December 30th - Busy Monday

Things aren't quite back to normal yet, but today was more like a busy Monday - a little less vacation and holiday attitude.  I am also feeling better, so that is good.

I made a list of the major projects that I need to work on this week and I did a little on each one today.  I haven't inventoried the 3 month food storage in a while (supposed to be on a schedule doing that - oops!), so today I got it about half done.  I will try to finish in the morning, so I can work on my Costco shopping list next.

I have several family history presentations coming up, so I worked on some of that.  I have next Sunday's lesson to get together.  There were a couple of questions in class last week that I want to address more next time, so I had a little research to do.  The ward mission leader talked to me about doing presentations to some Home Owner Associations or similar organizations that offer class activities from time to time, so I wanted to get an angle on that.  I have the county presentation coming up in February, although that is pretty much planned, I do keep reviewing it in case I think of something more.  There is also a youth fireside in March, I think it is, which will be much the same as my Sunday presentation, with some changes to make it a little shorter and more pertinent to the youth. 

I have some more things on the list that I was able to cross off.  What I didn't get to was anything much around the house, other than dishwasher and that sort of stuff.  I also took another nap when I began to feel so tired in the mid-afternoon.  I am just listening to my body on that, hoping that a little more rest will get rid of the rest of the stuff that is still hanging on.

Lisa called and invited us to come over for New Years Eve, so I guess we will be doing that.  They will be celebrating from about 5 - 8, with lots of activities for the kids.  I figured we could last that long - Ha!

It has been a good day and I have actually accomplished a lot.  Hopefully my project list will be completed in a few more days.  I suppose I should add one more thing to my list - resolutions!  But then, I don't really do resolutions since they seem to be a way to get set up to fail.  I will add it to my list, though, and decide after I ponder on it some!

December 29th - Wonderful Sunday

This has been a busy Sunday, but a really good one.  I am feeling much better, so that has helped make it better, too.

Sacrament meeting talks were really good.  Then I had to teach my Family History class during Sunday School.  There were quite a few people missing, but it was a good lesson, anyway.  I am trying to figure out how to get everything in by the end of January.  We may have to run over a week or two.

Then, because it was a fifth Sunday, we had a combined third hour with the Priesthood and Relief Society.  I did the presentation on - guess what! - family history.  The church had prepared a Sunday lesson with several good videos and stressing the importance of stories and pictures to help connect with our ancestors.  I just did the presenting, so it wasn't really that bad.  I think it went really well - at least everyone seemed to be paying attention and I got several comments afterwards.  I even got one message from a sister letting me know she will be taking the next Sunday class that starts in March.

Back home, I got the beginnings going for dinner.  We had homemade tacos and cheese enchiladas.  I got the enchiladas in the pan ready to heat and the meat cooked for the tacos.  I then spent some time on the computer and doing a few other things.  I was back in the kitchen chopping things when Lisa and crew arrived.  She helped finish the chopping, Ashby set the table (with a little help from Gandma Vanett), and I started frying the tortillas.  We ate a ton!  They were so good.  Bill was so late getting home that David and Vanett had more tacos with him.  Then we topped it all off with a key lime pie.  Can't do better than that for eating!

The rest of our afternoon and evening, we just relaxed and laughed and talked.  Bill had fun playing hide-and-seek with Ashby and Brooks and they loved it, too.  I always enjoy our Sundays - and this was a good one.

December 28th - Just Saturday!

I am feeling a little better each day, but not totally normal.  Whatever.  (I read that "whatever" is the most hated word these days.  Well, whatever!  Ha.)

Today was just a normal Saturday, so I just did my normal things!  That would be about 4 loads of laundry, straightening the house, actually deep cleaning the bathroom, cleaning out the freezer (I finally got it all emptied and now it is ready to refill!), computer time, final touches on both my lesson and the fifth Sunday presentation I have to do tomorrow, a short nap (getting shorter, good sign I am getting better!), planning meals for tomorrow and New Year's Day, making the grocery list, etc.  I didn't do the shopping, though.  Bill likes to go, so I send him whenever I can get by with it!  Of course, I still have to put it all away, but I would be doing that anyway, so it is still a win for me.

Bottom line, it wasn't too exciting, but I actually got quite a lot accomplished today. 

December 27th - Another "Lay Low" Day

I am feeling better, but the sore throat just doesn't go away - or the mild headache and tiredness.  Since it isn't getting worse, I am sure it is just the sinus drainage.  Irritating, but not fatal!

I did a few things around the house today - just enough, actually, to say that I did something!  LOL!  I also made a run to the library to return a few things and to pick up another book that had come in.  I didn't feel like going anywhere else, so the AT&T store will have to be another day.  (I need to have them move my contact list over to my new phone.)

At home, I mostly worked on family history and got into it more than I have in a while.  I am trying to solve my Reuben Wesco problem, but I think I am going to have to actually travel to Preble County, Ohio, to really have any hope of figuring the details out.  Some people have very complicated lives!

I also took a rather long nap again today.  I like taking an occasional nap, but not everyday, which it seems to be lately.  Hopefully, once the holiday season is over and I have to get back to a more normal routine that will change.  Well, and when I feel better, too, I guess.

I finished another book tonight, so my pile is going down slowly.  I will be renewing some of them for another round in a couple of weeks.  We will see how many I can read before then!

Although it was a slow day, I felt really good about what I got done.  There just isn't much that is interesting to write about!  Such a boring - and good - life.

December 25th - Recovery Day

I decided to keep it really slow and low today.  I still have the sore throat, but chose to ignore it over Christmas.  Unfortunately, it didn't go away.  Since it hasn't gotten worse, I am quite sure it is sinus, rather than strep or something.  Even so, it drains the energy and I needed a day to recoup.

I did wash sheets, plus a couple of other loads.  There wasn't too much house stuff to do, other than emptying the dishwasher, since it was cleaned up nicely yesterday.  There are still a few things to be put away, but I figured they would still be there tomorrow.

I spent some time at the computer, too.  Also, I spent time playing with my new Iphone.  Then I took a nap that lasted most of the afternoon.  That was the surest sign that I needed to rest, more than anything.  I will try to do a little more tomorrow.

So, trying to get back to normal - both from Christmas festivities and from the sore throat.  Here's hoping I make it!

December 25th - A Wonderful Christmas Day!

This has been a nearly perfect Christmas Day.  We slept in and relaxed most of the morning.  I fixed the sausage, cream cheese, and crescent roll breakfast bake.  Then I got the potato salad put together, the frozen rolls rising, and the ham into the oven.  Eventually, I got the table set.  Oh, and I had the last two gifts to get wrapped.  That pretty much took all morning!

Sometime around noon, Lisa and family made it over.  The kids were beyond excited!  They had both gotten special gifts from Santa and it was hard to get them away from them.  Since dinner was ready, we ate right away - ham, potato salad, tortellini salad (Lisa brought), dinner rolls, relish tray.  Very easy and very tasty, too!

We finally got around to opening gifts, which took a very long time, because after each gift was opened, it had to be played with for a while.  Of the things I got them, Ashby's favorite was the school house (she gets to play teacher, using the pointer, white board, map, etc, like a real teacher!).  Brooks favorite was the Play-doh garbage truck (so why do little boys love garbage so much?)  They each played with their favorite most of the rest of the day.  Although, the car mat, cars, and Barbies got their share of attention, as well.

We then all gathered around the table to enjoy chocolate fondue - what fun!  And it tasted great, too.  The kids think it is so neat to take that long fork and dip something into the chocolate.  Brooks loved doing the "circle" (Krispie Kreme donut hole) - in fact, he had most of them.  I should have bought more.  We actually cleaned up all the chocolate and dippers.

They finally had to clean up, pack up, and head for home.  Brooks had taken a long nap, so he was doing pretty well, but poor Ashby was just about totally spent.  It has been quite a day for the two of them.

Once they left, there wasn't really much to do around the house as everyone had helped get things cleaned up.  I played with my new Iphone a little and then headed in to bed myself.  I finished the last chapter in Moroni, so I have finished the Book of Mormon this year again.  It seems somehow fitting to end Christmas with this accomplishment!

So grateful for the Savior, for the family, and for all the wonderful blessings I have!

December 24th - Christmas Eve!

This has been a good day - of course, it is Christmas Eve!

Bill and I each had a to-go list and we both plugged away at the items at a rather leisurely pace, I must say.  I got the Tex-Mex dip all made.  Bill peeled the potatoes and we got them and the eggs all cooked for the potato salad.  I got most of the rest of the presents wrapped.

I also spent some at the computer.  By afternoon I was feeling pretty tired again, so I laid down for a couple of hours, although I didn't really sleep much.  Even so, it was enough to restore the energy for the evening.

Then it was time to get ready to join the rest of the family for our Christmas Eve celebrations.  It was held at Judy and Greg's this year.  Joy, Billy, and Stephanie were the only "Georgia" family that were missing.  We had a lot of fun.  Dinner was the traditional tacos and trimmings.

After dinner, we did the gift exchange.  Judy had my name and gave me the softest couch blanket I have ever felt, plus a picture frame.  I had her name and gave her a scarf and a necklace.  Once we got all through that, we headed back to the kitchen to stuff ourselves on more desserts.  Eventually, we ended up in the basement where we did the gag gift exchange and laughed ourselves silly.  I ended up with a Ninja turtle chia pet from that!  Not sure what I am going to do with that!!!  We ended up being about the last to leave.  Bill helped Greg move a big air hockey game into the basement.  

