January 3, 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Amazing.....  It is 2015 and I am barely getting used to it being 2014.

I love the flowers!

This week has flown by and I kept forgetting to take pictures so this will be too many words and not enough pictures.  We are happy and healthy and missing you all back home a little more than usual with the holiday here and gone.  I am looking forward to being home next year and being a little more normal.  But with that said we really had a great holiday and love the mission and the great people here.

We decided that we had better keep the office open all week this week but that we didn't need three couples there each day to handle things.  So we worked a half day on New Years Day and a half day the next day.  The other couples took turns taking a day off and working the other half of our day.  Roger thought that we would get some good surfing in during the morning hours and then go to the office but only one day the waves were good.  Friday he said that the ocean looked like a lake.  It was a little awkward on Thursday.  Roger decided to go do some things in one of the new apartments for a new senior couple which left me in the office by myself.  That was all good and fine until the elders came by to do things in the office.  We then realized that I couldn't be there in the same office with the elders without another man in the office.  So I had to go outside while they came in and did their stuff.  The rules are there for good reasons but sometimes it makes things so hard.  I love these missionaries though.  They are exactly obedient and want to obey all of the rules.

My new cosy socks that Cheri
gave me for Christmas!  Ahhh!

We are planning on taking a day off this week when Kirk and Tiffany come with their kids for a few days.  It will be fun to show them our little home away from home.  They will be staying in Old Town so we can show them around the Mormon Battalion and the little shops.  We may have to eat some good Mexican food.

Our little scripture class is usually on Wednesday and this week Wednesday happened to be on New Year's Eve.  We really thought that no one would want to still come but when we offered to have a short thought and then we would play some games we got some takers.  So we went to Carol's home had a fun time enjoying each other's company playing together.  We played until 10:00 and decided that it was the New Year somewhere and that was good enough.  We had to be at the office the next day so we went home and went to bed.  Kinda boring, I know.  But we had a good time.

The weather this week has been a bit sketchy.  I keep looking at my Utah weather guide on my phone so that I can keep things in perspective.  It has rained and been quite cold for little San Diego.  It has actually gotten below 40 at night two nights in a row and only highs in the high 50's.  We are getting more normal weather for San Diego now - high 40's at night and 60's during the days with mostly sunny days.  But looking at what Utah is doing right now helps me stay warmer!

Good bye Elder Garner

One last hug!

We had 7 of our elders leave home early on January 1st.  They were all supposed to go home on January 20th but were able to go home on the 1st so that they could get into school.  One of them that went home was as Assistant to the President, Elder Garner and we were quite close to him.  It actually was great to see him off and to see his excitement to move on to this new chapter in his life.  I asked him what were the greatest things he learned while on his mission.  He surprised us by telling us that he really hadn't been a great student before his mission.  He really didn't take life seriously.  That amazed us, knowing him only as a very good Assistant!  He was very on top of things and made things happen.  He said that he has realized that God intends for us to be busy and involved in helping others.  He felt that he had learned to REALLY care about others and to empathize with them.  He will never be the same.

None of us who have served ever will be.  It is a life changing experience.  We are so grateful to be able to do this and for your love and support of us.  Bring on the new year!