Ready for Sacrament Meeting Talks

Spoke in our ward today for last time before we leave on mission.  Refer to earlier blog.

Non-Farewell

  Today Clive and I spoke in sacrament meeting.  Our assignment was Elder Walter Gonzales’ conference talk from last April, Followers of Christ.  Farewells have been done away with, but having missionaries speak just before they leave for their missions continues to be a common practice in the Church.  Relatives still want to be there to support their loved ones through this non – farewell experience and we were no exception.  Mark and Billie and girls from the tri-cities area and our Boise kids, Ron and Cathy, Ryan, Kristen and Adam, David and Heidi, and also locally Michael and Erin and family and Tyler, all attended our sacrament meeting, along with Erin’s parents, MIke and Jill Murphy.  Dan is sick in bed so he and Jenni weren’t able to come, but I’m sure they would have loved to be there.  We appreciated very much the attendance of those who came and know the ones who couldn’t come were there in spirit.

With our boys here we took advantage of that fact and had them move our living room couch and love seat downstairs for us.  We left two chairs in the living room that we can use during the next couple of weeks until we leave.

Yesterday we had a big blizzard with snow coming down about an inch an hour.  It looked like winter wonderland which was fun for Adam who isn’t used to such snowstorms in Boise.

Tomorrow I finally go to the eye doc to get my eyes checked for glasses.  I’m so anxious to finally be able to see again.  Dr. Fagan said he thought he could get my glasses back within a week.  I’m going to hold him to that.  Six weeks of having such poor vision has given me a new respect for people with eye problems.  Bless their hearts.

Our plan is to go to Church next Sunday with MIke and Erin as Sophie is giving a talk in Primary.  The next Sunday, March 11, we want to go to Church in Kellogg so dad can bless the sacrament with Tyler.  On the coming Friday, March 16, we will leave for Boise and attend Church in Cathy’s ward as she is giving a talk that day.  Monday the 19th we will drive to Aberdeen to visit the Landvatters for a couple of days.  On Thursday, March 22, we will drive to Dee and Sharol’s house in Sandy.  Friday, the 23rd, we will go into Salt Lake so dad can do some business in Church headquarters and that evening Joyce is having the Duggars over to say goodbye to us.  We will go back to Sandy that night and for the weekend.  Monday morning, the 26th we enter the MTC.

Gone Fishing

   Clive and Ladd and Brother Butler, went fishing yesterday on the Columbia River as I mentioned they were going to do in my last entry.  Thought I would show you a picture of Clive’s catch, which, by the way, is a limit.

Mark

February 11, 2012

Last Saturday Mark drove over from the tri-cities to spend the weekend with us and Shelley.  While here he did his magic on our computer which I so very much appreciate.  He is why our blog site has the new Southwest look as well as a picture of us on our profile.  Also, he set me up on Windows Live Writer which is a lot more user friendly for non computer geeks such as myself.  It has a rudimentary heading that I can understand and use.

   Also, Mark and Dad did a little electronic shopping on their way to the airport to pick up Shelley.  Mark bought us a Skype camera.  After he got it all set up on our computer we checked it out by having a nice visit with Billie and Abby.  It will be so heart warming to have that kind of connection with the family while we are on our mission.  Many thanks to Mark!

5 weeks to go

February 10, 2012

   Shelley came a week ago tomorrow and stayed until Wednesday.  it was so wonderful to have her here.  She cooked and cooked for us…real live food, not just piecing which we do too much.  She also cooked pumpkin bars and made a jello salad for our Empty Nesters family home evening group which met the Monday she was here.  She was the life of the party. 

   Mike and Erin and kids, Tony and Izzie, Dan and Jenni, and Cody, Ashley and Layla came over Tuesday afternoon to visit with Aunt Shelley and enjoyed refreshments made by, you guessed it, Shelley.  On Sunday Steven and Tyler came to visit with Shelley.

  Shelley had told me ahead of time to make a to do list for her which I did. On top of the list was to bind a lap quilt I had made before I had my eye surgeries.  I made the quilt out of a piece of brown flowered material that I bought several years ago just because I liked the pattern so much.  I found a second striped fabric that I thought would be perfect to sash around the flowered piece.  I took  a scrap of the striped material which was green, peach, and cream (gorgeous fabric) to the store with me to pick out the perfect peach yarn for tying the quilt and luckily found yarn that was just right for the job.  When I was finished I just set it aside to do later not realizing my eye surgeries was going to rob me of my near-distance sight.  But, not to worry, Shelley came to the rescue so I took her downstairs to admire my beautiful lap quilt which she was going to bind for me.  As I unfolded it my jaw just dropped in total disbelief. I couldn’t even speak, I could only stare.  My perfect peach yarn was lavender.  It was terrible.  Lavender and peach don’t like each other one little bit.  With my cataract vision, I had chosen lavender thinking it was peach.  Shelley said not to worry.  She bound the quilt, took out the lavender ties with a little of my help and we retied it with white yarn.  Daughters are a wonderful blessing.

   This morning we had a call from Elder Mainard who is our Employment Resource Center Manager.  He said he would like to do some training with us on our way to the mission field.  He works out of St. George.  So appreciated his call.  You can’t have too much training.

   We have been asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting the last Sunday in February.  Farewells are a thing of the past, but it will be the last time we have a chance to speak to our ward before we leave, so we were asked to say a few words about our mission in addition to our assigned topic.

  Dad is going fishing with Ladd on Monday.  They are traveling a couple of hours to the Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam.  Ladd and Jack Rinallo have been there a number of times and done well.  They will be fishing for salmon.