Week of January 28, 2024 to February 3, 2024

Spiritual

We had stake speakers today in Sacrament Meeting. We also had a primary girl give the opening prayer in Sacrament Meeting. We have had youth before but this is the first primary child. We attended teacher training during primary time. It is a bit difficult to apply most things with our young class and our child with special needs. I did listen the whole time.

Dee was able to attend the temple on Thursday evening. 

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

I have indexed 2983 records and reviewed 634 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

Grace had her wisdom teeth removed on Thursday. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan and Cameo are on the mend and the kids are at their best and preparing for sports coming up. Wade will play LaCrosse again this year and Kaylee will play softball. They are very excited!! 

The Doran Rice Family

Sickness is still a struggle this week, especially with Kooper. Hope he can finally get over this bug. All are busy and trying to stay healthy. 

Morgan

No news from Morgan this week. Must be very busy with work. 

Kayty

Kaytys employer recognized her five year anniversary this week. She was surprised at work with this certificate as well as an electric grill for a gift. She had a pretty good week. 

Happy Birthday, Kayty on Saturday. 

The Nathan Rice Family

This family is doing well. Still searching for a permanent property but there are some promising options. Jessica enjoyed a girls night out on Friday night. 

Dad's Garden

The monster radishes have been pulled up and the chickens totally enjoyed the feast of the radish tops. Our tomatoes are struggling now. We have to replace a few with purchased plants in a couple of weeks. Dad cleaned out the frozen basil and is readying to plant new. 

 

Other highlights

Week of January 21 - January 27, 2024

Spiritual

We had a good Sunday. Two young sisters spoke as they are ready to begin their church missions tomorrow. One will serve in West Virginia and one in North Carolina. Primary went pretty well and we had a rainy quiet Sunday. 

We were able to attend the temple this week. I attended an endowment session on Tuesday morning and Dad attended a session on Thursday evening. 

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

I have indexed 1489 records and reviewed 264 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins Family had a very very busy Sunday and a busy week. 

The Ethan Rice Family

This family is struggling with a virus. Fevers have hit everyone. They are just trying to get better and take it easy. 

The Doran Rice Family

Doran, Amber, Keslie and Kooper are recovering from a week of a cold. Doran taught dad how to make pickled ginger. He and Kooper are planning on elk hunting and are trying to figure out what Kooper will hunt with. 

Morgan

Morgan and Cassie are both very busy working. They are doing well. 

Kayty

Kayty had a very busy work week. She also did three or four Poshmark shows and did pretty well. 

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan and Dad plan to hunt deer in Arkansas later in the year. His job is going well and other opportunities might be on the horizon. Annie texted me this week. Ellie was sick on Wednesday so they couldn't go to gymnastics and she was a bit disappointed. The sisters are enjoying playing together. Restaurant is the newest game. I facetimed with the girls Saturday night as they helped Daddy make a fancy cheesecake for Sunday. They shared their new seeds planted for their garden. Nathan talked about property they are hoping to purchase. Annie and Emma showed me some of their gymnastics. All are well. 

Dad's Garden

Dad harvested lots of snow and snap peas, carrots, turnips and radishes. Tomatoes are doing their best. We hope they enjoy the warmer weather this week.

 

Other highlights

Rain this week was a joy! Cooler temps but not too cold. And moist ground. Hopefully the carrots will go crazy with the rain like they have in the past. 

I had to run to Moms to pay for her quarterly health evaluation. An independent medical person evaluates her needs and the level of care she needs. Her hospice nurse contacted me on Thursday. She visits mom weekly. She said that mom's situation is deteriorating. It is expected the nurse said with the dementia and alzheimers. She sleeps more and sometimes misses a meal. She is calm and seems happy and they are all so very kind to her at this place. 

Dad and I hiked Deem Hills on Saturday afternoon. It's nice to hike in cooler weather!!

Memories...

As I took the backdrop down and rehung pictures in the living room, I hung the Young Women and Eagle Scout embroideries Mom made for each of the kids. What a treasured work! and now that she has absolutely no recollection of doing it, it makes each and every stitch so impressive and valueable. 

