Busy, Busy, Busy Adventure - too Busy to have an Adventure

Sunday, November 6, 2016

I knew we have been really busy but was quite shocked when I finally sat down this morning to try to do an update to this to find that I have not posted anything for 3 weeks.   Hard to believe that much time has gone by and this would turn into a book if I tried to post everything that has gone on in that time, but I will post a few highlights and see if we can get back on track here.

These last several weeks have included a myriad of different activities - a few of which were outside the realm of our normal duties.   You may remember from earlier posts that Elder Ashton had a grossly swollen leg which doctors blamed on a ruptured Baker's cyst and told him it would probably take care of itself but if it was still a problem in 3 weeks to come back and they would do an ultra sound.   Well - it didn't take of itself and so he went back on October 19.   He didn't make it back to the office because the appointment took longer than expected - the ultra sound showed their was still fluid in the cyst behind the knee and they discovered another cyst in his calf.....so they decided to drain the two cysts.   He said they drained 40cc's from the cysts and that it seemed like a circus because he had five different people come in to take a look at the ultra sound.   When he went back for a follow-up this past week, he learned that he was kind of like in the circus freak show because no-one in the practice had ever seen a cyst that big before :)   Seems to be doing OK now.

I spent part of the day out of the office on Friday, October 21.   Seems this is a busy time of year for everyone so I took a some time and played chaffeur for our son to have a little outpatient procedure - his wife was busy with parent teacher conferences for the parents of her 3rd grade students.   Soooooo, mom was busy and dad was a little under the weather.   When I dropped him off we found my grandson Duncan almost all packed up and ready to go on his first overnight campout with the scouts.    I'd say that is a pretty responsible kid!

Duncan all packed up!

We attended a dinner and social for senior couples that evening.   The food was delicious and then we really got silly.   This was a challenge for the husbands to wrap their wife's hair with toilet paper so it wouldn't get messed up while she slept (like women used to do in the 60s)

Senior Sister Missionaries all set to hold their hair in place.

On Saturday I took a few minutes away from laundry and grocery shopping to run to Kohls and try to do a bit of Christmas shopping.    I was surprised at this "electric car" in the parking lot.   Looks to me like it is not much more than a covered, motorized tricycle with the single wheel in back.   Pretty funny looking :)

Most afternoons for the last few weeks we have had anywhere from 2 to 10 missionaries in the office taking care of things - doing some work on "My Plan" before they go home, picking up mail, preparing music for the Christmas Concert, etc.    This group includes one of the Assistants to the President that went home on October 28, a couple of Zone Leaders and their companions.  Great young men!

Sister Weyand  sorting music for the missionaries to sing at the Christmas Concert.

Sister Washburn preparing the first draft of the program for the Christmas Concert.

Elder Stone, one of the Assistants to the President who returned home October 29th.

Elder Bowman loves life.   He almost always has that smile on his face and it is not uncommon for him to come in the back door, take a little run and slide the length of the counter, stating that he is tired and needs to take a nap ;-)

The four Assistants to the President we had for the last eight weeks - on the left are Elder Feusner from Cody Wyoming area and Elder Broulim from Boise Idaho area.   On the right are Elder Stone from Utah and Elder Carattini from Las Vegas.   They both returned home at the very end of October and now we have just Elder Feusner and Elder Broulim.  Note that the Elders going home are packaging up ties to leave behind for other Elders.   

On Thursday morning I didn't wake up early enough to go to the gym but wanted to get a little exercise in so took a walk around the neighborhood.   I was taken with this cute and (looked) easy decoration.   5 little witches around a cauldron - witches were just large styrofoam balls on sticks covered in black trash bags with bags tied around the circle to look like they are holding hands.   Cute witches hats completed their look.

Imagine that you answer a telephone call and the voice on the other ends says "That thing like a toilet paper tube on our car is leaking oil"   No further information.   I listened to Elder Ashton try to come up with an appropriate question to try to figure out what was going on and noticed the totally confused look on his face.   He finally asked where the tube was located on the car and was told that it was at the back of the car, e.g. the tail pipe.   The Sister Missionaries assured him that it was NOT water coming out, it was oil.   So he told them to bring the car over in about 30 minutes.   In about 15 minutes he got a call explaining that they had checked the oil and found it was yellow and what was coming out of the tube was clear so they guessed it was really water.    We had a good laugh over that call and how we were totally stumped.....and I know I will never look at another tail pipe the same again!

