Moonrise

I've made no secret that the sunrises and sunsets are worth watching here.  So much worth it that I bring up the lack of comfortable (that means warm... preferably indoor near a large clear window..) places to watch the colourful sky miracles on a regular basis.  Our home is in the wrong position.  It should have faced just a few degrees further one direction or the other for the sole purpose of having a window that faced due east and west for proper sun rise and set viewing.  

The new nook does offer a lovely place to watch the sunrises.  But we yet lack a sunset nook... and a place to build one.  

Sunrises are all well and good.. but much of the year... they are earlier than I tend to rise... so I miss most of them.

Sunsets however I am never asleep.  Often instead I'm in the middle of supper or dishes; what a difference such mundane tasks would be if the view could be enjoyed while tending to the tasks.  

So I was thrilled to be returning from town earlier than usual one evening and was able to catch this lovely moonrise while driving down our road.  

K-9 Storytime

On some of our long days in town... there's some waiting time between errands and activities.  We've discovered some things to do to pass the time.

This was a short but fun activity.  The library allows children to sign up for half hour sessions of reading with 'rescue dogs'.  

Emerson thought it amusing to choose cat books to read to the dog.

Derby; The Finish Line

We made it... to the finish!

The final derby.  

The district decided to put on a final shindig derby to celebrate the end of the scouting legacy.  Since it was an unofficial Derby.. they could race any car they had ever made as long as it still met the qualifications of weight and rules.  Also siblings could also race a car.  Emerson was so excited!

They did not win, but they enjoyed the races.  

I do wonder at all this finality... The wards still own the tracks, timers, scales.... the boys love racing the cars.... perhaps there will be derbies of a new sort in the future.

Week 4

This week... I forgot my phone at home when we left for town....


I missed Miles call.

He sent the following message.

HolaComo la va?Yo es bien.No familia a llamar mi propio.Mi todo por mi vender.Que TristeVolvere a son punto cuatro.Adios.

And then almost two hours later another message came...

"I'll be on tomorrow.. for only 30 minutes at 5:30 my time.. Please be on :(."

My forgetfulness was to be rewarded with a special call.

Never imagined that it was a Thanksgiving day call.  Apparently all the missionaries were given a 30 minute call for the holiday.

So we had a chance to visit after all. 

A short visit while we were at the Ranch.  He said hello to everyone.  Patrick was home and this was his first chat with Miles.

He's played a lot of ping pong and he finally got a haircut.  As he sat in the chair, the hairdresser asked (in spanish) what length.  He said she asked a couple other things that he didn't quite catch so he just nodded his head.  She began cutting off the sides.  When she discovered his scar, she began chattering very quickly and he caught the words 'two scars' and 'how' and 'when'.  He tried to explain.. it's one long scar from when I was a baby.  The other hairdresser came to look also.  She didn't cut anything off the top.  So he's tidy but very frizzy up top.

There were some rules about clothing that changed this week for missionaries so he was excited to learn he could wear the new tie he had purchased in  Mexico.  It's a weave and is straight at the bottom instead of pointed.

He says his shoelaces are wearing out... oh boy.. only 6 weeks in.

He was so excited to get a package that we sent... some spicy frito chips!

Only a short call and he is a bit nervous to start the next week of only  Spanish.

Week Three

This weeks call was fun... which is more than Miles had to say for his week.  He says there's really nothing to talk about or report... he does the same thing every day!

So what made the call fun.  Well I watched as he interacted with about a dozen other missionaries in one of the classrooms.  We chatted for an hour and he was outgoing and laughing and interacting with all of them.  This is the same boy who attended three years of seminary in Utah and never spoke to another person in all that time.

I was able to chat with the whole group even.  Somehow we began talking about what sorts of things they missed from home.  Unfortunately they said the wrong things.  There was a mother on the phone!!  They listed things like, candybars, pop, video games, listening to music, ...

