bad news .... winter is here!

Dad- coolest thing ever, the fighting cocks, the pub you talked about in your letter, we were just there the day before, but i didn't know that it was the oldest pub in england! so cool! it is right by this gorgeous park with a huge lake that we run to in the mornings and play sports at on p-day. next time i will make sure to take a picture.... it definitely looks like the oldest pub in england ha now i understand why there was this older Swedish couple that was so excited about it and asked us to take a picture of them by it..... it all makes sense now.  

hahahah mom!  i can just picture you and adam trying to do the baby freeze. harder than it looks huh?? and okay i thought it was a bit strange that you insisted on the doors being varnished... can't believe i believed that for a bit. 

so guess what i learned how to do this week?? change a tire!  it was part of a relief society activity. don't want to brag, but i was the best tire changer out of my group  i think it may have helped that i was a good 50 years younger than everyone that was there... 

So I am teaching English to one of the new members in the ward, Daniella. She is early thirties from Chile, she just moved to England.  She is the cutest sweetest lady ever. she reminds me a bit of ana bradshaw. she has the cutest little boy; he is 4 named Dankito. and when we come over he runs up and gives me a big kiss on the cheek and just starts talking away in spanish.... I just smile and nod.  i don't know if he has figured out that i can't understand him or if he just does not care.  but he is so cute.  when he speaks Spanish it just melts my heart. i decided i want my kids to be bilingual.... idk how that will work with me being so rubbish at speaking other languages, but it is going to happen.  

so two pet peeves i have of good old england...... 1) on their sinks they don't have just one facet, they have two.... one for hot and one for cold.  so when washing your hands it is impossible to get warm because either it is FREEZING cold coming out of one, or SCALDING hot out of the other...... the only way not to hurt your hands is to plug the sink and fill it up and balance the temperature between the two, and who has the time to do that for just washing their hands.... so whoever created this two facet thing was not the smartest cookie..... my poor hands. 2) halloween is not a big holiday here, so THEY ARE ALREADY PUTTING CHRISTMAS STUFF UP IN THE STORES!!!! back at home at least we are a bit distracted by halloween so christmas stuff doesn't come into the stores too early, but not here.  and with christmas, comes winter.... which as of last week, everyone says is here already..... been raining for days and i think it is going to stay this way till next april..... yay.

so mum you mentioned that you hope people here give us food..... and guess what? they do!  we have a box at the chapel for members to drop off food for us like cans and stuff, but most of it is not really meant for humans to eat.... we get the weirdest stuff. i think a lot of the members just use it as a way to clean out their cupboards. just yesterday i found a can of sardines in it..... yuck. i thought sardines were just for cats and dolphins.... don't worry we gave it to the elders haha    

dad! that is so funny that you mentioned about the drive from Yellowstone and you dumping water all over the back seat on rebecca mckay and adam to get them to be quiet with mum on the phone with the stake president, because i just told someone that story this week. we were dying laughing.... our family does not have the best track record with leaving messages 

tell the dunns thank you so much for the package as well!!! i loved their note, and the candy was great of course :) and i loved the cute little sayings on the candies.... it really meant a lot to know that they remember and took the time to send it.  i love them so much, they are so great.  

also tell grandma formica thank you so much for the card and money. and the picture was best of all! she looks so good. and I LOVE HER T-SHIRT!!!! i want one when i get home! so cool.  

(come back next week for a picture of Grandma's T-shirt!)

so sad news, i just burned a hole through my sock by running and sliding on the carpet.... i felt a burning/tingling sensation on my big toe and didn't realise that i burned a hole right through my sock and was getting a rug burn on my toe..... but it was fun so worth it.  don't worry not the nice new socks you just sent me.  

also my companion peed her trousers haha when we came down to the computers in the chapel to email she said she heard something and thought the elders were still here hiding.... so she went looking for them in the neighboring rooms, i waited for a bit then snuck up behind her and scared her sooooo bad. she fell on the ground and almost started crying (she gets scared really easily...) well then like 1 min later the elders snuck up and scared her again..... so funny. she is so jumpy. like a little kid. sometimes i feel a bit like her mum, especially with the hard time she has been having, but then she cooks for me so we are both the mum in certain ways

so ya it has a difficult week, but i am learning a lot and i know that i am supposed to be here with sister diaz at this time.  I know that I am learning things that i will be able to use my entire life. getting up when i don't want to, smiling when i feel like crying, learning to bite my tongue at the little things, but also learning to stand up for things when i need to, even if it means a bit of discussion with people we love.  i have learned that the only real control we have, is self- control. we do not have control over most things in life, and that is okay; someone way wiser than us is in control.  When we learn to accept that, not sweat the small stuff out of our control, and trust in Him, life is a lot easier. 

This week I have read the most amazing book.  It is called " our search for happiness".  http://www.lds.org/braille/Our_Search_for_Happiness.txt

here is a link but i would recommend reading the book it is easier. anyone who hasn't read it, member or not a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints., should read it.  i loved it. learned so much. it is amazing how we are always learning. every single day of our lives.  i am so grateful for that. i have so much to learn and i know that i will not come anywhere close to learning everything i need to learn, but that will not stop me from trying.    love you guys!!!   have a fantastic week! today i was looking at a picture of us, and i was just so happy and grateful for our family.  thanks for being so supportive. i can't wait to talk to you guys at christmas, and according to the stores, that isn't too far away! 

ha love ya, rach  

A few of Rachel's comments don't make sense unless you know what we wrote.  So here are a few excerpts that'll help her blog make sense, in case you're curious like me.  If not, no need to read on.  

Ed's e-mail:  

Last week in your pictures, there is one of you and your comp by a lake on the grass.  did you notice, you do not have a shadow.  a lot like Peter Pan.  Your mother and I are worried you are taking this whole England thing too seriously. 
We had a very busy weekend.  Stake conference and the Western Center fundraiser and Mom insisted that I refinish the wood doors to the house.  So we now have no door knobs to get into and out of our house,   you have to go out the back door or out the garage.  The problem is it takes 3 coats of varnish and it is supposed to be 24 hours between coats.   On Saturday we had a service project to set up at the western center mckay had a h2o tournament.  We have had lightening  and storms all week and the last games got cancelled but Hemet played 4 times.  The rain got really intense the curbs were full and flooded.  it rained right up until the start of the fundraiser dinner.   

We still have no door knobs.  I forgot to tell you we made salsa and went to Eleia Coopers wedding reception.  McKay is learning to drive,  remember when mom was on the phone with president steadman?  we were driving in  yellowstone.   You guys did something wrong I had to quietly correct you and some water got spilt?  we had another thing like that happen  mckay was driving and turning left in front of an oncoming car.  i was on the phone leaving a message with craig pulsipher.  and told McKay to slow down, which he promptly  did not do, so i said it again, "Slow down slow down,"  When it became obvious that he was ignoring me,  and was about to pull out in front of the car, I yelled, "SLOW DOWN"  which worked and gave craig pulsipher a  very funny message. 

The Jones' are bored.  we will have to take car of them as soon as we get door knobs.  It is a good way to keep the missionaries from coming over.

Take  care

and My email (ok, just one part of it ... too long and boring):  

I just read Dad's letter.  Pretty funny, except I did NOT insist he varnish the doors!  As usual, I tried to talk him out of doing it this weekend, since we wouldn't be home enough to finish 3 coats.  I think we're doing the last coat for family night.   ...  And the baby freeze is HARD!!  You should have seen Adam and I try it.  Looked up directions on YouTube.  Pretty hilarious.