I Will Serve.....

We found out that they have split Elder Gary's districts in the Texas, Lubbock mission. He is still in Monahans, Texas. He is now the District Leader of the Fort Stockton district. Where he lives in Monahans is not even in the Fort Stockton district. They only had one set of materials for District Leaders, and the D.L. of the other half got all of them.

So at this time, Elder Gary is flying blind, so to speak. He will do great, as he does and has done with everything given him so far.

He was also made a trainer.....which means his companion is straight from the MTC and Elder Gary gets to teach him what is done and not done while on a mission.

Both of these callings are very big deals. They are only given to those missionaries who follow the rules and are very trusted to make the right choices. They are given to those who have proven humble and obedient.

Good luck Elder Gary. May your pants come home with worn out knees from calling on the Lord to be with you.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Today was Tuesday. Therefore, it means tonight was Mutual. Tonight happened to be the Young Mens/Young Womens combined activity. The YM were in charge. We went caroling to people in the ward......

We got to the church, had a prayer, got instructions of whose houses we were going to....and then found out that they couldn't get a wagon this year. What!!! The kids were so disappointed. So we loaded up in vehicles and drove to each house. I had 6 girls with me, and oh how much fun we had. I think we had as much fun driving to the houses as we had singing at the houses. We sang 2 songs at each house. Each recipient being ever so appreciative of our thoughtfulness. But as we got in the van to drive to the next house, we would listen to Christmas songs. There was much singing and much more laughter, loudly on both counts, on the short drive. It was a nice night for it, no below zero freezing temps like we had last week!

The last house was one of my neighbors.....Crazy Bonnie. (said respectfully and well earned, of course. Bless her heart) We got to the house, all lined up on the walk and porch, rang the doorbell, she opened the door and we began to sing.......she actually stood there and listened for a few bars......then she yelled for us to get off her porch, slammed the door and turned of ALL the lights, inside and out!!! The kids all faltered for a second and looked at us leaders and we kept on singing. We finished that song and proceeded to sing 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' just like we did all the other houses we had gone to. Then we proceeded to the Church house for cookies and hot chocolate. All the kids laughing there heads off at what Crazy Bonnie did. (at what she did, not at her)

They loved it. Had a blast that they will never forget. Or not for a long time at least, if they don't write about it in their journals.

The Agony

I woke up this morning with a migraine. I got up, took numerous Advil, and put a heating pad on my feet. Yes. It works. It draws the blood from your head.

I have had migraines as far back as I can remember. I think writing before that I remember having one on my 6th or 8th birthday even. They aren't new to me. I lived and functioned with the pain for my whole life. After I had my hysterectomy 1 1/2 years ago, I didn't have one for 7 months!!! Seriously, 7 of the most glorious months of my life. Then I got one. I couldn't bear the pain. I couldn't function and couldn't figure how I had lived with that level of pain almost every single day of my entire life.

We went to church, I taught my lesson, went to Relief Society with Elaine, came home, ate dinner, layed down, slept. I'm sure I'm really good company for Dean and Elaine today.

I'm going back to bed.

Busy morning

I didn't have to go to work today. I was supposed to be done on Friday, but I wasn't there Mon-Wed last week, and Colleen wasn't there Wed or Friday and couldn't go today. So now we will have to go in tomorrow to finish up (hopefully so we don't have to go Wed) for AmeriCorps. But not having to go to work didn't seem to give me the lazy day I thought I was going to get. Ya, right.

We got a letter from Gary Saturday, YEAH!!! He is no longer nervous and ate a big meal Wednesday night, just like I said he would. He had started getting nervous about last Friday....big weekend, the unknown, big responsibility, etc. He had just nibbled some here and there since. I said once he got there, met his companion, saw his room, etc he would be fine, and he was. He is the senior companion and has a lot to read and do because of this assignment. He is up to it and will do great. Then he asked me to send a copy of his immunization records. It seems at the doctors office they missed writing down an MMR on his mission record and he will have to get another one if I don't send a copy. No big deal, I'll mail it Monday morning. So.....

