A Peek Into My Day - The Simple Woman's Daybook~

 

For Today... June 26th, 2015

Take a moment and visit other Simple Woman's Daybook entries; Enjoy!

Outside my window...it is a lovely, extra warm summer day. We have been wanting these sunny days to come; but perhaps not quite this hot. 

I am thinking...that our world becomes more evil everyday. I am sad when I watch the news with all of the terrible crimes that are committed. Why do God's children want to murder and plunder this nation? Why can't we all just love one another. The truth is that all of these things that are going on are just the tip of the iceberg. More will continue to happen until our beloved Savior comes again. I think that perhaps the Savior's coming is nearer than we may realize. I am looking forward to the great and dreadful day of the Lord. I like the great part best. We must just have faith and try to live Christ like lives and follow the Prophet of today.  At least that is my goal. 

I am thankful...for all the good that surrounds me. There is the negative but there is always goodness to counteract the bad moments in our lives. We have great beauty all around us. 

We were able to go on a picnic in the mountains the other day and it brought peace to my soul. I love the mountains, the lakes and the streams. I love Heavenly Father's creations. This earth is a beautiful place to live. I wake up every morning grateful for my life, for my  dear eternal companion, for our forever family, sweet little dog, Sammy, good friends and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I consider myself very blessed.

A beautiful place to find peace~

In the Kitchen.....I will be making stuffed Green Peppers for dinner. It is one of my favorite dishes and there are so many different ways to make them. 

I am wearing...light blue cropped Levis, a pink sweater, and black flip flops. 

I am creating...this post which is always fun to do. 

I am going...into the kitchen in a few moments to get a piece of Chocolate. I must have a treat. 

I am wondering...if I can complete a project today that I have been working on. My Father and Mother in law have an oral history that was taken and preserved by the Church Historical Department. It is about his mission to Nigeria in the late 50's and early 60's. Later on in the early 80's they both served a mission in Nigeria and Ghana. I had typed most of it and then put it aside for quite a while and haven't finished it. I started back typing it two days ago and I hope to finish it this week. It is so awesome to read about their experiences. They truly loved those sweet dedicated black people in Nigeria and Ghana that they worked with. I love reading their mission experiences. 

I am reading... "The New Testament" which is part of our Sunday School Class this year. I teach a Primary class of three little boys that are 5 years old; so I don't get to attend this class. I have been enjoying the student reading guide as I have been studying this wonderful book of scripture. 

I am also reading a book entitled: "Joseph; A Stalwart Witness" by Cecilia Jensen with Stanford A. Cormack. This is a historical novel on the Prophet Joseph Smith. I am loving this book because I do believe that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that he brought about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His was an amazing man and I have a firm testimony of him. 

This book can be found here. 

I am also reading a book entitled: "Emergency Essentials - Tips For Preparedness" by Larry Barkdull.  I am happy to be working on being more prepared for any emergency that may come.I plan to put together a really good First Aid Kit and also take an on-line course on Basic and Advanced First Aid. As a nurse I feel like I need to be better prepared to help others should there be a disaster. I have been out of nursing for a while; so I need to review and relearn skills again. 

You can find it here - 

I am hoping...that the weight scales tomorrow will not show the same thing it showed today. 

I am learning...to take more time doing some of the things that I love to do. I have been playing the piano more which bring me great joy. I can't accompany anyone because I get to nervous; but I do enjoy playing hymns and sometimes sing along with them. It does bring calmness into my life. 

Around the house....I can hear the TV on in the kitchen where my husband slips off to for breaks. He will probably be watching Fox News. 

I am pondering....upon some thoughts that I have had on prayer. I love to pray to my Heavenly Father. I receive great comfort through prayer. I often receive direction for my life when I pray. I like that I can talk to my Father in Heaven anywhere about anything and I do. I feel like He hears and answers my prayers. I am deeply graterful for that. The answers are not always what I would choose but I know that His will for me is more important than my own will. The true challenge is for our wills to be the same; I am working on that one. 

