Arizona Learning or Living - No Both

Besides working on our townhouse - practically a full time job - we have been enjoying other opportunities that exist here.  We have been attending classes on Provident Living at the Cannery.  We have learned about Dutch Oven cooking and tasted some great items.  We have done dry packing at the cannery.  We were supposed to do wet packing one day but so many people showed up that day we got to bag beans for the Humanitarian effort.  We have been particularly blessed to be able to go to the Temple once a week where we are usually the witness couple.  Chandler also has a great library we walk to and I have read two books - not much but then with everything else going on that is good.  They also have lots of civic activities like farmers markets and art shows and international cultural days.  We will miss all of this when we return home next week.

OOPS!!!!! No sense crying over shattered glass

Today started out great with granite being installed this morning and then the plumber doing the bathroom sinks and faucets.  Since we have been without the use of the bathroom sinks since Saturday, we were looking forward to using them tonight.  The half bath does work great but it is downstairs so not having the upstairs one working did not meet our expectations.  The plumber started with the downstairs bath and it look great when he finished.  He then went upstairs and it was looking great.  I was checking to make sure I had enough to pay the plumber when I heard this loud bang and then exploding glass.  The plumber had just installed the drain on the sink and was picking it up when it just exploded and glass flew everywhere.  The sink was only a few inches off the floor when it exploded and yet there was glass on the counter top and behind the toilet which is in a separate alcove.  I swept, vacuumed and then wiped the floor with four layers of paper towels and still got cut twice.  What a mess and the plumber felt terrible.  We are now trying to see if we can get another matching sink.  I was going to wait to show the rooms off until we had them finished but had to share our experience.

In case you are wondering about the weird light fixture - it is LED and only 6 watts - amazing.  Between it and the fluorescent fixture over the tub we are only using 19 watts to light the bathroom.  Boy are we green and even the walls are painted green!

Randy Enjoying His 1st Place Chili Contest Trophy

While we were in Utah last week, Randy's Ward had a Chili Cook Off.  Randy wanted to win 1st place and carefully prepared his prized chili.  While I would not try it due to high heat, I am told it was extremely delicious and the heat only hit after enjoying the delicious flavor.  It must have been very good as he won 1st place against 11 others.

Flat Stanley Getting Around

Wednesday we received two Flat Stanley's in the mail.  I took pictures of the two of them in Arizona  before leaving for Oregon.  Today I took my Mom to visit her 94 year old twin sister.  We had lunch and talked for almost 5 hours.  Here is a picture of all of them..

House Update

Just another room getting closer to finished - need to find a dresser, ceiling fan and reading lamp.  These were the only walls in the house not painted off white so we decided to work with them.  We also reused the shears but added a drape over so we could eliminate the venetian blinds.

One Of Those Great Finds

While in Utah last week, we went to Church Distribution where we found this great picture.  It was hanging like a poster and had a note - available around the corner to the left.  Around the corner to the left were restrooms, so we looked to the right where there were lots of tubes but not this picture.  When we asked they said they were out as they only get one at a time.  We tried to order but they do not take orders for this picture.  They said there was one due in the next day.  We asked them to hold it for us and we went back the next day.  I had Home Depot cut a piece of masonite to mount it.  Just a word of warning - I had a window shade cut the same day and both items were cut too big.  I took the shade back but this was too big to hassle again.

We also went to Michael's and Hobby Lobby to finish up the stairwell with the tulips and greens.

Clive Cussler Book Signing

Eileen and her favorite author Clive Cussler

Line to get Clive Cussler's authograph

Clive Cussler signing his new book The Jungle

Heidi wrote us in Utah asking if we wanted to go to the Clive Cussler book signing at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale tonight.  Eileen has read all of his books and got me reading them too so I was OK with going but Eileen said she didn't want to go as we have too much to do (yes she gives me a list everyday of more than I can possibly accomplish that day).  Today when I said lets go, Heidi said she had completely forgotten since Mom said no.  As we got in the car Heidi said I can't believe you are so giddy since you said you didn't want to go.  Yes Eileen was excited to go and meet Clive Cussler and even more excited when she got her autographed copy of The Jungle made out to her.  It was a fun trip and only 40 miles round trip which we sure can't do from Austin.  Besides we also got a free copy of the #1 New York Times bestseller Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child.  I have never heard of him but will give it a try.

Heidi also bought her favorite Clive Cussler book in paperback and had it autographed to Zoey since she was along and Clive thought see was very cute.

Getting Closer to Done

We have been busy continuing the transformation of our cream colored house - the only colors when we moved in were the hardwood floors and one brown bedroom.  Every day I have a list of things to do.  Eileen didn't like the vertical blinds on the sliding door or the venetian blinds in all the other windows.  We were sure we wanted insulated shades in place of the venetian blinds but what to do with the sliding door was a bigger challenge.  During one of our many visits to Home Depot, IKEA and Lowe's we found bamboo sliding panels for the door.  After putting up the panels and the shades the next challenge was what to do above the shades.  After realizing most valances were going to cost in the area of $200, I came up with the idea of cutting up a bamboo roman shade ($25) and running the pieces around the room over all the windows.  Cutting and retieing all the strings holding the bamboo together was a long and tedious process.  About half way through Eileen asked when I was going to put the mirror up in the guest bedroom (for another post), well considering the valance was turning into an all day project the mirror will be another day.

Besides working on the house, we have been enjoying the weather, family, the Temple and dry packing (we did powdered milk and dehydrated carrots).  There is so much more to do and enjoy when there isn't snow and ice on the ground or winter storm advisories.

The Power of Example

During my scripture study I came across the following in reference to Jacob 3:10 entitled Damage Caused by Poor Examples:
• Children constantly learn from the examples set by those around them. Unfortunately, an unrighteous example can have a destructive influence on the young. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of the Seventy cautioned, “A word to adults and parents: Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s father [Oscar Walter McConkie] counseled that when we violate any commandment, however small, our youth may choose to violate a commandment later on in life perhaps 10 times or100 times worse and justify it on the basis of the small commandment we broke” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 15; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 14).

Each of us plays an important roll every day of our lives and we must always be sure that we are living the gospel so we are always setting the example that will lead our children back to Heavenly Father.