I asked if they missed anything else since I bluntly told them I could not condone any of the items on their list as worthy of being missed.  The conversation went down hill.  They began discussing specific snack items they wished for.  Then one elder mentioned that there is a care package delivery service from the Mexico Costco.  Apparently one can go online and order items and they will be delivered to the MTC the next day.   I promised to look at the website.  (not much miles would be interested in ... although some spicy chips might excite him, he's not really a sweets eater)  He did say that he would take some of his favourite frozen chimichangas if they had them... they didn't.

The conversation of food and eating turned to discussing cafeteria food.  Apparently Miles is very observant... or stalkerish... He went around the room and told what and how each of the elders would select in the cafeteria on a regular basis.  Such as one elder eats the same 3 vegetables every day and will only sometimes choose the main dish.  Another elder always drinks the same thing with every meal and has the same breakfast every day.  Another doesn't like anything spicy.  His companion is a picky eater he said... but not like normal picky... he eats only healthy stuff.  Miles says he's known as the one who likes the spicy stuff and eats pretty much anything... just isn't a fan of the eggs.

I remember emails from Caleb often told about the foods that he ate at member homes through out the week.... perhaps their days really are repetitive and the food is all that stands out sometimes... or maybe it's a guy thing.  Miles and Sarah's friend Sammy left for her mission last week... I'll watch to see what sorts of things she emails about.

Other noteworthy items that came up during the chat with Miles this week were that since pets aren't allowed at the CCMa (MTC Mexico), the cat that wanders about and they've named Mess Hannigan, is an amigo (friend), not a pet.  They also name the spiders... the very large spiders.  Chester was hanging out on a plant just outside the classroom door where he was  chatting and he quickly took the phone outside to show me 'amigo chester the arana (spider).   I questioned the lack of spanish naming.

Elder Soares came to Mexico and gave a great devotional.  He says there was a swarm of elders after the sisters had shaken his hand and they gave up and left.  He said that the devotionals have been fabulous and he admitted... that he does use the notebooks that I tucked in his bag and has almost filled one with notes from devotionals.  (He claimed he didn't think he'd journal anything or take many notes.)  (I would sing.. mother knows best here... but Miles voice in my ear would remind me that an evil disney character sings those lyrics and I wouldn't want to be confused with evil)

So that was this week.  No photos.  I didn't even capture photos while chatting with him.  The grass is green.. the sky was blue and the temperature was warm.

Week Two

Another phone call... this time early in the morning.

I tried to take notes this time, rather than relying on my memory.  I also told him to send photos... or I would resort to more screen shots of our chats.

His call was early because he was off to the Mexico temple for most of the day.  He was looking forward to seeing a bit more of Mexico City.  He commented on the insanity of traffic and the lack or the seeming lack of any traffic laws.  He says there are motorcycles everywhere and he could reach out the bus window and touch a truck only inches away.

He says it's a very colourful place.  Even in November, very green grass, lots of flowers, blue skies and really tall palm trees.  He said there is a flower he really wanted to take a photo of, but it's on top of the palm trees and there is a rule that missionaries can not be more than ten feet from the ground.  So he can't climb the tree.

The drive to the temple showed the crowded city.  Homes that are colourful like the flowers... and close together.  A year in Wyoming with wide open spaces has definitely made him appreciate distance.  (And I still think we have a few too many close neighbours... wouldn't mind being located a 'little' closer to town... but less neighbours.)

I suggested that he was due for a haircut.  His response... 'well, yes... but I have to call and schedule an appointment with the MTC hair salon... in spanish.  Everyone has an appointment their final week here... so I may just wait.

He may look like this without the palm tree in the background in another 3 weeks!

(This is the screenshot I took when he went outside to wait for the bus to the temple)

He has had to sew buttons back on already.  He lost one off his suit coat on the plane.  And he means, LOST.  So his suit is lacking one button.  He is proactively resewing on the other buttons with stronger thread.  

Another fun tidbit is that every week they are given a topic and must write a talk for Sunday.  None of them know who will actually be called upon to speak in church so they all have to be prepared.  And yes the talk needs to be in Spanish.  He says so far his talks are rather short.  He can't just reuse the week before because the topics are totally different.  On Sunday, the mission president will just point to a name on his list to choose the speakers for the day.  Prayers are also selected this way.  He is beginning his third week and says that after he completes his fourth week he isn't allowed to speak english anymore... even when it's just him and his companion.   

