Our life in a nutshell - yes we are crazy!

During our first few weeks home we were able to see all of our children and grandchildren.  Adrienne and Matt and the boys were here when we arrived in Idaho Falls and Aaron was there also.  Livy and the girls had been in Utah so they came up for a day a little later on in the week.  Jen and Brett and the kids of course were there at the airport also.  What a joyous day - and a little scary too.

I guess the easiest thing to do is just make a list of what we did and insert a few pictures:

• We celebrated the 4th of July with a BBQ at the Parkinson's.  They little kids wanted to go to the parade but my body was still adjusting to new water and food and I did not feel very good.  Sitting along the parade route was not a good idea.
• All of our things arrived safely from Mexico.  Even all of my dishes and nativity sets, which had been packed with great care, had not one chip.  I however dropped one of the big pots on my head as I was putting it on a high shelf and it fell to the floor and shattered.
• We spoke in church.  Twenty-six of our returned missionaries came to be there - oh what a reunion.  We provided the musical number for sacrament meeting that day and we invited all of them to join us on the stand to sing La Luz de la Verdad.  Several of the families of our missionaries who were still serving in the field were also there.  I was so touched by the outpouring of love and support.  Everyone came over to our house after the meeting for some sandwiches and salads.  It was a day never to be forgotten.
• We drove to Denver to see Aaron and Livy.  We cooked and ate great food, we went to a baseball game (and of course ate hot dogs), took the girls to the park, and had the best fun.  We also were able to connect with Jodi and Rusty Osland and their kids.  We hadn't seen them for so long and it was so nice to spend some time together.
• We came back through Salt Lake so we could see Tami and the kids and be there for Carter's birthday.  We went to the rodeo where we ran into a friend from Church Security who had come to Mexico several times.
• We went over to Boise and took Jen and Afton with us to be there for Ellis' baptism.  He is getting so grown up and such a little man.
• In September Tami came up and we all went to the East Idaho State Fair.  What a blast - It was good to see some of my Idaho peeps all decked out in their cowboy and cowgirl finery. 
• We returned home ready to begin the semester - Bruce is the Associate Dean of Online Learning and Inter-University Relations and is teach the capstone 499B course - He and I taught a section of Mission Prep which was so wonderful - I am an Online Advisor for the Academic Discovery Center.  
• The house remained in a construction condition, taking much longer than the two months we were told it would be back in July.  It was finally finished the first week of January, some 6 months later.  
• We attended the homecomings of several of our returned missionaries and we have had groups over for dinner.  It is always so interesting to see them in their casual habitat.  Several  have stopped by to see us and I hear from some via text fairly frequently.
• When our sweet little Asher was born I was able to go to Denver and help for a week.  Bruce drove over and we were there for Quinn's baptism and for the baby's blessing.
• Jen, Brett and their kids plus Aaron and Livy and their children were her for Christmas and the week after.  We played games and had to nix all of our outdoor plans because the weather was so cold - bone chilling cold.  After 3 years in the tropics I have had an awful time adjusting to the bitter cold.  The snow is beautiful but I am tired of being cold.

 

 There are pictures of my home office.  I took pieces of furniture that had been very damaged in the flood and refinished them - evidence that from difficult and trying conditions, renewing can happen.  I love working in this room.

Here are Diana and Andrew Collison with Paty and Gerado Ruiz - it was so wonderful to see them and be part of the wedding.  When we got to the temple we were greeted by the previous Cuernavaca Mission President - Elder and Sister Spanous

 

When we spoke in Sacrament Meeting all of these wonderful returned missionaries came to join us that day.