It seems fitting that my hundredth letter fall on the eve before New Year's Eve, as well as be on the anniversary of the day that Sarah and I got married. A lot has happened this year, ups and downs, normal everyday stuff and other pretty crazy things. But, being married to Sarah for a whole year has been a fantastic experience. We are super blessed, and I am grateful that I found someone that loves me so much.
About two weeks ago I made a video for this very day. I spent a lot of time making a picture slideshow of all the events that have happened from the beginning of this year up until the point I made the video. It took me a while to complete it, only to find out that when I upload a video from this free video editing software to YouTube, they put a watermark throughout the whole thing, cutting up many of the pictures that I took. Fortunately, when I showed the video to Sarah, I had the original to show. It made her pretty emotional.
The Christmas present that Sarah got me was actually a really nice Canon Vixia Camcorder. She and her friend Sarah Mable got it for me. I've been wanting a camcorder for the last couple of months. The reason probably stems all the way from when Dad use to video tape us growing up. That's the first stem. After that would probably be from watching the Goldbergs so much, and seeing their family videos. But honestly, the biggest stem would be the fact that most recently, I've started watching video diary's, or a vlog that a newly married man named Jonathan Carlin, has been making, and wanting to make and edit videos just like him. That and because I want to start a whole new way of journal keeping, all with the videos I take and edit. I found Jonathan Carlin with his brother, Ben, on YouTube. Initially, I started watching them because they make videos together where they theorize about stuff that have to do mainly with Pixar, the MCU, Harry Potter, and other fun stuff. Their channel, as probably mentioned before in my other letters, is called SuperCarlin Brothers. Anyways, I found out that Jonathan has a video vlog that he started I think about 1 year into their marriage. Together with his wife Beth, they had a baby, etc. They aren't members, and it is apparent when you see that they run a beer mile, but honestly, I like following their interesting lives. Jonathan Carlin makes fun to watch videos about normal everyday occurences, and makes life for him look pretty interesting. I mean, he already is a YouTube star with his brother with nearly 1.8 Million followers, etc. Dad and Sarah R have asked me if I want to become a professional YouTuber, but honestly, I have a long way to go before my videos are to the same Caliber as Jonathan, but then again, I look back at his videos before he started his vlog, and he was just a normal person commenting on stuff, and I say, I could do that. Anyways, I have a dream.
Talking to you was super amazing. You are probably wondering why Sarah was in out of the conversation. Well, right when we were coming in to town for Christmas, Sarah got a call from her dad's ministering brother. He told us that Arno, Sarah's dad, had been hospitalized, and that he didn't know why, and that it happened a few days before we arrived. We called the hospital, but for some reason, dealing with said hospital (Arrowhead Medical Center in Colton), they said that there was no patient with that name. So, we went to his rented room in the trailer that he lives in, only to have it confirmed that he wasn't there. So, we went to the hospital; same story as before, but finally found out which room he was in and the place he was staying.
He wasn't really coherent. We found out that he was in the hospital because he was having not so happy thoughts and felt he was a danger to himself, and also because he probably was messing with his prescribed medication. The good thing is that he had the capacity to call for help. When we were there that first night, he had some delusions about being on a boat that was sinking, and about a Mormon wedding where they were serving champagne and had a roulette table. All in all, it was pretty interesting. We went to visit them every day we were in town. Sarah's brother Danny and his wife, Carol came the second day. It was definitely hard on him to see his dad going through this stuff. The following day, Sarah's brother, Enoch, went to see him and Arno was definitely not himself, so much so that the hospital staff had to restrain him. Definitely something you hope never to see with your parents. But after that low, Arno seemed to be getting better. The following days we saw him, he was acting more himself and not very crazy. On the last day we saw him, Sarah's mom, sister Lisa, and Enoch as well, came to see him.
Sarah's family had a council on Christmas day. It actually happened right after you called. The family decided that they didn't think their dad should be living by himself so far away anymore. One of the concerns was that he would have to live with one of them. However, no one has room for him, nor had the means to support him. So, ultimately, it was decided that they should recommend he stay in the area where a majority of family lives in a facility where he would be watched and taken care of, so that this would not happen again.
Sarah and I volunteered to clean out his room. That was a huge ordeal for Sarah. I worked hard to get rid of anything that he didn't need and we packed it all in his car. His room was pretty messy. Fortunately, Sarah and I didn't have to drive the car all the way to Torrance on our last day in town. When we met with the last visitors, we handed off the keys to them and they took it back. We were afraid that we would have to keep cleaning the rest of the room that wasn't packed the next day. But on our way out, Sarah's sister Lisa called us and told us she would take care of it. A burden was definitely aleviated from our shoulders. She contacted the home teachers, and they did the rest of the cleaning the next day.
