Delilah

Have any of you ever heard the radio personality, Delilah? She's nationally syndcated and is on 99.1 in the evenings. I don't listen to her, but I have heard her occasionally when I have been trying to find a good song on a station.

Today I read that she pulled her kids out of their school in Washington. Here's why, in her own words:

"I would like to say that I am merely 'deeply concerned' about a recent addition to the school's teaching philosophy, but instead, I am forced to admit I am actually HORRIFIED by the recent addition of a book by Mormon author Steven (sic) Covey."

Wow! She is upset because the school has introduced a leadership curriculum based on Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Seriously, that is a best selling book that has been read by millions of people. I wish our schools would incorporate some of his leadership ideas into their curriculum.

What's sad is that she will be allowed to get away with this prejudice because it is against Mormons. She will suffer no repurcussions for her bigotedness.

Christmas Song?

Robert dared me to post a video of his favorite Christmas song. So here it is:

Not quite Josh Groban singing "O Holy Night". To each his own, I guess!

A Mother's Happiness

Today at Church my three boys blessed the Sacrament. I loved seeing the three of them sitting behind the Sacrament table together. It definitely brought joy to my heart.

Merry Christmas, Robert!

I realize it's now 10:24p.m. in Abu Dhabi, but I wanted to wish Robert Merry Christmas!

We miss you and wish you were here. It's not the same without you (although I did get to sleep until 8:00, which was nice).

I love you!

Taste of Texas

On Saturday, I took the kids on our annual Christmas pilgrimage to our favorite restaurant:

Man, I love that place! It is beautiful any time you go, but at Christmas it is magical. They remove every decoration in the restaurant (and it's a BIG place), and replace them with Christmas decorations and lights. You could spend hours admiring the decorating job - all done by their employees, by the way.

Then there's the food. Starting off with a luscious salad bar with lots of veggies, fruit, giant blocks of cheese, and mini loaves of bread that are delicious. Then a wondrous steak for a main course. Tender and cooked to perfection with a yummy baked potato side. Then we conclude with a perusal of their dessert tray. Sigh. So much to choose from, so little room. We ended up with an 8-inch slice of chocolate cake, a piece of key lime pie, a piece of Snickers pie, and two pieces of a white and dark chocolate mousse cake. Scrumptious!! And we all brought home leftovers, so we still have stuff to savor!

Plus, our waiter, Steve, was excellent. We've always had good waiters there, but I think he's been my favorite.

Was it worth the 1 hour and 20 minute wait (even though we got there before 5:00)? You betcha!

Jeffrey's Mission Call!!

Jeffrey got his Mission Call! He is going to the Mexico Veracruz Mission! Woo hoo!

Here he is before the big reveal:

Here is a picture of his mission (the medium grey area):
The only downside? He doesn't leave until April 28th - 4-1/2 months away! I hope he can find a job!

I'm so excited for him! I can't believe I am sending out my second missionary already!

Totally Missed It

I just realized that I totally missed my one year blog anniversary, which took place on October 22nd. I missed it by A LOT! I remember when Lori posted her one year blog anniversary post, I thought, "I will have to do that too". Then I totally missed it. Woo hoo for me!

288 posts later (289 if you include this one), I am glad I started this blog. It's not as deep and insightful as a journal should be, but it's the closest I've come to keeping one in years! And it's a pretty good record of what goes on in my family. I actually enjoy going back and reading old posts. They are a little trip down memory lane (and the older I get, the more I need a written reminder).

So, happy one year and almost 2 months blog anniversary to me! And to any of you who haven't joined the world of blogging yet - do it - you won't regret it!

World History Textbook

This is a direct quote from Scott's World History book:

"In Christian societies, historical dating divides between years 'before the birth of Christ' (B.C.) and after (A.D., anno Domini, or 'year of the Lord'). This system came into wide acceptance in Europe in the eighteenth century, as formal historical consciousness increased. China, Islam, Judaism, and many other societies use different dating systems, referring to their own history. This text, like many recent world history materials, uses the Christian chronology (one has to choose some system) but changes the term to B.C.B. ('before the common era') and C.E. ('of the common era') as a gesture to less Christian-centric labeling."

I added the bold to the paragraph.

This makes me sad and angry. If we are going to use Christian chronology for our dating, than use the Christian terms!

Yummy!!

Chick-Fil-A's Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake!!

Serious Deliciousness!

Deja Vu

So I was looking through my posts from December 2008. On December 7th my post was griping about how our ward didn't sing Christmas songs that day. It was eerie how similar it was to my post from December 6th of this year. I am apparently very predictable in my writing!

All I have to say is that I had better not have to make that same post on December 5, 2010!!

Christmas Pretty!

The outside of our house is all decorated for Christmas! We haven't had icicle lights since Brian left on his mission - we couldn't get Jeffrey to go up on the roof! It's nice to have Brian back to hang our icicle lights! (You have to click on the picture and enlarge it to really see the icicle lights.)

I bought two metal art Christmas cats at the Nutcracker Market. They look very Siamese-y, and since we own two Siamese cats, I thought they were appropriate. You can't really see how cute they are - the painted part is facing inside. But I really like the way they show up as silhouettes in the window above the door. Brian thinks we should leave them up all year round!
I love my Christmas decorations! Hooray for Christmas pretty!

Bummed

Today at Church we sang no Christmas songs. None. That's not right. I firmly believe that once December begins, every song we sing at Church (except the Sacrament song) should be a Christmas song.

We had better sing Christmas songs next week, or I'm going to be very angry!

Whoop!

When Brian left A&M to go on his mission he took a two year leave of absence from the school. Then, because he went out later than expected, he wasn't able to go back to A&M in the Fall. So his leave of absence lapsed and he had to officially reapply.

Yesterday he found out that he was accepted to A&M again! We figured he would be, but it's nice to have the official word.

So he will leave us for Aggieland in January. Now we have to find him a place to live....

What's My Problem?

