President and Sister Martin Take a Few P-Days!

I was up much of last night with my little grandson Joshua Carroll. He is so cute. I finally ended up sleeping in the recliner holding him. I must have had more sleep than I thought because I find myself unable to sleep tonight (it's 3:15 a.m.). Yesterday we had Jenae, Brett, Ashlin, and Rachel Boren as well as Camie, Spencer, Benjamin, and Joshua Carroll visiting us. It has been so fun having them. The Boren's came on Tuesday. Camie and the boys came over Tuesday too, but went home that night. On Wednesday night the Borens went down to Orange to visit the Carrolls and go to Disney Land. They stayed there Thursday night after a long, fun day at Disney. Then both families came back up here. They had a fun Saturday planned. They took Adam to the beach with them. Then we had dinner together and the Carrolls headed back to Orange. In between we watched movies, swam at the pool, visited, played with Grandma Gemie's train and played with Princess paperdolls. I took mostly video so will have to wait to get this all posted.

Earlier this month, we had Alyssa, Ryan, Katelyn, and Marin Christensen visiting us. They left to go down to Orange on Tuesday August 11th while the ten outgoing Elders (there were no sisters), came and had lunch, dinner and a testimony meeting at the mission home before leaving the next day. We had an interesting day. An unexpected visitor showed up. A painter working on the side of the mission home discovered a rattlesnake eating a rat. The back end and tail were still hanging out the rattler's mouth. It rattled it's tail nonstop. The painter came to the door and tried to tell me what he had discovered. Because he spoke little English and "yo no ablo Espanol," I called Elder Ibarra (a native Argentine), over to translate. We called Animal control who took their sweet time arriving. They finally came and took the snake out to the wilderness. So we have one less snake and one less rat here at the mission home. We have video, which this technologically challenged author cannot share with you at this time. What really haunts me is that my three-year-old grandson Ben had run through that side yard time and again just the day before we discovered the snake. Luckily Alyssa, Ryan, and Adam had spotted one a few days before when they hiked up to the "Hollywood" sign. Jerry, the girls and I visited the set of a "Bones" TV show at the sight of the "Batman" caves. The Hollywood sign was clearly visable on the back side of caves so Katelyn can also say she saw it. Jerry returned to the set with Ryan and Alyssa while I played at a near-by park with the girls.

So this fun string of P-days have almost come to an end. President Martin has had a lot less time with the families. Adam has started school. Jenae and Brett and girls leave tomorrow (er make that today) after Sacrament meeting. It was fun while it lasted.

I am up working late entering reports into the missionary medical website. It is cold in this office on what has been the hotest day of the year so far. I go to turn the thermostat up so I can be more comfortable. I stare at the thermostat and then remember--it has been replaced. The old one had a lever that I could manually move from left (cooler) to right (warmer) when I wished to change the temperature. It was simple to operate. But it finally gave up the ghost after 25 years and had to be replaced. This new one has been programmed by those who installed it. I have yet to be successful at changing the temperature. There are too many different buttons to push. My husband is already asleep. I am not sure he has mastered it either. I go and get a jacket. And we call this progress?