Week of December 19-December 25, 2021

Highlights:

Spiritual

Sunday was lovely with a music-filled Christmas program in Sacrament Meeting. My final time with my primary class was great and I will teach the 8-year-olds beginning in January. The Meikles stopped by and left toffee for us and took their ornament home with them. 

Phoenix Temple remains closed for renovations. 

My daily morning foundation of General Conference talk(s), prayer, scripture study and Come Follow Me study continues each day. 

I have indexed 24,216 records and reviewed 112,312 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins family started with week with sick kids and exhausted parents. Grace and Allison were so blessed to be able to enjoy their own ward Christmas program as they attended church together. The family is doing well. Mike and Allison are busy working but had time to create wonderful memories in their new home this year. It is decorated beautifully with their regular tree, a Jesus tree that helped them study the life of Christ and His miracles, and their Wilkins Family Jesse Tree. Adam is doing well and really enjoying his job. He continues to save up for a car. Grace is full of joy and happiness with friends and family and has enjoyed all her days this season. Josh and Sam are doing much better after a bout of Bronchitis and are ready for Santa to visit.

There also were some openings at the temple for baptismal ordinances, so Mike, Grace and Josh were able to go and perform those sacred ordinances. The family also took a short trip to Boulder to see Christmas Lights. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan, Cameo and the kids had a good week. Kaylee and Wade had school through Wednesday, Cameo worked, and Ethan finished up things around the house. He is truly enjoying his new 3D printer. Their Christmas Eve was spent enjoying a live nativity with some friends. 

The Doran Rice Family

Kooper got to go fishing with Morgan and Cassie early Sunday. He had such a good time!!

Doran and Amber continue to feel just a little better day by day. We so enjoyed seeing them at our family Christmas Gift party!!

Morgan

Morgan is doing well and enjoys the jobs he gets to work. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good week working and was a great help to me around the house!!

The Nathan Rice Family

What a week for this family!! Nathan invited us to decorate Gingerbread Houses with them on Sunday night. He makes his own gingerbread and template. These houses are huge and amazing. We had such a fun time actually decorating.

 Early Wednesday morning, the girls came here and Jessica and Nathan went to the hospital. Within a few hours, Eve joined the family. The girls were totally smitten at all the pictures!!

The girls had a busy time here full of activities. They spent the night Wednesday night until Daddy came after breakfast on Thursday for them to see Grammy Lorrie. 

They enjoyed Christmas Eve with Jessica's family. Christmas Day was a rough one. Santa came and the girls briefly enjoyed their gifts and a lovely breakfast. However, miss Eve had not been urinating enough, so Papa Ron picked up the girls and Nathan, Jessica and Eve spent her first Christmas at Phoenix Childrens Hospital getting ultrasounds and IV's. We were blessed that all was well and she was able to return home Sunday. 

Dad's Garden

Christmas Eve was a very rainy one, and the garden LOVED that!!

Other highlights

Just loved all the Christmas lights this week. I ran on Christmas morning but with all the rain, most houses kept their lights off and soggy inflatables down. Still it was awesome. 

We had our get-together for gifts on December 23rd. We were so glad and amazed that Jessica and Eve could be with us, only an hour after getting out of the hospital!

Dad and I visited Nano on Christmas Eve, brought her a gift, and visited with her and Zelda. She enjoyed the visit. 

Christmas Morning

And Christmas Dinner at Grandmas

Week of December 12-December 18, 2021

Highlights:

Spiritual

It was High Council Sunday and Dad was able to speak as a representative from the Stake Sunday School in both our ward and in Stetson Valley Ward. He gave a wonderful talk. Primary went well as we learned more about the Articles of Faith. 

The Phoenix Temple remains closed for renovations. 

My daily morning foundation of General Conference talk(s), prayer, scripture study and Come Follow Me study continues each day. I started my fourth time through Conference talks this week. 

I have indexed 23,796 records and reviewed 110,980 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins family has been very busy with work and school. All are doing well. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Happy Birthday, Ethan on Monday! He had a nice dinner out thanks to his boss with the family on Monday night. 

The Doran Rice Family

Doran and Amber struggled with Covid all week. Things started improving on Friday.

Happy Birthday, Amber, on Saturday.

Morgan

Morgan stopped by on Friday to return the ladder he borrowed for work. He and Cassie are doing well and are busy working. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good week. Long days due to a big workload but that meant a little overtime each day. 

One minor save.

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan and Jessica remain on baby watch. They did their normal work and school activities. The girls got haircuts. Lots of baking going on in the evenings. They went out to dinner on Saturday while the girls came to play here. 

Dad's Garden

Garden continues to do well and the chickens are giving us three eggs each day. 

Other highlights

On my Saturday jog, I was greeted by...a bobcat! He was just sitting in the street. 

Dad volunteered in the food distribution on Saturday morning. What began as two hours turned into nearly four hours for him. 

