Quotes of the Week

God did not design us to be sad. He created us to have joy!!
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

God's love never fails.
--Henry B. Eyring

Faith is the antidote for fear.
--Russell M. Nelson

Opposition permits us to grow toward what our Heavenly Father would have us become.
-_Dallin H. Oaks

Batiquitos Lagoon; MP Interviews; WHAT?!?? No Water???

We sure missed our morning walks those two weeks when I was sick and struggling to breathe. We were anxious to go on an adventure when Monday rolled around. Although we had already walked the Batiquitos Lagoon Trail before, we opted to go there again.

When we came to this bench, I noticed a small, logged enclosure and wondered what was penned up inside...

Hmmm...

I am still left wondering the necessity to fence in the contents. Strange!

Another strange thing we saw on our walk--The Creature From Batiquitos Lagoon.

We enjoyed the log foot rests at one of the benches.

It is a calming and peaceful thing to be out in nature. 

Something not very calming was our house!

Glen had set up his desk space on the kitchen table. To be fair to him, the papers and stuff on half the table belonged to me.

The stuff from the hall closet was still strewn about the family room. The big Christmas tree box was sitting in the foyer. Baskets of laundry were waiting to be done.

I had been waiting for the fans to be removed from the laundry room, but to no avail. When the workers came back to collect all the machines, it was determined that the laundry room and office were still wet.

So, I had to brave the heat and the machine noise and the obstacle course of the machines each time I went in the laundry room to switch out loads of laundry. But--we finally had clean clothes after 10 days of not doing laundry.

We fit in another foot doctor appointment on letter day. Glen always ignores Dr. Dustin and me as he taps away on his iPad trying his best to get all the missionaries' letters done on Monday.

It still feels like I have a tumor in my right foot. He shot it up in two spots and left the left foot alone. I stood up to show him my floating left big toe. He doesn't like the looks of it, but said to ignore it for now.

My right big toe is a bit of a floater as well, but at least I can make it touch the floor when standing which I can't do with the left big toe.

We began the first day of Mission President interviews with the Temecula and Murrieta zones--41 missionaries total. We always have dinner up there after interviews so we can avoid traffic.

Glen had commented at least 5 times on the drive home that he was tired and wanted to get to bed a little early that night.

When we arrived home at 8:30 that night, we pulled up and saw the water heater in the middle of the garage--not attached to anything. UH OH!! 

That meant not only did we not have any hot water, it meant we didn't have any water at all going into the house. 

We spent a few minutes looking around the garage to see what work had been done on the house that day. Some long water pipes had been installed along the wall.

They wanted to get the offending pressure backflow preventer valve (to the right of the yellow power plug) out beyond the small step. That way if there is ever another water leak from that, the water should go out into the garage and down the driveway and not up into the house.

I had earlier blamed the water heater for all our problems, but it was this backflow thing that was the cause of all our problems. It was right next to the water heater, so I was confused. Don't know a lot about plumbing...

The sheet rock had been put up and taped and mudded in some areas.

The workers were making progress, but it was frustrating for us to have to pack up and go to a hotel that night when Glen was so tired.

The irony of the hotel stay was the next morning we had interviews at the church right around the corner from us. So close to the house. But that night we were in a hotel. Oh well! That's life. We are finding life takes us on many crazy adventures.

Glen did interviews with a total of 43 missionaries that day starting in Carlsbad and moving to Del Mar in the afternoon.

While he was interviewing, I was talking to the missionaries who had not completed their area book training online and had them work on that. I was also asking them what had impressed them from general conference.

It was fun and interesting to hear their responses as we discussed together our feelings as we had watched and listened to our new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and the other leaders speak.

This elder broke his finger a few weeks earlier while playing basketball. His companion was the cause of the break. UGH!! Yet another p-day injury. 

That evening when we arrived home, we were happy to see the water heater was back on its newly sheet rocked pedestal. It is now sitting in a pan which will take care of any possible future leaks.

The pan has a pipe leading out from it which will carry the water out beyond the small step in the garage. That way the water will drain into the lower part of the garage and out onto the driveway instead of into the house.

The last of the fans and dehumidifiers had been removed from inside the house. YIPPEE!!!!

The third day of interviews we spent in Escondido with 36 missionaries. 

That evening Glen had a meting in Murrieta which I did not need to attend. I used that time wisely to put back all the stuff into the hall closet that had been strewn about the house for days and days on end. There's something to be said about an orderly house!! It makes a person (in this case our two persons) feel more calm and peaceful when the house is in order.

This may not look like a very orderly closet, but it's what I have to work with. I had suggested a long time ago that perhaps shelves could be added in there, but that hasn't happened. 

 

So, for now all the stuff is back on the floor. Only this time, I have lots of confidence we won't have another flood in there. Unless, of course, the bathroom or laundry room floods. In that case, we'll be back at square one with everything in the closet getting wet again.

But let's not even think of that possibility!!!!

Our fourth day of interviews was held at the mission office where Glen met with 30 missionaries. I forgot to take pictures until the very end of the day when I snapped this one and only photo. 

