New Years Eve Day

I have spent the day getting ready for our party I’m hosting tonight.  I invited 4 couples over to have dinner and play games with us tonight.  Our family didn’t come up this year.  Everyone had other places to go this year.  It will be fun to be with some friends our age.  I love my family but it is nice to change things up.   Shannon called today and we visited for over an hour.  She loves to visit with her mama.  I listened while I blew up baloon's for our party.  Tasha & Bridger leave for Mexico early in the morning,  Trisha & Buck are in St George.  Towner’s are with family tonight.  Not sure what Noriega’s are doing give her a call tomorrow.  I really did enjoy going to lunch with my girls on Wednesday last week to Celebrate my birthday.   Stacy and Chad are in town till the weekend, so I will need to get down to see them before they go home.   Can’t believe we are enter another year 2019!

Sabbath Day- End of The Year

It was hard getting up for my ward council meeting this morning at 7:30 AM.  I drove three young women Last night to a stake dance in Soda Springs which is an hour one way, put 130 miles on my car last night driving to the stake dance.  I was really tired and didn’t crawl into bed till 12:30 am.  Craig got up at 6am.  I don’t do well on 5 & 1/2 hours of sleep.  I made it to ward council about 15 minutes late.  I enjoyed our Sacrament meeting today. It gave me time to reflect during the sacrament and to listen closely to the speakers today and looking at my young women values, working on individual worth value number 4 talks about setting goals for your future.  What is our future as senior couples?  Being retired has been an adjustment for me and a sacrifice giving up things that I was comfortable with.  Moving to Bear Lake full time has been a challenge emotionally in many ways.  More than I expected.  I’m trying to think rationally what lies ahead for Craig and I. I feel so torn at times and really want to get another home in the Salt Lake Valley.  I know that in our long-term plan Craig and I do want to serve a full-time mission this was one reason I consented of selling our big home in the valley knew that we needed to simplify our lives even though I loved our beautiful home and our surroundings.  I miss having my beautiful things in storage.  I miss having my office and places to put my storage things I’m having to re-organize myself and find new places and condense things as much as I can which has been a challenge.  Our cabin wasn’t designed to be our home. I don’t like having our front door where it’s at.  People that come to our home can’t get down the driveway and have come through our garage entrance which is not what I had designed in my mind in living full-time.  Asking myself what I really miss about living in the valley on the day-to-day living.   I do like my kitchen here and the beauty of living on the lake.  We love the calm peaceful spirit I feel here.  We have had to create new friendships which there are many.  Being active in the Ward has really helped.  I know I got so tired of driving back-and-forth on the weekends from Salt Lake to Bear Lake over the years and not being as active in the ward as I would like because we were gone on the weekends at our cabin.  Now we are living at our cabin full-time and can be active in our home Ward because we’re not driving back-and-forth on the weekends.  There is peace and joy serving in the ward.  I know Craig is really enjoying serving in the bishopric, I’m so proud of him and I have to remind myself each Sunday the blessings that come from serving in the Bear Lake Garden City Ward.   What are our goals for the next few years? I’m I full-filling my mission?  the things I need to accomplish in this life? I’m Trying to stay focus on what matters most.  Craig said he wants to stay home till Cole leaves to serves his mission which will be about  June 2020.  So that means another year and half to go. We then would like to serve a full time mission.  This allows Craig time to serve in his bishopric calling 2 years 9 months by June and me 2 years 10 month as young women president.  This is a good time for me to be released.   I have just got to buckle down and get in a better mind set.  I’m thinking it would be nice to have something smaller in the valley so we do have a place to stay when we come to visit.  I don’t like feeling like I don’t have a place.  I’m tired of staying at Tasha’s home.  I’m torn and really do want another home, to have our family gather at, yet I don’t want to have all the responsibility of keeping another home up.  I’m slowing down and it is hard maintaining what I do have.  Common scents says we should wait to by another home after we serve our full time mission.  I have got to plan things to keep me busy for another year and half at the lake.  We are still driving back and forth to salt lake to see our grandkids,  but we do get to stay here on the weeks ends which is nice.  It is all just a new mind set for me and an adjustment.  I need to organize my self better and still lean things out for us.  It is just stuff.  I can’t take it with me.  I do like the comforts of life and love decorating and creating things.  Just have to find new things to do.   Trying to get my thoughts in harmony with my inner self.  So tired of this unsettleness I feel inside, which is robbing my peace in life.  Enjoy the moments.  Truely living in the moment. I pray for the insight and patience I need at this season in our lives.  Help me to find the joy in the journey.  I do know the gospel is true and the Lord loves me and is mindful of my needs.  Help me to be in tune with the spirit and to feel peace inside.  I’m really trying to adjust to my circumstances in living full time at the lake.  It is beautiful here and pray I will not take it for granted the beauty that surrounds me.   Tia did a great job teaching young women lesson today.  We had about 8 visitora in our class.  We had 803 people for our Sacrament meeting it was a full house.  Lots of cabins are. Holt at the lake now and families coming up for the New Year weekend.  I have presidency meeting today At 3:30 pm.  We have lots to talk about and plan for the new year, there are lots of changes this new year.  Pray for the direction I Need at this season.  