I got up and not having to go to the school for work forgot Tanner still did! I got him up in plenty of time and he ate and got dressed. Good thing the girls get themselves up or they probably would have been late since they leave lots earlier. Today is his Drive-in movie at school, so we made a cardboard 'car' this weekend...

We think it turned out pretty cute!

I drove him to school and went to take Gary's letter to the Post Office. I passed a power truck, police cars and fire truck on the way, not thinking anything of it. When I got there it was closed due to power outage. Of course. So I drove to Hyde Park and mailed it. Then went to the bookstore to buy book #2 of a series I've been waiting for since the first one came out in 2004!!! First one hardback, this one paperback, oh well. At least I have it now and can read it next week while I'm at Laguna Beach in California!!! On the way to the bookstore there was a cop directing traffic at the light on Main St down from the PO. I guess that outage is on the whole street.

Wrote Gary a letter on Dearelder.com (so he will get it today) telling him his copy of his shot record was on the way. Now blogging. Still have my 5 mile walk to go on, shower, help Andy and Leza move, pick Tanner up from school (because the car doesn't fit on the bus so well), get homework and chores done, make sure Morgan works on her fund raiser for color guard, take the kids swimming at the rec center tonight so I'll remember that the money is due today for Tanner's first 2 swimming lessons sessions. Sorry Tawnya, I really am going to get to that jacket, eventually!

Now I'm off for that walk...maybe...unless I get on Facebook first.

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission!

Gary texted me, since he was at work, while I was still at work, 12:38pm in fact. I told him that I get off at 1:15pm and I would check the mail and text him. I hurried as soon as I was done with my last reading group, back to the reading room, didn't even get things ready for tomorrow, and came straight home. I knew as soon as I left the school that it would be there. I could feel it. I got home, opened the mailbox and pulled out a big white envelope from Salt Lake City!

I immediately texted him that it was here!

Then we had to wait, knowing that it was right there. Just setting there on the table in that big white envelope. But Drew is on her Mexican cruise from last Saturday to this coming Saturday. She was very upset that she would probably be gone when his call came, so they arranged that he would open it at 6:30pm our time. (Today just 'happens' to be the day they are on land in Puerto Vallarta until 10:30pm so that she could call. Coincidence? I think not.) That way everyone would be home from work and she could call so she could 'be here'. Anybody that has been through this knows how agonizing that wait is!

At 6:30 the phone rang. He let it ring a couple of times to make sure it wouldn't disconnect. He answered, Lexie put it on speaker phone, and he ripped it open.

And he is going to:

WHERE'S A MAP!

He enters the Provo, Utah MTC (Missionary Training Center) May 27, 2009. Just 4 days after his 19th birthday.

And yes, for those who know, my parents live in Tyrone, NM on the western border of New Mexico. The western border of his mission, if you can't tell from the picture, goes to just east of Alamagordo,NM. Just a few short hours from Tyrone. No, they can't go see him and there is no way to know where he'll serve, but he'll be oh so close. And his cousin, Brad Eldredge, and his family live just a couple hours south of the southern border in Houston, TX. Hmmmmm.

He is very excited that he is going to the BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD! HIS!

I guess he'll be coming home with a Texas drawl instead of the Wyoming one he has now!!!

Callings

Gary & I both got sustained for callings today. I was the Primary secretary until, well, quite a few months ago actually. They did ask me a couple of months ago to do something else, but with everything going on, after speaking with me, they didn't feel it was the right time, & neither did I. So they decided to leave me alone for a while, until last week....

They felt that this calling would be good for all involved. I felt really good about it & where it is a Sunday only calling, I can do it. I only have to teach every other week because.....Gary & I are team teachers for the 14-15 year old Sunday School class!!! Yes, that means Morgan is in this class. It will only be for a few months until he leaves on his mission, but it will be great while he's here. We are so excited to get to do this together & Morgan thinks it will be fun to have us in there. The kids that are in this class are great kids. I'm thinking this is going to be, well, GREAT!!!