It was a great evening, filled with fun and laughter and love.  On the way home, my thoughts turned to the Christmas Eve 16 years ago that we spent at the hospital with Jason, which turned out to be our last Christmas with him.  A few tears flowed, but I am grateful for the Atonement which started with the birth of Jesus Christ.  Because of the birth of this child, all will be overcome that death and we may be reunited to live as families. 

Merry CHRISTmas!

December 23rd - Fun Day with Brooks!

I felt a little better today - still tired and a bit of a sore throat, but way better than yesterday.  I guess staying in bed then was a good idea.

My first order of business was to get my grocery shopping done.  I had my list and headed off by 9:00.  I wanted to beat the worst of the crowds, plus I needed to be back home when Brooks was dropped off.  I got everything I needed - well, almost.  I got it all unloaded and put away in time.

Lisa, Ashby, David and Vanett were going to the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker, at the Fox, but taking Brooks would not have been a good idea, so he got to come to Grandma's house instead.  He was so good and we had a ball.  He played with the trains for a long time, then got the cars out.  For lunch, he wanted mac & cheese, of course.  When Grandpa got home from his shopping, they played cars some more.

When I walked back into the room where they were playing and asked who wanted to take a nap, Brooks immediately said, "Me!"  He went right down and slept for a couple of hours.  By that time, I was pretty exhausted, too, so I took a nap at the same time.

When everyone was back up, he wanted to play with Grandpa some more, so they played with the block puzzle and the cars.  I was sitting at the computer doing a few things and could hear Brooks and I just kept laughing at his non-stop commentary about things.  So funny!

A family from the ward dropped by during the afternoon, too, to drop off a candle gift.  Very thoughtful!

Bill wanted to run up to Home Depot to pick up something, so the two of them took off.  They hadn't been gone too terribly long when Lisa and crew got back.  They had a great time, starting with lunch at a fancy Thai place in mid-town, then the ballet.  Ashby was just floating and we had to watch all her beautiful ballet moves for quite some time.  She was so cute.

We had a family from the ward come by during that time to carol and leave some candy.  When Bill got home later and found he had missed it, he was really upset.  And he did miss some very nice caroling!

Eventually, Bill and Brooks made it back home.  They had had fun, too, it seems.  Apparently, they had explored a good bit of Home Depot.  Brooks' favorite thing was the refrigerators, where he opened every door on every refrigerator and said, "Wow!" each time.

When they finally headed off to home, everyone was tired.  I was hungry, too, so I ate a bite and headed off to bed early again.  What a fun day with Brooks.  He was perfectly well behaved - we never had any pouting or tantrums or sass, just cute smiles, hugs, laughs, and non-stop talking.

December 22nd - Christmas Sunday and I am Home in Bed

I decided this morning that I had better stay home.  My throat was so sore I could hardly swallow and the headache was terrific.  What actually convinced me was when Bill said I looked awful.  So, one last day spent recovering.

I got the crock pot going and did a few odds and ends around, not much really.  Then I went back to bed and slept for a couple of hours.  I felt much better, so got my shower, thinking I was ready for the day.  By the time I finished, I was exhausted!  Even so, I couldn't sleep anymore, so I did some things at the computer for a while.  I then decided to lie down for just a little bit before the kids got here.  I had barely got settled in bed when Bill got home.  He told me all about what I missed at church, then decided to get his own quick nap in.  While he rested in his chair, I rested in bed.

It wasn't long before the kids all arrived.  Ashby was all dressed up in the new dress that Grandma Vanett bought for her the other day - when Ashby wanted to shop at Dillard's.  Brooks was decked out in his vest and tie.  They were both really cute.  Brooks was excited because the 3 year olds got to come into Primary for a bit of singing time and he liked being a big boy.  Apparently, Ashby played mother and came to sit beside him and then, when he didn't want to leave, she walked him back to the nursery.  Cute!

They changed out of their good clothes, putting on new jammies, and then the usual Sunday fun began.  We had the pot roast and all the trimmings for dinner - an easy, but very good meal.  Then we sat around talking, the kids playing, and half watching a movie on the Disney channel.  It was a very nice afternoon.  I exerted very little energy, other than sitting on the couch, so it was relaxing, too.  Brooks eventually fell asleep in Lisa's nap - something he almost never does, so he mush have been especially tired!  So, they loaded up and headed for home.

Shortly after they left, our hometeacher came by.  We had a very enjoyable visit with him.

After he left, I was finishing up a couple of things on the computer, planning to head back to bed, when Billy called.  We hadn't talked to him since he moved back to his condo in Cedar Rapids, so it was good to get caught up on how he was doing.  It sounds like the move went well.  He has just a few things left to get out of his apartment in Des Moines and will then move into his studio/efficiency over there sometime this week.  He also got all the papers done for the classes he will be taking this semester, so that is a relief, too.  He is getting up to the speed on the project at work now, and he is expecting a good bit of overtime during the next few months.  He is fine with that, as he is paid by the hour.  He got his first paycheck from the new job, too, and that is always exciting.  He is now 1099, so the paycheck really seemed big!  He said he stopped to see Grandpa on his way back to Des Moines this evening and gave a positive report on that, too.

By the time all of that was finished, I was ready for bed!  I feel much better tonight, so hopefully spending that one more day mostly resting will be enough to get rid of this, whatever it is.  I am quite sure it is just sinus, though, and not something worse.  We shall see!

December 21st - 1st Day of Winter

First day of winter and the temps are almost 70.  Hmm.  Must be global warming - or just the usual unpredictable winter weather in the south!

For me, though, it was another yucky day.  Still with the sore throat, headache, etc.  By evening, I even had a fever of just over 100.  I managed to get in a couple of naps during the day.  Otherwise, I was pretty much useless.

Bill spent several hours in the afternoon doing some shopping.  It was during that time that I took my second nap.  I don't know if he got all he wanted, but at least he ran by the grocery store and picked up what little I needed for tomorrow's dinner.  I did manage to get that all put together in the crockpot, so it just has to be plugged in in the morning.

It just feels like another wasted day.  Even the things I did on the computer did not keep me engaged.  I kind of jumped from thing to thing.  I sent out an email to my family history class to warn them that I may not make it in the morning.  There is so much stuff going around that I certainly don't want to add to it if I am contagious.  I still think it is just sinus, but I don't get fevers with that, so now I am a little suspicious.

Here's hoping this is about over.  I am a terrible sick person!

December 20th - Still a Bit of a Down Day

I woke up early and was up for a couple of hours.  When I decided I really needed to get showered and dressed, I found myself back in my bed!  Well, it was there and I just couldn't resist.  I still have the sore throat and feel yucky.  I don't think it is really anything, probably the sinus thing again, but it is still enough to drain the energy.

I was just getting back up when the doorbell rang.  So, I put on the housecoat and went to find Lisa, Brooks and Vanett there.  They were bringing back all my things she had borrowed for her dinner last night. Even though I was a mess (I still hadn't gotten that shower!), we had a fun visit.  When they left, I went straight to the shower before someone else came by and saw me!  I like to get dressed first thing when I get up, so of course I get caught on the day that I don't do it!

I don't really feel much like doing things, so I spent a good bit of time at the computer.  I always have plenty of things to keep me entertained there.  I did clean out the buffet, where all those Christmas dishes are stored.  I figured that since it was practically empty, I should go ahead and finish cleaning it.  So, everything is now clean and put away.  And that is about the only constructive thing I accomplished!

I got in another nap later in the afternoon.  Talk about lazy!  Tomorrow I am going to have to do a bit more.  I have made all these lists of things that have to get done (part of just sitting at the computer, what can I say?) and I really must do at least some of them. 

So, it was a day of getting some rest, but I accomplished very little else worth mentioning.  Here's hoping the sore throat will be gone when I awake in the morning!

December 19th - Stupid Sore Throat!

I noticed a sore throat yesterday, but I thought if I just ignored it, it would go away.  Not so.  It is more noticeable today and I am not happy!  I chose to stay away from water aerobics class.  It didn't seem wise to get wet and be outside, even if it isn't all that cold.  I also figured that I should do a "lay low" kind of day, which is what I did.

That means I didn't accomplish much.  Lisa did come by for a few minutes, with Brooks and Vanett, to pick up some more things for her recipe club dinner this evening.  She decided to borrow all the Christmas mugs and the folding chairs. 

Other than that little interruption, I was pretty much at the computer all day or taking a nap.  How boring!  I finally got the Sunday lesson pretty much ready.  I also worked on the fifth Sunday presentation that I have to do.  That is pretty much together, too. 

I slept a long time this afternoon and woke up feeling worse!  Rats.  I don't think there is a fever, though, so I am still hopeful that this is just something that will pass quickly.

Needless to say, I was in bed rather early and read for a while.  There are days that are best just not writing about, and this was one of them!

December 18th - Busy Genealogy Day!

Today was the monthly meeting of the Genealogy Study Group, a local group that meets at the church building.  Since I am the liaison between the group and the church, I have to be there early to help them get set up.  I picked up my friend, who also attends, and we headed out.  We got things all set up, enjoyed the meeting, followed by the steering committee meeting, and then got everything back to order.  After all of that, she and I went out to a late lunch.  I also visit teach her and we have kind of turned this into our visiting teaching.

