end of October

It does not seem possible that it is the end of October already. Our lives have been full of work and a tragedy.

This past Friday the tragedy occured with the passing of Suzanne Burns, my sister-in-law. She is a good person that has always served her family well. She opened her home to those in need including two of my sons. She will be missed. We are sad at her passing but comforted that she did not have to suffer too long. She faced this illness with courage and faith so I know the Lord will bless her for her strength and the life she led. When we visited her in the hospital she was laughing and joking with us and the nurses. She was a good example of how we should all face adversity. I hope I can remember this always.

Mom is doing pretty well and enjoys being here most of the time. She really enjoys when she gets visits or calls from her family. She has been going to church with me and getting to know a few of the sisters. Today she mentioned how nice everyone was and that it is a nice place to live. We have hired a young sister from the ward, Ashley Stover Savage, to come and have lunch with her on the days I cannot come home for lunch. Mom has really enjoyed this also. She is doing pretty good most days. We took a trip to Tombstone the other day that really cheered her up because she talks alot about Tombstone and Nogales. We are planning on going to Nogales soon, maybe on Veteran's Day. We had to get her a new pair of glasses because she lost the ones she had before. Doug has been a big help with taking care of her when he is able. He is very good at making her laugh. We spend most of our time together talking about the past but I think it is good she has someone to talk to and be with. We are doing the best we can.

I just barely passed the midterm for a PreCalculus class. This is the last math class that I am taking to complete a math endorsement. It is math that is way past my abilities but when I get a problem correct I feel pretty good and sometimes even shout out loud. It feels like such a great accomplishment. I never was a math whiz but I am now starting to understand a lot more than I even imagined, including imaginary numbers! So by Christmas I hope to be done taking classes for quite a while again. The annual Family Reading Night took place on October 20th and was a big success. This is an activity that I am in charge of at the school. We got a lot of positive feedback and it was well attended. That means I only have two more large functions to get organized for this school year. Last Sunday was our Primary Sacrament Meeting and the spirit was so strong and sweet. The children performed well. I am so blessed to be able to be a part of Primary because it always strengthens my testimony and enjoy the love that the children share with me. The Lord loves each one of us and knows what we need. I am grateful for that love.

That is all for now and hope that this finds you and your loved ones are happy and blessed with all that you need at this time and send you my love and prayers.

changes

Life is full of changes and the past month has brought a few changes in our life. Some of these changes have been more challenging than others, but we are growing with each new experience. I now have a 'new' kitchen that is a wonderful improvement. We just need a new floor to go with the cupboards and countertop.

Chelsea left for Eastern Arizona College on August 19 and we do miss her. We have now become "empty nesters" and on to a new stage in our lives. Chelsea seems to be enjoying it so far. We are also grateful that she is taking advantage of this opportunity to go to college and hope that she will be able to prepare herself for her future. Two days after Chelsea left, we moved my mother in with us. We were able to finish the bedroom for my mother with help from Richard and Chris. Beth and Shannon helped with the move too. Mom is now getting settled into a routine here and seems to be adjusting to us. She has been to the doctor and has been diagnosed with moderate dementia (she scored 15 out of 30 on the test) which is most likely being caused by Alzheimer's. The doctor prescribed some medication that is supposed to delay the effects. She really liked Dr. Mayberry and feels good that she was able to see him. They also X-rayed the knee that has been bothering her. We are very happy that we are able to help her at this time and it is nice to have her here. She has told me a couple of times that she is glad to be here because she isn't alone anymore.

Two days before school was to start, I found out I would be teaching a Pre-Algebra class as well as a 7th grade math class. I had been planning on just having the 7th grade class, which I had taught last year. This means an extra lesson plan everyday. It has been a little challenging but I have really enjoyed and feel good about how things are going so far. I'm still taking classes to finish qualifying for a math endorsement and pass the certification test. So, work is keeping me busy but I am very grateful to have a good job so close to where we live. I am very blessed.

Mom and I took a trip to Thatcher two weeks ago to take Chelsea some more of her things. It was a nice visit and we also got to see Landon Kartchner which was a real treat. We also took a trip to Tucson to visit with George and Suzanne. Our prayers are with them as they deal with their health issues. It seems that the Lord has been watching over all of us, even through all of our family's trials. On Labor Day weekend, we were able to procure some good corn from Alexander's and green chili from Brother Bryce to make some tasty green corn tamales. Richard and family came down to help and we had a very enjoyable day. Today we ended up just relaxing. Looks like the changes have been taken in stride and we are better for them. Hope all is well with you and yours.

summer screeching to an end

Summer weather is still here but my "summer" is about to end. We have been very busy for the entire month of July. It started with the end of summer school party at the Benson pool. We started our trip to Utah with a stop at the Diamondbacks game on Saturday. Thank goodness the tickets were free because the game was awful. Spent a lovely Sunday in Oak Creek where we got a nice rest. We enjoyed "Much Ado About Nothing" on Monday evening at the Shakespeare Festival and got a wonderful welcome on Tuesday from the Newswanders. We laughed, played, ate, watched "Eclipse", swam, ate, went to the zoo, visited Elaine and Roger, ate, went to the Ogden temple, talked, and ate. Joseph's baptism was very nice and we were so glad that we were able to be there. On the way home, we stopped at Cedar City again. I went to see the musical "Great Expectations" and that evening we all saw "Macbeth" after a great Oriental buffet for dinner. What a wonderful trip!

