Preparing...

We had a simply wonderful Christmas!  But we always do.  I couldn't find my Christmas tablecloths in time for dinner....but dinner was good anyway.  BTW we found the tablecloths today!  I love it when the kids stay overnight on Christmas Eve.  there is so much anticipation, so much fun.  It is just so fun!.  Mackayah was so round-up and could not go to sleep...what fun memories.  Cambreea and Ariauna were sneaking down the stairs early...I just love Christmas!

We have taken a few days off from packing...but we were back at it today.  Packed up the living room and dining room.  Took our bedroom furniture and dining furniture over to the storage unit.  Most of the big things are moved now.  Still lots to pack.  I found myself really wondering if I could do this mission last night.  Things are so much out of order.  My home just looks bare.  There is so much in limbo.  I am just at my wits end.  But Creig and I talked this morning and we just have to stay close and see the big picture of our serving the Lord.  It is just such a major change in our lives.  I find myself wanting things to be the way they were...I want to be able to work on my family history, work on my quilt blocks, read.  But all that has all changed. The days are counting down to our leaving so fast.  I guess when take off on the 27th, it will be real.

I have really missed my dogs.  I loved them so much.  I read a book this past week about rescue dogs.  It was so heartwarming.  I know my dogs are in a good home.  I am glad they are safe and loved.  They would have been so stressed with everything going on here over Christmas and today.  But my heart is still with them.  Please watch over them Dear Father.

Preparing and Miracles

I have to tell of a miracle in our lives.  We have been concerned about our 2 dogs.  They have been such a part of our lives for the past 5 years.  We have always had a dog.  I love dogs!  I know they are a gift from God.  Well, with Chad and his family and his dog moving into our home, I was so worried about my little dogs.  It is hard to express the uneasiness I felt.  Creig and I had prayed to know what we should do with our dogs.  We knew that the Lord loves all His creatures.  Monday I got an email from a dog rescue that I have helped at times. I thought I would email back and explain about our dogs and us going on a mission and needing to find them a home.  She emailed me back asking me for pictures.  She said it would be hard to find a home for both in one home.  I knew that and I worried so.  I knew that if I couldn't find the perfect home, I would leave them here (we had been told they would adjust to the busy household).  Well, the very next day she tried to get in touch with me but Creig and I were out and about most of the day.  She had found a couple that would like to come and meet our dogs.  They had just lost both of their dogs in the last 6 months.  I talked to them and they sounded really nice.  They came over yesterday afternoon to meet Tori and Scooter.  They are the nicest couple.  they have taken rescue dogs before, and they just began to talk to the dogs in "doggy talk" just like we do.  They are middle aged and have no kids left at home.  The husband has back problems so he is home and he just took right to the dogs talking to them.  The weren't right sure they were ready to open their hearts to another dog....so they left.  Well, within 10 minutes they called and said they sat out in their car and cried and knew they would love our dogs!  They were perfect for our dogs!  They came today to take them.  I so cried, of course...but I know they were an answer to our prayers.  And that the Lord had His hand in this whole thing.  He had compassion on us and our dogs and our feelings about our dogs.  It was a miracle!  No doubt in our minds.  The Lord took care of our dogs.   Scooter and Tori just jumped in their car and off they went.  Tori knew something was up today because she kept wanting to be on my lap and have me pet her.  I told her how much I loved her and that she and Scooter were getting a new Dad and Mom and that the Lord would take care of them. 

So this I testify to -- the Lord knows us personally, and is aware of our most inner needs.  He loves us, and when we are willing to do as He wants us to, He blesses us so much.  I know this mission is the right thing for Creig and I to do at this time in our life.  I know that the Lord will bless our family each and everyone one of them as we serve Him.  My heart is so full right now.  Oh, the Lord is so good!

preparing....

