The Fantastic Month of February~

We have had a marvelous month of special events and spectacular celebrations.

Our Granddaughter Gillian graduated on February 7th from Aesthetic School. She received honors and is now a Master Aesthetician.We are so proud of her. She has an exciting career ahead. 

We were able to travel to Idaho to attend the Missionary Farewell for our Grandson Austin. He gave an outstanding message in our Sacrament meeting. His younger brother Ryley also gave a talk. This made it extra special. Later that evening we participated in the ordination of our Grandson Christian. He received the Melchizedek Priesthood and was ordained to the office of an Elder. We are so pleased with these awesome grandsons of ours. This was a special day of celebration. The top left photo is of our Grandsons Austin on the Left and Christian on the Right. 

Here are some photos of friends and family members. The two pictures of the just the boys are our future missionaries grandsons. 

On February 13th, we said our goodbyes to our Grandson Austin. He entered the Mission Training Center on February 14th. We will not see him for two years as he serves his mission in the Nebraska Omaha Mission. This was kind of a happy, sad moment for us all. A few tears were shed on this one. 

Here we celebrated our Granddaughter Jadyn's 8th Birthday. We had such a good time with her. We enjoyed being with our Granddaughter in-laws family, and we had our Grandson's Jackson and Joseph there also. Our sweet little Lilly wasn't feeling well, so she spent most of her time with her Dad Jed; our grandson; middle photo below.   

Our Grandson Joseph turned 19 on February 19th. He is now out of school and working for the winter month. We love him and are proud of his accomplishments. He is a remarkable young man.  

On February 23 and 24th, the Country Park Stake held their Annual Especially For Adults event. As a Stake Relief Society, we were in charge of the dessert after the special fireside on the 23rd and the brunch for between the classes held on the 24th. We had a fantastic service project. The project was for the Jordan School Foundation, and our Stake members and friends donated food and other unique items for children in need in the school districts. We were so grateful for the many generous donations that were provided.
Our Friday night guest speaker was Bro. Scott Anderson. He is a well-known speaker, and everyone that attended could have listened to him all night. We were taught many beautiful teachings from The Book of Mormon. Our Theme was "My Soul Delighth In The Things Of The Lord."  

Our Grandson Williams turned 12 on the 23rd of February. He is such a delightful young man, and we are so pleased with him. He received the Aaronic Priesthood and ordained to the office of a Deacon. William is such a fun personality, and we always enjoy our moments with him. 

This month our Grandson Ben received the Leader of the Month and then a few days later he won the 2nd-grade spelling bee and will go on to compete with the 2nd through 4th grade. We are so proud of him. We are enjoying our moments with our grandchildren Ben, Emma, and Alyssa who are living with us. 

A dear couple that we are close with just had twin boys. They have a five-year-old son also. They are so adorable. Last night I spent some time helping with them. It was so much fun. It has been a while since I have held and fed new babies.   

Once in a while, I have to post some photos of our Sammy. This little dog of ours brings us so much joy. He is smart and does some incredible things. He is a stress reliever and always happy to be with us. 

Yesterday, I went to the Eye Foundation of Utah for an exam. Last year I was diagnosed with a Macular Puckering. Usually, this condition remains the same and or worsens and can require surgery. After a complete exam I was told that it looked like it had improved; tender mercy. In fact, the eye specialist stated that my Retina was the healthiest he had seen that day. Of course, as a specialist that may not mean that much. I did have to chuckle at that thought. I do feel blessed. 

As you can see this month has been a blessed month with family. It has been a busy one preparing for our EFA activity.  We were pleased with the attendance and great topics that were given by excellent presenters.  I do have sincere gratitude in my heart for the blessing of family, friends and the opportunity to serve, learn and grow. 

That Which I Love ~

I enjoy the month of February. There is a feeling of love in the air. I like this time of year because I wish to reflect on that which I love.

Here are some thoughts for Valentines 2018.

