Quotes of the Week

You might be thinking that you are no one special...But that is not true. Don't you know that God has proclaimed, "The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones"?
--Gary E. Stevenson

--If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much.
--Boyd K. Packer

Though we all have weaknesses, we can overcome them. Indeed it is by the grace of God that, if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can become strong.
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Quotes of the Week

I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feelings that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding.
--Linda S. Reeves

Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve.
--Jeffrey R. Holland

I promise that lovingly performing ordinances for ancestors will strengthen and protect our youth and families in a world that is becoming increasingly evil.
--Quentin L. Cook

Home School; Home Church; April Fools; Wynne's Birthday; Easter

We have been living Groundhog Day over and over and over again with this pandemic and being confined to our homes. It's nice when we have a diversion; for instance, the night we had a pink moon glowing brilliantly in the sky.

There was also the day we had a huge spring snow storm. It was April 2nd. We thought it was a great April Fools' Day joke a day late.

It cleared up and I decided to take a little walk. As I turned the corner and caught sight of our church building, I had a moment of sadness that we aren't allowed to participate in church services together. I miss practicing and playing the organ. Such a strange world we live in right now. 

We get to enjoy some beautiful sunsets from our vantage point on the hill. 

Sunday rolled around again and we did our home church.

I have had one thing on my schedule the past few Tuesday mornings as I participate in a WebEx class the Stake Relief Society organized way before the pandemic and quarantine set in. There are a dozen or so of us who participate.

I was very distressed when I received an email from our ward Relief Society Presidency telling us 

about Mark and Winnie Rohde having COVID-19 and how sick Winnie has been. She is one of the women who participates in the Tuesday WebEx class. 

Not only did I feel very badly about Mark and Winnie having the dreaded virus, but it really creeped me out knowing coronavirus is now right in our very neighborhood!!!! 

Thankfully, the news this week is very promising as the Rohdes are recovering and Winnie was able to participate in our Tuesday class. What a blessing it was that she didn't have to be hospitalized. 

With all the coronavirus scare, the economy a mess and people losing their jobs (Dallas included), this is a great depiction of how this year feels thus far.  

It feels like life will never be normal again. 

As I am wont to do when I'm feeling sick or sad, I made some orange jello. It's my comfort food!!!

Glen was so proud of himself "inventing" a lunch he now thinks is the best ever. He put cheese and pepperoni on a flour tortilla and mmmm'd all the way through eating it. I thought of Glen when I saw this meme.

Dennis the Menace has put into words what I have been feeling the past 5 weeks since we got home from our cruise and have been confined to the house.

There have been so many mixed emotions as we have been experiencing a pandemic for the first time in our lives. Lots of scary thoughts and lots of wondering when we might possibly get sick and hoping the economy will recover and praying for a cure or vaccination for this virus. 

We were so looking forward to general conference so we could spend two days listening to uplifting messages from our prophet and apostles and others who had been asked to speak. The pre-recorded Tabernacle Choir music touched my heart.

President Nelson announced new temples, which we had wondered about since all the temples are closed right now. That gave us hope for a brighter future. 

He also announced a new Proclamation to the world.

I especially loved how he gave an Apostolic blessing. It helped calm my rattled nerves and helped me have more peace in this troubled world.

Our family loves the Princess Bride movie. The part where the priest is conducting a marriage ceremony and with his inability to say his "r's" his speech sounded like, 

"Mawwiage. Mawwiage is wot bwings us togeder tooday." 

Here's the same priest sharing his feelings today.

Since we have all been hunkered down doing home school and home church, I thought I would post some of the pictures our children have shared of their families. We miss them and miss being able to go visit them or have them come visit us.

Jacob's kids enjoyed their spring snowstorm.

Home church.

Jacob had an idea for a great object lesson and had each of the children make their own straw guy. When they pull on the string at the bottom, the little guy stands "firm and steadfast" in righteousness.

