What has been going on this past week

CJ posted this, they took a ride up around East Canyon and Lost Creek reservoirs.  Just trying to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE !!   Zac went back to work yesterday on light duty.  Good Luck to him !!

Thatcher has still been doing gymnastics at home, and practicing hard.  His gym has posted some workouts to do.  

We don't get to see much of Treyson much anymore.  At least I don't.  He's a typical teenager, and growing STILL - like a weed.  Seriously has some RICHINS build in him. 

Get it ?  I bet you had to say the rhyme, right?
1.  This little piggy went to market
2.  THIS LITTLE PIGGY STAYED HOME !!!!!

Thursday morning  - we woke up to at least 8 inches of snow.  WOW
It's gone now............but we are supposed to get more next week :*(

Manda doesn't post much on social media, so when she does - I TAKE NOTICE !!
Fun memory :)

I made some sugar cookie dough, and we took it down to the grandkids in West Haven.  We didn't go in the house, and maintained a good distance.   What happened to the trampoline?  Ask Lando (haha) 

Hello sweet kiddos !!  We love you.  Crazy face Bright !! 

Landon sent a picture of the cookies they made - hope they had a good time, and didn't make too much mess for mom. 

A day later, they came up and picked up some bikes for Landon and Kacey, so they could ride with the kids.  They stopped at Grandpa and Grandma D's (after they go a bike from the shop), and rolled down the windows and blew kisses and waved.     Can't believe it has come to this?!?!  Really !?!?! 

Mom and Dad stepped out on the side porch and waved back.  This social distancing is HARD !!

We are getting TONS of eggs, and are sharing with family and friends.  

Back down to AZ - That's Josiah's black hair that he and Cam dyed.
Still can't figure this picture out though?  Cam? 

Can't tell too much, but the tips of her hair are PINK !!
Love this girl :)

New light on the shop.
Set on a timer, comes on at night.
Dad had this light that was supposed to on on the top of the gas tank they restored years ago, but they ended up going with another one.  In cleaning out the shop, Zac decided this would be a good place for it.  Great job. 

Opportunityisnowhere

I read this (see below) today, and it made me think. I wanted to pass it along to you !

Read this title above
Did you see “opportunity is no where”? Or “opportunity is now here”?...

"This PANDEMIC, though scary and inconvenient, has come with a wonderful opportunity. An opportunity to be home and focus on others. An opportunity to reach out. An opportunity text someone, and opportunity to think about how we can support and lift others without all the distractions that we have in our daily life. And the BIGGEST most IMPORTANT opportunity, to be with our families.

We’ve been asked many times to “reduce and simplify“. I think we have this opportunity now. Many things have been canceled: work, extracurricular activities, even activities from church. All these activities kept our lives very busy. I think we have a remarkable opportunity.

I do believe the opportunity is now here. I think the opportunity is for us to realize how busy our lives have been. How to reduce and simplify. And how to reevaluate and realize what is most important."

Things that bring me PEACE - hope it will you too

This picture was taken by Shawnie Pothier, who I follow on her blog (71 toes).  She and her family, along with all of us have been affected by COVID 19.  Her daughter Elle, was going to be married next month in the Gilbert/Hawaii? Temple.  Plans have changes, obviously.

Here is what she had to say:

I fell in love (with this picture) not because it was crisp or clear (it wasn’t), and not because it captured the beauty I had intended to find there, but because that picture was beautiful in a completely different way than I had imagined. A breathtaking beauty in its own way, filled with depth and darkness contrasting with the little remaining light.

And right then and there a little analogy to life came to my heart:

Sometimes it’s not the beauty that we planned on experiencing. The darkness seems to far outweigh the light at times. But if we keep our eyes open and look, and seek, we can notice beauty for ashes (like it talks about in Isaiah) and we realize that without the blacks and darkness, the colors and vibrancy of life wouldn’t be nearly as dramatic and beautiful. Oh, it may take some time, but the light is there.

So, since I have this picture printed out in my home to remind me that the darks are what make the contrast and beauty in the long-run, I figured now, in the midst of such abundant darkness in the world, it might be a good time to share it.