In my garden...my tomatoes are coming up. I planted squash, Zucchini and peppers. It isn't a large garden; but just right for us this year. 

A favorite quote for today...

A peek into one of my days...Here are some pictures from our back to nature moments from last Saturday. We had so much fun. 

One of my favorite things...is to spend time with my family. My oldest son Sean has a birthday tomorrow so I am looking forward to being with his family to celebrate. 

From the board room...no big decisions today; but something is coming soon. I just can't say what just yet. 

My Wish For Today~ To All you wonderful family and friends; have a lovely weekend and enjoy all of your precious moments together. 

The Best Of Fathers - Happy Father's Day To All~

Here are a few highlights of the men in my life that are the best of fathers.I have deep gratitude for the part they have played in my life. I love them all so much. I am wishing for them a wonderful Father's Day!

My Father - Millan

For the past several years I have been somewhat sad on Father's Day. My dearest Father passed away in October of 2001. He was the best of Dads and I loved him so much. I would love to be able to pick up a phone and hear his voice. My Dad loved to sing and would often sing in the car when we were driving somewhere. Oh, how I loved his songs. He loved to sing; "My Wild Irish Rose", "Buttons and Bows", "Danny Boy", and "Always" which was a favorite of my parents. I would love to hear him sing and hold his hand once more. Three years before my Dad passed away; he made a recording of some of his favorite songs, along with one that he made up the words too and gave it to my mother. He was a romantic man and loved my mother with all of his heart and soul and she felt the same for him. He was always hugging, kissing and dancing with her. 

My sweet Dad was raised by his Maternal Grandmother. Both of his parents passed away when he was very young. 

                   1st picture - My grandparents and my Dad - 2nd picture - My Dad in his blessings            gown. My grandmother made it for him and all three of my daughters were blessed in this gown. - 3rd & 4th picture my Dad with his father. 

I recently found some  additional pictures of my Dad when he was young and it was so fun to see what he looked like then. 

My Dad was a real cowboy. He dressed as one, rode a horse as one and loved to hunt and fish. He also was a Sheriff Deputy later on in life.  

As a young man my Dad was not active in our Church. However, he became very ill when I was about 6 years old and he had a profound spiritual experience that changed his life. 

I  know that my Father loved our Savior Jesus Christ and Our Heavenly Father with all of his heart. He was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He  taught me a lot on how to be a true Christian. He served several missions for our church. As a youth I remember watching my parents leave to go to the Manti LDS Temple which was a couple of hours away. They loved going to the temple. Later in life they were able to serve as a missionaries in the Cove Fort Mission. That was a highlight in their lives.

I owe a special thanks you to my Father for nurturing my testimony. I have deep gratitude to my Heavenly Father for providing me with such faithful and good parents. 

I have two older brothers and I was his only daughter of which he spoiled me a lot.

 Here are a few pictures of my Dad and I and also some precious memories~

My Dad was a rancher and farmer. He was a harder worker. I had many special times with him out on the farm and also on my Uncle's ranch. 

He loved to fish and we went on many fishing trips. I know that sometimes he would put a fish on the end of my fishing pole when I was off playing and then he would call out to me that I had a fish. 

When I was 9 years old my Dad lost his farm and went to work as an Ice Cream delivery man.  His route was from Richfield up to Eureka, Utah and back. On his route, he would deliver Ice Cream to different Cafes in the many small towns. I went with him a few times when he made these trips. He would often get me a little ice cream treat from the the back of the truck when he made stops. When we arrived in Eureka we would stay in a hotel room and he would take me to a movie; which generally was a cowboy movie. Even today I continue to enjoy watching cowboy movies. I always wanted to be Annie Oakley and spent many hours on the farm pretending I was. 

Every birthday and other special days he would buy me a Story Book Doll. I am sure Mother played a big part in this one too. I have quite a collection of these dolls. 

My Dad loved riding horses and would  take me on the horse with him when I was very small. I loved to ride horses with my family. One memorable trip that we had as a family was riding horses up on Fish Lake Mountain and staying in my uncles cabin for a few days.