Week of December 5-December 11, 2021

Highlights:

Spiritual

We enjoyed a wonderful Sacrament/Fast and Testimony Meeting. One sweet baby, boy number five, was blessed. There were many testimonies born of gratitude for this sweet baby, but none more touching and faith-filled than that of the new mommy's sister, who lost her little 8 year old girl right before the baby was born. What a precious testimony this aunt gave of faith and hope. 

Phoenix Temple remains closed for renovations. 

My daily morning foundation of General Conference talk(s), prayer, scripture study and Come Follow Me study continues each day. 

I have indexed 22,873 records and reviewed 109,416 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins Family continues working, going to school and keeping up with this busy time of year. We were blessed to be able to hear and see Grace sing in her Madrigal Choir concert. It was beautiful!! 

 All are well and very busy. We so enjoy Grace sharing a pic or two during the week. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan and family worked on starting the big decorating. 

Kaylee got up and got her makeup on all by herself to dress as a reindeer for school this week. 

Cameo is feeling better and better and all are enjoying this busy time of year. 

The Doran Rice Family

Doran and Amber both have Covid. Yep, two more Rices down. Only Morgan is left not to have gotten sick. They are doing well and the kids are just fine. 

Morgan

Morgan is doing well and got to do some fishing Friday. He is working for a light hanging company and came and borrowed the ladder to help him get the work done. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good work week this week and spent Saturday baking sugar cookies. 

The Nathan Rice Family

It was a busy week for this family too. School, work, and we are all on baby Eve watch. The girls came by Thursday to play for a little while. 

Dad's Garden

We are getting three eggs each day. I have eaten spinach, radishes and Dad gets a ton of snow peas every day. He planted more tomatoes and all are doing well. We had a bit of rain for the first time in a long while and the ground was very happy. 

Other highlights

Dad is enjoying what small amount of time he has in his new position. He still has many inspections to do but that needs to transition over soon. He did get his religious exemption accepted, but he will have to get tested weekly starting in January, and those tests right now cost nearly $150 so he is looking for another job and applies daily. 

Christmas lights are spectacular and I enjoy seeing them as I run each day. My favorite Nativity Scene was put up this week.

Got together a few Winter activities for the three girls when I watch them for three days when Eve comes. 

I started baking cookies for our cookie/Cocoa party. I am just baking three or four dozen each time and saving the dough for later. 

I finally got to visit the Target Dollar Spot after weeks and weeks. Still a few Christmas items left. 

On Saturday I had time and a vehicle so I went and put up Nano's small Christmas tree and nativity scene in her room. She didn't talk much and I am sure she didn't know who I was but she seemed very happy it was in her room. 

Week of November 28-December 4, 2021

Highlights:

Spiritual

Dad was able to attend church on Sunday. We had a good day and he helped teach my small Primary class. 

Phoenix Temple is closed for renovations. 

My daily morning foundation of General Conference talk(s), prayer, scripture study and Come Follow Me study continues each day. 

I have indexed 22,350 records and reviewed 107,570 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

Happy Birthday Josh on Wednesday. 

They got an instant pot and now are so enjoying this new "sorcery". Grace and Josh were invited to attend a mission prep class. Grace also won a prize for her seminary mission and got a Target gift card and a spike ball game. School was a winning experience for her too. She did an escape room experience and won some yummy treats. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan and Cameo and the kids stopped by Sunday night for sushi and a visit. They spent Monday breakfasting with Grampy Wally and swimming. Tuesday, Cameo did some work in Phoenix then they headed to the airport and returned home, arriving after midnight. School and work started the next day and they had a busy week. 

Happy Birthday, Wade on Wednesday. 

Cameo ended up struggling the week with pneumonia, but managed to get through work and also prepare for Wade's party on Satuday. Ethan was a super help, baking and decorating Wade's Spiderman Cake. 

The Doran Rice Family

Doran, Amber, Kelsie and Kooper had a very busy week with work, school, ortho appointments and all the things families do. They are doing well. 

Morgan

Morgan had a good busy week. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good work week that included a few hours of overtime. 

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan, Jessica and the girls had a good week. They spent some time swimming with Kaylee and Wade in their heated pool where they were staying. It was a busy week with work, decorating for Christmas, and preparing for Eve. 

On Saturday, while they completed painting the two bedrooms, the girls came and played here. 

Dad's Garden

We are eating spinach, snow peas, lettuce and other greens. Our chickens have finally begun giving us eggs!! Citrus are ripening finally. 

Other highlights

I love my daily jogs with more and more Christmas lights every day. Even though I ended up with a cold this week, it did not stop me from jogging and getting out in the fresh air.

Dad returned to work and feels stronger and stronger daily. Those days of no eating really had an effect but he is back to normal and is doing great. He has planted more tomatoes, cleaned up the old key limes, and cleaned the pool filters also this week.