Saturday, April 1st thru Sunday, April 9th...

WOW!! We have been home from our trip for two weeks tomorrow! Has that past fast or what? 

While were were gone, my cousin, Sue Fisch, posted this wonderful picture. My maternal grandmother and her siblings alive at the time the picture was taken. They are from left to right: Marian Tillmon Clark (went by Marian), Lewie Moore Clark (went by Lewie), Ira Edgar Clark (went by Edgar), Pearl Etta Clark Barrow (went by Pearl), Laura Cordelia (my grandmother) Clark Fisch (went by Laura or Cord) and Elizabeth Rachel Clark Ashworth (went by Rachel). That front porch reminds me of Gramma and Grampa Fisch's home in Starks. Well, it was way out in the country with a Starks mailing address. My memory of this home was a big oil barrel used to catch rainwater at the end of the porch. That barrel was wide enough across to be the width of the end of the porch. There was a porch swing on the end of the porch as well. Behind the siblings next to the steps to the porch was a rosebush with tiny little roses on it. I called them baby roses as a child. They were a lovely light pink color. 

Saturday, April 1st, and Sunday, April 2nd,  were General Conference days. Claude and I watched all the sessions (three Saturday and two Sunday) together. Between sessions I was labeling pictures from our trip. 

Monday, April 3rd, I spent my entire day weeding the yard. I would come in every now and then to rehydrate and take a breathe. This had not been done since the fall. Should have been done in March before we left on our trip but there was simply not enough time or warm enough days to sit out and weed. There were lots of weeds and trimming to do. We had also had the yard seeded in the fall and they spread grass seed all over the beds lining the stepping stones down the hill in the back yard. A lot of my time was pulling out all that grass so that only the decorative grasses were in the beds. Now the yard was ready for Claude to try out his new lawnmower. 

While I was doing this, Claude gathered all the limbs that fell from our trees in the winds prior to our trip to New Zealand and the limbs that fell from our trees in the winds that came while we were gone and the limbs that fell from the trees in the big winds after we came home. A lot of wind and a lot of limbs on the grass. Next, Claude set a fire in the fire pit and burned up all those limbs. Yeah Claude!!

Due to physical exhaustion to the point of an I-don't-care attitude, we enjoyed Taco Bell for dinner. 

Tuesday, April 4th, I got the mound of ironing done from all the clothes we took on our trip. While I worked inside, Claude started up his new lawnmower and tried to learn how to use it. It sure works differently from the tractor he had in Sadieville. There is a learning curve in the best pattern for cutting our lawn and exactly how to work the mower. He will lower the mower the next time he cuts. But, he got it done and edged and was happy with the results. 

Wednesday, April 5th, I had an endoscopy in Lexington. Dr. Robbins would do this. He is such a good doctor. He has done all the colonoscopies and endoscopies since we moved to Kentucky. He has a great bedside manner. He has never rushed as he explains what he is doing and has found. He did the endoscopy and also stretched my throat while in there. He found some things for which he felt he needed a couple more tests done. I would get the kit from his office on our way home for one of these tests.

Thursday, April 6th, I started the breath test at 10am and was done by 12 noon. You have to do four breath samples at 30-minute intervals. The other test required me to go to the lab and get the needed supplies. I did that at noon, came home and got their samples. Then to the post office to drop off the breath tests and back to the Georgetown hospital to drop off the lab samples. Then I called Dr. Robbins office and alerted them the two additional tests were complete and in the mail and at the lab. Done!

Claude drove me to the hospital to get the supplies for the second test. This was the front moving across Georgetown and headed to Lexington. We were to have severe storms that afternoon. I think the weathermen were correct this time!

The missionaries sent me a text and explained they had a new Elder with them. They were trying to get him to meet as many of the members as possible. They wanted to come by. I sent them a text stating we had medical appointments this day. Then I talked with Claude and we thought we could be all done by 2pm. So, I sent a text to the Elders saying if they could come after 2pm, we could be home. They sent me a text saying they should have explained they were thinking about 5pm. I told them that was a great time and we would fix them some dinner if they didn't have another dinner appointment. They did not, so we planned on dinner at 5pm for a quick visit so they could meet other people. 

5pm came and no missionaries. Not an issue. 5:30pm and still no missionaries and no phone call or text. Hmmmm. I decided I would wait until 6pm and then text them. Claude and I had dinner ready. I looked at Claude and he said, "I wonder if they are at the other Christensen's?" You see, we have another couple that are a bit older than us in our ward and they are also Christensen's. At 6pm we still had no missionaries. I sent a text asking if they were okay and if they needed any help. It was not long before I received a phone call. The missionaries apologized profusely and said they made a BIG mistake. I said, "You are at the other Christensen's, aren't you?" We had a good laugh. They still had not eaten so they left there and headed to our home for dinner. They were hungry young men at that point. It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall as they entered Bryce and Elizabeth Christensen's home anticipating dinner and Bryce and Elizabeth being surprised at them being there. Oh that would have been fun.