When I finally got back home, it was around 2:00.  The TV repairman was scheduled to come between 2 and 6, so I couldn't really take a nap, which I really wanted!  I have had a killer sore throat today and I could have used some sleep.  Instead, I worked on family history.  I am still working on the story that I am using for my lesson on Sunday.  It is about one of my brick walls, and of course I have to keep trying to find just one more answer!

The repairman finally came at almost 6:00.  He had obviously had one of "those kinds of days."  It only took him less than half an hour to replace the mother board, so now all is working well again.  Bill will be so happy to be able to sleep in front of the TV again!  It has been 3 1/2 weeks without.  It was all under warranty, but there seemed to be a comedy of errors trying to prevent the repair - shipping the parts, the UPS truck not getting unloaded when the parts came, my being out of town for a week and Bill's schedule too full to be at home, etc.  Anyway, it is now fixed.  I haven't missed it at all - but then I hardly watch it anyway.

Bill had activity night at the church tonight and I hit the bed early.  It has been a busy day, but a good one.  Again.  I seem to say that almost every day!

December 17th - Reconnecting with a Wonderful Friend!

This has been another busy day.  I started with water aerobics, came home and showered, and Lisa came by to borrow a bunch of my Christmas dishes for her recipe club meeting later this week.  Then I met one of my visiting teaching sisters for lunch.

Once I got home, I didn't feel like doing much that required any effort!  So, of course, I worked on my family history lesson for Sunday.  I have chosen a story with some brick walls and I have to do some serious preparation to get it together.  Anyway, I was buried in all of that when I got a phone call from my best friend from Florida!

We have not been in touch for quite a while.  In fact, the last time I saw her was in February of 2001, when we went to Hawaii together.  We have not talked to each other in years, although I regularly send Christmas cards.  She has had a really tough year and really needed someone.  I am flattered that I am still that to her.  We had a nice, long conversation and I am looking forward to us getting together again sometime during the next few months.  It is amazing that being apart from someone does not destroy a deep friendship.  I have thought of her often, and talk about her, too, but have not really done my part to keep in touch.  She was afraid that I would be mad, because she hasn't done any better.  Not so.  I was thrilled!

I finally got some of the Christmas gifts wrapped.  I started pulling things out of the closet and discovered that I had four things for each of the grandkids, plus one more thing for the both of them.  I think it is time to stop buying! 

Bill went home teaching last night and I did the relaxing through the evening thing.  I was so tired that I was so ready for bed as soon as I thought it was late enough!  Of course, I still took a little time to read.  I should get the Book of Mormon finished before the end of the year, as I have just a few pages left.  Good for me!

December 16th - A Day to Wear Me Out!

This was my first "real" day back from my trip to Iowa and I had a ton of things to get done.  I wore myself out!

There was a ton of laundry - at least five loads.  I needed to do a little extra cleaning since we had Empty Nesters here in the evening.  I actually even vacuumed, which I usually will not do, but Bill was not going to be home in time from work and there wasn't any choice.  I also had to prepare the table for the refreshments.  That isn't all that hard, but I did have to dig around in the Christmas buffet to find just the right things for serving and to decorate.  I had to make a run to the library and then to the grocery store for the ingredients for the hot chocolate. 

My assignment for refreshments was some cookies and the hot chocolate.  I usually just use the Nestle's mix, but I wanted this to be better, so I did a Pinterest search for the crock pot hot chocolate.  Boy, was it good!  Of course, what else would you expect from something made from whole cream, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips!

In between all the work, I was at the computer.  What I really wanted to be doing was working on next week's family history lesson.  The biggest challenge is to come up with the story that both teach a lesson and make an ancestor come to life.  I had one idea, but it just wasn't right, but I did finally find the exact right story for next week's lesson. 

Empty Nesters was fun.  The group went caroling, but I stayed home to finish the refreshments.  I was feeling a little stressed and didn't want to come back and still have things to do.  Everyone loved the hot chocolate, as well as the egg nog and raspberry lemonade, and all the cookies!

I ended the day totally wiped out, though!

December 15th - Only Ten Days Until Christmas!

This month is flying by!  Of course, taking off a week to go to Iowa has taken a big bite out of it.  It was worth it, though.  Now, if I can just get caught up at home!

Today was Sunday and was a great day, as always.  In Sacrament Meeting, there were two special musical numbers and both were great.  It adds a lot to the meeting. 

My Sunday School class went well, too.  They finally got the wi-fi working.  Well, actually our techie guy got so fed up with trying to work it out with Salt Lake that he just by-passed their equipment and now it works perfectly.  That is good for me, because it is hard to show anyone how to use FamilySearch when you can't be on live doing it.

Back home, I put together a quickie kind of dinner - just some chicken al fredo made with soup base, rigatoni, and canned chicken.  I added some refrigerator biscuits and broccoli and it was actually very good.  At least, everything got eaten!

It was fun having everyone over.  I usually only see the kids once or twice during the week, if that, but it was still fun to see them.  We had a fun, relaxing afternoon.  Lisa brought her laundry over to wash while they were here.  Her washer broke down for good last week and she had come over while I was gone to wash, but it had piled up again.  They have a new one ordered to be delivered the end of this week.  We are buying it for them as their Christmas present, which makes my Christmas shopping much easier! 

I am glad to be home, but I have a busy week coming and I am not sure I want to face that!  At least today was a great day.

December 8th - 14th - Been Out of Town!

I left on Monday morning to fly to Iowa for the week.  My dad's 86th birthday was on Wednesday and I wanted to spend some time with him.  It didn't hurt that I found a good fare direct to Cedar Rapids, either!

Usually when I am out of town, and often out of wi-fi/internet access, I write up the blog each day and then just post as I get a chance.  This time, I just didn't bother!  After all, we didn't do enough to write about each day and I was on vacation.

Mostly, we just sat around his house, watching TV.  Of course, I always have a book, so I read 4 books this week.  And, every night, we went over to the Garage Mahal, my brother's bar in his garage, for an hour or so.  Nothing much to share with all that!

On his birthday, we went to a birthday party for my sister-in-law's mother.  It was the same day as Dad's birthday, but he didn't do a party this year.  She turned 85, so it was a big deal for her.  I actually enjoyed it, since her son-in-law is a musician and he brought in a couple of friends and they did a little show. 

And that was about it!  It was a good week.  We both enjoyed it.  He doesn't want any presents for anything, so spending some time with him is the best thing.

I got back home Saturday about 5:00, showered, and took off again for a Christmas party at the home of some friends.  When we got home from that, I still had a number of things to get so - like plan something for dinner tomorrow, put the finishing touches on my lesson, unpack, etc. 

After that, things will have to get back to normal.  It has been a good week, though.

December 7th - Lisa's First Recital.... as a Teacher, that is

Another busy Saturday.  The morning was spent cleaning, laundry, changing sheets, running to the grocery store, making some plans, working on the final touches for my lesson, etc............  Same as all Saturdays, really.

In the afternoon, while I was still busy at the computer, Bill went over to the church to attend a baptism.  When he got home, it was about time for us to head over to Lisa's church building to attend her very first recital as a teacher.  She has about 14 students, I think.  I should have counted.  Four of them are the voice and the rest are piano.  It was a very nice recital.  The voice students intermixed with the piano made the program very entertaining.  There was even a pretty good turnout.  Ashby was there, passing out the programs and acting like she was the assistant to the director.  Cute.

From there, we had time to go back home for a short break and then had to head off to our stake center for the Celebration of the Nativity.  We were asked to be the host couple to greet everyone as they arrived and give basic directions.  We were both given corsages when we arrived, so we looked like we were special, or something.  This is the first year our stake as done this and it was extremely well done.  They had displays of various kinds in all the rooms down one hall and then the nativities on display in the cultural hall with live music in the chapel.  Very nice and we enjoyed our assignment. 

One of the highlights was having a surprise visit from a couple we knew when we were in Johns Creek Ward.  He and his 13 year old son had been our home teachers when Jason was sick and we had grown very close.  It was fun to see them and have a chance to chat for a while.  Fortunately, they came near the end when things had slowed down.

By the time we finally got back home again, we were both exhausted.  But what a wonderful day we have had!

December 6th - Morning at the Mall!

I was still sitting around in my PJ's this morning - Bill had just left - when Lisa called and asked if I wanted to meet them at the mall so Brooks could play.  It sounded like a great idea to me, so I got the laundry going and put some clothes on and then headed out to meet up with them after they dropped Ashby at school.

It was early, about 9:30, when we met at the play area.  No one else was even there yet, so Brooks had the place to himself.  At least, he did for the first five minutes before others started showing up.  He had a great time.  He is now one of the "big" kids and it seems like it was only yesterday that he was the baby!

After he was played out, we went over to the cars and he rode several of those.  Grandma's always make sure there are quarters available, you know.  The pretzel place had opened by then and he always wants a pretzel, so he got the cup of pretzel bits and we sat and ate those for a snack.  Then we just walked the mall a while.  The most important thing was to ride in the "elegator" (elevator), so we did that.  By the time we finished walking, the train was open, so he took a ride on the train.  He always chooses the caboose.

What a fun morning!  He was getting tired, so he was happy to head on home at that point.  I headed on home myself, as I had a few things to get done.  Most important, I had to get the rest of the laundry done.  I also finished the last of the Christmas decorations, which was getting the reindeer out by the door.  The tree is not yet decorated, but the kids will do that on Sunday.  It actually looks pretty good with just the lights on it.