2019 Goals

 my goals for 2018.
Reviewing last  years goals to set new goals for 2018,  #1 Saying our Daily Prayers as a couple,  we did improve, but get lazy at night time.  I get tired and just fall in bed, or we fall asleep to the TV, need to make a better effort in being more consistent.  I have struggled my entire life saying morning & nightly prayers,  I do good at time and then I get lazy.  Time to regroup again.  I want to do better,  Need to focus on it more daily and then weekly.-- This a repeat goal for 2019-  I do have to say I have done better at times, working on my Young Womenhood Recognition award, trying to set the example for my  young women.  I still have room for improvement!!

#2 Daily scripture study New Come Follow Me program & praying for the Holy Ghost to teach me-  I need to do better, Serving  as the young women's president, it is constantly daily striving to do better!!  Craig and I were 100% in attending our meeting this year again.  I missed few times due to illness and depression.. I have had some emotional struggles with my young women calling that has taken me down and living at the Lake has taken a toll on my emotionally.  I really miss being closer to our own family, Feeling home sick, is the best way to describe it.  This year 2019 strive to read and study the New Come Follow Me program and read the Book of Mormon again.  I did complete the book of Mormon and starting it again. I didn't make any effort studying the old testament last year for our Sunday School study.  I had to spend the time setting up for our Young Women's hour and missed the sunday school hour.  I did strive to focus on the Book of Mormon.

#3 Consistent workout schedule somehow, I have got to lose at least 15 pounds maintain it throughout the year.  I have not lost any weight this year, just maintain, I have got to lose make a plan to lose and try to maintain!!!  I have just lost my motivation.  Depression has seemed to take me over in many areas of my life.  We did learn to play Pickleball this past year, I have really enjoyed playing with my dear husband and lady friends at the lake weekly.  Fall I just lost control of my eating and the holidays have taken me over.  I will put forth the effort to do better this winter 2019 and get 15lbs off!!

#4 Making new friends in our new area, sustaining the Saints, building the kingdom of God in the Garden City 1st Ward. ... We have made so many new friends and working hard to build the kingdom up in this part of the valley.  Want to continue serving in my calling,  I do love being the Young Women's president!!  A calling I never thought would come my way especially at the age of 60 yrs old, guess we are never to old to serve.   Goal to strength my laurels and help them gain a testimony.  This was my goal for 2018, and will continue for 2019.  I have lost my motivation, it has been a real struggle for me this past year.  This calling is really hard!! I can feel the age and at times get so tired!  I'm no spring chicken.  I talked to the Bishop in the fall to be released but that is not going to happen, so I pray for an attitude adjustment and the added strength I need to full fill this calling. 