  He loved to hunt deer and later on in life when I was married we went deer hunting with my family and always had such a good time. He was so fun to be with. My dear father had such a delightful personality; people loved to be around him. All of my children and many of my  grandchildren have had treasured moments with my Dad.

Here are three family pictures - The 1st picture is a favorite of mine; I am presently the only one  still here. The 2nd picture is their entire family - The third picture is the last picture taken before my Dad started with Alzheimer's.

My Dad loved sports and coached the town baseball team in Richfield for many years. My brothers became good at all of the sports and my Dad did not miss a game.  I felt like I was raised on a baseball field because we went to all of the games. I think I spent most of the time playing under the bleachers. 
My parents owned a Cafe in Richfield for a few years. I loved to work in the cafe and people loved to come because of my parents. They both had friendly and delightful personalities. 
when I was in 8th grade we moved to Salt Lake City. Both my parents worked full time at different jobs through the years. Again, my parents were so fun and my teenage friends enjoyed coming to our home to watch TV or play games. My Mother always made popcorn and my Dad was always joking around. 
Growing up I felt so blessed to have great parents. They were both always there for me. I have so many wonderful memories of them both. 
 The last six months of his life he was in a Care Center due to Alzheimer's. At one point he was assigned a room with another man. Somehow the two of them connected and we came in one day to hear them both singing some of the old time songs and it was so wonderful. We clapped and enjoyed the moment with tears streaming down our faces. They had an audience but didn't even know it

One of my fondest memories was my last dance. Growing up my Dad and Mom loved to go dancing. They belonged to a square dancing group for a while. My Dad was a very good dancer. Whenever there was dance music playing in our home; he would grab my mother and dance with her and then he would always dance with me too. 

When he developed Alzheimer's disease and was in the  Care Center; I flew down  from my home in Spokane to Las Vegas to see him  a few times before he passed a way. The amazing thing about my Dad was that he always remembered who my mom was and he would always remember me. He had a pet name that he called me and it was Leanne. I miss hearing him say that name. One of the last visits that I made to see him in the Care Center; my mom and I took him down  to the recreation room. There was music playing and he grabbed my mom and danced a way with her.  When the music stopped he came over to me and as the music began again I had a last dance with my precious Dad. I will treasure that memory forever. 

Towards the end he was put in the Hospice Hospital that I had worked at for  a few years when we lived in Las Vegas.  My husband and I flew down and that day ended up being his last night. I had encouraged my mother and everyone else to go home and get some rest. My husband and I stayed at his bedside and I was holding my Dad's hand when he took his last breathe. 

I love you Daddy, I miss you and I will be yours forever. 

My Dad and I~

Happy Father's Day To My Dearest Husband, Roger ~

 My Husband is the sweetest, most gentle and kind man that I know. He has great wisdom and has given strong counsel to his children through the years. His life is centered in Christ and that is one of his greatest attributes. He is a true disciple of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is a most giving and generous man. I have seen him give to others countless times in many different ways. He loves the temple and enjoys serving there. We both enjoy this great work.

He has worked hard his whole life to be a good provider for his family. He is always there when there is a need. Our children have had great advantages due to his hard work.
Serving an Inner City Mission with this dear man taught me many things about caring for others.  While serving on our Inner City mission we were heading home one late afternoon. He noticed that there was a car stalled in the middle of a very busy street. We pulled into a parking lot and he got out of the car and ran out into a busy road to see if the woman in the car was OK. We were not in a good area of the city; so I was a bit frightened by the situation. He did not hesitate for a moment to help. She was so grateful to him and another man who came to help her get the car to the side of the road. My husband stayed until her family came.

He is a very good Dad. His children often come to him for blessings. I have witnessed miracles as he has exercised his priesthood in my behalf and that of our family. 

While raising our children he would often help me when they were sick and up in the middle of the night. He has walked the floors and rocked our children many times when they were ill. 

I love to watch him when  he is with our grandchildren and great grandchildren. He loves them so much.
Finally, my dear one is very brave. He has had some severe health issues that he has gone through over the years. He has had great faith and perseverance during these hard moments.

