Diamond and Ruby Pendant (Happy Anniversary to Me!)

Last May, I blogged about the miracle of finding the diamond I lost 25 years ago from my original wedding ring. I was so excited to be reunited with it that I decided to make a pendant out of it as a gift for our 43rd wedding anniversary 3 days ago. I took the diamond to a jeweler in Quartz Hill and we, together, created the perfect pendant for me. I chose an "S" shaped charm (for Stott) and the diamond is flanked by two rubies to remind me to be a virtuous woman.

I am sooooo happy with it. It turned out just as I hoped it would. 

Alan and I have been married for 43 years now. He is STILL the love of my life. I can't imagine life without him. He has always been so easy going and easy to get along with and to love. Thank you, Alan, for your love and support for the past 43 years. Life would be nothing without you in it. My love for you grows and grows every single day.

The Passing of Jayne

On December 19th, we received an e-mail from Galen that his wife (and my sister-in-law), Jayne, wasn't doing well, and hadn't been doing well since December 9th. Galen had just taken her to the doctor and her doctor said she was very sick - he even used the word terminal. Instead of going to the hospital, Jayne was put on in-home hospice care that very evening. She passed away three days later, on December 22nd.

Her obituary says "Jayne passed away peacefully in her own bed, surrounded by family, from complications of scleroderma, liver disease, and other health issues. Even through her intense sufferings, she was faithful like Job (from the Old Testament), kept her covenants, and endured to the end." 

This pic is from her obituary - taken when she was much younger and in better health. She was beautiful!

We weren't super close as sister-in-laws but I can say that I would have liked to have known her better. I wish we could have spent more time together. With her health issues and us living so far apart, it was difficult to establish a great relationship, but I can say that I loved and respected her. I always marveled at how well she was handling her health problems. She dealt well with the cards she was given. 

We are leaving early tomorrow morning to drive to Utah to attend her funeral to be held this Thursday, the 27th, which happens to be our 43rd wedding anniversary. I will update this post after our return.

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U P D A T E 
(12/30/18)

We attended Jayne's funeral three days ago. As funerals are, it was a very sobering experience. I feel very badly for Galen, who is left alone, but very happy for Jayne who is now free from her diseased body. She is no longer in pain, which is very comforting. Many family members were able to attend, which is always nice.

Prior to the funeral service, a family prayer service was held. Before it began, Galen said that a while ago Jayne said to him "I'm going to make a beautiful corpse." That shows that she had a sense of humor right up to the very end.

The actual funeral service went well. Jayne's sisters and niece spoke and there were a couple of musical numbers as well. The Bishop had some concluding remarks.

The internment took place at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. I had never been to that cemetery before (even though many prophets and some of my relatives are buried there). It was snowing, so it was quite cold, but the service was short so we weren't too uncomfortable.

Photo of the pall bearers placing the casket at the grave site.

Galen waiting for the dedication of the grave.

Galen paying his last respects to Jayne

The luncheon afterward was very nice. It was put on by Galen's ward Relief Society. They served ham, potatoes, salad, fruit, rolls, with brownies and lemon squares for dessert. It was well received by all those who attended it.

From our family, we had Ryan, Eric, Cheryl, Parker, Alan, and me in attendance. Kevin's family took off before I could get a picture.

Parker showed  up  a little after the luncheon started.

   

Steven, Susan, Will, Amy, Jon, and Susan's sister (I think)

Galen, Keith, Barbara, and Kathy

The brothers having a pow-wow

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After the luncheon, Alan and I were able to go visit his mom at Legacy House. She is still doing well for a 98 year old. She was pretty cognizant the whole visit, which makes a visit much easier and nicer.

Felt Like Christmas to Me!

This year, since our visiting family members needed to get home on Christmas day, we decided to hold Christmas a day early so everyone could get a full Christmas day together. At first, I thought this was going to seem weird, but it truly felt like Christmas day.

We really missed having Eric's family and Ryan here this year. They stayed in Utah.

Ryan went snowboarding on Christmas day.

This is the group who was here this year.

It was so much fun to have our youngest grandchildren, Milo (6) & Clara (4), here this year after a 4 year absence. They really helped to make Christmas fun. The joy they expressed when opening gifts was so precious.

This racetrack was a hit.

But an even bigger hit were these:

These kids are riding in style now.

