Sunday, July 26, 2015

Get Your Kicks on that Arizona Trip

This week for us was mostly made up of a trip to Arizona with Ben, Hannah, Spencer and Brit. 
We left around 8 Monday morning. 
And stopped in Vegas for a buffet lunch and a chance for Spencer and Brit to see Daniel Mueller and his wife again. (Daniel is Spencer's former missionary comp that they saw last week. The Muellers are visiting from Switzerland )  

We didn't get to the condo until around 10:00 PM
Tuesday was Spencer's 25th birthday. Brittney made him breakfast in bed ...
and there were presents too! 
We hung around the condo all day, reading, doing puzzles and watching a movie!! 
And there was swimming too. Yeah pool towels!! 
That night we broiled steaks and had birthday cake for the birthday boy. Custom 'candle' by Ben. 
On Wednesfay we drove to Nogales, Arizona and crossed over into Mexico   
We walked around, doing some shopping and 
having lunch at a real Mexican restaurant!! 

Meanwhile poor Brady was going through shoulder surgery the same day!  His shoulder had continued to bother him after his rollover earlier this year, and physical therapy wasn't helping!  Hope you heal fast, Brady!! 
Still back in Utah, Thursday was chemo day for Nell. Fortunately Brittany came down from Idaho to help her. Eddi kept Britts kids while Britt helped out at Nell's. I'm sure both Brady and Nell would appreciate your prayers for their recovery 
Back in Phoenix, Thurdsay morning was junking time for Dad, me, Ben and Hannah.   I loved these colorful mannequins I found at the one antique store we hit. 
Ben and Hannah found these cat jammies for a buck at a Good Will. 
We went swimming that night but Spencer had to come back to the condo to take a test!  Brittany completed something like 6 puzzles during the week, Hannah joined in for about half of them. 
On Friday we were off to the beautiful new Gilbert temple for a session. We used names that J. Scott had found, and I got to do Polly Perkins. How fun is that? 

Later we attended a Diamondbacks game. That was pretty fun, even after Spencer got doused in beer when a fan in front of us tried for a ball with his drink in his hand! 
And they opened up the top of the stadium for fireworks after!! 
Then Saturday it was another long ride. We got home at 10:00.  

We knew the other dormer was done but didn't really see it until this morning. 

Today's been very lazy, just church and naps. Hope your week was good. 

Friday, July 17, 2015

Baby Sitting, Stuccoing and Studio 5


And another week begins!  I had Trevor and Nell's kids for a couple of days, so Monday was full of grandkid fun. It started with chores for us all and some reading for Scott and Eva. Then we went to McD in Spanish, for the play place and then to DI. 

We stopped for KFC on the way home and hiked to the Grotto with Grandpa that evening 

When we hit home Spencer and Brittney shared an FHE with us and then we played the farm game. 
On Tuesday we had too make our fun at home because Eleanor had broken her sandel coming down from the Groto.    Eleanor and I got painted fingernails and then  
we had a picnic in the garden house!  Then they went to Aunt Briahnna's while I went for a late lunch and temple session in Payson with my friend Arlene, and Dad officiating! 
Here is Eva on Wednesday, her 8th birthday  with her birthday gifts from me and grandpan!!
On Wednesday I ran over to Miriam's  viewing in Springville before work.  She was a fellow employee at the antique mall, just 50.  They found growths in her lungs about a week before she died. It was lung cancer that had spread to her brain. So very sad. 

While at work on Wednesday I got a call from Jane, a producer at KSLs Studio 5. An acquaintance in the junking business had sent Jane some pics of our garden house she'd taken at Fleaology.  Then since KSL is doing a segment on 'She Sheds' she wanted make arrangements to come and film. We ended up agreeing on Friday morning.  Yikes!! 

That night Dad and I watched 'Music From Another Room'.  It was quirky and I thought it felt Anne Tylerish. Rotten tomatoes had it at like  22% or something.  Hmmm

Thursday morning I was up early cleaning the garden house.  I was up on my long trusted aluminum ladder dusting and hauling of the dusty bedclothes in the loft when the ladder tipped over. As soon as I hit the floor with very little scratching and bruising, I said a prayer of thanks. I was up at almost 5 feet, I could have been hurt so much  worse. 

