Four Weeks from Today!

Four weeks from today is a big day for the Petersens! 

That's the day Willie reports to the Provo MTC to start his official service as a missionary.  We still have so much to do to get ready for everything. 

Most of the clothes shopping is done; just working on getting the little things purchased and ready to pack.  Getting a missionary ready for service is not an easy thing to do.  I am so glad we have had a few months to get things done.

We've had some fun getting ready.  We've been spending Friday afternoons together going to Mr. Mac's and the LDS Distribution center (ha ha).  Mostly we drive around listening to weird songs on the 60's station.  So, we were driving down Redwood Road and "What's new Pussycat" by Tom Jones came on.  The song is insane and we laughed like crazy listening to the words, you know, "You and your pussycat nose, wo-a-wo-a!"  Crazy lyrics and crazy singer.

We've taken the same pair of suit pants to Mr. Mac's 3 times and we are still waiting for the right length to happen. Getting the right fit on the new underwear at the church store has required repeat trips, too.  There are too many fabrics to choose from and you can't open the package to look at what you are getting.   But, I think we are getting closer to the fabrics Willie likes and the right combination of tops and bottoms. 

Willie is reading and memorizing all 900+ pages of the B of M, D & C, a 1937 publication of the Missionary Handbook (he found at Grandpa's house), and more.  He is also practicing the ukulele for a future musical number and teaching himself to speak Lithuanian with the CDs he got for his birthday.  In his spare time, he is doing some tutoring work at Hunter, Kearns High and Kearns Junior, Taylorsville High School and West Lake Junior and he plays weird games on the iPad.  He's been to the dentist twice this week and comes to visit me at work every now and then.  It's been fun getting ready and spending time hanging out. 

 

Some of the things left on our list:

umbrella
clothes hangers
twin size sheets (2)
sunscreen, lip balm (I think they mean chap stick)
alarm clock - no music playing components
passport holder (for wearing close to the body)
voltage/electrical adaptor
thermal underwear
24 month supply of vitamin D
moleskin
duct tape

Why I like Sugarhouse

Every now and again, I take a break from the office and get out to visit a school or even better just simply go for a drive.  I usually end up in Sugarhouse.  It's not too far from my office.  It's a nice little community tucked away in the southeast corner of Salt Lake City.  I can't drive through the area without reminiscing about days gone by.  My grandparents lived close to Sugarhouse; Dr. Newton's office was there and and after a visit to either place it was common to stop by Snelgroves for a yummy ice cream cone, a sundae or a malt or NuCrisp Popcorn for an individual bag of buttered or caramel popcorn.  I could never figure out why the bag of caramel popcorn was smaller in quantity than the butter.

I remember going to the only Sugarhouse department store, Keith O'Brien's (KOB).  Grandpa Eccles' sister Deloras worked there for years.  Both my grandmothers shopped there.  Granite Furniture and Southeast Furniture were the only places to buy furniture, appliances, carpet, and more.  You could set up accounts at either store (90 days same as cash or longer) for purchases as small as $100.  Walker Bank was just across the street from Granite Furniture and I remember going there with Grandma Eccles a few times.


At Christmastime, Santa was always waiting to visit with little ones in a little shed-like house on the Sugarhouse diagonal (2100 S 1100 E).  And we always drove through the Blaine Street and Christmas Street neighborhoods to see the lights.

It's been nearly fifty years since many of those memories were made and they are still fresh in my mind when I take time to escape the office and take a nice warm ride down a memory lane -- 21st South through Sugarhouse.


I like the new features of Sugarhouse -- Barnes and Noble shopping area, Sundance Catalog Store, Sugarhouse Park, the Dodo Restaurant, Schmidt's Bakery and the newly rebuilt McDonald's.  I guess the bottom line is that Sugarhouse is one of those comfort places I like to visit again and again.

2014 is Here!

It's hard to believe that just a little over two weeks ago we celebrated Christmas.  It just about kills me off every year getting ready for the big day and then it's over in a matter of hours.  I do enjoy all of the preparation; and it's so fun to see and feel the excitement that comes with all that's involved.

This was a long week at the office.  After two weeks off with some sleeping in, eating out, spending time with family, etc., getting back in the routine of the 5:45 a.m. alarm was not that exciting. But, we did it and survived!

Willie is patiently waiting his mission report date - February 26!  He and I ran some errands today (mid-day lunch break for me) and picked up a few things for the mission.  He misses school.  If he were in school this semester he said he would probably be taking four science classes.  He loves math and science and writing and really enjoyed his business class last semester. He started two part-time jobs this week in the schools -- AVID tutoring in the morning and credit recovery tutoring in the afternoon. (With the high turnover of hourly school personnel, there's always something available.) He is also finding time to do the crazy INSANITY exercise routine and is getting into studying Lithuanian. (His birthday present finally arrived - Lithuanian language CDs.) Plus, he's been to my office a few times this week and that's been fun.

Molly and Jack hung out with us last night (their parents were working late).  I love all of my grandchillins so much - even more when I have them without their parents.  We have amazing conversations!  Molly is a jabber box and says the craziest things.  Grandpa Huber hasn't been feeling well and she was concerned about him, "Grandma," she said, "why is, why is, why is your dad sick?  What is wrong with him?"  We talked about great-grandpa and I told her he is feeling much better.  Then at dinner, she needed something on the table closer to Grandpa Karl than she could reach.  Instead of asking him to get what she needed, she said, "Grandma, will you tell Karl to get me . . . .?"  Kids are funny and when they get to that age of figuring out names and identities conversations are so entertaining.

Thank you for the photo, Annie!

Well, it's Friday night -- Friday nights are not as busy for us as they have been in 3-4 previous years.  We are home in our respective spaces just hanging out.  I am sitting on the couch in the family room watching HGTV Dream Home 2014; Karl is reading, somewhere; and Willie is downstairs watching a variety of basketball games.  We are happy, healthy, and thankful for all of the blessings and opportunities of 2013 hoping that we will be blessed likewise in 2014.  If you are reading this, know that we love you and hope that your 2014 is a year of blessings and opportunity!