October 9th and 12th in California

I'm very lucky to have extremely supportive sisters.

October 9th marked the 6-month mark of the divorce being final and October 12th would have been our 29th anniversary. It could have been tricky, but instead, I was in California, having a great time with my sisters. 

Jen and I flew to LAX on the 9th, where we met Kristen, then went to Downtown Disney. So, I got to spend a few hours in my favorite place. By the way, due to Covid travel restrictions/cleaning measures, it took us longer to get our rental car than to actually fly to California. Jen and I got in first, so we went and got the car then we picked up Kristen. We went straight to Anaheim. Stores and restaurants were open. The parks won't open for months, I'm sure. Governor Newsom is really keeping California on lockdown. Big time lockdown. We got sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich then we got in line to enter World of Disney. I got an apron and I got a Haunted Mansion hoodie for Mel. I got rainbow Disney Crocs for Allie. I also got a Jungle Cruise magnet that I'm really excited about. It references one of the corny jokes that the guide always says. Oh, it was fun, even though we had to wear masks. 

Please let me in!

Tribute to Chadwick Boseman, actor who played Black Panther, and passed away this year

We then drove to Sarah and Cameron's new house. It's such a perfect, cute home. They're only about 15 minutes from the beach. Their neighborhood is so cute. Cameron does turndown service, with chocolates on the pillow each night. It was a blast. We went on walks around the neighborhood, we hiked, we went to the beach, we went out to eat and had yummy food. My favorite was a delicious black bean burrito at a dive by the beach. It was full of beans and guacamole, all wrapped up in a soft flour tortilla. Sarah surprised me with a yummy chocolate birthday cake. Sarah and Cam are so much fun. We watched trash TV "Selling Sunset" which is about high end homes for sale in Sunset Hills, California. 

There were a lot of cars with Trump and American flags that drove up and down the street

It doesn't look that great, but it really is the world's best burrito

On Sunday, the 12th, we decided to go to San Diego. I don't remember the last time I was there. We took pictures in front of the San Diego Temple, we drove past the Mormon Battalion visitors' center, and we went to Mission San Diego. We Hunter girls love our missions. Sarah got some beautiful photos of the mission. It was such a great time. We had enough time Monday morning to hang out and go on a walk around the neighborhood before heading home.  

This is what a father's living quarters would have looked like

The San Diego Temple is soooo beautiful

Mission San Diego

All Jenny and I wanted to do was to go to Disney. All Kris wanted was sunset at the beach

Jenny, Kristen, and me at the San Diego Temple

Jenny, me, and Kris at the beach

I'm just grateful that I had such awesome family members to spend the days with. 

Arkansas Vacation

I've been in Arkansas, visiting the kids, for just a couple of days. I got here Thursday afternoon and I go back to Utah tomorrow. It's been a great trip. 

Allie was a sweetie and drove me to the airport EARLY Thursday morning. I got a row of seats all to myself when the flight attendant pointed out that there was an empty row. I laid down and slept. It was great. I had a 5 hour layover in Denver. Once again, I found a spot to sleep. That took me a while. I sat down near my gate for takeoff and listened to my audiobook. About 2 hours after sitting down, I realized the arm rests from my row of chairs were gone. It was the perfect place to sleep, but by then there was a woman sitting at the other end of the row of seats. I was determined to sit there longer and to get the spot for a nap. After a while, the lady sat across the aisle, but left her stuff in "my row." Finally she boarded her flight. I still had about an hour until I had to board my flight, so I laid down on the seats and took a nap. I think it's easier to sleep because the masks we have to wear makes me feel like nobody can see me. LOL. 

Flight to Arkansas was fine. Got here around 3:30 pm. We got excellent BBQ for dinner. I had a BBQ pork sandwich with baked potato salad and baked beans. DELISH! Oh, and I had a Dr. Pepper shake from Whataburger. It was fantastic. So good. 

I woke up on Friday, sure it was about 8:00 am. It was after 10:00. What a great morning so far! We got moving slowly. We left the house at 12:20 to drop Kamiko off at a lunch meeting. Then Bekki and I went to see the site of the Bentonville Temple and we went to Crystal Bridges, a lovely museum in Bentonville. It houses all of the Walton family art and has some great stuff. Bekki said she used to go there all the time when she was first here and single when she was feeling nostalgic for home and culture. Some highlights, besides just spending time with Bekki, were the Norman Rockwell Rosie the Riveter and a Frank Lloyd Wright house. I'd always wanted to see a home by Wright, famous architect. There was also an Ansel Adams exhibit that we were hoping to see, but there were no tickets available online. We went and asked at the counter and they had walk-in tickets available. YES! The photos were so amazing. Adams was born in San Francisco and was a conservationist, a member of the Sierra Club. He took many photos of Yosemite. It was such a great day. What a day!!!! We got back and Bekki and I made Greek Chicken, zoodles, and roasted potatoes for dinner. We also cooked up some spaghetti squash and chicken in the instant pot for later use. We then drove to Fayetteville to see the lights in the square. There are so many charming things here in NW Arkansas. 

