New Callings in the Ward

 After we got back from speaking in the Clayton Ward - beautiful meeting with Hannah Meine leaving for a Utah mission,  hearing her speak and then play in a string quartet that was fabulous - we got back to the second hour of our Concord Ward and stayed after to be set apart. I am the first counselor in the Young Women's presidency and Jeffrey will be a gospel doctrine teacher. So far, the two doctrine teachers are going to spit off for one lesson a month.

I am excited to be with the young women again - it has been quite a few years. It looks like I am the oldest one of the group unless Faye Hunt is older - she sure doesn't look like it. Be we have a really cool mix of ladies. Marcie Chapman is the president, fun, with an infectious smile and happy countenance. Then Faye is the secretary (always smiling), and Hailey Johnson (nee Blatter) I knew in girls camp, Liz Oleole I knew in girls camp, and Haley Jones (nee Moore) I knew as the older sister of the sisters that Nate and Michael danced with.

We will meet today and go over what Marcie sees and envisions happening with the Young Women. It is going to be fun!! I was touched that one of the blessings given me today was greater vigor and health. Yeah! I am going to take that one to the bank and have faith that it will be true. 

Anticipation

 Rachel and I went to visit Andrew and Briona just because. When we got to the apartment Briona's mom Tracey was making lasagna to freeze and other meals. Briona is hanging on and the nursery is just about complete. It is just waiting around for their little girl to show up. 

All kinds of theories were touted as to when she should come. I just loved watching Tracey's excitement as I remember the excitement of waiting for my very first grand too. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for Briona's baby too, there is just something about the unknown that brings its own excitement.

Even though the baby is due on Friday, Jeffrey and I will still go up to Redding to see the other grands because Tracey is on deck to run to the hospital when the baby is coming. 

Ah, life is good!

Mama's with their girls

Made for the Girls

 I go on walks with Isla and sometimes with Makynlee also every morning around the block or to the school to slide and swing and sometimes to Newhall Park to play and watch the geese and dogs in the dog park. 

One place that Isla will always jump out of the stroller on is the Kruse's walk. Their stepping stones are made to order for girls to walk and stride over. I am thinking when we get our new years in we will need stepping stones. 

I sent a picture of Isla striding along and she said they put them in just for Isla. I almost believe it. She loves this stretch of the sidewalk.

Four or Five runs back and forth are typical

I have lost my Mommy Muscles

 I was telling Rachel yesterday that I have lost my mommy muscles and that I had forgotten that if you put six toys out, the child will got for the electrical outlet. They will also play with everything other than their toys. Exploration is a way of life for children, and the toys have been explored long ago with no new understanding or surprises.

I love living with the girls and learning again all the intricacies of children. I am looking forward to Briona's new little girl. 

This week Jeffrey and I will head up to Redding to spend a day with Kelsi and Nate's family. Hopefully there will be a gender reveal for the baby due in November. Life is good and I am excited for this next generation.

The Power of a Cupcake

 Makynlee told me on Friday that she would be making cupcakes. Actually when she was with her mother and sister,  she told people in the store and at the park that she would be making cupcakes. Rachel and I went visiting and shopping on Saturday afternoon and when we got back there were cupcakes on the table!

Julia told me she made cupcakes with Makynlee after Isla went down for a nap. The power of the cupcake comments from Makynlee worked with her mom! Julia and Makynlee made the cupcakes with greek yogurt instead of egg and made the frosting with the blackberries that Regg had brought over. The only added pink was put in the batter not the frosting.

Living a meatless diet makes for interesting combinations. These tasted pretty good!

Pink inside, blackberry purple outside

Isla going for the frosting on the edges of her mouth

Third Sunday

 Today will be the third Sunday in a row that we are giving our Homecoming talks. Today will not be more than 5 minutes each as there is another speaker and also a musical number. To try to fit it all into an hour will be difficult. So I will just tell a couple of stories about the assurances from God that I have received.

It is cool that Hannah Meine is speaking today, she is going on a mission shortly and I just know her parents are so proud of her. It is nice for me to reflect on the full circle of going as a young woman and now experiencing the really great mission that can happen at the senior level. Missions as a couple are 200% better than young single missions. It's too bad more people don't know that great secret. There is so much more understanding of why a covenant marriage is the highest order in the priesthood and the power that it brings when a couple goes on a mission and gets MANY assurances to their faith.

Sing Your Way Home...

 We had to have a little adventure on our way home. The plane trip was nice and normal, no excitement or drama. Jeffrey had downloaded the Uber app on his phone so we could get a ride home. He tried several times before we left and after we arrived in Oakland to get a ride. The prices went up every time he got on though he never got connected with an actual driver. After the price was well over a hundred dollars, we decided to use BART and get to Concord that way.

