Interviews, Mid-Transfer Craziness, Date Night at Legoland

We spent a day up north for Glen to interview all the Murrieta and Temecula zone missionaries. It's a good way for me to see the new missionaries and see for myself how I feel like they are doing.

It seems like every preparation day there is an injured missionary. This time it was this sister. They were playing soccer. When she lifted her leg to kick the ball, another sister missionary kicked her in the leg.

It has been very painful for her and it is taking a while to heal.

These sisters were spending an unusually long time in the entryway between the doors dealing with a phone call. At first I thought they looked so darling just standing there having a conversation with an investigator.

When the call finally ended, they were both a bit shaken. They had been getting an earful of anti-Mormon stuff. It hurt their hearts that the woman was so bitter against the Church.

Turns out it was a blessing for them to have an interview with their mission president right after that happened. It got them back into a better frame of mind.

Another day we spent in Escondido interviewing all the missionaries in that zone.

That was the day I saw this news article and wanted to warn all our future visitors they might want to rethink going into the ocean. You never know what might be lurking in the water!!

We had another day of Glen interviewing the missionaries in the Vista zone. He does that at the mission office church building. 

This is the bulletin board right outside the mission office. These sisters just redecorated it. The other missionaries are now finding their state or country and writing their names on it. Cute interactive display.

The paper that is offered (right hand corner) is the mission newsletter. Glen and I write a little blurb for it each time it is published--which is once a transfer. Glen has the natural ability to just immediately come up with an idea and sit down and get it written just like that. For me, it takes LOTS of thinking and LOTS of effort, but when it is done, I always feel really good about it.

We both get inspired. My inspiration just takes a little more work and a lot longer. I am always thankful Glen is able to work at a lot higher speed than me. He has a lot more work to get done each day.

These elders are by the door leading into the mission office.

I liked how these two companions both wore striped ties. Comp unity!!

We had a huge group of missionaries scheduled to go home at the end of August. Half of them were asking if they could go home early to prepare to go to school.

So Glen did an unprecedented thing. A thing he said he will never do again. He scheduled a mid-transfer go home date.

We fixed the usual roast beef departing meal. We had a testimony meeting. We posed for a photo.

Elders Madero, Denbow, Castleton, Fox and Saxey

Sisters Mitchell, Nielson and Blacker

They spent the night with us in the mission home and we took them to the temple the next morning before dropping them off at the airport.

We have been watching this uniquely shaped building being built not too far from our home. As soon as the words "INDOOR SKYDIVING" appeared on it, Glen immediately wrote in his weekly letter to the missionaries that it is an unapproved preparation day activity.

Don't want anybody getting any ideas...!!!

When we purchased Legoland tickets when we went with Jeff and Sarah's family, we got a season pass to go back an unlimited amount of times until the end of the year. It was no extra cost to do so and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

One date night we decided to go to Legoland. We had figured out a place where we can park on the street (where we park to walk around the Flower Fields) and walk through a gate going into the parking lot of Legoland. By doing so, we can avoid the parking fees.

Legoland here we come!!!!

Almost immediately we saw a brand new Lego creation. They all amaze me as I think about a person laboriously putting together all those Lego pieces just so to form fun and entertaining works of art.

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to get our picture taken standing next to Emmet. We thought our grandchildren would think we are pretty cool when they see this photo.

We rode the Lost Kingdom Adventure ride and shot laser blasters as we battled mummies, skeletons and snakes. My blaster did not seem to be registering all the perfect shots I made and Glen's score ended up blasting right past mine.

Oh well! I'm not any good at video games and I'm not that competitive either.

We looked around at our dining options and decided on the Garden Restaurant. 

It was a fabulous choice. We sat outside behind the restaurant where there were hardly any people. It was beautiful, quiet and peaceful and the food turned out to be very delicious.

We were sitting there reviewing our week. We were feeling like things appeared to be going pretty smoothly. We were having less problems and really felt like we were experiencing a bit of a breather. It felt good!

Although the true highlight of the evening was our lovely dining experience, another highlight came after we stood in line for 30 minutes waiting to get on the new Ninjago ride.

We had ridden that ride with Sarah's family and much to everyone's amazement and disbelief--I was the high scorer of everyone, including the two men. 

Glen wanted to redeem himself and insisted we wait in the long line to do so. It turned out to be an enjoyable wait as a family from one of the wards in Temecula was in line behind us so we had a nice visit with them.

Final score at the end of the game:

I think the picture says it all. Still the reigning family champion. 

Anyone else want to challenge me at Ninjago? (But it has to be before the end of the year while we can still get in for free.)