Gratitude journal - March

January 20 - my daughter Jessica 

January 21 - my daughter-in-law Sierra

February 25 - my son Robert

March 1 - sunshine

March 2 - a wonderful home

March 3 - good jobs

March 4 - wonderful children and spouses 

March 5 - education

March 6 - our new back garden patio and wall

March 7 - my son-in-law Tate

March 8 - my sisters

March 9 - my dad and Alison 

March 10 - my son Devon 

March 11 - my talents

March 12 - my husband 

March 13 - temples and family history

March 14 - my daughter Marissa

March 15 - any ancestors 

March 16 - the scriptures, church, leaders, prophets and the saving gospel of Jesus Christ 

March 17 - good luck - blessings 

March 18 - my mom for giving me life and teaching me the gospel 

March 19 - celebrations of the little things

March 20 - new friends 

March 21 - our friends over time

March 22 - our sealing as a family

March 23 - technology that allows communication 

March 24 - ability to write, talk, see

March 25 - my five senses

March 26 - spring

March 27 - stars

March 28 - trees and flowers

March 29 - nature and the outdoors 

March 30 - Facebook and FaceTime 

March 31 - daily calls with Jessica and Cayson 

Self reliance kick off and follies

We kicked off the new self-reliance classes on February 28 with a Devotional at the Vista Ridge building. It was attended very well and we also had people on the zoom. We started two classes in Emotional Resilience and one class in Starting your own business and one Personal Finance class. After we got everything set up it turned out that there were complications with the in-person emotional resilience class so Gina Kearns switched to be the facilitator of the Zoom class and I became the facilitator of the in person class until we can have somebody else called. Luckily, Heather Larsen was called before our first meeting and she was able to facilitate that class. I’m so grateful that the Lord watches over each little thing and makes allowances and provisions.  

Planning trips

Mark and I are so excited to plan some trips for this year. 

We plan to go to Peru with Michael and Marissa 

Temp job

I started a temp job at Meck, Noonan and Co.  as a receptionist/assistant for the accounting firm. I started on February 1, 2021 and will continue to work here until April 9.  They are all wonderful people to work with.  

So sick in the stomach

Ice ice baby

What a crazy and terrible week it was for most of the country as we experienced a polar vortex that reached all the way to the middle of Texas.  

Wednesday night I spent hours outside - We covered the plants as best we could to protect them from the cold and keep them insulated. 

Before the vortex hit, Thursday the city of Austin was hit with a snow storm that turned to ice and sleet.  It came just before the morning rush hour so it was so very dangerous to drive.  It took me 2 hours to get to work.  Yikes!!!  The weather never really cleared up so it was treacherous going home too!

Friday was crazy too but the weather warmed up before the drive home and by Saturday it was nice.  

Saturday was 2/13 - which means Valentine’s Day is on Sunday so Mark and I went to eat our Valentine’s dinner on Saturday.  It was chilly but at least the roads were clear.  While we were enjoying our Mexican dinner at Cafe’ Ole in Georgetown the news announced that the vortex would get down to 5 degrees.  Yikes!  The houses in Austin are not built to protect pipes at that temperature.  

So - after dinner Mark and I went to Lowe’s to purchase insulation for the attic to cover all the exposed pipes.  I sent the afternoon up on the attic running insulation over every pipe I could find!  

We also added insulation covers over the outside spigots and took off the hoses. 

Sunday there was ice covering the roads - everywhere!  Ice followed by more ice!  It just kept coming - and then it turned to snow on ice?  The sister missionaries called to see if they could come stay with us- absolutely!!! Drive safe.  Somehow- with the Lord’s help they made it to our house without any problems!  They stayed two nights and three days. 

We lost power for the most part of four days and we lost all running water for 36 hours!  

Luckily I was prepared with blankets, coats, gloves, candles and lanterns.  The cold didn’t get to us that much.  

Luckily I have a gas stove so we could still cook even without power!  

Luckily I thought (the Holy Ghost whispered) to collect snow and I and store it in the bathtubs so we could melt it for toilet water.  

Luckily I had listened to the prophet and had lots of saved drinking water and food available!  

We also were able to assist our neighbors and our neighbors were able to assist us.  It was a great time amid the chaos of being trapped in our house.