On Easter Sunday 20 April I was up bright and early to pick up Sean from the ER but he had texted Colleen that he would be late as it was a rough night in the ER.  On the way to the hospital one drives past Black Rock Realty.  On display along the road in front of the Realty office were numerous aluminum statues of wild animals.  I pulled over to get out of the car and take pictures.  The gentleman whose statues they were came over and gave me his business card.  It stated MJ Utah Connection Aluminum Statue & More at www.mjutahconnection.com with a PO Box in Salt Lake City.

I returned an hour later to pick Sean up.  He hit the hay and we attended Colleen's Ironwood Crossing 2nd Ward starting at 9 am.

Banner Ironwood Medical Center

Ironwood Ward meetinghouse

Following the administration of the sacrament the congregation sang hymn #199, "He is Risen!"

The first speaker was Brother Buck Leavitt.  He spoke on President Monson's Sunday morning talk in the recent General Conference on "Love—the Essence of the Gospel." 

President Thomas S. Monson

He talked of a construction job that was done by 35-40 men with all the proceeds going to a man whose family was having a very difficult time with the illness of his wife. Mosiah 2:17.  And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellowbeings ye are only in the service of your God.  "Recognize someone's need and respond to it."  He related a tribute to his grandfather at his funeral given by a former bishop whose councilor he had been.  He was late for ward council because he had been helping ward members on the way to church, members whose needs were being discussed in ward council.  He spoke of the love of our Savior Jesus Christ for us.  He related being on a scout outing and not being able to go on an expedition to kill a mountain lion that had been killing some of the cattle.  His dad and little brother went.  Afterwards he met them and got on one of their mules bareback.  He got bucked off and the mule stepped on his head.  His dad and brother gave him a priesthood blessing.  He was taken to the hospital and got his injury cleaned up.  The doctor couldn't believe that his injury was not far worse.  He repeated President Monson's words, "Recognize someone's need and respond to it." 

The ward choir sang "I Have Not Seen, Yet I Believe."  Words and music by Sally DeFord.

The concluding speaker was Buck's father Brother Sterling Leavitt.  He spoke of Christ doing the work of His Father.  His acts of service in healing and feeding many.  We cannot understand the infinite power of the Atonement.  He spoke from Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk in General Conference entitled "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

He spoke of those who saw the Savior after His Resurrection, both in the Old World and the New World.  He spoke of Alma and the sons of Mosiah, their conversion, and their missionary service.  He talked about the 2000 stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon.  He and his wife were asked to help feed the youth from their stake as they prepared for the cultural celebration prior to the dedication of the Gilbert Temple.  As the youth were preparing and they planned on wetting down the field to settle the dust periodically, it rained each time and didn't have to use the fire trucks.  He bore his testimony of the mission and love of the Savior.

The congregation sang hymn #200, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today!"  This was written by Charles Wesley.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

During Sunday School we attended the family history class on the stage while Colleen was filling in in Primary.

The priesthood meeting was SRO again!  Today the brethren consecrated olive oil which is used in the giving of priesthood blessings for the healing of the sick (James 5:14).  Our lesson in the high priests group was from "Teachings of the Presidents of the Church Joseph Fielding Smith" and was "Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Witnesses for Jesus Christ."  

Statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith

Joseph and Hyrum Smith

The Relief Society sisters are always more spiritual than the brethren.  Even though the "Teachings of the Presidents of the Church Joseph Fielding Smith" was on the schedule,  the sisters had a beautiful Easter lesson.

I finished reading the Church News issue of 26 January.  The center section about the Gilbert Temple open house was excellent!  More than 400,000 reservations had been made online prior to the open house!  It is the largest temple built in 17 years.  

Baptismal font

Celestial room

Waiting room

Another excellent article was about 30,000 members of the Church cleaning the beaches of Peru!

We took some pictures in our Sunday clothes before getting comfortable (I already had my tie off).

Spencer, Ashton, and Tanner
with Eileen and Ben in the back

Colleen, Eileen, and Ben

We had a delicious Easter dinner and our son William joined us.  His wife Erin was flying with Southwest Airlines with her mom who is also a flight attendant.