At work on Thursday I made a Jane Austen banner for the garden house. It took most of the day, but I do love making them!!  A high school English teacher said she was going to make one for her class room! 

Dad had picked up Titan and Reagan for an over nighter, and then took them to Payson Cottage while he worked on the faucet in the bathroom there.  

Meanwhile I was hosting book club at the our house.  
Friday morning I got the garden house finished up, including hanging the banner. 
Here's a closeup. 
I used the nail sorter Trevor and Nell had given me for Mothers Day to 'tote' tea party essentials.  Then it was back to the house as the grands woke up 
We read books for a while after breakfasting on apple pie sweet rolls left over from book club. 

Then uncle Dave came to babysit while I did the KSL segment. 
This is Jane with her photographer ready to shoot.  After the initial part of the segment she asked if the grandkids could come out for a faux tea party. But since I'd set up tea for her and the cameraman, which she declined, we were ready for an promptly tea!! 
Here Adi checks out the pepperidge farms milanos! 
Titan liked the cookies that are shaped like flowers ...
As did Reagan, where as ... 
Though Elias like the cookies fine, the tea party was just too sissy for him. 
The plasters got the gray stucco up that day too!!

Becca picked up the kids soon after the KSL people left and I took it easy for the rest of the afternoon. 
That evening we were babysitting Davin and Bri's kids, so we took them with us to Eric Moe's good bye party. He's joined the Army and is off to basic training!! 

As you can see Ninna's favorite part was the watermelon.  (Did you notice she has a piece in each hand?  So cute!)
Dad cooked us hot dogs! 
Here we are with Eric fresh out of the pool to say good bye.   We included his sister Krista too, because she's good at being in pictures. Love you guys. 

Then it was back to Davin and Bri's where we watched The Princess Bride.  The kids loved it!  


Saturday morning we got up early to paint the Payson cottage garage, and when we went out, at 7:00. The stuccoers had nearly finnished the unshaded east wall of the garage!  
Then we were off to paint the new wood on the garage that Gustavo had added when he straightened it.  

When we got home the men were working on the front!! 
Then Dad was off to the stake center where Ron Williams, a resident at Parkway, was getting baptized. That was kind of special, since it rarely happens in the nursing home branch. 

Meanwhile I was off to garage sales!  

He beat me home and worked on getting the main floor swamp cooler up and going. That meant pulling down vines that had covered it and the window!' 

Then  we rendezvoused and unloaded the van and put in another seat for our southern trip. Next we hauled boxes from the garage, the upstairs hall, the front hall and the library to take to DI. We've been dejunking  for a while and were just tired of tripping over boxes.  

Here's the finished stuccoed front. I think the window needs a window box and shutters.    So much red!! 

Here the back view of the new stucco  
Back from DI we headed to the ward's BBQ and potluck. This is me with my Visiting Teacher, Sarah, who I had just cajoled into bringing dinner to Cheryl while we're gone, filling out the week. Thanks Terry, Ginny, Marysa, Emily and Sarah!!  

After the ward party Dad and I high tailed  it to movies 8 in Provo to see Far From the Madding Crowd, which we both liked, as did Rotten Tomatoes with 85%!! 
And this is the eastern sky as we left the theater!!  So amazing 
I taught Relief Society today at church, and made a paper chain out of the paper strips containing the phrases from Ezra Taft Benson on raising children in a gospel centered home.  Darla Pierre, my Mary Kay  rep, helped me by making the chain. I'd passed out the strips around the room and sisters brought them up as we touched on the principle on their strip. Darla is always working on having a heavenly home, and asked if she could have the chain to use for FHE!  That made me so happy!! 

Here's our Penny at family dinner 
And Eva with the doll she got for her birthday 
Our girls Becca and Reagan. 
And Davin and Bri and Girls. 

After everyone left, Dad and I walked up to the park for the band concert, which is fun as always.  They had the Payson Chorale  sing too!