A Funeral and a Court of Honor.

 Another slow week at the senior Perkins household ... though Dad was very busy with finalizing for the grand reopening of the store in Orem.  He also had several church assignments, like the one shown above where he is teaching the family home evening lesson at one the care centers that he serves as high councilman over, as the two of them make up a branch.

 He also went visiting with the Branch President and a member of the Stake Presidency to member of the branch on Wednesday as part of Branch Conference.

Fortunately a church court and an audit that he was supposed to do during the week, were postponed, which helped him make it through the week.

Anyway, I spent Monday doing laundry and catching up on housework. I even made Long Rice for dinner.

On Tuesday, I took time to make this Easter shadow box in an alarm clock ... just for fun and to blog about.

I did house work too, but spent the better part of the day
reading the book for my ward book club, which I read in less than twenty four hours. It was a bit fluffy, but fun anyway.

Before work on Wednesday I starting working on my catalogue of craft supplies in my craft room. Then I worked a full day, accomplishing a lot, and I even remembered my obligation to list something on my Reclaimologist facebook  page the next day and took the picture below. I also had fun when Trevor and Nell and Eleanor stopped by to visit.  They were on their way to get the blue van in Payson to transport extra long wood for the deck Trevor is working on.

I listed the table and chairs on facebook before leaving for work on Thursday, and was happy when it sold in just a few hours.  I had lowered the price I had on it after doing it last fall for our last flea.o.logy, but it takes so much display space at the mall that it was good to say goodbye.

 On Friday I was off to Salt Lake for junking and ran into my friend Angie at the first sale.  We joined forces and hit another Estate sale and a DI ... good finds, so a good day. I even bought some scientific slides from a U of U professor's estate who worked on the development of the Atom Bomb ... Interesting, eh?

That night Dad and I hurried to Bountiful to attend my sister-in-law, Shirley's mother's viewing, but when we got there, about 10 to 8, we found they had closed it up early, oops ..

We did recover our date night by hitting the Cafe Rio there in Bountiful, which is always a good choice.


Dad had to work a half day at the Dan's on 70th in Salt Lake on Saturday, and I was scheduled to work as well.  As it turned out I got someone to come in for the middle part of the day, so I could attend Ruth Mecham's funeral, meeting Dad there.

Dad picked me up after work, and we headed north again.  We were a bit early for the Court of Honor we were headed to, so we stopped and saw how Trevor was doing on his deck.  He was out there working and we were just in time for Dad to hold one of the risers in place while Trevor (look for the red hat) secured it.

 Next it was off to Highland to see Austin get his Eagle award, along with two other boys.

It was pretty cool to find out that since scouting began, about 2% of scouts have earned this award, though in Mormon Church sponsored troops today, the percentage is around 5%.

Here are the Moes, including their new 15 year old refugee son from Africa, that has been with them for less than a month. Brandon, far right, is well on his way to getting his Eagle as well. 

Afterwards we headed to Heuers, where Robin fed Dad and me a yummy dinner, before the Moes joined us and we all played games for a while.  Good times, like the good old times!

Dad had branch conference this morning and the postponed audit from earlier in the week, so he missed our entire block, and I was on my own for Sunday School.  Dana DeWitt gave a great lesson, but maybe its just that I am getting more out of his lessons, because I am doing a better job of following along in the lesson manual, on my phone.

Ruth Clayson said something interesting in Relief Society.  She said that her granddaughter's father in law, who just retired from 18 years working at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and who does a lot of traveling out of the country for the church, said than whenever he flies back to the United States, no matter what airport he lands in, he can feel the spirit there.  I guess that's because its the promised land, I thought that was a pretty cool thing to think about.

After church Dad took a short nap before running off to do another audit for one of the wards as a high council assignment.  I got a longer nap, and then it was time to go to dinner at Brit and Spencer's place.  Dinner was lovely and it was so fun to talk about their school plans, etc.

We finished off the day with the grand finale of the Downton Abbey season on TV ... and that was our week.

Valentines Week, and an Awesome Announcement.

 It was a pretty slow week, with a busy ending. Dad worked at the Macey's in Orem getting ready for the grand reopening, all week, including a half day on Saturday.

I spent Monday and Tuesday working on my craft room, finishing up organizational projects I had planned to do over a year and a half ago.  I feel like I am finally recovering from the disruption of Grandpa's prolonged visit.  Weird, eh?..

To the left you see me working on a project for the Reclaimologist Instasale on Instagram that I made Tuesday, the sale was on Wednesday.

 By Tuesday night I was done with my craft room.  A month ago this room was piled so high I could hardly use it, much less find supplies.  Yukko, so it felt great to finish it up, as I started moving it all up from my basement craft room three years ago.  Now I just need to work on my craft catalogue.

 I worked on Wednesday and Thursday, but Thursday morning I managed to finally get my Christmas Angel collection put away ... just in time for Valentines.  I then fitted our the window shelf, they had been inhabiting, with Valentine colors.

