Christmas

The week started busy as we prepared for Christmas. Deb and the girls were out of school so they helped get the house ready for Christmas. We also did some shopping with Deb doing a lot on Monday to get us ready.

On Wednesday, Lilli had a doctor's appointment so the family met me in Pocatello. Lilli went to her doctor's appointment afterwards we went to Coldstone Creamery to get Lilli's birthday ice cream. Then it was home for me until after the new year.

Christmas Eve was wonderful. We had Mom and Todd for dinner. We served prime rib, shrimp, baked potatoes, green salad, corn, and chocolate dessert. Even though I cooked most of it, I must say that it was really good.

Christmas was wonderful. We opened presents, had our usual Eggs Benedict breakfast, snacked all day, and had ham and Funeral Potatoes for supper. Brayden had some fireworks he was going to set off in Swan Lake so we went there. Afterwards, we went to Mom's and visited with her and Todd.

We celebrated Lilli's 14th birthday. We had mashed potatoes and shrimp for dinner.

BYU literally destroyed Central Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl, 49-23. It was not even that close. It was so great watching BYU cruise to a bowl win. It does not happen often. The football team finished with an 11-1 record. It felt like BYU of old!

BYU basketball also beat Texas Southern, 87-71, and Weber State, 87-79. BYU's record is 9-2 and will now begin play in the West Coast Conference.

Christmas is Coming

As far as anything eventful happening this week, you can look elsewhere. Other than the girls and Deb finishing their school for this calendar year, it was very uneventful.

However, it has been an incredible week as we have received so many gifts--mostly anonymous--from so many wonderful people. How in the world are we ever going to pay forward the kindness that has been given to us.

As a family, we are struggling a little bit in being united to the purpose that God has put us on the earth for. We are correcting that. Hopefully, we will as a family become closer together and become that united and eternal family.

December Rolls Along

 It was a pretty normal week for the family. We went to work/school. The week came with highs and lows. BYU lost to Boise State in basketball 78-74. It was an extremely frustrating loss as it took nine minutes for BYU to even score a point. Then, when BYU made their comeback, the empty arena did not give the boost of energy to the team that would have been rocking.

The week ended on a nice Saturday. After cleaning the church as our assignment and getting Christmas things up (most of it anyway), BYU whipped Utah in basketball (82-64) then beat San Diego State in football, 28-14.

Here Comes December

 

We have entered the twelfth month of the year. 2020 is about over, and we hope it will be a much better year next year. Again this month, during the first 25 days, the Church is doing the Light the World campaign. Every day, the Church will make a suggestion of what to do to focus the Christmas season on Christ.

It was pretty much an uneventful week other than BYU sports. BYU basketball played three games losing one of them. The first two games were played in Connecticut. The first game was a horrific loss to Southern Cal, 79-53, and it really was not that close. The next day, BYU faced off against St. John's. BYU played very well and won 74-68. BYU played MUCH better in the second game. If they would have played like that against USC, it would have been closer. BYU closed out the week with a game against Utah State in Logan. With 10 minutes left, BYU led 57-46 playing very well. I thought BYU would cruise to an easy win. However, the Cougars then started throwing up bricks and turned the ball over. In the end, BYU won 67-64, BYU's ninth straight win against the Aggies.

The huge downer of the week was BYU's football game against Coastal Carolina. BYU was ranked 8th and Coastal Carolina was 14th. Both teams were undefeated, and BYU set the game up on Tuesday. So the team dashed to South Carolina to play the game. BYU should have stayed home. They played horribly and lost 22-17. Any dreams of playing in a New Years Bowl were completely dashed. 

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving at home this year. With the pandemic, we thought it would be better to stay home. This year was to be spent with the Gambles, but when Mom got the coronavirus, that nixed those plans. So, we stayed home and celebrated as a family.

Speaking of the coronavirus, Mom is recovering. She said that she is feeling better and has been eating. We got word on Thanksgiving that Fran, though, was really bad off. It is a big worry. She has been put into the intensive care unit to stave off the double pneumonia that she has. I will be SO glad when a vaccine can be developed so that the big worry can subside. Hopefully soon. Plans to start mass testing of the several vaccines are being formulated, and hopefully one will be approved early next year.

BYU and Idaho State have both started their basketball seasons. BYU won their first three games while ISU lost their first three games.

Give Thanks

 The prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has given us direction to express our gratitude for all that Heaven Father has given us. As such, I would like to express my thanks for my family--my parents, siblings, wife, and children. They are the reason I live, the reason I work, the reason I play. It gives me great joy when I see them happy. It also gives me great sorrow to see them sad. Without my family, my life would be but naught. Thank you Heavenly Father for the plan of happiness and the opportunity to live together forever.

I am afraid that if I try to number my blessings, I will forget something. These are just a few of my blessings: the wonderful country, state, county, and city in which I live and the freedoms from living here; the job that I have that provides the income to support my family; the friends who support me when I need it; the love of family and friends; the fandom I have for BYU, ISU, Marsh Valley, and the other sport teams that I follow. These are but a few of the things that I am thankful for.

