Missionary calling Utah style

AJ's friends are entering the Mission Training Center like crazy. Soon, AJ, Skyler and Travis will be the only ones left. Bryce (in the suit) leaves for the MTC in the morning. The picture was taken at Adam's house tonight where we all gathered for Adam to open his letter. Right after Adam's letter Bryce went to his house to get set apart as a missionary.

Does it look like AJ and Skyler were crying? Well, they were. I had a tear in my eye as well:(

When I got home I asked Don and Mom both separately "If Adam could go anywhere in the world what would be the best place for him to go?" They both answered "Greece." And you guessed it, Adam is going to Athens Greece. I though his Greek Grandma, sitting on the couch next to him was going to fall over. It was really a fun moment. Truly inspiring.

I'm sure going to miss those boys! AJ says he is going to have to get a girlfriend soon because he's not going to have anyone to hang out with.

skiing

Don, David and Alika went skiing today. Don took the camera but he didn't take pictures. Alas there are no pictures of their day. They say they had fun though. David is still not as good at snowboarding as he is at skiing. He and Alika both boarded today. David and Don went last Sunday too. The weather was great in the mountains. It's pretty yucky in the valley lots of smog.
I stayed home with Sean. I took him home this afternoon because his dad wanted him. When I got there it took me 10 minutes to get them to open their door. There landlord showed up shortly after me. She said she had just picked up the rent check from the bishop and she told them they belonged in a homeless shelter. Nice exit point for me. She was pretty mad. I can certainly understand why. My gosh if you aren't doing anything you could at least clean.

Our renters in 512 are having a hard time. He hasn't been paid in 3 months. Then on Thursday he broke his leg skiing and now he needs surgery. He works part time as a ski instructor in addition to his day job. Laura the wife is so cute. She said with the economy so bad she had been praying for work and that Brian had lots of work just no pay. She said she needs to start praying for pay. I feel bad for them. They are a good family.

Happy Birthday Tyson

Tyson turned one today. He celebrated with lasagna and chocolate cake!

Stupid drunk

I took Sean home Thursday morning about 11 in the morning. We got home about 12:30 a.m. When I took him home Kylie and Brie let me in. Their parents were asleep. I was a little disappointed that his parents weren't awake to greet him him after not seeing him for a week but whatever. His sisters were happy to see him and him them. I was not happy with the situation at the house. Jenny called at 4 and wanted me to pick them up for dinner but I told her I was too tired. I didn't hear from her again until last night at 9 p.m. when she called me from the hospital. She said Ryan had gotten drunk and fallen through two plate glass windows while he was sitting next to Sean. I asked if Sean or the girls were hurt but they were OK. Ryan however had to be transferred from SLRMC to the U for a hand surgeon. He cut through four tendons. Don and I went and picked up Sean at 10 (in a snow storm). Brie and Kylie wanted to come with us too but we said no. They were at Ryan's brothers house and he should be able to watch his own niece's. Jenny ended up calling a friends mother to watch the girls for the night. I'd of let Ryan take his drunk self to the hospital. Jenny said he was bleeding bad and none of his drunk friends would move their cars so she could get her car out of the driveway. I don't know why they were back at a house they had left because there was too much drinking and too many drugs.I told Jenny Ryan was an idiot and she just said, "that's what everyone is saying". Sean was so tired when we picked him up, he took a bath, went to bed and was so happy when he woke up this morning. We went to the classroom and Sean helped Don install a new doorknob. I don't think Don could have done it without him.

bedbugs or frostbite

I worked at the clinic today. I took care of a guy with really bad frostbite. He might lose his big toes. They were black and he'd pulled the toenails off. I asked him when he got the frostbite and he said the really cold night after Christmas which would have been last Friday. I asked him why he didn't go to the shelter and he said because the bedbugs there were really bad. That left me thinking if I had to choose which would it be, bedbugs or frostbite? Yikes, what a choice. I spend 20 minutes trying to choose between 800 count and 1000 count sheets. I feel really guilty at night sleeping on my 800 count sheets when there are people sleeping in the streets (or on the Jordan River bed) because they don't want bedbugs:(

Illinois

On Christmas day Don's mom, Sharon sent an email letting us know that Don's Grandma Ev was not doing well. She had a stroke. She died on the 26th at 1245, she was 101. She was playing solitaire and doing activities up to the 23rd of December so she did really well up until the end.
We flew out to Illinois on Saturday the 27th. We left early and got there late. Weather was bad so we ended up taking a train for the last part of our trip. The train had issues to and we spent 5 hours waiting for a 2 hour trip. I've never ridden on a train before. I would much rather be stuck on a train then on a plane. The train you can get up and walk around. We had Sean with us so walking around was important. How did we have Sean with us you ask? I went over to his Uncle's house where his dad was drinking. "It's and adult party" he said. I asked if we could take Sean to Illinois. He kept saying he didn't like to fly. I told him he didn't have to come. In the end he flipped a coin and said Sean could come with us. Isn't that how we all make big decisions?

We really enjoyed spending time with Don's family. His Grandma had kept tons of journals containing the mundane and the outrageous. We had lots of fun reading them. She was a wild young woman, making beer in a bath tub that then blew up and made a mess!

Don's cousins Brock and Stason came from Colorado and California so all of Grandma Ev's grandchildren were there. All the books you see people reading were Grandma Ev's journals.

Dava and Alexis came. It was strange without October and Ashtin but they moved to California. Dava has three foster children but she left them in Indiana with her husband.

Addie had a great time playing with Sean. Sean really liked the attention. He did great with the exception of having a night terror his second night there. It really scared me and Don. He was screaming and arching his back like he was in terrible pain but his eyes were open. Don kept rubbing Sean's hand on his beard but you could tell he couldn't see us. We undressed him and he just kept screaming. Then I remembered Carter doing the same thing when he was little. It was because Sean was so tired from all the traveling.

Don and his Dad just look more and more alike. Dave grew a beard to celebrate that he quit smoking. Don told him to try Chantix and he did with excellent results. Yeah, now Don and his Dad are both non-smokers. We went to dinner with Don's father's side of the family we saw everybody but Don's brother Dan.


And that's a wrap. The plane ride home was very pleasant. Sean fell asleep in my arms before the plane took off. We had the bulk head seat so we had extra space it was fantastic. I don't know if the Bendaryl I gave Sean had anything to do with his sleeping or not.