Eileen, Ashton, Spencer, William, Tanner, Ben, and Sean

Tanner and Ben

Spencer, William, and Tanner

Later I helped Sean get the bunk bed almost done but we discovered that one piece of wood was missing!

I worked on my blog entry for last week and published it.

 On Monday 21 April I finished reading "She" by H. Rider Haggard which I had begun on 21 November. In reading about the novel and its author I learned that "She" is one of the best-selling books of all time and that the author has been and still is very influential.  It was fun to read that She is called "She-who-must-be-obeyed," which was used in the "Rumpole of the Bailey" novels by John Mortimer that we enjoyed so much years ago on PBS.

Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925)

Leo McKern as "Rumpole of the Bailey"

We all loaded up and took Ashton to school.  Then we hung out at the Southeast Regional Library until it was time for Colleen's doctor appointment that she and Sean went to at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.  After dropping them off, we returned to the library with Spencer and Tanner.  Then we picked up Ashton and went on to get Colleen and Sean.

A picture in the lobby of the
Southeast Regional Library

A display inside the
Southeast Regional Library

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

We enjoyed supper at Serrano's Mexican Restaurant in Gilbert which was very good!

Eileen, Ashton, and Tanner

Sean, Spencer, and Colleen

Then we went to the Quest Showcase at the Clearview Cultural Center, right across the street from the Taekwondo location.  Quest is part of the home schooling program.

Clearview Cultural Center

Cactus in front of the Clearview Cultural Center

Eileen in the auditorium of the Clearview Cultural Center

The program began with a young man playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on his violin followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by a young man.  Presentations followed including one by Colleen with about a dozen boys including Spencer with her on the stage.  A short video was shown of the youth acting out a play about the Minotaur and Poseidon.  It concluded with a benediction.

Colleen and her group, including Spencer

Colleen and her group watching video

Group with Tanner and Ashton

Cactus in front of the Clearview Cultural Center

Ben by cactus in front of the Clearview Cultural Center

I finished reading "The Virginian, a Horseman of the Plains" by Owen Wister which I had also begun on 21 November.

Owen Wister (1860-1938)

Afterward for dessert we went to the Cold Stone Creamery in Mesa!  I had the Chocolate Lava Meltdown and Eileen had the Skinny Vanilla with Strawberries and Blueberries.  Sean and Colleen had cups of ice cream and the kids had ice cream concoctions in waffle cones.

On Tuesday 22 April we and Colleen took Ashton to school and William met us there.  We went to his home and we then had the use of his car for a couple of days.

We visited the Deseret Book store on Mesa Drive

and then visited LaMarr and Jan Farr on Pioneer Drive.  They had been part of our missionary group who had all begun their mission in June 2010 in the Family and Church History Mission.  After visiting for a while we went to Rosa's Mexican Grill in Mesa for supper.  It was pretty good and the ambience was very nice!

Eileen, LaMarr, and Jan Farr

239 Pioneer Drive

Eileen, LaMarr, and Jan

Eileen, LaMarr, and Jan

Inside Rosa's

Rosa's menu

LaMarr and Jan Farr

Inside Rosa's

Inside Rosa's

Inside Rosa's

Inside Rosa's

Then we went to the Temple Visitors' Center and met Elder Cameron, who is there with his wife on a full-time mission from Provo, Utah.  I got more Book of Mormon pass-along cards.  We watched the movie "Treasure in Heaven: the John Tanner Story" about the early days of the Church.  It was very good, lasting 19 minutes.

John Tanner

We enjoyed various displays.  It is amazing to see how sparsely populated the area around the Temple was when completed in 1927.  LaMarr was there at the dedication as an infant!

Statue of the Savior Jesus Christ

Layout of Jerusalem

Layout of Jerusalem

Matthew 11:28

John 11:25

Mesa Temple in 1928

Mesa Temple in 1928

Mesa Temple in 1928

Mesa Temple in 1928

The Christus statue

Eileen and the hollyhocks 

Beautiful flora

Back at their home I selected more family file cards for them to help us with the temple work for our ancestors.  They had given me the completed cards that they had.  We enjoyed ice cream and pumpkin muffins for dessert and drove back to the Cubberley's.

Colleen had Family Home Evening with her family.  She taught them what her and Sean's responsibilities are as parents to teach them both spiritual and temporal things.  D&C 68:25-28.  25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. 26 For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized. 27 And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands. 28 And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.