#5  Attend the temple at least once a month and continue working on my family history, continue working on scanning and organizing our family photos to a digital format, preserving our family history   We strive to attend at least once a month with the distant of traveling to Logan to attend the temple is a challenge for us.  We weren't a 100% but did fairly well, Summer is our biggest challenge with our busy life of family all summer long. My family history I has made progress slowly, I had to give up my family history calling in the family history center, I just couldn't manage it being the young women president.  With this calling it has made it more difficult to have the time.  I'm taking pockets of time to work when I can,  I have so much to do, yet making a contribution,  I submitted over 100 ordinances 2018 and still working on completing them before I submit more names.  This year 2019 is completing them all.  I have missed working on my family history Research.  It is what seems to keep me going and help me fight depression.  Not doing it allowed the depression to really set in on me.  I just don't have the time as I would like.  I want to attend the temple more the long drive is hard for me.  It takes two hours just to drive there and back, attend a session is over 2 hours,  It take 5 hours to just try to fit an endowment session in.  Making the time has been more challenging this past year for me.  I will try to do better at least monthly as a goal for me in 2019.  I miss the weekly attendance when we were serving at the temple. Send in my Ancestry DNA, learn about my heritage 2017-18-  I did send in my DNA , I learned I have 25% Irish blood line, which I have work to do in this area.  I'm a mixture of many bloodlines come to find out, call me a Mutt!!  It was fun to find out. I attended Roots Tech in 2018 yet did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked.  It all over whelmed me.  I did work on my Irish heritage and have hit road blocks for the early 1700 time period.  I have submitted to the temple what work I can for now.  I will try to work on what I can this next year.

#6 Continue working on Johnson DAR Application and join Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.  This goal has fallen by the wayside.  I have just not had the time to work on it.  Left my Johnson family tree hanging.   There is to much service time to commit which I don't have serving as young women president at this season, some thing for the future when the time allows. 

 #8  I want to be a witness and testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ, wherever I go- thinking of him more in my daily life- 2019

#9 Look others in the eyes when visiting, this lets them know I'm really listening to them when they are talking to me, and not being distracted -2019

#10-Get somethings done at the Cabin this year, New fence, driveway & steps installed, yard enhancements, entertainment area made in bonus room, windows repaired. leaning out our stuff in the garage storage.   Well that did not happen in 2018.  My husband will not commit to spending the money required.  I have had to be very patience with him.  Two years of living at the lake I thought we would get these things done!!  We did lean things out and moved what we have kept to a storage unit, getting it out of the lower garage. It has been really hard on me with all our things in storage.  It has helped to get it out of the the lower garage and out of site.  I have hated our things getting ruined.  I have tried to take care of what we have and I'm very sentimental of our belongings.  Giving up our home in Draper has been harder than I ever thought on me emotionally.  Pray I can get my dear husband to move of these home improvements, It really does effect me.  Tired of tracking in the rock from the driveway that scratch our hardwood floor, Craig is not good at taking his shoes off.


2019 Goals--Things I would like to get done this year 2019- driveway, steps and some landscaping, fence, and cub- boards in the bonus room!!

Try to get my motivation back for my calling and living at the Lake!!  I'm just so homesick!!  I have been looking for a new home in the Salt Lake Valley and nothing is working for us.  I just don't know if Craig and I are on the same page and this is very frustrating for me. I'm just trying to get thru 2019 living at the Lake full time!!

Strive to read and Study the new Come Follow Me Program

Lose Weight for 2019!!,  if I get my weight off would like to get a tummy tuck,  I'm just chicken to
do it!!

There have been many blessing in 2018 but this has been a challenging year for me in many ways!!
Try to stay positive!!

