IT'S BEEN TOO LONG.

Well, life is sure busy. I wish I could find time to do updates more often. I've been finished with my annual season of working for about 1 and 1/2 months. Between serving at the Temple, Primary Presidency commitments, visiting Mom once a week and making sure that my husband meets his appointments and stays alive, I really feel stretched. I'm just barely getting my house slightly cleaned from when we moved mom. I am so-o-o tired of all of this extra mess at my house. I wish I knew what to do with the extra. I'm to the point, where I'm going to just throw away the extra stuff. I just need to find the time.
Life is so busy, that I'm only subbing at the Temple 3 times this month. I have to get the house clean. I said I would sub the morning before Thanksgiving at 4:00 a.m. That was before I knew Mom wanted me to have Thanksgiving meal at my house. I wasn't really planning on it, because my house isn't handicapped accessible. She is really feeling lonely this year and wants it. She practically begged me to do this. She asked me to invite Grant and the twins also. I said o.k. Grant said o.k. I'm not sure how we will get her in the house. We did one other time. We'll figure out how this time also. Now, I wish I hadn't of agreed to sub the morning before at 4:00 a.m. Life would be easier without that commitment.
Mom wants me to have her over for Christmas Eve. The verdict still is out on that. I want to accommodate her, but I'm not sure if it will happen. She says she's adjusting well, but I know she's lonely-especially this time of year. It was 2 years ago yesterday that Dad died. This year, being in the Care Center and the twins not living with her has really made the emotions come to the surface more.
Well, let's see. This is the time of the year that Heather's husband is doing a lot of traveling for work. He's usually gone for 2-3 weeks at a time. She gets pretty overwhelmed with kids and life at this time. Chad makes very good money during this time of year. They need that because his work is warm weather related- seasonal lawn spraying situations. During the winter, he gets unemployment benefits. Heather is worried about her job. Her boss and his wife just filed for bankruptcy. That may affect her job. She plans on trying to get her GED on line during the winter while Chad is home.
Stephanie started back to work at a place that she worked at before she moved to Boise. It's an office job-only 4 people work there--her boss, herself, and 2 "techs". She works from 10:00 to 3:00. She gets paid $10.00 and hour and has benefits. Her boss started the benefits the day that the deal was made-2 weeks before she actually started working. I'm real happy for her. It's the perfect job for her. She can have time to take kids to school before she goes to work and gets done just barely in time to pick kids up from school.
For awhile Mike's oldest daughter was living with them. She has moved back in with her Mom. Now Mike's son has moved in with them. That's still in the "adjustment" stage. Arianna is thinking about maybe moving back home instead of living with her Dad.
Rick has been set apart as the Security Recommend Desk Person at the Temple. This is not the normal calling at the Temple. He only gets to go in on Mondays-when the Temple is closed. That is the day that the repair people come to the Temple. He lets the people in at the back door. Some days, he only has 4 people come in. Some days, he's had about 20 people come. He's been doing this for about a month. Maybe someday it will work up to actually getting to do this on days that the Temple is open. At least it's in the right place. This helps him to not feel totally useless. But when he comes home, then he gets worse depressed until the next week.
This last Thursday, he admitted himself into Canyon View again. He thinks about suicide all of the time. He says he thinks about hanging himself a lot. It was just last February that he had another "meltdown". He should come home this afternoon. I am so-o-o tired of this. These places are just like a jail. The rules change each time this happens. Other times when I've taken him there, the hospital has allowed me to drive him over there. Not this time. A Security Officer (Policeman-basically) escorted him there in their own vehicle. I wasn't even allowed to tell him goodbye once I tot there. Patients aren't allowed to have visitors for 24 hours. There are only certain times that we can call or visit. Saturday, I took him the brand new Ensign issue. (The Conference Report issue.) I hadn't even opened it. The facility made me take the staples out of the magazine. Other places that Rick has admitted himself to has allowed him to keep the staples in the magazines that I took to him. I pretty well lost it. It is so-o-o hard to stay "perky" and in control for his sake. Stephanie had invited us over for a late Anniversary dinner. When Rick admitted himself, she said she wanted me to come anyhow. I called her and told her that I wasn't in the mood to visit.
Besides, I needed to get home and get some rest. I needed to be at church at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. I was filling in for my Primary President at a meeting that I never go to. The power went out at 9:00 on Saturday. I was so worried about it coming on in time to get ready for church at 7:30 that I woke up every hour-looking at the battery clock. After 6 and1/2 hours, the power came on. Then, I slept better, but now it was time to get up. I got to church. The Bishop said that this meeting was supposed to be last week. It was cancelled. I didn't need to be at church at 7:30 a.m. I could have slept longer. It gave me time to get mentally prepared for conducting Primary. Heavenly Father has a way of always watching over us-even when it doesn't seem like it. Thanks!
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. About 2-3 weeks ago, I FINALLY LEARNED ALL OF THE SPANISH INITIATORY ORDINANCE WORDS. THE NEXT DAY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY IT OUT LOUD-NOT TO A PATRON, BUT TO A WORKER. THAT REALLY HELPED! Now that I know it, I plan on going in on Wednesday nights as a patron a few more times to hear how things are actually pronounced. I'm close on the pronunciation but not all of it. Then, I get to actually serve in the Spanish Initiatory booth-speaking Spanish on Wednesday nights-sometimes. This last Friday night, I was subbing. The Veil Coordinator is my friend. She knows that I've been learning this. She thought that I also knew the Veil Ordinance work. I hadn't even looked at the card yet. Well, I had the opportunity to help a Spanish Sister thru the Veil-reading the Spanish words for her and letting her do her part in Spanish. That was a great opportunity! The next time I go to the Temple, I will check out the Veil-Spanish Ordinance Work. I need to learn that also. I do know the New Name Ordinance work in Spanish.
Well, I have to get busy. I have a lot to do before I bring Rick home this afternoon.

MOM'S HOUSE STILL HAS NOT SOLD. THE ORIGINAL BUYER KEEPS ASKING FOR EXTENSIONS. THE HOUSE IS ON THE MARKET FOR OTHER BUYERS ALSO. WE'VE HAD ANOTHER OFFER, BUT IT WAS WAY TOO LOW. WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. WHOEVER GETS THEIR ACT TOGETHER FIRST.