(My spanish learning is no where close to good enough to keep up with that pace!)

Another week of classes and good food... He'll check in again next week... Loves to hear from people and wonders what people want to know... when he sits down to send an email, his mind is blank... ummm.. this week was a lot like last week he says.  So ask questions.

He returned from his trip to the temple... They used translation headsets since it's of course in spanish.  He also took and sent some photos.  

Just as fascinating as colourful flowers apparently are how large the spiders are.  hmm...

The Mexico City Temple

Up close detail on the temple.

Elder Vance and Elder Noble

I may have taken some screen shots anyway.  I couldn't resist.

Week One and a Half

Receiving phone calls instead of emails has been very different.  I have to pay attention to what we discuss if I'm to make an accounting for those who ask how Miles is doing.  I found myself just enjoying our conversation and being able to see that he is well with my own eyes.  A video call each week is really something.

He still finds it warm even though he also says it rains a great deal.  The rain is a warm down pour though.  He says the first rain storm, he did not have an umbrella and the 'biblia roja' (spanish booklet that each missionary was given for their first 2 weeks of study) was in his shirt pocket, as almost all other missionarios were.  He however learned a valuable lesson in red ink booklets in white rain soaked shirts.  Thankfully after laundering he did not have pink shirts!  He said he thought to rinse it first before throwing it in the laundry and it came clean.

His campanares (companion) is Elder Vance from South Carolina.  He took Spanish in high school and isn't struggling as much as Miles with the language but it is very helpful.  Miles says his biggest hurdle is keeping up with how much memorization in Spanish is required each week.  He has begun to remember more each day.  In fact he says some words have become easier to recall in Spanish than in English.  He was telling us that they had gone to the .... (he paused trying to think of the words. . and then just continued)  we went to the tienda and the infermeria.  (tienda is shop and infermeria is clinic)  He used his weekly peso allowance to buy an umbrella and some book covers for his new scriptures en espanol.  Then to the infermeria to have a tetanus shot that somehow he still needed.

His days are all similar with meals and classes and devotionals each evening.  He says they've been teaching people.  Carlos, Pedro and Charlie.
His maestro often role plays with them and refers to himself as Fernando.. so much so that Miles couldn't remember what his actual name was.

The boy who for 18 years has had the best sleep habits.  Faithfully retiring and rising early... the past six months have been a trial.  From one day to the next his bakery job schedule would have him working a midnight shift and then a day shift.  His sleep habits destroyed.  He still had the habit of rising early and that just created a greater sleep deprivation.  He now has a new sleep issue.  With his scheduled life and a companion to consider, he is busy until he can go to bed at 10:00.  Later than he is accustomed to but not ridiculous.  However... his natural body clock wakes him at 5am.  He struggles with trying to return to sleep for the next 90 minutes as he waits for his companion to get up.  He is not to rise before 6:30 or to get up without his companion.  So he says he lies abed... waiting.  He would be allowed to rise earlier if he could convince his companion to get up with him... however his companion already likes the idea of an afternoon siesta... it doesn't happen but he'd like it.

Miles still comments on the yummy food and says he has had the BEST salsa verde of his life.

Until next week.... well the next p-day.. Wednesdays for his Mexico stay.

Week One

Sunday October 27th.  7pm

Miles was set apart as a missionary.  (Our stake president was heading out of town the next morning.)
Duncan had a board of review to approve his eagle project, then we headed home... except that.... there was a small issue with .... underwear.

Nothing is simple in our lives... that's how we keep from being boring!  We had ordered underwear for Miles in three different styles.  He chose the one he liked and we sent Caleb to pick up more of his preferred style.  Caleb was coming up the week before he needed to travel.  All worked out and Caleb brought the requested items.... but unfortunately with the busyness of the weekend and the rain and snow... we neglected to remove the items from Caleb's truck.  The underwear returned home with Caleb.  We did not realize this until Sunday afternoon.  So... we had 30 hours until time to take Miles to the airport and no way to connect him with his underwear.  Mailing them to Mexico was not an option since they said no packages for his six weeks.  hmmm.... dilemma.... But... within a few minutes of our discovery... we had a phone call from Aunt Tina... "Are you feeling ready.. is there anything we can do before he leaves...?"  Well... "Do you have some new underwear laying around?"

