Sacrament Meeting

We have been doing home Church for two weeks now, but today was our first with the Sacrament.  I must confess that there was a wonderful spirit as Dean prepared, blessed and passed the Sacrament to me and then him.

We are also able to watch some wonderful insights that help us as we follow the "Come Follow Me" Program.  We tend to like the "Come Follow Me videos that people put out on YouTube for our benefit.

The Corona Virus, Covid 19, has it's first two cases in Washington County yesterday.  It is coming closer to home for us now, although we have been in quarantine for about 10 days already.  We went shopping yesterday to pick up a few things, and we saw a few packages of toilet paper back on the shelves.  It was great to notice five different families see it, and none of us took it, probably just like me, wanting to leave it for someone that is in need.   About a month before this all hit we were in Cedar City.  I had been talking about needing TP and Dean said, today's a good day to get it.  We did.  Three cases.  The sales lady acted like we were nuts and asked us if we were going camping.  No, we were just stocking our shelves back up.  What a tender mercy.  We will be able to share.

Christmas Ornaments I'm working on

Michael S. Baptism

What a wonderful evening to be able to met Michael for his baptism.  I arrived in time to visit a bit, watch for other students and also play prelude.  A sweet young girl from the ward started playing so I actually called upon her to fill in for me whenever I wanted to get a picture or say a hello.

Michael was one of our Pathway Students, not yet a member, and living in Texas.  He was learning about the gospel from Sister Missionaries and he often ask us or the class questions.  We felt it was a wonderful opportunity to answer questions and help him in his quest.  We often got side tracked from our lesson plans but without regret.

Michael was egger to learn the gospel and already had a strong testimony when we started our group. He planned to be baptized in December while we were in Kansas, but none of us heard from him.  He had moved to Utah, changed his number and we had not way to contact him.  Then, out of the blue, he called and said he was getting baptized on Saturday of that week.  We sent would out to t

he entire class.

(It was wonderful that through technology, Michael's Missionary Sisters from Texas were able to view his baptism and program.  He was baptized by the father of a friend from his youth.  This family welcomed him in and loved and fed him as if he were one of their own.)

However, he had some special friends he wanted to attend and had postponed for them.  One day he visited a branch in Elko (or Ely) and visited with a man who explained to him that Satan was working very hard on getting him to procrastinate and that it was going to be very hard on him.  Michael agreed and his baptism was set for the next Saturday.   This man, only meeting Michael for a couple of hours, travelled to and spoke at his baptismal program.

Because of the late notice, and with so many ill, I and Anna ended up being the only ones from our class that were able to attend.  What a wonderful day!  Dean was struggling so although I had planned on staying over night for the confirmation, I headed home.    Anna had brought her two daughters with her.  It was wonderful to met these two amazing people.

Kudos to his new ward.  Only one family knew him, but it was very full of well meaning future friends.  I hope to remember what a great example of fellowshipping they set for me.

Congratulations Michael and welcome to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mom 's ablation

Mom let us know that she was going to have an ablation on Thursday after we had already left home and headed for some vacation time.  Things obviously had to be changed.

She had been struggling for a few months with irregular heat rates and rapid rates as well.  The medicine was working but she didn't want to keep taking it, so she opted to go in and get it fixed.  Luckily it was pretty slick.  They were late starting but otherwise the surgery seemed to go very well. I spent a lot more time at the hospital than I had planned.  Madelyn took her in at 5:30, and I was to pick her up at 9.  They didn't even start to get around to operating until about 8:30, which is when I showed up, not wanting to miss the doctor coming out and talking to me about the surgery.

Luckily I had brought my crochet and kept myself busy making covers for my water bottles.  Dean stayed in the van with the dogs, which didn't turn out to be a very good thing for him.  It took a toll on his emotional health.

Mom did really well and we brought her home.  Madelyn had purchased a great Costco meal for us, so I didn't even have to cook when we got back.  Aunt Jewell took food over the next day so we were able to head home, which is something Dean needed pretty badly after being banished to the van for two days alone with just the dogs.