Other photos from Christmas morning.

I guess I didn't get any pics of Kyle, Emily, or Jared opening gifts. Oops, my bad!

The last, but best gift of all came from Cheryl and Parker when they handed me their Christmas card with this nice little photo attached:

Yes, baby Stronk is in the making!!!

Looks like, we will be adding another grandchild to the five we already have - due to arrive around July 13th. This was such exciting news for us!!! I am thrilled beyond belief. I must admit, I cried like a baby at the news...but who is judging, right?

It turned out to be such a great day. Life is definitely good!

Christmas Eve Deal or No Deal

We played Deal or No Deal with our family on Christmas Eve (which was actually Dec. 23rd for us). It was a big hit, just as it was when the staff played earlier in the month.

Since Eric's family and Ryan couldn't be here this year, they played the game remotely so they didn't have to miss out on the fun.

The first couple to play was Kyle & Emily. They ended up winning $23 each.

The next to play was Eric, Nicole, and Olivia. They ended up winning $21 each.

After them, Cheryl and Parker were up. They won more than anyone else at $35 each.

Ethan paired with Ella and they each won $25.

Last to play was Ryan and Jared. Since Milo felt left out, he played with them. The game didn't go so well for them so they ended up with only $5 each, but Milo was sure happy about it. 

We ended up shelling out much more money this time around than when the staff played it. It cost us $249 this time!

Just for fun, Alan and I played the game, too, - not for money, but for how many push-ups and sit-ups the other adults had to perform. Not sure about the Utahn's, but those here did 34 of each yesterday to pay off the debt.

A Christ-Centered Christmas Sacrament Meeting

A week ago, Bro. Tolman, who is a member of the bishopric, asked me if I would be a speaker in Sacrament Meeting today. The bishopric wanted a Christ-centered meeting so Bro. Tolman asked if I would also recite "The Living Christ." Although I have had it memorized for a long time and feel secure in reciting it to myself every day, it is different when you have to do it in front of a large group of your peers. To say the least, I was very nervous. It takes about 5 minutes to recite it. Fortunately, with the Lord's help, I was able to recite it with just one minor mistake that I corrected immediately. After I got into it, I actually enjoyed reciting it, but still felt relief when it was over.

What made it a special moment and a very special day is that Alan, Jared, Kyle, Emily, Cheryl, Parker, Milo, and Clara were all there to support me. I love my family and am so grateful for their support.

I was one of four speakers. The first three spoke about a Christmas hymn and then we sang the hymn they spoke about. I was the concluding speaker and after I spoke, we sang "I Believe in Christ."

Having a Christ-Centered Christmas

It seems that the world has forgotten why we celebrate Christmas. Instead of focusing on Christ, the focus is often more commercially centered. Instead of the Christ child, angels, shepherds, and wise men bearing gifts, the emphasis is on Santa Clause, reindeer, mistletoe, and ornaments. 

In order to make our Christmas cards more Christ centered, I created this insert and included them with our cards.

Some of the commercial aspects of Christmas can help us to think of Christ, however. The lights on the tree can remind us that Christ is the light of the world. The world would be a very dark place without Him in it. 

Candy canes remind us of the shepherds crook and either a star or angel on the top of the tree reminds us of Gabriel announcing the birth and the shepherds following the star to find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The gifts underneath the tree are a reminder that God's greatest gift to all of His children is the gift of his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Let's not forget that Christ's gift to us is the atonement and the ability to gain eternal life. I am forever grateful for those gifts.

I testify that Christ lives and that he is the light and the redeemer of the world. May we remember Christ - not just at Christmas time, but always.

Learning From Dad

Our family has its own Stott Family Facebook site. Last month, out of curiosity, I asked the kids to name something they have learned from their dad. These are their replies:

Eric: How to analyze a decision by looking at all the pros/cons and thinking through the possible outcomes.

Cheryl: How to plan a good vacation, work hard, and definitely what Eric said.

Ryan: How to make lists, work hard, and get things done.