On the 26th, Elder Ashton had a cataract removed from his right eye.   He said it was pretty painful for a day or two but seems to be doing much better now.   We did get some free entertainment as we sat waiting for him to get called back for surgery.   There was another older man in there who had long gray hair pulled back in a ponytail and he was really nervous about the surgery so he was talking loudly saying he should have worn his heels so he would look taller (I had seen him in there when we went for the pro-op and he was wearing 3" high wedge heels).  He proceeded to serenade us with jokes that were a little off color and every Beatles song he could remember.   He finally apologized and said when he is anxious about something it calms him to sing.   Then he looked at me and asked me if I would sing with him......I can't remember the words to "Yellow Submarine" so I had to decline :)

With somewhat cooler temperatures, the foliage is losing it's baked look and is once again showing off some of its blossoms.

Noticed this tree beside the road as I was driving to Target......It almost looks like it is decked out for Christmas already with its red berries and green leaves.

A close-up view

We had the rosebushes at the front of the house trimmed back about a month ago and they have just recently decided to put on a show of blooms - lavender and deep pink

Yellow/Pink mixture

More lavender and deep pink.

I love walking out the front door to the smell of these roses!

When I tell the missionaries I want to take a picture of them - most are happy to oblige.   As you can see from this picture, one wasn't very happy about getting his picture taken and would NOT face the camera.

Four of the six even consented to get a picture taken performing the Haku in memory of Elder Kapua from New Zealand.   They were having a great time :)

The Friday evening before Halloween, while mom was sewing costumes, Griffen built some fearsome robots and had all kinds of ideas how we could make them fight each other.   I had great fun playing with this bright, inventive, 6 year old great grandchild of mine!

Sean and Wyatt Keisel dropped by to trick or treat all dressed up as  ninja and a power ranger (I think).  I had talked about super heroes with Griffen on Friday night and he could not believe that I didn't know all the names of the new ones but I knew Hulk and told him that his grandpa (my boy) had gone to see the Hulk in real life.   Talk about impressed!

Here is 8 month old Luke all dressed up in the dinosaur costume his mom made for him.   She also made one for Griffen and they were cute little dinosaurs!

Tuesday morning on my way back from the gym, I stopped off at the Gilbert Civic Center to check out the pond where I thought I saw a heron as I drove by last week.   Before I made it to the pond, I saw the group of mushrooms/toadstools all lined up on the grass.

My suspicions were confirmed, I had seen a heron hanging around the pool.   I tried to get up closer but it was off in a flash before I could get close.   

However, on closer look, I could still see something in that area.   I walked up quite close to get a picture of this gray one.....I think it might also be a heron but not sure.  Later that morning as I drove by on my way to the office, I noticed about 10 black ducks all gathered around the two taller birds.   I love this diverse world we live in!

Four cute Sister Missionaries stopped by the office.   I love their smiles and begged them to let me take a picture.  At least one of these Sisters is going home in about a week, so she brought her bike in to be boxed up.   I love when I get hugs from the Sister Missionaries!

Thursday morning when I woke up to go to the gym, I could hear the wind and it certainly looked like rain as I got outside.   The trees and flag were blowing under a heavy dark sky when I returned home at 6:30 a.m.

The following few pictures were taken at Gilbert Farmhouse Square.   They have tried to retain some of the old farm town feel and preserved some of the original buildings.   I loved this bougainvillea that has been trained to climb up the pole and leave some below to poke out of the picket fence.   It is just outside the farmhouse restaurant.   I had a wonderful Cinnamon Roll there about 25 years ago and can still remember how good it was!

Just one of the whimsical displays at the square.   I love the colorful flowers using painted old metal parts.

 I was also captivated by this metal thing - looks like a bicycle built for about 15!

Last Monday Elder Ashton and other young Elders went over to the Chevrolet dealership and picked up 6 brand new Chevy Malibu cars for the missionaries.   He has been really busy getting those out to the right missionaries and is still expecting two Nissan Frontier trucks in the next month or so.   He got so far behind with the paper and computer work on the six new cars that he went to the office from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The next two weeks should keep me busy enough that I won't get bored.   Tomorrow and Tuesday we have zone conferences with a visiting General Authority, Elder Chemish.   He gave the talk in conference about "Am I Good Enough, Will I Make It?" and I can't wait to hear him in person.   

