Mississippi

Crossing the Mississippi River.


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Chimichangas

Robbie cooking the Chimis for our family dinner. Michael's family, Charles's family, and Robbie's family are all here.


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Sadie the Burrito

The girls (Sadie, Kaitlyn and Madison) were playing in the Family Room. They wrapped Sadie up like a burrito.


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Birthday Time

Today was my son, Robbie's 38th birthday; my daughter-in-law, Tonia's 37th birthday; and my granddaughter, Madison's 7th birthday. It was also Greg Melven's 61st birthday, Rebecca Norwood- Kramer's 29th birthday and Salina Davis' birthday. There must have been a lot of New Year's celebrating!


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The start of our Quilt

I've been going to "The Bluebonnet Shop Hop" with Dorias in April for the past three years. At each shop that you stop at, they give you a "Fat Quarter" of fabric. I've been saving them. Now that we are getting our room furnished like we want it, I've started making a Crazy Quilt to go on our bed out of all those "Fat Quarters". This is a picture of the first 7 blocks.


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Our New Dresser

Bob finally got our new dresser stained and varnished. We were able to move into it yesterday! We are no longer "white trash" with our Walmart plastic stacking drawers.


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Summer of Seals 2011

My three girls (Dorias, Stephenie and Bonnie) participated in The Summer of Seals. It is a 500 meter swim, push-ups, sit-ups, pull- ups and a 1.5 mile run. They had three months to prepare. They did great. Bonnie, of course, came in second in ALL the women that participated which was about 50 women. It was a lot of fun.


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Monday, June 27, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Monday morning I got the kitchen all cleaned.  Later Greg Melven came over to visit Bob, but he wasn’t home so I visited with him until Bob got home around 2:30.  In the meantime, I did a lot of watering outside to help keep the plants alive.  The grass is all burning up where we don’t have a sprinkler system.  I don’t remember in the 29+ years that we’ve lived in Texas, as hot a June as we’ve had this year.  That afternoon Bob and I went into town—him to look at a new gun and me to grocery shop.  After we got home, I mixed up enough waffle batter for the 22 missionaries that were coming over for lunch on Tuesday.  I then downloaded “Sister Spy”—the fourth book in the series I’m reading.  I finished it around 11:30 and then went to bed.

We had a storm during the night and got a little rain.  Most of it went north of us.  Tuesday morning I mended a pair of pants for Elder Clark and for Elder Bevan.  Then I made a big pot of “Buttermilk Caramel Syrup” and finished making the waffle batter.  The missionaries got here around 12:30 and I started cooking.  I had Tonia’s waffle iron so I was able to make four at a time until we popped a circuit.  The breaker wouldn’t reset so we moved both waffle irons to the other side of my kitchen and kept on cooking.  All the batter was eaten and also all the caramel syrup,  about a quart of regular maple syrup and a pound of butter.  Everyone got plenty to eat.  All 22 missionaries were gone by 2.  I’m glad that we used Styrofoam plates and cups.  I got the kitchen all cleaned up and then Myra Hetling, our new Relief Society president, came over and we went over the visiting teaching routes.  She wanted to make a lot of changes!  After she talked with me, Bob had a meeting with her.  I started reading the book that Stephenie got me for Mother’s Day called “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  As soon as Myra left, we went to Rosa’s Café for dinner.  Then Bob went to interviews at the Church and I went to get gas ($3.33 gal) than I came on home and continued reading.  When the missionaries got home, Elder Berghout set up my Netflix on my new Blu-ray player that Grandma got me.  I’m going to like it.  Just before I went to bed, a storm started, but we hardly got any rain—just lots of thunder and lightning and wind.

Wednesday was Elder Berghout’s 20^th birthday.  I got up and went to the temple.  Sharon, Marsha and Charlene went with me.  We had a good day at the temple and a good trip to and from.  Just before we got to Weatherford, I texted our missionaries to meet us at On the Boarder for dinner.  Rebecca Norwood also met us there.  It took almost an hour for them to seat us and then by the time they brought us our meal, we had all filled up on chips and salsa.  When we were through eating, they brought Elder Berghout a brownie ice cream sundae with a candle and sang Happy Birthday to him.  Bob actually made it home before I did that night.  I got a text from Eric.  He got a 96% on his third CPA exam.  One more to go!

