Mrs. Archuleta

I really like the communication at the kids' middle school. We get lots of emails and occasional postcards like this in the mail. What makes this postcard all the more special is that it is from a teacher that a few weeks ago didn't really like Eric. This is the second year that Mario and I attended Parent/Teacher Conferences where all but one of the teachers sing Eric's praises. Last year it was Mrs. Goldwasser. She thought Eric was way too quiet and didn't participate enough in class. That was odd because all the other teachers would tell us that he was the leader in the class and he set the bar high. By the end of the year, Eric really proved himself in Mrs. G's class and she was showing off his work to the principal. This year, that one teacher was Mrs. Archuleta. Eric complained about her from day one. She speaks really loud in class and he didn't find her class interesting. She had the same complaints that Mrs. Goldwasser had...Eric was quiet and didn't participate. Eric apparently doesn't participate in classes that he finds dull. We noticed that a lot of her grading was subjective rather than objective. We came home and told Eric that he was going to get a B in that class if he didn't start acting like Social Studies was his favorite class. He took our advice and started participating in class and showing Mrs. Archuleta his true self. So yesterday, I was excited to get this postcard in the mail. It says, "Eric, I have loved your amazing wittiness lately. I knew it was there, you just needed a reason to show it."

I love it, even if the reason behind it is to ensure an A in the class. I think maybe he needs the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for Christmas.

In other Eric news, Eric set down his ipod touch and cellphone yesterday at the skatepark. The ipod somehow disappeared and now Eric is ipod-less. Tough lesson for him. It kills me because I know how much he loved it. I want to rush out and buy him a new one, but I know that would make me a terrible mom.

Chocolate in the Eternities?

I guess I have no idea what Eternity will be like. Will I still have to diet? Will I still have to cook and clean and listen to whiney kids? If I have to do all those things I don't like, then maybe I don't want to live forever. Mario was a little disturbed by my thoughts. So today, he sent me this email:

D&C 130:2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

Do I get to eat all the chocolate I want and not have to worry about a few extra pounds? Or will I not even crave chocolate anymore? Mario says Christ ate after being resurrected, so I guess we will still eat too.

Thank you Mario for sending me that scripture and getting me excited about the future. I hope part of that glory that we do not now enjoy includes eating lots of chocolate but retaining that perfect body.

Skipping Halloween

Our family decided to skip Halloween this year since it was on a Sunday and I really didn't want to go through all the trouble of finding costumes for 4 kids just for the church Trunk or Treat. We told the kids we could find an alternative activity like a nice family dinner out. But then I felt bad and told the twins they could wear old costumes and go to the Trunk or Treat anyway. Erin decided she wanted to go to Trunk or Treat also so she spent all Sunday afternoon designing her own costume that didn't cost me a dime. Turns out that Eric needed to go to Trunk or Treat for YMs to run a booth. So he wanted a gangster hat which cost me $10. So much for skipping Halloween! Mario and I were going to take the kids to The Melting Pot to celebrate Halloween but also to celebrate him keeping his AF job. After a little thought, we decided there was no way our kids would appreciate a meal that expensive. So I was kind of relieved that they were all going to the Trunk or Treat and then I wouldn't feel bad.

But then Zachary and Nathan both got in trouble and weren't allowed to go to the party. So Mario dropped Eric and Erin off at the church, we put the twins to bed, and Mario and I had a few quiet minutes to ourselves. We were really proud of Erin to take the initiative to make her own costume and not ask for help or money. So as a reward, Mario gave her $10 since we had spent $10 on Eric's hat.

Now Mario and I have reservations to go to The Melting Pot with another couple on Saturday night. But I feel guilty because someone from church sent around a mass email asking everyone if they would mind opening their homes for trick-or-treating on Saturday night. So now I feel like maybe I should cancel my plans to go out to dinner, but at the same time, we were supposed to go out last weekend and all the kids' activities ruined our plans. So for now, I am sticking with dinner with Mario and buying the kids lots of junk food and renting them a movie to have their own party at home. Who knows, the guilt may get to me though.

Staycation

Here's Zach's journal entry from school yesterday.

I think some of my kids appreciate the vacations that we take. But I think that at least one (and maybe more) is taking the vacations for granted. I hear complaints like, "It wasn't as much fun as last year" or "Can we stay in a hotel next time? The sand all over the cottage (on the beach) drives me crazy."