I have a bunch of relatives coming to visit beginning on Wednesday. So what am I doing? I'm watching reruns of "Criminal Minds". Why can't I get my fanny out of the chair and get busy cleaning?

Someone tell me to get off my duff!

Government Health Care

Today the Senate democrats have secured the 60 votes needed to advance health care legislation. Senator Orrin Hatch made the following remarks about the bill:

"I am going to spend my time before this historic vote to highlight some very important numbers, so every member of this chamber understands what they are voting to advance. Make no mistake, our actions today will not be without consequences. History and our future generations will judge us on this. Here are some numbers:

0 – the number of provisions prohibiting the rationing of health care.

0 – the number of government-run entitlement programs that are financially sound over the long-term.

10.2 percent – our national unemployment rate, the highest in 26 years.

70 – total number of government programs authorized by the bill.

1,697 – times the Secretary of Health and Human Services is given authority to determine or define provisions in this bill.

2,074 – total pages in this bill.

2010 – the year Americans start paying higher taxes to pay for this bill

2014 – the year when this bill actually starts most of the major provisions of this bill

$6.8 million – cost to taxpayers per word

$8 billion – the total amount of new taxes on Americans who do not buy Washington-defined health care.

$465 billion – cuts in Medicare at a time when it faces a $38 trillion unfunded liability to finance more government spending.

$494 billion – total amount of new taxes in this bill

$2.5 trillion – the real cost of the bill

$12 trillion – our total national debt

These numbers are facts. They are undisputable."

These numbers frighten me. Our children and grandchildren are going to be paying for this forever.

Christmas Stockings - Completed!!

The Christmas stockings are complete! Here they are hanging from the mantle (as requested by Sarah):

Here is a close up of one girl stocking (Kimberly's - initial "K") and one boy stocking (Brian's - initial "B"):

I have to say, I am very pleased with the way they turned out. I have wanted to make us all some sort of quilted stocking for years, and these are even better than what I envisioned.

Also, what do you think of the stocking hangers? I have always had big resin Christmas figures - snowmen, bears, penguins, etc. - but this year I wanted to buy simple stocking hangers so I can decorate the mantle. Kimberly, Robert, and I like them, but the boys don't. They are going to lose this battle though. I really like these hangers with the stockings.

Now to take down the stockings and put my Thanksgiving stuff back on the mantle! At least for one more week!

Christmas Stockings!

Last year I started making new Christmas stockings for my family. As is typical of many crafts I begin, I did not complete them last year. I resolved to finish them this year, and I just might do it! I have completed two of them (all except the fuzzy white stuff that will go around the top). Here is a picture of one of them (picture it with fuzzy white stuff around the top):

Here is a close up so you can see how I zig zagged around the pieces to give them a finished look:

I have to say, I think they are turning out pretty cute, and I'm pretty impressed with myself for getting them done (almost).

Too Soon?

Remember how I started counting down the time until Brian would return home from his mission? Do you think it's too soon to start counting down the time until the five year project Robert is working on in Abu Dhabi is over?

One week down!!

Only 259 more to go!

I think it may be a little too soon for that....

Pictures!

As I mentioned in a previous post, Jeffrey had some pictures taken last week. I will confess, these were for his mission papers, but they were also in place of his Senior pictures, which we never got taken (hanging head in shame). He didn't want his Senior pictures taken until he got his braces off, and after that we just never got around to it. Oh well, these ones are pretty nice.

I toyed with using this one for his missionary picture, but then decided the all black look was a little stark for that.

I like this casual picture.

The photographer caught Jeffrey in the middle of a laugh. I really like this one, so I ordered one sheet just for me!

I like this one of him sitting down. We had to get it fairly close though, because if it's farther away you can tell that Jeffrey is sitting very awkwardly. Apparently he doesn't bend very well!

This is the picture we ended up using as his missionary picture. I had to download it to the official papers, so I was able to crop it a little closer. It's more of a head and upper body shot on the forms.

I love this picture. This is what we call the GQ shot!

The photographer told Jeffrey to give him a "Jeffrey pose", and this is it! I had to buy this because it is definitely Jeffrey's pose!
He's a pretty good looking kid, if I do say so myself!

Sometimes Things Just Work Out

Jeffrey had always planned to finish 2 semesters at A&M and then go on his mission. Lately he's been looking at his future (after mission) classes. He passed a lot of AP exams, and he doesn't want to start any Accounting classes until after his mission. So if he goes to school next semester, he would have at least one semester after his mission where he would only need one or two classes. Kind of a waste of time and money. So 2 weeks ago he told us he wanted to stay home next semester and try to leave on his mission as soon as he turned 19 on March 8th. Robert and I are fine with that. This means he can turn in his mission papers December 8th (90 days before his birthday). Coming up quickly! I told him he needed to try to find a doctor and dentist in College Station, as a medical exam and dental exam are both required. He said he would look.

During the week I started stewing about his medical exam and dental exam (because stewing is something I do very well). When and where would he get them done in College Station? His bishop said the only member dentist he knew was in Hempstead - 45 minutes away, and he didn't know a member doctor. Last Monday I got to thinking that since Jeffrey was coming home for the weekend, and could be here by 1:00 on Friday, maybe I should try to make some appointments. Sounds plausible, right?

Well, it would be except for two things:

1. Jeffrey was cut loose from our pediatrician (yes, we still use one - he's great) when he graduated, and the GP Robert and I have used has moved, we know not where.

2. Our dentist, who we really like, doesn't work Fridays.

So, I had to find a new doctor and dentist who could fit him in on Friday - 4 days away.

2-1/2 years ago we had to get immunizations for travel. The doctor the company sent us to was very nice. He's also an Internal Medicine doctor, so capable of doing a physical. I called the office and was able to get an appointment at 2:00. Perfect.

On to finding a dentist. A dental office had opened near our new Kroger. Someone in the ward had used them and said they were very nice. I called and miraculously was able to get an appointment for 4:00 on Friday! I couldn't believe it! They were able to fit him in at the exact time we needed them too.

