2024- Week 4(Jan 22- Jan 28)

I have been begging Jeff to get a colonoscopy since Lindsey was diagnosed with cancer and this week he finally did it. It didn't seem like his prep was too uncomfortable which was nice. We got there on time and the procedure went well. They found three polyps and a tiny spot of diverticulitis. We have to wait a week to get the results but Dr. Cutler said he wasn't worried. He had it done at the Granite Peaks Endoscopy Center near where Julia use to live. 

I had my work interview this week. All returning employees have to have one. Mine went well and then I stayed and entered invoices for Kim. Afterwards I took Nicolle to lunch at Red Robin. She wanted me to go to a gymnastics meet again this year but I couldn't.

Scarlett and Stella came over this week for tea. It was so good to see them. Stella is talking a lot now. I gave her her own little tea cup and some lemonade tea and she loved that. I also made a coffee cake. I found an amazing recipe a while back that is so so good. It's a recipe from Lil Luna. Scartlett recently moved to Kearns so she is closer now. 

Ashtyn came home for some appointments this weekend so it was fun to see her and sad to say goodbye.

I worked the night shift again this week. Sister Grossarth and I swapped so she could go to stake conference. They had me train a new sister named Julie Preece. She was so sweet and kind and thanked me every time I taught her something. I am feeling a lot more confident at the temple. We also had a baptistry training in the morning. 

Jeff went to the ordination for one of our new deacons Nicholas. 

He was my activity day boy but I wasn't able to attend. 

2024- Week 3(Jan 15- Jan 21)

The printer stopped working after we upgraded our modem. We tried everything we could to get it to connect to the WIFI and found out the hardware was too old so we had to buy a new one. We found a good deal on a new one at Best Buy and it's been working great. It also has an app that allows you to print from your phone which is awesome. 

I've been making a green smoothie each day. It is Reese Witherspoons recipe. I love her. Here is the recipe. She doesn't put in the whole lemon but take the peel off first. I also only use one head of romaine and more like 3/4 C Coconut water.

Jeff and I went to the temple Wednesday night and did initiatories and then mom and I did an endowment on Thursday. This was great to get ready on my talk on the temple.

I spoke in church this week about the temple. I shared about my struggles with anxiety and how much peace I feel in the temple. When I was in the temple this week I was asked to do an initiatory for a live ordinance and I had the most anxiety and then the most peace I have ever felt. I prayed so hard to do it right and then I truly felt God near and felt him telling me the words I was about to say would help the patron come to be with God. It was such a powerful and sweet feeling. I have loved working at the temple and it has truly blessed my life. It has made me appreciate my ancestors more and it has increased my relationship with Jesus Christ. It was great to be able to share some of my thoughts and feelings and I felt like that came across well.

Tom and Sharon invited us to dinner. Just me, Whit and Ethan went. Jeff had to stay home and begin his prep for his colonoscopy the next day. We had spare ribs which is the first meal I ever ate at their house when Jeff and I started dating. Turns out it was a recipe Sharon got from college, when she went to Utah State.

2024- Week 2(Jan 8- Jan 14)

I taught RS on Elder Eyring's talk Our Constant Companion. It went well. I love getting to teach. I challenged them to ask for an errand from the Lord.

Jeff and I went to dinner with Elissa and Jordan Olsen. We have been talking about doing this for a long time and we finally did it. We went to Red 88 Chinese Bistro by our house. It was good to catch up.

Our new church time this year is 10:30.

Liz has been sending Melinda and I Marco Polo's every night of what she makes for dinner. She calls it "Tonight's Dinner" and I have grown to look forward to them. She makes lots of delicious looking food and I love how adventurous she is at trying new recipes.

Vonnie came home from Rehab just before New Years so I have been trying to set up some help for her but she is having a hard time accepting help. Patty and I visited her and let her know that we want to help and that we adore her. I completely understand how she feels though because you don't want to feel like a burden. She ended up having to go to Boise so we will check 

back with her when she comes home. 

This week was my work party. It was a great dinner as always in the Pioneer Center. Elder Ron Rasband spoke to us and then we played a game like hot potato and the winner of each table won a tabletop fire. We sat with Lyndon and Marta, Shanna and her husband and Christine and her husband. She is the one taking over some of Tate's responsibilities. 

I got my hair done this week. It was nice to catch up with LeAnne and she cut my hair the perfect length this time. So I took a picture to remember.

Adult kids are so hard. They have all grown into amazing people but their struggles are adult sized too and all of the kids are struggling this week. Whitney is so sad about Quinn. Even if she knows it was the right decision. Ashtyn wants us to let her be an adult and I want that too and we just don't know how to back off. She also wants to feel like we want her to come home and we didn't make her feel that. Ethan is struggling with his job and wants to switch it up and really Jeff and I need to trust our kids that they know what is best for them.

We started rewatching the Chosen Season 3 to get ready for Season 4. I really love Season 3- so many of my favorite stories.

Jeff and I read in my blog book he got me for Christmas and we remembered our anniversary bracelets- three cord strand that I bought us a while back. He wears his every day so I will too again.