1. I love that I am a daughter of a Heavenly King. I love my Heavenly parents and know that we are all their spiritual children. 

2. I love our Redeemer, Jesus Christ with all my heart. I know He lives and loves you and me. His sacrifice in Gethsemane and Golgotha for all of us is God's greatest gift to us. Through Him, we will be Resurrected. We will all have the opportunity to return to our Heavenly Family through repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the end. I do; "Stand All Amazed At The Love He Offers Me." 

3. I love my husband with all my heart and soul. Through our temple covenants, we can be together forever as a couple and as a family. He brings such joy into my life every day. He is such a kind and loving man. I am so grateful for his love and for his devotion to our family and me. I love most that we equally revere our Heavenly Father and Savior and desire to follow them. 

4. I love with all my heart each of my children, their spouses, our 32 grandchildren and our 5 great-grandchildren. They bring great joy to my life, and I love our family moments. I have learned so many lessons from being a mother to this beautiful posterity of mine.
5. I love all of our extended family members both those present and in the spirit world.  Our siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and our missed parents and grandparents enriched my life in countless ways.

5. I love all my friends, those I have known for years and those I have met over time. My friends bring great blessing into my life. They initiate a depth of love my life that I find incredible. I am uplifted when in their presence, reading their thoughts and or listening to one another as we share life experiences. I wish I had photos of all of my treasured friends. 

6. I love this world that was specially created for us, His Children. I enjoy the beauty and diversity of the seasons, each with a unique feeling. I love nature in all her variety and how each species care for their young, many living together as families.  Spectacular sunrises and sunsets take my breath away. The infinite landscapes bring joy to my soul. 

I especially love our dog, Sammy. He is always so happy to see us. He loves to play and brings us warm joy. 

7. I love to look at the temple, I love to be in the temple to receive more of its symbolic teachings. I especially like sitting in the Celestial room. It causes me to feel as though I am in Heavenly Father's living room. There I receive peace, revelation and beautiful moments of pure joy.

9. I love the scriptures. I especially enjoy The Book of Mormon. This is the most powerful book on the earth. It is a history of God's dealings with the people of ancient America. Its teachings are profound. It is a second testament of Jesus Christ. The chapters of Christ's visit to the Americas bring deep spiritual feelings to my heart.

10. I love various hobbies such as reading, playing the piano, crocheting,  genealogy, and family history work.

To conclude, I love the Savior's gospel which has given me so many opportunities to learn, grow, and serve others. I have had many treasured opportunities to help in many different areas of our faith. Service is a core teaching of the Savior.
My faith and testimony are precious to me. My faith has helped me through many difficulties in life. Through these experiences, I have grown even closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior. Prayer is a lifeline for me. I know my prayers are heard because I have received many answers and miracles in my life.  
Happy Valentines Day With Love From LeAnn@ Living Waters!💕

The Revitalizing Month of January~

For the joy-filled month of January, this is a beautiful quote from the beginning of a new year. Simple and easy things to do to make the year better. 

This month has been an unusual one for us. We were recovering from the flu during the first of the month. It wasn't a fun illness to have and took a long time to heal and be back to normal. 

We are so blessed to have our daughter Jenni, Michael and their children Alyssa, Emma and Ben living with us. We are enjoying having them here. Her husband Michael had to return to his former employment in preparation for coming here to work. He isn't here yet. He works for the government; government paperwork is very slow. We are hopeful he will be with us in February. 

Meanwhile, our oldest daughter Christina, Brandon and their children April, Abbey, Faith, and Levi came to spend 8 days with us. This is the family that we spent our Christmas while in Hawaii. They stopped here while moving from Australia to Minnesota. We are very thrilled to have them back in the states. They too were recovering from the flu; so we had a mini care center here. As the sick ones began to feel better, we were able to do a few fun activities. 

