indexed. I am now over 1400 names this year. I completed the April Ensign magazine, read the talks from the Women's Broadcast, and am ready for the Conference talks.

We have been so blessed to be able to see General Conference. Yard sales didn't interfere and we were able to see sessions on Saturday and Sunday, even with computer challenges. Dad went to Priesthood session at church, and was the only one there until right before it began. And then the Sunday sessions were superb! It was such a spiritual morning, listening to our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, speak to us. I felt joy for the people in Haiti, the Ivory Coast, and Thailand for the new temples to be built there. I know the temple here has absolutely been one of the greatest blessings in my life. And the talk by Jeffrey R. Holland touched my heart as I thought of the Savior Jesus Christ and what He does for us. I feel spiritually filled and cannot wait to begin reading the text of the talks this Wednesday or Thursday.

Family
Allison, Mike and family enjoyed the kids Spring Break! And...Mike got the car power steering repaired! Hooray for Mike. Note: watch out for Allison. She is pretty strong from driving and might cause damage if she slugged you! They had a great Easter celebration, complete with new swimming suits! I loved Sam's green one!!

Ethan and Cam worked LOTS last week. Late nights. Regular early mornings. Ethan had a project for his boss on Saturday morning. They went to the Easter Pageant at the Temple in Mesa, and poor Ethan fell asleep on the cool grass. They had a great Easter at their house and with the family.

Amber had a rugged week, starting with tons of pain, her gall bladder removed, and a longer than predicted recovery. Kelsie is good. Kooper is apparently enjoying his independence and already having differences of opinion with his Daddy. They looked so cute in their matching Easter outfits.

Morgan stopped by a couple of times. Once, he helped Dad get some truck parts in the attic to keep safe and mow the lawn...and I did three HUGE loads of laundry for him. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but on a Kaylee week...Well, I just dried and bagged the stuff up for him. It was great to have him at our Easter celebration this year.

Kayty had a good week at work and spent some time after Priesthood Session of General Conference at her bishop's house. He is being released next week, so it was kind of a going away party.

Nathan and Jessica sold the truck and got all ready for their big move to Phoenix. Jessica is nearly finished with the semester at school. Hooray!

We enjoyed a really nice family Easter dinner and egg hunt after Conference was over. We headed to Dorrie's, had a great meal, great weather, and a pretty good Easter Egg Hunt.

Work
Dad had a pretty good week at work. He has been trying and trying to bring people on these teams back to basic tools used in Six Sigma to discern problems. He has had some success, but often, as soon as something shows up as being possible, the engineers on the teams dive in to solve, when they don't have ALL data about all aspects. He went to many meetings at the Deer Valley plant, as well as participated in many at home. He found out that Honeywell wants us to use all our vacation time as it is allotted. Thus, one fourth of our time should be used by March 31! Nice to tell us on the final day! We can still use it...we just can't save it up till December.

Kaylee had a good week. Poor Cameo had to work a TON! Ethan picked up Kaylee on Monday, and Cameo worked till 11:40 pm, and the nights Ethan worked at the pizza delivery, Kaylee stayed later than usual.

I kept her busy with some indoor activities, since it was pretty hot outdoors during the day.

Evenings were wonderful, so outside we would go!


She did well all week...but by Friday, she was ready to go home with Momma!

Dad's Truck - Lots of grit blasting, painting, storing, and work. He got the engine put together and taken off the frame, with help from Ethan, got the frame painted, got the gauge panel all fixed up, and slowly got more and more done. He needs to let the paint harden, and then put the engine back on, and have it towed to get the exhaust set up. 

Dad's Garden -
The spring tomatoes are full of little green tomatoes, growing each and every day. I spent my week gathering snow pea seeds while Kaylee played right beside me. Dad picked more cabbage and we tried to juice some kale...not too successful. He also pulled lots of carrots and garlic. He planted cucumbers, peppers, and his spaghetti squash is doing well.

I used those eggs I cooled in the pool for deviled Easter eggs, and his cabbage and made the Easter cabbage salad.

Other highlights -

My car achieved 140,000 miles of driving Friday morning!

I received a letter from Gracie! She even drew a cute cartoon! So happy!!! We are trying to get to see you all. I have a date in mind, but I have to check with Allison first.

I woke up and pulled my tired body out of bed Saturday morning to see the Lunar Eclipse. It was so worth it! I didn't take pics or anything, but it was amazing.

I got Kayty's income tax papers done. It took FOREVER...and a few threats...to get her forms from work, but it is done and mailed.

Not so highlights

Warm days + not so cool nights + a stubborn lady who won't turn on the A/C in March made for some pretty warm and tough to sleep nights. I don't know why but the nights I NEED sleep when I watch Kaylee are exactly the ones I can't stay asleep at night. Ugh!

Open windows and dusty wind will make for a yucky dusting day on Monday!

Dad and Kayty are both struggling with colds. I am trying to stay away from both of them.

Really, either there wasn't much disappointing that happened, or I already forgot it. Isn't that the way it always is...don't dwell on the disappointments and they sometimes disappear.