Filling Out The Week...

Thursday, December 5th, Claude and I attended our final Religion Class for 2019. In a great whirlwind lesson that covered ALL of Revelation, that is right, ALL of Revelation, we ended what has been a great time of study and learning. We have so enjoyed going through the New Testament with these good people. We will start again in mid-January studying the Book of Mormon. I am so very happy about this. Love to study the Book of Mormon.

Now, Claude and I have been having a little trouble this year coming up with gift ideas for each other. First, Claude suggested I get him a pair of those leather fur-lined slippers. While in Lexington for our religion class, I suggested to Claude we go to Cabela's and let him try on the pair he liked. Good thing we did this. That pair did not fit in his size. After trying on three different kinds and sizes, we found just the right pair and bought them. Second, I knew Claude wanted a steamer for steaming vegetables. I tried to find one in Georgetown to no avail. Again, after our Thursday religion class, I suggested we go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to see if they had one. We found one. We walked out with Claude's second Christmas present. He is happy with these gifts but it doesn't leave any for putting under that tree. Thank heavens we are old enough to understand these things. Now, I need to go measure my bedroom windows so he can buy me the white wood blinds I have wanted on them for years for my Christmas present. 😂😂😂

I spent the afternoon visiting with Papa.

Thursday evening we were back in Lexington for our Stake Welfare/Self-Reliance Meeting. Lots of good discussion and planning.

These pictures were posted by our Katelyn of their family at the ice hockey game for Drew. To say this is an ice loving family is an understatement. Raelyn is educating her little sister, Emelia, about how important this is.

Friday, December 6th, was decorating day inside our home.

The first tree I put up is the kid's tree in the basement. It is a little thing. I don't put the ornaments on it. I just get it up and leave the ornaments for the grandmonsters to put on as they will. This year should be fun as the Ropers will be here (the weather willing) and the Mini's will be here. The Mini's are almost old enough to not need the kids tree anymore. But I'm guessing they will love doing the decorating with Raelyn this year. After I got this little tree together, I took a quick picture and sent it to Katelyn and asked her to show it to Raelyn and see if she could tell what was missing. Raelyn knew right off it was missing ornaments and presents!

After I got the tree in the living room put together, I sent this picture to our family with this comment, "I'm thinking we just go green this year. Anyone not okay with that?" When Katelyn showed this picture of the big tree to Raelyn and told here my idea of leaving it green, Raelyn said to leave it just like that. Love this girl!

I almost finished the inside of our home. Claude got a great start on the outside of the house. I paused in the afternoon to visit with Papa.

Saturday, December 7th, I started my morning by putting the last box of ornaments on the tree. Then the garland down the stair rail and on the top of the piano. Claude finished the outside of the house on Saturday. The living room tree is sporting two new ornaments from our South Africa trip. There is a beaded replica of the South Africa flag and a gourd with a turtle on it.

The new nativity looks so nice. We purchased it after Christmas last year. Hopefully it will hold up under the weather well. We get some fierce winds on our hill in Sadieville. 

My gum drop tree needed a revision. If I put gum drops on it, I end up eating all of them. It looks great but I really don't need all those gum drops. Last year I tied life savers on each branch. Didn't really want to do that again. So I hit the Family Dollar store and found some small Christmas ornaments. Claude used his jewelry stringing thread and made loops for each of the ornaments. Then we hung them on the tree. We put jelly beans in the base. This should be a great way to use my gum drop tree!

Sunday, December 8th, we had a good scripture reading time, attended Church, then I visited Papa. The nursing home is on a quarantine basis. There is a stomach bug going through the nursing home. So all residents are to stay in their own room. They are taking all meals to each residents room. I wasn't sure they would let me take Papa out of the nursing home. He hasn't got the stomach bug. But it was fine. So I scooped up Papa and took him to the creek. As good fortune would have it there were 11 geese on the creek. And this time there was a man in this cute boat that he pedaled to propel it. It was a nice afternoon.

In the evening Claude and I watched the First Presidency Devotional broadcast from Salt Lake City.

Afterward, we got pictures of the Tyler's. They had Sunday football watching. Todd is a very big Green Bay Packers fan. The picture that really touched me was one Katelyn took of Nissa, her mother and our first born. Nissa was playing her piano and Raelyn was sitting on her lap with her hands on top of her Gramma's hands as she played. How many times over the years have I done that. So sweet watch my child doing that with her grandchild.

Monday, December 9th, today, I went to visit Papa in the morning. Claude had a physical therapy appointment. He dropped me off to visit while he did the PT. While I was with Papa, the nurse came in to take his vitals. This is routine. But today his top blood pressure number was below 100. She put the cuff on his other wrist and tried again, getting the same results. We gave Papa lots of water to drink and she was going to come back and take it again. It is a concern to me. Papa had three episodes when we first put him in the nursing home where his blood pressure went to zero and they had to take him to the emergency room.

When Claude picked me up we went to lunch. Then over to Lowe's to get a few things. With Papa in his new room permanently, he will have a window. I wanted to get him a shepherd's hook for outside his window with a bird feeder full of food on the hook. I just know Papa will enjoy watching the birds come to his window. We found the perfect shepherd's hook and a bright yellow bird feeder. Papa's eyesight is not great so I feel like that bright yellow color will help him as he watches the birds.

One last thought. While sitting with my father one morning at the nursing home, I watched a sweet man walking down the hall with his guitar. He stops in different rooms and played a melody. When he got to Lillian's room, she broke into song. She sings the old gospel favorites I learned as a child. I found myself singing a soft harmony from my father's room. This nice man came with his guitar to provide Christlike service to the residents. He also provided it for me. I love Lillian's sweet voice in song. This little moment in time lifts my spirits. I am grateful for this kind man's Christlike service that comes as a gift to me as well as Lillian.