Thanksgiving

What a great Thanksgiving we had. Kimberly and Anthony and the children came over and also Anthony's co-worker Richard Harris and his wife Claudia. It was nice to finaly meet them, as I'
ve heard alot about them. What nice people! Everyone seemed to have a really great time and we all ate too much, of course. The kids were so good and had so much fun playing both inside and outside, even though it was a little damp. We've had some lovely rain!
Anthony and Kimberly furnished the turkey, and Richard and Claudia brought a homemade Apple Cobbler and ice cream. I furnished a ham and the other fixings and of course the oven to cook the turkey (Kimber's oven is broken). We also had a wonderful Pumpkin Pie that one of my Ward members brought to me. Yum-Yum. The feast was great but being together with family and friends and the laughter is what makes it great! But I sure do miss Bill being there--He would have loved the deserts!
I am so grateful for all the blessings I have recieved this year. It's been a hard year without Bill, but I have been so blessed. I have always read in the scriptures about how much God and Jesus Christ care about the widows and now I know first hand that they do, and they really watch out for us in our times of need and sadness and I'm surely blessed and am so grateful for these blessings. I'm so greateful for loving family and friends who keep in touch with me and worry about me, what would I do without you all!?! Especially Christine and Kimberly who call me everyday. Thank you all so much, and know I love you.

Paul

Happy Birthday, Paul. Hope you have a good one. It was nice to talk to you again. What a great son you are, even if you don't call me very often. I'm proud of you and of what you have accomplished in life. I know that things are hard for you, being in Washington DC, so far from your family, and I'm proud of the way you are handling it. I know how lonely it gets! My prayers are always with you, Son.
You were such a cute little fiesty boy and I love thinking back about what a cuddle bug you always were. May God watch over you and keep you safe (especially when you are out spying). I love you.

Friends

What a fun evening I had with my dear friends Jordan and Betts and Bob and Pat Gunter (from Idaho). They are some of the people we served missions with at the Family History Center years ago. Such fun to be with! I drove over to The Strebeck's and then the 3 of us met the Gunter's at Nando's Resturant in Gilbert. It's a great mexican food place. We ate and then went back to the Strebeck's home and played 2 games of Phase 10. Of course we laughed and talked alot so we were there a long time. (I didn't get home until about 11 pm). It's so great to spend time with such good friends especially when you have so much in common and really enjoy each others company. I didn't win either of the games but that didn't matter at all, because I won a wonderful evening and made some lovely memories that will last forever. As I was leaving Jordan made me wait so we could go put and cut some roses for me to bring home with me. They have had the most beautiful roses this year (no yellow ones though). I have them in a vase on my bar and can smell the lovely fragance of roses all over the house. Wonderful!
I will be so sad to see them all go. The Gunter's are going back to Idaho today, and the Strebeck's are planning to move to St. George as soon as they can. They already bought a house there. I hope they don't go real soon, but that's just me being selfish. I will miss them so much. We get together as often as possible usually at least once a week. I know they'll be happy there but I won't be-- Boo Hoo!! Don't I sound pitiful!?!

Strange week.

Boy oh boy, this has been a strange week. I went to Holbrook last Wednesday to visit Christine and Pete and to get my hair cut. Pete was not feeling well when I got there and didn't seem to get much better all the time I was staying with them. He went to the Doctor but that didn't help much, the doctor thought it was something he ate. On Saturday morning he got up feeling much better and being that I was coming home, he encouraged Christine to come down with me, so we did. But that evening he called to say that he was having Vicki and Rick take him up to the Hospital in Show Low. This really upset Christine, naturally. But I just couldn't drive back up there that night, so we got up early Sunday morning, went and picked up Kimberly, and drove back to Holbrook. Christine wanted to get her car from Vicki and Rick and then go on to Show Low. Kimberly and I went to breakfast up to Denny's so we could see Melanie, and then came back home again. Thank goodness Pete is doing well now and Christine was able to take him back home last night, so all is well. They said it was a small blockage in his small intestine.
I was so tired when I got home that I didn't even get dressed all day yesterday! That high country is just to hard on my poor old body! I still have the nasty headache I always get up there and guess I will have it for another day or so. Not fun!! I am just glad all turned out okay!