Kyle: Besides all of the above, I learned how to be kind, patient, and understanding. I don't recall dad ever losing his temper. One time, thinking it was a friend walking through the garage door and not dad, I came around the corner and threw a ball the moment the door opened. The ball hit dad square in the face. He totally kept his cool and understood that it was a mistake. (By the way, Alan doesn't remember this incident)

Jared: *Hard work. Dad has never been afraid to do work. He works during the week at his office, around the house on Saturdays, and in his church callings on Sunday. 
*Always be prepared. Dad will always plan trips or other things down to the smallest detail. He will usually create a list and check off things to ensure he has everything.
*Not to worry about what others think. Dad doesn't have to drive a nice car or dress in fancy clothes.
*Be frugal. This is probably the biggest trait or thing I have learned from Dad. He doesn't like to spend money on unimportant things.

I thought all of these responses from our children were great. They really captured what Alan is like. I'm glad I married someone who taught our children these things. He really was a great father.

I learned so many things from my own father, but one thing that stands out is the value of hard work. He either grew (garden), raised (beef, pigs, sheep), or hunted for (deer, pheasants, fish) most everything our family of nine ate. He worked so hard to keep food on our table. 
I also learned about forgiveness one cold winter day while driving Dad's Ford Falcon. I slid on the icy road right into the back end of our neighbor's car. The whole front end of the Falcon was badly damaged. Fortunately, only the tail light of our neighbor's car was damaged. I felt horrible and couldn't face Dad. He came to me, smoothed things over, and told me not to worry about it. I couldn't believe how forgiving he was. I will never forget that.

Christmas Baking

I don't do a ton of baking any more - partly because I don't need the extra calories, and partly because working in the kitchen is very hard on my back. However, I decided that I wanted to make some baked goods for some friends from church that I minister to. 

The first thing I made was the rose shaped apple pastries. They turned out pretty good for a first-time attempt. The apples on a couple of them got a little "burnt" so I didn't give those away. Alan and I ate them instead.

The next item I made was a couple of cinnamon roll wreaths. Not perfect, but not too bad either for a first try attempt.

Truthfully, even though the products turned out pretty good, I doubt I will make them again. They were a lot of work and it took my back a long time to recover afterward. On a positive note, at least I was able to give home made gifts this year!

Somerset Secret Service Santa

Our Relief Society had an activity/dinner in November where we were each given a Secret Service Assignment. Prior to the activity, each Sister was asked to fill out a Secret Service Questionnaire. The questionnaires were then distributed into envelopes like this:

 This was inside:

This form was inside my envelope so the sister whom I'm giving service to is Diann Sinclair.

Service ideas were included...

...but I kinda did my own thing.

I decided to have Diann unwrap a gift per day for 10 days beginning on December 15th so the last gift will be opened on Christmas eve. Each gift has a symbol of Christmas inside with an explanation of what that symbol represents. I put the gifts inside a big padded chest.

I didn't know how to get the gift to her and keep it a secret, so I asked the missionaries to deliver it to her for me. They were happy to do so. 

We could choose whether we wanted to reveal who we were as we served or to keep it a secret. I have kept it a secret, but on Christmas Eve when the last gift is opened I do reveal my identity.

This was a lot of fun to put together. I wanted my service to be Christ-centered, which it was. I hope Diann enjoys this.

Staff Christmas Party

Once again this year, we hosted the staff Christmas party at our house. I love gathering at our house, but it was quite a bit of work even though the food was catered (Mexican food) and the housekeepers did the house cleaning.

We decided to try to put two tables in the dining room so we could all eat together. It worked even though the tables were different widths.

After we ate dinner, we played a Christmas Edition of "Deal or No Deal." I had a lot of fun putting this game together. Instead of brief cases like on the television show, I used mini Christmas stockings. Each stocking held an amount ranging from $.01 to $50.

As the amounts (represented on Christmas ornaments) were picked, we turned them over so we could easily see what amounts were left in play.

 Alan was "Howie" and I was the banker.

Everyone loved the game. Why wouldn't they? Free money for them. We played as couples and the lowest amount won by a couple was $.75 each by Janene and Mark. Kathi and Joe won the most at $18 each. All in all, it only cost us about $105 in payouts -- not as bad as I thought it would be. We are going to play this game again when family comes for Christmas next week.

Every year, we exchange "white elephant" gifts, but they aren't true white elephant gifts because each gift needs to cost around $20. The game we played for this gift exchange was one we had never played before. We had to roll two big, soft dice and this chart shows what to do according to what numbers come up on the dice.