So by Friday evening his medical exam and dental exam were both completed! By a very nice doctor (who we will probably use from now on) and a very nice dentist! Woo hoo!

Oh, and Saturday morning we were able to get pictures taken so he could send in a nice one with his mission papers.

So, basically, all that Jeffrey has left to do is finish filling out the little bits of his papers that haven't been completed, and meet with his bishop and stake president. He should easily be able to get that all done by December 8th.

I'd like to say I'm impressed with myself for getting his appointments set up so quickly, by I'm pretty sure the Lord played a big part in getting it all accomplished. There must be a reason for Jeffrey to get out on his mission quickly!

He's Off :(

Robert left today for his new job in Abu Dhabi. We won't see him again until at least Christmas, and possibly not even then. That's a pretty long time to have him 8180 miles away.

We had a nice last weekend. We got to spend time as a family - all six of us - which was nice. And today he got to ordain Scott to be a Priest, with Brian and Jeffrey standing in the circle. What a special experience. Those are the memories I'll hold onto right now.

Pumpkin Fun!

Check out this surprisingly addictive website where you can carve your own pumpkin.

It's fun, and much cleaner than the real thing!

Happy 16th Birthday, Scott!

Today is Scott's 16th birthday. My BABY is 16! That makes me feel old. Here he is, oh so many years ago:

And here he is today, with his birthday presents:

Scott is a great kid, and I'm glad I get to watch him grow up.

Happy birthday, Scotty!!

Great Public Service Commercial!

I have always loved the Public Service Ads the Church shows on TV. This ad just won an award for best PSA. Well deserved, I might add!

Wasn't that great?

Nice Surprise

Today I was checking my bank account online.  I do that almost every day.  I like to know when things have cleared the bank, and it makes balancing my checkbook very easy and fast.  I'm sort of obsessive compulsive about things like that.  

Today there was a new entry on my account - "Chase Pays Your Bills Winner".  And $30.02 had been put back into my account.  Apparently, if you pay bills at Chase online you are entered into a contest where every 5 minutes Chase randomly picks a bill someone has paid and pays it for them.  And I won!  I was very excited.  I will take a free $30.02 whenever I can get it!

Of course, it would have been nicer if my electric bill or cell phone bill had been chosen.  They are both bigger bills and closer to their $200.00 limit.  But I'll be happy with whatever they want to give me.

Oh, and it doesn't look like there's a limit on how many times you can win, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I'm lucky again!!

Gratitude? In High School?!?

Scott's English teacher had the students draw posters about a word of their choice.  Scott's word was "satiric", which isn't really important to the story but gives an example of a word.  The teacher hung the ones that were visually appealing out in the hall.    

One of the posters was for the word "condescending" and showed a mother reading a book to a child.  I don't like the sentiment of that poster, but apparently it was very well done, which was why it was one of the ones hung in the hallway.

Today Scott heard some of his friends talking very loudly in the hallway.  They called him over and showed him something on the poster.  Apparently if you looked very closely, you could read part of the cover of the book.  It was "The Book of Mor___".  Scott's friends know he's Mormon, and they were appalled on his behalf.  Their loudness brought the teacher out of the room.  When they pointed the words out to the teacher, she removed the book from the hallway.

I'm grateful that Scott has been open with his friends about his beliefs.  I'm grateful they realize how important what he believes is to him, and they respect him for those beliefs. I'm grateful his teacher listened to them and took appropriate action.

When I got home tonight, Scott was making thank you cards for his friends and writing a thank you note to his teacher.  

Sometimes good things even happen in high school! 

When Will it Stop?

The rise of gas prices, that is.  Monday I drove by Kroger. Gas was $2.28 a gallon.  Up from last week.  Yesterday I drove by Kroger.  Gas was $2.38 a gallon!  Up 10 cents from the day before.  This morning I bought gas at Kroger. Gas was $2.45 a gallon!  Up 7 cents from the day before, and 17 cents from two days before!  Craziness!  What's it going to be tomorrow?  Where will it end?  I don't want gas prices over $3.00 again!

At least at Kroger, I get my 10 cents off a gallon, so I only paid $2.35 a gallon today.  Small consolation.

Friday Night!!

Friday night Kimberly and I are going to see the Houston Symphony.  But not the symphony by itself, oh no.  We are going to see Brian Stokes Mitchell sing with the symphony. For those of you who don't know who Brian Stokes Mitchell is, here is a clip of him performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Isn't he amazing?  I am so excited!  It is going to be a wonderful concert!

Thanks for the early Christmas present, Kimberly!!

House Hunters

I like to watch the show "House Hunters" on HGTV, but sometimes it makes me angry.  Tonight, for instance.  A couple is looking for their first house.  They look to be in their mid-twenties.  Their budget is up to $450,000.  They just looked at a nice house for $366,000.  What did they think of it?  Well, it was nice, but...

"There's no waterfall in the pool area."

"I don't really like the laminate counter top - we'd have to change that."

"I really want stainless appliances, not these white ones."

"I'm not fond of these white cabinets, but with the money we're saving that would be an easy fix."

Seriously, do they not realize that they sound like selfish, spoiled brats?  These people are buying a first home that is nicer than most people will ever have!  And they are complaining!  Episodes like this one make me wish I could reach in the TV and smack them both upside the head!!

Homework Vent

Scott came home Friday with an assignment for English.  He was to type, word for word, the conversations held on 6 pages of the book "A Tale of Two Cities".  Then he had to type what he thought the main character was thinking.  

Tell me the point of making every student in the class spend time typing the dialogue already in the book!  Please tell me - because I don't get it!  If the teacher wanted them to analyze the dialogue, why didn't she just provide it for them?  Do these kids not have enough to do?  I hadn't realized he had signed up for an "Intro to Keyboarding" class (although they would never use Dickens to practice typing).

Oh, and this assignment made Friday?  Was due today (Monday).  Scott had Band after school on Friday, then a Band meeting in the evening.  He left at 6:30 on Saturday morning for a Band competition and didn't get back until 6:30 Sunday evening.  He mentioned the contest to the teacher, but she already knew and wasn't concerned.  That's nice.

