Clean-up Service

We are so grateful to John for the time and effort he has put in to clean our yards, trim shrubs, mow grass, and dig tree wells around the citrus trees. It really, really is appreciated and makes such a huge difference in the appearance of the place. What a tremendous service. Thank you, son. Everything looks so good!

What a Change

That's Jacob's car sitting out there in that white haze. Brrr! It had turned cold while Jacob and Quentin were up her but this is really cold. It snowed like crazy yesterday. Me and the girls have been sick and we'd decided to go to the walk-in clinic yesterday evening after Jodie got off work. She was able to get off after 10 hours instead of the usual 12 so we headed out for Pinetop at a decent hour but was concerned about the snowfall. Mike was more concerned, he was driving!

In the end, it seems SJ got more of the white stuff than SL area received. We got a prettty good covering. I hope my peach trees - that had been in full blossom, darn I should have gotten a picture, they were so pretty - made it through the storm and will still deliver up some juicy peaches later this year.

Help Clearing Out

Hooray! Jacob and Quentin made a trip up from the valley. Quentin isn't able to do much but it's still good to visit with him and see the progress he's made with his leg. Okay, there's not been much progress just yet but it's still good to see him!

Jacob is on a quest to round up items he can offer up for sale at a community yard sale his subdivision is hosting. They are doing all the promotion and advertising - Jacob is wanting to take advantage of the traffic. (smart feller) It's working out quite handily for me. I've had help going through tons and tons of boxes and bags downstairs and getting a bunch of stuff hauled out of the house.

The foosball table went out already. Sadly, it probably won't even be missed (except for the space). I don't think anyone's played foosball since Millie's kids were out here and that's been a long, long time ago.

Jacob wants to pull together some cash so he can travel to Indiana this summer and attend the wedding of a good friend. The gal getting married is the sister to Jacob's long time pal and cohort, Rodney. I've been telling him he needs to work extra hard at raising twice the needed amount so Maria can make the trip with him!

Anyway, it sure has worked out to my advantage. We've gotten lots cleared out around here. :-)

Free Fallin'

Tom Petty doesn't have anything on Jodie these days.

And Im free, free fallin
Yeah Im free, free fallin

Jodie was riding a free fallin' elevator, uh-huh.

She has been working as an elevator operator for Zachary out at the power plant. Yesterday, the cable for the elevator snapped and she was free fallin' for a good distance. At about 77 foot elevation the platform caused the elevator to slow for a bit, enough for the emergency brake to engage. Jodie said, "I was just about to pull the emergency brake."

If that elevator emergency brake hadn't engaged when the elevator slowed at the 77' elevation, I'm not sure how, when, or why Jodie would have thought there'd be enough time for her to respond and then the elevator slow and stop. It just wouldn't have happened.

I am so grateful for small wonders - for those little interventions that help us make it through the day safely.

A Friend Departs

Our long-time friend Larry Trollope has passed away. His daughter Tammy called a couple days ago to update us and let us know her dad was on hospice care at home and wasn't expected to live much longer. Larry and Betty have been friends, although there has always been miles and miles between us, for ever and ever. Larry and Mike worked together in the valley before Mike transferred up here in 1977. When time permitted, we would go to Larry and Betty's place in the valley ... bordering a dairy farm no less. Larry had decided to be a tree farmer. Seriously. Oh my gosh it was always so much fun to spend time with the two of them!

Larry and Betty adored our kids. They were Grandpa Larry and Grandma Betty to the kids when they were young. Jodie loved to make pies with Grandma Betty!

A few years ago Larry suffered a stroke. During his recupe time, Larry ended up having to retire from his job with SRP. The recovery was just too long to keep his position. He busied himself by being creative - welding and making garden art. Betty has cared for him during all this time. Mike & I have visited with them by phone, occassionally visiting at their home. Mike went down for Larry's 60th birthday bash a while back. Betty had thrown a surprise party for him and invited tons of friends. Mike had a great time.

When our friends moved to Apache Junction we visited out there. Larry was so please with the work he had done on the place. They liked living out there. We enjoyed visiting. After Tammy's call the other day, I told Mike spring break was coming up and I wanted to go down and visit Larry and Betty. He wouldn't be able to make the trip because of his work schedule. I wasn't able to go sooner because of TJei's preschool schedule.

I'd contemplated contacting Jacob to see if he could pick up a fruit basket and make a visit to their home but talked myself out of asking him because he is already doing so much to help Quentin.

Now, the call from Vicky, another daughter, to let us know our friend has died. His pains and struggles have ended. I hope his family can find peace in celebrating his life.