Our sweet Dotty May

Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter

The sewing nerd in me loved these pieces made of carefully placed spools of thread. You look through the prism and you see the piece of art - Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

The beautiful hallways of the museum. The museum itself is a piece of art

The front of the house offers privacy, with limited windows

backside, plenty of windows

Today we slept in until about 9. I went to Walmart to get boxes for the kids (they're moving next week) and to get hot chocolate for tomorrow's celebration of Santa Lucia. Cinnamon rolls are in the oven right now! Then we went to Bentonville again to see The Momentary, a contemporary art museum, also funded by Walmart, Waltons, etc. It had a fascinating exhibit by a black artist named Nick Cave. We went to a famous coffee place to get hot chocolate. The didn't hear our order correctly and only charged us for and made ONE. We each got a taste. It was really good. 

Came back home and the kids got ready to go to a Christmas party. Their friends were nice enough to invite me, but I opted to stay home. I had yummy pasta salad for dinner and I'm watching "New Girl" while the kids are at their party. It's been such a fun trip. I'm so proud of all the things Kamiko and Bekki are doing here. They serve in their ward, they help the missionaries, they work at their chosen jobs, and they take good care of cute Dotty May, their doggie. 

Tomorrow we feast on cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate, and scrambled eggs and the kids get their 2020 Christmas Tree ornament. Santa Lucia.

Sunday Afternoon General Conference

 Elder Eyring: THE LORD WILL SUCCOR US

The Lord knows how to succor us in whatever trial we face. 

How does the Lord succor us?

    He will remind us to remember Him and to come unto Him

    Feast upon his words. Be baptized and keep covenants

    He sends the Holy Ghost to be our guide. This is how He guides us to safety

    We get guided to the next step. Rarely do we see far into the future. (My experience January 2020)

Notice the tribulation of others and try to help. As we lift another's burden, we sense a light in the darkness.

Elder Jaggi: COUNT IT ALL JOY

Elder Jaggi is a friend of Jenny and Scott's. He served as mission president in Ogden

Told of brother's untimely death. His brother lived 30 minutes from their mission home. They had been called to Ogden from Southern California BEFORE the cancer diagnosis. 

They found comfort in the scriptures, temple attendance

"The Day Dawn is Breaking"

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations

James 1:3 The trying of your faith worketh patience

Exercise faith to increase our patience. This leads to joy. 

Thanks to the elders and sisters who have worked so diligently through the pandemic. 

Elder Stevenson: HIGHLY FAVORED OF THE LORD

Mission in Japan and excited about going to Tokyo to hear President Kimball speak. Ended up that due to distance, he and his companion couldn't go. 

Personal disappointment. Tokyo temple had been announced at that meeting

Paul, in stocks and in house arrest, taught and baptized. Alma and Amulek bound and confined. Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, feeling abandoned and forsaken. These things shall be for they good. God shall be with thee forever. 

Missionaries can continue to do their work. 

How have I been highly favored of the Lord during Covid?

Come Follow Me was already in my life

Revelation regarding ministering in a higher and holier way - we've had chances to contact in unique ways

Find heightened joy in the return of temple ordinances - story of sister missionary going to the temple at 2:00 am before catching an early flight to her mission. This made me cry. Such a sweet story. These missionaries have made such sacrifices. Sierra Trump, who is serving in Arizona, hasn't gone through the temple yet. When she does go, Maria and John might fly out to join her. 

One day, we'll look back at cancelled events and loneliness and we'll see increased testimonies and blessings during it all. It will be "for our gain."

Elder Camargo: ASK and DO

Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses. Then listen and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. 

Personal revelation is necessary for our spiritual survival. Communication with our Heavenly Father lets us judge between what is true and what is false, what is important and what is not. 

It takes time to learn to listen to the voice. Record impressions. 

The Holy Ghost is real and His impressions are real - the big ones and the small ones.

To knock is to act in faith. The Lord will open the way before us. 

"Wake up and do something more than dream of your mansions above."

Do good!

Elder Renlund: BE CHRISTLIKE

Do better and be better. Am I doing enough?

Turn away from sin and toward God.

What is a just person?

Repents and keeps on trying. 

How to be Christlike

Elder Johnson: POWER

President Nelson has often spoke of power

Study and learn about the power with which we've been endowed

Elder Holland: BY and BY

2nd time Covid-19 has altered our proceedings.