Well, here it is Friday again....where do the weeks go?   They fly away as fast as the Idaho wind.  We did get the office/sewing room cleaned out.  boy what a job packing all my sewing stuff and genealogy.  Then we conquered Jaden's room, and I literately mean conquered.  What  a mess in a teen-ager's room plus his unorganized brain = a mess!  But we got it done.  This afternoon we will take and move some stuff to the storage unit and get Jaden moved into the smaller room.  I need to clean the carpets in both rooms.  Then we will relax for a few days and enjoy Christmas. Then we will start on the downstairs.  The upstairs is pretty much done.

Jaden had a meltdown at school yesterday.  Oh! How I wish we could get it into his brain to stay away from the kids that mistreat him.  He just doesn't get it.  Five more months and he will be out of school.  We pray daily for him to stay away from those mean kids...but it just doesn't sink into him. Bless his heart anyway.  He is so innocent socially..it is hard to watch.

We are working with some ladies to try and find a good home for our dogs.  Oh man, how we love those 2 dogs!  I pray we will find a loving home that will take both of them.  It will be better than having to get used to the craziness of Chad's family.  They are going to have a big adjustment just with Jaden. And they aren't willing to leave behind their cat that pees on everything and a huge dog that doesn't have any manners.  So Creig and I just decided to take care of our stuff and our dogs and just turn around a walk away from it all.  We don't want hard feelings with Chad and his family.  And besides....this is just stuff.  It isn't eternal.  We will be on the Lord's errand and He will bless us and our family.   I know we are suppose to go on this mission, I know that.  But I didn't realize how much Satan would try and get us to do otherwise.  But we are strong with each other and pray a lot together.  The Lord will bless us.

Joy to the World

This was sent to me a few years ago by a dear friend.  It is so beautiful.  I love all the faces.

Here is a good post about what we will be doing on our mission.  It was sent to me by a friend.

https://familysearch.org/records-mission

Preparing...

This week has been wild.  Finally got through our bedroom!  Whew!  Looks bare.  I washed all my doilies and things like that.  I am going to take them with me.  So many of them were made by my Mother and Grandmother.  I need a little of "home".  Starting into Jaden's bathroom today.  Oh My!  We also wanted to have the office room done this week...but didn't happen.  So next week will be the office room and Jaden's bedroom.  I want to do Jaden's bedroom while he is still in school..heeehee...so I can dump more stuff.

I went to my last Republican Central Committee meeting last night.  I got someone to take my place as Precinct Committeeman.  Last night was a VERY interesting debate on the Gov. wishy washy give into the state run health care exchanges.  He is in big trouble for giving in.  The debate last night and the resollution that came from it was firm in the statement that we do Not want exchanges set up in Idaho.  Some say that it is better to go along to get along and have some say in the exchanges instead of leaving it up to the Feds.  But, what if George Washington at this time of year in the Revolutionary War would have given up?  There has to be a line drawn where we stay in control of our states' rights.  Anyway, it will be up to the legislature this spring to stop Gov Otter.  I hope they listen to the people.  Oh well...I passed the torch.  I made my statement on the issue, and now I turn to our work for the Lord.  That is our whole focus at this time in our lives.

We have meetings about Jaden's guardianship this week also.  I hope our attorney can get the hearing set to happen before we leave in 6 weeks.  Jaden is good with the idea.  He met with his own attorney on Wednesday.  He is going to be OK.  Hard week at school for him, but still not as bad as past years.  So, things are improving.  I love Jaden so very, very much.  He is an amazing person.  He has been setting up for basketball games and filming the girl's games.  He really enjoys that and feels a part of something, and he does an excellent job at the recordings also.

Well....off to the "?" bathroom......:)

Preparing...

Still working on our bedroom. Piles of stuff everywhere!  So much to do...However, we heard today from the Mission office where we will be living.  It will be in the Carlton East Apartments in Lanham, MD.  From the map, it looks to be just outside the beltway.  Here is the website that we found about the apartments...
http://www.apartments.com/Maryland/Lanham/Carleton-East/84010#media-photos   . They look pretty nice.  He said we will have a 1 bedroom or a 1 bedroom with a den.  He ask if we would expect company...I don't think many....Chad and Desiree want to come out, but can't think of anyone else.  He said we would be in an English speaking ward. So that answers the Spanish question.  We think we will still brush up on our Spanish.  Maybe for our next mission.