Bill got home early, so he was quickly getting restless.  He put some music on and took a short nap, but then wanted a to do list so he could keep busy.  I think I am liking this no TV thing.  He put lights out on the bushes, repaired one of the reindeer pieces that needed to be glued and nailed back together, repaired some lamps that have been sitting here half done for ages, ran to the library to get a book on CD for his trip to Alabama Monday, and a few other odds and ends. 

I, on the other hand, spent the rest of my afternoon on the computer, mostly.  I worked some on the fifth Sunday presentation that I have to do.  I was reviewing it and discovered some more optional material.  I did also make some gift tags for my visiting teaching gifts.

All in all, this has been quite a busy day.  I have had my trip to the mall during Christmas, which was nice since it was early and not yet busy.  That will probably be enough to satisfy me!

December 5th - Got the Christmas Tree Up!

This was pretty much a normal day - water aerobics, routine stuff at home, computer time, family history, etc. I was so totally tired this afternoon that I could hardly keep going.  I think it is the weather change again and the headache that comes with it.  I didn't want to nap, though, so I kept plugging away.  I actually got quite a lot done at the desk, especially getting through all my emails and responding, filing, or deleting them. 

Since the TV is still broken, and the repairman has to reschedule since UPS didn't unload one of their trucks and the parts for our TV were on that truck, Bill is still trying to keep himself busy.  He commented that he is sure getting a lot of other things done, since he can't sit in the chair and sleep.  I guess without the TV, he feels guilty just sitting and sleeping.  Anyway, he decided to go to Costco and pick up the artificial tree that he had seen last trip.  He called while he was there to say that the trees were gone and could I look to see if it was still available online, which I did and there were still some left.  When he got home, he came into the office to look at what they had.  Then he got that silly grin and said, "First, let me show you what I did get."  I figured he had bought a small TV to tide him over until the repair is done.  Nope.  He had the tree.  It turns out that all the trees were gone and he had asked two different floor people and they both said they were gone.  He had gone to a manager to ask if more would be coming in and it turns out they had 40 of them, but in a different place. 

Bottom line, it look all of about ten  minutes to get the thing out of the box, set up, and all the lights on.  I love artificial, pre-lit trees!  I have reached the point when easy is better.  It is a good looking tree and now only needs ornaments, which I will let the kids do on Sunday.

He also got the empty boxes put away and the nutcrackers put up on the top of the wall.  It is actually starting to look pretty good.

Merry Christmas ---- tree!!!

December 4th - Busy Family History Day

I had to work at the Family History Center this morning at 10:00, so I got a few things done before I had to get ready to go.  I will be working at this time on a regular basis now.  Some of the people from the Genealogy Study Group had mentioned coming, so we were excited to have three of them show up.  We were busy the whole time helping them and it was a lot of fun.

From there, I went over to the Sugar Loaf Mall to check out some clothes at Dress Barn.  I managed to find several sweater tops and some new PJ's, so now I have some better things to wear in Iowa.  I am just planning on jeans, but I needed some better tops.

By the time I got home, I was hungry and tired, so I didn't really do much else of great value, other than working on the computer, etc.  I had cleaned off my desk a few days ago and I now have a pile of things again.  I should have handled the pile, but I did some things that were more fun!

This evening, I had offered to have anyone from the Sunday School class who wanted extra help to come by.  Bill was at the church for activity night and it was a good time.  The biggest problem at church is the wi-fi, so it seemed like a good idea to just have it here.  One sister had planned to come and had to call at the last minute because of an unexpected conflict.  I did have one sister who is not in the class call and ask if she could come and get some help getting names ready for the temple.  She and I spent about an hour or so and got her going.

It seem to have been a family history kind of day, which means it has been a good day. 

December 3rd - Some Ashby Time Today!

I started my day with water aerobics.  It was fun being back in the pool after the two week break over Thanksgiving.  This is just a three week class and then another two weeks off over Christmas.  Trilby gave us a really good workout, though, so I am feeling good!

Back home, it was the usual routine around the house and on the computer/desk stuff.  Then I got a call from Lisa saying she had just picked Ashby up, but she needed to take Brooks to the doctor - slight fever, but a rash had developed - and she didn't want to go.  Needless to say, I was more than happy to have her dropped off here.

She came running in and was ready to have fun, which we did.  I had been working on getting all the Christmas decorations done earlier, so that is what attracted her attention.  She immediately went to the nativities.  We finished setting up the village and the clay pot soldiers and then she saw the box of nutcrackers.  Now they are all out and she has been having a ball.  They will eventually go up on the top of the divider wall, out of everyone's reach, so she is loving having them where she can play.

Bottom line, is that all the indoor decorations are in place, or ready to be put in place, so I have made good progress.  Well, that is, all but the tree.  I just have to put a couple of outdoor things to put out, then anything else will be up to Bill.  I don't do the lights.

Ashby and I had a great time playing.  David and Brooks came over later to pick her up.  Brooks wanted to play with the trains.  He remembered that yesterday at Target, we had bought some more train cars for Grandma's train.  He certainly doesn't look or act sick, but it turns out that he has strep - low fever, but the rash is why Lisa took him in.  He told me that he is all better now, because the doctor gave him the pink medicine.

It was a fun afternoon.  Nothing like grandchildren to make a day sparkle!

December 2nd - A Little Bit of a Productive Day

As usual on Mondays, I did the straighten the house routine, but there wasn't so much to do since the kids were not over yesterday.  I also worked at my computer stuff.  Then Lisa called and said that Brooks wanted to do something since he was feeling a little lonely with Ashby back in school.  So they came over and he played a while. 

We decided to do a Target run since he was still antsy and I had planned on going there sometime this week anyway.  He was very excited because he wanted to get a pretzel.  I picked up the things on my list and Brooks enjoyed browsing in the toy section.  And, before we knew it, it was time for them to go get Ashby from school

On my way home, I stopped at the library and returned a big stack and had to pick up two more books that had come in.  That completed my errand list for the day, so at least I accomplished something!

During the afternoon, I plugged away at getting some of the Christmas decorations out and set up.  I am maybe half done - well, other than the tree, which we do not have yet.

Bill checked with Costco about the TV not working and they gave him the contact information to get it fixed, since it is still under warranty.  He went through all the things they always try until they are sure the TV is actually broken.  They have set up with a local repair business to come and do the repair, but that is going to take at least a week.  Something about having to ship out the parts first.  They know exactly what is wrong, I think, because it is a flaw in this particular TV.  Anyway, I told Bill he needs to pretend that he is being noble and shutting off the TV for a week or two. 

All else is good.  If the worst problem we face this month is a broken TV, we will be blessed beyond measure!

December 1st - Happy Birthday, Brooks!

Today is actually Brooks' birthday, although he had his a party a week ago.  He is now 3 years old.  I can't believe how quickly that has happened!  They didn't come over for dinner either, so we didn't get to see him.  After all the Thanksgiving stuff and wanting to finish with their Christmas decorating, they decided on a quiet day at home.  It made our Sunday a quiet one, too.

Church was good, as always.  It was Fast and Testimony and there were many good things said.  My lesson in Sunday School went well.  I had decided that if the wi-fi was working, we would try to catch up on that part and let the lesson stuff wait.  We were blessed - the wi-fi worked through the whole class until the last 3 or 4 minutes.  The class was full and they were so excited to get some hands on experience.  Telling them what they need to do just isn't the same as getting in there and doing it.

When I got home, I didn't need to get any dinner going, so I was able to lie down and take a short nap.  I was so tired that it was just what I needed!  I had been up just a short time when Bill got home.  We decided to go ahead and cook what I had planned for dinner and it was so good.  We had grilled chicken thighs (marinated in Dale's), gilled veggies (yellow squash, zucchini, and onions, marinated in olive oil with Tony's seasoning), grilled slices of fresh pineapple, and boiled purple potatoes (yes, purple! from my Nature's Produce Delivered basket).  Yummy!  And it took almost no time to prepare.

When Bill tried to turn the TV on, it wouldn't come on.  He is beside himself.  The thing is less than a year old.  He is going to have to track down whether it is still under warranty to see if it can get repaired.  It doesn't bother me quite so much, as I only watch Netflix once in a while, but he watches every day.  It is his way of relaxing in the evening - watch TV and sleep, you know!

Even though it was a very quiet day, and we really missed having the kids over, it has been another wonderful Sunday.

November 30th - What! Last day of November!

The months seem to be going by faster and faster.  Case in point, November just started and now it is over.  Can't believe it!

It was also Saturday, but I managed to continue the rest and relax attitude that has prevailed the last few days.  Well, I did finish the laundry and got sheets changed, some usual house chores done, but only what I felt was necessary!  I spent most of the rest of the day at the computer, finishing up my lesson and working on a number of other things.  I also managed to dispose of a big stack of stuff off the desk and also cleaned out a good bit from one of my file drawers.

My only other plan for the day had been to put out the Christmas decorations.  Epic fail!  I walked into the room where all the bins are stacked several times - and then walked back out, thinking that I would do it later.  The only thing out so far is the large nativity that Ashby got out and played with the other night.  I did manage to find a place for it, so it is no longer on the dining room table.  And that was about it!

Bill did his share of resting and relaxing, too.  He has actually had two days without any work scheduled.  He did take a few hours this afternoon and worked on the yard, getting the leaves hauled off and doing some trimming and mowing.  He didn't finish, but he made a big dent.

So, our holiday week is finished and now we start into the Christmas season full speed.  I have been ordering things online and much of the shopping is done.  I do still have to get more decorations out and the tree is still not bought.  But, I plan to take it nice and easy!