We all have some darkness in life. I know for so many in the world right now that darkness and hopelessness is creeping in more than ever before. But I love the thought that if we look, and are patient, one day we will find beauty for ashes. - Shawnie Pothier (71 toes) 

I love our Prophet - I absolutely believe and know that he is the Lord's Prophet on the earth today.  I can hardly wait for General Conference next week !!

Katie Rhodes Morgan (one of my forever YOUNG WOMEN) posted this (above) on her Instagram page.  I LOVE IT !!

I have been LOVING  my daily study of the Book of Mormon.
Look closely at the words I have written (by our prophets)  - THEY ARE TRUE !!

Running again

Last Thursday - March 19 at 5pm was the filing deadline.   I feel very humbled and fortunate that I am running unopposed.  Brenda Nelson is also running unopposed.   Zach White has an opponent - but I just want everyone to know that he is doing such a great job, and VOTE FOR ZACH !!  He is Bonnie's deputy, and she is retiring and he would be the best one to take her place.   Here's to another 4 years !!! 

Odds and Ends

My good friend Amy Jo - turned 50!  Can't believe that it was 2002 when we went on a cruise to celebrate her mom's 50th birthday !!  Where have the years gone.  Amy was surprised by her family and friends on March 7th in Richfield.  I wasn't able to go down, but Jenni did.  I'm sure glad she got to have this big surprise and celebration before all of this social distancing began !  Heck, on the 7th, we were all still blissfully unaware that our world was about to be turned upside down.   

This was my last day at the temple.  I'm sure missing it now.  Funny how when you can't attend things, or things are closed, and everyone's lives have changed, that you sure miss it even more.  

On St. Patrick's Day - - Janell's family stopped by the office to brighten everyone's spirits.  

Well, my tulips sure are HARDY !!  We thought we had them all DUG UP before we planted the sod.  NOT SO !!  Here there are, poking their pesky little sprouts up through the grass.  

We picked up a big brush attachment for the grasshopper last fall.  It has worked really well, at thatching the the old grass.   Rog puts on goggles, because it's quite a mess.  He is covered by the time he is finished.  

Later in the day we went down to the Property and started raking a little.  

Thatch and I drug this big limb down to the burn pile.  

Tagg made a TOTEM for the Tree house - A BIG "T" !!

Thatch wanted me to come up and check out what they had up there.    

Their treasure box, filled with treasures.   Snowmobile weights, keys, Jeep decal, poolstick, small brush  - fun stuff !!

A view of the creek. 

Cam and Covid 19

Funny thing she posted :)  Dang COVID 19

Uh........this is not social distancing Cam  :) 

Arizona schools are going to be shut down through the end of the school year, and she will be doing online schooling.   She almost has her driver's license, though it looks like that might be put on hold also.  Bren is now working from home, he has a job with the State of AZ, so that is pretty stable.  Manda is on salary, and will be one of the last to be let go.  Alot of her employees have been let go.  The office has cut way back on their hours.  We thought about having Cam come up here for a couple of weeks for the school shut down (when we thought it was only going to be for 2 weeks) - but decided that we didn't want to take the chance of having her fly (germ infested planes), and maybe getting stuck here (if they close state borders).  Can you even believe we are talking about these kind of things ?!?!?!  CRAZY !!

I sent this to Tagg and Treyson and Cam (the grand-kids who have cell phones) last week:

"I just wanted to talk to you about this whole COVID-19 thing that's going on, this is something that we have never seen ever happen in the world before, and it seems a little scary, but I want you to know that everything is going to work out and that this will pass. It's not always going to be like this and we're going to be all right and not to worry, I love you all."

Costco Run

We debated - do we go or not?  Is it safe or not?  

We got there at 11:50 am on Friday.  The line was down the side of the building, with everyone practicing social distancing.  I don't know how many people were in the building?  100?  150?  But when 25 came out, they would let 25 in. 

We are getting closer.  Those guys in the background are sanitizing cart handles. 

We were the last ones who got cut off when they let the people in.  We probably waiting about 20 minutes in line before we got in.  

This was the sign for all to see.  We had come for paper towels for Zac and CJ, among other things...........no luck. 

All done - it's 12:50 - we were there about an hour total.   Roger will go back on Tuesday morning at 8am - they will be letting only senior citizens in from 8 to 9.