Erin and Alice arrived!  We were so happy to finally get them from the airport!  Their flights were both delayed until they basically came in at the same time.  Dad met Erin and I met Alice and we got together to come home.  They were both tired.  Alice kept saying on the way home that she was so tired.  We stopped at Sonic to get dinner because she said it was one of her favorite places.  She was hungry and ate all her chicken strips! 

When we got home she and Erin decided which bedrooms they wanted and we visited a while and left them.  They stayed up and played and talked and read till about 11 when Erin said she was too tired to stay up any longer and went to sleep.  In the morning Alice was up at 630 and starving.  She ate and walked around waiting and waiting for Erin to get up. 

When Erin got up we went to the library where I worked for a couple hours and they got some books for Alice to read at spare moments.  They left for their pedicure appointment at 11 and had a wonderful time there.  They also got Alice's fingernails painted again.  The manicurist is a real artist!  She painted tiny little flowers on her nails.

After lunch we went to visit the Barneys.  Sarah said she would like to have Alice stay over and Alice thought that was a good idea too so we took her clothes and stopped at Goodwill to get some little toys to play with at Sarah's.  While we were there Alice saw a beautiful porcelain doll that she loved.  Since it was not very much we got it.  It was cheap at the price since she loved it so much. 

When we got to Sarah's they were very happy to see each other and ran off together.  They jumped on the trampoline and played in Sarah's room.  Sarah has a loft bed with a convertible table and benches/bed under it.  Alice slept on the bottom and slept really well.  Sarah had to wake her to go do the pet sitting the next morning.  They are taking care of two dogs and a ferret for a friend. 

The next day we got the girls and went with Lara and Jon to lunch at Chipotle and then Chuck E Cheese's to play games.   Alice had a cheese quesadilla and a drink.  We got lots of tokens and they played every kind of game. 

They got lots of prizes and were happy.  The Fun Dip had quite an effect on Alice's appearance!

And she loved it.  Too bad I didn't have my camera till some of it got washed away. 

When we came home we all had quiet time and Alice said she actually slept some.  We fixed snacks for dinner since we had had a good lunch.  We ate and watched Tangled and played games. 

Now they are watching another children's video and listening to the booming of the fireworks.  We have had a fun evening together.  And look forward to sleeping till we wake up.  It's 11:48 and Alice is still awake but tired.  We will see if she makes it.  She says it doesn't count as staying up if you're in bed. 
Happy New Year! 

Well, our microwave went out and it would cost more to repair it than to replace it so that's what we did today.  We bought it and will install it next week.  Jer had to repair the plug first, though. 

Right now we have it sitting on the counter so we can have access to a microwave (do you realize how much you use the microwave?) until he gets it installed.   We were really hoping it was just the plug, but no.  We don't look forward to getting that big appliance hung on the wall again.  But we can do it. 

And Dad finally got to see Hobbit.  We went two places yesterday hoping to get in, but the timing was wrong.  We found a place to see it at a good time today and when we got there the seats were in a special theater for 12.95 a ticket!!  But we went in anyway so he could finally see it.  The seats were super.  But we won't make that mistake again. 

Friday

We tried to get into Hobbit for Dad but couldn't but we got to go to a place called The Main Event to see the kids play the arcade games.  It's quite a place.  Sort of a cross between Fat Cats and Chucky Cheese but bigger and more stuff. 

The kids played all kinds of games and Sam was really good at some of them and won some prizes for the girls.  Sarah's friend also won a watch and gave it to her. 

We had fun trying to get back home, losing our way for a time but finally getting on track.  We're learning how to get around here in bits and pieces. 

It has been fun to have Heather and Sasha here to get acquainted with our little town.  Heather went with me to the library Tuesday and read a book while I reshelved books for a couple hours.  I got to visit with one of the ladies more than I had before and I was glad to do it. 

Jer has been getting all our important business done like insurance and taxes and bank account and so on.  He also has been busy getting all the hoops jumped through so he can go to work in January.  He had to attend that orientation meeting, do the online modules and then go take the test and do 10 dummy returns to prove he understands the processes.  He still has 6 to go, but can't do them till Monday. 

So he is free to hang out a while.  We went to see Hobbit with Lara and Sam and Sarah while Jer was doing the returns and test so we will go with him tomorrow or Saturday.  Then we went to see Hunger Games yesterday.  Pretty stressful in some places. 

For Christmas Eve we had a delicious dinner here at home of one of Heather's recipes and watched some movies and did the stockings.  It was nice. 

Christmas day we got up late, had breakfast and visited with Susan and the family via Skype, talked to Kristin and Heidi, and had an early dinner with Barneys.  We got to see what they all got for Christmas and then we had a wonderful dinner of standing rib roast and what goes with it.  It was perfect!  Lara was nervous about cooking the roast, but it turned out just like the restaurants.  What a great family day.  I hope everyone had as good and sweet a time together as we had.