As for the news of the week, COVID is ravaging our communities. We got word that Mom and Todd have COVID. It was confirmed on Monday. Today, we received word that Dick and Fran have it. I will be so glad when this scourge is over!

BYU whipped North Alabama 66-14 yesterday. Their next scheduled game is not for 3 weeks. However, rumors abound that BYU and other schools are talking about scheduling games.

SLOW DOWN!

 

On my way to work on Tuesday, I approached in the northbound lanes to Inkom where snow was starting to accumulate on the freeway. It was just a skiff of snow so I did not think much about it. Before I knew it, though, the back end of the pickup started to slip and pretty soon I was spinning out of control. I started to go into the median and as I started to spin into the direction I was originally going, I braced myself for a head-on collision as I had crossed into the other side of the freeway. Thankfully, no traffic was coming towards me and I went back into the median. I finally came to a stop on the left shoulder of the northbound lanes. I sat there trying to compose myself all the time thanking Heavenly Father for protecting me. I will bet my heart was beating 200 beats per minute. I could not believe that I had just did a complete 360 degree spin and did not hit anything or cause any damage. I got out and looked around the pickup to see if all the tires were OK. I did see that the tonneau cover for the bed had come loose and will need some minor repairs. It took me some time to calm my nerves and drove into work at about 40 miles per hour the rest of the way. I even drove home slow that evening. It was really scary!

Mom and Todd have been tested for COVID. They will not know the results until tomorrow.

We have had some deaths in our small community. The daughter of ward member Lonnie Jones, Angela Ralphs, was killed. Barry Andersen from the First Ward (formerly lived in the Second Ward) died from COVID, and Jeannine Davis passed away. She was 90 years old.

Eventful Week of Highs and Lows

 The week started off a little scary. On her way to her cheer practice, Angie was reaching for something when she over-corrected which caused her to lose control. She wound up on the side of the road, but she was unhurt and the pickup was not damaged. She was a very lucky girl. Angels were there to help her through her ordeal. It definitely was a learning experience!

She was not done with car problems, though. On Saturday, she went to Soda Springs to see a friend, on her way home just before Lava after Fish Creek Pass, she ran over something that caused a flat tire. Again, she was lucky to have the flat where she did. She was able to get completely off the road so it was safe to wait, and when I got there, to change the tire.

One of the highs of the week was when Deb got a call from her doctor to tell her she did not have cancer. During a visit with her doctor several weeks ago, she found something that concerned her. So she did a biopsy to see if it was cancer. Thankfully, it was not. One less worry!

One big low for the week was the election. Unfortunately, it appears that Joe Biden has been elected president. It will be four long years. What is really frustrating, is that the Republicans did really well in all the other elections. It seems a little fishy that Republicans won a lot areas that they were expected to lose, but did not get the president reelected. It stinks. Something does not seem right.

The best high of the week (even higher than the low of the lowest--election) was BYU's big victory over Boise State. For the first time, BYU defeated BSU on their blue turf, 51-17. It was dominating. Every other game in BYU has lost by the skin of their teeth. Finally! It has been too frustrating watching BYU find ways to lose in Boise!

Halloween during COVID

 

The week was pretty typical. I went to work, Deb went to school, and the girls also went to school.

For Halloween, we went to Brigham City. Actually, it was not for Halloween. It was for a baptism. Strider Silvester, the son of Kaylee and Michael Silvester and the grandson of Lynn and Leisha Brower, was baptized. It was a nice ceremony. After the ceremony, we went to a luncheon at Kaylee and Michael's home.

We went through Logan to go home. We stopped in Swan Lake to visit Mom. Todd came to see her for the weekend. She told us they went to Jerome to see Sid's team play in the state playoffs. Unfortunately, they did not play well and lost 45-7.

Lilli wanted to go trick or treating so we took her to a few places in Downey then went to Arimo. We visited with the Jons for quite some time.

BYU whipped Western Kentucky 41-10.

Angie went to her friend's place in Soda Springs on Saturday. After spending some time there, she went to Lava to hang out with her friends there. She stayed in Lava with her friend Lainee Morrison and then came home before church today.

Not Much Happening

 The week was pretty event-free. We all did the school/work thing.

The general election is coming--and it cannot come soon enough. I am so tired of all the lies that the politicians are spewing.

COVID-19 is soaring here in southeast Idaho. I will not be surprised if we go back to work-at-home. I hope not.

The one bright spot over that last few weeks has been BYU. BYU is 6-0 and garnering some national attention. BYU has a really good chance to go undefeated, but a game with Boise State in Boise looms. Hopefully, they will not get big heads and lose to a team that they should defeat!

Back to "Normal"

After a week off, it was back to school and work for the family. The illness has not completely left us, but we are well enough to get back to some normalcy.

