Quotes of the Week

 Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses -- yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record you feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will grow into the principle of revelation.

--Russell M. Nelson

As you prepare for general conference, I invite you to ponder questions you need to have answered... A hear filled with gratitude for the blessings of life and an earnest desire to hear and follow the words of counsel will prepare the way for personal revelation. 

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt and understood.

--Robert D. Hales

Benihana; Longhorn; Zupas; Hordeolum Again! Crying Birthday Boys

We always try to get together with Natalie whenever we go to Provo for a basketball game. It is always interesting to hear what her dinner choice will be for our dinner.

This time she chose a teppanyaki restaurant.

Time for the shrimp toss. Once we were full, we took Natalie to her apartment and headed off to the ball game. It's March Madness. Need I say more about the never-ending basketball games???

It had been a while since we were able to get together with Glen's sisters Barbara and Maurine and their husbands Rich and Ray. Longhorn has been a great choice for us to meet when Rich and Barbara drive down from Hyrum.

We jumped at the chance to go with Diane and Grant to Zupas for lunch. Even though they live right across the street, we haven't visited with them much during the winter months.

What I love about Zupas is they give everyone a roll and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Glen doesn't ever want his, so I took his and mine home and had those for a later meal.

The previous photos were the good pictures of me. Now it's time for the not-so-good photos of me...in particular...my left eye. 

I could tell another eye problem was coming on and I was definitely not happy about it. I think this is the 6th time I've had to deal with this particular eye issue. 

This is my eye doctor brother Mark's opinion of the situation. 

I shared my sore red eye with Rebecca and Sarah the next day to let them see the progress(?) I was making toward healing.

This was his response to Rebecca's question: "I have been taught and believe that laughter is the best medicine." HAHA!! 

The next day there was not as much swelling under the eye, but I sure had a red, bulging upper lid.

The following day it looked like I was having fluid retention near my nose. UGH! Not a pretty sight in any of these photos!!

Another problem I have been having is with my allergy injections. I get two injections each week with different serums in each arm. Then the next week they alternate the serums and back and forth like that. 

I started out with a very diluted serum and it increases each week. By the second week, I was having a reaction to whichever arm the weeds serum was injected. The other serum is cats, dogs and grasses.

Each week the reaction was getting bigger and bigger and itchier and itchier and it lasted 5 days. I would have a couple of days of calm and not as much itching and then it would start all over again.

They kept my 7th dosage the same as the 6th dosage and I had a huge reaction--red welt that measured 4 1/2 inches by 5 1/4 inches. I was miserable as I tried my best not to scratch that big spot. 

Then I got the following voicemail from the nurse telling me they were going to remix my serums and make them super diluted. 

Then I would need to start over again with the weekly build-up routine which would change from 18 weeks to now 30 weekly injection visits before I can start spacing them out more than a week. UGH!!!!

But I am happy to report I have had two weeks of injections and I have not had any itching!! Hurrah!!

I got the biggest kick out of this photo of Ben playing Set with Kade. Ben is the ULTIMATE Set playing champion. So much so that none of us even like to play with him because he can spot the patterns so quickly. 

It will be interesting to see if Kade or Levi have the Set game expertise gene. 

Haley, Levi and Kade have been really sick lately and it's been a good thing Ben hasn't gotten it as he has been the one taking care of everyone. He had to cancel a trip out of town because he didn't feel like he could leave his sick household. 

We sure hope he stays well and that the others will recover soon. 

Abe sent us photos of him and Newland attending the basketball games in Greenville. What a fun thing for Newland to do with his dad. It's all part of the March Madness.

Speaking of March...both Monty and Abe have birthdays in the month of March. 

I laughed when I saw the crying baby photo of the birthday boy Monty with the birthday card we sent him visible in the foreground.

What really made me laugh was Abe doing a photo reenactment with his birthday card in the foreground. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to both the crying boys!! 

Quotes of the Week

 We must not be intimidated or lose our composure even though the once morally unacceptable is becoming acceptable, as if frequency somehow conferred respectability!

--Neal A. Maxwell

I make an appeal for us to reach beyond our own contentment, to move out of our own comfort and companion zone, to reach those who may not always be so easy to reach.

--Jeffrey R. Holland

Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval.

--Thomas S. Monson

Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.

--Dallin H. Oaks

Madison's Baptism; Spencer Turned 11

It is not often I am the shortest one in a group, but that was definitely the case when we went to dinner at Goodwood with Kent and Karen McBeth. 

They lived in the Escondido Stake in our mission in California and were called to serve in the Utah Salt Lake City West Mission. Since their release, they have continued to live here while their youngest son finishes up his senior year of high school. 

We enjoyed meeting with them and hearing about their experience as mission leaders--especially how they and their missionaries fared during Covid. 

Madison Golden invited us to her baptism. She asked Glen to speak and she asked me to be the pianist, which also included playing a piano solo. 

Madison's Grandpa and Grandma Golden.

Madison's Great-grandpa and Great-grandma Ward.

I noticed there is no picture of Madison's Grandpa and Grandma Thomas (us). I guess it was because I was busy playing the piano when those photos were taken.

After the baptism we made it into the group photo. 

We had precious cargo in our back seat driving from the stake center to Madison's home.