November 29th - Recovery Day!

The only thing on my agenda today was to rest and recover.  I accomplished all goals for the day!!

I also managed to get the place straightened up again, wash four loads of laundry, work on my lesson, plus a few other odds and ends.  I also had left overs for lunch.

Bill spent most of the day with two of his sisters, having lunch and just talking.  He also made a stop on his way home to get some new printer cartridges.  I have some things to print for my lesson and the darn thing went dry.  I usually try to keep extras, but the supply is gone.  I guess I need to add ink cartridges to my storage inventory list.  Ha!

Not much to write about - but it was a good day.  When he got home, Bill asked how my lonely day went and I replied that I was never lonely, just alone.  Pretty much sums it up!

November 28th - Thanksgiving Day!

Well, we made it through the week and to the big day.  And what a great day it turned out to be.  Because I had worked so hard yesterday getting everything prepped, my morning was really easy.  I just put the black-eyed peas on the stove to coo, the green beans into the crockpot and turned it on, and the giblets on the stove to simmer.  I stuffed the turkey, which was easy since the dressing was already made.  Then set it back in the frig until it was time to put it in the oven.  I got the frozen rolls out of the freezer and into the muffin pan to thaw and rise.  Everything else was ready to go at whatever time was needed, which was mostly within the hour of dinner.

Then I just relaxed the rest of the morning.  The kids arrived about 1:00, bringing more food and lots of chaos!  I got the rest of my stuff cooking and Lisa got her things together and cooked, where needed.  We got the table set (oops, I had meant to do that yesterday, too.)  They had brought some snacks, so everyone else sat around munching and talking and watching TV.

When things were about ready, we put David to work carving the turkey and Lisa and I got everything dished up and out on the table.  It wasn't much past 2:00 when we were able to sit down to eat.  Brooks had been so tired that he was taking his nap.  Ashby had eaten so many snacks that she only ate a few bites before going in to play in the other room.  Which actually gave the rest of us a very relaxed and fun dinner!

When we finally left the table, Lisa and I divided up the leftovers and got everything put away, while Bill tackled cleaning up the kitchen.  That all took a little time, but it turned out to be just enough so that we were ready to dive into all those pies Lisa had brought - pecan, pumpkin and apple.  So good!

We spent the rest of the day and evening just hanging out, relaxing, having fun.  Eventually, Bill went up into the attic and got all the Christmas boxes down.  David is going to decorate their house and we gave them one of the big containers of lights, since we will not be doing that much decorating.  We still have two containers, so I think we have more than we need!

In the process of getting all the containers down, Ashby saw a box with the ceramic nativity set.  It is the largest of all my sets and was a gift from a niece some years ago.  Ashby was so sweet when she came up and said, "Grandma, I know when I was three I broke the baby Jesus, but......"  She looked so sorry and I could read her mind!  I told her she could play with it if we put it somewhere that Brooks would not get it.  We went into the dining room and put it on that table and she played with it most of the rest of the evening.  She especially loves the baby Jesus, because he is a separate piece and not just part of the manger piece, so she can hold him in her hand.

They finally left to head home around 9:00.  It has been a perfect Thanksgiving Day - food, family and fun!  I am thankful for so many wonderful things.

November 27th - Prep Day!

My only important assignment of the day was to get everything ready for tomorrow - well, all the food anyway.  I did a little at a time and ended up spending a good bit of the day.  In between, I was doing other things and working on family history - big surprise!  Ha.

So, now everything is ready to put in the oven or in the crockpot or on the stove or on the table at the appropriate time.  Let's see:  turkey is in the roaster, just needing to be stuffed; stuffing is all ready, just waiting to go in the turkey (I don't like to leave the stuffing in the turkey overnight - just doesn't seem like a good idea); potatoes are peeled and soaking in a bowl of water; cranberry relish is all made (and does it ever taste good!); green beans are snapped and ready for the crockpot; baby spinach leaves are washed and ready to be cooked; black eyed peas are rinsed and ready to cook; cucumbers and onions are sliced and in the vinegar.  All I have left to do is put the frozen rolls out to thaw in the morning and to put the relish tray together.  Everything else is on Lisa's list.  She posted pictures of the pies she made, so we will be having some terrific dessert!

It has been a good day, just puttering along doing a little at a time.  It doesn't seem much like work that way.  I got quite a lot done at the computer, too, as I sent out some overdue emails that needed to go, worked on my project for my class Sunday, and did a few other things.

I was pretty tired this afternoon, but didn't want to nap, so I just rested and watched a couple of episodes of Monarchy.  I am really good at being lazy!

So, my prep day is finished and it looks like I actually got my prep all done!  Now, that is something to be thankful for. 

November 26th - The Calm Before the Storm!

I had a rather quiet day today.  The weather was awful, raining and cold all day long.  So, it was good that I didn't have any really big plans - I wouldn't have wanted to do them anyway!  Instead, other than the usual things that always have to be done, I spent most of my day at my desk.  I got my lesson for next Sunday planned out and some of the prep things done.  I still have a little project to finish for that, but I made good progress. 

I managed to sneak in a little short nap this afternoon and started a new book before I dozed off.  I even cooked dinner again - meaning that I have actually fixed something every day this week so far.  It wouldn't be fair to call it "cooking" - "fixing" seems a better description, but at least there was something prepared.  It won't happen tomorrow, as any leftovers have to go so there will be room for the Thanksgiving stuff.

I enjoy these low key days way too much.  But, I have no intention of changing anything!

November 25th - Grocery shopping day!

This was almost a normal Monday, where I just get the house straightened after the weekend and then work on my next lesson and other such things.  I did do all of that, including getting a short nap.

But, with Thanksgiving this week, I also had to make a trip to the grocery store before it got too hectic.  I already have most of what I need for my share of dinner, but there are always a few items to pick up.  Getting that done, without the grocery store being in total chaos, made it a good day!  Plus, there were a lot of sales because of the holiday, so I picked up some extra things that I use anyway.  So glad to have that done!

I had a friend stop by today.  She makes things with her vinyl cutter and they are so cute.  She had recently posted a picture of a wood plaque with a big initial and the family name superimposed on it, along with the marriage date.  I liked it, so I had told her I would get one.  She was dropping it off today.  The problem?  She had thought I would not be home, so she could just leave it by the door as a surprise Christmas gift.  Well, I was home and I caught her!  In spite of my trying to pay for it, she insisted it was a gift.  I am really happy with it and am trying to decide exactly where I want it hung.  She is the same one who stayed in our house last summer while we were in Florida and she was between houses.  The house she finally bought is in a different stake and we have missed her.  She had three of the four children with her, too, and it was fun getting to chat a few minutes.  Thanks again, Andrea!

As it turned out, my normal Monday had a little extra added.  It was a good day. 

November 24th - Frustrated!

Today was Sunday and it was a great day, except for the wi-fi at church!  I am very frustrated.  Last week, it seemed to be fine, but today it kept dropping and I was not able to really do what we wanted to do in our family history class.  I am considering other alternatives - like getting a 4G hook up for my computer, so I don't have to depend on the wi-fi anymore.  We will see!

Otherwise, the day was a usual wonderful Sabbath - the talks were good; other than the wi-fi problem, my class went well; great lesson in RS.

For dinner, I wanted to use up some things.  I am trying to empty the freezer for a thorough clean before I refill it.  So, I wanted to use the last pound of hamburger, which is not enough for a big dinner.  I found a taco casserole recipe that I decided to try.  It was actually pretty good.  The bottom layer was instant mashed potatoes that had been seasoned with taco seasoning.  The top layer was hamburger, refried beans, salsa, taco seasoning.  It was served with taco toppings like cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, black olives.  With peas and apple sauce on the side, it turned out pretty good.  Particularly successful was seeing Ashby eat a big helping of it and not leaving a bit!

We had a relaxing rest of the day with the kids here.  There is no school this week, so they didn't feel pressured to get home and get the kids to bed.  As usual, the kids were entertaining and we laughed a lot.

After they left, our home teacher came by and we had a nice visit with him. 

I do love my Sundays!

November 23rd - Birthday Party for Brooks!

He doesn't turn 3 until December 1st, but with crazy schedules this time of year, today was the best day for Brooks' birthday party.  And what a party it was!  Since he is totally absorbed with "Mighty Machines," his party was all about machines and construction.  As usual, Lisa did  a great job.

There was construction tape, warning signs, and orange cones, inside and out.

The favorite thing for Brooks was the big pile of rocks and all the machines to play with.  It was equally popular with the rest of the children.  Here Brooks and Ashby check it out before the party even starts.

The cake was a "dirt" cake (ground up Oreos) with some chocolate rocks in the corner and machines on top.  Brooks' big meltdown of the morning was when he was not allowed to play in the cake before the party had even started!  He did play in it after everyone had gone home - or at least he played in what was left of it.

He loved having everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to him.  I don't think a smile can get any bigger!

I think everyone had a great time.  It was a perfect party for little boys, but I think the little girls had just as much fun.  It is hard to believe that is 3 already - how the time flies!  We were sure glad that Grandpa and Grandma were invited to the party, too.

November 22nd - Remembering Jason

Jason died 15 years ago today.  We remember him every day, but it has been on my mind a little more than usual.  Love you, Jason!

