Weekly Letter ending 12/13/10

Monday, December 13, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Monday was a fun day.  As I mentioned last week, it was Elder Burt’s 21^st birthday plus it was P-Day so both sets of missionaries were over here all day long doing laundry, writing letters and playing pool.  I fixed a really nice dinner for all four. After they left to go to the Single’s Branch Family Home Evening, I got a birthday cake in the oven for them to have when they came home for the evening.  They really enjoyed it.  Elder Burt is sorta shy, but mischievous.  You never know how to take him.  I think he had a good birthday.

Tuesday morning I got up and went to IHOP for Breakfast with the Girls.  We had a really sparse turnout, but had fun.  Kayla Calderon came after we were all finished eating and was just sitting around visiting.  She told us about a place here in Texas that they go to every Thanksgiving (Fri-Sun) in Elm Mott called Homestead Heritage which is just about nine miles north of Waco.  The people in the community sorta live the United Order.  Her family really enjoys going.  You can go any time during the year and take classes.  Bev told us that her sister went a couple weeks ago and learned how to plow fields using mules.  Everything is hands on.  I think it would be fun to go.  Anyway, on the way home from IHOP I stopped and filled up with gas.  When I got home, Bob had gone to Fort Worth.  I put the Christmas music on and enjoyed myself.  I worked on my Visiting Teaching report—making lots of phone calls, texting, and emailing.  I wish that my supervisors would do their jobs.  All four missionaries came home for lunch.  After they left, I just wasted the afternoon away.  That evening Bob had another business dinner so I just watched TV until I went to bed.

Wednesday was temple day.  Sharon, Sherrina (Sharon’s youngest daughter), and Marsha went with me.  I was the veil coordinator for the day.  Everything went well.   Charlene Pope and Jim Norwood met us at Antonio’s for dinner.  When I got home, I watched Biggest Looser and a couple other shows before Bob got home.

We were supposed to go to Dorias’ in Boerne on Thursday morning, but Bob had to work.  He usually only puts in a few days a month at Elbit, but he’s had to go almost every day this past couple of weeks.  The money is good, but I miss the husband.  I did laundry and cleaned the kitchen in the morning then went into town to do some errands—cleaners, Walgreens, Walmart, and then by the Church to do my Visiting Teaching report.  While in town I noticed that Blockbuster has moved to College Park and an Anytime Fitness Center is going into the old Blockbuster on South Main.  Robbie got here soon after I got home.  He picked up Eden’s coat that she had left here over Thanksgiving weekend.  After he left, I did the Ward Bulletin.  Bob finally got home a little before six.  We hurried and packed, loaded up the car, went to Walgreens to pick up my prescription, and then we were on the road.  I drove as far as Lampasas then Bob drove the rest of the way.  We saw a lot of deer along the sides of the road.  We got pulled over in Johnson City for Bob driving with his high beams on.  He just got a warning.  It was almost 11:30 when we got to Boerne.  We stayed up talking to Dorias, Mark, and Matthew.  Finally I went to bed.  We were on a blow up mattress in their living room.

We couldn’t sleep in Friday morning  because of Mark going to work, Matthew and Rebecca going to Seminary and then to school, and Dorias taking the twins to kindergarten.  Later we went into town to run some errands.  We finished off at Bumdoodler’s for lunch.  Afterwards, I stayed at Dorias’ while Bob and she went to pick up Richard and Robert from school.  That evening we went to Rebecca’s choir concert.  It was pretty good.  Dorias had substituted for the choir teacher for 10 days ending this last Tuesday.  The students presented her with flowers since she had helped them so much for the concert.  Afterwards, all of Dorias’ family, plus Matthew’s girlfriend, and Bob & I went to a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio.  I ate too much—as usual.