Friday at 1 p.m. we have a group of 55 mini missionaries coming in to serve just for the weekend.   My responsibility is to put together a binder for each one of those 55......I got a good head start on that work last week but will have last minute things to do.

On Tuesday, November 15 we have 14 missionaries arriving and I am still working on the binder I put together for each one of them.   I only have 2 left to do so it is good I started early :)

Elder Ashton will have cataract surgery on his left eye on the 17th so that will mean a few hours out of the office.   Thank goodness it comes when I am hoping things will have slowed down a little.

Happy Autumn from Arizona - I am really liking this cooler weather....as we walked out of church just after 3 p.m. today I did not feel like I was walking into an oven.

I'm starting my "Thankful List" a little early this year.   First thing I am thankful for is being back home and able to see and hug on my family members on a more regular basis.   Second thing I am thankful for is good health  - I had a reminder pop up on FB the other day that it was 3 years ago on October 30th when I finished chemotherapy.   So grateful it and the radiation put the cancer in remission and I'm still around to enjoy the beauty of the world and the people in it!

After the (K)night Adventures

Sunday, October 16, 2016

After last week's visit by Gladys Knight, we returned to the office on Monday morning to continue entering the requests for a CD and a visit into the computer.   By the time it was all said and done on Tuesday, we had 112 requests for missionaries to visit and bring a CD by.      I got those all entered and started sending emails on Tuesday to remind the missionaries that they needed to take the gift by.   That kept me really busy and it was exciting to hear some of the associated stories.    When the Tempe Mission President brought some requests for our area by, he said they had a lady show up on the doorstep of the church last Sunday who had attended the Gladys Knight fireside and the first words out of her mouth were "I want to be baptized.   What do I need to do to be baptized?"   So the missionaries had already met with her once on Sunday and were going to be teaching her more on Monday.   The lady said she felt the spirit so strongly that she cried through the whole fireside.    In our mission 35 people who made requests  have been visited so far and of those, 10 are actively being taught now.  I have certainly felt an increase in energy and enthusiasm coming from the younger missionaries.....and I believe it is due to the increased missionary activity but could also be due to the temperatures that are finally staying below 100 degrees.

When I came home from the office on Monday, the southern sky was mesmerizing to me.

I loved the wispiness of the clouds and the glow of red from the lowering sun.

In an effort to do a little bit to keep myself healthy, I try to get out of bed at 5 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and a little later on Saturday and go to the gym.   I am in no way a morning person and really detest getting up early but know exercise is something I need so I generally get up and do a bit of grumbling as I am getting dressed and heading out the door to the gym.   It is even harder now that it is not yet light outside when I leave for the gym, but arriving home to this picture was almost too much for me on Tuesday morning.

Even when I arrived home from the gym at 6:30 a.m., the night blooming cactus across the street was still in bull bloom and I muttered to myself......"If the night blooming cactus is still blooming, no wonder I'm grumpy about getting out of bed to go exercise."  :)

Wednesday and Thursday were busy days at the office filled with tasks - preparing binders for mini-missions that would start on Friday, still dealing with a larger than normal number of referrals, placing orders for supplies, etc.  On top of that, Elder Ashton went to the Southwest Eye Clinic and they confirmed what the optometrist told him a couple of weeks ago - he needs to have cataract surgery on both eyes.  The first surgery is scheduled for October 25th and they will do the second one a couple of weeks later if all goes well.  Guess we can't stop the aging process no matter how much we would like to!

So, I have decided to try to find at least one beautiful or inspiring thing each day.    My thing for Wednesday was this daytime moon.

Not only was it picturesque, but it got me wondering about seeing the moon in the daytime and I did some research on good old google.   I learned that the moon is regularly in the sky during the day, but we fail to notice it because we don't look up that often and it is often covered by clouds and not visible.   I invite you all to stare at the moon for a moment and contemplate the wonders that surround us.

When we got home Thursday afternoon, I noticed flowers on the rose bushes again.   We had some landscapers come in a few weeks ago and drastically trim everything back, but the rose bushes seem to like the cooler temperatures so they have decided to put on a display of flowers again.

I love these red with white small blooms.   Not only are they pleasing to the eye, but the fragrance is delicious.

A perfect example of the creator's handiwork.....

And a little closer up to  better show the color variation in the petals.   BEAUTIFUL!