Friday, April 7th, was Todd's birthday. Todd is married to our firstborn, Nissa. I posted this on our family Facebook page: "Instead of posting a picture of him for his birthday, I shall simply use this logo. Please join me in wishing Todd Tyler a very Happy Birthday!! Go Todd, Go!"

This day I finished labeling all travel pictures and began the blogging of our New Zealand trip.

Saturday, April 8th, I was at the church by 9:30am to set up for the Elkhorn Creek Ward Easter Activity. Primary was responsible for this event. Jessie Rayburn, our Primary president had a wonderful idea to do a "Walk with Jesus" activity focusing on the Last Week of the Savior's life. It was a really beautiful event. My responsibility was to contact six of the ward membership to each be in a classroom and talk about what happened on a day in that last week. It followed that for the event, I worked with these people and then shepherded the families to begin their journey. 

Their journey began with Paisley, the Cash family donkey. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey as this last week began. 

The families came into the foyer where I greeted them. Each family was given a paper bag and a set of seven laminated cards on a ring. Each card had what happened in one of the days of the Savior's life. As the families went to each room, that day was explained to them and they received an egg with a symbol in it for what happened that day. They kept the seven eggs they would receive in the bag. 

Sunday was presented by Bart Barber.

     "Jesus walked from Bethany to Jerusalem. He rode into the city on a donkey, as a verse in the Old Testament said He would. People recognized Him as their King, shouting, “Hosanna,” and laying down palm leaves in front of the donkey to keep dust from getting on the Savior. Jesus visited the temple and then returned to Bethany."

Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11

Monday was presented by Bro. & Sis. Linares

     "Jesus saw people buying and selling in the temple. Because He wanted the temple to be a “house of prayer,” he made them leave. Then He healed the people who were lame or blind. The jealous priests were angry with Him."

Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19

Tuesday was presented by Bro. & Sis. Hollen

     "Jesus taught people in the temple and on a nearby hill called the Mount of Olives. The priests plotted to kill Jesus. One of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, agreed to turn Jesus over to the priests in exchange for 30 silver coins."

Matthew 25:31-46; 26:14-16

There was no Wednesday.

Thursday was presented by our missionaries

     "Jesus’s disciples got ready for the Passover meal. During the meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him. Then, to help them remember Him, He gave them the sacrament for the first time. Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to suffer for our sins and to pray to God. People came with swords and arrested Him. The disciples ran away in fear."

Matthew 26:17-29, 36-56

Friday was presented by Bro. & Sis. Grieving

     "Jesus was taken to the high priest, Caiaphas. Jesus’s disciple Peter denied that he knew Him. Jesus was questioned by the governor, Pilate, and by the king, Herod. He was condemned to die on the cross. Jesus was crucified. A rich man named Joseph laid Jesus in his tomb. Jesus’s mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene visited the tomb."

Matthew 26:57-72; 27:1-2, 27-37; Luke 23:44-46, 50-56

Saturday was presented by Bro. & Sis. Christensen

     "Jesus’s body lay in the tomb. A large stone was put in front of the door. The wicked priests asked Pilate to have guards stand outside the tomb to make sure no one went inside."

Matthew 27:57-66

Sunday was a video presentation and represented the Empty Tomb.

Refreshments were in the Cultural Hall. 

And a coloring activity was available in the back of the cultural hall.

In our foyer were the perfect pictures for this event. The Savior in Gethsemane

He is Risen!!

I nice thing to do on the eve of Easter. 

Sunday, April 9th, was Easter Sunday, I posted these pictures from our trip to Israel in 2005 on Facebook. They are the gate through which Jesus would enter Jerusalem, Gethsemane, Golgotha and the Garden Tomb.

        "I am grateful for Easter. A time to remember the precious gift of the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know it touches my life every minute of every day. 

My thoughts went back to our 2005 trip to Israel. I thought I would share a few of the pictures that are tender to me from that trip. Our last day in Israel, we visited each of these spots. There is a ledge over the Garden Tomb. I had time to sit and reflect on the love I have for my Savior. Tears flowed freely as I quietly pondered His love for me. 

        From our home to yours...May each of you have a blessed and happy Easter today."

Claude wrote the program for Sacrament Meeting. It was lovely. It told about the Atonement. Then it focused on the blessings we receive through the Atonement. 

In the afternoon and evening I enjoyed texting with my three kids. And, I finished blogging about New Zealand trip.