Christmas Is Coming, Nani Arrived

Our small group of three new missionaries came back to the mission home two days after they arrived for new missionary training--complete with lunch.

It got really cold and even rained the following day. Well, I should clarify. It got really cold for Carlsbad. It was cold enough that I brought out my winter coat and have been wearing it every day. Especially in meetings. The Californians still turn on the air conditioning in the church buildings. BRRR!!!

One thing positive about the cold weather (okay--maybe I better just say cooler weather) is it made it feel a lot more like the Christmas season. I wasn't missing the cold of December, but I was missing a change of seasons.

Our mission office always has some bikes in the waiting area during transfer week. In December, we had packages galore all throughout the office and stored in another room in the church building.

One day we had to go to Camp Pendleton to get updated paperwork done to go on base. We went with the assistants, Elder Romney and Elder Ruhl, to do that and then took them to lunch. They suggested Tip Top Meats which is owned and run by a German man named Big John (see his image on the napkin).

I was the only brave one of the group who actually ordered real authentic German food--cabbage roll, regular and red sauerkraut and some kind of potato hash stuff.

Big John himself came out to greet us and tell us how much he respects the missionaries and the work they are doing. I was a little slow with the camera and missed documenting his visit to our table.

Sister Christensen is a self-proclaimed introvert and has banded together with her fellow introverts in the office. Notice how her husband and mine are not in the photo. They are not part of our special club.

I love p-days when we go out exploring and find some interesting things we've never seen before.

P-days also inevitably involve going to various doctor appointments. I happened to be texting Sarah this particular day and told her I was at yet another medical facility.

She was inquiring about my health and well being and was wondering which doctor and for what reason. I told her it was for my heart and then I sent this photo.

 This is her response.

Jeff's comment had me completely cracking up. He wrote: You should be happy. That's more love than she shows me when I'm sick.

Christmas was coming and that meant Nani was coming to visit. Hurrah!!

We decided not to let a rainy day keep us from having fun and spending the day in the great outdoors at the San Diego Botanical Garden which is not all that far from our home.

Nani learned which trees are punching trees (the bark is soft enough that punching it won't hurt your fist) and had to give it a try.

 There were many beautiful flowers blooming despite it being the dead of winter.

All throughout the garden were interesting/weird/strange/unusual sculptures that were available for purchase for thousands and thousands of dollars.

Glen braved the elements to try out the buzzard's roost.

All throughout there were trees and stumps with a variety of different plants growing on them.

 

I was excited to see a children's area that had a tree house. I was imaging taking the grandchildren there to let them wander through the garden and come upon the fun children's things to do and see.

There's Glen below the buzzards and their roost looking around at the musical instruments available to play.

 HO, HO, HO, Merry Christmas!!!!! The Santa and Mrs. Claus chairs were just too much to resist.

I'm sure the grandchildren would love walking out on this platformed area to climb the stairs to the overlook.

We found another kid area complete with a water feature. Note: the mud would not be there on a regular day.

When the rain started pouring down toward the end of our day, Glen opted out and ran to the car while Nani and I finished up looking at everything. This was a little bonus of our enduring to the end when one of the workers asked us if we wanted to look inside the building on the other side of the parking lot.

There on display were a bunch of nutcrackers. I bet Glen was sad he missed out on seeing them.

I am sure Nani will agree with me when I say it was a very fun and interesting experience going to the botanical garden. I definitely want to return again. At each season. Just to see what new and different things are blooming at different times of the year.