The second half of the month has been appointments, cleaning, and two wonderful family memories. I was able to be with Shannon, Josh, and the girls for their sealing in the Gila Valley temple. What a special day. I was happy and proud of them. Then last Sunday, we had a nice dinner with John, Amy (his girlfriend), Alex (her daughter), and even Caitlin. We had a lovely visit and they promised we would do it again soon. He is so much happier than I have seen him in a while.

We have decided to have my mom move in with us. Sooooo, we are doing so major cleaning and fixing up to get ready for her. Chelsea has really done her part as well as Richard and Beth came to help. Things are really starting to shape up. Tomorrow, Bary Judd is coming to fix the cupboards and put in new countertops in the kitchen. I am so excited.

Life has been busy and promises to continue to be more of the same. We are looking forward to the birth of Lillian Marie, Chelsea leaving for EAC, and anything else the Lord sends our way. We send lots of love to all of our family and friends.

testimony

I've been wanting to write something but haven't been able to gather my thoughts very well lately. I think I might be on brain overload. I am taking all these math classes, summer school started, and worry about my mom has made me almost dizzy from not being able to keep a thought in my head for any length of time.

I started to write on Sunday but I was feeling very emotional and sorry for myself so I figured that wasn't going to do anybody any good. The last couple of days, everytime I would start I decided nobody would really care whether I wrote or not. Finally, this evening I went out and watched the sunset and enjoyed the beautiful summer evening that we are blessed with here in St. David. It truly is a blessing. It gave me a chance to reflect and have a moment of peace. I am so grateful for my testimony of the gospel that keeps me going even when life is not going the way I would like. I guess that is what I needed to remember. So, even when it feels like no one else cares, I know my Heavenly Father loves me. I want you all to know that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His church on this earth.

graduation...

Well, the last of our children has graduated from high school. It was so nice to have so many of you come to support her at this time. Graduation also means the end of the school year. I had to clean my classroom and get things put away for the summer. It is a good feeling to get this job done and look forward to having summer school start in another week. It does feel a little strange to not have to be gone to work this morning, but it is nice.

The garden is starting to produce and I enjoy digging and working the soil. It is very theraputic. I have already picked radishes, onions, and a little bit of spinach. This morning I picked my first pea pods and discovered a head of cauliflower about a one serving size. I was so excited. I have never grown cauliflower before.

the end of another school year

We have been busy with the end of another school year. The highlight of the week at school was being able to accompany the third grade's production of "The Wizard of Oz". They did a great job! I have been doing the end of the year testing for Title I and trying to keep the 7th graders busy in Math. I am continuing with my Math endorsement classes online which have been challenging, but it makes me feel good when I figure it out. I feel like the scarecrow when he is handed his diploma. The weather has been beautiful even though it has been a little windy. I am enjoying it because the heat is coming inevitably.

I had a nice conversation with John, my oldest, on his birthday. He is now 38 and seems to be doing fairly well. Chelsea, my youngest, is preparing for graduation with excitement and trepidation. Chelsea and I picked up my mom to attend another performance at the Gaslight Theater in Tucson. She really enjoys going and we had a lot of good laughs. We also met Chris and Emily there.

It has been a spiritual week. Last Saturday, Hailey (my niece Shannon's daughter) was baptized. It was so exciting that Josh was able to take care of the priesthood duties. What a blessing and I know my sister, Paula, was smiling down on the festivities. Today, was the Gila Valley Temple Dedication. I attended the 9:00 session and was so thankful to have been able to participate. The spirit touched my heart many times during the different talks. For your information, the temple is across the highway from where Grandma Davidson lived for many years when she was growing up. Sister Crockett talked of the spirits that were in attendance and I feel sure that Grandma was there. President Monson was in good spirits, though I feel like he was very concerned about his wife. So, I know I have a heart because it was full many times this past week.

It has been a good school year and I am very grateful for a job that I enjoy and provides for us. My garden and new trees are doing well and I am looking forward to the summer. Now, I just need the courage of the cowardly lion to face the challenges awaiting me in the future.

temple open house

It has been a wonderful week. We had a really nice visit with Tracy and Johnny last weekend. Just last Sunday they were sleeping in my living room and now they have begun their new adventure in Dominica. School was busy as usual. I completed one of my online classes which is a big load off my shoulders.