Week of January 14, 2024 - January 20, 2024

Spiritual

Sunday was good. We enjoyed hearing from a few youth in the ward as well as listening to Joy Black share as she prepares to leave and serve a full time mission in Salt Lake City. Primary was a bit less crazy and we are figuring things out. 

Dee was able to attend the temple this week on Thursday evening.  

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

I have indexed 511 records and reviewed 235 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins Family is doing well. Mike continues to enjoy his job and is working very hard. Allison is continuing her school work nearing completion of her masters' degree. She spent Monday getting another fingerprint clearance. Adam is very busy at the theater and likes his work. Grace is super busy with school and church and friends. Joshua is well and enjoyed his first dance. Sam had a great birthday! He is really into watching a chef that specializes in cooking meat, so he got a cookbook by that chef. Mike took him to watch a butcher cut meat and then brought home some samples to cook. Sam did all his favorite things for his birthday and had a great day! 

The Ethan Rice Family

Lots of sickness with the kids this week. Strep hasn't stopped getting to them. Kaylee got better faster, but it dragged on for Wade. There was no school Monday (MLK day) and Tuesday (cold weather) so they had some time to recover. 

The Doran Rice Family

Doran and Amber and the kids also struggled with sickness. They shared a wonderful homemade chicken noodle soup that hit the spot. 

Morgan

Morgan is busy working and doing well. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good week at work. Always good when it is only four days long. She got her tiger nails done, preparing for her birthday trip to the zoo. 

One minor low

The Nathan Rice Family

Happy Birthday, Nathan on Sunday! He had a great day and a wonderful homemade birthday cake.

They had a good but very cold week! Snow! 

And a great tent was built to keep the girls happy!

 

Dad's Garden

Weather finally blessed us and dad was able to work the garden and get his tomatoes planted. We are still harvesting radishes and cabbage. 

 

Other highlights

I powered through on Monday and Tuesday and got the village taken down. I was exhausted! Saturday, we took the backdrop down and got everything put away till late October. 

I visited Nano and paid her monthly bill. She is doing well and has adjusted to her new home and seems to really like it. 

Week of January 7, 2024 - January 13, 2024

Spiritual

We had a good Sunday. First time in many years we met at noon. Primary went pretty well, though it was a bit crazy with new kids from nursery, one special needs little girl that needed an adult wrestling her the whole time, plus they called a new teacher to serve with me. Survived!

Dee was able to attend the temple this week on Thursday.  

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

I have indexed 417 records and reviewed 183 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

Happy Birthday, Sam on Saturday. No news this busy week. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Happy Birthday, Cameo on Sunday. 

The Doran Rice Family

Happy Birthday, Kooper on Saturday.  

Busy week back to school and work. 

Morgan

Morgan and Cassie are doing well working for a hauling company that hauls cinders to Phoenix and returns gravel to Flagstaff. He starts and maintains trucks and she cleans them. Pay is good and they have a save place to park. They visited on Saturday and opened their Christmas gifts. 

Kayty

Kayty took a day off work on Monday and headed to the car dealership for maintenance and an oil change. Work was good the rest of the week. 

The Nathan Rice Family

Nathan shared his birthday gift he purchased with us on Friday. His tree stand will be even more awesome with this!

Dad's Garden

Snow peas are coming. We are doing our best to keep the tomatoes ready to be planted happy plus keep anything sensitive alive in the garden. 

 

Other highlights

It was such a cold week for us! Since we are trying to figure out the wheres and whens of replacing the air conditioner, we survived the week without the heater. Thank goodness for lots of firewood, especially all the wood Nathan split and gave us before they moved. We went through two wheelbarrows of cut wood every single day. 

Week of January 1 - January 6, 2024

Spiritual

We enjoyed a wonderful Sunday Meeting, the final one of 2023, with three youth speakers and a returning Sister Missionary. It was also the final Sunday with my little primary class and it ends up the wonderful sister I teach with is being moved to the nursery. So sad. She was the best partner I have ever had. I won't find out about the new partner till next Sunday.Our primary had a Meet The Teacher Brunch so I got to get together with my new class: some from last year and some new from the nursery.

