Happy to be Together

Neal is back home!  We are happy about that.  It was hard to have him gone so long.  I hope that the work he did on our Hewitt home will help and someone will show some interest in it soon.  

Last Wednesday I had a difficult thing come up.  Right after I had talked to Neal and said we were doing fine and staying warm, even with the very cold temperatures (we didn’t get over 10 degrees for almost four days.)  I realized the house was dropping in temperature and couldn’t figure out what was going on.  Then I realized the furnace was blowing cold air out of the vents.  The furnace had quit.  I was all stressed taking care of things.  I was able to reach our property manager and she sent over a furnace repairman.  The problem was that he was able to start the furnace back up just fine and didn’t see anything wrong.  That was at 8:00pm.  By 10:30pm it was blowing cold air again.  By Thursday morning it was 50 degrees in the house.  I got the kids off the school and made more phone calls.  Again the furnace repairmen didn’t find anything mechanically wrong.  They got it going again and it worked until Sunday afternoon when it quit again.  We had another cold night and called our property manager again Monday morning.  After she talked with the owner of the home it was decided to replace the furnace.  I guess it has a history of being finicky.  Yesterday the furnace men came and installed a new furnace.  We even got a new digital thermostat installed.  I am thankful and hope this will help so we can stay warm this winter.

 Last Wednesday with all the furnace issue going on I was able to find someone in the ward to give Andrew a ride to cub scouts so he didn’t miss out.  Then a sister in the ward brought me over cookies and space heaters.  I really appreciated her kindness.  Andrew enjoys going to scouts and is over half way done with his Bear requirements.  He is playing with his friend Cameron this afternoon.  He has been happy being around so many friends.  The boys enjoy playing with Logan and Adian, boys who live on our street.  They are over now playing with Spencer and Caleb.  Boys play loud.

Last Friday morning it warmed up to about 25 degrees and Neal took Caleb over to the new play ground.  Caleb had been given some snow pants and boots so he was prepared to go out in the cold to play. With his yellow coat and black pants Caleb called himself the bumblebee.  They had fun walking over to the park, playing on the play ground and built a snow man there too.  It was nice to have Neal home to play with him.  It was also nice that I could do shopping on my own that day.

Saturday the kids had fun playing store together.  They each made up a type of store and then they made money to buy and sell things with.  I thought it was funny when they said “we are running out of money, we need to make more.”  Sometimes I think that is the way our government works too.  They kids enjoyed playing together that day.  In the afternoon the kids went outside to play.  We had a little more snow during the night and they had fun shoveling it and playing in it.  Andrew was building a snow mountain and then digging tunnels in it.  This morning Ruth commented to me that she was surprised there was still snow on the ground.  In Texas when we did get snow it never lasted more than a day.

Spencer in his new outfit (coat and pants given to us) he was happy that I found some nice gloves with green on them too.

Caleb the bumblebee.  He was a bit tired and didn't want to smile for me.

Andrew shoveling snow onto his mountain.

Ruth shoveling snow.  

Sunday when we went to church we had a visitor of Elder Rhodes from the area 70.  He gave a nice talk on being valiant.  Neal said he taught Sunday school too, a lesson on obedience.  During nursery time we had the Primary presidency do a teacher appreciation time.  We had someone come into the nursery to watch the kids during their play time and we went into the kitchen and had a cinnamon roll and a time to visit.  The nursery teachers were there at the same time as the senior primary teachers.  I enjoyed visiting with some of the others there.  I am slowing getting to know people and trying to put families together.

Monday morning Andrew woke up saying his stomach hurt.  He still went to school.  He didn’t get too sick.  After school he said he was just very tired and his stomach hurt.  He laid around all afternoon.  He ate a little dinner and then rested well.  Tuesday he was fine.  But Ruth was miserable.  Ruth was in bed all day yesterday.  She is doing fine today.  Neal has also felt the stomach pains, aches and tiredness.  So not too bad of an illness but still it has made for a quieter week.  This morning Caleb was complaining about stomach pain, but he seems fine now.

Yesterday I took the boys to school.  Spencer realized he forgot his hat and was worried that his ears would be cold if they went out for recess.  Then we got to the school and he got out and realized he forgot his whole back pack.  I waited about 45 minutes for the morning rush to be over and then took it to the school.  Spencer was called from his class room to meet me to get the bag and he was so happy to see me with it.  I am glad I could help out.