There was a lot of good food for us to eat for brunch. 

Madison and Caroline had friends there that day.

I was so happy Ben and Kade attended the baptism. Haley was in New York with Levi visiting her family. I know it really made Caroline's day to have at least one of her babies there that day. 

Ben ended up staying for quite a long time because it was so nice Kade was happily playing with his cousins.

Dallas and Rebecca took my parents and Nani on a tour of their recently-finished basement. Their home looked exceptionally beautiful that day. 

Then we were off because we had tickets to Hale Centre Theatre to see Treasure Island. 

Although it definitely wasn't our favorite play, it was very well done as usual, and the various elements of the stage were entertaining--especially when the actors started falling into the water one by one.

The five of us went to Red Lobster for dinner after the play. We had gotten to the play just in the nick of time, so we weren't able to stand in front of the decorated wall advertising the play we were attending. So, these car photos were taken instead.

Spencer turned 11-years-old and he requested we go to Golden Corral for his birthday dinner. We ended up going there the day before his birthday. But, never fear, we all enjoyed ourselves that evening.

The gigantic blue plastic gloves reminded us of what we had to wear at our family reunion at mealtimes while we were at Aspen Grove.

The next day was present day. Looks like the birthday boy was very happy as he had a great birthday celebration.

Quotes of the Week

 There are so many things in this world that can distract, divert, deceive us if we do not go to the source of perfect truth. We are agents unto ourselves, so when prophets give us direction we can ask God and know the truth for ourselves.

-- Jean Bingham

Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increases your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.

--Russell M. Nelson

When we become other-oriented, or selfless, we develop an inner beauty of spirit that glows in our outward appearance.

--Susan W. Tanner

Breakfasts; Buffets; More Basketball

Not sure which team's fan this tackily-decorated vehicle belonged to, but it was sure an eye-catching eyesore every time we walked past it on our way in and out of the casino to forage for food.

The buffet system in Las Vegas as we once knew it no longer exists. So many of the buffets have closed down. Take, for instance, the buffet that we used to enjoy in the very casino we were staying--The Orleans--which is where the arena hosting the WCC Tournament is located. Used to be so convenient for us!

We used to be able to go right down from our room to the breakfast buffet each morning and load up on food before our first session of two women's basketball games. 

Then we would go out once each day to a buffet at another casino which would be our other meal of the day and then hurry back to The Orleans to watch the two men's basketball games. 

Now, with the buffet closed down entirely at The Orleans, and people standing in long lines to get into one of the restaurants for breakfast, we went out every morning to eat breakfast. Not nearly as convenient for us!!

We got into the MGM Grand Buffet for an early dinner the first day shortly before it closed down for the day. It makes me wonder what all the people in the casinos do for regular dinner when the buffets are closed so early.

We were searching the internet to find which buffets were actually open and the hours they were open. It appears the information we read about the Bellagio was not correct. The buffet was closed when we arrived for our early dinner. SAD!!

But happy for me because we [I] got to enjoy a [very] quick walk through the hotel and the Bellagio Garden to see what theme was depicted there. 

Glen was in a hurry to find another place to eat, but [patiently] waited for me to snap a few [rushed] photos as we [unleisurely] walked through the display.

The Year of the Tiger was being represented at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens with a festive Lunar New Year display to share the culture and stories of China and Asia.

We ended up going back to The Orleans and ate at a restaurant there. We got seated right before a line started to form. This allowed us to be back in the arena in time for the evening session of basketball games to begin.

Glen would have liked to see BYU as champion on both sides of this bracket chart, but alas--neither team won the champion spot. Gonzaga won both the Men's and the Women's Bracket Championships.

The Wynn was one of the few that had a later buffet dining option. It was a beautiful setting, not too many people there, beautiful food displays, and we must say we enjoyed our delicious meal.

My favorite displays were in the dessert section. There's Glen standing at the rotating ice cream station.

Yes, we did find room in our tummies for some dessert. LOVED that meal and that dining experience!!

We ate at a different breakfast restaurant every day. We went to BabyStacks Cafe one of the mornings in honor of Sarah who requested that restaurant on her birthday. The strawberry pancakes were DELICIOUS!!!

Our last dinner was at the All-American Bar and Grill Restaurant in the Miracle Mile Shops attached to the Planet Hollywood Casino.

I realize my rendition of our Las Vegas trip included lots of food information and photos. That's the part I enjoyed about the WCC Tournament. Now if Glen were giving his rendition of our Las Vegas trip, he would give you play-by-plays on every one of the basketball games we attended.

If you prefer Glen's version--contact him personally and he will fill you in on all that I missed reporting about.

We left home with no snow on the ground and the temperature warming up to feel like spring weather. We came home to a LOT of snow on the ground, in the trees and bitter temperature making it feel like we're back in the depths of winter.

We came home to a snowless driveway thanks to Grant who had used our snowblower to clear the snow off both his driveway and ours. With that much snow, we are pretty sure he was happy to use a snowblower instead of a shovel.

It appeared to have been a very heavy snow as we noticed we had several broken tree branches on the ground and more broken ones still in the trees.

We are thankful for all the moisture. We are mostly thankful we were in a sunny place when the snow was falling!