Sunday, March 16, 2014

March 9--Dear Elder

Dear Elder,

Hi!  How are you?  How was your first week back in Culiacan?  I hope it was good and that you are feeling well.  I also hope that you and Elder Toledo are getting to know each other better and are working well together.  It was fun to chat with you last week, although I like getting a nice email from you better, I think.  I am very glad, though, that you were able to chat with Jon and Miriam.  I can't wait to get your letter tomorrow.  It will be the first "real" email from you in two weeks.

Let's see...Last Sunday ended well.  We did, indeed, have a food-fest and watch the Church Educational System fireside.  Sister Linda K Burton spoke about having the Holy Ghost in our lives, and it was a really good talk.  Each person made one type of food to share.  We had guacamole made by Miriam, deviled eggs made by Katrina, and cowboy beans made by Dad.  Also we had chips, sauted mushrooms, and little smokies.  Thomas, who couldn't find enough ingredients to make 7-layer dip, helped by bringing it all downstairs.  We got set up and were mostly done eating by the time the fireside started, which was nice because we could concentrate on what Sister Burton was teaching.  It was a very nice experience.

On Monday, which is not our family home evening day anymore, Thomas went to Hayden's church's youth group and had tons of fun. The rest of us didn't do much.

Tuesday, Thomas's astronomy teacher was giving out credit for kids who would go to a planetarium show, so we all went to the planetarium with him.  We had a fun time learning about the stars, and a couple of us also got a good nap, ha ha.

Wednesday Katrina and I drove Thomas to gymnastics together and then went to Walmart to buy a cake mix to make a cake for the Relief Society birthday party on Thursday night.  Later, after Dad got home, he and I went to pick Thomas up, and then all three of us went to the laundry to pick up some materials to fix something.  We ended up staying there forever because the cable guys were there installing the new cable, and they had all these questions for Dad.  After that, he had to set up all the parental controls.  When we got home, Katrina and Thomas went to young men and young women and Dad and I went to KFC.

On Thursday, I took Thomas to the DMV and he got his driver's permit.  He begged me and begged me to let him drive home and just could not understand why I wouldn't let him, ha ha.  After we got home, I let him drive around a bit and he realized very quickly why letting him drive out in traffic would not have been a good idea.  He got better as we drove, but he was a humbler kid for the experience, ha ha.  Later, while Katrina and I were at the RS birthday party, Dad let him drive on the stick shift for awhile.

Saturday, Dad wanted to have an adventure, so the kids hauled their lazy carcasses out of bed, Dad put on his Indiana Jones hat, I stuck some snacks in a bag, and we headed off for the boonies.  It was beautiful weather and a beautiful drive.  We drove along a river, hiked up a couple of hills, and followed a wash.  Then, while Katrina and I slept in the back seats, Dad let Thomas drive for a good long time.  We also went to a little canyon that was very beautiful.  We went there once when you were younger, Matt, but I don't know if you remember it.  We really enjoyed the beautiful sight, and after that we headed for home.  We didn't get home till 8:00 pm.  Jon and Miriam were gone out to dinner, and it was nice to see them both for awhile when they got home.  We haven't seen Miriam much this week, but I have visited with Jon at Costco a couple of times.

Now it is Sunday.  Church was good, Dad's in bed, and I am writing to you.  We plan to have fondue again tonight.  Remember how I told you that the fondue pot I bought didn't work, well, I had the cast-iron base upside down.  The base looks like a three-legged stool, and I thought that it should stand like a stool with the pot sitting on the "seat" of the "stool."  Later, I looked at the picture on the box more closely, and I found out that the "seat" was supposed to be on the counter, with the legs sticking up.  The pot rests on the three legs.  This is important because the way I was doing it made two layers of cast iron for the fire to heat through--the cast iron of the pot and of the base.  The right way to do it only makes one layer of cast iron for the heat to penetrate.  Anyway, I have high hopes that it will work better this time, ha ha.

I hope that we can Skype with Cassandra, Emerson, and Lily today.  That would be awesome!  I sent Lily some clothes and a little sicker activity, but I don't think she's gotten them yet.  Cassandra posted a really cute video of Lily waving around a flibber and dancing.  Trivia question of the week:  What is a flibber????  On her Facebook page Cassandra wrote, "I didn't realize that parenthood would involve so many requests to "please speak whale."  So cute!

That's about it for the week, Matt.  I have been having sleep issues this week, Matt, but I think I have an idea of how to fix them.  The last few nights have been better.  Anyway, that has really been adversely affecting my scripture study, although I have been reading scriptures every day, just not studying them in depth.  Now, just when I have the sleeping thing possibly licked, my little notebook laptop thingy is all messed up and my documents aren't opening, etc.  This will really mess up my scripture study as well. I'm not sure what to do about it.  If I tell Dad, he'll buy me a brand spanking new expensive thingy to use, but I really want to fix this one and not spend the money.  I guess I'll take it over to the neighbor to have him look at it.  Well, long story, Matt, sorry.  I haven't been spiritually productive this week, and I really need to get my act together.  I hope that next week will be better.  I love you, Matt.  Please write and tell us about everything!!

Love,
Mom

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