Just images of things I want to remember 

today from Mom's house.

I'm back at taking random pictures as I wait for Mom at her house.  Her beautiful quilts, her ceramics, and the wreath I made.  I don't know who crocheted the bunnies.

Bunkerville and The Muddy History

Bunkerville, Nv

Few days trip

Off to Bunkerville - a place I have wanted to visit for a while because my Grandmother Eliza Hafen was born there.

Her mother was the fourth wife of father John George, and she was living there because the government had made a stand against polygamy.  What a terrible ordeal they all went through - no piece of cake.

So today we start playing, and looking and discovering.

Friends mothers funeral

Cort Cloves Mom passed away and I was in the area.  It was wonderful to be able to take Mom up home for the funeral.  Seeing Kris was great, just like the friends we used to be.  Another great was seeing Tammy Terry  and Gerald Jones.  It was so nice to see friends from my youth.

Church in Leeds with Mom

Layne Johnson funeral

We were tossing around the idea of going down to Nevada and seeing some of the sites while it was a bit colder in Delta.  I believed that a trip would help Dean's emotional help and so I talked of it trying to plant seeds.

Then on Facebook I noticed that sweet Layne Johnson had passed away and that clinched the decision.  Dean and Zote had been best friends growing up and Layne was his little brother.  I knew Layne only from JC Penny's store but didn't know him well.

As we drove into the parking lot we had to wait for a car to back into place.  It was Gail and Marsha.  It was so good to see them after all of these years.  They are some of the most amazing people you could ever meet.  We don't see each other often, but they are always in our heart.

Layne's funeral was amazing.  He was quite the man.  As a down syndrome baby his parents were told to put him in a facility and forget he was ever born.  They did not listen, but rather raised him with the rest of the boys, and did a mighty fine job of it.  He eventually got a job he worked faithfully at for over 25 years and married a sweet lady.  It appears he had a great life and was very well loved.

I spent the next few days looking for the video about him "The up side of downs".  It was a great funeral and so good to visit with dear friends and Dean's brothers.

Wall up

I have been working on the van for over a year and a half, building, planning, organizing and I was so looking forward to getting to go out and using the van.  Dreams of genealogy trips, sight seeing and time away together filled my thoughts but finally I realized it might need to be set aside.  I was heart broken.

I struggled for weeks and finally couldn't take it any more.  I moved the van to the back property so I wouldn't have to see it.  I had asked Lyle for help.  That didn't work out.  I had asked local business for help.  Nope.  Then I asked Michael, and arranged a time for him to work on it.  Dean was upset so I cancelled it, but that was the point that my heart broke.  I didn't want to see the van again until I had healed, which I knew I would.

Dean came in and asked what I was doing.  I replied I was just letting a dream die but would be okay in a few days.  However, he noticed that van out back and knew exactly what I was mourning.  He told me he would not let my dream die and began working on the wall.

He had it up in a day or two.  I just don't do electricity and had to have some help.  Once the wall was up he had the DC working within a few days and we are yet to have 110 but we do have plugs in the inverter.

Tending, and Sakura

Lesson learned:  Sukura was great but not enough time to eat 45 minutes away between kid drop off and pickup.

Jarad has wanted us to go out to eat with them for some time.  Candice had the day off, and we were up north so we tried to fit it all in.  It was a bit too tight and we were late getting the kids.  We called ahead so they knew we weren't going to make it for 5 minutes, and when we got there, 10 minutes late because of traffic, Sofie and Shepherd were in the office waiting.  They had locked to outside doors into the school.  It caused way too much stress and we won't be doing that again.  Dean handled it better than I did.

Getting the DC fixed so we can hit the road.

Mike is getting ready to put his house on the market, and asked if I could bring the van up when he worked on the DC in my van.  We made arrangements for the date, but when it came time to go Dean wasn't feeling well, and not happy I had burdened Mike with helping put in the DC.  He still needed the trailer and it was more convenient for me to take it to him than for him to come all the way down to Delta with his busy life.  I just made a day trip out of it.  