Can we say late night for Scott?  And Mom - staying up to be supportive.    

Wow

They will give a prize to anyone nowadays.

Hey, Richmond Ward Ladies!

Give me a "G"!

("G"!)

Give me an "N"!

("N"!)

Give me an "O"!

("O"!)

What's that spell?!?

(Huh?  What?)

Oh, never mind.

Girl's Night Out!

Tuesday at 7:00!

5 Guys Burgers and Fries!

Be There or Be Square!

My Kids - Together

Jeffrey came home from A&M for the weekend, and Kimberly came down for the day on Sunday.  This was the first time since August of 2007 that all four of the kids had been together.  And I have pictures to prove it!

Here they are, in a nice sibling photo:

Here they are - in goofball mode:
It was fun to have all four of them at home at the same time.  

Not Happy!

I was walking from my garage to my house a few minutes ago.  Our big Siamese, Brynner, was in the backyard chasing something.  I looked and it was a mouse!  NOOOOO! I ran in the house and shut the doggy door - locking both Brynner and his little mouse friend outside.  I told Robert he needed to go kill that mouse, since he's now in my backyard, which means he's kitty accessible.  But Robert is not being helpful.  He says it's good exercise for Brynner.  I will agree that Brynner is a tad pudgy, but why can't he stick to chasing lizards!  I don't need him chasing mice!

A Question

Brian started working at a temporary (3 to 4 week) job today.  He's working for a major potato and corn chip distributor.  I'm glad he found a job, since he needs to earn some money.  Here's my question.

Do you think he'll ever get to bring home free chips?

October 9th

Our new Kroger Marketplace opens on October 9th!  I drove by the store this morning, peering in the windows, and saw a sign out front proclaiming that fact.  I am so excited for Kroger to open!  No longer will I have to drive 15 minutes to the grocery!  My 1/2% milk will be easily accessible!  Once Kroger opens, I won't have to drive very far for anything! Most of the places I go - Kroger, church, the high school, Walgreens, Wal-Mart - will be 3 miles away or less.  I'm looking forward to lower gas bills!

Woo hoo!

I Did It!

Saturday we had an AMAZING Enrichment Super Saturday. I signed up to make 3 different craft projects.  When I left, I had completed 1-1/2 projects.  Usually that means that the unfinished projects will languish in my closet for weeks, months, or even longer.  But not this time!  Here it is, Tuesday evening, and I have finished all 3 of the projects! And I have pictures to prove it.

Project #1 is a magnetic piece of metal on a base which has a phrase on it.   

I need to print out some more pictures to put on it, but I thought these four were a good place to start.

Project #2 is an "I Spy"  game with many little objects inside that the kids have to find. 
Kimberly came to church with us on Sunday.  When we got home from church I showed her what I had made and told her where I'd made it.  Suddenly the fact that she had seen lots of kids at church with the same toy made sense!

Project #3 is blocks painted black, partially covered with scrapbook paper, and modge podged (an amazing substance).  Then the vinyl letters were applied.

I love the scrapbook paper I used.  It's all one piece, but because the stripes varied so much, the blocks don't all look the same.

I have to say, I'm very impressed with myself for finishing these projects!  I have so many unfinished projects in my closet - I'm glad these didn't join the pile!

Just My Luck

#997.  

That was me.

Texter #997.

If I had been texter #1000, I would have won $250.00 in free groceries.

Such is my luck.

I Don't Understand People Sometimes

I went to Wal-Mart this evening.  I left the store at 9:00 and walked to my car.  After unloading my stuff, I looked into the truck sitting next to me.  Inside were 3 small children - the oldest couldn't have been more than six.  Why would you do that?  Why would you leave 3 small children in your truck in the Wal-Mart parking lot at night?  Or anytime for that matter?  I drove over to the security guard who was patroling the lot, told him what I had seen, and drove back to the truck, with him following.  As he was getting out of his car, the mother walked up.  I went ahead and left, but not before I heard her say, "I just had to run into the store real quick."  That is sad.  Bring your kids in, lady! Don't leave them in the truck alone.

And another thing?  When I first was walking back to my car, the truck engine was running.  I even heard the engine rev one time - like someone had stepped on the gas.  A few minutes later, someone shut the truck off.  I'm not sure which is worse - leaving the kids in a truck that's off and getting warm inside, or leaving three small, unseat belted children to roam around a truck that is running.

I see no Mom of the Year award in that mother's future.

Funniest Commercial I've Seen in Years!

I just saw the funniest commercial.  It was for, of all things, Theragesic.  Click here to watch it.  

Let me know if you think it's funny, or if I'm just crazy (which is what my boys think).

Quicker Than Promised

Tonight at about 10:00 our power went out.  We heard a popping sort of noise right before, so we thought it was probably a transformer.  I went outside and met up with some of the neighbors who were also bemoaning the lack of power and the presence of lots of darkness.  I called the electric company, and was told that 118 homes in our area were affected.  Not 115 or 120, but 118.  Now that's exact! I was also told that it would probably be 1:00a.m. before the power came back on.  That didn't seem too long - if they could deliver.  I'm always skeptical.  But look, here it is, 11:48p.m., and I'm on the computer!  Our power actually came back on at about 11:15 - almost 2 hours earlier than promised!  That's pretty impressive.

Thank you, CenterPoint Energy!  My sleep tonight will be air conditioned and comfy!  

Morning Radio

This morning, after driving a car full of kids from Seminary to school, I had to go to the grocery.  Until my close Kroger opens, I have to drive about 15 minutes to a Kroger in Katy. That drive reinforces one thing - I HATE morning drive time radio!!  I don't want to listen to a morning team's insipid chatter!  I don't care about celebrity gossip!  I don't want to hear endless men versus women discussions!  I don't want any of it!  I just want to hear some music!!!  It usually only takes about 5 minutes of station hopping before I give up and put in a CD.  

