A SURPRISE VISIT FROM TAMI

 LAST SUNDAY, TAMI MADE US A SURPRISE VISIT.  SHE DROPPED BY TO GIVE  US A VALENTINES BASKET.  WE WERE DELIGHTED TO SEE  AND VISIT WITH HER.

 SHE HAD BROUGHT US A CUTE VALENTINES DECORATION AS WELL AS OUR FAVORITE CANDY BARS FOR A TREAT.  TAMI IS SO GOOD TO US AND ALWAYS MAKES US FEEL LOVED.

LAST THURSDAY, NIGHT WHEN TAMI AND I HAD OUR OUTING, I HAD FOUND A BEAUTIFUL BLOUSE AT HERBERGER'S.  IT WAS ORIGINALLY  $80 BUT IT WAS ON  SALE AS WELL AS PLACED ON THE 70% OFF RACK.  WE BOTH LOVED IT AND TRIED TO FIND ANOTHER ONE FOR TAMI BUT WE COULDN'T FIND ONE.  I ENDED UP PAYING ABOUT $19  FOR IT  (WE LOVE IT WHEN WE GET SUCH A GREAT BUY ON SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY LIKE.)

I HAD DECIDED TO GIVE THIS BLOUSE TO TAMI FOR VALENTINES DAY AND  WAS PLANNING  TO TAKE IT TO HER WORK ON THAT MONDAY TO SURPRISE HER.  I HAD IT ALL WRAPPED AND READY TO GO WHEN TAMI CAME OVER.  I DECIDED THAT SINCE SHE WAS HERE I WOULD GIVE IT TO HER NOW.  I WENT AND GOT THE DECORATED PACKAGE WITH BALLOONS, ETC. AND PRESENTED THE GIFT.  

TAMI WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE THE BLOUSE!  IT'S SO FUN TO MAKE SOMEONE SO HAPPY THAT YOU LOVE SO MUCH.  SHE HAD DELIGHTED US AND WE WERE ABLE TO DELIGHT HER IN RETURN.  ISN'T THAT WHAT VALENTINES DAY IS ABOUT?

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I FEEL SO BLESSED!

I'VE OFTEN SAID THAT I DIDN'T KNOW I WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO 4 OF MY BEST FRIENDS.  THREE OF MY DAUGHTERS LIVE SO FAR AWAY AND  I'M LUCKY TO SEE THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR.   WHEN I DO SEE THEM WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.

TAMI LIVES 15 MILES FROM ME AND WE NOT ONLY TALK ON THE PHONE SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WE ALSO GET TOGETHER EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT FOR A FUN NIGHT OUT.

LAST NIGHT WE HAD FUN GOING TO THE MALL AND HAVING DINNER WHILE CATCHING UP ON ALL THE NEWS.  THEN WE HIT THE SHOPS  TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SALES.  WE ALWAYS HAVE SUCH A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.

I'M SO PROUD OF TAMI FOR GOING BACK TO WEIGHT WATCHERS THIS LAST SUMMER. SHE HAS LOST 43 1/2 LBS. AND LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL.  TAMI HAS ALSO BEEN PROMOTED TO A NEW JOB AT THE VETERANS HOSPITAL AND IS WORKING HARD TO LEARN HER NEW POSITION.

DON AND I HAVE OFTEN COMMENTED THAT WE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL FAMILY.

I LOVE TO BE WITH MY FRIEND JANET

 JANET AND I HAVE A VERY SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP.  WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO GRAND JUNCTION IN 1976 SHE WAS PRIMARY PRESIDENT AND I WAS PUT IMMEDIATELY IN AS A PRIMARY TEACHER.

WE HAD DAUGHTERS ABOUT THE SAME AGE THAT WERE FRIENDS IN THE WARD.

WHEN I HAD OUR LITTLE STILL BORN BABY IN 1978 IT WAS JANET THAT COMFORTED ME THE MOST BECAUSE SHE HAD A STILL BORN BABY TOO AND UNDERSTOOD MY GRIEF.

WHEN SHE BECAME THE RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT I WAS CALLED AS THE MOTHER'S EDUCATION TEACHER WHICH WAS  MY FAVORITE CALLING.

WHEN I STARTED GOING TO THE POOL TO EXERCISE, THERE WAS JANET.  SHE BECAME MY POOL BUDDY!

THEN WHEN I HAD COLON CANCER, JANET CALLED ME UP 3 MONTHS LATER AND TOLD ME SHE HAD COLON CANCER TOO.  WE WENT THROUGH CHEMO AT THE SAME TIME.  WE UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER AND HOW WE WERE FEELING  AGAIN.

JANET AND I DECIDED AFTER OUR FIRST ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY THAT WE WOULD GO OUT TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE LIFE!  WE BEGAN DOING THIS  JUNE OF 2011.  WE WOULD TRY TO DO THIS EVERY 3 MONTHS.

I WAS DEVASTATED TO HEAR THAT JANET HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF CHEMO.  SHE ONLY HAS 3 MORE TREATMENTS AND IS DOING GREAT.  I'M VERY PROUD OF HOW SHE IS HANDLING THIS.

 LAST THURSDAY  WE WENT OUT TO CELEBRATE LIFE AGAIN.  WE ENJOY  SHOPPING AT THE SAME STORES SO THAT WAS FUN.

WE DECIDED TO EAT AT DOS HOMBRES FOR DINNER.  WHAT A FUN TIME WE HAD!!  I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL FRIEND.

46 WONDERFUL YEARS!

 DON AND I LOOKED FORWARD TO CELEBRATING OUR 46TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY SATURDAY NIGHT.  OUR ANNIVERSARY IS REALLY TODAY  (JAN. 15) BUT WE WENT OUT LAST NIGHT SINCE WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS ON SUNDAY.