 

Saturday morning we visited a while then Bob helped Mark take the pod off their car.  When they were done, we hit the road.  We took our time going home.  We stopped at the wildflower place between Fredericksburg and Johnson City and we stopped at the BIG rocking chair place near Santo.  I got a text from Charles.  They had just boarded the ship in Galveston for their Christmas Cruise.  This time they took Sadie with them.  When we got back to Weatherford, we went to the Pure Water Station to buy a stand for a 5 gallon water bottle, but they didn’t have the kind that we wanted.  Later we went back into town and looked at two other places, but couldn’t find them so we’ll just order one online after Christmas.  When we got home, Bob got ready and went to his monthly Bishopric Training Meeting.  I wanted to go to bed, but it was too early.  So I went in and watched TV until he got home.  We watched together for a while then we both went to bed.  Bonnie started her new job at an ER in Katy.  She is really excited about it.

Sunday was a hard day—it was worse than fasting.  I could only consume clear liquids from midnight Saturday until midnight Sunday.  I know it was only mental that I felt like I was starving to death because I could at least eat Jell-O and drink broth and diet cokes until midnight last night. Why was I doing all this?  It wasn’t for a diet, but because I was preparing for a Colonoscopy for this morning.  Then at 5 Sunday evening I had to start taking these pills and drinking TONS of water.  Anyone who has ever had a colonoscopy knows what happened next.  I couldn’t eat or drink anything after midnight.  Yuk, the hazards of getting old.  I did go to Church on Sunday and that helped keep my mind off of it for three hours.

We got up this morning and were at the hospital at 8:15 for an 8:30 procedure which didn’t even start until after noon.  Everything went as expected.  Don’t remember a thing which I am glad.  Bob talked to Robbie while I was under.  Landon broke his foot so Robbie was putting a cast on it.  We stopped by Walgreens on our way home.  Bob fixed me something to eat then I slept the rest of the afternoon.  While I was sleeping, Bob and the four missionaries (Collins, Romero, Burt, and Struhs) put the Christmas tree up and decorated it. I’m not putting out all my decorations because we won’t be here for Christmas.  If the weather cooperates, we will be going to Laramie, Wyoming and South Jordan, Utah.  If it doesn’t cooperate, we will just be going to South Jordan.

My Weekly Letter ending 12/6/10

Monday, December 6, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Monday I worked on my blog!  I’m going to try to do better.  If you want to see it, it is www.subell.blogspot.com.   When I went to check my email, I had received an email from Spencer Montgomery letting me know that Elder Dallin Briner from Meridian, Idaho who lived with us from June 24, 2009 until August 5, 2009 was killed in a car accident last Sunday, November 28.  He had only been home from his mission for about four months.  His car went off the road so he got out and tried to dig it out when another car slid off and hit him…. That evening Bob had to go to a business dinner in Fort Worth at Angelo’s.   I stayed home and ate leftovers and watched TV.  Bob got home just as I was fixin to go to bed.

Bob went to Elbit on Tuesday.  I got up and did laundry and remade beds as the sheets got done.  I also threw away all the food in the refrigerators that had sugar in them.  I just kept thinking “Would it look better on me or in the trash?”  I did polish off the last Cherry pie before throwing everything else in the trash.  Now there are no temptations.  I typed up the ward bulletin for Sunday then got ready to go into town.  In town, I went to Walmart, got gas, and then went to get my nails done.  I was sooooo overdue for that.  On the way home, I stopped at Walgreens to pick up an antibiotic for my surgery on Thursday.  When I got home, I talked to Bonnie on the phone then worked on the computer.  www.lds.org has changed and I can’t figure out how to schedule the building.  The new website is fantastic, but way over my head.  I don’t even know if I have the authority to use the scheduling parts anymore.  Bob was home from work just long enough to change cloths and leave again to go up to the Church.  I looked through my pictures and found some of Elder Briner and sent them to his parents.  I watched TV that evening.

Wednesday was temple day. I picked up Sharon and Marsha then we drove into Fort Worth and picked up Theda.  From there we went to the temple.  It was a very pleasant and busy day.  We dropped Theda back off at her car then the three of us went to Logan’s Steakhouse.  When I got home, I watched TV until time to go to bed.