Here is a photo of going out to eat one night at an excellent Mexican Restaurant. It was delicious, and we had a great time. 
On one of the days, I took all the girls in the family which totaled 8 to the movie; The "Greatest Showman." This is a spectacular movie and if you haven't seen it; do. We had such a good time. I enjoyed learning about how this circus began. 
Later on in the month, I took my daughter Jenni and her children to see the Movie;"Wonder".Many lessons are learned from this movie. I personally think it should be shown in every school in the United States. It is a powerful one. 

While here this precious family had to pack. They had been shopping for warm clothing since they are moving from a warm climate to a frigid one. That meant they had to pack more bags. They ended up with 13 total. It was quite the feat to get the packing done and stay under the designated weight limit. 

Here the family is enjoying the last night. It was so fun to have them all. We hope we will get to see them more often now they are back in the US. 

Due to there being so much luggage they couldn't get it all in one car, so we helped them get to the airport. It was hard saying goodbye. Yup, I cried! 

We celebrated my dearest loves birthday on January 29th. He is now the same age as me. I always love his birthday because that means we are the same age. I was born in December of 1945, and he was born in January 1946. Therefore I am just two months older than him. He has always teased me that we are a year apart. Sadly, I am part of the Silent Generation, and my husband is a Baby Boomer. 

We had a great two day before birthday celebration with our Son Sean, Mary and part of their family; Gillian, Jackson, Jonathan, Jeffery and Joshua. I loved the photos of my husband with his son and then grandson. They were watching a football game. 
We later celebrated with opening a few gifts; which was sweet. My husband loved it all. 

Next, we traveled to Idaho to go through the Rexburg Idaho Temple for our Grandson's Endowment. He is preparing to leave for the Mission Training Center on February 14th. After two weeks of training, he will arrive in his mission which is the  Nebraska Omaha Mission. He will serve there for 24 months. His cousin, Jackson also served on this same mission. What is impressive is that their Great great grandfather served in this assignment in 1897. He was president of the Omaha Nebraska conference. It is highly unlikely for two cousins to be sent to the same mission. We know this call is from the Lord. Here is an article on a missionary call. 

The top right-hand photo is our handsome grandson, Austin; the missionary. The bottom picture is of our youngest Granddaughter, Haven. 

After the temple session, all of the children came to the temple so we could get some family photos outside of the temple. These two photos are from inside the temple waiting room.  These images are of Travis, Amanda, and their children; Justice, Austin, Ethan, Karlie, Ryley, Kason, Layton, and Haven. Also, my daughter in laws parents was present; Pierre and Brenda. My other son James, Amber was present at the temple, and then later their three children, Christian, Taylor Jo, and Averi came to the home for a congratulations party. 

I loved the family photo. I was a bit bummed out that I didn't take any of the pictures of the party. Wow, that is not like me at all. In fact, my children complain because I take too many photos. However, I know how important family history is, and I think pictures are essential. We must capture our special moments for posterity. 
As you can see, we had a great month of family activities, and we are looking forward to more fun in the loving month of February. 

"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet"

On Tuesday, January 17th, 2018, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced a new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. On the Sunday following President Thomas S. Monson's funeral, the Apostles met in the Salt Lake Temple to reorganize the 1st Presidency. The changes were then announced on the 17th. You can read about the news conference here. 

Here is a short biography of President Russell M. Nelson as found in an article on the Mormon News Room.  

An internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher, Dr. Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 47). Honorary scholastic societies include Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. He served his residency in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded his Ph.D. Degree in 1954. He also received honorary degrees of Doctor of Science from Brigham Young University in 1970, Doctor of Medical Science from Utah State University in 1989, and Doctor of Humane Letters from Snow College in 1994.

His professional work included the positions of research professor of surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Utah and chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Author of numerous publications and chapters in medical textbooks, President Nelson, lectured and visited professionally throughout the United States and in many other nations prior to his call as a General Authority. A host of awards and honors have come to him, including the Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Utah; the Heart of Gold Award from the American Heart Association; a citation for International Service from the American Heart Association; and the Golden Plate Award, presented by the American Academy of Achievement. He has been awarded honorary professorships from three universities in the People’s Republic of China.

