Sweet Treat - Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010

We look forward to our morning routine to be able to listen to more of The Undaunted. The final decision has just been made to continue on to Hole in the Rock rather than turning back. We have enjoyed learning about this pioneer adventure other than just knowing the name and that it happened way back when. We had no idea how it all came about. It truly holds our interest.

I have 34 baptisms to enter from the efforts of the missionaries last week, so I wanted to get to work a few minutes early to get a head start. We only arrived fifteen minutes earlier than our scheduled starting time of 9:00. Oh well, it gave me time get my bearings and decide my plan of attack on the days work. Elder Kroff used his early time to sweep in front of the front door and make the entrance more presentable. The elders rarely come before 9:00, but they are always on time.

After our morning greetings and giggles, we all settled into the work before us. I was willing to give up Elder Peterson to someone else who might need his help, but no one was to the point of needing him. Sooooo, I had another project that has been sitting on the back burner for months. I was not aware that we were to do an inventory of our supply room until one of Elder Kroff's financial contacts in the area office emailed him that we should be submitting one. How often we are to update it is yet to be known. When Rich gave me the form off the email, I just tossed it aside and sarcastically thought, "Yeah, right -- I'll get right on it." And there it sat!

Since President Argyle wants us to keep Elder Petersen busy, Elder Kroff and I thought that would be something he could be working on. He was enthusiastic about doing it and wanted to get going on it. So off he went to the supply room never to be seen again until a couple hours later.

I had an unusual amount of missionaries that had not faxed me their Registro de Bautismals. What's up with that?? They know the rules. So my calling began and it is hard to get too stern with them because they are so nice and apologetic and always had a good reason why it is late. The only two I gave a bad time to were Elders Nelson and Paz who are companions now and are past office workers. They know better. But I was still kind.

Elder Kroff and Elder Hales worked on getting information for electronic transfers from new landlords entered in the computer. Then Rich snatched Elder Peterson from his inventory job to go the correo with him to mail a package that Elder Riquelme wanted to send to his parents. It was some items that he couldn't fit into his suitcase when he left for his mission field in Venezuela.

It will be fun to have Elder Hales around, because when his Grandma found out that working in the office he could receive his packages from home as soon as they arrived and he wouldn't have to wait until zone conference time to get them, she told him she will send goodies and things for him to share. Today came a jar jelly beans -- the specialty kind that have unique flavors of everything imaginable. We all had fun sampling the variety of flavors. Elders Kroff, Peterson, Hales, and Coria show their approval.

The afternoon went fast and when the elders left at 4:00, we were close behind. We wanted to walk to Kicos, our new found carneceria to purchase some meat for the barbeque beef on buns we are serving for lunch on Saturday. How silly of us to go earlier than 5:00 or 6:00. Siesta time wasn't over yet for them and the place was closed.

We came home and had some dinner, then at 6:00 walked the five blocks back to the market. The piece of Tapa de Nalga that was in the show case didn't look like enough, so when we asked for a little piece more, the butcher walked in a back room and cut a hunk right off the hanging beef. Anyway, that's what we supposed he was doing, because he brought it out and proceeded to trim the excess fat away from it. And it was very fresh looking -- not dry around the edges like the one in the show case. I will cook half of it tomorrow in the slow cooker while we are at work, then cook more on Friday. I will have it shredded and ready for the BBQ sauce so it can warm through on Saturday before serving. Hope it works and tastes okay.

Our evening was calm and quiet -- they always are. Rich talked with brother Bob on skype about geneology and Marianne and Mekhi skyped us too. Mekhi was talking a mile a minute trying to tell Grandpa anything and everything to avoid having his mother take over the conversation. That wasn't going to happen because Marianne has been sick the past couple days with flu type symptons and she was struggling to stay with us. We ended the conversation so she could go lay down.

Rich called the Rodriguez home to see how Lito was doing after his eye surgery today and the report was favorable. Now, we are calling it a night!!