On Thursday, Chelsea and I went to Safford to view the temple. It is beautiful and feels special because it feels like it is our temple. After our tour, we met up with Paul Bird, ate a quick meal, and then I dropped them off at Paul's house while I went back to the temple to serve as an usher for the evening shift. That was a special time. I am so glad I was able to do this. I first helped in the chapel making sure there were tour guides for each group. Even though the weather turned cold and windy, many people came to see the House of the Lord so we were busy all evening. There were many members but also a good number of the curious. I pray that many were touched by the spirit felt in the temple. After working in the chapel, I was sent back into the temple and was stationed in the baptistry. It was uplifting to hear the tour guides share their testimonies with the visitors. I saw many people I knew, some of whom I hadn't seen for a while. At the end of the shift, I got to put shoe covers on people because they had sent the young women home. It was late, 9:30, when I left the temple and went to meet up with Chelsea at the Spring Sing where Paul was performing. I was able to hear the choir's last song and then the traditional finale where the choir alumni joined the choir in a circle to sing "May the Lord Bless You" which was beautiful. We got Paul back home and left Safford about 10:30 to drive home. As you can imagine, it was a little hard to wake up on Friday morning, but it was worth it. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera so I didn't get any pictures.

Saturday, Chelsea and I spent the day with my mom. We went out for lunch and a movie. My mom's condition has worsened and we are looking for a place for her to live which will be closer to George because I can't find anything suitable here in St. David. This is very hard for her because she still feels as if she can take care of herself. She can to a certain extent, but she is not fully aware of what she is doing from time to time. When Tracy and Johnny were here last week, we spent a very fun evening with her going to dinner and playing games with her afterward. That was Wednesday. On Thursday evening she called me and was so happy and thankful that we had come. On Friday she told George she hadn't seen me in weeks. Those of you who are close need to visit her as often as you can, she may not be with us much longer and I don't mean just physically.

Please take care and love one another.

not much to say

I haven't written for a while because I just did not have much to say. Life is full of days that turn into weeks in which we live our everyday lives without too much that seems worthy of note. Yet, my life is filled with many good things that I am thankful for. Over the past couple of weeks, I have a growing group of middle school students that come into my classroom to "hang out" before school starts. This has given me an opportunity to develop some good relationships with them. It has been a challenge to teach middle school math, but I like it a lot. I have the best job at the school because I also get to work with Preschool through 6th grade students teaching reading skills. So, it doesn't matter where I go on the campus, there always seems to be someone with a smile or friendly word. We did have a wonderful time with those that were at Warren's birthday party on March 28th. It was a packed house but it was really nice to be together. We went and picked up little Emmett so that he could join us and be able to visit with him for his first birthday. Being with our family is our favorite thing in the whole world. Another real joy in my life is teaching music in Primary at church. I love to hear the children sing and the songs strengthen me and lift my spirit every Sunday. Then there is Chelsea. She has grown into a beautiful young lady and we enjoy many good conversations while we have worked on a couple of sewing projects, driving to school together, or just hanging out at home. Our last project was her prom dress, which is a one of a kind. She was actually nominated for Prom Queen, but didn't win. (Kaydee McWhorter did) Above is a picture of her ready to go to prom. So, life is good for the most part and we look forward to upcoming events...Tracy and Johnny's visit, temple open house, summer school, trip to Utah.....

Spring Break?

Spring Break has come and gone and it has been a busy week. It started out by taking Chelsea and my mom to the Gaslight Theater for a fun evening of entertainment called "The Cisco Kid". We really enjoyed that and my mom is still talking about it. The rest of the week was spent doing gardening, planting 3 trees, taking the Durango in to get the window assembly repaired, took the TV in to get repaired, took the Firebird in for repairs, went to the temple, got my hair cut, finished a costume for Chelsea, did homework for my 2 online classes, and got our taxes finished. Even though I got a lot accomplished, the list is longer for the things that didn't get done. This always happens and is, of course, how life goes. Tonight I will have a new experience. I am going to do splits with the sister missionaries. I am excited and nervous. It should be a good way to finish the week before heading back to school tomorrow. Overall, I feel good about my week off even though we didn't really get to do any "fun" things except the Gaslight. Sometimes you just need to shorten the 'to do' list.

intelligence

It is the end of another month and, as always, the time has flown by so fast it is a blur. Dad and I lucked into tickets to see a Broadway in Tucson production of "Fiddler on the Roof". We got to sit with Rob and Shella Brubaker which was a lot of fun.

