The Missionaries

Good Morning,

Thought I would send you some pictures of the Missionaries! Yesterday was an exciting day for Mom and Dad! They were so excited to get to the MTC!! Kristen and I helped them to their room and then we got left in the front lobby as they walked down the hall from us! It was hard saying good bye to them! But what great examples they are to all of their grandkids!

Hope you are all well! Enjoy the pictures!

Love, Jill

One last thought

Good evening......
It is hard to believe that we will enter the MTC tomorrow morning. All of the months of planning and preparation have just about come to a close. Our traveling and spending time with you has been an extraordinary blessing. We are very proud of each member of this family. You are the people we most enjoy being with. Our grandchildren are the best in the world, each unique and each cherished. Dad has fulfilled his great desire to give all of his children fathers blessings. The temple ordinances that have sealed us together as a family brings great peace and joy to our life. There is a quote for senior missionary couples from Elder Hales that says that as we serve as missionaries our family will be blessed in ways that you never would have received if we had not served. We call upon the Lord to bestow those blessings on each of you.
We have a request of each of you: Please send a chat once a month to the family list so there will be some contact amongst all of you. Fast Sunday might be a good day to choose so that it is easy to remember to do so.
We will be gone for 23 months and we certainly have goals we wish to achieve in that length of time. We also issue a challenge to each of you in your family or as an individual, that you also select a goal that you wish to achieve. We can all accomplish great things and enjoy the growth that our determination and dedication can bring.

OUR FAMILY WILL BE TOGETHER FOREVER!
Love and prayers.......Mom and Dad

Back in good ol' Utah

This chat comes to you from Springville. We arrived in Utah Monday afternoon, and of course, you know I love Utah. From Kristen's house I can see "my mountain," Mt. Loafer that lies just south of our piece of property. Dad's truck was dead in the driveway, due to a corroded battery cable. Try as he might, he couldn't remove it because of the corroded connection. Scott arrived and together they still could not do it. So, on Tuesday Dad took Kristen to work so he could use her car and he arranged for a tow truck to pick up his Tundra and take it for repair. On Wednesday he took her to work again and then when the truck was done we picked it up, took Kristen's car to her at work, and went to Lehi to be with Scott's family. We came back to Kristen's Thursday evening because I had a hair appointment for Friday morning.
Dad and I both had hair cuts this week and Dad saw a podiatrist to have his wonderful toenails filed down. I have packed and re-packed and eliminated some of the things we brought. At this point, everything fits to get to the MTC. My concern is the weight when we have to fly to Guatemala, as we can't exceed 50 pounds for each of our suitcases. There is nothing I want to remove and leave behind. It is amazing to pack for 2 years and then fit it into two suitcases each and a carry-on case each.
We had a very pleasant visit with Gary and Elanor Rowbotham on Friday. They were in UT for a reunion with Gary's extended family. While I went to get my hair cut they took Dad to Salem to see our lot. They really liked it. Last night I talked to my friend, Kathie Burgess Hatch. She was part of the old Pomona Ward. Her dad was foreman of the Diamond Bar ranch when it was a ranch with only two houses. She has been secretary to the mayor of Provo for many years. Her husband is younger than Dad and has been in a care facility for a couple of years. He developed Parkinson's a number of years ago. She was the last contact I wanted to make with a friend, so that list was accomplished, mainly thanks to e-mail.
Lori and family are coming over tonight. Scott and family will be here and it will be our goodbye time. Jill is on her way to SLC and should land in 15 minutes or so. She will rent a car and join us at Church. So we will have two drivers to take us to the MTC. We will probably need both cars for our luggage. We are excited about entering the MTC and beginning our training. The Spanish word for excited is emocianado, and that pretty well explains it all!

Love and prayers...
Mom