September 29th and before

Well as you know it has been 20 days since I posted.  It seems that every Sunday lately I am too involved to do it or too tired.

Yesterday we went to church as usual.  It was fast Sunday in our ward because of General Conference next week.  Woodlake ward has a private chat or I think I would not have known that.  It was a good meeting.  But there is nothing that stood out that I wanted to share other than that Sister Beckstead who just left the mission on the 17th was back visiting and it was so good to see her.

The table we sat at with Antuars, Adairs and President and Sister McCullough

I was fasting to understand Nathan because he has been so grumpy lately.  In Sunday School the lesson was on the gospel principle of Charity.  I felt like it was telling me that I needed to be more charitable.  I spent a lot of time later talking to Heavenly Father about how I can do that.  I think I am charitable but I also loose my temper pretty easy sometimes when he is being obnoxious.  I just want my children to like me for everything I do but I know that is an unrealistic expectation.

Sister Slaughter, the Garffs, the Williams and President Slaughter standing

The Sandquists, one of the couples leaving

I slept for most of the afternoon after helping Nathan change his clothes.  When I awoke Larry and Nathan were out in the garage going through Nathan's things trying to find a binder he has with his credits for Social Work in it.  I helped for a while but then we all grew tired and we went in and I started fixing dinner.  By the time we ate it was time for Prayer and Scripture and so we did that and went to bed.  Sometimes after I have slept like that it is easy for me to stay up and do the blog but not yesterday.

Just as I was going to bed, Erick called and I was able to talk with him for a while.  Ryker had just got the postcard I sent him and so they wanted me to know that.  Ryker had had a bad dream so he started telling me about lions going down the stairs after him.  He was all excited because Heather is making him a Perry the Platypus costume for Halloween and they had just put up their Halloween decorations.

The Eslicks are leaving tomorrow and DeNile Williams

Saturday I did not feel good all day but I worked on bills and budget in the afternoon after I had fallen asleep for about 2 hours.  Larry was bobbing around doing all kinds of projects at the house but I was feeling like I didn't have the energy to do anything and I was hurting a lot all over.  After falling asleep I felt better.  I was able to figure out the budget we needed for the month and determine where we needed to cut back with Larry's input.

The Clarks next to the Eslicks again

Saturday evening I went to the San Antonio East Stake potluck dinner they had before the Women's meeting was broadcast.  It was such a fun experience as all the sisters in Woodlake ward kind of congregated together and there were so many fun things to eat that I overate.  I felt so included in then ward and realized that I had so many new friends in the ward.

I really enjoyed the Women's meeting.  I felt the spirit so strong and each talk had a message for me.  After some of the Sister missionaries came up and gave me a hug and said how much they loved me and that they appreciated all that we do for them.  They said we are like having parents here for them.  It made me feel so good to have them say that because I often feel inadequate and wonder if I am doing any good so it was so nice to have someone be positive about what we are doing.
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Friday I went to get my hair done and then I went to the office.  We had just finished devotional and Nathan texted me and told me that the toilet in his bathroom was overflowing and he couldn't stop it.  I called management about it and then went home to see if Nathan needed anything.  When I got there the cleaning personnel where there already vacuuming up the water.  It really went out into the hallway and they had to take out the carpet pad and set up a fan to blow the carpet dry.  They are coming on Tuesday to put in the new pad and deodorize the carpet.  I love that I can call and

Brother Garff with the M. Williams our office buddies

grateful for a place to live that cleans up the messes that we get and wondering why I have wanted to have my own house for so long.  I know that I could get a bad apartment but this apartment is very accommodating to clean things and fix things immediately.

I took Nathan with me back to the office and then when is was 5:00 p.m. I took him to pack meeting.  He is the Pack committee chairman and so feels like he needs to be there.  Isaac was not able to come so that was disappointing.  It was a fun pack meeting but Nathan was upset with some things I did and so that dampened the fun.  It was also raining and that was not making me feel good.  Nathan's church only has one way for him to get in and they usually open the door on the opposite end of the chapel for activities so someone has to run from the van parked by that door and go in to the other door at the end of the church and then run back up the hall to open the door for Nathan because the doors do not open from the outside.  I know I should be grateful they have a handicapped door and that we have a chapel!! But it is still frustrating when it is raining.

President Slaughter talking to the Clarks

The Magonigals are leaving this month also

Thursday  we were able to see the movie "Meet the Mormons"  with the missionaries in the South, West, and Hill Country zone.  The church has allowed the missionaries to see it at zone conference because they are not supposed to go to the theater.  I highly recommend it.  It is such a good movie.  We found out today also that it will be opening in San Antonio on Oct 10th so we had a lot of people go in and ask for it to be shown here.