For the past 5 months as I have driven to and from the mission office, I have noticed this palm tree that I have affectionately dubbed the "fuzzy" palm.   It is rare to see vines that can survive the summer heat and actually cover the trunk of a tree, but it happened with the "fuzzy" palm that stands guard beside the railroad track.

Wednesday and Thursday were GREAT days for referrals.   On Wednesday morning a Sister Olsen called the office with a story about two sister missionaries who had knocked on the door of her son's house in Florence.  The lady said her son has been less active for many years and is married with 3 kids, the youngest one a baby just a few months old.   As parents do, this mother and father had been praying for their son and his family for a number of years and the wife had told them she was not interested in learning more about the gospel whenever they offered.   Sister Olsen reported that her son had called her on Wednesday morning to report that Spanish speaking lady missionaries had knocked on the door of their house and that they had a nice visit.   After the lady missionaries left, his wife told him she was ready to listen and learn more about the gospel and she wanted to know if she could be taught by those missionaries who knocked on her door.   Since they are assigned as Spanish speaking missionaries I needed to check with the President.   As soon as I explained the situation to him he said, "Yes, of course".   If she is asking to learn more lets accommodate her!"  I called the sisters missionaries to tell them that I had a referral for them and it was a family whose door they had knocked on the day before.   They were both very excited and emotional because they had felt such a strong connection to that family while they visited at the door.   They got a little emotional and so did I as we talked about how Heavenly Father loves each one of us and controls how things happen.   After I got home on Wednesday I got 3 text messages from those sister missionaries of other people whose doors they had knocked on or who they had contacted on the street.   They are super excited and just energized with the love of sharing the gospel with others!

These are a couple of our Spanish speaking sister missionaries but not the ones referred to above.   The girl on the left is from Venezuela and the one on the left is from New Jersey.   They both have really strong personalities but the companionship seems to work well.   The sister from Venezuela always tells Elder Ashton it was not her fault that she got an agressive driving warning while driving.....it was a bump in the road, the car in front or her, a sharp corner or something.   We just love to listen to her excuses with her strong Spanish accent :)

Friday was a quiet day in the office because 93 of our total of 150 missionaries were helping with the Special Olympics.   Not too much going on that day and we generally close at 3 on Friday so we left the office at about 3:10.   I have lived in Gilbert for 18 years and have never visited the Riparian Preserve so I decided to go a little out of my way and visit that on the way home.   I think the next time I visit I will try to make it in the morning or the evening because the sun was too hot and I was soon sweating.   I did see a few native animals......

I saw several little bunnies but they were almost all faster than I was.....just barely caught this one ducking under the bush.

And speaking of ducking......there were lots of ducks and they certainly knew how to splash about in the water and cool off.

I loved how the sun made the head of the mallard such a bright green.

One just turned upside down in the water - he was quick!   Wonder if he caught anything.....

More ducks coming to join the group

 I found the ripples in the water that reflected the reeds along the bank really interesting.

The mission will be receiving 6 new cars tomorrow so Elder Ashton has been busy trying to line up helpers to go to the dealership with him (about  8 miles away) and drive the cars back to the office where he will switch out the Tiwi devices when the missionaries bring the old cars in.   However, he won't be required to don  his plaid sport coat and sell the cars.....The church offices in Salt Lake City have arranged for some dealer to buy then all.   It will be interesting to see how this new program works.

What a great afternoon we had today.   We had many of our family members come and join us for a meal.   And for about 30 minutes we had all 8 of our great grandchildren here......but guess who didn't think to snap a picture :/   Darn!   Each time I prepare a meal for our large group in my new kitchen I can't help but get excited and I just have to tell Elder Ashton how much I love my new kitchen!   It makes it a pleasure to cook for loved ones in a convenient and roomy new kitchen :)

Happy Fall to one and all.

A Train Adventure

Sunday, October 9, 2016

I'm so glad it is Sunday and I have a few minutes to catch my breath.....this past week I felt like I was running and running but could never quite run fast enough to catch the train .....   then Monday as I tried to make it home for a quick lunch (because I had piles of work waiting for me at the office), I got stopped and had to wait for the long train to go by.   In the 18 years I have lived in Gilbert, I think this is only the 3rd time I have had to wait for a train.   To avoid frustration I decided to imagine where the cargo on each train car was going.....and before I knew it I was again on my way home for lunch.

