Entry for April 17, 2011

I can’t believe it has been four weeks since I’ve written. We’ve had a busy and good four weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed General Conference this year. It was so great and spiritual. Each talk seemed better than the last. I couldn’t pick a favorite. The Thursday after we went to Utah. It is too hard for us to go down and back in one day so we left Thursday and came back Saturday. Elder McK opened up for me and counted the money with Elder P and then the P took charge for me so we could be in Utah. We went to the Ks’ first and ate supper with them. We had a very nice visit with them. We also watch Tangled by Walt Disney productions. It is a cute show. I can see why it would appeal to the younger set. We got to M’s just barely ahead of him after he finished his second work. It was fun being there with them, especially with their little girls. They make life very interesting. We played a game of Pinochle after Abbie left for pre-school and before she, Kendra and Collin got home. Natasha stayed with a friend since we would be using her bed. She came and had supper with us so we did get to see her and visit with her for a little while. That evening we went to Titanic, the Musical. I had never heard of it before. C played the clarinet in the orchestra. The orchestra was awesome. I especially liked the way they quit playing all together. They would be playing crescendo and all of a sudden there would be silence. I felt for the director. My right arm ached in sympathy with her right arm. She waved her wand for a straight hour without respite in the first act. I enjoyed it and was glad we went. M went with us. We saw Tasha and her friends. T went the Monday before. Saturday morning Mama called and wanted us to visit with her a little before meeting up in SLC at Bonnie and David’s to go out to Sizzler to have dinner to celebrate Mama’s 92nd birthday. All of my living siblings and their spouses were there as well as my sister-in-law who had married my youngest brother. It was very enjoyable. I ordered the Malibou chicken and Karl got the salad bar. That was the way to do it. I was able to eat almost all of my chicken and half of my baked potato and a couple of nibbles from Karl’s plate. He had a couple of bites of my chicken. It snowed the whole time we were there at Sizzler. It was 3:30 or later when we left. The others were going back to Bonnie’s for dessert and to open the gifts. We opted not to go back there. It would have been 5:00 before we left if we had. We didn’t get home until 9:30 as it was. We stopped in North Salt Lake to pick up Kim’s Grace to bring her up here to stay with her other Grandparents. (We were able to spend some time with her Thursday afternoon and evening.) We were glad that we went except for the weather. The temps were colder down there than they were up here in Idaho. However, the wind wasn’t blowing so it was actually more pleasant most of the time. We woke up to snow each morning but it was melted by noon. We got into a bad storm on the way down. It actually snowed from Downy on but it didn’t start to stick to the roads until Ogden. Thro’ Ogden, Roy and Layton, it was horrendous. You could only see 1 ½ car lengths in head of you and there was solid traffice on either side as well as front and back. We ran into some snow on the way back too but it was mostly rain, all be it was heavy rain in spots. By the time we got to Tremonton, the rain had slowed considerably and by the time we got to Malad the roads were dry and we saw the first sunshine and blue skies all week. We had printed off the bulletin Thursday morning before we left. I was really thankful I had because I surely didn’t feel like doing it when we got back home.

The rest of the week was pretty normal. G did come over Thursday afternoon about 3:00. My sweetheart had often told me and others that he wasn’t really interested in the exhibit at the Museum of Idaho…the bodies exhibit. I wanted to see it and G said she would like to see it too. So we went there and my sweetheart went to exercise at Apple Athletic Club. G and I both thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit. It was graphic and I can see why some people would be squeamish but I found it very interesting and Grace said she did too. I was thankful for my medical background because I could explain things to her in a little more detail and we didn’t have to spend so much time reading all of the material. I noticed how much I had forgotten since taking Anat. & Phys. 39 years ago. (My that makes me seem old!) I still did remember quite a bit tho’. The museum closed at 5:00 so we came home and picked up Grandpa and then we drove to the FHC where I showed Grace around where we worked. Then we went to the Temple Visitors Center. We had been wanting to see the exhibit there of Mark Maybry on the life of Jesus Christ. He is so talented. At first glance they looked like paintings but they were photographs. It is something they way he was able to pose people to take their pictures. Grace said she enjoyed it too. They have a Christus there and they take you in and sit you down in front of it and then turn on a recording depicting the Savior speaking to us. I was sitting there looking up at Him as the recording started: “I am Jesus Christ...” a feeling of emotion swept over me like I have never experienced before. I knew He was speaking to me. It was a wonderful feeling. I could really feel His love for me. After the Visitor’s Center, we took Grace to Wendy’s for supper. The tickets for the museum were quite expensive but they had coupons for each one of them for a free softie with a combo. We had a very nice meal there. G’s other grandpa picked her up at our place about 9:30. I was tired after she left but was really glad we were able to spend that time with her. She was grateful and told us thank you many times.

Friday afternoon about 1:00, B and S picked us up on the way back from Rexburg and then stopped at K’s and we all got into her car and she drove us down to Grace to see my mother-in-law. B and S were here from Nebraska for her to start her second semester there at BYU-I. We had a very nice visit—all of us—down and back as well as a nice visit with my mil. We were glad we went. We got back here about 7:00. I was tired but happy. It was neat to spend time with two of my children, a granddaughter and my mil. Saturday was our day at the FHC. It was potluck both Wednesday and Saturday. We do the second Wednesday and the third Saturday and occasionally they fall in the same week. Yesterday morning, I was in Brother S’s computer tips class and the man at the desk came and asked me if I tho’t I could help a Spanish speaking couple with new.familysearch.org even tho’ they don’t know any English. They had an interpreter with them so that did help. I am grateful that I am as familiar with new.familysearch as I am because altho’ it was in Spanish and I don’t speak or read Spanish as a rule, I was able to help them. I learned that Buscar means Search. They needed to put some names into the program in order to do their work. There were brothers but no parents. I was sitting there wondering how we could put them in without the parents. I’m so grateful for the Holy Ghost who nudges my mind so I can help the patrons. He helped me remember that if I went into the parents & siblings (padres y hermanos) screen I would be able to do it. I worked with them for about 1 ½ hours. I had to leave and eat lunch because I had a class to teach at 1:00. But Sister Price helped them finish up and they had an FOR with seven people on it when they left. I was able to tell them that on Thursday afternoon one of our missionaries works who speaks Spanish. It was a very good feeling to be able to help them. One sister who came in for a class schedule ended up staying for my class and I think she will continue to come. I had two patrons and two missionaries. A small class but as long as people are learning, it is good.

Today, was our ward conference. The talks by the Bishop and President A. They were very good talks and Sunday School and RS were both very good as well. It has been a good day. I am kind of tired this afternoon after all my activities from Wednesday to today. I am so thankful that I can do things that many days in a row. Six years ago I wouldn’t have been able to do half of it if any of it. I have truly been blessed. We just completed our fourth year at the FHC and have begun our fifth. It is very rewarding work.