My day was actually very busy and not at all depressing.  I was doing the usual routine in the morning and was working on the computer when Lisa called.  She and Brooks were at the mall to get him a haircut and were going to play a little first.  When they pulled in to the parking lot, Brooks wanted to know if Grandma was going to be there.  How sweet is that!  I often meet them at the mall, so I left right away and met up with them.  He got his haircut and then we had lunch.  Then it was time for them to go pick up Ashby, while  I stopped at Bath & Body Works to pick up some Christmas gifts for my visiting teaching sisters.  What a fun time and Brooks looks really cute with his short hair.

On the way home, I ran all the errands on my list:  stop at the library to return three things and pick up two more; stop at CVS to pick up some sale items; stop at the Kroger pharmacy to pick up a prescription.  Then I headed back home.  That all took a pretty good hunk out of the middle of my day!

At home, I had the laundry to finish and I made a batch of butter cookies so there would be something in the cookie jar.  Now, if we can make them last until Sunday!  That is more of a challenge than I had expected.  I was then able to head back to the computer.  I have my Sunday lesson pretty much together, but I did spend some time going over the 5th Sunday lesson for December.  I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed and also to make sure the bishopric knew what was expected.  The lesson is designed for the adults and youth, so hopefully the bishopric will include the youth.  There is also a new booklet that is to be given out.  However, the ward would have to buy them and I am not sure they will do that.  It will probably depend on the state of the ward budget right here at the end of the year.  It should be a fairly easy presentation since the outline has been prepared by the church and includes four videos.

I had a very busy day today and it was a good one.  I have missed Jason a little more than usual since I have thought about him some extra today.  I am so grateful for my testimony of the plan of salvation.  Life can be difficult, but the promised blessings give us strength.

November 21st - Sort of a Down Day

I can always tell when the weather is changing this time of year - the old sinus thing flairs up.  Today was the day, again.  I did a few things around the house, a load of laundry, etc.  I worked a bit on my lesson for Sunday.  I know I said it was planned, but I still have a few details to get together. 

By mid-afternoon, I was feeling pretty worn down, so I decided to rest and watch a movie on Netflix.  Don't ask me why, but I chose Hunger Games.  I had read the books a while back and they were OK, but not worth getting excited about.  Even so, I watched one of the worst movies in a long time.  What few things of value in the books were pretty much removed from the movie, making it totally empty and worthless.  Oh, well.  Now I have seen it and can talk with authority when people say it was wonderful and I tell them it was the pits. Of course, not feeling all that well, it might have been just right for my mood!

The rest of my day was pretty much like every other day.  Bill had a meeting this evening, so I fixed myself some popcorn and watched a bit of a show about the English monarchy.  The first episode started way back with the fall of the Roman occupation and how a monarchy was developed in England.  This was certainly more interesting than what I watched earlier.

Here is hoping that I will feel a little more energetic tomorrow.  I have a long "to-do" list, but we will see!

November 20th - Genealogy Study Group

I picked up my friend this morning, so we could go to the county Genealogy Study Group together.  They are holding it at the church building in Lawrenceville, but it is not a church group.  Anyway, when we got to the building, there was a group waiting to get in, but the door was still locked.  Fortunately, I have access to the lock box, so I was able to open the door and we went about getting tables and chairs set up.  My friend finally tried calling the stake director, only to find out she had thought it was another day.  She hurried down to get into the closets that I do not have access to for equipment. 

The meeting turned out pretty good.  It is a new group and they are still trying to get things working smoothly.  Hopefully, the building will not be a problem next time!  I had to stay to lock up since the stake director had sick children and was on the way to the doctor.  They hold a steering committee meeting after the regular meeting to make their future plans and I sat in on that.  I told the stake director that I would be willing to be the representative for the church and we will figure out the access to the equipment before the next meeting.  I rather enjoyed being in that meeting, as I had some input, although I sure couldn't move them along very well.  There are a few big talkers!

From there, I took my friend to lunch.  I am her visiting teacher and we usually go out for our visits, since her husband is at home and she enjoys the getting away.  We sat for the next couple of hours at Steak n Shake and had a great visit.

By the time I got home, the day was pretty much gone.  I did a few things at home, including some computer stuff.  This evening, the bishopric meeting was held at our house since the chapel was closed to refinish the wood floor in the gym.  I spent a little more time on the computer, mostly looking over the fifth Sunday lesson that I will present in December about Family History.  Then it was off to bed, rather early actually!

PS - not sure what I did, but this didn't post.  Better late than never, I guess!

November 19th - Some Visiting Teaching

I still have the headache - sinus stuff again - but I did all the routine stuff around the house and on the computer.  I checked again for the airline prices to Cedar Rapids that I had found yesterday, and they were still valid, so I called Dad to see how he would feel about my coming up for the week of his birthday.  I think he liked the idea, although he never shows a great deal of excitement.  I went ahead and bought the tickets, so now I am committed to going up there.  I am hoping to get to see Billy on Friday evening. 

I think I have my Sunday lesson pretty much together.  We will be into FamilySearch a lot this week.  Hopefully, they will all get the pedigree charts mastered and maybe even the person page.  We will see how it goes.  In the early afternoon, I gave up and took a long nap, over an hour, and woke up feeling better.

Late this afternoon, I met the RS president at the home of one of the sisters I visit, the one I have trouble getting to respond when I try to set up visits.  So, we just dropped in!  Not my favorite way of visiting, but sometimes it is the only way.  We brought her some hats and mittens for her pre-K class.  We had a great visit.  We have been friends for a long time and she is just going through some difficulties, including not coming to church in the last few months.  Here is hoping that they decide to start coming again. 

I hurried from there to a stake meeting for Family History Consultants.  I was a few minutes late, but they hadn't started yet, so I didn't miss anything.  The best thing is connecting with some of the other consultants.  We will be taking over the staffing of the Family History Center in December and my biggest concern is knowing who to ask to cover for me when I am out of town!  Especially, considering that I will be gone a week in December. 

Even though my day started kind of rough, it ended up being a good and productive day.  

November 18th - Manic Monday!

This was just "one of those days" when I didn't feel like doing much of value.  I did a few necessary things, like straightening up the house (all the toys from Saturday were still out, expecting the kids to come Sunday) and a little kitchen stuff.  Otherwise, I pretty much lounged around the computer.  I started planning my lesson for Sunday.  I like not having a set lesson to follow, but it does mean that I have to spend a good bit more time in the planning.  I also just wasted some time, playing games.  Just one of those days where I didn't feel like doing much - could be the bad headache had a part in that.

Anyway, I did make an apple crunch for Empty Nesters this evening, so it wasn't a total waste.  Since I didn't feel like going out, I used the freeze dried apples and I got a lot of compliments this evening.  We all went to the assisted living facility where one of the couples in the ward are now living.  She broke a hip and then her back and has had a very slow recovery, which is why they moved into assisted living.  She is still hoping that they will be able to move back to their house, but I am not sure that will happen.  We did have a great time, though.  One of the couples does storytelling, so they did a couple of Christmas stories.  Then, Brother Stu (that's who we were visiting) started telling his stories and we had a great time, laughing and totally enjoying ourselves.  We didn't stay long, though, as bedtime is pretty early for them.  So, we moved to another house for refreshments and spent the next hour or so talking and eating and having a great time.  This is a wonderful group of friends and we enjoy our monthly Family Home Evening together.

It is always nice when a drab day ends on a good note.  And that is what happened today!

November 17th - Quiet, Relaxing Sunday

I had to teach my family history class today and it went well, except for not having the TV.  I had asked the library to save it for me every week, but another teacher swept in and just took it, leaving me without.  I know it is not my personal property, but it did dampen my class not having it.  So, there are 4 stands with TV's in the library and I am told that there is only one that works with computers? The others just do DVDs?  Next week we will attack earlier!!  Actually, the class was still good; I just couldn't show the video or demonstrate where everyone could watch.

Back home, I put together dinner since David and the kids planned to come over for dinner, so Lisa could sleep all afternoon.  About the time it was ready, David called to say Brooks now has a fever, so they wouldn't be here at all.  Poor guy, he was the first to get sick a couple of weeks ago.  Sure hope this is quick, since it is his birthday party this coming Saturday!

Billy called about that same time, too, and we both had a nice long chat with him.  He seems happy with his new job - still in the learning curve, but progressing quickly.  He is planning to move back to CR in the next few weeks and commute there on weekends.  He has found a small studio apartment in DM to live in during the week.  He is excited to be back in his condo, which he has always really liked.  He is planning to get back in classes to finish up his MBA, which I think is great.

Since no one came over, we were able to spend the rest of our Sunday relaxing.  It was a very nice day, in spite of the rain.

November 16th - Kids, Kids, Kids!

This was the first Saturday in weeks when we had nothing that we had to attend - no meetings, no funerals, no anything.  Plans were to make it quiet and lazy, with just a short of list of chores to accomplish.  The day started just as planned - straightening the house, dusting, 3 loads of laundry, etc.

Then Lisa called and said she was sick now, David was working to make up for the days he missed being sick, and the kids were not letting her rest.  Well, what would any grandpa and grandma worth their salt do?  Of course, we went and picked them up.  Actually, Bill had to run a couple of chores anyway, so he ran by and picked them up while he was out.

From there on, the day took a whole new direction.  They were both really good.  Brooks wanted Thomas the Train set up; Asbhy wanted to play tic-tac-toe.  By 2:00, Brooks was ready to nap, so he went down and ended up sleeping for three hours.  Ashby went to quiet time and watched a movie.  When her movie finished, we made some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  She has been concerned that my cookie jar doesn't have any cookies in it, so we were able to fix that.  While the cookies baked, she went outside to help Grandpa do whatever it was he was doing out there.  I think she really just wanted to play in the van.