On this trip we each had a big suitcase (filled with African things), a small overnight suitcase and a backpack.

So we started out on BART, I didn't know we needed a card that is refillable (with money) but Jeffrey knew all about getting tickets home. 

On the train I tried calling different people I thought might be home, not at work, to get a ride to our house from the BART station. No one answered their phones.

Jeffrey was going to get a bus ride and I said, let's just walk. I knew it was only a couple or so miles home and that is just a regular walk.

I found myself singing an old song in my mind and sometimes out loud a little -

Sing your way home at the end of the day

Sing your way home drive the shadows away

Smile every mile  - For wherever you roam

It will brighten your way

It will lighten your day

If you sing your way home

It became my mantra to keep going.

OH BOY, just a regular walk (NOT) with a backpack, pushing one suitcase and dragging another - no, no, not just a regular walk. It was a hot day, in the hottest part of the day. When the bus passed us the first time I was a little sad, but when the third bus went by a half hour or more later, I realized what a stupid decision I'd made. My arms, legs and hands were tired. But I smiled and said, "I'm okay",   each time Jeffrey would stop and ask how I was. I think he figured it out when I started lagging further behind.

Jeffrey carried his backpack and mine on top of the bag he was dragging, and pushed one of the Littles suitcase forward. I dragged just one suitcase and pushed one Littles suitcase.

Good and best luggage

So we were bringing the Little's luggage back to Concord. It had traveled from California to Susie's house back in January with Levi Littles Eagle project supplies, then on to Accra, Ghana with Susie and Rebekah when they came, then on to the Orphanage and back to Utah with Susie and Rebekah when they came home.

Jeffrey and I picked up the luggage from Susie's house along with all the things that the Belnap's and Susie had brought back from Africa that I had collected, bought, and made.

Can I just tell you how wonderfully awesome this lightweight, semi-hard shell, and all direction four wheels piece of luggage is?!! If I ever go to a foreign place or mission again, I am buying this kind of luggage to take with me.

When we got to the church, Jeffrey said, "Do you want to stay here and I will go home and bring the car back?" I said yes!

When we stopped at the church, I sat with the luggage and Jeffrey was going home to get the car, he met Brother Burr in the parking lot and asked a favor. Would he bring me and the luggage home. Brother Burr said yes and came over to pick me and all the luggage up while Jeffrey walked  the rest of the way - three blocks - to our house.

After getting home and getting a drink, you can see in our faces how tired we were.

For your information it is only 3.1 miles from the BART station to our home. LONG miles if walking in the heat with luggage. Short if cool with no baggage.

847 Ramona Avenue

 On our way to the airport on Tuesday morning, we stopped by the house that Beverly grew up in on 847 Ramona Avenue. I have heard a lot of stories - some with a ringer washer - some about quarantines due to illness, others about her sisters and brothers. She remembered her two year old brother who would run laughing after turning up the radio really loud. She remembers the casket after he died. Lots of stories with that house.

Good Lucid Visit

 Jeffrey and I went to the Jamestown Memory Care Unit to visit with his mom. As he went in the door a man was friendly and said hello. He was obviously waiting for something or someone. Jeffrey walked three steps into the building and said, "I know him." He walked back out and said, "Is your name Grand Miller? Did you live in Sunnyvale?" Come to find out, Brother Miller was indeed the man Jeffrey knew back in the bishopric in the Sunnyvale ward. He is now part of the branch presidency in the care center too. Jeffrey and he reminisced for a little while and then we went on to the memory care part of the building.

The memory care is accessible only through locked doors. We finally made our way to Beverly's apartment to find she was gone. I listened for a minute in the hallway and told Jeffrey if we followed the music we would probably find his mom. And I was correct. She was in the main room playing the piano.

We found her playing away with an audience of two who were parked near her and more in the great room who were busy doing projects and listening as they did.

She played some of our favorites as we sang along.

Pretty impressive for a 94 year old woman

When we got back to her room, we made sure the arrow for favorite person was on the right picture.

We laughed and talked for about 2 hours and had the nicest visit. She couldn't remember the answers to questions 10 minutes ago, but somewhere she picks up the information about a year ago and of course history is really great to talk about as she is right with us.

Sherri Despain - beloved friend

I found the heat of the day was not a noticeable physical drain until I went back in from my phone call - with a dead phone - and back into the cool house. Just a little bit later, Sherri Despain came by. It was so good to see her again. She is just the same bubbly, smiling, lovable woman as she was in Accra. I sure missed her when she left. 