Thursday morning we got up early, got ready, and drove into Fort Worth to the Center for Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology for my surgery.  It went so much easier than last time.  This time they didn’t put me under—just deadened the area with LOTS of shots.  They were able to get all the cancer in two tries.  I thought it was interesting that they let Bob stay in and observe.  He said it was really interesting watching him sew me up afterwards.  We were done by 11:30.  Bob and I stopped at Souper Salad on the way home for lunch.  When we got home, I slept the rest of the day.  That evening Bob and I watched “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Knight and Day” then he went to bed.  I had to sleep in the recliner which I did not like.  And I didn’t sleep very well.

Friday I didn’t even get dressed.  I slept most of the day while Bob went to work at Elbit.  I did get up and fix supper.  Don’t ever get the Tyson boneless Buffalo Wings—they are nasty.  That evening I worked a little on calendaring then watched TV.  I was supposed to sleep in the recliner again, but I didn’t.

Saturday morning I took the big bandage off of my incision.  The steri-strips came off with it.  The surgeon did a really good job.  It is about ¾ inches long going up and down over my right eyebrow.  I have to keep it dry for about 1 ½ more weeks until I get the stitches out.  That afternoon Bob and I cleaned the house.  He did all the floors and I did the dusting, three of the bathrooms, and the kitchen.  Later because I couldn’t get my incision wet, Bob washed my hair for me.  I crawled up on the kitchen counter and laid there while he washed it like I did when I was a little girl and my mom would wash my hair—no, I didn’t get a picture.  We then met Don & Trish and Jack & Judy at the Brazos River Catfish Café  for dinner.  When we walked in, I saw Mr. and Mrs. McWhorter.  She was Bonnie and Charles’ first grade teacher at Sam Houston Elementary here in Weatherford.  You couldn’t ask for a better teacher than she was.  She loved those kids like they were her own grandkids.  She had a rocker in her room and if one of her kids needed loves, she would sit and love them.  It was so good to talk to her.  We had a nice evening with our friends.

Sunday morning I slept in.  Then I rushed and got ready for Church.  They changed the speed limit on Bethel Road.  It is now 50mph instead of 60mph.  I don’t think it will cause any fewer accidents.  People are still going to try to pass those going slower than they want to go and the road is too windy and hilly to pass on and it has a double yellow line most of the time.   Our meetings went well.  Afterwards all four missionaries came over here to eat.  I hadn’t planned on them coming so I told them to fend for themselves.  Elder Collins was a chef before he was a missionary so he found some deer sausage and some hamburger and such.  He fixed a pretty good supper.  After they left, I watched the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional.  Bob got home shortly thereafter.  I went to bed.  I was tired—as usual.

Today is Elder Burt’s 21^st birthday.  When I got up, I went into town and got six big Ribeyes and six big baker potatoes for dinner tonight.  When I got home, I cleaned up the kitchen.  Jorge is outside cutting down my blackberry bushes and asparagus plants.  They should both do better next season.  We didn’t get any pecans this year—don’t know why.  Our persimmon tree did pretty well.  With Jorge working on our orchard, we should do better next year in the fruit department.  We did lose four trees this year—we don’t know why to that either.

Hope that you have a great week.  

Who's who

Ever since Dorias had her twins five years ago, I haven't been able to tell them apart.  Over Thanksgiving weekend, the twins had trouble telling Bonnie and Amber apart.  It was funny.  To me, it is obvious who is who with Bonnie and Amber.

 Monday, November 29, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Monday I finished Reagan’s blessing dress then worked on my computer some.  In fact, too much.  I did find almost all of my missionaries on facebook that have gone home.  When I finally got off the computer, I went into town to drop some shirts off at the cleaners, Quest Diagnostics, the post office to mail three packages, to Dr. Huggins office, back to Quest Diagnostics for lab work, to Walmart, to the Pure Water Station, and then home.  I was going to go to the bank, but forgot to.  Bob was home when I got home.  We visited with the four missionaries for a while then we went to dinner at Rosa’s Café.  When we got home, we cleaned on the house.  We didn’t finish, but it is within range now.  I sure have a good husband to help me and put up with me.