When Brooks finally woke up, he played outside a while, too.  Then we fixed a frozen pizza, and then it was time to take them home.  Bill ran them home, while I did a little straightening around the house.  Actually, I left most of the toys where they were, since they will be back tomorrow for dinner.

I was totally exhausted by bedtime!  They were both so good, though, and are so cute.  I do love their cuddling - there is nothing better than hugs and kisses from the world's cutest grandkids!

November 15th - Day with Brooks!

Lisa had called yesterday and said she had a presidency meeting and wondered if she could drop Brooks off while she went to it.  Needless to say, my answer was that I would love to have him.  She dropped Ashby off at school and then dropped Brooks off here, before heading off to her meeting.

He and I had a great time playing.  We played with the Lincoln logs, cars, some puzzles, and especially the alphabet puzzle.  We spent a long time on that one!  After lunch, Lisa called and said she had just finished her meeting and was on her way to get Ashby.  However, she had a music lesson at 1:30, so could Brooks stay a little longer.  No problem on my end!  We played some more and then did quiet time.  He didn't want to get into the crib (he doesn't nap as much anymore), so he cuddled with a blanket and pillow on the couch and watched "Mighty Machines" on Netflix, his favorite show.  That would explain why he knows and can say words like "excavator." 

We were still resting when Lisa and Ashby got here.  They couldn't stay long, because Lisa had two more music lessons after school.  It was a fun day and Brooks was really good.

When they left, I did some of the things that had not yet been done and then just took it easy.  I was tired!  Bill had an out of town job so didn't get back until late.  I had gotten comfortable in the big chair and was watching the Elizabeth I series when he got home.

I didn't get anything done on family history today - that's a first!  I did have a friend connect me with her mother who is also a family history consultant and we have started an email correspondence which should be fun.  I have met her mother before when she was here visiting and she is someone I would love to be friends with.  Maybe we can give each other some ideas and support.  I also got a call from someone from the Grayson Ward (don't they have a family history consultant? - that's the second call I have gotten), but her question was about transferring files from FamilySearch to Roots Magic and I know nothing about that.  I could probably figure it out, but it was late in the evening and I told her that if she didn't get it figured out, we could meet sometime and work on it.

It was been another great day!

November 14th - Good Family History Day

So, big surprise - I am talking about family history again!

Actually, I did do a few other things - like water aerobics, several loads of laundry, etc.  I also was so exhausted that I took one of those two hour naps where you feel like you have gone comatose! 

This evening, I worked at the Family History Center - and lo and behold! - a patron.  This was a sister from Lilburn who is going to be going to a family reunion and wanted to have some of her family history printed out to take with her.  Unfortunately, she was having trouble understanding how to get things to work in FamilySearch.  We had a great two hours getting her trained on how to do what she needed to do and I think she will be fine working from home now.  The neatest thing was the last thing I showed her was how to search for documents.  I used her father as the example and when we got the list of documents, there was the 1940 census.  When we opened the image and she found the actual family, she was so excited! 

It is so fun to see someone else get so excited.  I love my calling!

November 13th - Major Library Check Out!

Today was pretty much a repeat of my usual lazy days.  Mostly I worked on family history.  I got Sunday's lesson all finalized and everything set to go.  I did some straightening on my desk, too, but it didn't seem to help much.  I am absolutely paranoid about some things  (don't you dare get one of my pots or pans out of place!), but my desk gets to be such a mess.  I have too many piles of things.

Other than the rest of the usual routine, I did make a trip to the library.  My roomies and I had had a discussion about books and, of course, I had to reserve every book they suggested.  I had also requested books from a couple of blogs I follow, as well as from some suggestions on Pinterest, and a few other sources.  And, of course, they all come in at once.  I knew I would get a lot at once, but it turned out to be a bit more than I had planned on!  I had gotten emails saying that there were seven ready to pick up, but when I got to the library, there were nine.  I guess a couple had just come in.  Then, the librarian who was putting the newest books to arrive on the reserved shelf said she had one more for me.  I ended up with a total of 10 - well, nine books and one CD.  That was just a bit more than I had expected!  The first thing I did when I got home wass renew the books, so now I know which ones I have to read first, since someone else is waiting for the book.  It turns out it will be no problem.  Actually, I am always excited to read the books that I have reserved, because they are always recommended by someone and are usually really good books.  I can see that I have a great few weeks coming up, at least on the reading front!

So, other than my library adventure, this has been another pretty boring day.  I never got bored, though.  I was busy all day.  Well, except for the 10 minute nap I got in before the doorbell rang for a package delivery.

November 12th - Babysitting!

Lisa has a long-time friend who now lives in Tobago, so they haven't seen each other in quite a long time.  The friend is in town and there was a baby shower for her - the baby is due Christmas Day - and Lisa really wanted to go.  However, it was in the morning and that is a busy time with kids!  So, poor me, I had to go over and take care of the kids so she could have her morning out.

I got there in time to load the kids up in the car and drop Ashby off at school.  Then Brooks and I came back to the house and played all morning.  We played with the train set, setting up a new track.  Then we played with the matchbox cars and the race track.  Finally, we played a long time with the play dough.  They got some new play dough stuff yesterday and he loved playing with his "excavator."  Yes, that is what he called it and that is actually what it was!  The kid is an expert on Mighty Machines, his favorite Netflix show.

After lunch and a little more playing, it was time to pick Ashby up.  When we got home, there was a bit of a conflict about who Grandma had to play with.  Of course, they wouldn't even be on the same level.  Brooks wanted the downstairs; Ashby wanted upstairs!  We eventually distracted Brooks and got him and Ashby together.  Then I was able to slip between them and they were both happy.  How fun that they want Grandma's attention.  Since I can't comfortably get down on the floor to play, they put the toys up on the bar and we sat on the stools and played. 

Not long after, Lisa got back.  The shower had been in Roswell, which was where we lived when she was growing up.  Besides being thrilled to see her friend, she also had fun remembering.  She drove by the old neighborhood and took a picture of our old house and the house that her best friend Ahna had lived in.  They had quite a conversation going on Facebook after she posted the pictures.

Back home, I mostly worked at the computer.  I think I have next week's lesson pretty much planned out.  There are still some things I want to put together, but at least the plans are done.

I was really tired this evening after my babysitting adventure this morning, so I just had a quiet evening reading, before heading off to bed.

Any day with grandkids is a marvelous day - and this one was certainly that!

November 11th - Veterans' Day

I had a stay-at-home-all-day-long kind of a day again.  That means I enjoyed it!  Besides the routine stuff, I spent most of my day on family history.  I have a lot of planning to do for each Sunday lesson since the manual is obsolete and provides very little help.  So, I was working on ideas for that a lot.

I posted a picture of my grandfather on Facebook of when he was a soldier in WWI.  I also shared the story of how his unit was sent to the front during the Battle of Argonne Forest, but he had Spanish flue and was too sick to go.  None of them returned.  Although millions died from the Spanish flu during that period, my grandfather's life was probably saved by it.

The rest of my day I was doing some research on a couple of people that I want to use as examples in my class.  I need to make sure everything is current and correct before I start pulling out examples!  I must say that having this calling may be a mixed blessing - I am loving it, but it is my excuse to not do anything else!

I did actually cook some dinner tonight, although it took all of five minutes.  (Baked potatoes, with chili, cheese, and onions and some cantaloup.)  Poor Bill - but he usually manages to find something to eat that is good for him and that he likes.  I do keep things stocked for him. 

Another uneventful - but good day!

November 10th - Started the Family History Class

I was excited this morning to have our first family history class during Sunday School.  It has taken some time to get all the hurdles out of the way, but I think we are going to succeed.  The only space in the building is the large overflow, but that is fine with me.  The young men set up three long tables for me and rearranged the chairs as soon as Sacrament meeting ended.  One of the class members took care of getting the TV and hookups done.  I ended up with 10 people in attendance and three more that will also be attending, but weren't there today.  That is more than I had planned on, but not really a problem.  The class today was mostly about the doctrine and the change of focus on FamilySearch.  I thought it went really well.  Everyone is excited to get onto their computers next week.  So am I!

Bill stayed home today to try to get rid of the last of his cold.  Lisa and the kids came over for dinner, but David was at home - sick, too!  I just did a pork loin in the crockpot, with potatoes, green beans, onions, mushrooms, and cabbage that I added at the very end.  It was really good!  I also did some acorn squash and frozen rolls.

Even being home, Bill missed eating with us, because they did a bishopric meeting with Bill on the phone.  Oh, well.  Everyone enjoyed a lazy rest of the afternoon, Lisa and Ashby on the couch and Brooks watching Mighty Machines on the Iphone.  Both of the kids still are getting over being sick and didn't have nearly the amount of energy that they usually do.

After they all left, I did some things on the computer, mostly related to my next week's class.  It has been a very good day.  I do love Sundays and this one didn't disappoint!

November 9th - Pretty Much a Down Day

Bill is still sick, so this turned out to be pretty much a nothing kind of day.  Other than minimal stuff around the house, a couple of loads of laundry, and planning Sunday dinner, I was into the family history again.  Still working on the same family, just doing siblings, hoping to find some additional clues. 

There was an Eagle court of honor for four of our young men this afternoon and Bill was supposed to conduct.  After a long nap, he felt somewhat better, so he went and came home raving about what a great job they did.  It is not often that there is a court of honor for four Eagles, so that alone would make it great.

