November 24, 2009

Dear Children,
I am going to try and do this quickly as this evening we travel to Las Vegas. I don’t want to start my vacation behind on updates but I haven’t been successful getting much sleep with all that I wanted to accomplish before traveling so writing something that makes sense takes a great deal of effort these days.
Early last year I bought all the supplies for several homemade gifts that I wanted to make for the coming Christmas. My idea was to do them in the winter when there was less to do. My winter and spring free time was spent going through training disks to upgrade my skill on QuickBooks and Excel so I could get a job. The job that I thought I had disappeared when Ivan left on his mission. His office won’t respond and now I just learned that my friend who is an accountant (that they wanted to hire) that that they do not need her this winter so they must be much slower these days; makes sense.
Consequently, I had to cram all my winter projects into the fall which didn’t work too well. I look forward to a more reasonable schedule when Adam comes and we have an earlier bedtime routine! He comes two days after we return from Utah so he will be a huge help getting things ready for Christmas.
Dad has been a huge help to me these last couple of weeks during my Christmas gift-cram. He is turning into a great house husband: doing the laundry, helping fix the meals, etc. He also learned a couple of steps in one of our Christmas gifts which was very helpful. I know that he would rather be working but I could really enjoy getting used to his help if we just didn’t have the financial worry!
We received more pictures of Morty with Shaw and Aubrey’s boys. He was up there on Aubrey’s birthday to go to a Blazer-Warrior basketball game. Aubrey is a good sport. Morty was there on their anniversary for a sports game of some sort and then back on her birthday. They looked like they were having lots of fun. Morty is always good to send me pictures. Some times I have to look closely to figure out just what location he is for a particular games. He already has several Blazer games on his calendar so that is nice since it brings him north!
Adrianne was here since I last wrote; it was another whirlwind couple of days home. In fact, her plane was much delayed on Friday morning and as they finally announced that they would have to get a new plane after over an hour of wondering if they could take off, she sat there thinking, “There goes my 48 hours in Beaverton!” She was here for Paige’s wedding and to visit the cemetery for Mrs. Gueck. I had fun with her helping me with the flowers for Paige’s wedding and decorating the cupcakes. She had fun also I think especially since she could vivist with her old Laurel advisor, Angie Bleazard, who had some up form California to help with the flowers alos. It is a good thing that Carol had two helpers there (Eileen was in Atlanta since Stephanie had her baby). Carol was having some weird feeling with her heart so we convinced her to run over to her doctor’s office for a quick check. That quick check kept her away for the entire flower project. They had to put her to sleep to shock her heart back into regular rhythm! She was out for the day so it was nice to have extra hands there with Adrianne being so willing. I took a picture of Adrianne with the bridal bouquet since she liked it so much. It was a simple flower project thank goodness. This bouquet had freesia in it which is a beautiful and fun flower with which to work but it smells INCREDIBLE! I thought of Katie the whole time as I smelled that beautiful fragrance; she is the one who introduced me to freesia.
I had already volunteered to help with the cupcakes so my helping with the flowers only came about since Eileen had to go to Atlanta (so I was helping Carol). Besides, when I found out Angie was coming to help, I thought that would be fun to have a day with her.
On Saturday morning we were back at the church frosting the cupcakes. Thank goodness Grandma said she would help me also because the person assigned to take the flowers to the temple forgot so Adrianne had to stop helping me and run the flowers to someone else to take. Adrianne spent the afternoon with her friends from the barn and then returned for the reception later. And then early Sunday morning, Adrianne left to go back. It was the only flight she could find to use her award voucher so that she could even come out. I hope Paige was grateful!
Adrianne didn’t have any wiggle room in being away from school. She just added another interest to her life; horse therapy. Well, she probably has been interested in that before but now she has an avenue to learn it more. She volunteers at a horse barn I think in Springville with works with children, mostly those with the disorder called RAD, Reactive Attention Disorder. Mostly children who have been raised in their very early years by Meth parents or in other county’s orphanages have this disorder. Anyway, one of few therapies that seems to be working for this disorder is riding horses. One of the reasons that it helps is because of having to use both the left and right side of the brain simultaneously while riding. It is quite interesting. She has some websites to go to if you want to learn more.