The train lumbering along.

Finally....the end of the train.

When I returned to the office I got busy trying to complete the 14 binders that needed to be ready on Tuesday.  It was pretty challenging because the printer was not functioning properly and even after the repairman came, it would only print one sheet at a time before jamming.   Tense afternoon as I tried to finish. However, it seemed a little better as the departing missionaries began to arrive for their departure interviews with the President and to get their luggage weighed.

Sister Bischoff is ready to roll.  Her bags both came in at least 5 lbs under the allotted 50 lbs.

Elder Marler and Elder Reynolds get their luggage weighed as Elder Macki looks on.   They both passed as well - no repacking needed.

These missionaries departed on Tuesday morning at about 9 a.m.    Incoming missionaries arrive at 11:30 and are brought to the church for lunch and some orientation.

Elder Ashton and I went to the church about 11:45 to take care of last minute preparations in the room where we provide the orientation training.  As you can see from the image below - as senior missionaries we get to try our hand at new things.....Elder Ashton was trying out a little artwork/signage to assist the incoming missionaries.

Evan as the missionaries walked in the door and this was on the wall directly in front of them, we had a couple ask what they were supposed to do with their luggage;-)

And speaking of luggage, I thought this was a really cute set - especially if you were taking a "road trip".

The Sisters who prepare the lunch for the missionaries do a great job - with the food and the decorations.   We really appreciate all that they do!

When I arrived at the office on Wednesday, I found a brightly colored envelope with a smiley face on it laying on my keyboard.   I opened it to find these two origami cranes inside.   It really touched me because earlier in the week I had read that origami cranes are considered good luck for cancer survivors.   One of our small Sister Missionaries (from Mangolia) had made these for Elder Ashton and I and written a very sweet note thanking us for all we do.   That, coupled with the teary eyes as I said good-bye to one of the Elders who left, reinforced that we are doing a good thing for these young missionaries.

Love these origami creations!

We had another surprise on Thursday (I think) morning at the office.   Elder McKnight who returned home about 2 months ago stopped in to say hello.   He looked and sounded really good.   He spent some time unable to drive while he was on his mission because he was speeding and had his Tiwi card (that allows him to drive) taken away.  He couldn't wait to tell  Elder Ashton that he has a video of him going 100 miles an hour after he got home - and saying "Take that Tiwi".   I would say a part of his frontal lobe of the brain has still not completely developed....but he was going on his first date with this young lady to the temple so I guess he can't be all bad;-)

Thursday afternoon/evening was the Gladys Knight and the Saints Unified Voices Choir fireside in our mission. (No, they did not sing Midnight Train to Georgia but that song has been running through my mind all week :) )  We had been working for weeks in preparation for this and it was a huge effort.   Firesides were also held in Mesa and Tempe. We helped with the administrative side of tracking people who requested that a packet be delivered to them.  As of today I see that we have about 200 people that live within our mission boundaries that requested the packet.   That should keep the missionaries pretty busy for awhile.

Yes - even though she is a few years older than me - she really does look like this!

We were privileged to take a short break from our duties and listen to Sister Knight talk about her family joining the church and her investigating to make sure her kids weren't joining a cult and some of the feelings and thoughts she experienced.   She talked about knowing that singing is what Heavenly Father wants her to do and she considers her voice a gift from Him.   She then sang a beautiful song about her feelings for Jesus.  I wish you all could have heard it!

Friday was spent updating spreadsheets in the office.......I only got about half done so I will have plenty to keep me busy this upcoming week, too.   After arriving home on Friday I checked FB and started to see a bit about Hurricane Matthew not treating my friends and ward members back in Virginia and North Carolina very good.   I continue to have a prayer in my heart for them as they had some pretty significant flooding in the area and will be mopping up for awhile.   In the 18 months we were there, we saw only a little flooding but we did see places along the road where markers indicated that water could get up to 3 or 4 feet in some areas.....I think it got that high yesterday/last night.

Sending special thoughts and prayers to those we came to love in Virginia and Georgia.   Hope you are all safe and recovering (even if it be slowly)!