 WE LOVE SEAFOOD AND WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A NICE RED LOBSTER HERE IN GRAND JUNCTION.

 OH HOW I LOVE BARBECUED SHRIMP.  IT'S ALSO HEALTHIER THAN DEEP FRIED SHRIMP SO THAT IS WHAT WE HAD.  DON ALWAYS LIKES ME TO ORDER SINCE I HAVE SUCH GOOD TASTE.  DON HAS LEARNED THE HARD WAY SINCE HE ALWAYS THOUGHT MY FOOD LOOKED  BETTER THAN HIS WHEN HE ORDERED SOMETHING.
NOW HE USUALLY SAYS "DITTO" TO WHAT I HAVE ORDERED.

WE BOXED UP A FEW THINGS SINCE WE WANTED TO HAVE ROOM FOR OUR COLD STONE TRADITION.  WE DO LOVE OUR COLD STONE ICE CREAM TREAT.

IT WAS A FUN AND DELICIOUS EVENING FOR US.  OF COURSE, DON WAS  INTERESTED IN GETTING BACK TO THE PLAYOFFS AS SOON AS WE GOT HOME.  I ENJOYED MORE ABRIDGING OF OUR FAMILY HISTORY WHILE WATCHING A GOOD MOVIE.  WE DO LOVE OUR LIFE!!

SHARING OUR CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

 ON FRIDAY AFTER WORK, WE TOOK A LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE AND ANGEL OVER TO THE MEMORIAL PLAQUE FOR MOM, DAD, RON AND TERESA.  WE MISS THEM ALL AND WANTED TO REMEMBER THEM.  TERESA ALWAYS BOUGHT EVERYONE VERY SPECIAL GIFTS THAT SHE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT IN THEM.  SHE WAS LIMITED IN HER MONEY BUT SHE NEVER FORGOT ANYONE.

 WE BEGAN OUR CHRISTMAS EVE CELEBRATION WITH TAMI AND JEFF'S ARRIVAL AT 4:30 P.M.  WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THIS NIGHT.

 TAMI ALWAYS MAKES MAGIC COOKIE BARS FOR A SPECIAL TREAT THAT NIGHT.  IT'S THE ONLY TIME WE EVER MAKE THIS RECIPE AND WE ALL LOVE THEM.

 THEN IT'S TIME TO ORDER PIZZA FOR DINNER.  IT ALWAYS TASTES ESPECIALLY GOOD ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

 TIME TO OPEN OUR GIFTS TO EACH OTHER.  OF COURSE THIS IS ALWAYS FUN!!

 PART OF JEFF AND TAMI'S GIFT TO US IS THE CHRISTMAS BUFFET AT THE DOUBLE TREE HOTEL.  SUCH GOOD FOOD AND GREAT COMPANY.  THIS IS SUCH A GREAT TRADITION BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO SHOP FOR FOOD, COOK OR CLEAN UP AFTERWARDS.  WE LOVE IT!  JEFF AND TAMI INVITED HIS PARENTS AND A FRIEND FROM WORK THIS YEAR.  WE HAD NEVER MET JEFF'S PARENTS BEFORE AND THIS WAS A GOOD WAY TO MEET THEM.

 SOME LAST PICTURES BEFORE WE LEFT THE HOTEL.  THANKS TAMI AND JEFF!

THIRD WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

Tonight we went to the Ward's Christmas dinner and program.  It was very nice.  The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was great.  Notice the nativity scene.  Does it look familiar?  I made this scene 35 years ago in San Diego the last Christmas we were there.  It still looks pretty good for being so old.

 The specialist over this night asked me to help out with the props and costumes.  Rebecah wanted to have the Cultural Hall look like Bethlehem and she had each organization make a booth.  She also encouaged those running the booths to dress up in Bethlehem costumes.  This is  the bread booth.

 It was so nice to have Tami and Jeff with us at the dinner and program.  Jeff enjoys our Ward dinners.  It's always good food!

 It's hard to believe that Christmas Eve is only one week away.  It's been a fun and memorable season for us and this night helped to remind us  again what Christmas was all about.

Oh yes, here's the shepherd scene from years ago.  It's fun to pull these scenes out every year and use them.  Who would have thought that they would have lasted this long.  Tami and I wanted to finish up the evening in front of our favorite sheep  scene.

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I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

 It takes me 3 days to put up all our decorations and lights.  It's always worth the effort when I'm finished.  Tami makes me promise to not get on chairs any more to put up things.  She comes over and does this for us now.

 We are so blessed that Tami and Jeff live so close.  Tami and I get together every Wed. night for our night out.  She has lost 35 pounds since July and looks wonderful.  I'm so proud of her for having the determination to keep herself at a good weight.

 Tami has helped me out so much in getting me on Medicare part B and also a Supplement from United Health Care.  She is so knowledgeable about health insurance and knows just what is the best for me during this time.  Tami spent an hout on the phone on Friday night just getting everything set up for me with the Supplement and part D too.  She is so good over the phone and knows exactly what they are talking about.  I feel she is my personal secretary when it comes to things like this.......and she is FREE.

I have sent all my Christmas packages, Christmas cards and made goodies for my VT Sisters and Don's Home Teaching families.  I'm really on top of things this year.

 As you can see, I'm feeling good and getting lots done.  Next week I go in for my 3 month doctor check up.  I will be glad when this is over.  I guess it is normal to always be a little nervous about this.  I would be very surprised if they found anything wrong since I'm feeling so good.  The only thing I need to do is  sit back and enjoy this beautiful season!!