Speaking of cupcakes, I made the most darling turkey cupcakes for my first SendOutCards party here. Here is a picture but it is blurry since someone had to email it to me and they don’t have the skills that Morty has (and neither do I). I am bringing supplies to make them on our trip hopefully. My first party was pretty scary since I never do anything like this but it was fun even so. It is a fun product that makes people happy (both the sender and receiver also). Sally Farb couldn’t come so we sent her a card with a picture of the turkey cupcake. We should have added a thought bubble to the turkey saying something silly (there is a whole history about cupcakes and Sally and I) since you can do things like that with the program.
Guess what! Dad got some of the Christmas lights up already. I drove into the driveway late Friday night and had such a thrill to see lights on our home. I love the lights that he does on the front; they are my favorite. He will do the rest with Adam; I think Adam will like that. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays but sometimes I am so rushed with the preparation I miss feeling the excitement and joy (and the peace???). When I saw those lights, I felt it. I would love to concentrate on having that feeling more often.
Speaking of feeling; I heard a great talk in sacrament meeting last week from a new sister in our ward. She was reading from the scripture about us filling the measure of our creation and then she concentrated on the word fill, changing it is feel. I loved the thought; I do need to FEEL the measure (and joy) of the meaning of why I am here instead of just fill the purpose. Does that only make sense to me since I needed to hear that thought?
We are studying Mosiah in institute right now learning that the door to needed daily inspiration can be opened by reading the scriptures. I KNOW that but must be reminded of that often. He also used the scriptures about the admonition to Lehi’s family concerning dwindling in unbelief because they almost didn’t have the scriptures. My teacher warned us that even though we HAVE the scriptures, if we don’t read and use them, we risk swindling in unbelief. We also talked about taking on the name of Christ and honoring our own family names. Another thought fro that class was that the service that we give does not add any more value to us determined by the visibility of that service. And one last thought from that discussion was: the future is spotless, make the most of it with our choices. Wasn’t that a great institute class with all those different principles?
Hey, you know what? If there are any reasons to go out early morning shopping on Black Friday (there is just something thrilling about that whole strategy), I won’t need a coat nor umbrella nor mittens nor scarf. I will be in sunny Las Vegas! Maybe paying state taxes that day will be worth it! With extending our trip in Utah, we are missing Kyre’s birthday on December 4th. We may have to go do something with her after Adam is here. Adam will think that is fun; Klaire loves it when Adam is there to play.
Another bit of exciting news is the Spain trip opportunity that came up from Grandma and Nate. Nate emailed her a killer air flight to Madrid since they had talked many years of going this summer. There was a small window of time to make a decision. They both wanted us to go along, as we had hoped all along in the years of planning, until this kind of work year was upon us. We were just sick about the timing but Nate made a VERY generous gift offer and we decided that the value was too high not to go. And especially to be able to go with one of our children! It made us feel so good that he wanted us along. We made that decision with just hours to spare on the air flight deal and then like wild fire, the word spread to more of his siblings. I kept getting emails of flights arranged by each of them and was so surprised. We just need to find some kind of housing that will be reasonable (I have a few queries out to friends) and transportation to get us around the country since we will try and pack a lifetime dream trip into those days. We are leaving March 26 and returning April 6. I can’t believe it; I am so excited to go back. We all want to go to Miranda del Castanar, the town where Abuela was from but I hope also to get to the town where the Maldonado originated from that isn’t far from Miranda (but I couldn’t go when I was in Spain in college).
We had a very uplifting visit with Scott this week. He is so great at making the most of his surroundings. He finds every opportunity to serve and make his talents available. He has tremendous benefits where he works. They allow him to do special assignments for his branch president in the legal library and treat him with respect for the wonderful and capable person that he really is.
I love you and am so excited to share a bit of time here and there with all of you.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Love, Mom