I will have the girls over tonight.  We will make some Holiday Hash and watch some movies.  I may just use them to help me go through some closets.  I went out to lunch today with my best friend, Lidia.  We had such a good time.  I am going to really miss that woman!  We have such a good time together.  She is truly a kindred spirit.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day.  Oh how I remember this day every year.  My father was there in the Navy the day the Japanese bombed.  That day was, excuse the language, but hell growing up.  Such flashbacks, and nightmares he would have and drink on top of it all.  It was a horrible, horrible day! Not too many people even remember the day anymore.  71 years ago.  My, my....

Preparing....

I am feeling very melancholy this afternoon.  I have been going through my closet.  It was easy until I got to a box of old letters and stuff.  Old BYU Cougar football programs...even one from the day that BYU beat #1 Miami in 1990!  Programs showing LaVell Edwards, Ty Detmer, Steve Young, all those guys...what do you do with them...they have such memories, yet they are so useless.  I kept a couple and will recycle the others.  Lots and lots of letters from my mother and sister.  I spent all afternoon reading them.  I wish I could give my Mother a great big giant hug.  She was so good to write to me.  You know, I think it is really sad that we don't write letters anymore.  The letters stopped in about 1995, when things went to computers.  I cherish those letters.  They mean a lot to me.  I also have many letters from Marcie from when we were having such struggles in our family.  They are so hurtful and sad, and I am so sad that things happened the way they did.  I wish I could go back and change it all.  I am so sorry, Marcie.  I want you to know that I have always loved you, even when you couldn't see that I did.  I am so sorry for my weaknesses.  Please forgive me.  I also have some cards made by Chad when he was so young.  How do you get rid of things like that?  I can't.  So I will pack them in another, much small box, and put them away again.  I guess that is why I have taken so long is starting this process of going through years of stuff to get ready to put it all in storage while we commit our life to Jesus Christ for two years.  But that was probably the most sentimental closet, so things should go better  and faster now.

Preparing...

Today is the day I am putting my family history away.  Oh, that is so very hard to do.  There are things I can still do on my mission, like going through my family files with FamilySearch.  And that will keep me very busy if I have any time to work on it on my mission.  I just wish I felt their support for this mission instead of "oh no I have to wait longer!".  I hope they will understand.  But I have to let it go and get busy with the things to get ready to leave.  Time is going by so fast!

I am going to have the girls come over today and put up the Christmas tree.  I am hoping that in the evenings when things are quiet, that the tree will center my focus on the birth of my Savior, and let my mind rest from all the things needing to be done.

So, Onward with my day!

Preparing...

We are in contact with a couple in DC, and they are giving us tips on preparing and answers to questions.  They are great.  She said I could wear the aprons.  So I will make up 3 of them.

I have a thought I must put down.  I have been involved here in Idaho Falls with the Republican Party.  i am a Precinct Committeeman.  I have found someone to take my place when I leave.  However, because of some the major conflicts in the Republican Party leadership, the most conservative of us lost ground in the election in May.  So we are starting a group to be an active voice in the community in educating people and trying to slow progress of the UN Agenda 21, particularly the smart meters.  I went to a meeting last night and I became overwhelmed with all the stuff that needs to be done here in the community.  I came home conflicted.  Well, this morning as Creig and I were reading and studying, a scripture from the D&C leaped out of the page at me.  It is D&C 16:6 -  

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of most worth uto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen."

Wow!  That is what I need to be doing!  That is where my mind and heart need to be totally.  And I am willing to do that.  That is what I desire most.

And along that line, Creig and I just finished 1 Nephi chapter 1 in Spanish.  Creig reads in Spanish and I follow in English and we compare.  I am beginning to recognize some of the phrases.  I can bear a simple testimony in Spanish of "I know that God is my Heavenly Father."