We squeezed in a date night dinner and then headed to Costco and Walmart to load up on groceries since Saturday was going to be a busy day as it was Vista stake's conference weekend.

Most of the house was back in order by that evening. The carpet needs to be fixed in a corner of the room off the garage. 

The carpet needs to be fixed in the doorway of Glen's office. There is also a problem behind his desk. The desk/cabinet area had to be removed due to water damage. They brought in a table for our printer while we wait for them to figure out what to do with that space.

That works fine for us. Glen can at least now get to his desk and work from there instead of from the kitchen table. Brenda came that day to do a thorough house cleaning after all the water/construction mess. 

It was a welcome thing for us to walk into the house at the end of a very busy day/week and have it be clean once again!!

Quotes of the Week

The peace for which the world longs is a time of suspended hostilities; but men do not realize that peace is a state of existence that comes to man only upon the terms and conditions set by God, and in no other way.
--Howard W. Hunter

Anytime you feel you are being asked to do something hard, think of the Lord beholding you, loving you, and inviting you to follow Him.
--S. Mark Palmer

The Book of Mormon both illuminates the teachings of the Master and exposes the tactics of the adversary.
--Russell M. Nelson

The Incessant Roaring; Double Date With Hemingways

The men with the machines came back a few days ago and cut out some sheet rock on various walls in the garage.

Holes were cut in the walls in the back of the garage cupboards to get air circulating behind the walls. 

So far no cutting inside the house.

The 25 big machines continue to whir and roar continuously (was using a form of continue--meaning nonstop, ongoing, persistent, sustained, steady, relentless, uninterrupted, rolling, unabating, unremitting, unrelieved, unceasing--TWICE too redundant in that sentence???).

We were hopeful the machines would be removed by the weekend, but NO SUCH LUCK!!! Perhaps it's an added blessing that we get a few extra days of drying time before someone comes to put up new sheet rock.

In the meantime, we escape for walks by the beach whenever we get the chance. The water has a calming effect on a person--on our two persons--as we put our cares aside for a short while and just enjoy the beauties of nature.

The Friday after our busy zone conference days was looking pretty clear for us. We thought we would have a free day to actually be able to have an actual p-day. We had planned to go to a nearby museum.

As we were walking around Oceanside Harbor that morning, we got a call from the Missionary Department. They had reviewed the MRI of a sister who had gotten injured on a Monday during her p-day activity.

She will indeed need surgery and that will have to take place at home. We always get so bummed when one of our missionaries has to go home early. It makes us really sad for her and it makes us sad for the mission because she is a very good missionary.

We cut our visit with the sea lions short and hurried home to get ready to go pick her up and take her to the airport.

I did take a minute to admire the pelican sitting on the railing of the small fishing pier nearby.

We had called the sister to tell her to get her stuff packed--she was leaving that very day. It was sad for both of these sisters as she is training one of our newer missionaries and these sisters love each other dearly.

We had driven to Temecula to pick up the sister and had called the sister training leaders to meet us at a restaurant for lunch so they could collect their new companion.

On our way out of Temecula we saw smoke. Oh no!! Not another fire in the mission!!

Thankfully it was a small fire that was easy to contain.

As our passenger observed, it would be hard for us right now to have a big fire sleepover like last time when our house is all in disarray and with the fans roaring nonstop and with the plastic blocking off part of the house.

Glen met with a missionary in between the airport and date night.

We had planned a dinner date with the Hemingways--the director and wife of the Mormon Battalion. They don't venture too far away from the historic site as their apartment is on the same block, so they enjoyed the drive up the coast to the Chart House in Del Mar.

This is the restaurant we went to with Elder and Sister Wakolo. We got there so late we could hardly even see the ocean from the restaurant's large ocean-view windows.

I have always wanted to go back there and enjoy the view while eating. This was the night. We enjoyed ourselves very much. The sunset on the ocean was beautiful.

Quotes of the Week

The Savior atoned for your sins and mine and the sins of all of Heavenly Father's children. He knows you; He loves you; He watches over you.
--Henry B. Eyring

Difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us.
--Thomas S. Monson

Every foundation stone that is laid for a temple and every temple completed...lessons the power of Satan on the Earth and increases the power of God.
--George Q. Cannon

The Big Fans; Well Enough to Attend Zone Conferences

The thing is we are in the throes of a water damage DISASTER!!!

Glen called the Church to tell them of the hall closet being soggy. I had noticed it because the baseboards along the wall by the closet were bulging and were coming away from the wall.

We also realized water had been draining into the assistants' room off the garage. The water damage was even more extensive than we had originally thought.

He also told them of my lung issues and how it's important we take care of this issue thoroughly so we don't have any mold arising that would be extremely detrimental to my breathing--not to mention anyone else's who might come to visit or eventually live here after we are gone.

The Church called in a professional disaster clean-up crew. Monday morning a group of workers brought their fans and dehumidifiers--25 of them!!!--and set up shop in our house.

It was a relief to see we were going to have more drying power, but little did we know the fans would be taking over our world!!

We left the men and their fans to do their thing while we went to the dermatologist to see about the spot(s) on the top of Glen's head. 

When I sent the photo to our children and asked for their diagnosis, Rebecca responded: "Male pattern baldness, benign gray hair. Prognosis - good."

