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!