August 24th through August 30th

August 24^th through August 30^th:  I finished the mantle and 

the bathroom this week at John’s house.  After work on Monday, we had a nice family home evening with Charlotte’s family.  Mom did the lesson on her parents again. 

Monday, the walls got painted and the wood trim installed around the mirror.

The hearth and marble grouted.

FHE with Charlotte's family.

FHE with Charlotte's family.

Tuesday we got up early and went to the temple.  In the afternoon, I went to see a hematologist and it is official, I don’t have to take blood thinners anymore--just an aspirin a day, will keep the doctor away.  Medical thinking about patients who have had a blood clot has changed over the last 10 years. They now think that the risk of a bad bleed, out ways the risk of another blood clot.  

The carpet relayed.

Notice the light fixture.  If you look close, you will see I had to move it again and patch the wall.

Wednesday early we went to the gym and rode a stationary bike for 30 minutes and then walked around the lazy river in the pool.  We know we need more exercise, but we only find time to go a couple of times a week.  Wednesday afternoon mom went to James’ home to tend his kids of a couple of days.  I stayed home and participated in the second webinar for our temple training.   

Just finishing up the wood trim around the mirror and the towel bars.

Thursday I went to lunch with my brother, Van.  He takes me to a different place in Salt Lake once a week.  He knows all the little haunts with great food.  I then went down to Lehi to be with mom and James’ kids for the night.  

It is finally done.

Mantel done, check.

Friday Kirstin got home about 10:00am and we both headed home.  We had a few hours to ourselves and then we went to John’s home to tend for the night.  I started the Norman taxi service by picking up Badger from football at 5:00pm.  Our 

Friday at Thanksgiving Point's animal farm with Rigby and Emme.

  Toy tractor ride.

  Rides on the wagon behind the tractor.

Emme loves the pony ride.

 Rigby does too.

Eating grapes with Poppa.

Saturday was filled with getting their kids to their different activities.  Badger and Moose had to be at First Lego League at 8:00am and Ellie at sewing at 9:30am.  When the boys got home, Moose had to mow the lawn and Badger had to get ready for his football game.  I dropped him off at 11:00am and then loaded up all my tools to take to Charlotte’s house so I can start her bathroom remodel.  I then went to Badger’s game with the half-time treats, cut up oranges.  The game got done at 2:00pm and I took Badger to lunch and then he had to load up the lawn mower and Chris took Badger to Jill’s mom’s home to cut her lawn and I took Moose to his soccer game in Farmington.  Jill dropped John off at her mom’s and picked up Chris and then she came to Farmington and took over for me.  I got home about 5:30pm and we both took showers and got ready to go to Stake Conference.  

Moose's soccer game.

        We didn’t do much work, but we were both really tired by the end of the day.  Sunday we went to Stake Conference and had a nice family home evening at John and Jill’s.  Now we can start all over and get one more bathroom remodeled and try to finish getting ready to leave.  Guatemala might seem like a vacation.

August 17th through August 23rd

August 17^th through August 23^rd:  The pictures will explain 

what I worked on each day.  After work on Monday, we had a family home evening with Charlotte’s family and mom did a great job of sharing stories about her parents.  Our grandchildren didn’t have a chance to know our parents and we thought it would be a fun way to show them pictures and share stories about them.  I guess it is my turn next.  

Monday I finished the mantel except for the cove mold in all of the boxes.

Monday I also got the bathroom trimmed out.

Tuesday morning we took Badger to the Salt Lake Temple to do baptisms for the dead.  I had found a few cousins in the descendent program and so I was able to baptize Badger and Mom for some family names.  He got the priesthood on Sunday, and Tuesday morning we had him in the temple.  In the evening we again went to the movies and saw “The Man from UNCLE”.  

Tuesday I got the cove mold installed and the nail holes puttied and sanded.

Likewise the bathroom.

Wednesday morning we went out to Kate’s and I fixed Swedish pancakes for Kimball and the rest of them because it was Kimball’s first day of school.   He was so excited.  

This picture says, "First day of School" for Kimball.

Kate's other two munchkins, Abby and Stanford.

Wednesday mom came out and primed the mantel and the bathroom.

Primer on the woodwork in the bathroom.

Thursday Chris went to the dentist and needs to have a crown replaced.  It got chipped.  

Thursday I finished the last two rows of tile in the shower.