So we just keep plugging along trying to do things each day to prepare.  We got a phone that will let us hook up our laptop and desktop to its wireless.  So, hopefully, that will give us Internet service in our apartment. One thing, on day at a time, and we will be ready to leave to serve our Lord and our God full time.

Preparing

We got a letter from the Mission Office today.  It told us about the things that will be in the apartment when we get there.  Pretty basic stuff.  But it is good to know what will be there.  We can send boxes by UPS before we leave and have them at the mission office when we arrive.  I think we will do our bedding, towels, stuff like that so it won't take up so much room in the car. We have decided to take our desktop computer with us.  Went out to do some shopping today, but came home and did Cyber Monday on the computer and got some good deals for me.  I found a good recipe box program to put my recipes in.  I need to find a good address book where I can keep email addresses and physical addresses.  The little Flip/Pal mobile scanner that I got is just super great. 

I think I am going to make me some simple all over aprons to wear where we work.  I have some I wear around here and I can just take a pattern off and make them very easily.  Maybe I will make 2 or 3.  If I don't wear them at work, I can always wear them at home.  I love aprons.  I also think I am going to try and fit my sewing machine in the car.  I need my sewing machine.

The thing I am finding the hardest to not take is my books.  How I love books!  Yes, I have a Nook, but I just love the feel and touch of the real thing in my hand as I read.  I have my scriptures on my IPod, but I have my physical ones also.  They are wore and marked, but I can't leave them behind.

Tomorrow...I clean out 1 closet!  Time is going so fast.  Can't put this stuff off much longer.  Also, have to put up the Christmas tree.  Oh My!

Preparing

We had a simply wonderful Thanksgiving!  It was so nice to have all the family here.  The dinner was great, and as always plentiful! We played the game "Pit".  It is an old, old game, and the cards are so worn and smell old...but I am telling you we had SO much fun! Awe....good memories!

Wednesday we picked up a copy of the Book of Mormon in Spanish.  We have started to read it.  Creig reads in Spanish and I follow along in English.  It is hard.  Maybe through practice it will come easier for Creig.  Today I am working on computer files and scanning stuff that we need to have on a thumb drive.  Things like our medical information and other things.  I have some crochet patterns I want to scan, and some recipes that are some of our favorites.  That way we we don't have to travel with notebooks of stuff.  I ordered this little scanner that is portable and can scan anything.  I got it mainly for family history, but it is very useful for other things.  It is battery powered and has an SD card that you can just plug into your computer.  It is called "FlipPal."  Very handy.  I love it!  So, I best get busy...

Preparing to leave...

20 November 2012 ..  Tuesday,

Our Mission President, President Matsumori, called early this morning welcoming us to the mission!  He ask if we were driving out and we said we were.  He told us to take our time and be aware of the weather that time of year, and if there were any stops we wanted to make at relatives we could do so.  That was an answer to my prayers.  Now I know that we can take the southern route and visit my dear Aunt Kathryn, and make a stop or two in Texas.  He ask how Creig was with his Spanish.  He was wondering if we might like to work in a Spanish Branch on the weekends...Creig said we would be willing to do whatever he would like us to do.  So.....guess we start becoming a little more aware of Spanish.  I have always wanted to learn Spanish.  I have a Book of Mormon is Spanish...maybe we should start reading out of that. Creig hasn't spoken much, if any, Spanish since his mission to Peru/Ecuador a long time ago!  I am that this blog will be able to be our journal.  I am hoping there is a way to save and maybe print these blogs somehow.

Well, back to cleaning out closets and drawers! Onward!

Preparing to leave...

19 November 2012/Monday

Well, today we started on a few things.  Creig cleaned out his closet.  I cancelled a bunch of stuff and subscriptions from the Internet, and ordered Christmas Cards. We talked about what our budget will be on our mission.  It is going to be tight.  But the Lord will provide that we know for sure.