Nathan and Larry

We had signed up to feed the missionaries in Woodlake ward but because we live a half hour away and they cannot come to our area we had to go to that area right after the movie and take them out to eat.  We went to Chili's in Converse.  It was fun to get to know the missionaries because they are new to the area except for Sister Swenson.  Then we asked Sara to bring the kids there for their Thursday night visit.  So we fed the missionaries at 5:00 p.m. and the kids at 6:00 p.m.  Larry was tired and worried about money so he did not enjoy this and let me know he did not want to do this again.  We went to Walmart for a few minutes so Nathan could get something and then we took the kids to the theater where Sara is doing her play and Maggie to the babysitter.

Wednesday was a welcome day because we finally got paid our Social Security and we had run out of money for the week.

Sister Slaughter with the Garffs

Antuars our couple from Australia and Sister Adair

Monday was the Senior Dinner that we have after Transfer week.  We went to New Braunfels to the Olive Garden.  It was fun to see everyone. President Slaughter and his wife came and President McCullough and his wife came which was unusual but probably because we have 4 couples leaving the mission this next month so we were telling them goodbye.  I did not get my meal until everyone was just about finished so I got it for free.  I don't know what the problem was but I could live with a free dinner.

Presdient and Sister McCullough the counselor in the mission presidency

June

Last Sunday I was trying to get dinner ready for the kids before we took them back.  I was making pasta with Alfredo Sauce and as I took the Pasta off to drain it I decided to drain it into the sink even thought there were dishes in the sink.  That was a big problem.  The boiling water came out of the dishes and went all down my left leg.  It was boiling hot.  I also had bare feet so even thought I jumped in the tub and turned on the cold water I ended up with some serious burns but I know that it could have been worse.  I spent about an hour total in cold water and was finally able to get the burning to cease by putting lotion on and taking some anti-inflammatory.  Larry was very helpful with his knowledge of how to treat burns from being a fire fighter in the Air Force.  He has bandaged the burn on my foot everyday for me and it does not hurt during the day.

A week ago Saturday we had the kids and we went to the Wounded Warrior Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and then spent a lot of time at the playground and other facilities that they have there.  The kids really seemed to like that.  They have a wonderful breakfast.

Nathan with Sister Leslie Williams

I think for the weeks before this I am just going to post the pictures and label what we were doing.

The blister on my foot at first

The blister on my foot on the 28th

Sammy in his coat of many colors that is a size 4 but he wanted it anyway

June with Elder Rasmussen, he reminds me so much of Erick my son in mannerisms and looks

At transfer meeting in Austin with Elder Vazquez a great zone leader

Nathan's storage pod waiting for us to unload it on the 12th into the garage that he rented

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Sister Beckstead, Sister Medina, Sister Swenson the Woodlake Sisters before transfers  when we took them to Orange Leaf before Transfers when Sister Beckstead went home and Sister Medina went to Cuelbra Creek

Clifford the big Red Dog came to Wounded Warriors Bingo Night and gave all the kids three books.  When we went back on Saturday for Breakfast this picture was on the slide show they were showing as we walked in.  Kind of a Tender Mercy for me and the kids.

Isaac is making it his goal to go across the monkey bars by himself.

Maggie is Elsa in her ice castle when she get on the play ground at Wounded Warriors

Isaac is the bad guy that got swallowed by the fish but is getting spit out

Playing in the Amphitheater at Wounded Warriors Site

The seating at the Amphitheater wide enough for wheelchairs

Isaac took pictures on the way home.  This is Sammy playing on the Ipad

Isaac's picture of Maggie staring off at something

One of about 10 selfies that Isaac took of himself coming home

Isaac's carrots just starting to grow after a week

Isaac's carrots the next day

David's plant the second day

Isaac's carrots a few days later and Maggies flower after it was dead headed

Isaac's carrots, Sammy's Flower and David's plant the same few days later

Isaac's carrots on the 27th are starting to look like Carrot leaves

Maggie's flower blooming again on the 27th

David's plant on the 27th is becoming a vine and climbing the fence

 If the videos upload one if of the kids doing a made up play at the amphitheater and the other is a video that Isaac shot when we were coming home which pretty much shows what it is like to ride with the kids in Nathan's van.  It may not appear because it said it was too large.

September 8 and 9

Monday we went into the office early because the assistants were not coming in to do their work until Wednesday. After devotional then we went to Weight Watchers and weighed in.  I was excited because I had lost almost 4 lbs.  Larry was not so excited because he had gained.  We went home and had lunch with Nathan and then went back to work.

Larry had to take the Mission President's old car into Pep Boys to get an estimate on repairs as the President got a new car on Friday.  Then he had to go to the DMV to get a registration that the zone leaders had lost replaced.  The afternoon he spent filling out mileage reports for the month of August in the computer.

