The Beauty Of Texas

These two pictures were both taken this past week.
This is the beauty of Texas.
It's about the only reason I stay here - except that my children and grandchildren live here.
Aside for those few reasons, I would be living in Utah.  But knowing that, the Lord will give me a moment like these to remind me that there really is beauty everywhere, even in Texas, to be enjoyed.

Del's Quarantine Facial Hair - Phase 3 and 4

This is week 4-5 of quarantine.  I LOVED this phase!  I thought he was a silver FOX - just very rugged and handsome looking. But before shaving it completely off, Del wanted to try a few other looks that he's never done before.

Yes - this is Jordan and Kylie DYEING Del's hair.  He wanted no grey on the side of his hair, or his beard and mustache.

So the two kids spent an hour dyeing  It was really quite funny watching the change happen before our eyes.  And you should have seen the look on the faces of the grandkids.!!!

The result of Phase 3 - same day transformation/  I could tell Del really liked it.  And when I posted the pictures on social media, the response was OVERWHELMINGLY positive to his new and improved YOUNGER look.  Many were saying it took a good 15 years off his age.  I was feeling a little old at that point.
Phase 4 was next.

Phase 4 included a regular haircut, but then reducing the full beard to a goatee. Immediately, his three children all mentioned how much he now looked like his younger brother Bert.  And he did.

Jordan was really careful and precise in giving Del his stage 4 goatee look.

Del liked the look with his cowboy hat

Everyone was also comparing him to this famous actor.

The goatee look.

I think Del will keep this for another week or two and then right before it's time to go back to church, he will shave it off to just a mustache, take a picture and then shave it all off the same day.  I don't think he wants to be longer than a day or two in just the mustache look.  But who knows, he may look enough like Tom Selleck to me, that I will convince him to keep it a few extra days.

Doing Our Best to Follow The Rules

We have just finished week 6  of Staying and Sheltering at Home.
We have literally stayed at home except to go grocery shopping and pick up medications.
That is, except for Del.  He has been more brave than I have and he has gone to the grandkids houses and taken them horse back riding.  Otherwise, they have come over to our house, where we have experienced more snakes, swimming, swinging, new baby chicks, working in the garden and doing outdoor chores.  I have watched a lot of movies, read a lot of books, watched PAST Olympics and tried to be patient waiting for the quarantine to be lifted.
Our Texas governor just announced today that the Stay at Home Order will be lifted THIS Friday.  That will make a total of 7 weeks that we have stayed isolated from others (except our families). It has been difficult both mentally and physically to be isolated, especially from attending church and members of our ward.  It's been restricting - and even after Friday, we still won't be able to meet together as a ward yet - not until the band is lifted throughout the United States. 
In the meantime, every Sunday, the 4 of us here in our home, have our Sunday Sacrament Services - with music, prayer, Del and Ammon preparing and serving the sacrament, and then having a gospel discussion about Come Follow Me in the Book of Mormon.We've enjoyed a beautiful spirit between the 4 of us and it's been really good to see the strengthening of Ammon and Kathryn's testimonies.  But I DO feel a disconnect from the ward and the stake. And it's a very lonely feeling for me. I have pushed the rules on the sheltering away from others, especially when it comes to my children and grandchildren.  I think if I had followed the suggestions of the state and nation about appropriate distancing from my children and grandchildren, that would have put me into a pretty serious depression.  I just couldn't be THAT obedient.
So we'll have to see when happens after this Friday - what re-opens, what still stays closed etc..I don't think Kathryn's doctor's office will re-open yet, or any dentist offices etc.  I think restaurants and retails stores will be re-opening but only allowing 25% capacity.  But there are still no salons, schools or other things open yet.  I've given up weeks ago on keeping my nice nails, and I'm only one of thousands who have needed a haircut WEEKS ago!!  Many of us have hairstyles that no longer have any shape or body to them at all.  I guess that's the least of our worries as there's no-one to see us anyways.  We're all in the same boat...a sinking ship.
But I can see a light at the end of this world wide dark dark tunnel.  And we have come out of it still alive, healthy and not lost anyone we love to this terrible virus.
Not everyone can say that.
And for that, I give my Father in Heaven thanks.

We Were EGGED

The Burton Family has been having as hard a time as we have not seeing each other.  But their kids came over and EGGED out house - hiding Easter Eggs around our yard with goodies inside them.  I, In turn , gave them some ice cream cones, which they loved.  Every week, I do try to stop by their house and drop off either cookies, bread or eggs from our chickens.  We do the same with a few other families that we truly love and miss.  It helps a little with this not seeing our friends every week at church.

Girls Night IN

The mom's left their kids at home with the husbands and all of us ladies had a night IN at my house.  We made carmel popcorn and watched the movie EMMA and just laughed and loved spending some relaxing time together.
Good Times during our quarantine..

Reaching Out To God in My Own Sacred Grove

This picture is of The Sacred Grove where Joseph Smith prayed and received a visitation from Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ.  I have never been there, but I hear that it truly is beautiful and as peaceful as it appears in this picture.
It is considered a sacred place because of what happened there.
But like I said, I have never been there.
So, where is MY sacred place?  Where do I go when I want to reach out to my Father in Heaven?  I have learned over the years that I have found myself pleading to my Heavenly Father for answers to my prayers whenever I need Him, not necessarily wherever I need Him.  Or both, really.  I have learned that it's not WHERE I am praying but what happens there WHEN I'm praying.
It's most often in my little office off my bedroom.  I would call it my Sacred Grove.  I read my scriptures here.  I read church news and all church material here.  I say my prayers in hear.  It's a room of peace and solitude.  There are no trees, or bushes or outdoor beauties.  But it has, on it's walls, things that are beautiful and sacred to me.  I feel the spirit in here. My Sacred Grove.
And I come here every day and spend much of my day in here.  I'm loving the HAVING to stay at home, so I find myself drawn to this room even more than usual.
Peace inside the four walls of my home.

Time For Character Assessment as We Shelter in Place

This Talk by Elder Holland was in the recent Church News.
And it was good.
Since most of us throughout the world are living a Stay at Home and Shelter in place order, it leaves us isolated with just those that live in our homes.  Of course, that includes Kathryn and Ammon for our household.  Both Del and Ammo work from home so that leaves Kathryn and I with a lot of alone time together, or actually, alone.
I have taken some great time for scripture study and also for socializing via facebook and texting.  I have tried to think through some of my feelings and habits, digesting what is important and not important in my life.  This is certainly a time where I have realized things I was doing previously during my free time, is basically unnecessary and a pure waste of time - excess sleeping, watching tv, etc.  Now that ALL my time is free time, I have found that I enjoy reading more, studying more, baking and writing.  When I have more free time than I can do something with, THEN I do try to take a nap.  But I am trying to think and answer the questions this talk asks of me -
Do I like the company I am keeping when I am the only one in the room??
Character Assessment - who am I and what really matters to me??