That's why I try not to run many errands before 9:00a.m.

Way Too Much Drama for a Friday Night

At 8:45, Scott and I went over to GameStop to pick up a drum pedal for our Rock Band drum.  As we were pulling up to the store we saw a guy go running into the store.  I said to Scott, "I wonder what he's running for?"  Scott said, "Maybe he's got something expensive in his car."  We got out of our car and were standing there when three guys ran out of the GameStop.  Wearing dark hoodies.  With the hoods pulled up.  With bandanas covering their faces.  I thought to myself, "This is a robbery."  Then I said, "Scott, get back into the car."  We got in the car and I looked over at the robbers - who were standing by their car, which was parked about 4 cars down from us.  One of them was pointing a gun at our car - more specifically at Scott, who was closest to them.  What really scared me is that he kept looking back at the other two, as if questioning what he should do.  And we didn't know what they might have done to the clerks in the store, so I didn't know what they might be capable of.  Fortunately they jumped in their car and drove off.  After they left, one of the clerks came out.  I asked him if they had just been robbed.  He said they had and asked if we would wait for someone from the sheriff's department to come.  I told him we would wait in the Whataburger parking lot, which was quite crowded, and come back when a deputy showed up.  We waited about 5 minutes for a deputy, and when he came we drove back over.  He asked us to wait outside while he talked to the clerks.  That was a little eerie, but we did it.  Then we talked to the deputy and told him what we had seen.  We were apparently the only ones who saw the car, so we were trying to remember what we'd seen.  Which isn't as easy as you would think it would be.  Then we talked to another deputy, and told our story again.  Then we waited longer while cop cars came and went.  Then we talked to a detective, and told our story for a third time.  We finally got to leave at about 10:30, and boy we were glad to go home.

While it was a terrible experience, I'm kind of glad we showed up when we did.  The robbers ended up leaving, and we might have kept them from harming the clerks.  In fact, while we were waiting, the mother of one of the clerks drove up.  She came up to me and said, "From one mother to another, thank you for showing up when you did.  They might have killed them if you hadn't."  I'm glad we might have prevented a real tragedy.

The real kicker?  I have to go back there tomorrow - we never did get the drum pedal!  I think I'll go during the day... 

College Textbooks

Jeffrey just called to tell me how much he spent on his books at A&M.  Seven books - some used (if that was an option).  

How much do you think college textbooks cost?  Did Jeffrey spend

A.  $200.00 to $300.00

B.  $300.00 to $400.00

C.  $400.00 to $500.00

D.  $500.00 to $600.00

Give me your guess in your comments.  Once I get a few guesses I will tell you the real cost.

**Answer**

Now that I have five comments, I will tell you how much Jeffrey spent.  The correct answer is D. Jeffrey spent $550.00, which I thought was a lot until I saw what Ryan spent.  That's insane!  The cost of college textbooks is out of control!

Brian's Home

Brian's home!!  Here he is at the airport holding the beautiful (ha ha) "Welcome Home" sign I made him:

It's wonderful to have him home!  I am so glad he made it today.  Actually, I guess it's yesterday now.

Thanks for putting up with all of my updates!!

Super Frustration!!

Brian just called from Santo Domingo.  His plane left 3 hours late, and then 30 minutes into the flight the pilot heard some unexplained noises (which turned out to be something minor), so he turned the plane around and flew back to the Dominican Republic.  So Brian is there now, waiting to see what flight American can put him (and the other missionaries) on.  So I don't know what time, or even day, he is going to get home.

I'm so frustrated!!!

Two Things

Brian will be home from his mission in less than 11 hours!! Woo hoo!

Kimberly's birthday is today!  Happy 27th, Kimberly!!

Debit Card Fraud

Today I got a call from Chase Bank's Fraud Department. They were looking for Brian, but since I'm on his checking account, they talked to me.  Thank goodness.  They were suspicious of some charges that had been made today - one in Ohio and one in Washington.  I told the lady that they should be suspicious, since my son is in the Dominican Republic!  The result?  Brian's debit card has been cancelled. I called the mission office in the DR and asked the man who is serving there to pass along that message to Brian.  I also told him there was a way Brian could get money if he needed it.  The nice man said he would have Brian call me so I could tell him how.  But, as of now, I haven't heard from him.  Even if Brian doesn't call me, I hope the nice man tells him his card has been cancelled, so he doesn't try to use it.  And I hope Brian has some cash.  Otherwise he will be like the missionaries of old - heading home without purse or scrip! 

Tomorrow!!

Everybody sing!!!

"Tomorrow!  Tomorrow!

I love ya Tomorrow!

You're [only]

A day Away!!"

(I changed the word in brackets so it would fit how I felt.)

(I know you hate this song, Kimberly.  Sorry.)

Not Again!

If you go here, you can see a picture I don't like.  For those of you too lazy to click on the link, the picture is from the National Hurricane Center.  It shows a red circle of low pressure which is heading for the Caribbean, and has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression or more in the next day or so.  The second largest island in the picture, the one with a line down the middle, is the island of Hispaniola. The left half is Haiti, and the right half is the Dominican Republic.  The red circle, which is moving west-northwest, is heading towards the DR.  I don't like that.  I really want Brian to come home on Wednesday, and not get stuck in the DR riding out a tropical storm.   

Last One!

I just sent my last e-mail to Brian on his mission!  And tomorrow I will get my last e-mail from him!  Then two days later he will be home!!

Woo hoo!!!!!

(In case you couldn't tell, I'm pretty excited about this.)

August 29, 2007

Two years ago today, we dropped Brian off at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.  Here I am putting his official missionary name tag on him:

That was quite a bittersweet moment for me.  I was excited that Brian would be serving a mission for our Church and for the Lord.  But I was also sad that I wouldn't be seeing him for another two years.  That seemed like such a LOOOOONG time.

But now, here we are, two years later.  Brian will be home in four days (for those of you who haven't kept up with my updates).  He will have faithfully completed his service in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission.  I can't wait to see him, and hug him, and talk to him, and feed him whatever he wants!  I can't wait to see how much he has grown and changed on his mission.  