November 10, 2009

Dear Children,

This week just flew by along with Katie’s TOO SHORT visit here over the weekend. We did pack a lot in her two days here. Dad, Katie and I crossed our fingers as we headed to bed, after returning from the airport, hoping that the morning would be dry (we had a VERY wet weekend). It worked! Saturday morning we left early to go to the Portland Saturday Market. It has been many, many years since we have been down there. It reminded me a lot of Eugene’s street market: lots of beads, handmade clothing, scarves and hats and tons of jewelry. We tested a cupcake booth; their specialty was sweet potato cupcakes. Katie thought her cupcakes were superior. Speaking of Katie’s cupcakes, we hoped to find some blackberries so Katie could try another new recipe but no fruits and vegetables were to be found. On the way home we stopped at Haggen and hit the food sample jackpot. They were having a special holiday foods tasting day. We were served a miniature turkey dinner with most of the trimmings.

Katie and I picked up Grandma and headed for a special event at Macy’s in the afternoon. I had read in the Oregonian just the day before that Clinton Kelly form the show “What Not To Wear” was doing a fashion show with models with whom he had done a clothing make over. We stood in line for over an hour only to get the privilege to be escorted to the standing room only section in the back. It was still fun and kind of a once-I-will-do-that sort of thing. Katie loves that show.

Katie made the cupcakes on Sunday morning to go along with Dad’s omelets while I fretted over last minute details with the Children’s Sacrament Meeting President. I have seen enough of them that I should just know; whatever happens, happens. The presentation went very well but way too fast. We just clipped along and ended 10 minutes early. Thank goodness the bishop advisor was ready with remarks, although I don’t like it when an adult speaks on the children’s one day. I was happy this time!

While we had Katie here, Shawn and Aubrey were hosting Morty and Nate in California. Aubrey was a good sport to share her anniversary weekend with her brother-in-laws. They were up for the Stanford versus University of Oregon game. I didn’t even know that Nate was there also until Morty sent me his pictures.

We called Morty with some very sad news this week. While Dad and I were at the temple for our annual stake day at the temple, we learned that Keith Hansen passed away. It was always so enjoyable to run into him at the temple. He was so energetic, always running to his next assignment. He died scuba diving in Hawaii. Oddly enough, before he left he told another temple worker, “If I had to die I would like to die scuba diving.” His funeral is this Friday. I don’t know if I will be able to squeeze it into my day. I will be helping with Paige Jensen’s wedding flowers and making 100 cupcakes for the reception. Adrianne will be here to help!

Like I said, Dad and I were in the temple on Thursday I guess commemorating Shawn and Aubrey’s sealing date! We also were able to catch up with Kyre. She rode up with several ward friends for a temple baptism session. She looked very happy. We are glad she called and said that she would be there.

And many of you know, Bill had eye surgery this week and he is slowly healing so that his eye sight will be back to normal. Heidi had fun with his belated Halloween costume of an eye patch, threatening that she was going to buy a parrot for his shoulder. Rebekah had big news the week before last. She lost her first tooth. We are anxious to see her toothless smile.

There is still no work here for Dad so he has been catching up on yard projects and right now, has the guest bathroom sink and toilet taken apart. He grumbles each day that he is forced to come in early from his yard jobs bemoaning the fact that it now gets dark so early.

I recently tried a new card service called Send Out Cards. It is headquartered in Salt Lake City and it is a multilevel business. But, I like the service so well that I decided to join. The fact that it is a multilevel marketing business also kind of makes me sick to my stomach but, if I do interest other people in the product along the way, maybe I can make some money to help us through the winter. I certainly wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t absolutely love the product and think it is a great value in the long run. My cards will cost less than $2.00 to create and have someone else address and mail them. I am thinking of possibilities of creating cards for Dad’s business since you can download your own pictures to make the cards. There are all different packages that you can buy. I bought the wholesale one that allows you to even download your own handwriting (well, of course not a complete cursive) and your signatures. I am really looking forward to creating my Christmas card this year and printing my family letter right inside the cards, using all sorts of color and letting that company print it, stuff the envelope, put on the stamp and mail them for me. Yes! Remember all those years that I would beg anyone to sit at the dining room table and get out the Christmas cards assembly line style??? I won’t miss that process; I am excited to simplify.

Speaking of simplifying, I REALLY need to this year. Dad and I just extended our Thanksgiving and Utah trip. While Katie was here, she mentioned that she had tickets to several of the BYU performing groups’ Christmas shows the weekend after we are leaving. She suggested we stay and we gave it serious thought. We have always said it would be fun to visit the first week in December to catch all those shows. So, luckily a Southwest Ding came up just at the right time and we made the plunge. Yikes! I won’t get my tree and everything up until the second week of December! My baking and neighbor gifts will be alter this year. And, I certainly won’t have my Christmas shopping done since I won’t be here the day before and day after Thanksgiving. Adam comes just two days after we return so I am going to put him to work. It will be fun to have a little helper; he is so creative anyway. But, we will be enjoying a lot of new Christmas traditions by going to all those BYU performances, making chocolates with Grandma, seeing the temple lights and so on. It is going to be a fun-filled time.