Since then, Sarah's dad has been moved to a place in Pomona called Park Avenue. The reviews were not so good, but Sarah's mom went with Danny to visit and check out the place, and she seemed to approve for the time being. Overall, this has been a hard time for Sarah and the family. It is difficult seeing a family member you love go through something like this. Mom and Dad (and you guys) know firsthand how it feels when one of your family members go crazy (meaning me). The good news is that he isn't dying. That he still around. I just imagine the time when it is going to be our parents that are senile and aging. Since I'm firstborn, the responsibility will probably lie on me. That will be a huge burden. But fortunately, our family is close knit, and I know I will have the support of you and our sisters behind me.
Christmas was great. Sunday night we stayed in an AirBnb. It was just a room in a house in Ontario, nothing fancy. We went to the new Lucho's restaurant. Sarah said that she thought I was a star with how they treated us when we walked in. Lucho said hi and gave me a big hug and yelled out loud when we entered. Senora Lucho was also very nice to me and Sarah. I got my favorite: Tallarin Saltado, and both Sarahs got seafood somethings. We took some pictures.
I totally missed out on It's a Wonderful Life this year. I was too tired with Sarah, our sister, started watching it. Actually, we began watching Nacho Libre. Then Dad called me and asked if I wanted to see Wiwa and family. At first I refused, but repented and took two bottles of apple cider for the party. I said Hi to the family and we had some really really great turkey. We found out that Lucy was in the hospital as well. Mosiah predicted that it was the appendix, and he was right. Lucy had surgery into the next day (Jesus' birthday). On our last day, Sarah and I went to see them. Lucy is recovering in her house.
It was a good Christmas dinner. We had roast beef and mashed potatoes. Sarah got a $50 gift card for AirBnb, and I got a $50 for Amazon. Mom and dad surprised Sarah A with a Walmart giftcard with enough money to buy a KitchenAid. They surprised us with a tin full of cash. It is needed and appreciated. They got me a nice maroon sweater, one with a zipper on it. I love it so much. I have never had a zippered sweater that I know of. Now I can act liked Mr. Rogers. Although, the zipper only goes a third of the way down, haha. Mom and I attempted the song that you sang with that sister: Mother, Tell Me the Story. (Let me know if you get it). I got Sarah a black Imagine Dragons t-shirt. I'm so happy that it fits as well.
And happily, we got to talk to you. It definitely made our days. Mom didn't get emotional at the end, I noticed. She must see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Sarah A. and I watched an episode of Sherlock the day before we left as we ate some pizza. Then, right before I went to sleep, we watched a top 5 grossest moments from Rhett and Link on YouTube. It was quite funny.
Good vacation.
And it still goes.
We sang our Choir numbers, plural, today, even though we have only really practiced one El Arrullo de Maria. The second one, Oralia wanted me to play, but I didn't know it, so I asked Sarah, who knew it, if she wanted to play. That threw Oralia for a loop for a sec, because she didn't want to conduct...go figure. So, I conducted Estrella de Luz. The worse thing though, besides singing a song that we hadn't practiced, is that she totally made up her own mini program for church that none of the presidency knew about, until she asked them to get the microphone during the meeting. Besides the fact that the words were really thoughtful, it still wasn't cool of her to do that.
The President Castaneda and his wife finally had us over for dinner tonight. They made posole, and crema and mexican cheese tostadas. It was super good, I had 3 1/2 bowls. We had a nice conversation about the 12 tribes of Israel and other stuff.
Tomorrow, we plan to celebrate our first year at Outback Steakhouse, thanks to Briana's present to me: two gift cards to that very place. Later that night, we have been invited to celebrate New Year's with our friends Carlos and Elizabeth Santos in Maricopa with Carlos' family. We're excited.
On another note, Sarah finished watching Inception with me, and the movie Vantage Point. She thought both were very good.
Also, on one more note, I proposed to Sarah and Briana that we have a sibling Google Hangouts session once a month or so. Sarah was wondering what the point was, but honestly, I just want the camaraderie of joining all the siblings together, just shooting the breeze, catching up and everything. I hope we are still doing it when you get here. We can definitely catch up.
Anyways. Time to spend more time with my wife on our first year anniversary. Cheers.
Love,
John