Monday was Columbus Day. Since the school district nor Idaho State University take the day off. we all went to where we were supposed to go.

I can hardly wait for this election to get over. It is blatantly obvious that the media is out to get President Trump and will do anything to make sure he does not get reelected. Just a few more weeks until it is all over!

Being Sick and Shocking News

 

I started the week sick. I was fearful that I had COVID-19, but my test was negative. However, it really did knock me for a loop. By the end of the week, the rest of the family was sick. Lilli called on Thursday from school being sick so I had to go get her. Deb was sick on Thursday, and by Friday Angie was sick. It struck the Gambles household pretty hard.

Mom called us with some very shocking news. Kim Thomas had been killed in a tree-cutting accident. It was so shocking. Deb and I went to the viewing this evening. Kim looked really good in the casket--or at least a good as a dead person can look!

BYU played the University of Texas at San Antonio in an empty stadium in Provo. BYU played a frustrating game--one that has become too common during the Kalani Sitake years. Every time they got themselves in scoring position they would shoot themselves in the foot. Usually, BYU loses these games. Thank goodness they were able to edge them, 27-20.

General Conference

 

The week concluded with General Conference. We watched it as a family. It was a very nice conference. President Russell M. Nelson, at the conclusion of the conference, announced six new temples, one of which will be in Lindon, Utah.

Conference was held without anyone in attendance except the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and others that participated. It will be nice when conference will have attendees again.

Angie participated in the annual Powder Puff game. Her team of sophomores and juniors lost 7-0. Angie got to play in the second half on the defensive line. The game is always played during the week of Marsh Valley's homecoming. MV did well and won the game against South Fremont, 27-19.

Angie also tried out for the competitive cheer team. She made it. She was pretty happy especially since a lot of her friends are on the team.

BYU played Louisiana Tech in an empty stadium in Provo. BYU handled them easily, 48-14. They are 3-0 and climbing in the polls. They are ranked 15 right now.

A Skunk and Kittens

 

It was not a very eventful week until we got to the end of it. Early Friday morning Cosmo was barking furiously. A few minutes later, an incredibly strong skunk smell came into the house. Since Cosmo's barking had awaken me, I knew that he had gotten sprayed. The next morning, Angie found him really stinky. Ugh!

Also Friday morning, Deb called to tell me that a newborn kitten was next to our front steps. When I got home, there were three of them. It looked like they were all dead, but when I moved one, it started to meow. All three were still alive. The mother cat had abandoned them. I wanted to see if we could rescue them, but it requires constant care for the animals--24 hours a day for two or more weeks. There is no way we can provide that. I hoped that the mother would return to get them, but Saturday morning they were still alive but just barely. I had to do the humane thing and dispose of them.

We winterized our yard. The trampoline was taken down and the sprinklers shut off. At least this year I did not do it while it was freezing!

Birthdays and Ukulele

 

The week did not have anything special other than Mom's birthday (Lorie's too). We were bad, we did not call Mom on her birthday. I did, though, post something to Facebook for her birthday.

We took Lilli's trombone back to the store since she is no longer in band. She is now taking art. Angie, though, wanted a ukulele so we got her one. She has been using one for choir. She has already learned a few songs on it.

Labor Day, BYU Football, and Back to School/Work

 

The week started out with Labor Day. With a storm blowing in, I took down the canopy so it would not blow away. Around taking it down, Deb and I played games. We also found out that Lilli's COVID test was negative so we can resume our "new" normal.

Labor Day evening, BYU played Navy in Annapolis, Maryland. No fans were allowed in the stadium so it was really hard for me to get into the game. However, the players really played well. BYU dominated the game from the start winning easily 55-3. BYU had a bye week, but, unfortunately, a small breakout of COVID on the team has forced the postponement of BYU's next game against Army.

Tuesday was back to work/school for everyone (almost everyone--Deb did not have to return until Wednesday. On Friday, we had the nineteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC. Those that will vote for the first time in this upcoming election were not born or infants when the attacks occurred. To them it is history while it is a memory for me.

At Home--Not Camping

 

The week started out as usual. The girls went to school. Deb went to teach. I went to my job. We were getting ready for a long weekend with Labor Day coming up. We had planned to go camping with the Browers up Webb Canyon. It had been some time since we went and were looking forward to it. I got off work on Thursday and Friday. I planned on using Thursday to get ready and then be in the canyon that evening. The girls were going to come with us after they got home from school.

All of that changed when Lilli complained of a sore throat. Even though it was not red and she had no fever we sent her to school. When she got to school, she told them about her sore throat and they asked us to come and get her. Deb took her to Health West to get checked for COVID-19. Since she had taken the test, we were told to quarantine until we got the test results back. Test results take about three days so going camping or doing anything this weekend was out of the question.

Since we could not go camping, I set up our canopy in the backyard next to our outdoor fireplace. However, it got really hot so we spent most of the time inside playing games and watching movies. We did make a fire on Saturday and cooked pudgy pies.

