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.