Thursday morning I called DishNetwork and cut our service down to the bare minimum since we hardly ever use it, and I cancelled our landline with AT&T.  So now, if you want to get in touch with Bob, you call 817-584-8534 and if you want to get in touch with me, you call 817-584-8535.  It was after 10 before Bob left for Elbit.  I visited with the missionaries for a while and worked on updating my blog.  I still need to add pictures.  I made reservations to fly out to Utah.  Tuesday Stephenie’s family left to drive from Tomball, TX out to St. George, Utah to a Black Family Reunion.  Evan leaves on Wednesday so I’m going out there to help her on Thursday.  I’ll be gone about 10 days.  I just piddled around here some more, started laundry, and took a nap.  When I got up, I continued reading on my book.  At first I didn’t like the way it was written, but it is an excellent book.  Very interesting.  It is a story taking place during and after the German Occupation on Guernsey Island near England and France. 

Friday morning Bob went to Elbit.  When I got up, I visited with the missionaries until time for them to leave.  Then I went over to Jorge’s home to pick up Charles & Amber.  They had dropped his truck off for Jorge to fix the a/c.  We stopped by O’Reilly’s Auto Parts on the way home to get some oil and filters.  We just sat around and visited when we got home.  At 1, Charles and Amber went to pick up Sadie from her dad at the Stake Center.  Later Bob got home.  Sadie and Charles went out to pick blackberries and tomatoes and discovered three huge tomato worms stripping our tomato plants.  I went in and took a nap.  When I got up, Amber and Sadie were sleeping.  When they woke up, we all went to eat at Cici’s Pizza.  Soon after we got back to the house, Jorge brought Charles’ truck back so they left to go back to Jacksboro.  I got in and finished reading my book.

I slept in on Saturday, but Bob had to get up to do his SMU class from his office.  When I came out of my room, all four missionaries were here studying quietly at the table.  Elder Berghout had made crepes for them for breakfast.  Jorge was here changing oil, rotating tires, etc. on all three of our vehicles.  I went to Walmart to do the shopping.  When I got home, Jorge was mowing and weeding.  I put the groceries away and finished the ward bulletin and then cleaned up the kitchen and started reading a new book “The Hourglass Door” by Lisa Mangum.  After a while, I went up to the Church to work on Visiting Teaching stuff.  I got all the changes made that our prez wanted me to make, but then there wasn’t any ink in the printer.  Then I went down to the library and ran off the ward bulletin—they finally got ink for that Xerox machine!  When I got home, I read on my book until time for bed.  It is a good book!

Yesterday I went to my meetings and then came home and did absolutely nothing for a while.  Later I fixed dinner for Bob and read “The Hourglass Door” to its end.  I immediately downloaded the next book—“The Golden Spiral”.  I wanted to start it, but it was almost midnight so I went to bed.

This morning I got up and went to breakfast with Trish at IHOP.  Her grandkids sure wore her out this last week.  Marilyn came soon before I left.  I went to Office Max and got ink for the clerk’s office printer and then went to the Church and worked on Visiting Teaching again.  There were several more changes that I needed to make.  When I got home, I found another mistake so will fix that later today.  Bob went to the dermatologist again for a check-up.  I visited with the missionaries, did my “Monday Computer Chores” and talked to Dorias on the phone. 

Well, I’ll close for now.  I’ll be in Utah next Monday.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Monday afternoon and evening, I finished my book “Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Wagon Wheels” by Ree Drummond.  I was going to start “Disappeared” by Lynn Mason, but since it was so late, I decided to go to bed instead.  The two new Spanish Missionaries came over in the afternoon.  Elder Clark lived with us from 11/16/09 to 1/20/10.  He was the 22^nd missionary to live with us.  Elder To’a is his companion.  He is from Tonga.

Bob called me Tuesday morning from Worth Ranch.  It got up to 105° out there on Monday.  He is miserable with the heat, but enjoying being with Landon.  I started the laundry and then went out to Trish’s house in Brock.  I had to go get gas on the way.  It is down to $3.37 a gallon.  Trish and I went to lunch at Mikey’s there in Brock.  I stopped at the Church on the way home and did my Visiting Teaching Report for May.  It would have been better, but I couldn’t get several of the sisters to give me their reports.  Later Eric called me.  He and Angela found out that they are having another girl.  I worked on Visiting Teaching the rest of the afternoon and then started reading “Disappeared”.  I didn’t want to put it down, but had to when the clock stuck 10 and it was time to go to bed.

When the alarm went off Wednesday morning for me to get up to go to the Temple, I noticed a text that had come in from Bob at 4:24am.  It said “We are safe.  May evacuate for fire.  Lightening strike.  At dining hall with all boys accounted for.  Will let you know as we know more.”  Then he said “No progress. Waiting in dining hall to determine if we leave or stay.”  Then I got a call from him at 7:35 telling me that they had gotten the fire out or under control and he was on his way home.  Just after midnight, they had had a “dry storm” come through.  Lightening had struck just on the other side of the river from their campsite even though it wasn’t raining.  It burnt a couple 100 acres.  He got home around 8:30, showered, and went to work at Elbit.  He was totally exhausted.  He even started out the door without shaving.  I left at 9:30 to go to the Temple.  Sharon and I were the only ones to go from here.  We had a good day, but slow.  On the way home we ate at Logan’s again.  Bob was up at the Church when I got home.  He told me that he had gone home from work early and had taken about a 3-4 hour nap. 