While I tiled, mom put the first coat of paint on the mantel.

When I got done with the tile and mom the mantel, we both painted the woodwork in the bathroom.

Friday Mom tended Charlotte’s kids in the morning and then went and took Kate’s kids to set up bank accounts for missions and college.   

Kimball at the bank.

Stanford at the bank.

Abby at the bank.

Chris stayed overnight and tended until Saturday evening, while Kate and Bryce had a little get away.  

Friday I grouted the shower while mom put a second coat on the mantel.

Tile grouted--check.

The mantel with 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint.

Saturday I painted the second coat on the woodwork and also primed the walls and ceiling.

After I finished painting in the bathroom, I set the marble around the fireplace.

I finished up a second coat of primer on the ceiling.  That might be the ceiling paint.

Sunday we had a great day.  We started off at 7:15am reporting our mission to the Stake High Council and it was fun to share some experiences with them.  The Spirit was so strong.  We then went to our old ward on the Avenues and spoke in their sacrament meeting.  It was so wonderful to see so many friends.  It was like coming home.  We lived in that ward for 18 years and have many fond memories of our time there.  We felt good about our talks and felt the Spirit as it testified to all present of how the temple changes lives.  We then went to Charlotte’s ward and listened to Evan give his talk in primary.  After church, Alex gave each of his three boys a father’s blessing to begin a new school year.  In the evening we went out to Kate’s in-law’s home.  Bryce gave blessings to his children for the start of a new school year and I helped him give a blessing to his father.  I think I will finish the bathroom and mantel this week.  I will then take a few days off before I start Charlotte’s bathroom.  I need to go to Guatemala in order to get some rest.  I’m tired.

August 10th through August 16th:

August 10^th through August 16^th:  This week I have been

busy on the 2 projects at John’s house and Chris has been busy helping kids with grandkids.  

Mom spending time with Emme and Rigby.

I’ll let the pictures tell the story of how the projects are going.  Monday in the evening we spoke at a Family Home Evening of the singles ward in Layton where our good friend, Paul Belnap, is the Bishop.  It was a lot of fun to be with such good young single adults.  You could see their goodness in their faces.  

Monday I started on adding the trim for the mantle.

Tuesday evening we went to the movies and saw Mission Impossible.  

Tuesday I got the rest of the concrete board on and started the tile.

Wednesday I finished the tile in the shower, except for the top row.  I have to add some more concrete board for the trim piece.  I miscalculated the size of the gaps and the space grew.  

The other end of the shower.

Thursday I started laying out the paneling and moldings and realized that the I needed to move all the electrical and that the plumber needed to come back and move the water and waste lines.  I even had to move the light switch because it was on the outside of the bathroom in the hall and they were all tired of having to yell "Turn the light back on."  I got the electrical done and the plumber came on Friday while I was resting from my labors.

Friday I took the day off from working on John’s house and we attended by internet the first of 5 webinars put on by the temple department.  It was interesting and enlightening. We then did some clothes shopping, one of my favorite things to do (not). We went to dinner with some old friends, Boyd and Kim Wagstaff.  It was so fun to see them and hear about their family and what they are all doing.  Saturday we went to breakfast with my sister Alice who is down here tending 2 of her grandkids and my brother Van and his wife Maude. 

Saturday I got the paneling up and some of the trim done.  We had the paneling made.  It is just 1/4 inch MDF with a horizontal "V" groove.

We should be painting next week.

After work we took John and Jill to dinner to celebrate their birthdays. They are such good parents and are raising 4 great kids.  Sunday we went to John and Jill’s ward and attended the ordination of Badger.  He turned 12 this last week and he received the priesthood and was ordained a deacon.  Then we went into Salt Lake and spoke at the young single adult ward where Blake Rigby is serving in the bishopric.  Again, it was a lot of fun and always enjoyable to share some of our experiences and to testify of our Savior and His house.  We drove by our old house on Douglas Street and then had the idea to stop and see if Jim and Sylvia Mathis were home.  They were and we had a lovely visit with them.  We are sorry we forgot to take a picture.  They are such good and faithful friends.  The weeks are flying by faster than when we were in Oaxaca.  Only 8 more weeks until we start our training. I think I need a few more weeks.  

Here is a picture from Bobett of the house I included each week in our blog of Oaxaca.  It is the white house straight ahead on the left.  It looks like it is coming along nicely.   Thanks Bobett.