Dr. Nelson has served as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery, a director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American Heart Association, and president of the Utah State Medical Association.

He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in Religion.

President Nelson has held numerous positions of responsibility in the Church. He served as stake president of the Bonneville Stake from 1964 to June 1971, when he was called as general president of the Sunday School. Prior to his call to the Quorum of the Twelve, he was serving as a Regional Representative assigned to the Kearns Utah Region. He had previously served as Regional Representative for Brigham Young University.

Born September 9, 1924, President Nelson is the son of Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson. He and his wife, the former Dantzel White, have ten children. Sister Nelson passed away in February 2005. In April 2006, he married Wendy L. Watson.

Here are a few photos of this beloved man having fun with family and other activities. Here is a beautiful article on his life.  

Here is a photo of President Nelson and his first wife, Dantzel White Nelson and here is President Nelson with a great-granddaughter and his 2nd wife, Wendy Watson Nelson. 

Below is a photo of his posterity on the day the announcement was made. 

President Nelson has 10 children, 57 Grandchildren, and 116 Great Grandchildren. 
all photos as found on lds.org and mormon newsroom~

Here are two short memories that I had of President Nelson when he was renowned Heart Surgeon. I was taking an Intensive Care and had rotations in the Heart ICU at LDS Hospital. I was able to meet him and also observe him with his patients. He was a very dedicated physician and wanted the very best care for his patients. He would often spend several minutes talking with the patient and their families. I found him to be very caring. 

Later on, when I was working in a medical Surgical ICU, an announcement was sent to our ICU. Dr. Nelson and his wife Dantzel had just had a baby boy. He was number 10. He was the only boy. The announcement had a photo of the baby, and it was surrounded by pictures of his 9 sisters. It was just so adorable and made a lasting impression on me. 

Since President Nelson was ordained an Apostles I have enjoyed his many messages; here is one of my favorites entitled: "Celestial Marriage."

Here is the first verse of the Hymn: "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet"

Lyrics

1. 1. We thank thee, O God, for a prophet
   To guide us in these latter days.
   We thank thee for sending the gospel
   To lighten our minds with its rays.
   We thank thee for every blessing
   Bestowed by thy bounteous hand.
   We feel it a pleasure to serve thee
   And love to obey thy command.
2. Text: William Fowler, 1830–1865Music: Caroline Sheridan Norton, 1808–ca. 1877

A Life Remembered And Revered - President Thomas S. Monson

Our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson passed away peacefully on January 2nd, 2018.  President Monson was the Prophet to the world not just The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As the President of our church, he led our 15,882,417 plus membership.
We believe he was a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. In our church, we have a First Presidency and 12 Apostles. Our leadership is formed exactly like the Savior's 12 Apostles. You can read of the chosen twelve after Christ Ascension here. Peter, James, and John and the other Apostles led the early day church; they were Prophet, Seers, and Revelators for that day. More information can be found about them here.
In The Book of Mormon, you can read of the Savior, Jesus Christ's appearance after His resurrection to the people here in America's. While here He chose 12 Disciples to lead the church after He ascended to Heaven again. You can read in 3 Nephi about this time in history.
Our Prophet will be laid to rest this Friday and a short time after that; there will be a new Prophet chosen from among the Apostles. You can read about the keys of the kingdom here. 
Today I wanted to share a few thoughts about our dear Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.He was all about service, and he will always be remembered as a Prophet who served the one.
His love was boundless and unconditional. He loved all of Heavenly Father's children profoundly and was an example of the pure love of Christ.
The progress of the Church went forward under his revelatory leadership. President Monson will be missed very much.
In 2010, a marvelous Autobiography by Heidi S. Swinton was published. It was entitled "To The Rescue." Here are the closing thoughts on this book.
"What will the legacy of President Thomas S. Monson be? Observers have a tendency to set the starting point at the beginning of a man's presidency of the Church. But his legacy goes all the way back to when he began following the Spirit and heeding promptings when he began reaching out with the power of the Spirit, one-on-one, to anyone and everyone, especially the forgotten. His legacy will be Christlike living."