So after taking the kids on 3 vacations this year (not including mini ones to Phoenix), Mario and I decided that maybe we should do "staycations" this year...meaning the kids can just stay home. Mario and I are going to Florida in late December for a cruise. So the kids get to stay home with Grandma. Hopefully these "staycations" will help them appreciate them in the future.

I guess it is really our fault. The kids have been blessed with many wonderful vacations (island hopping in Hawaii, cruise to Mexico, and a week in Australia) due to the great places we have lived. So now their expectations are high. A week at the beach in San Diego can't possibly live up to a vacation in Hawaii or Australia I guess.

RIF Results

In March, while deployed, Mario found out that thirty percent of the officers in his year group and career field were being asked to separate from the Air Force either voluntarily or involuntarily by a Reduction in Forces Board. Of course the Air Force didn't want to cut people involuntarily but because the economy has been suffering, people weren't separating on their own. They offered us twice the separation pay (approx. $200,000) if we volunteered. We would only receive half if we didn't volunteer but were forced out by the board.

It was a difficult decision. Being away from the family and homesick didn't help Mario at all. He was ready to take the money and run. The thought of several more deployments in the next 7 years was enough to scare him. Plus, having the kids change high schools isn't ideal. But there were some catches to the separation money. Because he had just gotten a Masters at NPS, we were afraid they could ask us to pay back part or all of the money they spent on his schooling. Plus, we would have had to separate in December and our medical coverage would have ended. After much prayer and a lot of convincing by me, Mario decided to stick it out and try to beat the Reduction Board. He had several people review his record and they were confident that he would be selected to stay in the military. But he has a dual career field and so we weren't sure if the Communication Officers on the board would view that as favorable since they may want officers that are only Communications.

We were told the board met in Sept but we wouldn't get the results until November. The Air Force isn't very reliable when it comes to timelines. So we didn't have our hopes up that we would be notified anytime soon. We have had to put our lives on hold not knowing if Mario would have a job next year. It was pretty stressful. Mario and I have gained a lot of compassion for others who are going through similar situations. It is tough! Even with a lot of education and experience, I was stressed that Mario would have a hard time finding a job making even close to what he makes now due to the bad economy and so many people looking for jobs.

Mario found out Friday that the results were in and he would have a meeting on Tuesday (today) with the General to get the results. We were on vacation Friday so Mario didn't tell me. He figured it would ruin the rest of our vacation because of the stress. Unfortunately the stress got to Mario and he was a bit more grumpy than usual. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Then on Sunday, he finally told me since I kept complaining about his grumpiness. I was glad he spared me the few days of worry. But I also felt bad that he didn't have someone to talk to about it.

The General's Aid is a friend and yesterday she hinted to Mario that he was safe and wouldn't be cut. Then today Mario met with the General and got the official letter. What a relief to not have to wait until November for results. For FHE, we decided to re-watch President Monson's talk on Gratitude. Then we wrote several thank you notes to people around here that we are thankful for like our Bishop and his wife.

I am grateful for the compassion I have learned through this whole experience. I am grateful that Mario will be able to continue his military service and hopefully retire in 7 1/2 years. I am grateful for a husband that puts our family before his career and fortunately Heavenly Father blesses him for it. I am grateful for the opportunities I have to learn to put my trust in the Lord.

San Diego Vacation

We returned yesterday from our vacation in San Diego. Fortunately my mom and the Trawick Family were able to join us again this year. Tuesday morning, Mario and I got up really early and headed for an Endowment session. What a wonderful day it was to finally go to the San Diego Temple with Mario. That is something that Mario had dreamed about while in Afghanistan. when we returned back to the cottage, Mario picked up Erin and took her back so they could walk the Temple grounds and have a lunch date. The rest of us stayed behind and played a football game on the beach. On Wednesday, despite many obstacles like a lost recommend and no church clothes, Eric was able to go to the Temple with Mario and Grandma. After the Temple, we went to the new Mormon Battalion Historical Sight. It was amazing. Then Mario took the twins and their friend, Jesse, to the zoo (since they were all free.) On Thursday and Friday, we enjoyed Legoland, my favorite theme park. We ate lots of smores, boogie boarded, and had a fun time just spending time as a family. Thanks go out to my mom for taking all the pictures since I hate lugging a camera around.

Early Christmas Present

My mom flew in yesterday so she could go on vacation with us to San Diego. As an early Christmas present, she took Erin horseback riding today. They took a 90 minute ride through Colossal Cave Park. The weather was perfect, low 70's.