Alone again!

Well, all of my company has now deserted me, and I'm back alone again. I do not like this being a widow bit at all!!! It was fun to have my sweet sister here with her wonderful husband, we always have fun together even when we're not doing anything special. I'm always bummed when they go back to Holbrook and I know she is too, being that she's not to wild about living in the armpit of the world!
We had such a quiet Halloween. I never have any Trick or Treater's come to my house. No young children live in this neighborhood at all. And being that the school, our HOA, and my church all had parties for the kids, there weren't any out and about. We did go to Cracker's & Co. Cafe for early lunch to see all the staff dressed for Halloween and those were the only costumes we saw. It is always so hard to go back to Cracker's, there are way too many memories there. Bill loved to go there and especially loved their Corn Chowder. Some places are hard to visit, especailly being that I still think of myself as a couple. I wonder how long it will take to get over this! Christine, Pete, and I went over to Jordan and Bett's house to play games. I went in to help Bett's get some drinks for everyone and just automatically got out 6 glasses. It wasn't until Bett's pointed it out to me that I realized what I had done, it just seems natural to get a glass for Bill too. It's is such a weird feeling to realize that I'm no longer a couple! Not one bit fun!

Pete's visit

Another great week. Paul left to go to Edgewood and then fly back to Phx and then fly on to Washington DC. It was wonderful to have him here. I managed to get the bed changed and washing done, and then Friday evening Pete flew in from Tennessee. I picked him up about 7 pm, we went and had dinner and went home and in a very short time Pete went to bed. He was really tired from Jet Lag and all the meetings he'd been to all week. He got up bright and early Sat. am and we had breakfast and bummed around some then went back home and Pete took a 3 hour nap. Poor thing didn't know weather he was coming or going he was so tired. Kathy did not drive in until Sunday morning, so Pete and I had a good visit and spent time just doing nothing improtant which was just what he needed. After Kathy got here we visited some, went out and ate lunch, and then they went to a concert by LangLang in Phoenix. They left from there to drive back to NM, as they both had to be back to work on Monday morning. It was fun but way too short a visit. Monday I did washing and changed the bed again. Keeps me busy but I love it, especially when it's such wonderful family visiting.
Yesterday Christine and Pete came down again, Yeah! They are going back on Saturday, darn it, it's way too soon! It's always so good to spend time with my sweet sister.

Paul's visit.

This has been a very nice week. Paul came to visit Saturday and because he was here Kimberly came over to see him (her brother) too. Kirsten (Granddaughter) and Steve (her husband) picked Paul up at the airport and came to visit also, and then Michael (Grandson) and Monica ( his wife) came to see his Dad and had cute little Milan (Great-Granddaughter) with them. What a joy it is to have so many of them visiting. Paul came from Washington DC where he lives and works, so it's a special thing when he has time to just visit with family. And being that Kimber lives in Timbucktoo, I don't get to see her very often either. And the Grandkids are so busy it's hard for them to find time to visit me, so it was wonderful to have them here. It really does a mother's heart good to spend time with them all. I'm amazed at how big Milan has gotten, what a cutie!
Yesterday Paul did not have to work but the others all did, so Paul and I got to spend most of the day together, what a treat! I learned more about his work and how he is doing than I've known in all the time he's been in Washington DC. A very special day and one I'll always treasure. I think he enjoyed it too. We spent some time with his parents-in-law and had a good visit with them. They are both doing well. It's too bad Tina wasn't with us.
We then went over to the Visitor's Center at the Mesa Temple grounds and saw the Book of Mormon art exibit they are showing there. It was wonderful! Paul is very learned in the Book of Mormon and it was great to discuss it with him. I just can't wait to visit more with him and the grandkids, either tonight or tomorrow. Great fun!