As the sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thomas S. Monson has testified far and wide. His message has been clear from the beginning: "Our Savior Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church, which bears His name. I know that the sweetest experience in all this life is to feel His promptings as a young Bishop, guided to the homes where there was spiritual -or perhaps temporal-want. I felt them again as a mission president in Toronto, Canada, working with wonderful missionaries who were a living witness and testimony to the world that this work is divine and that we are led by a prophet. I have felt them throughout my service in the Twelve and in the First Presidency and now as President of the Church. I testify that each one of us can feel the Lord's inspiration as we live worthily and strive to serve Him.
Saying a final goodbye is hard We have all of his messages through the years to enjoy. We will as a church look forward to our new Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can read about the succession in the church of a new Prophet and President here. 

Here is the link to the funeral arrangement and watching the services for this loving Prophet of ours. 
All photographs are from The Deseret News.

Taking Memories Into The New Year - 2018

Wishing for all a very Happy New Year of 2018. I always look forward to the new years because it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the many blessings received in the past year and all of the anticipated sweet moments of a New Year.
This past year has been busy and challenging but filled with blessing. We have had miracles, powerful learning moments and joy-filled family times. We feel profoundly blessed by our loving Heavenly Father as we have deepened our faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement and felt His love for us through countless miracles in our missionary endeavors and everyday experiences.
We look forward to another great year of progress, loving, serving, and experiences more family time.
As I move forward into the new year, I do so with a feeling of joy. I want to choose to be happy and to learn and grow from my future life moments. Our Father In Heaven intends for us all to have Joy. May you all have a New Year filled with Joy.
The last two months of 2017 have been filled with many moments with family.
We were able to take a trip to Hawaii and meet our oldest daughter Christina, Brandon and their family. Here is a recap of our family times in November and December.

November 2017

In November we left for Spokane Washington to visit our youngest daughter Tiffani, Dave and their children, Michael, Sarah, Kaitlyn, and Williams. 

We celebrated my birthday while there. Wow, I am getting old. Being with their family was fun.

We were at the church waiting for our Grandson Michael to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood to the office of an Elder He is getting reading to serve a mission.

We went out to dinner with our children and Dave's parents and then to a movie. 

We took family photos of us all. Having a picture of Michael and us was fun.
We then drove back home having had a great time with their family.

 We had our oldest son Sean, Mary and their children; Gillian, Jackson, Joseph, Jonathan, Jeffery, and Josh down for Thanksgiving. We also had our Grandson Jacob, Dana and their two children, Sagan and Katalina. We had lots of yummy food, football, conversation and board games. It was an enjoyable Thanksgiving celebration.

We next had a delightful day with our Granddaughter, Justice and her friend Tyler. They came down to Utah from Idaho for a social function and stayed with us. We had lunch and a shopping time at Scheels. 

 December 2017

We attended a choir concert for our Granddaughter, Karli from Idaho. It was held at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was an excellent program. We are so proud of Karli for being in the choir.  

 We traveled down to Monroe, Utah to visit my sweet Aunt Alene. She turned 97 years old on December 11th. Spending some time with her was fun.

We were very blessed to have our Granddaughter, Sariah come for an overnight visit from Australia. She was on her way to the Mission Training Center in Provo for three weeks before going to her mission assignment in the Sacramento California Mission.
Our sweet daughter, Jenni, Michael and their children; Alyssa, Emma, and Benjamin just moved into our home, so it was fun for us to have them all here.
I took Sariah shopping for a little while and then we all went out to dinner to celebrate her mission and her birthday earlier in the month.

On December 13th my husband and I flew to Hawaii. We had a great flight there, and it was an exhilarating moment for us. We spent the first few days just exploring the beach and Waimea Valley. The landscape is lovely. The weather was iffy. We had rain and sun. We enjoyed all the moments regardless of the weather.
Our first day on the Beach was incredible.

