My plans go awry -- again

So the photos didn't post in the order in which I described them. They were lined up differently when I wrote the article, and when I published they went wherever they darned well wanted to. But you can figure everything out, if you care to take the time. Sorry!

Finishing up

I guess it's appropriate to post today. I wanted to post some pictures of the people we especially hate to leave. The folks in the top left are Arnold and Karen Davis, who very kindly treated us to Leatherby's last week, and not only that, but they bought me a jar of Leatherby's caramel sauce, which is a food I really, really hope they have on the other side of the veil. The next photo is President Jerry Hatch, 2nd counselor in our mission presidency and one of our all-time favorite human beings, and the husband of our other all-time favorite human being, Kay Hatch, who is in the center of the bottom left photo. The other two in the bottom photo are Maaike and AJ Kingsford, who are replacing us in the publications department. The photo to the left of that is the group of missionaries we're closest to, and part of the group that we came in with. The couple in the middle are Shanna and Skip Bradley, our home teachers. We love them all!!! The two young elders are great fun. All the red neckties are because the Elijah choir sang that morning -- it isn't a uniform!

We're basically camping out in our apartment right now. Our phones quit working last night, for some strange reason, but won't be officially disconnected until tomorrow, after which we'll leave here and head for Texas. We are pretty much all packed up and only have to finish washing the bedding in the morning and load the car. We've had our last meal in the apartment because the food is all gone. We're going to the Hires drive-in for lunch (root beer floats) and will hang out at Liberty Park for a while, and then we're being taken to dinner by another of our favorite couples, the Sorensons, whose picture I neglected to post.

It's been a glorious 16 months. If we ever serve another mission we will sure try our hardest to come back to this one. I would love to work in the Church History library, or even the Family History one; but the Mission Office where we did work was the best of all.

We sure appreciated the visits, the phone calls, the e-mails, the refrigerator pictures, and the love and prayers. We can't wait to see everyone. We're bursting with love and so anxious to hug everyone, and then do it again.

I've enjoyed blogging; I just haven't had a lot of time to do it. Maybe that will change when I get back home. Keep checking back, but don't expect miracles!

It's been a while

I didn't realize how long it had been since I'd blogged until I saw Christi's comment about Taylor's MRI. Thanks, Christi! I'm excited about his possibilities, and I'm glad we're coming home when we are.

Today was our last day in the Administration Zone, and we had our friend, A.J., take our exit photo this morning. Bob doesn't like it and wants it done over again, but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway. And then if the new one turns out better I'll post it too! We're going to go to the Training Zone next week and try to get caught up on NewFamilySearch. It's changed quite a bit since we were trained on it 16 months ago and we're 'way behind the curve.

It's sure going to be a busy week, and a fattening one! It has already started -- we were taken to lunch (ice cream at Leatherby's) by friends in the zone. A carmel sundae is the perfect lunch on a difficult day! Monday we have lunch with our dear friends the Catheralls and dinner with our In Group. Tuesday we are having dinner with our home teachers plus some other couples from their zone; Wednesday is the Farewell Luncheon the mission gives all the missionaries who are leaving; Thursday we're having supper with Bob's in-laws, and Friday we're having dinner with some dear friends from Simi Valley, Pam and Joe White. I'm not exactly sure how we're going to fit in all the packing and cleaning that has to be done before we can leave on the 30th, but we'll git 'er done some old how.

We accomplished the one goal we wanted to reach before we left the mission, and that was to finish the book . . . and we did! We took the CD to the print shop yesterday and today we got our proof copy back and delivered it to President Simmons for his approval. Hopefully we can start the final printing before we leave at the end of next week. It's a beautiful book and has 37 color pages. Very thrilling for our humble selves. And we still have some more wonderful musical experiences coming up: tomorrow the Elijah Missionary Choir is singing for our stake conference; Sunday (after the Tabernacle Choir broadcast) our stake choir is singing in the tabernacle, again for stake conference; Monday the Women's Choir is singing my arrangement for the devotional; and next Sunday I get to conduct my branch choir one last time, at the request of the new choir director. So we'll have music practically right up to the last minute.

I'll wait and wax philosophical in the next blog, when I have more time to gather all my thoughts. They are in a jumble right now -- we are so anxious to be home with our family and our dear little house, but so reluctant to leave this special place and the wonderful friends we've made. How we love them! It's been a great 16 months. I got back so much more than I gave, and I learned so much and acquired some new skills. And it was so wonderful to see Bob's work so appreciated and admired. His talents will truly be missed, and it will be a long time before the photography rises to that level again. But adjustments will be made and it will all work out just fine and things will keep humming along. We're very happy to be invited to come back in the spring for the U of U event, and we'll combine that with a week at the Family History Library. I hope it works out so that the tulips are in their glory -- it will be like coming back to Heaven.

So -- Texas, here we come. And California, see you soon!