I will end with a thought that I heard as I was walking and listening to the Relief Society broadcast on my iPod (Thank you for that gift last year)! Sister Beck quoted Camilla Kimball as saying, “Never suppress a generous thought.”

I love you all. Love, Mom

November 1, 2009

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Dear Children,

Happy Halloween and Happy-Believe-It-Or-Not-November! Yesterday was a mixed weather day with enough dry skies and sunshine to completely clear away the rest of our vegetable garden. Any have any good recipes for green tomatoes? Last year I tried to hang the vines and let the green tomatoes ripen but I forgot about them mostly! This year I have bags of them waiting for a recipe of some sorts. Sammy’s absence was very noticeable as we worked in the garden on Saturday. Usually she is right behind me as I bend over in the dirt, barking so that I will through a rock to her. Dad and I cleaned up Sammy’s last vegetable garden; she always loved the fruits of our labor! Maybe that is why she lived so long; due to all the fruits and vegetable that she enjoyed! It began to rain as Dad and I finished our yard work and headed for the pool to stretch our muscles. But, then by the time for Trick or Treaters, it was dry again. Perfect!

We had a treat on Halloween. Grandma took us to P F Chang’s to take advantage of a Halloween discount coupon that she had and then we only ordered appetizers on their half price appetizer deal that is usually between 3:00 and 6:00 in the evening. They are always yummy.

It was fun to see the neighborhood children on Halloween. We had more children than in previous years. Ginny and Bill Larsen came with the Faulkner’s children. They asked about all of you. They enjoy their farm in Centralia, Washington.

Lastly, on Halloween evening, we received a text from Adrianne to wrap our arms in foil and go to Chipotle for a free burrito. We went online to learn if our Chipotle was running the same special and read that we could wear any costume for a free burrito on Halloween evening. I got my witch hat and one of your black graduation gowns and Dad grabbed tape and foil (good thing) and we got to Chipotle just before they closed. Sure enough, we got our free burrito (which we saved for dinner today since we were already full. . . perfect quick dinner after church for Fast Sunday). But, the cashier did ask where my foil was since we were supposed to be dressed like a burrito or taco salad at our restaurant. Thank goodness they were feeling generous. This is Adrianne’s picture of the dead beauty queens; her stake had a Halloween part and then, on Halloween, someone in her apartment complex had a party. She made Grandma Bitter’s recipe of Snicks for her Halloween candy that she was going to hand out. She wanted something special since Rebekah and Jenna would be coming to her place. That is a great treat!!!

With Halloween over (I am not usually sad about that; usually taking down Halloween decorations as I am passing out the candy) I can look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas; much better holidays in MY book. For Dad and me, we will be heading to Las Vegas on the Tuesday before turkey day. Our only plans so far in Las Vegas are to put the turkey in the oven and then go hiking at Red Rocks. I am also hoping that Morty wants to plan out some fun early morning Black Friday shopping. Wendi said she is thinking of getting down to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving also so we will have practically everyone there. Friday night we head to Utah and Saturday we will attend the BYU-University of Utah game. We have extended our stay in Utah so that we can take Grandma to Adrianne’s lab on Monday and then go to Katie’s news show that afternoon. Katie has a soccer game that night plus we asked Grandma if she will help us make some chocolates maybe on Monday but probably also Tuesday. If we can get in the bike ride we planned on our last visit (if the weather cooperates), we will do that and maybe even, if possible, go see Rebekah’s kindergarten. Last week we did some creative bookings with those $25.00 fares which caused us to have to spend a four hour lay over in Boise! It was going to be worth the double Southwest credit but then another fare deal arose this weekend so we opted to dump the extra credit and spend more time with the family in Utah. We will now fly out on Wednesday evening . . . three extra days now!