 On Friday I headed to Salt Lake to hit estate sales.  This one was on Harvard Avenue, the prettiest place of any Salt Lake neighborhoods, I loved it.  I bought a few things at both estate sales, and ran into lots of people I know, which is always fun.

 I got home in time to run Valentines I'd made and heart shaped chocolate to my 5 visiting teaching ladies... I also got some hugs, which is always sweet.

  Dad had told me to be ready around 5 for a surprise, and I just made it .... we headed to Thanksgiving Point, where Dad, with prompting from Randy, had bought tickets to the Theater's Valentines Celebration.  We had dinner, chocolate, games, flowers, popcorn, sodas and a movie, of course.  I didn't love the movie, it was a fantasy called Winter's Tale, and though it was historic with lovely houses and clothes, and beautiful actors, which I of course LOVED, the story dealt with Hollywood's version of demons and angels, and really felt like 'the wisdom of man', which was disturbing to me ...

On Saturday Dad was up early, off to the store in Orem by 6:00 A Yawn M., while I headed north as well, picking up my friend Wendy in Lehi, we drove to Ogden for some serous junking, including the Acorn Show, I used to sell at, the worst estate sale ever, and some second hand shopping.  We stopped on the way home in Salt Lake at the relatively new Salt Lake Vintage Flea Market, just west of the Freeway at 1300 so, really more of a store, with dealers taking their own money.  I found a few things, but nothing earth shaking.

To the left I am shown with John VanCott, a fellow dealer from Treasures, with his awesome authentic deep sea diving mask at the Acorn Show, Wendy poses below.

 When I got home Dad and I headed south to Tropic, Utah for Lindsey Ekins wedding reception.  We didn't realize how far it was, 3 and a half hours, nor that the reception was quite so early,  from 5-7.  Fortunately ....

 we did get there before the bride and groom left, but not in time to see the wedding dress ... (about 7:10)  We went to dinner there in town before heading home, where we arrived at 12:30 A.M., later for Dad than for me, but we got to listen to a book on tape that neither of us had read, so that was fun too.

Here is Whitney, Lindsey's oldest sister, and now sister-in-law too, as they are married to brothers.  

On Sunday I got to teach Gospel Doctrine, which is always fun.  Probably not my best lesson, but Dad said that its kind of hard to make the Abrahamic Covenant exciting, even though it is so important... but it wasn't for lack of trying.

 That night we hosted family dinner, but with Becca's family out of state for a real-estate convention, and Trevor's family slowed down by illness (Eleanor went to the emergency room and hospital for tests, as she has a bad rash and her feet are swelling.  They've done tests and are waiting for results) We had just 8 of us to dinner.  Davin and Bri, who had left their older kids home with the other grandma in charge, Spencer and Brittney, Darby, Dad, Cheryl and me.

It was kind of fun for me because I can only used my pearl handled silverware when we have a smaller group, and I love using my pearl handled silverware, just not as much as I love having lots and lots of my kids and grands here!!!

Darby came a bit early and caught a nap ... Spencer and Brit came early and looks at Spencer's scrap books...

... and Davin and Bri came at the perfect time ... we had a great conversation, and I think everyone enjoyed the 'pink' Valentines meal.

... and of course I enjoyed washing my pearl handled silverware, as Dad went to bed early, about 7:30P.M., since with the Grand Reopening this week, he's trying to build up his strength.

And Now for the Big Announcement that I forgot to include last week.  Last Sunday Sam was installed as the second councilor of the new Bishopric in their ward in San Antonio!!  We are so happy for them and for the ward that loves and appreciated them so much.  Congrats Sam and Emily on the opportunity to serve your Heavenly Father by serving his children.

Celebrating Charlotte's First Birthday

 This is how the week before Valentines week went ... pretty much party, party, party ...

It started with me making valentines with my We Can group to be delivered to the nursing home that Dad is over as his assignment as a high councilman.

Then we had a lovely pot luck luncheon.

 That evening we went to party at Kews ... we had a couple come and speak at our FHE group who had served a mission on an island off of South America, very, very interesting ... to the right are more members of our group.

 On Tuesday I went to Salt Lake to meet my friend Arlene for a temple session at the Jordan River temple, then dinner at Zupa's ... of course I went up early enough to do some serious junking, including stopping at Vine Street antiques where I used the panorama setting on my phone's camera to take this shot ... thanks for showing me how to do it, Spencer.

Dad of course was hanging out at 'his' temple in Provo.

That night Dad gave me the cute robot on the left ... he had won it in a drawing at the 'Hale Freezes Over' 5K the week before ... it was made by the same gal that made the other two robots in this pictures.  She is not just a flea.o.logy dealer, she's a scenery painter for Hale Center Theater who sponsored the race... how cool is that?!

I worked on Wednesday and Thursday, getting a lot done in my booths, adding lots more small items in square glass containers to what I lovingly call my flea.o.logy flea bits booth ... I am loving how it is turning out!  Above is a picture I took of Keith, one of my co-workers, who borrowed my polka dot glasses to check out stuff on the computer ... 