I just can't wait!  

Happy two year anniversary, Brian!

7 - 2 =

5!

5 more days until Brian comes home from his mission!

I can't wait to see him again!

Now That's Service!

This morning I had to go through the Chase drive-thru to make a deposit for Jeffrey.  I had our dog, Bailey, with me because I had just driven a carload of kids from Seminary to school, and Bailey LOVES to ride in the car.  When the nice lady at the drive-thru sent my canister back to me, here's what I discovered in it: my deposit slip and a dog biscuit for Bailey!  How's that for customer service?

The only problem?  Bailey is not a big fan of hard dog biscuits - she's old and her teeth aren't the greatest anymore, so she took the dog biscuit to the rear seat of the van, and buried it there!  I will have to make Scott go find it this afternoon, or someone is in for a surprise tomorrow morning on the ride to school!

**Update**Update**Update**

Brian will be home from his mission in one week!!!

That's just 7 days!!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!

He's Off!

Our house is emptier now.  Today we took Jeffrey up to Texas A&M.  Here he is, sitting on his unmade bed in his dorm room:

Note how even the mattresses are maroon!  He brought a surprisingly small amount of stuff with him. He seems to feel that he has everything he needs.  He will be home in two weeks to see Brian, so we shall see if he decides there is much more he needs to bring back with him!

It's funny, as much as I will miss him, it wasn't as hard to leave him as it was the first two.  Maybe it's because he's the third child and it's getting easier.  Or maybe it's because once you've sent a son off on a mission, knowing you won't see him for two years, sending a kid to college doesn't seem quite so traumatic.

And I know he's going to have a great time at A&M.  Gig 'em, Aggies!

A Letter to My Parents

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today, August 21st, is the anniversary of the day that both of you died - Mom, you on August 21, 1999, and Dad, you on August 21, 2005.  I still miss you both very much.

Mom, you have been gone for 10 years.  In some ways, it seems inconceivable that you have been gone that long.  But, it also seems like you have been gone so long that you are only a distant memory.  That makes me sad.  I do remember your frequent phone calls.  Back then I sometimes thought you called too frequently, but how I wish I could hear your voice one more time.  I remember going out to dinner with you at JoJos.  Chris and you and I would bravely take the eight grandkids over there to eat.  At the time, seven of them were under the age of 8.  We were always amazed at just how quickly our food made it to the table!  I remember how you loved to watch your grandkids play.  Your physical problems made it hard for you to play with them, but you were always happy when you could just watch them play together.

Dad, you have been gone for 4 years.  My memories of you are fresher, but they are also fading.  I remember your infrequent phone calls.  I would answer the phone, and you would say, “Laura.  This is your father speaking.”  Like I wouldn’t have recognized your voice.  I remember going to eat with you at your favorite restaurant - The Stables.  They made great steaks, and, more important as far as you were concerned, they made an excellent extra dry martini!  I remember how proud you were of your grandkids.  You enjoyed them when they were small, but you truly enjoyed them as they got older and could really talk to you.  You lived long enough to see Kimberly graduate from Texas A&M, and I know that thrilled you.  Your grandkids have all inherited your love for education.  They are making you proud!

Mom and Dad, I miss you.  But I take great joy in knowing that two years ago we did your work for you in the temple.  Chris and I were able to be sealed to you.  I hope that you have accepted that work so that we can be an eternal family.

I will be thinking about you today.   

Love,

Laura  

Attention!

This is your reminder that Brian will return from his mission two weeks from today!  

That is all.  You may now resume your normal lives.

28 Years

Robert and I were married in the Manti Temple 28 years ago.  Man, that's a long time!  We were young and probably a little foolish, but we knew we were in love, and we knew we could make our marriage work.  And we have. It hasn't always been easy.  We've had ups and downs. We've been poor and well, not rich, but not poor.  We've had fights and we've had great times.  But through it all we knew we could count on each other.  We were in this together!  

I'm so grateful to have Robert in my life.  I'm grateful for the home we've built together.  I'm grateful for the four wonderful children we've raised or are still raising.  I'm grateful that we will be growing old(er) together.  

Happy Anniversary, Robert!  I love you! 

Nice People

Jeffrey and I had to go to Memorial City Mall tonight.  We were on a quest for an aqua polo shirt (which is another story in and of itself).  On the way back we stopped at a little pizza place (Napoli's on Memorial near Dairy Ashford) and got a slice of pizza.  When we came out, my Odyssey wouldn't start.  I didn't have any jumper cables and I wasn't relishing the idea of calling Robert and making him drive 25 minutes to help us.  I went in to the pizza place and asked one of the men working if any of them had jumper cables. He found one guy who did, so that guy and another employee came out and hooked up my car.  Which still wouldn't start.  But they didn't give up!  They tried some more, and then decided the posts were corroded.  So they worked to clean those off.  By this time we had been joined by another employee and some friends of theirs.  They kept trying, but were still unsuccessful.  I was ready to give up, but they kept cleaning.  And then, lo and behold, my car started! And Jeffrey and I made it home!

Thank goodness for nice people who are still willing to help out strangers! 

Tropical Storm Ana

Today two named tropical storms formed in the Atlantic. Ana and Bill.  Bill looks like it's headed for the east coast. But Ana's projected path takes it right over the Dominican Republic sometime Monday or Tuesday.  The Dominican Republic.  Where Brian is finishing out the last 2-1/2 weeks of his mission!  Why couldn't Ana have waited until after he left!  Now I have to worry about that stupid storm!

**Update**  Ana has now been downgraded to a tropical depression.  I hope she stays that way (or fades even more).

A Cheer

Jeffrey had a great time at Fish Camp.  He is now a fully indoctrinated (brainwashed) Aggie!  Whoop!

They were split into 6 different groups at Fish Camp.  Each group was assigned a color.  His group's color was aqua. This was one of their cheers:

We're not blue, we're not green,

We're the color in between!