Turn of events to see Glen wearing a hospital gown instead of me!! As long as we were there, he got checked all over for any other spots.

Found nothing except a wart on the left side of his cheek that keeps bleeding each day he shaves. Got that frozen off as well as a spot on the other side of his head.

Procedure completed!! Scrape biopsy taken--after making a big purple bull's eye circle and arrow on the top of his head. What in the world is that for? Especially when the doctor said he wasn't going after a clean edge removal type procedure. Just a scrape.

Oh well! It has given us something to laugh about ever since. We have received word that the biopsy is benign. Diagnosis--age spot.

I am happy to report I was doing really quite well that day.

On Sunday I had still felt weak and was coughing as we attended church. The missionaries and others were fasting and praying for me that day. By afternoon, I had felt a renewed strength come over me. I finally felt like I was coming out of all the sickness.

I had felt the afternoon hope of improvement before and then the next morning I would be back in the slumps of struggling to breathe. Not on Monday!! I was feeling SO MUCH BETTER!!

Thus, I had been able to go with Glen to the doctor. I had been able to breathe without gasping for air as I walked up two flights of stairs to get to the doctor's office. I was feeling elated about that small feat.

We arrived home and were a little apprehensive about what we would find when we opened the garage and walked into our home. (We feel that way every time we leave the house and come back home these days...!!)

Our eyes beheld the hall carpet and pad all spread out with a fan blowing on them. The storage closets were all open with fans blowing on them.

The doorway to the left is the assistants' room.

There were two big fans blowing in there and there were markings on the wall where there was wetness.

The sheet rock had been cut away from the pedestal where the offending water heater sits. The water heater!!! The cause of all our flood issues! Water had been spewing out of it onto the wall all night long.

We had to maneuver past machine after machine after machine to go into the house. At the end of the hallway is hanging a heavy plastic covering with a zipper down the middle. That's supposed to help keep the heat of the machines out of the rest of the house.

The laundry room has three machines in there.

Glen's office with more green machines blowing air and making noise and heating up the house. 

The bathroom with more whirring, blowing green machines.

Across the hallway is the closet with all the carpet ripped out of it. And the green machines are blowing in there with tape marking the water-logged walls.

This is the plastic covering with the zipper access if we need to go back to that part of the house. We try to avoid going in there at all costs.

It's an obstacle course with all those green machines. Not to mention the noise of all that machinery going is a constant annoyance. And then let's talk about the heat generated by the machines.

It's insane!! Or enough to make us insane!!

The Church offered for us to stay at a hotel, but we told them we are toughing it out. Packing up to move and living out of a hotel would be soooo inconvenient. We are roughing it here. 

Thankfully my breathing has improved enough that I was able to sleep upstairs in the bed that night for the first time in a long time. I did not want to sleep in the family room with the motors roaring in my ears. 

I was giving thanks (and continue to give thanks) that I was feeling well enough to go to zone conferences this week.

Clear up until Sunday I kept questioning if I would be able to go. Finally on Sunday I started making preparations for my assignment to lead a discussion about standards. Up until then, I was too miserable to even make an attempt at preparing anything.

I started out by showing the video Jacob's family made about part of the white missionary handbook. The missionaries LOVE the family videos and it is a good reminder for them of the standards they are supposed to be reading each day and following.

The Missionary Department wants us to continue to remind the missionaries of the importance of following the standards that have been set for using their smartphones and for using Facebook and messaging. 

The Lessies are family history consultants who talked to the missionaries for a few minutes about how they can use family history with their investigators and new members. 

We moved to the gym where Glen introduced our two nurses--Sister Neal and Sister Maughan--to the missionaries. 

One of our nurses had her physical therapist come and talk to the missionaries about how they need to protect their backs, the proper way to lift, how to ease the strain on their backs from carrying shoulder bags, and she showed some stretches to do to help them.

The zone leaders and sister training leaders taught rotating classes. 

I had to take a breathing treatment break during those classes. We had bought a converter for the car so I can plug in my breathing machine while riding in the car. That got me to the meeting. This break helped me in the middle of the day. Things were going pretty smoothly as far as that is concerned.

There's Glen with the purple bull's eye and arrow on his head. One of the assistants asked me if it would be okay to ask what happened to his head. FUNNY!!

Thankfully the next morning he was able to wash more of the purple off and it wasn't as noticeable anymore.

Lunchtime is always a welcome break. And always a relief for us when we see the kind ladies at the church getting the food ready for us.

After lunch, members had arrived who were willing to be part of the role play teaching situations. They went into different classrooms and the missionaries then went from room to room teaching lessons three different times. It was a smashing success! The missionaries loved it and the members loved it.

These are some pictures of the other zone conferences held the next two days.

 

Sister Radford had pulled through with her assignment to think of a nice thank you to give to the members who had participated in our training--a little bundt cake.

These assistants are amazing!! They worked so hard to get all the details together for the zone conferences each day. They also did a training at each of the zone conferences.

They make sure things run smoothly all the time--not just at zone conferences. We love them and appreciate all they do to help the missionaries and to help us!!!