Tuesday when I got up, Bob had already gone to Elbit in Fort Worth.  I got all the ingredients out to make my Thanksgiving pies.  Before I stopped to take a break, I’d made two cherry cheesecakes, five cherry pies, four apple pies, two peach pies, a blueberry pie and a blackberry pie.  Bob came home for a few minutes during all that and then left again to go to Carrollton to get eleven food orders at the Bishop’s Storehouse.  The four missionaries also came home for lunch during the pie making.  When the last of those 13 pies were out of the oven, I went into town to get more Crisco and a couple other things.  When I got home, I made two pecan pies and five pumpkin pies.  While the pies were cooking, I cleaned up the kitchen.  Bob got home just as I was finishing up.  It was a long day, but productive for both of us. 

My alarm went off for me to go to the temple on Wednesday.  The temple’s last session was at noon so our shift didn’t have to go in.  I got up and made two cheese balls, a sweet potato casserole, and a fruit salad.  I then talked to Dorias for a while.    I then made a cranberry salad.  I started making the stuffing, but Bob wanted to go into town so we did.  We went to several places including the bank, the cleaners, and the grocery store (again), Auto Zone, Rosa’s Café for lunch, and Home Depot.  When we got home, I finished the stuffing and cooked two dozen eggs for Deviled Eggs.  Then I took a NAP.  I was tired.  Dorias and her family left around 4 to come here from Boerne and Bonnie & Jarom left around 6 to come here from Katy.  Dorias and her family got here around 9.  They brought their two 4-wheelers with them.  Bonnie & Jarom got here around midnight.  I went to bed before Bonnie got here.

Thanksgiving morning we all got up and winter had gotten here—again.  Bob fixed breakfast for all of us.  After we got that cleaned up, I made a green bean casserole and hot rolls; Dorias and Bonnie made the Deviled Eggs; Dorias made a Grape and Pecan Salad; Karen put together a relish tray and made stove top stuffing for Jarom (he is allergic to Turkey); and someone else peeled and cooked the potatoes for mashed potatoes.  When the turkey and ham were out of the oven, Bob carved them while I made turkey gravy and ham gravy.  During all that Michael and his family came over from Benbrook and Charles & Amber came over from Jacksboro.  Sadie was with her Dad in Granbury.  The kids played on the 4-wheelers some, but it was cold.  We had a nice dinner.  Plenty of food!  Later that evening Dan and his family came over.  They had had Thanksgiving dinner with the Ellestad family.  Tonia’s dad was in town. Tonia’s oldest brother and his family came from Alabama and her oldest sister and some of her family came from Azle.  Her little brother had to work, but his family came from next door.  So they also had a house full.  Later that night, Dan and his family, Michael and his family and Charles & Amber went to their own homes.  

Friday morning we had pie and leftovers for breakfast and for the rest of the day.  Later Robbie and his family came over from Mineral Wells.  They didn’t come over on Thanksgiving Day because they had had Beth’s family over.  Dan and his two big girls and Charles & Amber came back over.  All the boys, Dan’s two big girls and Bonnie went down to the Payne’s house to shoot guns.  The rest of the girls went shopping.  I stayed home and watched Eden and the twins.  We watched Ratatouille, which I enjoyed.  That afternoon my kids and the big grandkids played on the 4-wheelers again.  That evening Dorias & Mark, Bonnie & Jarom and Charles & Amber went with Bob over to the Church to clean. I stayed home with the Robert, Richard, Rebecca & Matthew.  Oh, yes, football games were also watched.    