Everyone was very happy with their gifts and spent quiet time enjoying their games, toys and music. 

Jer and I have everything we could want.  We need nothing more.  We are so very thankful for family and love and our faith and our Savior.  We are thankful every day for each and every one of our children and grandchildren and all that they mean to us--what we have learned from them and continue to learn every day. 

We have been getting settled and getting ready for visitors for Christmas!  Heather is coming to visit tomorrow with Sasha and then after she leaves we will be happy to see Erin P and Alice!  What a lot of fun to look forward to!  We want to see the latest two movies that have come out and we have some fun things that the Barneys want to do while they are out of school.  Jer and I already saw Interstellar.  There was a time during the movie when I thought "why did he want me to see this?  It's awful!"  Everything was falling apart for the characters, but then it got better. 

Right now, Jer is in a meeting as we speak getting oriented to his new job with Jackson Hewitt  that will start in January.  He says he is the only man and the only white face.  Except the tech guy.  But most of the consultants are black women  with a few Hispanic mixed in.  I told him he should have a good time.  They are all very friendly and nice and he has always gotten along well with women.  His boss is a lady named Raj so we assume she is of near east descent, or maybe not.  Who knows?

Today I took my computer into the Geeks at Best Buy.  They are going to do a total wipe of everything and start fresh.  It's been running slowly and when we "fixed" it ourselves, it practically stopped working.  So we hope we can find our Word/Office disk or password to reinstall when it comes back.  If not, I will be working on this laptop till we can get into our file cabinet in storage.  And we hope it's there.   Fortunately, because of Erin's advice a while ago, all my major files are in Dropbox and are safe. :o)  He says I can still watch movies on Amazon and Netflix.  So what more do I want, huh? 

Friday

We went to the Houston Symphony with Lara and Jon and Mary and Sam.  Sarah begged to not have to go and stayed with a friend over night.  It was magnificent!  We heard and saw Handel's Messiah and it was fresh and wonderfully new as they played and sang it.  The tempo was faster and the singers were so clear and precise!  We loved it!  That was their Christmas present to us along with dinner before.  What a great evening!  We had a great time.  And one of the best parts was that Lara drove us downtown and out again with Jon's directions.  We didn't have to battle traffic and try to find our way in all the streets and traffic.  It was really slick and easy as she did it.  Earlier in the day we had to find our way to Jer's first meeting with his boss with Jackson Hewitt near downtown.  It was pouring rain and hard to see and even with Jer having done a dry run the day before it was tricky to maneuver in and out to get there.  

On the way to their house we passed the sod fields along our main street getting out of Crosby and they were lakes.  The rain had soaked in and was standing in lakes and pools and puddles all over.  The drainage ditches were full and overflowing.  It stopped by the time we had to leave for downtown so we could see better.  Downtown is beautiful at night.  If you don't have to drive. 

This is a sod farm.  Normally it's just a huge field of grass.  But not after that long steady rain.

Sorry about all the traffic lights, but this is an idea of how pretty the downtown buildings are at night.

During the week I made stockings to go with our red and gold rug that centers the living room.  I finally gave up on trying to find our stocking hangers and used push pins.  But you can't really tell, right? 

They are for Jer and me and Heather and Sasha. 

Sunday

We went to church at 9 and had a good experience again.  I like this ward.  They are all so friendly and alive.  They listen and answer questions in class and participate and speak out and have fun together.  They have a family feel that is very pleasant.  And they are very friendly to us.  They are happy that we are there and we are happy to participate.  We will attend the Christmas party Friday at 7 and then help clean the church building Saturday at 9.

This week they introduced a new program to us called Justserve.  You go to Justserve.org and see all the opportunities there are where we can serve in the community.  We aren't supposed to pass out tracts or Books of Mormon but just do some kind of community service and be there to help.  I REALLY like that kind of service.  I have been meaning to go to the library to volunteer for something, so I will do it tomorrow. 

Saturday

Jer did some more running around to get legal stuff done and I stayed home and put things away.  Got the tree up and decorations out.  I made out menus and went grocery shopping for the week and got a really good haircut that I like.  I will go there again.

And when it was time to come home with my purchases I waited for the high school parade.  There is one main street through Crosby and it was taken up with a million decorated four wheelers with teenagers driving them and trucks on huge wheels.  They were throwing out candy so there were lots of kids along the road gathering that up.  Finally the parade was over and I could come home.  The high school football team was in the quarter finals and Friday was their last game.  We think they lost, but they had to celebrate anyway.

 When Lara got home from work she called and we met her and the family at their ward for their ward Christmas party where they had delicious food and the bishopric sang a song together and made the heads of the auxiliaries  do the same.  I was really glad none of us were required to do anything.  