I spent the day trying to get caught up with the referrals that I had not been able to fill in on Thursday and Friday.  It took most of the day to get them entered and to send out the referrals from the week before from the media.

I started this on the 9th but now I have not the foggiest what happened on the ninth and I was interrupted when I was typing and have not gotten back to it until now.
 

Sept 7th and before

You would not know it is getting to be fall in Texas.  It is still in the 90's most everyday.  It rained two days this week and cooled down to the 80's so we are still right up there with summer.

It is always a crazy day when the kids are here and today was no exception.  Although I think the devil heard us talking last week about how Sunday's are so hard to get the kids up and then last Monday when we had the kids for Labor Day they got up so easily. So to prove to us that it was not him, today they were not so hard to get up for church and we had no major meltdowns in the morning.  Everyone got ready and got dressed before we needed to leave and there was no major problem.  It was wonderful.

As it was fast and testimony meeting today there were a variety of testimonies.  Nathan usually bears his testimony and today was no exception.  Another lady Melissa Hoffer bore her testimony as she just had a new baby and is really enjoying the new baby.  She said though that Nathan was an inspiration to her and that when she feels like she is having a hard day she thinks about what it must be like for Nathan and realizes that he has not given up and she thinks that if he can keep going that she could keep going.

I felt like I should bear my testimony about the hastening of the missionary work.  I don't know what it is like in other missions but I give out 30 boxes of English Book of Mormons each month to the missionaries and about 5-10 boxes of Spanish Book of Mormons.  Each box of English books has 40 in it and the Spanish have 36.  It is always amazing to me that the amount never goes down.  And the other supplies are equally as plentiful.  I gave out 4 boxes of Restoration pamphlets and more than that other months.  There are at least 5-20 referrals everyday and it is amazing to me that the work just keeps growing.  Just in the ward that we are in there have been about 5 referrals in the last two weeks.  To me this is amazing.  The mission is on fire and we are baptizing about 70 a month lately.  I know that is not as many as some of the South American countries but I think I had been fooled into thinking that there was not much activity in the United States because it is so hard to find a convert in Utah.

On Monday the 1st we had the kids all day because it was our weekend and it was a holiday.  We went grocery shopping at the new Walmart that just opened about a block from us and Nathan bought the kids a few more clothes there that the kids needed.  He bought David some black boots for Sunday shoes and Maggie a new Hello Kitty dress for church.  We also got her some black Sunday shoes.  We also watched a movie and then the kids had to be back at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday and Wednesday were very hectic days at the office.  I had a lot of Referrals to get in and Baptisms to type in plus we were trying to contact the incoming missionaries that had not sent in their car and bike information so we could get it before they went into the MTC. Plus I had to take Larry to the shops sometimes so he could pick up the cars when they were repaired or given estimates.   Elder Presser had an accident that was a missionary's fault as they rear ended a car that was stopped at a yield sign.  He has had a lot of different car problems lately and some of them he is concerned about how they are driving.

Thursday the church picked up 10 cars that had been removed from our fleet and Elder Presser had to make sure they were all fixed for sale and detailed before they came and so he was very busy for the last two weeks taking cars here and there.  It was interesting to see how they loaded the cars onto the truck.  Larry commented that the driver sure knew what he was doing to get the load balanced on the truck.

I was so busy during the week that I didn't have time to get the orders for supplies filled for MLC like I usually do.  So I was working all day on filling orders and getting them boxed up for the Zone Leaders to take home with them after the conference on Friday.  I worked up until 5:30 p.m. but then we had to go and get the kids.  When I checked my active link and I had 7 activity points for Weight Watchers and so I decided I need to work more at filling orders.  I didn't have all of the orders boxed up for Friday but we had to get the kids so I left.

Nathan and Larry's pineapple plant.  See the baby pineapple on it.

We went to the Post Exchange for dinner with the kids because Nathan wanted to check there for some things.  It was my first experience with the PX that people are always talking about.  The one here is kind of like a mini mall.  The kids enjoyed the Pizza that we got but they were not so happy about the shopping.  It reminded me of when John would shop and I was supposed to keep the kids happy.  It was not one of my fondest memories and Maggie and Sammy thought this was a time to act crazy and grab anything they liked so I hope we don't so that again.  By the time we got out of there all the kids were not happy either because we bought nothing for them (except food) so it was not our favorite night.  They asked if the next week we could go to Bingo night which surprised me as they usually have acted like they do not like to be there.

Isaac planted carrots rather than flowers

Friday was hectic for me in the morning because I was trying to finish up the orders by boxing them up and I also had to include the mail and the Ensigns and Liahonas that the church had sent for the missionaries.  I had called the moving Elders and asked them to come in later as I didn't have them ready and they agreed to come at about 10:00 a.m.  I got most of it done but I ended up having them help me box the last three orders.  I was embarrassed that they had to help me but they are always so kind and so wanting to help that it makes me just love them.  After all the years of having students who make it their point to make fun of you it is so nice to work with people who are kind and helpful and always thankful for what you do.