Playing the game

Alan ended up with this awesome laundry room sign. 

And I got these two plug-in flashlights

Group photo prior to leaving 

(that selfie stick of ours came in handy!)

(Bottom row: Kathi, Kristen, Michele

Middle row: Liz, Janene, Tiffany, me

Back row: Robbie, Joe, Mark, Alan, Frank)

Gratitude Post

Since we are on the verge of another Thanksgiving, I wanted to mention some of the things I am thankful for. My life has truly been blessed in so many ways. 

Among the myriad of things I am thankful for, I would say that the gospel of Jesus Christ is near the top. I feel so blessed to have been raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My parents were great examples to me of Christ-like living. They lived what they taught, thereby setting a perfect example for me to follow. I so admire how my parents loved serving in the church. The gospel was taught in our home. I am thankful that my siblings have also been such great examples to me too. They have all served faithfully in the Church and have raised righteous families. I am surrounded by so many valiant family members. For that I am very grateful.

Another thing I am grateful for is the wonderful children my Heavenly Father has blessed me with. Although some of my children have gotten off the Church's covenant path, which is a disappointment to me, they are a joy none the less. They have all turned out to be hard working individuals who have talents and a desire to do good. They make the world a better place to live just by being themselves and spreading joy to others.

I can't mention my children without mentioning how blessed I am through their marriages to have 2 daughters-in-law, 1 son-in-law, and 5 wonderful grandchildren. Our family wouldn't be complete without them. They each add a new dynamic to our family. 

Last, but not least, I am so grateful for my husband. He is my knight in shining armor and my North Star all rolled up into one. He has been my go-to-guy for almost 43 years. He has supported me and lifted me our whole marriage. I can't imagine an easier guy to live with. He will do whatever I ask of him -- within reason, of course. I love him to the moon and back.

These are just a few of my favorite blessings. I have so much to be grateful for.

Finding Hope

I don't know how many times I have written in here about my chronic back problems which have gotten progressively worse over the last few years. I have medically tried everything I could think of to find answers for my condition. I have spent a boat load of money as I have seen doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, an acupuncturist, physical therapists, & surgeons, all with little or no relief. I have also tried pills, patches, gels, and creams hoping for at least some temporary relief. Although they helped a bit, it was never long-lasting.
 Finally, I have found something that has given me hope. 

For a couple of years, my friend Sylvia has wanted to take me to see a man in Glendale who treats individuals with back and other problems in his home. I was very hesitant and skeptical about going to see him. I kept putting her off. Finally, feeling like I had used up all other options, I reluctantly agreed to go with her to see him. His name is Antonio Tello. He is originally from Mexico and speaks Spanish, but does speak a little limited English. Thank goodness Sylvia was there with me so she could be my translator.

Sylvia told him a little bit about the condition of my back, mentioning my biggest concerns and told him that I might need surgery. 

Antonio had me lie down on a thin pad on his floor. He did some manipulations that are similar to a chiropractor only less intrusive. He is very gentle. On his business card it says he is a Sobador, which is Spanish for masseur (French for a man who practices massage). However, he doesn't really massage how a massage therapist would. I would say he is a cross between a chiropractor and massage therapist.

He said I didn't need surgery and that he could fix me in 3 visits. Today was my 3rd visit. Each visit has been very beneficial. I was a little sore after each visit, but the pain never lasts long. I feel great.

My best test to see how well the treatment is working is to attend church for the 3 hour block. After my first treatment, I was still in pain at church, but last Sunday after my 2nd treatment, I had only slight pain. I was pretty amazed by that because sitting at church is always so painful. 

I can't say how exciting this is for me. I feel liberated! I can do things now that I haven't been able to comfortably do for a long time. I do, however, still have to take things easy.  I rest my back often and ice it 3 times per day because I don't want to have a relapse.

I wish I had gone to see him sooner!!! I don't know how many thousands of dollars I have wasted on medical visits and treatments over the years. This guy is only $30 per visit so I've only spent $90 so far. Vast saving over other treatments. 

Because of these treatments, I have found hope again. I thought I was sentenced to a life of pain and a life of limited activity. Now, maybe that won't be the case.

Constantly being in pain can make you feel a little down and depressed. I have been going through that lately. Now I feel as though I have a new lease on life. Sure does feel good!!!