AMAZINGLY.... within 20  minutes Aunt Tina called back.  "YES!!"  Apparently Neal.. the only cousin that is the same size as Miles had some unopened packages of underwear and said... swing by and grab them!  Problem solved..

Home by 9pm and all is well..

Monday October 28th.

We began with a final farewell breakfast with Miles.   By the time breakfast was over.... we were giving Duncan an Epi-pen and hurrying to the clinic.   (that's its own story!)  After a mere 6 hours we returned home.  Final packing and a quick dinner of chicken nuggets and tater tots.. hardly a send off meal!... we headed to bed so we could get up early.  We also knew of another dilemma which we were facing...

A blizzard.  The temperature had dropped... a LOT! and it was beginning to snow.  A winter storm warning was in effect... for exactly where we needed to head.  We began to calculate.  In good weather we could drive to the airport in just over an hour.  Since it was an international flight he needed to be there two hours early.  Since it was not good weather we opted to plan on two hours for driving.  So the flight left at 7am.. We would need to leave by 3am... 3AM!!  Further issues... if the storm became worse... and it looked like it might... the road through the canyon that we needed to go would be closed.  The only way around would take 5 hours of driving in good conditions.  I began to wonder at 7pm the night before if we should just leave then and risk being stranded at the airport instead of stranded on the road and not make it to the airport.  Then it dawned on us.  The flight from Jackson would take him to Salt Lake and then he had an hour layover.  So if we woke up and were ready to leave by (gulp.. ) 3am.. we could check the roads and decide.  Drive the scary winter canyon if it's still open... OR.. just drive the 4 hours to SLC and meet the connecting flight.  So we went to bed with a sketchy plan.

Tuesday Oct. 29th

3am!  the roads were not closed but the blizzard was still blowing.  After a few minutes of trying to decide which felt better to us and trying not to fall back to sleep.. we opted to go for the canyon.  It did take us the two hours to get to the airport.  Often we could go no more than 20 miles per hour and visibility was poor.  We saw only 2 other cars during our drive going the opposite direction which I took as a good sign that they had made it through where we were headed.

At 5:30 we parked at the almost vacant airport.  We braved the strong winds and the blowing snow and lugged his baggage into the airport.  After a whopping ten minutes he was checked in, his luggage tagged and sent to board.

Farewell time had really arrived.  I insisted on one more photo and he hugged his brothers.  (Miles is NOT a hugger.)

I went over a few last minute reminders as he entered the security line... only one person ahead of him.  Then suddenly he was through security.  We stood and watched as he removed his coat, shoes, suitcoat, and his passport belt!!  Everything on the conveyor belt he then collected his things and I relaxed as I watched him put his passport back on and then dress again.  A final look before he headed to his gate.

The boys and I began to walk away... when I stopped suddenly... "I never got a hug!!!"  Miles had joked with everyone over the last few days... Oh... I'll have to hug everyone at the airport I don't have to hug now.  And then I missed out!  I couldn't believe it!  I wondered if they'd let me through security for a hug.

5:45am and sitting in a practically empty airport... the blizzard still angry outside we opted to wait until his plane took off.  We figured we would wave as he exited the airport and made his way into the blizzard to the ramp that would take him to the door of the airplane.  Plus it was still dark and stormy outside and if I needed to drive home in the canyon, I would prefer it wasn't dark.

So we waited.  We read all the Jackson Hole brochures and used the restrooms.  We weighed ourselves.  We admired the artwork and the sculptures.  We tried out all the options in sitting areas.  We examined the baggage claim carousels and watched the workers outside in the cold loading luggage and de-icing the plane.  Until at last... people began to walk up the ramp to the plane.  We watched carefully for his green trolley..  so glad he had a distinguishable trolley in the dark morning storm.

