Letter #90
November 9, 2008
Dear Elder Roper,
So you’re freezing south of the border! I wonder how you’ll survive coming home in the winter? Luckily, we now have heat in the home and plenty of hot water. In fact, I’ve got to figure out how to turn the temperature down on our water – it’s scalding hot!! (I believe the scald value on the old furnace was cooling the electric water heater’s supply down.) Lenox doesn’t make an all-in-one unit any more, so we had to install both a new gas water heater as well as the furnace. We hooked things up so the gas water heater feeds the electric water heater. So, the less efficient electric heater is a holding tank and keeps the gas heater’s output up to temperature. Effectively, we have 100 gallons of hot water now – pretty cool (I mean, hot)!
Well, what’s new along the border? I’m sure we’ll hear about your first training meeting in Hermosillo with the president. Did your companion travel with you? Did you attend a temple session? Sounds like Nogalas is very much like Tijuana. It’s funny how border cities seem to really contrast the poor with the US. I’m surprised Nogalas is still a district though. I would have thought the church would have a stronger presence being so close to Arizona. Linda still wants to know if you have sufficient clothes for the winter, but I assure her you have common sense and will buy a coat, if you don’t already have one. So, you’re using your electric blanket now – that should make jumping out of bed in the morning a little harder.
This week was the same old, same old – prepare lessons and teach classes. We are in the middle of the hardest project for my operating system’s class, so I’m busy helping students in all my spare time. We’ve decided to postpone my new 124 system’s class until next summer term. So, for winter semester, I’ll just teach the class that same as I’ve done the past 6 years. It’s too bad because the new class is going to really make a difference to the students, but it’s a smart decision. The pressure is off (at least for a few months) and I will be working the kinks out with 20 students rather than 200.
Tuesday was Election Day. We had been planning on voting as soon as the polls opened, but Gina and I didn’t get there until around 9:00 am – lucky for us, because we hardly had to wait and there was an hour wait earlier in the morning. I had misunderstood Linda and thought she was going to wait and vote with Christina. So, when Gina and I got back home, Linda was just leaving to go vote because we had left her – I felt really bad. After my class help session that evening, I only had to stay up until 9:00 pm when the networks called the election for Obama. I suppose it was to be expected. I don’t know if McCain would have been a better president, but… Benjamin heard someone say that if God had wanted us to vote, He would have given us some candidates – pretty funny! We didn’t find out until the next day that Proposition 8 had passed in California, overturning the courts decision to allow gay marriages. (The church has really been targeted by protestors for supporting the proposition – the bloggers have called for boycotts against anything in Utah. Dumb huh?!)
Gunthers came on Wednesday to take out the old furnace and start the installation of the new furnace and water heater. A very cold front also moved through Wednesday morning, so we awoke to a couple of inches of fresh snow. I was concerned about the installers having to cut holes in our roof, but everything turned out great. The estimator had sold me a 50 gallon gas water heater that only needed a 2 inch vent. They delivered by mistake, a 50 gallon heater that needed two 3 inch vents. As it turned out, the water heater was a more expensive model with almost twice the recovery rate. Gunthers honored their original price, so I guess we got a pretty good deal. Also, the installation took longer than expected as well, so I’ve nothing to complain about.
Friday evening was our annual alumni computer science dinner at BYU. The dinner was held in the new Hinckley Building and the department asked the girls to play again this year. The dinner was ok, the dessert pure sugar, but the entertainment was great! Kelly, Jessica, and Gina played, but we really missed having Amanda play the cello. There were so many compliments – the girls need to play more often.
Saturday was a baby shower for Jessica up in the music room. As Linda and I retired Friday evening, both of us were stressed (especially Linda, I took my Ambien pill) about the amount of work needed to pull off the party. But, things always seem to work out and come 11:00 am, everything was ready. If everyone hadn’t helped, well, there were really some helpful hands – Shauna, Gina, Diane, Jenny (Chad’s wife), Harley, Shaelyn,… Golden and I loaded his truck with the large garbage pile on the driveway and I took an hour blowing the leaves off the patio and sidewalks. The freeze Thursday night dropped several inches of leaves everywhere! Thank goodness for my blower. Everyone pitched in, putting the tables and chairs up, cooking the chicken salad and croissants, and placing the table decorations around. Golden’s mother brought the games and we had about 30 women attend. We were so glad to see Marie – she’s really something, but, of course, you know that. I was only able to talk with her for a few minutes when she was helping in the kitchen. I had to take Harley to dance and then stopped to talk with Pat Ormond on the way home, so she was just leaving when I finally drove in the driveway. We’ve got to have her family over soon! I think Jessica had a wonderful time and received a bunch of cute baby stuff. She’s really ready now to have the baby! I did get to talk with Jennifer Miller for awhile and we enjoyed looking at my pictures of her as a baby. Aunt Nila is in the hospital again and not doing at all well. So, after supper, Linda and I drove to the AF hospital to see her. Jennifer and Chad were there as Nila probably needs someone to stay with her for awhile. I don’t know what’s the matter with her, but Jennifer said an MRI had turned up some very suspicious spots on her brain – not good! Amid everything happening, Golden and I drove to the dump yard and listened to the BYU-San Diego game (a blowout for BYU). I cooked a few steaks, potatoes, and peas for supper, but we didn’t get to the party dishes until the next day.
I was back in Primary today after a 3-week absence for various reasons. I only have three boys now and two of them leave before sharing time to attend their Deacon’s quorum. Steve Turner was late coming because of a work meeting – he’s expecting his mission call this week. Kyle is coming home on the 27th. Golden was called as a Teacher’s Quorum advisor today – he will be great, but he was also shocked by the lack of respect and irreverence at their quorum meeting today. As I mentioned, I talked with Pat Ormond and he said Jason will be home on November 22. Jason as decided not to come home to Orem, but rather, President Killpack will meet him at the airport, release him, and Jason and his parents are flying off to Colorado and then Mexico for a vacation – go figure?! (I guess it’s a family tradition for them to always give their missionaries a vacation when they return – sorry you’ve been stuck with some very non-progressive parents!) After Jason and Kyle, I guess you’re next, Tyler in August and Brad a month after that – amazing! We had Shauna, Rich, and the kids as well as Kelly, Derek, and Sophie over for dinner. We had Linda’s Russian chicken – delicious! I say Linda’s because she didn’t have the recipe handy, so she just mixed the Russian dressing and apricot jam together with onion soup and poured in over the chicken.
Well, I’d better quit. If you haven’t heard already, Liz is expecting – I guess you’re information was correct after all! We might have a new grandbaby this week, but then again, maybe not. I’m grateful for your missionary service that to some, is a great sacrifice. But, the Lord is laying up store immeasurable blessing for you, your eternal companion, and your posterity because of your love of Him and the people of Mexico. The church gives us all hope and direction in these troubled economic times. I’m so grateful for my testimony and the love of the Savior. I love you and all our family. I will be eternally blessed for having found Linda, my beautiful eternal companion. I wish I was better person, a more loving husband, a more consistent father, but, I’m hoping that the Savior will forgive me of my imperfections and that you all will learn from my mistakes. I pray you are well and fully engaged in the Lord’s work for these few short months left on your mission. Take care and I look forward to hearing from you. Love, Dad
2