This Girl Makes Me Laugh

I've been trying to get TJei to hurry along this morning. Mike is working days, Jodie is working, I have a meeting with the bishop and Kirsten (thank you gal!) is going to keep the girls for me and bring them to church with her this morning. While TJei was in the bathroom, I made oatmeal and set Mia up with a bowl to get started. TJei came out and I tried to hurry her over to her bowl.

"What are we eating for breakfast?"

"Oatmeal."

"Oatmeal? I thought you said we were having turkey legs?"

"Huh? Turkey legs? Where'd that come from? We're having oatmeal."

"Oh."

Ouch!

Quentin went to the doctor today to check on the progress of his knee. It looks so yucky but the surgeon indicated it was doing real well. Just three more weeks and he'll be able to start bending it somewhat.

Messed My Techo-Aura

I've really messed my techo-aura somehow. Burned my bridges or something. It all started when I left the card reader for my camera in the valley. That was a miserable 10 days or so. Just knowing there were cute pix on my camera that I couldn't get to for downloading was like having a serious itch right in the middle of the back with no way to scratch it. ugh

Then, my cell phone went on the blink. I was talking on the phone when it suddenly quit letting my words pass through its adorable little cranberry-colored case. My "people" dropped from the face of the earth just as quickly as Verizon's publicity campaigns placed them at my shoulders. They are nowhere to be found when something goes amiss ... even the vendor, face-to-face instead of glances over the shoulder, couldn't make my phone do what it should be doing. I can hear fine on the phone - incoming sounds are getting through. It's the outgoing sounds that aren't making it and if you are tempted in the least to comment on how sweet that sounds, be forwarned I have not retrieved any humor from the humor jar in a very long time. It's not funny. :)

As if those two circumstances weren't enough to test my sanity, while merrily dragging files to my computer yesterday to do a promo project for the Fine Arts Assoc., my computer started really dragging then balked when I wanted to do something else. Huh? Not enough space on the disk? Surely this thing has gotten its drives mixed or something. A quick check of properties on the C drive reveals that yes, the drive is maxed! Oh my heck. 75 Gig and its maxed out. ugh

Does My Face Look Hideous?

Seriously, those were her words when TJei was told to get out of the bathroom. Does my face look hideous? LOL She had been playing with make-up and baby powder in the bathroom. Even funnier - I asked her, "Hideous? Where did you learn that word?" She replied, "Britenee and Kalee." :-)

Mia was a bit hideous too after trying to eat mascara. Oh these gals!

Have a Happy!

Way too cool, Zena turns twenty-two!

LOL Well, it's been a while since twenty-two but you're still as spunky as you were then. :-) Hope you have a good one.

A Lousy Day!

What a contrast to my earlier post, eh? My heart is breaking right now. Quentin called earlier - he had an accident and seriously injured his knee/leg. He was on the way to the hospital as we talked.

A bit ago he called again. It was apparent he was in a lot of pain. They had gotten the x-ray results. He broke his knee cap in two and dislocated it. They were admitting him to the hospital and he'll have surgery tomorrow.

Along with the pain and anguish of his injury ... Quentin was scheduled to start a new job tomorrow. A job with the same company Mike and John are working for. He was so looking forward to this new job - so were we.

I am so grateful for Kelly. She called to let me know she'll watch the girls if I want to come down to be with him tomorrow. Oh, she'll have her hands full. I love and appreciate her so much!

A Whole Week!

Ack, withdrawals. It's been a quiet week but an anxious week, too. I left the card reader for my camera in QC last weekend. I miss it. Bunches. It's odd to realize just how tied-up (no pun intended) one can be to a little length of cable. It's been an interesting week, too.

Yesterday, I visited with friends that I didn't even know still lived in town! It has been years and years since I'd seen them. They metioned that the last time they saw Jodie she was in high school. Jodie is looking forward to her 10 year reunion in a couple months! John will likely remember Sandy & John Ayotte (Garnette Knoll's mom) but the younger boys may not remember her. They were pretty young back in the day. Back when Jodie was little, Sandy kept Jodie while we went on a trip to California - Disneyland and we took Garnette on the trip with us. We have some cute pictures somewhere of John and Garnette playing together and riding amusement rides. It's been a long time. It was good to visit again. :-)

This morning I received a phone call from my sister, Nancy. She had a three-way call going - another sister, Kim was on the phone, too. It was good to hear from the two of them. I haven't talked with Nancy since just before Christmas. I've no idea how long ago it was but I hadn't talked to Kim since she left a women's shelter and returned to an abusive relationship with her husband.