She taught them what we can take with us into the hereafter.  D&C 130:18-19.   18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. 19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

Then she taught them using numerous books  to illustrate D&C 88:77-79.   77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. 78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; 79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms.

On Wednesday 23 April I changed my passwords for USAA, Gmail, and Facebook, and Eileen's for USAA.  Eileen changed hers for Jacquie Lawson. 

In the afternoon we went to Costco in Mesa and got to William and Erin's about 3:40 pm.

Erin and William

We enjoyed dinner at Charleston's Restaurant in Mesa.  It was very, very good!

William, Erin, and Eileen

Erin and William at Charleston's

Ben and Eileen at Charleston's

Then we returned to William and Erin's for a while before driving back to Colleen's.

Erin and William with Napoleon and Oscar

Oscar and Napoleon

I had forgotten that Colleen had received two books from Sean's mother by Rush Limbaugh.  Needless to say, I was very skeptical!  However after looking at them I was favorably impressed as they are fun American history novels entitled "Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims" and "Rush Revere and the First Patriots."

On Thursday 24 April I picked up Sean at the ER at 7:30 am.  Colleen took Ashton to school and met us at William's as we returned his car.  We filled up his car at Fry's for $3.399 and filled the washer fluid container under the hood.

Colleen met us and we went to Kneaders Bakery & Cafe for lunch.

On the way to the farmer's market we passed a Wienerschnitzel eatery and it brought back memories from 40 years ago.  

We had just returned from five years in Bavaria and my new Army assignment was Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  On our first drive outside the main gate into Sierra Vista we saw a Wienerschnitzel and I got all excited about getting good German food, only to be very disappointed that it was a hot dog joint :(  

Eileen and Colleen went in the Superstition Ranch Market.  

Then we picked up Ashton at 2:50 pm and saw some interesting sites along the way before we stopped at the Dollar Tree store.

I did some family history research as I had received an e-mail from a gal via Ancestry.com about the Taylor line.  So I looked into that line in my PAF database and found some individuals for whom the temple work could now be done.

We enjoyed Papa John's Pizza for supper!  My favorite! 

On Friday 25 April we finished packing for our flight back to Georgia.  We all enjoyed Papa John's leftovers for breakfast!

On the way to the airport I read "The Story Of Miss Moppet" by Beatrix Potter.

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

Hugs and tears as we were dropped off by Colleen and the boys.  We checked two bags each ($35 apiece for the two extra bags).  Another WWI plane above the escalators.

Phoenix Airport decoration

WWI plane

WWI plane

We each got a cookie from Paradise Bakery & Cafe.  Yummy!

Eileen and the bakery

We took off at 1:12 pm and had the first two seats where one enters the plane, so there was lots of leg room. I soon finished the 2 February 2014 issue of the Church News.  I learned that President Boyd K. Packer's disability is due to his having had polio as a boy.  I read that polio can come back to disable you years later after you've had it in your earlier years.

President Boyd K. Packer of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

We landed in Atlanta at 7:18, so we arrived 26 minutes early.  Eileen enjoyed chatting with one of the flight attendants as we taxied to the terminal.

The Best Western Shuttle driver took us to the Sleep Inn.  Our car looks fine parked there.  We checked in and had a late supper at Ruby Tuesday (9 pm).

Outside the Sleep Inn entrance

On Saturday morning 26 April we got an e-mail that the couple with the church key could not be at church to clean until 4 pm.  Breakfast at the hotel was a bit meager as we had to wait for more sausage patties and there were no eggs :(  and they had no "USA Today" in the morning :(  I may find a different hotel the next time we fly out of Atlanta.

We drove home and unpacked.  I went through all the mail that had been on hold for us, most of which were solicitations that went straight into the recyclables.

We went to church and three others met us there to clean the building.

189 Dogwood Drive in Ellijay

After that I took Eileen to Charlie's Italian Restaurant in Ellijay for supper.  It was very good as usual and we brought home two cannoli for dessert in the evening.

Charlie's Italian Restaurant in Ellijay

I did a lot of family history work prior to enjoying the cannoli and Eileen worked on her Primary lesson for church tomorrow.