Finally!...  It's him!  We began to wave.  He didn't look up.  We waved more frantically!  He didn't look up.  As he came closer to the door of the plane the line stopped.  Just for a moment there seemed to be a traffic jam on the ramp.  We were jumping up and down and waving.  The line began to move again... and then... he looked up as he approached the door... and waved!  It was so slight.. we wondered... did he really wave?  I had been videoing so we watched it a few times and we decided someone waved.... but was it him!??

The plane took off and we returned out into the storm.  Walking against the wind to our car now covered in snow.  The sun was only just beginning to rise.  We found some breakfast in Jackson, stopped at the grocery store to stock up and then returned home.  The road was still open and we still took it slowly since it was now deeper and still windy.  Exhausted, we stumbled into the house around 11am.  By the time we unloaded the groceries and stoked the fire we realized that not only had Miles made it to Jackson but he had arrived in SLC and taken off again and was soon to land in Los Angeles.  We had traveled 50 miles and back from 3 am to 11 am and he had traveled 990 miles.

We napped and watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks and then Mary Poppins and then rearranged the house.. (another story!!)  As the afternoon wore on, I realized I had no way of knowing if he had made his connections or if he had arrived safely... did his luggage travel with him or get lost?  Did he have any issues at customs?  Did he speak to anyone the entire day?  Did he know I had put snacks in his bag?  Around 2pm I had a text from the airlines saying due to the fires in California some flights were canceled and vouchers were being offered... Now I was even more concerned.. I answered all calls that came that afternoon... I dealt with 3 offers for time shares and hotel stays in Vegas, I dealt with credit card offers and non existent extended car warranties.

I was very tired and was getting ready for bed when at 9pm, the phone rang.  I knew it was him.  It was a very short call but exactly what I needed.  He said, he was very tired, and hot!  He said travel had been just fine, the internet wi-fi was down but they let him call.  And he said... yes!  he had waved.  Then he said, "good bye, I love you."

The next few days were busy!... Wednesday is our town day so it was typical busyness.  Thursday we had co-op school and halloween.  Friday, Patrick was home and we stacked 6 truckfuls of wood and worked on the chicken coop and filled the day with winterizing tasks.  Saturday we continued to work on things that had been put off too long and now were done in the cold and snow.  It was music Saturday and I had cookies to bake for the evening.  At one point while I was doing a batch of cookies I heard my phone ding but I knew that if I went to respond I would burn the cookies.  Twenty minutes passed and finally the cookies were finished.  I checked the phone.  It had been Miles...

The message said, "hola."  then a message a few minutes later said... "Well I have to go now."

Oh no!  I hand't realized he might have Saturday for talking!  I had been keeping an ongoing email to send him.  I had planned to send it Sunday so which ever day was P-day he would have it waiting.  So I went to my email to send it and there was an email!

Holá to day is my first P-day I have been in the Mexico MTC for 4 days.

Por favor Email me all the Email addresses that Yo need to include in mi Weekly Email.
Yo hope you are all doing well. I'm doing fine Yo love the food it's muy delicioso (sorry Mum Yo talked about food). The language is hard but I can now introduce myself and offer a prayer, the goals for this week are very daunting but Yo know Yo can do it. Yo have been taking lots of classes. in spanish and Yo have been challenged to use as much spanish as possible so Yo am sorry if Yo don't make much sense.
With Love your Missionary in Mexico

 I quickly sent off my bits and snatches email that I had and he replied!  He was still on.  We had a short chat before he had to go.

Things he shared in our chatter.

• Wednesday will be his P-day, but there are lots of internet problems at the Mexico MTC.  
• He gets along with everyone well.
• Language learning is hard.. Pray for me!

• The food is great!  He likes everything so far.

• There are so many faces and names to learn.. but he's having fun.
• He has to give a talk in church in Spanish the next day!

• He gets fresh pineapple with every meal!

•  He also sent a photo of his district.  

 Then he had to go.  I peppered him with more questions so hopefully we will have a newsy message on Wednesday.  (Also I hope his time on Wednesday is early in the morning... It's such a busy day for us.)

Not quite a full week gone, but exciting to hear from him and know he is doing well.