Cade Poulter is serving a mission in Argentina. His most recent letter was about 2 Nephi 4-which was Nephis psalm. It made me recommitted to memorize verses 16-35 which are my favorite verses in the whole Book of Mormon.

Ethan has been asked to speak in several of the wards as a YSA. He gave the most amazing talk about the atonement in the 2nd ward back in December. He expressed so many things and feelings he has had since returning from his mission that he hasn't expressed to us so it was good for me to hear. This week he spoke in the San Tropez Branch. I wasn't able to be there since I was teaching.

2024- Week 1(Jan 1- Jan 7)

We went bowling on New Years Day with Cathie's family. We missed everyone who couldn't make it. Kristy's family didn't come bowling but they came to brunch afterwards. I love this tradition and I am glad it was back this year. We found out that cute Traci is getting divorced so that was sad to hear and Erika texted me and I sent her some pictures. It was a fun start to the new year. 

Jeff and I moved Ashtyn up to Rexburg this week to go to school. She's living at Somerset near her mission companion Mary. I am so excited for her and we are going to miss her so much. She has been sick all week so we didn't leave until Sunday. We stayed with Lindsey and Daniel. It was great to see them. We got to meet their friend Rye and we had Sunday dinner with all of them. Ashtyn went to dinner with some of her old mission companions and we let her get settled in while we hung out with the Deweys. I miss Lindsey. We always have the best talks and she is so positive and upbeat. Her son Jed made some delicious cinnamon bread complete with his "Jed's Bread" branding. I made Jeff wear our Lindsey Strong shirts. She is doing great and so far cancer free. Monday morning we went back and took Ashtyn a laptop charger I had ordered her and then told her goodbye. I can't help but still be a nervous Nelly and worry about her- is she safe, is she eating, is she happy- but this time around we know she will be fine. She has lived away many times and she is a smart and capable woman and she's going to have a great year. Jeff and I went to the bookstore after we told her goodbye and grabbed some BYUI and Ricks gear. It was freezing cold!! I am not sure Ashtyn has enough Winter gear. We stopped in Pocatello and had lunch at the Subway on the way home. It was so fun to get to be with Jeff uninterrupted for four hours and chat about life. The roads were great on the way home. We missed Shaw dinner this month but Ethan went.

Ashtyn's roommate is Megan

Whitney broke up with Quinn and she is so sad. They decided their lives were going in different directions on some important topics like religion. I know she hopes he might have a desire to be close to God one day and if he does because he wants that for him and not for her then who knows what might happen in the future. For now they have decided to remain friends and figure out what that will look like. 

I visited cute Marilyn on her birthday. She turned 91. I love her so much. Unfortunately she got really sick a few days after we took this picture so I feel so bad her year has been rough so far.

Melinda's kids slept over. Bronson loved playing with the Magnatiles and he built this house all by himself. Maybe he will be an architect one day.

I  worked the Wednesday night shift at temple. I traded shifts because we thought we might leave Saturday but Ash wasn't ready.

The week was Trent Keys funeral. It was beautiful. All the Heritage Singers sand him a beautiful song and Zion played the guitar and Lou played the flute. I want to be more like Trent.

2023- Week 52(Dec 25- Dec 31)

We got so many cards this year. We sent out more than we ever have. We sent one to every ward member and all our family and lots of friends. We also got so many treats and thoughtful gifts for "The Bishop's Family". 

Christmas Day we had to wake up the kids. That has never happened ha ha. We tried to do a lot less this year for gifts. We did four gifts. Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. We didn't even get a single picture but it was nice. Everyone got somethings they loved and it was a relaxing morning. After we opened gifts we went to Jeff's parents for lunch and gifts and then my family came over and had appetizers. Ashtyn invited her room mate from Japan to join us. We had fun getting to know her. We also went and visited Vonni and opened some gifts with her. She is doing a little better. It was a nice day. 

I worked a Lakeshore CCP in Ibapah. That is one hour south of Wendover. It was an overnight job so we stayed in Wendover. I drove down with Katie and and Dalton Snow. I stayed in a room with a girl named Kori who works at the Lakeshore store. She was nice other than she vaped the whole car ride there, but she did ask me first. Ibapah is on the Goshute reservation. It is in the middle of nowhere and I loved it. You could hear silence and I haven't heard that in so so long. It was a tiny little town, with nothing around and I loved it. I put together several trikes. It was a beautiful facility. They brought in a professional supervisor named Amy and I loved her. She was so organized and showed us lots of ways to get boxes down easier. She was so positive, even when some of the crew complained when she asked us to work an eight hour day. We are not use to jobs taking the full day and that upset a lot of people because it would mean the job would only take two days instead of three like some of them had planned. I understood their concern because it would mean less money but it rubbed me the wrong way how upset they got and how rude they were to Amy. I only worked the first day so it didn't affect me so I just stayed silent. I'm not sure I will do another overnight job- it wasn't my favorite.

The kids really miss the brunch at Little America so we took them to Sunday's Best. This might be a new tradition. It was so fun and I love that place.

I went to Dr. Poulter for an eye exam. My eyes are the same and it was fun to have Ethan take me back for the pretests. He is so professional. 

We spent a pretty quiet New Years Eve together. We watched some movies and played lots of games and toasted each other before Midnight so we could go to bed.