Tomorrow is Labor Day. I doubt we will get the results back then. It will probably be Tuesday when we get the results. Hopefully, it will be negative.

Getting into the Swing of Things

 We have established a pattern of sorts. Deb, though, went to school everyday this week. Next week she just goes on Monday and Wednesday. The girls are doing well in school. Not much else has happened.

Back to School

Deb and the girls went back to school on Wednesday.  Tuesday night, I gave the girls each a Father's Blessing. I also gave Deb a blessing as she starts teaching her new kindergarten class.

Deb said that she has a "cute" class. It was hard on her these first two days, but she is excited to teach her new kids. Angie is excited about school, and Lilli seems to have a goal set to do well this year. She is still complaining that she has to take band.

Saturday was bitter-sweet. Deb made some delicious zucchini bread, but I really messes up my foot. I was trimming some branches from the tree in the back yard when I fell off the ladder. Initially, I did not think I was hurt, but when I got up after sitting some time, I could hardly walk since my foot hurt so bad. Ugh! I may have to do a doctor visit on Monday.

Sacrament Meeting was held at the church. Bishop Downs had surgery and was not there. It was a short and sweet meeting, but it was wonderful to feel the spirit of the fellow ward members.

Sad

The only news this week involved Angie and volleyball. Sadly, she was cut from the team. I think it is a bitter-sweet feeling for her. She wanted to play, but she did want to play for the coach. Other than that news, it was pretty much a slow week.

The virus is slowly killing off sports. BYU has had 8 games cancelled although they are still trying to put together a schedule.

That Damned Virus!

Deb is getting ready for school this fall. The Marsh Valley School District is going full-steam ahead. Deb is getting a little nervous about it. She is a little worried that the district is not doing what other school districts are doing--going to online or some hybrid of online and in classroom teaching.

The Big Sky Conference has canceled all fall sports. Actually, they postponed them to spring. I have my doubts that the sports will play in the spring. It will be a logistic nightmare, but we may need to do it. It is worrying me a little. I am afraid my job will be in jeopardy. My position was almost cut last spring in an effort to save the department some money. If we are not getting any funds from ticket revenue, will I have a job next spring?

We watched Saving Mr. Banks. It was a good movie about how Mary Poppins was made by Walt Disney. I did not realize what the original movie meant to the author of the book the movie was based upon. It now makes me want to watch Mary Poppins.

We had church at the chapel. Again, it was good to mingle with other members--although socially distanced and masked!

Long Overdue Vacation!

We had a long overdue vacation. We asked to use Scott's cabin in Provo Canyon. We went down on Thursday. It took most of the day to get there. That evening, we went to Chic-Fil-A for supper. We found a park in Orem to eat.

On Friday, we played games. We taught Angie and Lilli Hand and Foot. To them, it was boring. It uses too much strategy and not enough action! Besides, it does not involve any electronics!

Friday was also Lilli's Adoption Day. To celebrate, we went to King Buffet in Orem. It was really good, but they only had about half the normal food out. At any rate, it was delicious.

Saturday, Deb and I played some games. We then went to find someplace to swim. I thought Deer Creek Reservoir would be a good place so we went there. It cost $20 to just enter the park, so we decided against it. We drove to Midway and went up to the memorial there. When Angie was little, we went there. As she got out of the car, she exclaimed "You can see the whole wide world!" I tried to get Angie to recreate it, but she would not do it. For supper, we went to Mo Bettah's, also in Orem.

Shauna and Scott came to the cabin. We did sacrament while they were here. We then grilled some steaks (Scott wanted a hamburger) for dinner. We had a good time visiting, and then, reluctantly, we left. I wish we could stay for a month! The four days, though, did me a world of good. I needed time to just do nothing but what I wanted to do.

High Adventure

Angie went to Young Women High Adventure. The stake took about 20 girls to the City of Rocks. I took her to the Stake Center to meet with the other girls and leaders that were going. Connie and Bill went, but they left a day early to set up camp. Angie was a little nervous. She does not like new things, but I knew she would love it--and she did. She had a great time. In fact, we had a lot of good reports that she did really well at the camp.

Angie came from High Adventure on Pioneer Day. Since it is not a holiday in Idaho, I had to work. Usually, our ward celebrates with the Downey First Ward at the Fairgrounds, but the virus killed that. We celebrated by watching the movie Greyhound starring Tom Hanks. It was really good--about the navy protecting convoys across the north Atlantic during World War II.

We held Sacrament Meeting at the chapel. Again, it was good to see fellow ward members and join in their spirit.

