Griffin Family

  It's General Conference Weekend...how do you get to listen? Where? Are you enjoying it?  I was blessed (so far!!!) with a nice quiet weekend and I've really enjoyed the conference. (Poor dad had radio problems and spent the first session running around -- yes he had to go into the station to resolve the issue). So for him, not quite as enjoyable.  I often feel there is an underlying message...or a theme that I hear throughout the talks. I think the message I've gotten so far is to pray more and more intently and to do the basics and you will be blessed.  There have been a couple talks about kids and that we should just love them and not give up on them when they make different choices.  I really liked the talk where he had caused a head-on collision. He talked about how everything actually turned out ok...eventually...no one died and they were all restored to health. But how he spent years feeling guilty and beating himself up. And then as a bishop he was teac...

  It's been a rainy busy week. Just kept thinking the rain would stop but it just kept raining. Felt like I was back home in Jersey again! Monday night we went to the fancy dinner with all the city council, congressmen, senator's reps, and freeport west staff. They are putting a fancy gigantic commercial center down by the airport in Washington City and this was a kickoff party.   We ate at a fine dining restaurant called 1861 Fine Dining. (weird name, right?) It was like $50 each person.  Tuesday we had a RS activity (the quarterly ministering interviews) and YW presidency meeting. I guess we've been having a lot of clicks and discomfort with our YW. We needed to talk about things but one of the leaders brought their daughter...so kinda tough to talk about anything with a girlie there, ya know!  It feels like there are some disconnects and YW is a little rocky right now. Maybe it's cause I don't have a girl so it's harder to be excited about all the a...

  Well...you knew about our last week and all the fun it brought with the water heater and flood. We got that all remedied and paid for. The flood people came out with a wet stick and then an infrared camera to make sure everything was ok. They sprayed anti-mold stuff and removed the pad in your carpet. Replaced the pad and then relayed the carpet (they had to staple it back in...or whatever they do).  Then they came back and cleaned your carpet and then next day Holly's carpet. Whew.  I venmo paid them $825 on Wednesday as we were going out to meet Aunt Laura and Uncle Ben and Gpa for dinner.  It was raining and raining and raining here. Like more than I ever remember.  (Turns out this is true. This is officially more rain then ever recorded in Washington County. Even more than 2005 when the houses fell in the river.). So we walked in after driving around and seeing massive amounts of water everywhere and a drop of water lands on my nose in the hallway between ...

  It's been an expensive month so far! Fortunately, we are able to cover the expenses that are coming our way, but...ouchie!!! Holly and mom at the BlvdHome Cafe Also, to put things in perspective -- we are healthy and well and alive...so that's good!   I think you knew that our water heater went out for a replacement fee of $2600. Ouch! Didn't see that coming!  But we have hot water again and that's good. A whole bunch of other things hit this month making for a VERY expensive 10 days so far! This included...every year there is a mortgage adjustment...that came this week, we paid for our cruise, H&R Block tax preparation, Taxes, bought dad's birthday stuff, and luggage, and the insurance came due (we pay every 6 months so it's big when it comes!!!), tithing and your mission fee.  Add all this together and we are at just over $9K. WOW...!!!!  But wait...there's more! This week I've been saying I smell something that smells bad. I would get a w...