Last January, Sister Despain had asked me to bring some Tunics that she'd had made by Bernice to the MTC. Bernice stopped by to drop them off, I took pictures so Sherri would know what they looked like and that they had arrived. I took them over to the MTC but the person I was looking for was not there. A young man took them and said he'd leave them at their door. Evidently they were misplaced for awhile until someone finally found them and other arrangements were made to send them to Utah. So after being gone for six months from Africa, Sherri finally caught up with her tunics.

She was so good to drive an hour north to meet with us at Greg and Janice's home. It was really awesome to see her again, listen to what was going on and give her the African material for her quilt and a wooden crocodile. Susie had found her missing crocodile in a box that luckily she hadn't thrown away yet. Wisdom made a Noah's ark and Susie brought if from Accra in January and Sherri picked it up when she came to Ogden early in the year. But when she got home the crocodile was missing. All the animals were in twos except the croc. So it was nice to get everything in place again!

We had a lovely visit and I hope we can meet up again soon. Life is good.

Together for a moment

Noticing under foot

While talking on the phone  in front of the Adams home, I paced back and forth in the shade. I looked down and saw what I thought were ladybugs, so I was more careful to not step on them and watched what I was doing. My phone got too hot! It just died and showed a thermometer icon and said I could use it when the phone was cool. First time that has ever happened. I didn't realize a day in the 90's would be bad for my phone.

I was intrigued by the "ladybugs" because there were so many of them in the grass and sidewalk under a tree. It was unclear where they were going. Of course I had to go look them up and see what kind of bug they were. Google told me they were European Fire Bugs. I'm still not sure where the 'fire' comes from.

 "While the firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) is not native to the Americas, it is occasionally found in the United States and a population of firebugs is established in Utah. Its striking markings and colors will attract your attention. During their mating season, they're often seen in mating aggregations, making them easier to spot. "

Red bug with black spots

Ultimate Hostess

 In Provo, we arrived at the Adams home and experienced the amazing and fantastic hostess that Janice Adams is. She is VERY organized and makes great food. We arrived before supper which happen to be Cafe Rio knockoffs. She had a long display with pulled pork, grilled chicken, rice, beans, salsas, guacamole, lettuce, corn, sour cream, and dressings. So yummy!

We had dinner with Greg and Janice, Gabe and Sabrina, Talia, and Jared came much later. I wish we could have seen Peyton though it was a nice visit and chat.

When Janice showed us to our room, that is when I really noticed Janice's hosting abilities! She wants her guests to have anything that will make them comfortable and has it written as well as telling us what is available and where it is.

Numbers blurred to preserve privacy

I think I am going to aspire to be as cool, gracious, and thoughtful as Janice is. So the next night we had grilled chicken that she had marinated and grilled on the barbecue herself. Again so delicious!

Here is the cool accessories if we needed them:

Other than the toothpaste which we had run out of.....this was an awesome box to look at.

I enjoyed talking and listening to Greg and Janice. Jeffrey went with Greg on one hike a little up the mountain, and went to Rock Canyon for a hike of his own the next day. 

It's great to be with family!

Life in the fast lane

 Interstate 84 is still so new to me. I marveled at how quickly we got to Utah on our way down from Twin Falls to Idaho. It is amazing to me what a lot of time is saved by a good road.

We kept watching to see what kind of vehicle this was. From the rear it looks like a tricycle.

Fast freeway from Twin Falls to the Utah border.

We stopped for gas in Snowville again. I got to see my dinosaur buddy again.

Mike and Rebekah's house

 

Rebekah and Mike's house was beautiful and very nice. I was surprised when I saw it in person because Rebekah had taken me on a virtual tour while I was in Accra. The ceilings felt higher and the rooms felt wider than on my tour. I found the kitchen, dinning room, and living room were all open in the middle - which made it feel bigger - the bedrooms seem to be bigger too. The two sides of the house had bedrooms. On very large master bedroom with walk-in closet and bathroom on one side and two bedrooms on the other. Close to the entrance is one more room with a glass door that is Mike's office. All are spacious and lovely.

I am so very happy for the both of them because they had lived in such a tiny apartment in Pleasant Hill that is was really nice to see that they could live in a home that is wide-open. The differences between living in the Bay Area and Twin Falls.

I had a lot of fun in the dining room because Rebekah had gotten Mike a 2000 piece puzzle and got it out because she knew I would love it!

Rebekah and I had a nice leisurely Sunday afternoon chatting and putting together the edges and such of that puzzle.

I hope she sends a picture when it is done.