At two on Thursday a coworker came into take over the rest of my shift and Dad and I left for Idaho, early enough to do some junking on the way ... we stopped at this place in Brigham City, that is housed in the old Intermountain Indian School buildings there.  The antique store was behind this store, and accessed through a walkway attaching it to the building that ran parallel behind it ... great stuff, but sky high prices, left me without a purchase to make.

When we got to Idaho around 9:00 P.M. we were met by this little walking machine.  She was so funny, she walked and walked and walked, just like those pioneer children did over a hundred years ago.  She kept it up all weekend, honing her new found skills!

She also got  reacquainted with her Perkins Grand Parents.

 Kai, had a lot of fun building pillow forts, and even slept in one, since the grandparents, including the Mitkos, had taken over the boys bedrooms.  Thanks Kai and Alex.

Friday evening it was time to set up for Charlotte's birthday party.  Britt had seen these ideas on pinterst, and Edi and I got to make it happen, along with the help of Britt's tall father to put the balloons in place!!

 This is the darling outfit Britt found on Etsy.  Sorry the pic is so blurry, I took several and this is the best that showed her outfit ...

 Then it was cake time ....

 She was a very delicate cake eater, quite a bit like Reagan was a few weeks ago ...

 The next day it was up early and off to Kai's swim meet... you can see him in the picture above winning this heat at Idaho State College. He won both of his single races that day.

After seeing his  first two races, Tom and Edi headed home and Dad and I headed out to spend the day junking.  

 Britt called me about lunch time to come and go to lunch at this fun tea room with her, while Dad watched the boys and Charlotte ... it was pretty fun, the place was great.

 As you can tell I instagrammed a picture.  Dad and I did some more junking afterwards, then when we got back, we had super yummy leftovers from the birthday party pasta bar, before watching Austenland with Brittany, for her first time, which made it fun.

The next morning Britt and Mike took the kids and headed to the second day of Kai's swim meet, while Dad and I went to church before heading home ... after we got home, I saw this cute post on instagram, and thought I would share it with you all.

So that was our week, so much fun all packed into one week, now I am ready for a long winter's nap ... hope you week was amazing too!!

Our Over Due Blog: A Week in Captions.

Mom talking to Emily on facetime on Monday ....

Mom's custom order through the reclaimologist group that pretty much took all of Tuesday.

Darby makes plans for Dad's birthday lunch at Milargos in Orem .... on Wednesday ...

 I make plans for his birthday dinner at home, with another couple in the ward who is just getting active again ... the husband, Chuck, shares Dad's birthday, so it was a double celebration.

We also invited the Kews and the Rodriguezs from the ward.






This is me with Nikki, on Thursday.  We work together every Thursday morning.

This is an activity for Relief Society after work on Thursday ... I made the banner ...

... and this crown ... Andrea is my visiting teaching partner and an award winning blogger ...

On Friday I spent the day junking and found three copies of my Mom's book at the DI in AF ... weirdly, I always check while junking and usually find about one book every third month.

This is our ward primary activity ... a pot luck and game night ... which obviously involved the whole ward.

Todd Ekins leads out in the 'kids say the darndest things' game, but if they don't Todd is always good for a laugh.

Here is Dad playing a trivia game with Riley Rodriguez, Ginny Taylor's husband, Larry and Shanna Weight, my former visiting teaching partner, Lindsay Anderson is the moderator.

 On Saturday Dad and a couple of the boys ran a 5K called 'Hale Freezes Over', to support Hale Center Theater, to which we always have season tickets in Orem.  I was at work that day.

 After the race, Dad and Trevor got to work on his deck ... they also took off an hour to help a new neighbor move in.

At church on Sunday, Brittney was teaching the lesson in Young Women's, so she missed McKenna's baby blessing ... but here she is with her great looking set up!  I bet the lesson was amazing.

 Here we all are at McKenna's party after her baby blessing ...

Hanna, Ben, Dad and McKenna hang out on the couch in the family room at Dave and Bri's.

 Rub a dub dub, three kids in a .... well, ... toy box ....

Bri's step dad, Rubert, her Mom,  Lisa, and her best friend from high school, Adrienne and her husband Chris hang out in the living room.

Becca practicing her Mommy hair care skills on Adilyn.

 And men in ties ... Trevor, Spencer, Dave and Dad.

Rubert evidently has 'baby whisperer' skills like Mike (Mitko) it was fun to watch ... but then he is a chiropractor, so you know he has skills of touch, right?

Reagan climbs stairs for the first time.

Trevor hogs other people's babies ... namely Adilyn and McKenna.

 On the way home from the party we stopped and visited with Dad, as he is just a few block from Dave and Bri's house ... as you can see, you should never follow his directions.

So that was our week, so sorry it was so late getting out.

PS A biggie that happened this week without photos ... we got two new councilors in our bishopric, Dave Stringham and Joe Weight.