A day at Waimea Valley. The vegetation and landscapes were spectacular. I loved the trees. We had lunch there, and the Peacock joined us. 

My favorite time was our being able to attend the Laie Hawaii Temple. The grounds and the inside of the temple were so lovely. We enjoyed doing a session there. The history of the temple can be found here.

While there we had a used Skype to tune in and see our Grandson, Austin received his mission call to the Omaha, Nebraska Mission. He leaves for the MTC on February 14th. We are thrilled for him. His Great Great Grandfather served there in 1896 as missionary and Mission Conference President. Our Grandson, Jackson served in this mission also.  We know that this calling was from the Lord.

Our daughter Christina, Brandon and their children; April, Abbey, Faith, and Levi arrived to join us in Hawaii. We left our hotel and moved over to a lovely home right on the beach. It was charming and the view terrific.

The 2nd day there we spent some time downtown in Honolulu shopping and dining.

 We spent a rained filled day at the Polynesian Center and had a fantastic time. The rain didn't stop the fun. We learned about the Islands different cultures. It was a tremendous adventure. It was fun to hear the stories, watch them do their various Polynesian dances and etc. We had an excellent dinner in the evening an then went to a Theather for the presentation of "The Circle of Life." It was spectacular.

 We had the emotional charge experience of visiting Pearl Harbor and a tour in Honolulu. It was a great day trip.
Our first stop was to the USS Arizona that was sunk by Japan on December 7th, 1941 with all the crew aboard. They are buried at the bottom of the ocean. The memorial to them was emotional and spiritual. There was 1,700 plus seaman lost. Averages ages 18-21 year olds. Looking at the list of names was overwhelming. The loss was profound. They gave their lives for our great country. I love the United States of America.

 We next visited the USS Missouri Battleship. We took a tour of the boat and learned so much. The history of this ship is so fascinating. You can find it here.
Take a moment and read the story of the Kasma attack against this ship. It is a story you won't forget. You can read it here.

On our Daughter Christina's birthday, we took a boat trip to go snorkeling. Roger and I didn't go snorkeling, but we enjoyed watching the kids and making a ton of photos. It was a commercial tour that took them out to two different places. Lunch was also provided. It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect.
Later on, our dear daughter went for a massage and then came home with a fever, and we started the flu cycle. She was too sick to even open her gifts. She was in bed until Christmas day.
 Our Christmas Eve was really lovely. We had dinner in and then went through the Nativity story and shared some excellent thoughts on that. We enjoyed the tree that our Son in law Brandon had gotten and decorated. We put or gifts out and watched a Christmas movie before retiring.
Christmas Day was just beautiful. We got up late, and our Chrissy was able to join us and felt good all day. We opened gifts and had a delightful Skype call with their daughter and our granddaughter Sariah at the MTC. It was a highlight for sure. Roger and I also had a precious moment of reading letters from each of our children telling us one of their favorite memories of Christmas through their growing up years.
The weather on Christmas was lovely, so we spent the afternoon on the beach, and my husband and I went Kayaking. It was a first for us.

The day after Christmas it rained most of the day. We packed, cleaned up the home we were in and left to find something to do before going to the airport. We had a delightful time on the Temple grounds and at the visitors center. We watched an incredible video of the Laie Hawaii Temple. 

There were some flood warnings in areas of the Island, so we decided to head to the airport early. 

We caught our flight around 10pm. The trip was smooth except that I started with severe flu symptoms and was sick for the entire flight. I was happy when we finally landed. 

Since then Roger got the flu too, and we have been recovering. As of tonight; New Year's Eve we have improved a lot. We have sincere gratitude for having the chance to make this trip and enjoy the beautiful island of Oahu. 

We have been able to enjoy some of the New Year Eve celebration with our daughter Jenni, Michael and their children; Alyssa, Emma, and Benjamin 

May you all have a fantastic New Years Day and a great year of 2018.
Love to you all!