It was great to see the pictures on Z's blog - those brought a smile. :-) I am so glad the package I sent arrived, even tattered and torn, and the gifts inside made others smile. It is so fun to let others know you love them by offering up treats and gifts that you know will mean something to them. Love you all bunches!

And, oh, what a smile I enjoyed while Kelly and I were visiting and her phone rang. Her sister Holley had called to tell her about a little gift I'd sent to her - a small scrapbook of Baylee pictures. :-) It did my heart good to know she had received the gift and was happily surprised by it.

It's been a fun week.

IMAX Theater

I just love this picture! Quentin and Felicia took TJei to IMAX for an undersea adventure. This picture is adorable and if you look at TJei's eyes through her glasses, she is looking up to her best friend, Tio Quentin. I just love it.

Orange Blossom

Seeing the orange blossoms on recently planted trees in the yard reminds me of the essay I'd done on Aunt Ruth and her playing Orange Blossom at her graduation.

Cardboard Playhouse

Baylee and the other girls had fun playing in a cardboard playhouse on the backporch. The box is from the dishwasher we got for the house. Quentin cut a door and window into the cardboard and the kids have had a ball with it. :-)

MormonMessages

When looking for brief inspirational messages as a quick perk-me-up. turn to MormonMessages. How cool is that? The Church now has a YouTube Channel (found this on the homepage of lds.org so I'm not spreading inaccurate info) with captivating, motivating messages. I ♥♥♥♥♥ this! I'll be visiting often!

Visit MormonMessages on You Tube.

Daisies

Daisies are my favorite flower. Kelly got me to take a closer look at Gerbera Daisies when she had those for her wedding. The colors can be so pastel or so intense, like these. These flowers are Jodie's - a pick me up from Mike & I. I think she like them. I did.

Are You Ready?

It's that time again - a great escape for just the gals. Are there any takers for a Girls Day Out (GDO) on April 11th? It would be so much fun! Remember these outings?
We Found Nemo
Princess Wishes x3+3

Davis is still so young, we could include him in a girl's day if his mommy were interested!

Flat Iron

Her mommy decided to try running a flat iron on Mia's extra curly hair ... the results weren't very attractive. Let's just say she gave new meaning to the expression "wild child" ... her hair was standing straight out everywhere! It was long, too! I like this crop of the pic much better. Her little pout makes me smile. :-)

An Amazing Weekend

It has been an amazing weekend. This picture was actually taken yesterday, but I used a different picture yesterday and this one is still valid for today. :-)

Yesterday morning the SJ and Eagar Stakes came together for a Women's Conference and it was an extraordinary event. There is an overview/update on the SJ Stake blog page but I would like to add my own testimony of the spirit that prevailed at that meeting. Sis. Burgess told of her escape as a young child from Berlin. Her words touched upon the souls of her listeners as she described joining the church, being baptized in the North Sea and then the long, lonely months waiting to join her "Muddy" who had emmigrated to Utah to work and save money for her daughter's journey. Even Jodie commented after, "Mom, this has been a really good day. She talked almost an hour but I could have listened to her [Sis. Burgess] for four hours."

Sis. Okazaki did more than talk to us, she taught us. She taught us to seek answers ... in all the right places, using all the right tools, in the right state of mind and for the right reasons. She is an amzingly soft-spoken woman with tremendous impact in her words. When she was funny, she was real fully. When serious, she was very serious. When she spoke of Pres. Hinckley it was as though he was there, right there before us. It was the same for the Savior. She spoke of Him and I could feel His presence, I could feel His approving smile over the meeting and her words advising us to seek Jesus; "Jesus is seeking us!"

Now, how is the picture from yesterday still valid today? Well, Sis. Okazaki also spoke at a Fireside (a talk, a gathering together) for adults this evening and Mike and I attended the meeting together. This talk was targeted to married couples but open for all adults. Sis. Okazaki posed the question, "Would you do it again?" She was asking each of us to determine internally whether we would marry our spouse again.

Yes, Michael. I would. I love you more today than I ever have and will love you still more tomorrow.

Have you ever heard an entire chapel of couples - old, young, middle-age - turn to one another and declare "I love you" to their spouse, all at the same time? I have and it was a joyful sound.

Reading literacy was another topic Sis. Okazaki spoke about. She talked of the importance for families to read together, for individuals to read and of our responsibility to teach others to read. She spoke softly of her young grandson and the quiet times they have had together as she reads to him. On the ride home Mike & I talked about that meaning us, too ... we need to read to our grandchildren.