While he was gone, I took my own little rest and started watching a new series.  This is about Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.  It was a PBS show from some years back.  So far, so good.

That was about it for my day.  I didn't even leave the house - again!  I am really turning into a hermit!

November 8th - Sick Hubby

So, Bill was sick today with a terrible cold, fever, the works.  Hopefully, it will pass quickly.  He turned out to be a better patient than he usually is.  That just told me that he really is sick - otherwise, he would have had all these "needs."  As it was, he was up for a little while working on some church stuff and then took a nap that lasted for several hours.  He then had a little energy so ran out on a couple of errands.  He had to pick up the new scout shirt for an Eagle court of honor tomorrow and he wanted tacos, so he stopped at Taco Bell.  After he ate and watched a movie, he was back in bed by 8:00 or so.  That was pretty much it for him.

I didn't do much else.  The Family History appointment that I had today had to be rescheduled.  She had something come up at work and obviously that had to be done instead.  We will touch base later.  Other than a few things, very few, around the hours, and a couple of loads of laundry, I spent the rest of the day on family history.  I haven't done much with my own family tree recently, so I was working on Bill's grandfather.  I have a lot of documents on him, but I cannot find him in the 1940 census.  He died in 1947, so he has to be somewhere, but I sure can't find him.  Today, I spent almost the whole day looking.  I finally started looking through the census itself for the place that he had lived in 1936.  I found the street, but he was not there.  I am thinking that since his wife died in 1937 that he may have moved, but I sure can't find him.  It is also possible that he was just missed.  I can't seem to find his children in the 1940 either.  Hmmm.  I am going to have to think on this some more.  And with a name like Ransom Avant Cantrell, you would think it would show up in some form.  It's what makes genealogy so fun!

Once Bill went on to bed, I watched the last couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen.  So, if I want to watch anything else, I will have to find something new.  The British do enough shows, I am sure I can find another one that interests me.

Bottom line, it has been a somewhat unusual day, but I did enjoy digging into that family history stuff. 

November 7th - Another "What Did I Do?" Day

After starting the day with water aerobics, I am not sure exactly what I did!  Well, there was all the usual stuff, including giving the bathroom an extra deep cleaning.  I spent a lot of time on the computer, including some family history stuff.  I watched a little Netflix while I rested.  Hmmm,  that must have been it!

What got most of my attention today was actually some family history stuff.  I will finally teach the first class on Sunday and I needed to do some updating on the lesson after my meeting Sunday night.  I also have to help a sister tomorrow with her family history and I was doing a little prep for that.  It is really quite amazing how just a few things on family history can end up filling hours!

Bill came home feeling sick.  He had mentioned it last night and left this morning not feeling well.  He even cancelled his job for tomorrow, so I guess he really is sick.  I am sorry he is sick, both because it is never fun to be sick and also because he drives me nuts when he is!  Men!!  Well, I will be gone for a couple of hours, so it will be interesting to see how he survives.  I do hope he is better before Saturday.  We are supposed to go to the temple with a sister in the ward.

So, another ordinary day in the life of the queen of ordinary!!

November 6th - Another Normal Day - How Boring Can You Get?

Not much to write about today.  It was just another ordinary day.  Please note, that is not a complaint.  I happen to like my boring life very much, thank you.  The only problem is that there isn't much of interest to write about!

So today - normal house routine, 3 loads of laundry, errands including picking up prescriptions and doing the "coupon shopping" at CVS, putting all the purchases away, plenty of computer time, resting, watching a little TV.  I also talked to Lisa on the phone about Ashby's trip to the doctor - turns out she has strep, poor thing!

So there goes another boring day!  I am thankful I have boring days!!!

 

Nov. 5th - Time to Vote!

I did go vote.  Of course, it took me all of about 10 minutes, including parking the car.  There were only two items on my ballot - one for state rep and one the sales tax.  When I got there, there were two other people finishing up, so I was pretty much alone - with six or so poll workers.  I do appreciate the chance to vote, though.

The rest of my day was pretty much the norm - water aerobics, some things around the house, some computer stuff, some family history, etc.  I did get a call from one of the members of the ward who was calling for some family history help.  We set an appointment for Friday morning to get together at her place to see what we can do.

I rested for a while this afternoon.  I am not sure if I have more sinus infection or an ear infection, but the side of my face is quite sore, actually almost numb, just in front of my ear.  I am thinking it is probably the sinus causing pressure.  It was a good excuse to lie down and watch some Monarch of the Glen. 

This evening, Bill rushed in, showered, and took off again to visit someone with another brother.  So, I ended up watching another episode before he finally got back home.

Lisa also called in the late afternoon to bring us up to date on Ashby.  Her fever seems to have broken and she is feeling better.  She still had a low grade - around 99 - so will probably have to stay home from school one more day.  So glad she is getting better!

Nov. 4th - Overwhelming Silence!

After having the grandchildren here for three days, the place seems overwhelmingly quiet today!  I think I have taken advantage of not having the responsibility of taking care of them, too.  I managed to do a few things today, but I didn't do half of what I had on my list.  Maybe tomorrow! I also took a lot of time catching up on the computer stuff I follow.  I had certainly gotten behind. 

Bill showed up early afternoon.  He had said he had a huge day today, but the big job had to be postponed because of some problem on their end with the plumbing.  So, he ended up relaxing, too.  After I fixed some lunch, he plopped in the big chair and caught some zzzz's.  He eventually ran out to do a few errands, which was when I decided to do a little resting of my own.  I didn't sleep, though, but did watch a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen. 

So went the entire day!  With the time change over the weekend, I am ready for bed even earlier than before, so I made myself stay up until about 9:30, but then I was too tired to read for very long!  I hate these time changes - they always mess me up for days, even weeks!

Anyway, I sure missed the kids being here, but I did enjoy the relaxing!

Nov 3rd - Sunday - but No Church

With Ashby's fever, we knew I wouldn't be going to church.  I had let the leaders know that the Family History class would be delayed one week.  I am excited to start the class, but it was more important to stay at home. 

It was a relatively quiet day, with Ashby wanting to cuddle most of the time.  Brooks kind of ran wild, but was actually very good.  We ended up watching a lot of NickJr, Disney cartoons, and Mighty Machines.  When I turned the TV off for Ashby to rest, Brooks took the Ipad into the kitchen and spent more time being numbed.  I really hate having them watch that much stuff, but it really was the easy way out today.

In the late morning, Ashby was feeling a little better, so we went up to the art room and she made a little poster for her mommy and daddy.  It was cute - she drew a picture of them, did some rubber stamping, added a heart-shaped brad, and glued on a picture of a bride and groom.  Brooks just explored the bonus room while Ashby worked.

That was about her only burst of energy all day.  Her fever spiked to 103 in the afternoon.  When Bill got home from church, he took Brooks out to take a walk in the neighborhood.  He needed to do something to get some of that stored up energy out!

Lisa and David got back around 5:15 or so and we enjoyed hearing all about their trip.  I had a meeting that I was supposed to attend at 6:30, which is just when Billy called.  He and I chatted a bit - he is starting his new job tomorrow and is excited.  He has decided to move back to CR to his condo and has rented an efficiency apartment near his new job to stay in during the week. 

After talking a few minutes, I let him talk to Bill and then I had to head out to my meeting.  I got there a little after 7:00 and actually didn't miss the more important stuff.  It was about Family History and some of the changes that are coming. 

Of course, all was quiet when I returned home.  It seems particularly quiet after having the kids here for three days.  We sure did enjoy them.  It was just too bad that Ashby got sick and we didn't get to do some of the other things we had planned.  Love them both!

November 2nd - Wild Saturday!

We have the kids this weekend, so of course, it was not normal.  They both slept well, even with Ashby sleeping in our bed.  They were both up by 7:30, which is not bad at all.  After breakfast, they played.  They enjoyed having Grandpa here to play with them.

Late morning, Ethan and Eric from next door came over to play in the backyard for a while.  When they left, we had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then headed out to the park.  We were a little disappointed at the park as they had torn down the big climbing gym.  The kids still had fun on the swings and seesaw.  Fortunately, there were not many children there, so it wasn't a problem.

On the way home, we picked up a pizza for our dinner.  By the time we got home, Ashby was beginning to complain about not feeling good, and sure enough, she had a fever.  We gave her some medicine and spent some quiet time on the couch, watching some cartoons.  Ashby eventually climbed into Grandpa's lap in the big chair and they both took a nice nap.

Brooks took his bath by himself and had fun playing with the water.  He then got ready for bed and after playing a while, he went to sleep before 7:30.  Ashby still had a fever, but since she had napped, she was not ready to sleep yet.  She sat quietly watching more TV.

A little later, the missionaries came by and stayed for a short time.  They practiced giving one of their lessons to us.  We asked them to keep it short, though, since it was time for Ashby to get ready for bed.  When they left, she gathered up some books and wanted Grandma and Grandpa to both come up to the bed upstairs to read.  We read one long book and then decided to go get into bed.  After a few minutes in the big bed, Ashby wanted to go to sleep in the bed in Brooks' room.

Brooks woke up in the middle of the night and I had to hold him for a few minutes to get him back to sleep.  That woke Ashby up, so she took more medicine and then came into our bed, where she cuddled for the rest of the night.

We loved our day with Ashby and Brooks, except for Ashby getting sick.  They are so much fun!  We love them!!!!!!!!!!