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

I have indexed 104 records and reviewed 104 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

No news from the Wilkins this week. Back to school and work for everyone. 

The Ethan Rice Family

This was the second and final week of winter break for Kaylee and Wade. They spent time doing fun things at home and enjoying their pets. 

The Doran Rice Family

Good work week for Doran and Amber. Kelsie interviewed for a new job. Kooper came over on Friday and had a good day. 

Morgan

Morgan is doing well. Lots of work hours and lots to do. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good week back to work.

The Nathan Rice Family

I talked to Annie for a bit this week via text. The family is doing well and enjoying their Christmas gifts. 

Dad's Garden

Dad harvested radishes, carrots, oregano, basil and a few snow peas that the birds didnt get. 

 

Other highlights

New Year's Day was back to regular duties. Christmas was all put away and I did my typical chores. We had eaten some homemade guacamole on Sunday and there were leftovers for my Monday salad. 

My blog book was actually printed in this country for a reasonable price this year! I just tried it out and it worked! It was a smaller-sized one, since there weren't many things to photograph, but still it got done. Much better than last year's $200 dutch model. 

Dad and Kayty attended the Flagg Mineral Show in Mesa today. They had a fun time and saw lots of reasonable specimens. 

Memories...

Thoughts about New Year's Day from my childhood. I never really liked New Year's Day. It was the day we took down all the Christmas decorations. We would eat ham for dinner and I hated ham!! Dad was not a sports guy but on New Years, football games would always be on tv. 

December 31, 2023

2023

Ending far better than it began. 

Lots happened. Good things. Hard things. Always always relying on my Savior Jesus Christ.

Thankful for the many many good things. 

Thankful for the support in all the hard things. 

Indexing final tally: 16430

Review final tally:    23,773

Now on to 2024.

        

Week of December 24 - December 30, 2023

Spiritual

Sunday was our Christmas Eve program at church. Primary sang two songs and the choir (I was in) sang three songs. Very nice program!!

Dad was able to attend the temple this week late Thursday evening. 

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

I have indexed 16,317 records and reviewed 23,736 records so far this year.

Family

The Wilkins Family

The Wilkins had a great Christmas and we enjoyed watching them open stockings on Marco Polo. 

The Ethan Rice Family

Ethan and Cameo got a new Christmas Tree at a great discount and the kids enjoyed decorating it. 

On Christmas Eve, they went to church with some friends. Christmas Eve church is the best!!

We spoke with them via Facetime on Sunday night as they decorated a gingerbread train and a gingerbread house. They also Facetimed on Christmas Morning and we watched them open gifts and they watched us. 

Happy Birthday, Kaylee on Tuesday. She had a great day, a wonderful birthday party and a sleepover with a couple of friends. 

The Doran Rice Family

Doran, Amber and family spent last Saturday evening viewing the lights at the Mesa Arizona temple. 

Morgan

Morgan was sick this week and stayed in bed. 

Kayty

Kayty had a good work week and got off early on Friday. 

1 major low on Christmas morning. 

The Nathan Rice Family

We Facetimed with Nathan, Jessica, and their family on Sunday as they opened their stocking gifts. Also, we chatted with Nathan on Christmas Day as they were on their way to a park to play while dinner finished. Work is going well and he is doing great. I received the most darling Christmas Card and a gift from the family. That family artwork is framable. 

Dad's Garden

Garden is doing well. Lots of radishes, chard, romaine and collards are being harvested. We also got our first snow peas this week. 

 

Other highlights

Best Christmas Gift??? Talking to every single one of our precious six children on Christmas Day. There was nothing anywhere better than that!!!

I was walking out to my hut on Tuesday, and i saw a snakey face staring at my right by the door. After very loud and unheard screaming, I went and got dad. He removed the nasty thing...nearly five feet long and obviously full of at least two small rodents. I am surprised the screams were not heard by all of you! It returned again on Friday! 

I have discussed it with dad and if that thing returns yet again, he will be soon meeting Satan!

By Friday, I had all the Christmas decorations down and put away. Love everything up. Love everything put away.