Spending More Money

When I was driving to work on Wednesday, I noticed the low tire pressure was on. I thought, I need to get it filled when I get to work. Then, the tire started to thump. I pulled off the freeway at the Arimo exit (actually right next to the on ramp). I got out to change the tire and started to loosen the lug nuts. I noticed one lug nut was different and could not but the tire wrench on it. I did some investigating and found a small bag with lug nuts. I discovered that locking nuts had been put on the car, but the key to unlock them were not there. I was perplexed what to do. Since I was next to Connie and Bill's I called them. They came over to help. After trying to figure out what to do, we decided to pound a socket onto the lug nut. It worked. We were able to get the tire off. That afternoon, Deb and I went to Ron Keller Tire in Preston. When the tire went flat, I drove it too far so we had to get another tire. Fortunately, they had a used one that they sold to us for $40. I found out that Honda dealerships have a key, and we can replace the locking lug nuts with regular nuts. We are going to have to do that--I do not want to be stuck on the freeway with no way to change the tire!

We had the pickup fixed up this week. It was almost $1000, but now we have a vehicle that is a little more reliable. Now we need to get the tires replaced on it.

A New Car!

We started the week in Salt Lake City. Deb had a follow-up appointment with the University of Utah Neuroscience Clinic. They were pleased with her recovery. Her next appointment will be in November for a scan to make sure the aneurysm is OK.

After the appointment, we (Deb, Angie, and I--Lilli stayed with Grandma) went to look at cars. It was hot. We thought we had found the car, but since it was a salvaged title, the credit union would not finance it. They only finance 50% of the value of salvaged cars, and the dealer was asking for about 75%. We had to pass on it.

I took Friday off, and, again, Deb, Angie, and I went car shopping. We drove through Logan and Brigham City looking for cars. We then stopped in Ogden to look at a car we saw on Monday, but the dealership was closed when we got there on Monday. So we returned. It was a nice car, we drove it, then decided to buy it. By them time we made the decision, the credit union was about to close so we made arrangements to have them get the financing on Saturday.

Saturday we purchased a 2012 Honda Odyssey. It is a nice car. We are happy with it.

We returned to church today. We only had Sacrament Meeting, but it was wonderful to feel the spirit of fellow ward members. 

An Eventful Week

We had quite an eventful week. Angie's Adoption Day was on Tuesday. I am sure she will never forget this year's day since Deb and I each had a colonoscopy. We started the "cleansing" process on Monday evening. Angie then drove us to the clinic in Pocatello. Since she could not go into the clinic, she had to wait for us in the car. Of course, when we got home, Deb and I went straight to bed and slept most of the day. That evening, we watched Just Mercy starring Michael B. Jordan. It was a great movie. Fortunately for Angie, we did celebrate by going out to dinner a few days late.

With Independence Day being on Saturday, I got Friday off. On Saturday, we went to the parade in Arimo (one of the few places that still held a parade). We then went to Mom's to celebrate. We grilled some burgers then watched Hamilton on Disney. It was really good.

We had planned to go to Malad to watch the fireworks, but we got away too late from Mom's. We found out that Arimo was doing a homemade firework show, so we went there. It was pretty good for a privately funded show.

A New Normal?

 It is our "new" normal. I go to work (wearing a mask all day!) while the family is home quarantined--sort of. We do not do much else than the necessary things. Deb is still going to doctor appointments. Angie is working at Downata, and Lilli does what she wants!

Angie is working on a project. She saw that someone had made a bed out of pallets so she is gathering pallets to make a new bed.

Back to Work

I returned to work this past week. Only half of the office is really back to work. Oh well. I have fewer distractions at work so I guess that is good.

Deb went to see Dr. Martin. She suggested that she get some therapy to help her get in a better place. Deb has not been very happy since her diagnosis. Hopefully, she will return to her happy self.

I had a very frustrating day on Wednesday. It seemed everything that I tried to get done did not get done. Things did not work right at all. Then when I got in the car to go home, the rear driver side tire was flat. UGH! To top it all off, I could not get one lug nut loose no matter what I tried. Thankfully, Spencer Salvesen from the Holt Arena maintenance staff was still at work, and he got a breaker bar to get the nut loosened. I had even ended work at the right time and was looking forward to a nice relaxing evening at home. NOT TO BE! When we got the tire fixed, they said that the tire had a piece of bone in it. I must have ran over a dead animal on the road at some time.

Angie has become a full-blown teenager. She decided she wanted to go to her friend's house. She never really asked to go--just told us. It was a little frustrating since Mom wanted her to mow her lawn. We told Angie she needed to do it since she had told her grandmother that she would, but it was more important to be with her friends. To think, the teenage years are just beginning!

Saturday, Angie and I went to Logan to look at some cars. There was not much there. At Murdock Buick GMC we test drove a Mitsubishi. It was a nice car but too small for us. After the test drive, we just got into our car and drove off without talking to the sales lady who let us go on a test drive. She came running out to us when she saw us leave, but I just drove on. Angie laughed about me leaving.

Lynn and Leisha invited us to attend Sacrament Meeting with them on Father's Day. So, we went to the "Webb Canyon Branch" with their family. It was fun. Afterwards, we had brunch then visited. It was a good Father's Day.