We're aqua!  What!  What!

We're aqua!

I think that is one high class, quality cheer!

Great Card

I just saw the funniest anniversary card ever!  Here's what it said on the front:

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

And everyone who saw that look 

wanted to throw up a little.

That cracks me up.  

Things Aren't Always As You Remember

I had a favorite teacher in high school.  All of the students loved him - he really knew how to make his subject interesting.  Recently I discovered he's on FaceBook, so I sent him a friend request.  In it I asked if this was the same teacher who taught at Rich East in 1978.  It was him, but in his reply he said that he was only 28 at the time, so he really couldn't have taught anyone anything.

What ?!?!  28?!?!  I was so surprised by that.  I had always thought him to be older than that.  Probably because I had that 18-year-old mentality that says that teachers are old. It made me wonder how many of my other teachers were actually much younger than I thought they were.  

Oh, and what's really strange?  His youngest child is 30 - only a little more than 3 years older than Kimberly.  That seems really odd. 

Countdown Update!

Brian will come home from his mission three weeks from today!!

Woo hoo!!

I can't wait!!

Don't Move to This Place

I never knew Navasota was full of danger, but it must be. Today on the drive to College Station we drove by Schulte Roofing in Navasota.  They have a sign on the side of their building which reads:

Home of the Bulletproof Roof

I kid you not.  If I have to have a bulletproof roof to be safe in a town, I don't want to live there!  Of course, in Navasota it's probably confused hunters and not criminals you have to worry about.  But still....

Too Soon!!

Bright and early (well, early anyway) tomorrow morning, I will be driving Jeffrey up to Texas A&M so he can attend his four day Fish Camp.  Here's their fancy logo: 

Fish Camps are held throughout August, and are a way for new freshman to get to know other new freshman and learn more about being an Aggie.  I'll drop him off in College Station, and then all of the kids will be bused to a camp in Palestine, TX.  He'll have four days full of fun (hopefully), and I'll pick him up Friday afternoon.  I'm sure we'll have a nice conversation for 15 minutes or so, until he falls asleep for the rest of the trip!  

Then we will have 9 days at home before we drive him back up to Texas A&M.  This time to move him into this lovely place:
Appelt Hall.  Which will be his home until next May.

Which leads me to say:  Too Soon!!

Where did the summer go?  It just started yesterday didn't it?  How can my 3rd child be going off to college already!

I'm really going to miss that kid.  And not just because he drives Scott places!  Jeffrey is a lot of fun to have around the house (when he's home), and he will be missed!

But I know he's ready for this.  So I'll let him go and keep reminding myself of that!

Line Etiquette

Today Robert and I went to Pappas Barbecue for lunch.  For those of you who have never been there, everyone gets in one line which moves along until it's your turn to order. They are pretty quick there, so the wait isn't long.  Today we got in line behind about a dozen people, including the man in front of us who was alone.  After a few minutes there was probably another 8 people in line behind us. Suddenly, 3 people came in the door and walked up and joined the man in line in front of us.  I wasn't upset - we weren't in a hurry.  But that made me think about line etiquette.

How many people is it okay to hold a place in line for?  If it had been 3 people in line and one joined them, I think that's fine.  I think one person being joined by 3 others is kind of pushing it.  I think the 3 should have just waited their turn.  

What do you think?  

Summer's Over

"What?" you say.  "Summer's not over - school doesn't start for 3 more weeks."  Well, that's only if you're not in Marching Band.  If you are Marching Band in most of the schools in the area, Summer Band Camp starts tomorrow. And it doesn't just start.  Oh, no.  It takes over our lives. In the next 9 out of 11 days, Scott will be at Band for 81 hours. Yes, that's right, 81 hours!!  9 hours a day.  And it's not just the 9 hours a day I object to, it's the schedule.  First I drop him off at 8:00a.m., then I pick him up at 3:00p.m., then I drop him off at 6:30p.m., then I pick him up at 8:30p.m. Do they think I have nothing better to do with my day than take Scott to and from and to and from the school?  Apparently they do.  Thank heavens the teachers have meetings the week before school - they can only have Band from 4:30 to 8:30 those days.  Only 20 hours that week - how lucky we are.  Scott is looking forward to school starting on the 24th, just so Summer Band Camp will be over.  I think that's a sad end to summer.

I think I'll do a poll.  In the comments section tell me if you think 101 hours of Marching Band in 3 weeks is too much, and if my tirade above is justified.        

One Month!

Brian will come home from his mission one month from today!  I can't wait to see him!

Missions are funny.  In some ways it seems like he has been gone forever.  But this two years also seems to have sped by.  

I'm so glad he chose to serve the Lord.  But I'm ready to see him again, and I'm starting my countdown!

Nothing Better

There's nothing better than getting a picture of your missionary son, all dressed in white, with a big smile on his face, standing next to a young woman he is getting ready to baptize.  This picture made this missionary mom's day!

 

Also, Brian is like 6 feet tall, so I don't know how tall his companion is.  He really makes Brian look short though!

TV Meme

This was stolen from Kimberly.  My answers will probably make no sense to most of you, but I don't care!  I feel like posting, but I've got nothing very exciting to say.

Choose 5 TV shows (no peeking at the questions below before you choose them), list them, and then answer the questions.  (I don't know how to hide things, so if any of you do this meme, you are on your honor to not look at the questions below before you pick your TV shows.)

Here are my 5 TV shows:

1. Criminal Minds

2. Burn Notice

3. NCIS

4. Numbers

5. CSI: New York

1.  Which is your favorite series from your list?  Why?

Definitely Criminal Minds.  I LOVE that show!  I love Hotch in his suits, I love Morgan in his tight t-shirts, I love Reid and his geekiness, I love Garcia and her mad computer skills. And, what can I say?  I'm a sucker for the murder, mayhem, and gore!