 

I didn't even stay long enough to see Ben and Amy but got to visit with sweet Bria for a bit before heading home.  

I have been struggling with reality and trials of life for a while but it kicked into hard drive this past few weeks.  I felt very blessed and comforted as I witnessed the most beautiful sunset.  Sadly, I had pulled off to take a picture in the snow storm without having to get out of the van, and almost got stuck.

Fixing up our bikes

 I like being able to see behind me so mirrors inside each handle bar was one of the first things I bought.  A padded seat was the next.  The bikes came with saddlebags, but they were a little small so I bought larger ones so I could do some grocery shopping on our trips.  I have been shopping on the scooter so it is very much the same.  I can load the saddlebags, and clamp some bags onto the seat behind me, resting on the back rack.  The bike does not allow me to have something in front like I'm used to, so absolutely no watermelons on my lap while I drive.  I only did that once, and will never do it again.  It was work to drive, stay focused and get the watermelon home.

We also bought a hitch bike carrier that we can lock down so we are not concerned about leaving our bikes out over night.  I bought a barbecue cover and it goes over both bikes nicely.  We have motion alarms so that when we park the bikes and go inside we can lock them with a huge chain like lock but also if the bikes are tipped an alarm goes off.  The biggest problem with that is that I keep forgetting to turn them off while we are traveling so we often go down the road with the bikes blaring and us totally unaware.

The bikes are an investment I hope Dean will enjoy.  I am really looking forward to getting some exercise on our trips and seeing if it can help my health.  I hope to return home from the trips this summer, a little stronger and a little skinnier.

Bike riding view in Leeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to give Van Life a try, so we parked on the frontage road next to the turn off into Mom's house in Leeds and slept the night.  We unloaded the bikes and went for a little ride.  I think this is one of the only times Dean actually got on the bike without me prodding and pushing.  I can picture us getting around on the bikes when the van is parked.  I think he will join me on shorter lengths to the grocery store, or out for a scenery view.  The dogs love the bikes.  Little Mindy can fit in the side pockets nicely and I simply attach her collar to the pocket.  Lu is a little more agile so we will have to work with her to make sure she stays put, but so far, so good.

Rock Hunting

Not really my cup of tea, but Dean has always loved rock hounding.  We thought we would go out on the Dixie dessert and look for rocks, but we ended up driving instead of hunting.  No matter, what a beautiful world we live in.

They've found their spot

The dogs have ridden with us for many miles and we finally have things figured out a little better.  They like to be up close to us, and will stay on the floor but they don't like it.  To relieve their anxiety to be up and in my lap, we have learned that putting some soft fabric on the dash is perfect....  well it's perfect until we slam on the brakes and they go flying.  But if given a choice, they want the window and the dash.

Visited w/the Tooth Fairy

Taylor texted and said he was in major trouble.  He had just spent the day looking for silver dollars because their was a great need as the tooth fairy was coming.  Because it was a weekend he didn't have a lot of options.  He called a few banks, and I believe found one in Payson that had some  $.50 pieces.  Seems like maybe Macy's grocery store also had an option for him.

It is so fun seeing your little children grow up into parents and remember vividly what life was like for them at that age.  Taylor was just a delight to watch.  No regular coins would do.  It had to be special.  I had to laugh because when my children were little I made sure that the tooth fairy continued the tradition I was raised with of receiving a silver dollar.  They because impossible to find later and so we introduced the $.50 piece.

It is wonderful to be raised with good, even great memories.  It's also wonderful to see those memories being passed to the next generation.

Down time

One of the bad parts of traveling is that Dean has not been very good at taking his pills.   He missed three days in a little over a week.

When he misses it takes a while to get back to good again.  Yesterday and today were spent in the bedroom.   I didn't get a lot done either but have spent the day cleaning a bit and setting up my camera and fixing the blog.

Chandra RN

Congratulations on your accomplishment!