Young Missionary Adventures

Sunday, October 2, 2016

It has really felt like October today - woke up to rain early this morning and have had drizzling rain off and on all day.   It was a nice day to be inside watching General Conference and feeling the spirit of the speakers while enjoying the sound of rain on the skylight.   Sunday afternoon session was especially meaningful to us as our nephew, Bro. Brian K. Ashton spoke and was followed shortly by our former Mission President here in Gilbert - K Brett Natress.   I really loved the messages from conference - they gave me much peace and calmness even though we live in a challenging time!   As our nephew spoke this afternoon, I had a strong feeling that his paternal grandparents (my in-laws) were aware of his participation in conference and were feeling blessed by all of their posterity.  

On Monday, I woke up feeling energized when the alarm went off at 5 a.m. so I got up, put my work-out clothes on and headed to the gym.   As I drove toward the gym it was barely getting light.   I felt good all through the work-out and as I left the gym I noticed a beautiful sunrise to the east.   Immediately the words, "Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, I've got a beautiful feeling, Everything's going my way" popped into my head and I began humming the tune.   That seemed a little strange to me as I am not usually a fan of Mondays but this past one turned out to be a good one!

Pretty sunrise on Monday.   Looking forward to a great week.

For the rest of the week, the office got quite busy every afternoon with missionaries coming in and out.   There was so much going on that it was a little challenging to get my work done - and I was trying to prep for the missionaries that will be arriving on October 4.   I still needed to make 5 binders for incoming missionaries, but I was waiting for some updates to be completed.

When we arrived at the office, we learned that we should expect 3 more missionaries who would be coming to Gilbert until their visas arrive and they can go to their field of service outside the US.   That meant I would need to make 8 binders.    In a couple of hours I was handed a folder that had 27 applications from young people who want to serve a mini-mission starting Friday, October 7.   Each of those need a personalized binder prepared for them.....seemed like I would be printing and collating binders most of the week.  I tried to get all of that done around the interruptions of missionaries coming in and asking for supplies.

Tuesday afternoon - missionaries in the office waiting for interviews, picking up supplies, waiting for
Elder Ashton to look at their car, etc.   In the meantime, I had started preparing binders (note box of binders) for the mini-missions and two boxes of supplies arrived that needed to be put away or given out to the waiting missionaries.   It was just a little crazy busy :)

The Assistants to the President also came into the office for at least part of every day trying to finalize tickets for the Gladys Knight fireside that will occur on October 6 and October 8.  I think they finally completed the division of tickets on Thursday afternoon.

Figuring out Gladys Knight ticket allocation.

Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. I was rudely awakened when I fell out of bed (don't know why) and hit my eye/forehead on the night stand.   OUCH!   It hurt and Elder Ashton had to jump out of bed and doctor me up :)

Only a little butterfly to mark the injury on Wednesday.  I was almost able to hide the rest of the injury with make-up.

By Thursday I was no longer able to hide the injury - I really have a shiner.   In fact, a guy at the grocery store on Saturday told me I had the best shiner he has ever seen ;-)

I was still trying to get all those binders done, and by the time the updates were complete, we had a melt down with the printer.   It won't pull the pages through without them being crooked or crumpled on the color printer and about 1/8 of the pages in each binder need to be printed on a color printer.   They (Xerox) sent us a new part but that didn't fix it.   They are supposed to send another one and if that doesn't fix the printer they will sent a repair man out.   I'm beginning to panic just a little because the 8 binders need to be completed by Tuesday morning.   

This is the stack of papers that have already been printed.....I still need to print about 50 more pages on the color printer.   Crossing my fingers that they get it working by Monday afternoon!

Next week's schedule looks daunting - prepare for arriving missionaries on Monday,  arrivals and training on Tuesday, Wednesday is transfers when we need to implement all the updates to companionships, Thursday is Gladys Knight Firesides beginning in the afternoon and ending after 10 p.m.   We are expecting about 400 referrals from that day, so we will be busy!   Friday we will continue to work with the referrals from Fireside and update the spreadsheet for temple attendance with the new transfer information.  We expect more referrals from the Saturday afternoon Fireside and I'm not sure yet what my role will be in that but I'm sure there will be some involvement.   I think I will be tired by the time the week is over!

I've been going to the mission office 5 days a week for the past 5 months and just this week I noticed that the bark on the trees by the office is polka-dotted......found that pretty interesting.

Perfect end to the week today when we had family over for dinner.   We had 22 there and had a great time talking with kids, grandkids and watching these two youngest great grand kids hug on each other!   Luke and Grayson seem to really like each other!

Happy Fall from the Arizona Desert!