Saturday I made waffles for breakfast.  The rest of the day was filled with more leftovers.  Dan and Robbie’s families came over again.  This time they brought their dogs so that the “dog cousins” could play together—Robbie’s Yorkshire Terrier (Evangeline), Dan’s West Highland Terrier (Flour), Bonnie’s Shih Tzu (Autumn) and our Maltese (Sugar).   I mowed a diamond in the front yard so that we could play kickball.  That was so much fun.  The little kids had no clue how to play and would run to the wrong bases all the time or just not run.  The twins treated the ball like a soccer ball.  It was enjoyed by all.  Charles & Amber had gone to the temple that morning so they didn’t get here until later.  Amber and Rebecca then went shopping.  We got the sidewalk chalk out and marked off two 4-square pads on the driveway.  It is nice that we had a 16 foot wide cement driveway put in this past summer.  The older kids played 4-square and the little kids just drew on the driveway.  Of course, the 4-wheelers came out.  All the boys watched the BYU game which was a disappointment.  We made homemade noodles for supper that evening.  Afterwards a few played games and a few watched movies and some others just visited. 

Yesterday morning Dorias fixed French Toast for everyone.  After breakfast, Mark loaded up their trailer with the 4-wheelers and their car with all their stuff so they could leave right after the blessing.  Rebecca had to be in San Antonio at 6pm for a dress rehearsal for a performance for school.  Michael and his family came over.  Charles, Amber & Sadie met us at Church along with Robbie and his family.  We took family pictures then a picture of all the men that would stand in the circle when they blessed Reagan Emily— Dan, Bob, Don Ellestad, Mark, Robbie, Michael, Jarom, Charles, and Eddie Jones.  After Sacrament Meeting, Robbie’s family, Michael’s family, Charles’ family, and Bonnie & Jarom came over to our house for dinner.  Everyone pitched in and helped.  It was nice.  We had a hodge podge of food (old and new), but it was good.  We all just visited, played games, and watched movies all evening.

This morning Bonnie & Jarom and Bob & I met Don & Trish and Marilyn at IHOP for breakfast.  When we got home, Bonnie & Jarom packed up and left for Katy.  The house was quiet again—except for the four missionaries, but they don’t count.  I really don’t like them having their preparation day on Mondays now.  I liked Thursdays better.  I need to wash towels and sheets and stuff, but the washer and dryer are tied up by them.  Oh, well, I can always do it later.  I really enjoy having the missionaries live with us. 

I hope that I have remembered everything that we did this week.  Just to let you know who is who:

Dorias & Mark, Matthew, Rebecca, Richard and Robert

Robbie & Beth, Lauren, Landon, Emma and Eden

Stephenie’s family didn’t come.

Dan & Tonia, Seth, Katie, Madison and Reagan

Michael & Karen and Megan

Eric’s family didn’t come.

Bonnie & Jarom

Charles & Amber and Sadie

Our new tile floor

Back in February Bob decided to remodel our bathroom. It had tile on the walls and had a molded plastic shower. He had the men tear out the shower and take off all the tile from the walls and floor. He then put new sheet rock on the walls, textured them, and painted them. Then we had to wait three weeks before the tile man could come to lay the tile and build a new shower. That day came two weeks ago. The tile men started working on Thursday, March 25. It took longer to do the shower than they had planned due to having to redo the plumbing. Then on Friday, March 26 I had a doctor's appointment and she told me that I had allergies and needed to get rid of the carpet in our bedroom. So I called Bob on the way home from the doctor and told him to have the tile men rip out our carpet and keep on tiling and do our bedroom. We love it. It echoes now until we get new furniture in there. That won't happen until we get back from Europe at the end of April.

Karen's Baby Shower

Several sisters in the ward threw a baby shower for Karen who is due April 12. Beth decorated the RS Room, Tonia brought some treats and Dorias decorated this cake for her. It was well attended and fun.

Fourth snow this season

We usually don't get snow here in this part of Texas. This winter we have had four snow storms. The one on February 11 was our biggest. It was beautiful!