This morning I had one of those moments when I really felt inspired. I usually think of myself as an intelligent person but today I realized that I'm really not so smart after all. As most of you know I am teaching a middle school math class. We spent one day this past week doing an activity measuring circles and finding out that circumference divided by diameter equals pi. So, we discussed the formula to find circumference and area. Then we spent another day measuring the area in different ways to get a better understanding of circles. I was supposed to be teaching these kids but only this morning I finally put it all together and it made sense to me of why the formulas work. I'm pretty good at putting the numbers into a formula and getting the right answer but now I realize that I don't always understand what I'm doing. Finally the thought came to me that you can liken this to living the gospel. Sometimes we have to just keep plugging the numbers into the formula before we get a testimony or have the Spirit teach us what we need to know. Also, I think that 'book smarts' does not always equal intelligent thinking. I can get good grades on a report card but often don't know how to use that learning very well and just having a testimony of the gospel does not get you to heaven. You must live it everyday.

To all those that I love...

For the past three weeks I have made doughnuts for breakfast. It reminds me of when all the kids were home and I was learning how to make dough. Many times we had "stones" instead of "scones". I finally broke down and used Jeanine Judd's recipe which is in the ward cookbook and they have turned out perfect each time. I wonder why I was so stubborn not to try it sooner. I guess it is hard to admit how dumb I am sometimes. The biggest thing is that it has made me miss my kids alot. I want each one of them to know how much I love them. I did make lots of mistakes as a mom and as a human being, but I did always love my children and want the best for them. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all of you.

birthday and a bee

Tuesday my youngest child turned eighteen. It is hard to believe she will be graduating this year and moving on to college in a few months. I have really enjoyed spending time with her. We didn't really do much to celebrate her birthday but we will take her into Tucson tomorrow. Dad took her in to get her permit on Monday and then to let her practice driving. This turned into an adventure. They went out on Airport Road outside of Benson and she ran into a road sign. She hit it hard enough to activate the air bags and someone called the Sheriff's Department. So, we ended up with 3 sheriffs, an ambulance, and the fire department investigating what had happened. It was a slow night and she gave them all something to do. Reminds me of Tracy's accident that happened right after she got her permit. We had to tow the car home. It was the silver Metro that we had been fixing up to give to her. Oh well, maybe it wasn't a terrible loss.

On Wednesday was the school's Spelling Bee which I am in charge of directing. This is such a fun activity of which to be a part. The young girl that won has won for the past three years. She won the Cochise County Bee last year and went to the State competition. I hope she will do well this time also. I am so proud of her because she was also one of my second grade students from five years ago. I am so glad to have a job I really enjoy and can see the growth and development of many wonderful children in our little town. It is nice to feel a part of the lives.

back to school

It has been a busy week as Chelsea and I returned back to school. My niece's husband, Josh Garner, has been doing some projects here at the house. This is a real blessing for us and for them as well since he is out of work at this time. Chelsea was having a little trouble with her mouth after her wisdom teeth surgery so we had to make a run into the dentist. It ended up that she just needed to clean her mouth a little better. Chelsea and I both needed to go to Cochise College-Benson Center to take tests, so we got that done. I had a doctor's appointment that confirmed I have officially lost 9 pounds in three months since I was checked last but my bad cholesterol was up. So I need to keep working on my weight and what I am eating. I also squeezed in visiting teaching on Wednesday. We spent some time with my mom on Saturday. After we had lunch, we went to Park Place mall and saw Megan in the shop where she works and then ran in to Shannon, Josh, and Hailey. My mom really enjoyed this outing. Then Chelsea and I went to visit Emmett and Anna. He is a cute little boy and we had a nice visit. On New Year's Day I damaged the ring finger on my left hand. It is still a little swollen and tender so I didn't play the organ today but I think it will be better by my next turn to play. Love to all and have a nice week.

Details of December

2009 is over and I haven't written for over a month. Our December was busy like everyone else. On Thanksgiving, my little dog Ginger ran off and so we got a new dog named Sheba. She is mostly German Shepherd and about 10 months old. Chelsea had a show choir performance which was really good. She looked beautiful on stage and did very well with the choreography. They also performed in Benson for Christmas on Main Street. Doug had the hearing for disability insurance on December 12 and his lawyer said he did a good job. We still have to wait for a couple more weeks to learn what the decision will be. The wheels of government(justice) turn very slowly. I am going to work towards a math endorsement to be more qualified to teach middle school math. So, I've started taking math classes online. We had a very nice trip to Logan for Christmas. We had a little bit of a harrowing trip on the way up but smooth sailing on the way home. We experienced a white Christmas and a lot of fun with the grandkids and getting to meet little Eden. She is beautiful. We also spent time with Trent's family which is always enjoyable. When we got home Chelsea had her wisdom teeth removed. It went very well and she is healing now. I guess that brings us up to date and we are looking forward to the new year. Hope it brings good things for all of you. (I will try to post some pictures later.)