Busy Week

It was a very busy week. It seemed like all we did was doctor appointments!

Deb had her staples removed. She was really nervous about it. I kept telling her it would not be too bad. After it was over, she said it was a lot more worse than I had lead on. At least they are out and her wound can heal completely.

Thursday was a very busy day! In the morning, Deb had her C-PAP set up. The gal that replaced me when I left the Regional Special Education Office came to help Deb set up her C-PAP. She said that after the state closed the office, she worked for some time in other positions within the College of Education while also getting a degree. After she graduated, she got her job with Lincare setting up C-PAPs and other things. In any event, Deb started using her machine. She was really nervous trying to get to sleep but she did WAY better than me on her first night. Not only her first night, but her first week. I really struggled keeping the mask on, and she has done great.

In the afternoon, Angie and I went to Pocatello. Angie had an appointment with Dr. David Donaldson with Pocatello Ear, Nose, and Throat. During her physical last fall, she had some earwax buildup so we finally got around to getting it cleaned out. After the exam, the doctor told us that Angie has some large membranes in her throat and said that she had juvenile sleep disorder. Essentially, she has the youth version of sleep apnea. He told her to get a nasal spray to use for a month to see if it helps get the membranes to normal size. The doctor also said that her tonsils were larger than normal and may need to be taken care of in the future. After the ENT appointment, we went to the eye doctor. Angie's eyes have gotten a little worse so she got a new prescription.

While we were in Poky, Lilli had her appointment with Doug Gallup of Family Services. She said it went well, and Deb said that the counselor said that he felt Lilli had progressed as much as she can. He suggested that she may want some more counseling when she resumes school next fall.

On Friday, I took Angie and Lilli to their appointment of neurofeedback with Bret Judd. On the way home, we dropped off Lilli at her friend's house in Arimo so that she can stay overnight. Later, I took Angie to the Suttons for a party.

Truly, it was a busy week!

Start of Summer

This past week, Deb and I celebrated our 18th Wedding Anniversary. Since Deb is somewhat laid up, I cooked dinner at home then we went to Connie and Bill's and played games. It was a lot of fun. Usually, we try to go out, but with Deb not at 100%, it was better that we did not--other than going to Connie and Bill's.

Later in the week, we went to Lynn and Leisha's while Angie went to Katanya's birthday celebration at Outer Limits and then up Webb Canyon. It was also good to get some games played with those wonderful people!

The car went kaput before Deb had her surgery. We found out that it will be about $2,000 to get the car fixed. UGH! We are in search of a new car. UGH!

Two wonderful women left this world for the spirit world this past week. The first was Harriet Roberts, formerly of Swan Lake. When I was a teenager, I worked for her husband mainly moving pipe. I then helped them move to Rupert from Swan Lake. The other was Barbara Wisner. Again, she will be missed. She was such a friendly, loving person. When Shawn Henderson and I went to Las Vegas in September of 2001, we went to Logandale to go to church with her. She seemed to be proud that I came to be with her. I sure wish this COVID-19 stuff was gone. I would have gone to both funerals.

Memorial Day

We started the week with Memorial Day. At first, Deb wanted to go to the Clifton Cemetery and be with her siblings at her parents' graveside. However, Deb did not feel good at all, so we stayed home. Connie and Bill along with Lynn and Leisha stopped at the house after they had visited the Clifton Cemetery. It was good to see them, and it lifted Deb's spirits. Connie brought us a lasagne to eat when we needed something to eat.

We have wonderful ward members. Each day, a member has brought us a meal. Not only brought us a meal but a very delicious meal. Becky Sorensen and Shannon Sutorius brought us meals on last Sunday. Then, in order, we have had meals brought to us by Charissa Shurtz, LaRue Higbee, Lisa Austin, Morgan Bell (a member of the Downey 1st Ward but a great friend), LaDene Fly, Shannon Sutorius (again), and Darlene Downs.

I went to work on Friday. It was good to sit at the desk and work. After work, I met the girls. They drove the Excursion that we borrowed from Lynn and Leisha. I had driven the pickup to work. They had their counseling appointment. After going to the appointment we got some Frosties from Wendy's. While waiting for the girls to arrive, I dropped off Angie's bicycle to get the flat tires fixed. On the way home, we dropped the Excursion off at the Browers.

We had our at-home Sacrament Meeting today. It is awesome to be with the family.

Post Surgery

It has been quite the week. As it began, I could not wait for it to be over. Now, we are at the end. Thankfully!

Deb and I left home on Thursday morning at about 3:15. At about 5:25 we arrived at the University of Utah Hospital. I hugged Deb, and she walked in. I hated leaving her. I wanted so badly to be with her.

After I dropped her off, I went into the parking garage. Deb had told me that she was going to call me when the doctor came to visit her before her operation so I did not want to miss that call driving to Shauna's. She called at about 7 am, so I could have made it to Shauna's. I was able to get a short nap in which helped.