 With the mirror, we get two trees for the work of putting up only one!

I didn't watch where the Christmas nativity picture went so it's in storage somewhere, but I will find it for next year. 

Today  

We got up with lots of things to do!   We needed to get the wheelbarrow, lawn mower and dolly from the storage place, switch our insurance to here, get the internet hooked up again, organize all the boxes and stuff here in the condo, get a chain for putting our bikes out under the stairs.  I stayed home and organized while the man did the running around.  I swept up all the dead bugs and dust that had accumulated in the house during our absence, found a place for the canned goods in the bathroom closet, and made the guest bed.  We found a dead rhinoceros beetle outside when we put the equipment on the back patio.  Then I made a place for the Christmas tree by the glass door. :o)  I'm looking forward to decorating for Christmas tomorrow.  I'm sad that our nativity picture is in storage, but we have most everything else. 

 The Comcast guy came at 3 and hooked us up again.  Apparently someone had cut our wire and we were not connected anymore.  He was very professional and took care of it lickity split and we were up and running again!  Jer has the tv and I have the internet!  Good to be connected to the world again!   

We were very tired so we went to dinner at the barbecue place down the road.  Mmm.  What a wonderful dinner!  You should all come to visit us just so you can have some of that barbecue.    

 Yesterday 

 We got to the storage place and met the guys that unloaded the van.  They did a great job!  We looked at the van and looked at the storage unit and said, hmm, maybe it'll fit.  But they got it all in!  (except the wheelbarrow and lawnmower and dolly)  One guy had to push with his back against the opposite wall while the other one brought down the door, but it finally closed and we were done!  Jer said we would ask for them again to help us clear it out when the time came so they couldn't complain about how hard it was to get the door open again.  

Then we needed to return the van and trailer that the little Toyota truck was on.  There is a UHaul place in Kingwood a couple miles from Lara's house, but we were told to take it to downtown Houston (narrow streets, lots of crazy traffic while Dad is driving this huge dinosaur of a truck and me driving behind him trying not to get lost) or they would charge a penalty fee.  We finally made it down there and it was a gas station with no place to put that huge van and trailer.  And they said so very clearly and long.

(this picture was taken in the Costco parking lot while I waited for Jer to get back from returning the Comcast stuff to the store.

After a couple frustrating phone calls we were finally told that we should have taken it to the Kingwood place.  They were expecting us.  Can you imagine how we felt at that point!!?  I just wanted to scream and throttle somebody!  But we did it and were finished!  Then Jer and Lara and I had a very late lunch at a Mexican place and it was all over.  All behind us.  We went to Barneys' and rested and got ready for the concert at 7.


Mary and Sam play in the high school orchestras.  Mary in the older one, Sam in the 9th grade one.  And they were truly unbelievable!!  Their expertise and skill reminded me of the choir at Meridian when they had that wonderful director.  These directors must have been first class too.  The kids sounded like professionals.  And they played things that I like, too.  That's always a plus. We got there in Lara's new little Mini car.  It's a little station wagon/suv thing that was a lot of fun to ride in.  She says it's even more fun to drive.   

And finally we started on the way home but stopped at the store to get some breakfast supplies.  Then we were home in Crosby and unloaded the truck and the Subaru.  It was close to midnight and we were tired.  We had finally gotten done the worst of it.  We slept long and soundly.

Wednesday

Last long day of travel.  Seemed interminable.  BUT...it went very well, even getting through Dallas with no stops or detours.  We were very grateful for that easy slip through the tangle of traffic there and no mishaps at all.  

We stopped to visit with Mary Jean and Trippy and Jake in Fairfield.  They say that Gene (my cousin)  is about gone as far as Alzheimer's is concerned.  And Mary Helen, his wife, was having her 83rd birthday that day.  He wouldn't believe it.  He thought she was about 50.  Well, that's how I feel too. 

Came on down to Barneys and left the big van in the church parking lot near their house and took the car and truck to Crosby to unload them so we can fill them again tomorrow with necessities from the van. There was a brother in the parking lot that suggested that we remove the battery from the van so that it wouldn't be hot wired and stolen, but Dad opted to trust and not worry about it because we have no tools or energy to do it.  We will see. 

Thanks to Barneys for all the help and support.  Now tomorrow we get to take the van to the storage unit and have some guys unload, take the van to the dropoff place in the middle of Houston (!)  and then take the necessities to Crosby and get settled there. 