Thursday was Jarom’s 31^st birthday.  Bob woke me up early that morning.  I was not ready to wake up, much less get up, but I did.  I wanted to go back to bed after he left for Elbit, but I didn’t and then I changed my mind.  I needed more sleep.  When I did finally get up, I got the laundry going and then went into town.  I got my nails done, went to the post office, and drove out to Brycon, Inc. to order our new dresser and night stands for our bedroom.  They are the same company that made our kitchen cabinets; the bookshelves, cabinets and desk in Bob’s office; and the cabinets in our Texas bathroom.  When I got home, I finished reading “Disappeared” by Lynn Mason.  Then I started reading “A Secret Life” by Laura Payton Roberts.  I found out that it should have been read before “Disappeared”.  They aren’t by the same author, but they are written in exactly the same style about the same girl.  Friday I found out that it is a series and there are several books written by several people. We went out to dinner at Cracker Barrel.  I texted Jarom and told him that we were going out for his birthday.  When we got home, I read.  I finally put it down at 11 and went to bed.

Friday morning Bob went to work really early.  I got up around 8:30, dropped Sugar off at Puppy Luv to be groomed; went to IHOP for breakfast with Don & Trish and Marilyn; went to Walmart to get salt for the soft water thingy; went to Office Max and a mailing store to find a holder for rolls of stamps, but no one had them; and then I finished up at the Pure Water Station to get water for our food storage.  While at IHOP, they sang happy birthday to a 103 year old lady.  She walked in and out on her own accord—no cane or walker.  I figured she was in her 80’s.  While at Walmart, I ran into Conner Wooten and two people from our ward.  Then when I was waiting for my water at the Pure Water Station, a car pulled out of the Walmart parking lot right into the path of a car going down South Main.  The wreck hit another car also.  No one was hurt, but the cars….  When I got home, I worked on my iPhone—it wasn’t working properly.  Then the missionaries came home and unloaded the back of the truck for me.  While I was going back into town to pick up Sugar from the groomer, I got a text from Amber.  Charles got a job at the hospital where she works there in Jacksboro.  When I got home, I worked on getting my iPhone to working properly again.  Facebook was completely not working and my memory was full so I had to remove a lot of songs, but I didn’t care.  I use Pandora all the time now.  I’ll get more memory on my next iPhone.  My new LG Network Blu-ray Disc Player that Grandma got me for my birthday came Friday afternoon.  That evening Bob and I got the mattress and box springs from the bed in the guest room and loaded them into Bob’s truck.  That was hard since it was 105 outside and they were heavy.  Then we drove to Jacksboro to Charles’ house.  Charles helped Bob unload the mattress and box springs and put them on their bed.  Amber had fixed us a nice dinner.  We ate and then sat around and visited for a while before driving back home.

Saturday was an eventful or busy day.  The Spanish missionaries came over to give me the program to type up for a baptism that evening.  While they were here, they helped Bob move the mattress and box springs from out of my sewing room into the guest room.  Later Michael came over.  I fixed him, Bob, and our two missionaries breakfast.  Then Michael rearranged the furniture in my sewing room for me and hooked up my new DVD player in my sewing room.  Then I watched “Cars” in Blu-ray while Michael and Bob went into town. (It’s the only Blu-ray movie that I have.)  When they got home, they moved the leather love seat from the family room into my sewing room, the leather recliner from the living room into the family room, and the cloth recliner from my sewing room into the living room.  In other words, it was musical furniture around here.  After Michael left, we watched a James Bond movie on the TV in my sewing room.  I was glad that Bob was just relaxing for a change instead of working constantly.  I then got cleaned up and took Bob on a date for Father’s Day and his 64^th birthday.  First of all, we met Don & Trish, Jack & Judy, Dan & Tonia, and Corola at The Mesquite Pit for a little surprise party. Trish brought a carrot birthday cake for him.  Everyone sang “Happy Birthday”.  Then Bob and I left and I made the ultimate sacrifice for him—I took him to see “The Green Lantern”.  I HATE that type of movie, but he loves them.  He was a comic book junky in his younger years.  When we got out of the theatre, it was trying to rain.  It had gotten up to 107° during the day.  It was blowing hot wind since it was still 97° at 9:30 that evening.

Of course, yesterday was Father’s Day and Bob’s birthday.  He left to go to his meetings before I got up.  Everything went well at Church.  When I got home, I ate and then took a nap until Bob got home.  He stayed home until just before 6 and then went back up to the Church.  I finished reading “A Secret Life” and then read “Recruited” which was the first book in the series.  So I read book 3 then 2 and then 1.