Holiday week

It feels good to be back to our cabin home.   Craig & I stayed Tuesday - Thursday morning in Salt Lake.   Craig and I went to the Sports Mall on 5600 south.  We had a pickleball lesson it was a great work out for us.  I really enjoyed my lesson.  I had just enough time to clean up and met the girls fur my surprise birthday luncheon.  I really enjoyed the time I shared with our girls.  We then went shopping for a few hours,  Shannon took me home.  We visited for many hours She didn’t go home until after midnight I was really tired when she left.  We talked and talked all about sgag she has been going thru the last few months.  Her spiritual eyes have been opened.  The veil is thin for her.  She is seeing spirits daily.  It is very amazing and it all sounds crazy.   She had showed my many video clips she had captured the supernatural.  She is trying to figure out why this is all happening to her.   Time will tell us that story.  I was so inspired at the mall shopping by dome pretty winter arrangement.  I loved the fresh evergreen in them.  I was able when I got home to go cut some e evergreen off the trees in our yard and made three arrangement pot to put in our upper Deck.  They look so fun.  It felt good to be outside and enjoy the cold winter air.  Today I stayed in the  house.  I did three loads of laundry.  I then redecorated our Christmas tree as a Happy New tree.  It turned out fun.  I’m happy when I’m creating something pretty.   It felt good to just stay home.  Craig went snowmobiling today with Jason & Tracy.  We went to dinner at Cafe Sabro last night had the Thursday special and tonight meet Scott & Jan, Tracy, Jason, and Tim Symes and his family for dinner there a again,  fun to visit with everyone.  It has turned really cold !!! Below zero tonight it was 10 degrees on our way home from dinner. Enjoying our time at the lake.  STACY & her family was coming up today and staying till Monday.   She called and said they weren’t going to make it up.  Angela her sister in-law is blessing her baby Sunday,  that need to be there fur that.  Chad wanted to go skiing tomorrow.   I told her it was just fine that they didn’t come up to the lake.  I totally understand.   Looks like we will be spending New Years alone.  Tasha is leaving on another cruise New Year’s Day,   Trisha & Buck are going to St George.  Stacy has a Towner party to attend..  Its fine with me.  I don’t feel up up to a lot Family this Hoiliday.  

Birthday Lunch

The girls surprise me in meeting me at the cheesecake factory for a birthday lunch.  Special to spend time with my beautiful daughters.  I’m so very blessed.  Hard to believe I’m going to be 62 years old!! 

Christmas at the Burbidge Family

Our Saydee

Karlee and Boston excited to open their gifts

Christmas morning with the Burbidge family this year we’ve been trying to rotate each family each year Christmas morning two years ago it was with Thomas Family last year we went to the Noriega family and this year the Burbidge Family.  

Christmas Day

Craig and I got up at 4:30 AM Christmas morning to drive to Salt Lake to share Christmas Day with our family.  We were going to go down Christmas eve and sleep over at Burbidge Family, after Stacy and Chad left I was so tired I had to take a nap and then we needed to tidy up, it felt like a whirlwind hit us with the Towner Grandkids.  It took me a couple of hours to tidy up. Craig wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t want to spend our time driving on Christmas Eve,  we would not arrive till around 11 o’clock so we just decided to stay at the cabin Christmas Eve.  Criag went to the Shell station to get some eggnog for us to drink and found that one of the workers there was all along so we went back and took him a Christmas stocking full of goodies.   He was so touched,  looked like he was going to cry and thanked us for the surprise Christmas gift, it was so unexpected.  I told Craig  that is the Christmas spirit!   I didn’t crawl in bed till after midnight packing up to head to salt Lake.  We exchanged Christmas cards.  We had gone shopping earlier in the month for our gifts, we got Craig some new church shoes,  he ordered us a lift for the hot tub.  I got a couple pairs of new pants, some new snow boots, I have loved and some new black dress boots.  The joy for me is buying for our grandkids.  Getting up early I didn’t go in a derp sleep.  Only about 4 hours of sleep and out the door we went in our pj’s.  It was snowing on us all the way we arrived at the Burbidge home just in time for the grandkids to open their gifts.  We then all went out to breakfast.  I had to take a nap on the couch I was so sleepy.   We then headed over to Tasha’s home in time to clean up an get ready for our Symes family Christmas party.  So fun to see all our family gathered this year. The older grandkids are all getting so big.  We had a very nice time playing the family exchange gift game and  eating a lovely dinner the girls all prepared.  This has been our third year hosting Christmas at the Thomas home.  

Sledding today

Christmas Eve we went sledding with the Towner grandkids.  They didn’t last long, there is lots of snow in the sinks.  Craig & Chad took a short snowmobile ride.  They had to pack up after sledding to head to Salt Lake to the Towner Christmas Eve family party.  They were here with us for a short 24 hours.It was a beautiful sledding day with new fallen snow.