We're tired of it. We want to pull our hair out. This has gone on much, much too long.

How long do we wait for relief from hardships?

Sometimes help seems so slow in coming. Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail.

Our prayers are heard and they are answered, though not at the time and in the way we expect.

Always answered in the way and in the time that God should answer them. 

He never sleeps or slumbers. He cares about our exaltation above all else. He is pure love, glorious personified. Merciful Father

Faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if it includes some suffering

Christianity is comforting, but it is often not comfortable

By and by, the blessings will come. 

President Nelson: JOY AMID UNCERTAINTY and TEMPLE IN SANTA CRUZ!!!!!

The Lord wants us to feel optimism about the future

Look forward to the future with joyful anticipation

Don't spin our wheels in the past

Achieve our divine potential

"New normal" turn heart, mind, and soul to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

    repent daily

    minister

    magnify callings

    live each day so you're more prepared to meet your maker

 6 New temples: Vanuatu, Kiribati, Lindon, Guatemala City, Sao Paolo, Santa Cruz Bolivia. 

Greater courage, joy amid uncertainty

General Conference October 3-4, 2020

It's another conference with social distancing. Covid-19 is still a thing. I remember last spring thinking this would be over by my birthday. Nope. 

Conference was so great yesterday. There were even 3 talks on preparedness. I honestly went to bed last night and didn't want to fall asleep. I didn't want the day to end because it had been such a great day. 

    Conference talks

    Decorating for Halloween

    Ice cream with Allie for my birthday

    Both the girls were here in the evening for the women's session

    Allie, Starlyn, and I went to Old Navy and I got some new pants that I love

    I helped Allie do some work for her sewing class

It was really a great day. I'm excited for more conference today. So, I'll just write my thoughts as the talks are given. 

Sunday Morning Session

Elder Ballard: PRAYER

Watch and pray always. 

Wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences 

Things are in commotion. Many people fear the future. Many hearts are turned away from God. 

Life has been disrupted by the pandemic.

We are at a major crossroads in history. 

Please pray. Not about politics.

Best way to help the current situation is to turn hearts to God through prayer. Be humble and seek heaven's inspiration. 

God answers prayers in His own way, in His own time

REDOUBLE commitment to prayer. 

Sister Harkness: CHRIST IS IN OUR BOAT

Sometimes we cry for HELP. Christ is there. 

In me, ye might have peace. In the world, you might have tribulation. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Tempest with apostles. Peace, be still.

When our faith is tried, it can also be fortified.

Experiment on the word of God. 

Forgive, rather than judge.

Repent, rather than rebel

Decreased fear and increased faith come as we hear and heed Christ's voice

Christ gave His life so we won't perish. 

Elder Soares: STRENGTH TO SAY "NO. GET THEE HENCE"

Christ's guidance keeps darkness away

Align our will with His, stand fast in the Lord

Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly. Holy thoughts and pure desires lead to righteous actions

Don't be consumed by lusts

Rely upon rock of salvation, our ability to control our thoughts will increase. Our hearts will change and we will become more like Christ. The influence of the Holy Ghost will intensify.

Following Christ's example can save us from many trials

Elder Godoy: AM I WILLING TO BE ONE OF GOD'S ANGELS?

I believe in angels

Angels are among us: missionaries, good friends, loving teachers who prepare with and share the spirit

The Lord is aware of our challenges and He will send angels. I will go before your face and mine angels will bear you up. 

The Lord is looking for angels willing to help.

Elder Andersen: TEACH OF CHRIST

Jesus is the Christ

A certain knowledge of that has made the uncertainty of the pandemic easier

We don't need to spiritually distance from Christ. Come unto me.

Study the Savior's life. It helped prepare President Nelson; it can help us.

If the world is going to speak less of Christ. Who is going to speak more of Him? We are. We and other good Christians.

Answer children's questions with the Savior's teachings

Focus our worship services on Christ. Everything in our worship should point to the Savior

As Elder Andersen finishes his talk, I'm adding my final thoughts to my final recorded lecture for SFL 340. I feel impressed to talk of the Last Supper. Christ gathered those He loved when He knew His time was near. They ate, then they partook of the sacrament and He served them and taught them to serve others. 

President Nelson: LET GOD PREVAIL

Doctrine of gathering of Israel has always interested him. 

The Lord is gathering those who will choose to make God the most important influence in their lives

The gathering has been prophesied of for centuries and it's happening RIGHT NOW.

Missionary, temple, and family history work. 

It also includes anything we do to help others make and keep covenants with God

We should avoid being myopic. Don't be near-sighted. Expand our perspective. Seek the eternal. There's a divine, eternal plan. 