August 3rd through August 9th

 August 3rd through August 9th:  Monday, I worked all day
at John’s house. In the evening we went to Lee and Connie Crayk’s home for a reunion of temple missionaries from the Cochabamba mission.  It was so fun to see each other and laugh and remember all the great times we had serving together in Cochabamba.  We of course were recruiting all of them to sign up for another mission, only this time to Guatemala.  Most are going to think about it.  

Just sitting around reminiscing.

And of course eating.

This is the group: L to R me, mom, Ted and Sharon Jackman, they just returned from being counselors in the temple presidency in Costa Rica, Ken and Eve Winkfield, Lee and Connie Crayk, Diana and Lynn Crayk, Bob and Tammy Cardon, and Linda and Dale Dibb.

Tuesday, we got up early and went to a session at the temple.  The Bountiful temple just opened up Tuesday after being closed for 2 weeks.  I had another fun day working at John’s house.  I bought a tile saw.  What with the bathroom and the fireplace and possibly another bathroom for Charlotte, it just made sense to buy one instead of renting every time I would need to cut tile.  

Trying to get the brick prepped for marble.

Wednesday, I woke up early and got picked up at 5:10am and went to Ogden to the church cannery to can green beans.  The crew we worked with canned about 100 cans every minute.  We got done about 11:00am and I spent the rest of the day at John’s.  Mom got to John’s at 7:00am she is tending their kids for 2 days while Jill attends a class to keep her certification in special ed. current.  Thursday, Mom tended again, which really involves being a chauffeur, driving their kids from swimming lessons to dance, soccer, and football practice.  I worked on the bathroom.  

The tile is installed in the bathroom.

As soon as Jill got home, we hurried home and got showered and then went to dinner with the Rigbys and the Christensens from are old ward in Salt Lake.  The Christensens have just returned from South Korea where they served as mission president.  It was fun to catch up on their lives and the lives of their kids.  Blake Rigby is serving in a young single adult ward bishopric and asked us to speak in his ward next Sunday.  We are happy to have the opportunity to talk and share some of our experiences.  

Brent and Sharron Christensen.  Sorry, Rigbys.  You left before we remembered to take a picture for my blog.

When that coat of thin-set drys I will be able to set the marble.

Friday, I went in early to the temple department and dropped off forms and information that they needed.  Then it was back to John’s house.  I got the last of the tile set in the bathroom and the marble on the hearth set. In the afternoon, Mom and I went through boxes we have left at Charlotte’s to either have shipped to Guatemala or to be sent to DI or to be somehow crammed into the storage unit.  We are also tending Charlotte and Alex’s kids for 2 days.  They have taken off for a little anniversary celebration.  Tilda will just have to learn to like us now.  

Saturday, Mom took Luke and Jake to Stanford’s birthday party.  He turned 5 years old.  

Mom at Stanford's birthday party.

Games, Games and more Games.

She left me at John’s home with a few of the kids.  They were good and I was able to get a lot done.  I finished the grouting of the bathroom floor and I set the marble on the front of the hearth and got the plywood substrate attached to the brick.  Now I can start to build the mantle.  

Tile grouted check.

The marble is set on the hearth and the plywood substrate is attached to the brick.  Now the real work begins. 

Sunday after church, we went to John’s home for a Family Home Evening and we gave a lesson on the priesthood.   Next Sunday, our oldest grandson, Badger, will receive the Aaronic Priesthood.  Then we helped get dinner ready.  It was the Sunday family dinner.  James and Kirstin had an obligation and, of course, Ginny’s family lives in California, but we had 19 people for dinner and it was delicious.  I got to make the gravy.  We also celebrated Moose’s birthday.  He turned 10 on Saturday.  

Kate made rolls for Sunday dinner.  Yum,  I had 4.

John cooked 2 roasts.

Some of the gang for Sunday dinner. In this picture, we are only missing kids.  We can't get them all to be still at the same time.

Princess Anna visited us.  AKA Ellie.

Moose blowing out his candles.  Jill made the best lemon cake with cream cheese frosting.  It was to die for.

We stayed really busy all week and got a lot accomplished.  There are nine more weeks until our training seminar.  I hope I can get everything done.  Last night, I fell into bed at 8:30pm and slept until 5:00am.  You would think that would be enough rest, but we feel tired all the time.  We must be getting old.