Survivors

Well, Jarrod's been gone five days now, and we've survived. I thought this would be a great way to stay in touch, as we share with him what he's missed. I think the colors are most appropriate! Although this is a quick recap, hopefully what he reads next will be in real time. His first day, Wednesday, he left about 9 a.m., and by noon I had to call Triple A as I knew the transmission had gone in the van. Not very happy news for someone driving between Texas and Tennessee. We had the few usual episodes from Sawyer that day, from him washing a metal photo album display "because the glass was dirty," to running across the clean carpet with muddy, wet socks yelling "I'm trying to put them in the wash room!" Since then, Cooper's is able to bend a wiggly tooth down to his lip, but won't pull it out "until Dad's back." Hunter gave a beautiful talk on baptism at the stake baptisms on Saturday. Tanner has had no one at his basketball games (see transmission). And Porter, missing that fatherly companionship, has called Uncle Aaron everyday to play chess on-line. Me? I saw a car slow down long enough to look at a neighbor's "for sale" sign, and went running up the street to let them know my house was also available. They got the tour. I had forgotten that while I was at the stake baptisms Porter, being a very able sitter, had utilized every chair, blanket, cushion, pillow he could find and made a great fort in the living room. So they walked around that, only to walk around a tuna bowl and crackers on a flattened box that had been emptied the night before. Lunch in the fort by Porter. They had also wrestled on my bed, so bedding and pajamas were walked around in my bedroom. You get the picture. It was a mess! But it was an exciting moment to try and convince them why they should purchase my house, even if they were really looking for a two story. Juan and Juanita may be back. Keep your fingers crossed!

Getting to church was a multi-family affair. Hunter's fast offering route has been reassigned to the assistant scoutmaster, so Hunter and Tanner rode with him. Jarrod's good friend here had his wife pick the rest of us up. This friend, Chris King, took Hunter and Porter to the Toro's game last night. They're the semi-pro basketball team in Austin. Their seats were right under net, so they had a great time staying out of the way. Sis. King let me know that when they went to a party Friday night, she could sense Chris was very antsy to leave. When they got out to the car, she said, "Why were you in such a hurry to leave?" He said, "Because my type of party is no longer here." He's very sad about having finally found a friend, and the friend had to leave.

They watched over the boys while I played the organ today. Even Miller sat. Once or twice I caught him looking up at me, but he held it all in. Today Jarrod typed an article to include in Hunter's Schenewark Star, so be sure to read this as well. Love, Amy Jo