I am thankful for my busy family.  We are blessed to continue to have the things we need.  Neal is busy getting more applications out and following up on other contacts.  We are excited to be able to go to Utah next week for the holiday.  I hope that the weather cooperates for us to come.

COLD

Okay, this letter might mostly be about weather.  It is cold.  Our weather station says 10 degrees right now, but that is on the porch so maybe the internet weather page has it right at 3.  How ever you look at it, it is cold!  This is the coldest weather my kids have experienced.  It is crazy.  Specially since Saturday the weather was so nice we rode bikes to the park to play.  Now things are covered in about 2 inches of snow and it is too cold to even think about going outside.

the view from my back door 

Neal has been busy working at our house in Texas.  He has gotten a lot done.  He decided he needed to stay longer to get things done.  He figured he was there and had the time so he should do it.  He wanted to take down a tree that was half dead.  We have talked about taking this tree out for about a year.  He just didn’t have time to do it in the spring.  I was worried about him doing it on his own so I wrote my friend Laurel an email and asked if maybe her husband could stop by.  When I talked to Neal Saturday evening he told me that Brandon and two of his boys came by and so did Jose and his son from our ward.  He said with the three men working they got it all down and mostly cleaned up Saturday afternoon.  I was so thankful he had help.  He said that he enjoyed going to our old ward Sunday and seeing many friendly faces.  He had Sunday dinner with the Bakers and enjoyed visiting with them.  Yesterday when I talked to him he told me another story with the tree.  Tuesday morning he was outside finishing the clean up of the tree, getting all the branches bundled so they would be picked up by the city trash.  He had put some on the curb.  Then a city tree trimming truck came through the neighborhood.  They stopped and picked up all the tree trimmings in our yard.  Neal had been worried about how to get it all disposed of.  He said the city people took it all, so the yard is all cleaned up and looking nice.  He piled up the logs he cut in the wood pile.  He has done a lot of work to make things look nice.  He has done a lot of work on the inside of the house too.  He plans on driving home tomorrow.  We will all be excited to see him!

Last week for Activity Days Ruth had a lot of fun.  They met at their leaders home, drank hot chocolate, outside by a little fire, with blankets wrapped around them and had a discussion about the Holy Ghost.  She really liked the activity.  Andrew had fun with scouts.  He also played with his friend that afternoon.  Last Wednesday Caleb and I played and visit with friends at the park too.  We didn’t get together today, it was not a good day for a picnic at the park. 

Saturday was a Primary Program practice in the morning.  Caleb was so worried about the practice. All week he was saying how hard it was going to be to go and how tired he would get.  Then Friday I figured out his problem.  He thought it was at 9:00 pm, and he needs to go to bed at 8:00 pm!  I explained to him that the practice was at 9:00 in the morning!  He was so relieved and said he could do it.  They did well with the practice.  Sunday they did their program at church.  The children all did well with their parts.  It was nice to see them all up there.  When it was over Caleb ran down from the choir seats and said “did I do good mom?”  Yes! He spoke his part clearly and I could see him singing.  This was his first primary program and Ruth’s last one.  All four kids did a great job.

Monday morning was beautiful, clear skies and about 60 degrees.  The kids went off to school and I told them it was going to get cold.  When I went to pick the boys up from school it was about 25 degrees and snowing.  They were so excited about the snow that they went outside and played in it.  There wasn’t much.  They found some pails and were scooping up snow and gathering enough to make a snow ball.  They want to go out today after school.  They probably will for a little bit, it is just a lot colder today, but there is more snow. Later: They did go outside and had lots of fun.  Andrew and Spencer used our new snow shovel and cleared the walks for us.  They were so excited to do it, it was their first time ever.  I hope their enthusiasm lasts.  We had some hot chocolate afterwards.  We are trying to stay warm.

Enjoying the first of the snow on Monday

Their train city in the basement, they even made a car road out of paper

Andrew learning how a snow shovel works

Ruth tried to build a snow man, but it was too powdery

Yesterday was Veteran’s Day.  The kids had it off school. We enjoyed being at home all day.  We played a game together, watched a couple of movies and just played.  The boys made a city down in the basement around the train track.  Saturday someone from church gave the boys a box of electric train parts that she said her family weren’t interested in.  They are old things but many in working order.  The boys were excited and have had fun getting everything up and working.  