The doctor said that he would have a nurse call at the beginning, during, and at the end of the surgery. The doctor also said that the surgery would take about four hours.

As promised, I received a call from the nurse. Deb did well during the surgery, then after the surgery, I got a call from the assistant surgeon. He said that Deb did really well and the surgery went a little better than expected. He said that Deb would call as soon as she woke up from the anesthesia which would be about an hour. Right then, I wanted to be with Deb. I did not want to wait for a call. I wanted to see her in her recovery room, but, alas, I could not. I had to wait.

It was a big relief when the doctor said Deb was doing great, but she never did call. Late in the afternoon, I called to find out why she had not called. The nurse checked up on her and said that she was still sleeping. As I thought about it, Deb has always had a hard time waking up from anesthesia so then I knew it would be some time before she called.

She called me the next morning. She thought it was still Thursday. She did not believe me that it was Friday. Man, did it feel good to hear her voice. We then did a video call and saw each other for the first time in over 24 hours. Deb looked good--well, as good as can be expected after brain surgery.

We came home today. Deb called at about 9 am to say that she was being released. By the time I got packed and to the hospital and Deb was fully discharged, it was 1:30 pm before we left for home. The ride home seemed long. I wanted to get home to get Deb comfortable. As we were driving home, Becky Sorensen called and said she had supper for us so we stopped and picked that up when we got to Downey.

It is good to have this week over. Now on to recovery!

Mother's Day

Today, we celebrated moms. It is the day we set aside to celebrate those women who not only bring us into the world, but those that teach us.

Yesterday, we went to Mom's and celebrated with her. We cooked hamburgers and visited with her. It was a nice visit.

Today, we did our at-home Sacrament Meeting. Afterwards, we had dinner featuring steak, shrimp, and corn-on-the-cob.

During this week, Angie went to get her driver's license. She passed the skills test with flying colors. On the written test, she could only miss 6 and she got 7 incorrect. She now has to wait three days to try again.

We had a little excitement in the valley. A man got off the interstate and Virginia then holed up in a barn. A SWAT team was called in to get the man who did eventually surrender peacefully. The situation brought up a lot of memories of the Fuhriman murders some 25 years ago!

Angie and Lilli had therapy appointments on Friday. We did some shopping afterwards. Appointments and shopping are the only things that get us out of the house.

COVID-19 Continues

It was another boring week at home. I did work at home, Deb and the girls did school at home. It will be wonderful when life gets back to normal!

Deb did her at-home sleep apnea study. We will hear results sometime next week.

On Saturday, we went to Mom's house. We learned while there that Kristi's dear friend, Stacey Blanchard Rodriguez, had passed away after losing her battle with cancer. While also at Mom's we watch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks. It is the story of Fred Rogers, and it was a great movie. What this world needs are more Fred Rogers!

Nuttin!

This week was BORING! This corona virus crap needs to end soon!

We did not do anything but "work" and "school" during the week.

The best day of the week was Sunday when we did our own family worship services. I must say, our family worship services have been wonderful!

At Home

It is really starting to get tiresome. I cannot wait until the country gets back to normal!

We had the consultation for Deb's surgery on Monday. The doctor recommended doing the surgery where a clip is put on the aneurysm. She was told that the earliest the surgery could be done was the day after Memorial Day. She asked to have it done on the Thursday after Memorial Day so that the surgery would not affect Memorial Day. A couple days after she requested the date, they called and asked if she would like to have it done before Memorial Day, May 21. So, it will be done then.

The girls and Deb resumed school on Tuesday, April 14. Deb had to go to Inkom to hand out the packets she had prepared for her students. Angie and Lilli started their schooling online.

Deb had a consultation to do a sleep study. In the hospital, the medical personnel noticed that she snored and since sleep apnea is a cause of high blood pressure, they want her to see if she has it. She has to do the first part with a sleep study at home and then will do one at the hospital.

I set up an office in the front room. I will now have a spot dedicated to my work rather than at the kitchen table.

Easter

Another week of at-home work. Ugh. I cannot wait for this to be over.

Deb had her angiogram this past week. She did very well through it. She will decide next week on what surgery she will do after her consultation with the doctor. Neither of us liked it when I dropped her off at the curb. The hospital has no visitors policy so I could not even take her into the hospital.

We stayed with Shauna and Scott. Deb asked Scott to help me give her a blessing. He did the anointing and sealed it.

We were able to do the sacrament today. We got word from the bishop this morning that we could do the sacrament at home so we did. It was spiritual. I was able to prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament to my family.

Shake and General Conference

Watching Conference

On Tuesday evening, I was sitting at the dinner table when everything started to move. Deb was standing at the kitchen counter doing some things to get ready for supper. She did not feel it, but Lilli, also sitting at the dinner table, felt it. Then Angie came bounding out of her bedroom. She had felt it. We found out that a 6.5 magnitude earthquake had hit near Stanley, Idaho. It shook our home hard enough to stop the grandfather clock in the front room. It seemed to shake forever.