The gospel net is expansive

Each of us is a child of God

God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear.

I call upon our members everywhere to abandon the actions of racism

I mourn with our black brothers and sisters throughout the world

Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?

We can have courage as we let God prevail in our life

Decisions will become easier. Some issues will become non-issues as we let God prevail in our life. 

The Lord has promised that He will fight our battles and our children's battles and our children's children's battles.

As I read scriptures, watch for the promises that God gives to covenant keeping people.

Emergency Preparedness

Photo of me at work, in the mood to be at California Adventure, riding Toy Story Midway Mania. 

I have a new calling in my ward, which kinda surprises me. I'm the emergency preparedness coordinator. We have block captains and it's my job to help the ward members, with the help of the block captains, get prepared. Luckily, the stake has a monthly initiative, so all I have to do is get that to the ward members via a ward email. 

August's initiative was to get some first aid training, so I found some websites with first aid information and included that in a message to the ward members. I also included a challenge...the first 5 families to text me and let me know they'd learned some first aid would get a dozen cookies from me. The email went out on Saturday morning and by Saturday afternoon, a cute young mom had texted me that they had taught their little boys some basic first aid. She sent photos and it was so cute. It reminded me of the time we taught the kids how to escape from our house in Texas. We practiced for family night one Monday. The kids had to have been 2, 4 and 6. Allie had to open the girls' bedroom window and help Mel out. Our neighbor Sue watched the drill and had suckers to reward the kids when they completed their task. What a great memory. 

I took my new momentum and watched some first aid videos, especially about burns and cuts. Those are the most common things in the food labs. I also learned that back blows are the first thing to try when someone is choking, then you go to abdominal thrusts. Good to know. I also gathered all of my information for my important documents and accounts and hid it in one place where that the kids know. They now have access to my account numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, financial advisor info, etc. It feels good.

Earlier this week, I was walking and talking with a former TA, Becky Hinchcliff, and we got on the topic of preparedness. She told me about a story one of her YSA leaders told. He's a recreational pilot. He said that if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear has a whole new meaning when you're flying over Spanish Fork canyon and your engine stops. He knew he was prepared with good training, though, so he was FOCUSED. He remembered that he had an extra fuel tank and switched to that tank for more fuel. That fixed it. If it hadn't taken care of the issue, he knew how to perform an emergency landing. He was prepared. Great story. Becky later asked me for the link to a first aid presentation and quiz. I told her to let me know when she finishes it and I'll venmo her money for a treat since I can't get a dozen cookies to her, as she lives in Moab. We walked and talked for an hour. It was great. 

My sister Kristen also told me a story that she heard dad tell. It was about his obedience garden. In the 1970's, the prophet started emphasizing personal self reliance and told us to plant gardens. Dad planted a garden in the best spot he could find in our shaded backyard in Pleasanton. We had 6 walnut trees that shaded almost every inch. Dad tried his best year after year and never got even a zucchini. BUT, dad was confident that if there were ever an emergency, our family would have food somehow because he had always planted a garden. I think that's a cool story. Obey. Do your best. Don't say you can't. Don't come up with excuses. Do your best. 

I'm happy that I'm on my way to getting some things back in order. I am going to work on buying more food storage. My cupboards are pretty bare. Time to work on having those shelves full. Luckily mom and dad live 2 miles away and they have a lot of food, so my plan for now is to walk to their place in case of emergency. 

 

Mat and Kat and Girls Visit

 

A few years ago, Mat Williams, a proud Texan, was a TA in the BYU Food Labs. He stood out because he was our enthusiastic DJ, always playing Rebecca Black's song "Friday" in every Friday lab. He was a hard worker. I remember that when he was approaching graduation, he often had to leave the lab for a job fair or job interview. Of course, we encourage our TA's to leave when needed to seek employment. I had no doubt Mat would find a job, as he pursued it so diligently. Mat also exemplified gratitude. When he got a dream job, he treated all of us teachers in the foods lab and our spouses to dinner at Tucano's Brazilian restaurant to thank us for our support. That had to have cost a lot of money for a young college student. What a fine young man. 

His then girlfriend, Kat, took the class from me. She is also a proud Texan. I loved having her in class. They got engaged, Mat's dream job is in TEXAS, and they are now raising 2 cutie pie girls, Mary and Tara, there. I'm so proud of them. Mat has earned his masters degree and they have added a dog to the family. They recently came through Provo and we (Ann Hardman and I) got to visit with them in the lab. It was so fun to catch up. Sadly, Starlyn couldn't come, as she and Lee have Covid-19. They have been very sick for 3 weeks. 

I told Mat how much I had admired him. They are a fantastic family. Kat is a rockstar mom. It's so fun to see.