I gave the boys hair cuts yesterday too.  I even got out my quilt project.  I was able to finishing sewing the top of Andrew’s quilt.  Caleb wanted me to make his so he could use it when he went to bed.  I explained it would take longer than that.  I am thankful they have stayed warm during the nights.  I hope we survive this winter. 

An Active Family

It is already November.  The kids are getting excited about Christmas coming.  The other day they were discussing where we should put the tree up in this house.  I am sure it will sneak up on me.  They had lots of fun with Halloween last Friday.  The kids loved being able to wear their costumes to school.  They couldn’t do that in our schools in Texas.  In the afternoon Caleb and I went over to the elementary school to watch their Halloween costume parade.  It was fun to see the kids all happy and excited.  

Spencer at the school parade

Andrew in the parade, he is the tiger

After school we carved our pumpkins.  They had fun designing the faces and I helped with the actual knife part.  Every one was excited as they ate dinner and then got into costumes to go trick-or-treating.  The weather was really nice for it too.  Neal stayed home to pass out candy and I took the kids around the block.  They got lots of yummy treats.  

Caleb didn't want to wear the lion this time, so he did the dragon, it fit him cute.

Spencer got some black fake teeth with a school treat and I thought they looked awful, but he thought they were cool.

Saturday we got up early so we could get over to the church by 8:00 to help clean.  It was our families turn to help with that.  It went well then we came home and cleaned our own home.  I also cut up and cooked our pumpkins.  I got 20 cups of pumpkin puree out of our jack-o-lanterns.  We have already enjoyed some yummy foods with it.  

Saturday afternoon I took Andrew on an outing.  He is such a good worker and so diligent in completing all his chores every day.  He likes to do bigger things for rewards, so for the month of good work we went bowling.  It was fun to do it with him. He was so enthusiastic about throwing the ball down the lane.  I did pretty good too.  After bowling we went and got ice cream as a reward for his piano practice.  He is so good about practicing every day and it is nice to reward him for his efforts.  When we got home Neal took the three older kids for a bike ride.  They enjoyed the nice bike trails and being outside.  While they were gone Caleb wanted to type on the computer.  He started doing numbers and got up to 250.  On Sunday he also counted by 2’s up to 100.  He is having fun with numbers this week.

On Sunday during our testimony meeting at church Ruth got up.  It surprised me at first because she had been sitting by me doing a maze and I didn’t think she was really listening to church.  Then she got up and bore her testimony about how life is like a maze.  Sometimes we hit dead ends and we have to back up and start over, but if we are diligent and keep working at it we will make it to our goal to be back with Heavenly Father again.  She had some great thoughts and received many compliments afterwards for her wisdom.  In nursery the other ladies were surprised when I said she was 11 years old.  They thought her thoughts came from an older more mature child.  Nursery went okay this week.  I am still getting use to it.  I do feel rather isolated only being with a few women and lots of kids.  It will be hard to get to know others in the ward.

Monday morning Caleb had lots of fun with his friend coming over to play.  They had fun playing with trains all morning.  I am glad that the kids can have friends.  

Monday morning Neal left to drive to our home in Hewitt.  We had a notice from the city that our trees needed attention and there were other maintenance and repairs that needed to be done.  It is also good to check up on the house since we hadn’t seen it since July.  I have talked to him on the phone and things are going along okay.  He said the house was okay and he is busy doing work there.  He will be there all week.  I wish I could have gone with so I could see the place and all my friends.  

Missing Texas has been hard on me this week.  I miss our garden.  I am glad that spinach is cheep in the store right now so I can enjoy fresh spinach every day.  Our fall gardens always gave us so much good spinach.  Caleb said to me today that he wishes we were still in Texas because he is tired of stairs!  I had to laugh at that since he was so excited to have stairs in his house here.  The kids also talk about missing our yard and having a place to play outside.  I guess we will just keep doing the best we can here.

I do appreciate all the kindness people show me.  Everyone is so kind in their notes to me or when I see people I know here.  I know things will work out, I just need to be patient.  I am trying hard to enjoy each day and moment and not stress too much about the unknown future.