David, Sammy and Maggie's plants.  David's is seeds planted

Friday Sara brought the kids at 6:00 p.m. all except David who wanted to go to the school Football game.  Earlier she had said that she wanted us to take David to the game but at the last minute he got a ride with his friends.  So Nathan and Larry had decided that they would just take David to the game and stay for the game and then bring David home.  Therefore they went out to the game early and watched it.  Grandpa said that David's friend was a girl and that he sat with her for a while and then he came and sat with them.  The Randolph RoHawks must be pretty good as they won by about 53-0 but it was such a boring game that David wanted to leave at the half.

David's flower is coming up already from seed

While they were at the game I hung out with Maggie, Sammy, and Isaac.  They wanted to play on their electronics but when they started fighting I suggested that we go to the pool and they liked that idea.  It was almost dark but the pool is open until 10:00 p.m. so it was fun to see the pool all lit up and there was only one other family there so the kids had fun with them.  We stayed until about 9:00 p.m. and then they went home and took a bath and wanted hot chocolate because they got cold swimming even though it was not cold.

Friday night my brother Keith contacted me about setting up a link through a program he has that allows you to connect with 25 other people.  He wanted to have us all call in for Mom's birthday party that they were going to have on Saturday.  I worked on that while the kids were on their electronic games and we got it all set up to work.  I sent the link to all my kids but I don't know if they got it.

Maggie, Isaac, and Sammy's birdhouses

Saturday Nathan wanted to take the kids to the home depot to attend one of their craft classes.  They were making bird houses.  David didn't want to do it so he helped Isaac who loves this kind of thing.  Sammy said he didn't want to do it but when he found out that he couldn't have any of the treats they had for completing a house he changed his mind.  Larry helped Maggie do hers and I helped Sammy.  They neither one could hammer the nails that needed to be used to put the houses together.  Larry helped Maggie put the stickers on hers that were from the Wizard of Oz but Isaac and Sammy wanted to paint theirs.  It wasn't as messy as last time but it was still messy and Maggie and I got paint on our shirts.

After making the houses Nathan wanted to get some pots for Isaac to plant things in but then everyone wanted to get a pot and a plant so we ended up getting some for each of the kids and a pineapple plant for Nathan and Larry.  We came home and planted them and the kids really enjoyed them.  David actually texted pictures of the flowers that he like best to his girl friend to see what she liked before he bought his.  The only problem is that now we do not have the kids for two weeks and we have plants that need to be taken care of.

This is the plant that David picked out with his girlfriend

At 1:30 p.m. we were able to link with the others that were calling in and sing Happy Birthday to Mom.  It was fun for the kids to see the others and I enjoyed seeing the family in Utah.  Mom waved to us but it was hard to talk to her.  I was really appreciative that Keith had gone to the trouble to offer the link for us to be there for a few minutes.  I was disappointed that more people did not take advantage of the opportunity.

Saturday evening Nathan was invited to a dinner at the Studevants, the military relations missionaries for the church here that have done so much for him.  We decided it would be easier for him to not have to take the kids and so we spent the evening hanging out with them.  We watched a movie and had dinner and the kids played on their electronics if they wanted to and it was a fun night.  Maggie fell asleep about 7:00 p.m. so it was really quiet until she woke up about 8:30 p.m.  But she still went to bed good so she must have been tired.  She was really missing her mom this weekend.

Ashton with his family at his favorite Birthday place, Bubba Gump

I talked about Sunday at the beginning.  It was a good weekend and we had a good time with the kids.  Nathan is trying to get them to do something else besides electronics on Sunday's to keep the Sabbath day holy and even Sammy did pretty good as long as he had legos, but when we went to take them back he had a meltdown because he was sure that Nathan's charging cord was his.  We looked all over for his cord but could not find it and when we got to Sara's she said that he lost his a long time ago.

Sunday evening about 7:30 p.m. we were able to Skype with Jake and Nikki and their family for Ashton's birthday.  It was fun to talk with each one of them and find out more about what is going on in their lives.  Jake is doing a good job of providing for them and they had just finished up grilling something.  Apparently Jake likes to do that.  Ashton said that he got a lot of legos for gifts and amazingly he already had them put together so he could show them to us.  Myles could say Grandma and Grandpa so that was fun.  Nikki does a great job of keeping the family going and together.  Abby read us 2 stories from her reading books and she is doing a good job.  Lexie came in at the last minute because she was at a Seminary event.  I can't believe that she is old enough for Seminary.