Grandma Maldonado will be in Antioch for Thanksgiving and Clovis for Christmas. She is requesting Christmas gift ideas as she needs to have her shopping done before she leaves for Thanksgiving. Send me some ideas also please! Here is my list so far:

Ping Pong Paddles and Balls

Digital Kitchen Scale, Aquatronic Style that has a zero out feature

Small Make Up Bag, like the size I have now (that is falling apart)

Olfa Rotary Blades, 45 mm regular blade

Knitting Needles (I don’t know any size; I just want to learn)

Wedgewood Nativity Scene Ornament (Bed Bath and Beyond $24.94)

Workout Pants with a pocket (I like the calf length)

Large (18” Reusable) Decorator Bag

Sport Socks with extra cushion

Kitchen Booster Chair (like the one that Heidi has loaned us)

With all the sad news I had to report last week, I have some good news about Barbara Block. She has been very ill since last Christmas with a debilitating disease attacking her nerves. Two weeks ago when she also died not being able to breathe (thinking the disease was starting to attack her heart and lungs) they discovered that she really had a slow growing tumor in her trachea blocking her air. In fact, they realized that is what caused the nerve problems back last December. They shrank the tumor and she is feeling so much better. I visited with her this week and she was so upbeat to know what has been causing her problems for the last eleven months even though she will probably not be able to regained the fine motor control in her hands and feet again. Aren’t life’s problems relative? She is so relieved to have cancer. And, tomorrow she learns if the cancer has spread her bones but she knows the treatment of chemotherapy is better than the last eleven months!

Robin Whitaker addressed perspective in her testimony today. She said she read a funny article that talked about life’s struggles and said, if we put a historical slant on our troubles, they wouldn’t seem so bad. For example, if we thought about one of our specific struggles and pictured us having to deal with it in while living in the 13^th century; it would be a LOT worse!!! But then she added, we are blessed with the gospel perspective that adds a wonderful perspective to our earthly struggles, which is so true!

Jared Green was here for the weekend and bore his testimony. It was great to see and hear from him. He bore strong testimony of the importance of finding happiness in the confines of the Gospel and gratitude for His plan of happiness. Because today was our practice for the Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation, I didn’t have a chance to stop and talk with him.

Shawn and Aubrey wedding anniversary is this week. They celebrated at a cabin in Truckee. I didn’t hear if it was snowy there yet.

Dad and I listened to the Young Adult Fireside tonight on BYU TV. If you had to miss it, it will be rebroadcast next Sunday, November 8 at 8am, 4:00 and 10:00pm. It was President Uchtdorf and of course, was excellent. He started by commenting that combining the titles to the two songs sung before he spoke: Praise to the Lord and Do What is Right would be a good daily motto by which to live. His talk covered several subjects of which he receives most from young adults, but mostly centered around our potential. He said that Shakespeare was wrong when he coined the phrase, “To be or not to be, that is the question.” Instead President Uchtdorf said he would rephrase it to say something like this, “Knowing that I am a child of God, what do I need to be and to do to live up to that potential?”

As always, he used some great analogies from his flying experience to use some stories. He described in DETAIL the glorious beauty that can be seen in certain types of thunder storms but said, no matter the alluring beauty, a pilot is taught to steer clear of them to survive. He strongly cautioned us to avoid the harmful storms in our lives. He said temptation wouldn’t be a temptation if it wasn’t made to seem beautiful, fun and enticing.

He also used some very endearing personal stories to talk about the question he receives often about finding the perfect soul mate. He reminded his audiences that there isn’t a “one and only” and that once you commit to a person, they become your soul mate by turning from looking to creating perfection together. It was a great talk with lots of personal comments and stories that made it very enjoyable. If you missed it, you should watch it next Sunday.

Dad and I saw Scott today. I have been worried about him; he seemed discouraged lately and rightly so. He has been trying to work on his post conviction relief and says he feels an overwhelming helplessness. He says it is much easier to help others work on their legal work instead of face the realities of his. He described his feelings well as he described how he feels during his races (his last for the season was this week; he got third place). His races are 18 laps but the mental struggle is hardest from the second to the 16^th lap. He feels like giving up and the only reason he doesn’t give up as he decides it is best when he must finish what he starts. He had a disappointing stark realization with his last test evaluations that, even after feeling good after his interviews, the evaluations came back with poor results as he faces the professional belief system that a person cannot make that kind of change in their life. We left after trying to help him realize that he may never be able to convince an outsider of his change but that what was most important is to know himself that he has changed and to continue to work on any little thing that those evaluators may point out. He works so hard to be and do good. His cell mate was transferred to a minimum prison so he has a new roommate, Chuck Potter. He is in the same cell and they both requested each other as their first pick. He is very excited to have a cell mate that is willing to prayer together every night.

Have a great week ahead! Love, Mom