This day I am thankful for:
A beautiful huge golden moon that came up over the horizon last night.  I looked for it tonight again, but it didn't come up for a long time.  It finally came up before us shrouded amongst wispy clouds but I still recognized my old friend from its glow. 
Gorgeous crisp fall weather in the middle of December. 
Divided highways, good roads, minimal traffic. 
Happy places to stop and eat lunch; crispy fried chicken and french fries and root beer!
A wonderful kind husband that braved town traffic to get me to a bathroom expediently and didn't complain about the inconvenience. 
Vehicles that work well.  Good tires.
Clean, warm comfortable places to spend the night. 
Safety, warmth, peaceful traveling.  It was a very good day.  We got where we meant to get tonight.  We will have a reasonable trip tomorrow and be able to stop in and see the cousins and be in Kingwood by dinner time.  Assuming traffic cooperates.  (We do  still have to go through Dallas.)
What more could we ask?  We have received so many tender mercies.  It's hard to say thank you enough. 

Yesterday we said goodby to our ward friends and then had dinner with Kathy and her family.  It was such a fun evening!  Until we had to leave.  But we will be back for Grace's graduation and for the family reunion so it won't be very long till we see everyone again. 

Today we got to Moab.  Way shorter trip than the man wanted.  But we seriously underestimated how much stuff we have and it took a while to get it loaded and decided what would just stay with the house.  (buckets, stadium seats, etc)  We meant to be on the road at 11 but we finally hit the freeway at 4.  The van was loaded to the top and all the way to the back and both vehicles were loaded too.  When we were getting the truck loaded onto the trailer at UHaul Steve called and said he was at the house with the photographer and we still weren't out of the house.  Stuff was in the kitchen and the living room corners.  So we finally got back home and he helped us load it up.  The photographer is the same one that did Heather's condo so we know the pictures will be good.  I was hoping the listing would be on the internet by now but I don't think it is.  He told us the photographer would be there tomorrow so we are happy that it's sooner even if it was a rush getting out of the house. 

We finally got loaded and left the two of them at the house and while we were getting gas at Costco Steve called Jer and said an Amazon package had just arrived.  He brought it over to us at Costco.  I was irritated that I had gotten the address wrong on a package I had ordered, meaning to send it to Texas, but when I opened it it wasn't one that I had ordered!  It was a package from Adam and Thadeus!  So it wasn't my fault after all. 

The man is getting used to the way the truck drives and feeling more confident in driving it.  I'm getting used to driving by myself.  I bought a cheap audio book at the Green River gas station where we stopped so I will have something to listen to tomorrow.  I think there are lots of cds in the truck so I will rob it tomorrow morning.  So far we are doing really well. 

Friday morning

we had the family visit that really want to buy the house, and they still love it.  They will think about it again.  And Steve, the realtor is coming.

 TV room

 downstairs central room

 downstairs bedroom

 Heather's room repaired and repainted

 beautiful new cabinet and lighting in the downstairs bathroom

 new stove

 beautiful new floor

 

 Nice paint job and I have always loved that arch

 office with new doors on the closets

Thursday

Bobby had to leave on a little trip and Susan had made doctor appointments for Matthew and James.  Lara accompanied her to help out and I stayed home with Robert.  His friend Emily came over and they had a good time together.  When Susan came home (the boys had excellent results on their checkups)  she set up the bouncy house in their playroom and they had fun in that till Emily had to go.  And I had to go to the airport.  The trip home was uneventful and I arrived home in good time.  The only hangup was that I had to gate check my carry-on and get it at the turnaround in Salt Lake and the turnaround wasn't working for about 20 minutes!!  When I was so ready to go!  But it finally got started and gave me my luggage and we went to see Bennetts and take them their Christmas presents and tell them see you later.  Then we came on down to American Fork and had dinner with Mike and his family.  It was great to see them all and get to hear how things are going.  They gave us a beautiful picture set of their family and some very practical lights to put wherever they are needed.  It's hard to say goodby, so we said see you later instead.  We will return for the family reunion if not before.  

Wednesday

Matthew was feeling much better.  And Lara came in the evening.  It was great to see her and have her see Matthew and the other kids.  They loved her immediately because she is so connected to what kids do and like.  She is awesome!  

Today we mostly held Matthew.  He was not a happy little camper.  He would only sleep very long if he was held.  He wanted to but something kept bothering him.  Susan and I traded off so we could get some things done. 

She organized her spare bathroom better so that the laundry supplies are in a wall cabinet with doors next to the washer and dryer and took out the shelves that were there.

 Then because there was so much more room with the shelves gone she decided to put a rug in front of the sink and toilet.  She had a fabric world map that she wanted to use so we figured out how to do it and lo and behold, a rug! 

It's thick and soft and colorful.  Just right for the bathroom and best of all, it's totally washable.

Susan has taken Matthew to the RS activity tonight so that she can nurse him and do VT interviews while the women are making Christmas swags for their doors.  Sounds like a good idea to have the interviews while the ladies are having a fun evening.