General Conference was a powerful, spiritual two-day event. We learned of a new symbol for the Church, President Nelson has asked for a worldwide fast on Good Friday, April 10, eight new temples were announced including one in Dubai (first temple in a Muslim country) and in Shanghai, China. President Nelson reiterated that the temple will be for the Chinese only and that missionaries will not be sent. We also had a solemn assembly as President Nelson introduced a new proclamation commemorating the bicentennial of the First Vision. To conclude the conference, President Nelson pronounced an Apostolic Blessing on the members of the church. Deb and I wept through the entire blessing. Deb broke down and sobbed when he pronounced that anyone with health concerns would have them resolved.

It was a wonderful conference. President Nelson promised it would be unforgettable. It really was!

Changes in How Things Are Done

It has been too difficult to maintain a daily posting, so from now on it will be done on Sundays--when we are home! Also, I have tried to do it in the third person, but that is also difficult. It will now come from my perspective, husband and father of a wonderful family!

Deb's medical issue is getting a little bit better each day. I will be VERY happy when we finally get it resolved. Also, going to and from hospitals and doctor offices at this time are very concerning.

This past week has been BORING--especially for the girls. I have at least work to do from home. However, it is hard working from home. At the end of the day, I do not get to wind down while going home. I am already home! Also, the distractions are great at home--almost all of them are unintentional but are nonetheless distractions.

We held our home-centered Sabbath Day worship today. Unfortunately, this morning we got a text message telling us that the sacrament could not be administered at home. Deb called Connie and asked her what Bill had gotten as bishop of the Arimo Ward. He said the email said that members with worthy priesthood holders could still administer it at home, but that the governor's stay-at-home order meant that homes without the priesthood could not have priesthood holders come into their home and administer the sacrament. However, the message we got from our bishop said no home administration of the sacrament. It was a huge disappointment to not be able to do it in our home.

However, we did have a fast and testimony meeting since it was Fast Sunday. Each of us bore our testimonies. Angie's was the most touching as she became quite emotional. It surprised her that she became so emotional. She is beginning to mature spiritually.

Catching Up

We had quite a time for the last two weeks.

On Tuesday, March 10, Mom went to hospital with dizziness and high blood pressure. On Sunday, March 15, she returned home. In the meantime, the family found out that Mom had a brain aneurysm. Apparently, she has had it some time. She will go to the University of Utah on Monday, March 24, to see what needs to be done.

In other news, the family is hunkered down at home. As with the rest of the country, they are staying home until the coronavirus pandemic passes.

Getting Used to the Time Change

The family seemed to drag itself out of bed this morning. Daylight Savings Time kicked in for good today.

Mom went to Inkom to teach kindergarten, Angie and Lilli went to school at Marsh Valley High School and Marsh Valley Middle School respectively. Dad went to work at Idaho State University.

It was Dad's turn to cook. He took the easy route and cooked pot pies.

Sabbath Day

The Downey 2nd Ward Conference was today. The family attended and sustained general and local leadership.

After conference, we did our family Gospel study of 2 Nephi 31-33. Later in the evening, we read 3 Nephi 16 as a family.

Yesterday was a day of chores.

Doctors, Phones, and Golf Clubs

It was an interesting day for the family. Dad had an appointment with a dermatologist. He had some moles removed and a lump in the armpit lanced.

A visit to the Verizon store helped the family determine what is wrong with the new cell phones that were ordered. Angie's phone is being replaced since it will not power on. Deb's phone will be replaced also since she cannot load any apps. Both are having new phones sent and the old ones will then be sent back.

Angie and Lilli went to An Open Mind to have their brains balanced. Hopefully, it is helping them!

Not Much Doing

It was a slow day for the family. Mom stayed home; the girls went to school; Dad went to work. Angie had golf practice after school. Lilli stayed after school to participate in the science project fair. She and her friend Shaylie's project was about how the different kinds of soap expand with heat.

Dad had Bishopric Meeting, and Angie went to a lifeguard meeting at Downata. She wants to work at Downata this summer.

New Cell Phones

Mom and the girls went to Inkom. The girls caught the bus to go back to Marsh Valley. Dad went to work at Idaho State University.

Angie had volleyball practice in Inkom. Lilli and Mom waited for Dad to get off work. Angie's friend, Lainee Morrison, rode to McCammon with us. Her mother picked her up at Flying J in McCammon. She lives in Lava.

The iPhone 7s arrived today for Dad, Mom, and Angie. As soon as the numbers port over from the old carrier, they will be used. Also, one of the old lines will stay on a a "landline" which will allow the home phones to be used.

Life Goes On

Events today strengthened our family's love for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The day started when Dad took the girls to school. Mom stayed home. In the evening, the girls went to Youth Activities while Mom and Dad visited with President Kurttis Smith of the Arimo Stake presidency. After visiting with the stake president, Dad picked up the girls from the church.