I was really tired when I got up. Trish and I didn’t go to breakfast because she had three of her grandkids (Don & Sally’s youngest) visiting from Alabama.  I did my “Monday Computer Chores” and then cleaned the kitchen.  We had a cold front come in this morning—it got down to 86°, but is on its way up again.

Hope you have a good week.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

As most of you have probably figured out, I usually write my letter daily so that I won’t forget things—it is sorta a journal.  Well, this week I didn’t do it.  I am just writing it now so this might be short.  I’m told that it is just a journal of where I eat.

Last Monday I cleaned the house as I mentioned in last week’s letter.  I got all of it done except the laundry room, my room, and my bathroom—still haven’t cleaned them.  Eric and his family got here from visiting down in the Houston area around 3:30.  Bob came home from work shortly thereafter.  We ate dinner at Rosa’s Café and it wasn’t even Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning, Eric stayed home and watched Aaron and Kaylee while I took Angela to IHOP for Breakfast with the Girls.  Bob had gone to Elbit.  We had a great turnout at IHOP.  That evening Charles and his family came over.  We all went to eat at Chicken Express.  Afterwards they dropped Sadie off at the Stake Center for her dad to pick her up for a couple weeks.  We all then went back to the house and visited all evening long. 

Wednesday was temple day.  Bob stayed home and visited with Eric and his family while I went to the temple with Sharon, Marsha, and Charlene.  At noonish, Eric and his family went to Benbrook to visit with Michael and his family.  Bob went to Elbit for a while and then to DFW to catch a flight to Orlando, Florida.  Our day went well at the temple.  I was able to see Elder Rank who was going home the next day.   One the way home from the temple, we stopped and ate at Logan’s here in Weatherford.  Eric and his family got home from Michael’s about five minutes after I got home.  We visited until the missionaries got home.  We have a new missionary--Elder Bevan replaced Elder Stanworth.  Elder Bevan is from Star Valley, Wyoming.   We all went to bed shortly thereafter.

We were all really tired on Thursday so didn’t do much all day long.  We did go to Alvin Ord’s for lunch.  They have great sandwiches—The Salvation is the best.  That evening Robbie and his family came over to visit.  Their dog, Evangeline, had been spayed that day so she was kind of groggy.  We really had a nice visit.  Bob got home from Orlando later that night.

On Friday Angela was craving Cici’s Pizza so we went there for lunch.  That evening we all went to Mineral Wells to Robbie’s house.  Eric and Angela had never seen it.  Robbie fixed grilled hamburgers and made a large fruit salad and I’d made a large potato salad.  We stayed until the kids needed to be put to bed and then came on home.

We had to be REALLY quiet on Saturday.  Bob broadcasts his SMU class this semester from his office.  It starts at 8am and goes until 4pm, but Saturday it went until 5pm.  I was really surprised that we were able to keep the kids quiet.  We watched a lot of Pixar movies that day.  Also, Robbie, Beth, and Lauren were going to the temple so we babysat Evangeline for them.  Beth’s parents babysat Landon, Emma and Eden.  Evangeline was acting fine again.  She wanted to play with Sugar, but Sugar didn’t want to play with her.  About the time Bob got done with his class, Michael and his family came over.  We all went to Cici’s again for supper and then back to the house to visit.  Robbie, Beth, & Lauren stopped by to pick up Evangeline and stayed a while.  It was late before we got to bed and Eric & Angela still needed to pack.

The alarm went off at 4:30 yesterday morning!  Yuk!  I am not an early morning person!  I got up and got dressed.  Bob helped Eric load the car and then we left at 5.  Bob would have taken them to the airport, but he had a 6am meeting.  I was so sleepy.  It was ok going over, but not coming home.  I think the car was on automatic pilot because I don’t remember half of the trip home and I even missed our exit here in Weatherford. When I got home at 7:15, I layed down on the bed and died.  The next thing I knew it was 9:15—too late for Church.  I turned off the ringer to my phone.  The next thing I knew, Bob was home checking on me.  I slept most of the day.  When I did get up, I started reading “Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Wagon Wheels” on my Kindle. 

This morning Bob left really early to go to Boy Scout Camp with Landon at Worth Ranch about an hour or so from here.  I later got up and went to IHOP to have breakfast with Trish and Marilyn.  Afterwards I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get some glasses for the missionaries.  When I got home, I started watering outside and doing my “Monday Computer Chores”.   Now I’m fixin to start reading on my book again.

Hope that you have a good week.  AND check out my blog www.subell.blogspot.com  Karen posted some of the family pictures for me.