2.  If you were to pair two characters from 1 and 4, who would they be?

Okay, I know Charlie and Amita are engaged, and I know Garcia has a boyfriend, but I would like to see Charlie and Garcia together.  Charlie with his mad math skills, and Garcia with her mad technology skills.  What a pair they'd make!

3.  What is one thing you'd like to change about 3's plotline?

Obviously, I would have had NCIS director Jenny killed much sooner.  Or better yet, I would have never had her on the show at all.

4.  If both main characters from 2 and 5 were falling off a cliff, which one would you save?

This is an easy one.  I have no doubt that if Michael from Burn Notice were falling off a cliff, he could save himself. And while Mac from CSI: New York used to be a Marine, he's not in as good a shape as Michael.  So I'd save Mac.

5.  Which event was the most horrible for you in 1?

There have been many horrible moments in 1, but most of them have been resolved.  So I would have to say the cliffhanger to this season was the most horrible.  Hotch was shot, and we don't know if he's okay!

6.  Which is your least favorite character in 2?

This is a hard one.  I really like all of the characters.  I guess I would pick Nate, who is actually not on the show very much, but can be annoying when he is on.

**Kimberly omitted question 7, claiming it was too disturbing.**

8.  What song reminds you of 5?

Obviously, The Who's "Baba O'Riley".

9.  Of 1, 3, and 5, which is the easiest to think about?

Well, 1 and 3 both have cliffhangers hanging over them, so I would have to say 5.

That's the end of the meme.  I'm sure you all think I'm a weird, obsessed TV freak.  And you might be right!  But only about those 5 shows.  Try not to think less of me....

I Feel Good!

Robert, Scott, and I, along with Devon T., spent the morning volunteering at the Houston Food Bank.  The boys were finishing up a requirement for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge.

I'm so glad we went.  We spent the morning pulling food orders for different churches and other organizations in the city.  The boys and Robert did the actual box toting.  I did all the writing and the label sticking.  The label sticking actually required a lot of bending and stooping, so it wasn't as easy as it sounds.  

This was one of those times I wish I had brought my pedometer.  I always remember it AFTER I've finished an activity involving a lot of walking!  We walked a lot.  It would have been nice to know how many steps we actually took.

The only bad part?  The warehouse isn't air conditioned. There were random fans throughout the place, but it was still hot in there.  We were all a sweaty mess by the time we left!  It was definitely a two shower day!

My feet are sore (my sneakers aren't as comfortable as my Keens, but they're close toed), and I was smelly (remedied by a nice shower), but it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

Nothing to Say

I've got nothing to say, but I felt I should replace my birthday post.  My birthday is over and done with - it's time to move on!

Unfortunately, I've got nothing to say.  Summer just seems to fall into a mindless routine.  Which leaves me with nothing to blog about.

Oh, well.  I accomplished my goal - I replaced my birthday post.

Happy Birthday...to ME!!!!

It's now after midnight, so it's officially July 21st - my birthday!  I now begin my last year in the 40s.   Man, I'm old! 

The Dangers of Service

This morning, Jeffrey and Scott helped a family move their belongings into a storage unit.  As Devon and Jeffrey were carrying a dresser down the truck ramp, Jeffrey decided it would be a good idea to fall off the ramp.  And land on his face.  This was the result:

Everyone there was afraid he was concussed, because he was lightheaded for a few moments.  But he's fine and symptom free now.  His glasses got a little scratched at the top, but as Jeffrey pointed out, they are still nowhere near as scratched as glasses he has worn in the past.  And this scratch isn't in his field of vision, so it's not a problem.

Now he can enjoy his awesome scrape, and hope it stays for a while.  He is a guy, you know.  I'm just trying to figure out how he got scratched on his eyelid, but not his eyebrow.

Oh, most importantly?  The dresser was okay!

Internet Ordering Anger!

I have a FoodSaver - it vacuum seals food so it lasts longer. Today I got an e-mail offering a $65.99 bundle for $19.99 plus free shipping.  It included lots of stuff I don't have, so I decided to order it.  After 25 minutes of trying to place the order, I called the company.  I was told they were having problems with their website and I should try back in two hours.  I asked the lady if they had plenty of the item in stock.  "Oh, yes", I was assured.

Fast forward one hour - not two.  I decided to try again. This time the website worked.  I clicked on the product and what did I see?  "Out of Stock".  WHAT?!?!?  I was assured there would be plenty if I ordered after two hours, and they were all gone after one hour.

I called again, and was told, apologetically, that they had underestimated the demand.  I was told they were hoping to get more in soon and I should just keep checking back.  

I very politely told the lady that next time they made an offer like that they should make sure their website could handle it and that they had enough of the item on hand to last more than a few hours.  

It really makes me angry when stuff like this happens!!

NCIS Withdrawal

I decided that I would watch NCIS this summer.  All 6 seasons.  I watched season 1 using Netflix.  That took way too long.  I had to wait while disks were being mailed back and forth.  It was a pain!  I sent out a plea to see if anyone owned any of the other seasons, and Jon responded!  For the price of a plate of cookies I was able to borrow season 2 from him.  It was much better!  And totally spoiled me.  So much so that I ended up buying seasons 3 and 4.  (They recently dropped the price, and I had a Best Buy coupon. That's my justification.)  And Kimberly owns season 5, so I borrowed that from her.  So nice to just be able to keep putting in a disk as soon as I was finished with one!  Season 6 I watched on Netflix Instant on my computer.  If you had come to my house in the past few days you would have probably wondered why my armchair was turned around facing my computer.  What can I say?  I wanted to watch in comfort!  

But now, I'm done.  What I thought would take me all summer using Netflix, only took me half the summer.  I am ready for season 7, which probably won't start until late September!  I'm having NCIS withdrawal!  I miss Gibbs and Tony and McGee and Ziva and Abby and Ducky and Palmer! I miss them all!  September is too far away!

Sigh.

**Disclaimer**  NCIS has in no way replaced my favorite show, Criminal Minds.  It's just fresher in my mind.  I still miss Hotch and Morgan and Reid and Garcia and JJ.

Another sigh.