I feel such deep gratitude to have him as my eternal companion and the father of our forever family. I love you Roger with all my heart. 

Happy Father's Day To All Of My Sons, Son in laws and Grandsons~

Top row - My son's; Sean, Travis and James

Middle row - My son in laws; Brandon, Michael and Dave

Bottom row - My grandsons; Jed and Jacob

Each of these dear sons, son in laws and grandsons have brought great joy into my life. They are all good men and great Dads. They each have special qualities that I love about them. They have added much fun and spontaneity to our lives. May they all have a marvelous Father's Day celebration. We love you all!

Revision of a post with added content and pictures - June of 2011 ~

Forty Eight Wonderful Years With My Knight In Shinning Armor - Saturday June 13th ~

Our First Moments~

On that very first date when you held my hand, I knew what first love was,

You always amaze me and I can feel deep inside what your love does.

Even those moments when we have been apart,

I have known that you would always have my heart.

I looked forward to the day that I would be your wife,

And we would be on the path to our eternal life.

We’ve been through a lot in our 48 years,

Our love grows stronger, more  clear and more dear.

I love you so much for walking by my side,

When I think of you my dearest one, I am always filled with  pride.

by LeAnn

 

LeAnn - 

When I was just a little girl; I knew that out there somewhere was a Knight in shining armor; who was just for me.

Roger -

 As the time neared for me to be your bride; I was so thrilled to be forever yours~

 I felt inside that you were feeling the exact same way on our wedding day~

We had such a beautiful Wedding ceremony in the Salt Lake Temple~

I loved that we were married and sealed by an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ,

 Elder Ezra Taft Benson. 

It was such a joyous and memorable day.

We had a lovely reception shared with wonderful friends and family. 

Top Picture LeAnn's parents, Roger and LeAnn and Roger's Parents - We miss them so much; they help make this such a special moment. 

Lower Left picture - Roger, Bruce (Roger's brother), John, (LeAnn's brother), Michael, (Roger's brother), John and Don, (Roger's brother in laws).

Lower, Right Picture - Kellie Jayne, (our niece), Annette, Diana, Danelle, (LeAnn's close 

friends), Marilyn, (LeAnn's Sister in law), LeAnn

 We have been together for 48 loving and priceless years. 

You are the only one for me and I for you. 

Our love is forever~

 Happy Anniversary to my dearest husband whom I treasure with all my heart. 

"The Still Small Voice" ~

Elder Williams and Elder Bugg~

I thought today I would share a story written by my son, Sean about an experience my Grandson, Jackson had recently while serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Jackson is currently serving in a rural community in central Nebraska. They cover a wide area of small towns, with homes and farms spread throughout. They do a lot of service for both members and non-members of the LDS church there. Due to the amount of service they drive a pick-up truck.)

One day, this spring Jackson and his companion were out driving on a dirt/gravel road. Jackson's companion, Elder Bugg was behind the wheel. At some point during their journey Elder Bugg felt prompted to put the truck into 4 wheel drive, although he didn't know quite why at the time. They weren't driving too fast, like The Dukes of Hazard, to begin with....however switching to 4 wheel drive did slow down their pace a little. They were proceeding on their journey when at some point they came around a turn in the road. There was a thick tree line on both sides of the road. This turn in the road coupled with the thick trees obscured their view of an oncoming, full speed, train on the opposite side of the tree line. The road crossed the tracks but being a country dirt road there was no warning or gate. The train was not blowing a whistle. They saw the train just in time to make a skidding halt, on gravel, thus avoiding a collision. Now in their minds they have no doubt that angels were watching over them, that god was with them & that prayers for their safety were answered. For had not Elder Bugg received that prompting to shift into 4 wheel drive, their rate of speed and timing could have been such that they were T-boned by that train.

I have no doubt that prayers are answered and that these two young men still have a work to do in Nebraska.

We are so grateful that Elder Bugg heard that still small voice and that they were spared. We know that Angels do watch over the missionaries. 

You can learn more about what the missionaries do here. You can learn more about our faith here.