Home school. The children enjoy watching art classes and draw right along with the teacher.

They are great little artists and color-ers.

Logan not only has fun in the snow, but out in the grass as well.

Easter time--complete with bunny ears.

Date night for Jacob and Laurie.

Sarah agrees with me about how quarantine time is an excellent time to re-remind people about the book she wrote. 

Home school in the Excell household.

Look! They have the same TV art teacher as Jacob's children.

They watch zoo animals while eating their lunch.

Family bonding with games, Legos and chalk art.

Home church. Sarah loved Jacob's "firm and steadfast" straw guy and had her children make them, too.

Easter!!

Abe's little Wynne has recently learned how to ride a bike all by herself.

Home school. Wynne is learning some dance moves.

Newland and Wynne have a great parent face painter!

Wynne celebrated her 5th birthday.

Complete with face paint.

What a fun obstacle course.

Newland lost his front tooth and reported the other one is wiggly.

Home church. Abe took Newland with him when he went to administer the sacrament to someone.

At the beginning of all this pandemic craziness when we were learning about schools closing, churches closing, businesses shutting down and sporting events being canceled, Ben showed us a t-shirt they had printed at his job at Amazon.

I think that pretty much sums up how we all felt--sports fans and non-sports fans alike.

Kade enjoying himself outside.

How artistic! Look at that new car Ben and Haley now own. That's the color of car I need so I can find my car in the parking lot!!

Easter. Coloring eggs with a green Shrek hand.

This is Kade having a great time playing with Rebecca's kids (before the self isolation mandate).

Dallas and Rebecca know how to have a fun date night activity while social distancing.

Home church. Reading scriptures while barefoot and holding a Nerf rocket. Cute boy!! Sweet daddy!!

Rebecca has been such a faithful grocery shopper for us. One day she brought our food over after she had stopped at her home and had picked up three grandchildren to bring along for the food drop.

So close...yet so far away...

Another food drop day. Thank you, THANK YOU!!

Rebecca told about how she woke up one morning with her throat bothering her. She was sure she had the corona virus. Then she figured out it was just allergies.

She reads at bedtime and admitted that if she reads too much about COVID-19, she then develops all the symptoms in her mind and is sure she is going to die in the night.

Rebecca, this one's for you:

Last Saturday Rebecca and Dallas brought the children over to work in the yard. Dallas got busy cutting down trees and sawing off tree branches while the rest of them weeded.

It was well past lunchtime when they finished and we determined we could do take-out lunch and still social distance. Rebecca went to pick up lunch while the children entertained themselves in the yard.

Madison was one happy girl when she found out Costa Vida was for lunch!!

Rebecca had filled some plastic eggs with candy and they were spread all around the back yard. They invited us to stand up on the deck to watch the children do their Easter egg hunt.

Even though we had to maintain our distance and couldn't invite the Golden family inside, I found it was a real boon to my spirits to have them close by for a few hours that day.    

Easter home church was a beautiful, sacred, special day. We listened to several Easter music programs throughout the day. We had our sacrament meeting and studied Come Follow Me. 

Joe Cowley set this place of Rice Krispie Easter baskets filled with jelly beans on our front porch. 

Debi Winder had set a cute little package on our front porch another day. I was happy to see the three chocolate candies inside along with the cute nail file that said, "All you need is love and your girls."

I saved the candy to eat on Easter.

LaVona had brought over this cute tart as a treat for us after we had a virtual Friends Home Evening with us and 6 other couples.

Food reminds me of the apron I bought in New Zealand. Brings back fond memories every time I put it on.

As I finish up with all the Easter photos, here's one last one that just has to be shared.

Despite all the craziness going on in the world and feeling so isolated from friends and family, the blooming of the trees and flowers remind me of new life, spring, a loving Heavenly Father. 

It gives me hope for a brighter future as nature comes out of dormancy and springs to brilliant, beautiful life.