Quotes of the Week

Marriage is a gift from God to us; the quality of our marriages is a gift from us to Him.
--L. Whitney Clayton

My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions--every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind number addictions.
--Russell M. Nelson

You may feel that your life is in ruins. But just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the world, He will find you.
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Quotes of the Week

The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue--it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.
--Jeffrey R. Holland

You have not failed until you have quit trying.
--Gordon B. Hinckley

So much of our life depends on our attitude. The way we chose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference.
--Thomas S. Monson

Quotes of the Week

A casual, infrequent exposure to scriptures will generally not open the door to the whistperings of the Spirit.
--Merrill J. Bateman

If you have faith that the Lord leads His Church through revelation to those imperfect servants He calls, the Lord will open the windows of heaven tothem, as He will to you.
--Henry B. Eyring

As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in the lives of others, whether they be our own family members or friends, our co-workers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers.
--Thomas S. Monson

Sunday Coastal Highway Drive, Training Meetings, Technology Skype Meeting

Two Sundays ago we were asked to join the Del Mar stake for their new member meeting held right before the multi-stake conference broadcast. Glen spoke at the meeting and then we stayed at that building to watch the broadcast. 

It made my day when Glen decided to take the scenic route home along the coastal highway.

Now THIS is what I call a Sunday drive!!!!

It was a very warm day. I guess we were experiencing January thaw.

Sunday evening we drove up to Temecula to join in with the Butterfield Stage Ward's youth fireside on missionary work. Glen had been asked to speak with the youth for a few minutes before they went off to be taught by the missionaries on how to teach the restoration lesson. 

Then they were paired up and sent off with an adult to various members' homes so they could teach the lesson to a family. Once back at the church, they each shared their feelings with the group about the experience. It was a really great activity. 

We took our Monday morning walk around Oceanside Harbor. The sea lions were especially lively and giving us a good show.

That was the day I went to the foot doctor as reported in a previous blog post.

The good part about going to the foot doctor was as we drove by the strawberry patch, I noticed a sign saying it is open. Glen made a U turn as quickly as possible. The strawberry season has begun and that makes Glen very happy!! He spent the rest of the day reading and answering the missionaries' letters.

On Tuesday we had a training meeting with the group of missionaries who have been here for 8 weeks. They role play teaching lessons to the trainers. Evaluate. Repeat. Switch places. Teach. Evaluate. Repeat. And so it goes through 8 rotations. They get a lot of practice!

We have such wonderful missionaries!! We were feeling especially happy this particular day as we had a missionary return back to the mission. It was early on in our mission when the missionary went home early. The missionary is eager and ready to serve! 

Right after the trainer follow-up meeting, we had a technology follow-up Skype meeting with the assistants, Elder Radford and our technology expert missionaries.

We were able to get in a very quick dinner before Glen's counselors were at the church ready to have a mission presidency meeting. President Burgon and his wife have been called to serve as temple missionaries in Nauvoo, so Glen needs to find a new counselor.

The next day we were back at the mission office building doing training with the missionaries who have been here 4 weeks. 

The Kopenhefers joined us for that training. They have been enjoying seeing what goes on in all the meetings we have with the missionaries. They have been going out and working with the missionaries the past few weeks.

Glen went out and worked with the zone leaders of the Carlsbad zone that evening.

The next morning we had an office staff meeting. Glen and the assistants were busy all afternoon doing transfer planning, so I took the car and went to the mall.

I was getting a kick out of the children's play area with a beach theme to it--complete with a cylindrical fish aquarium.

I wasn't having much success in finding any clothes--not that I need any, but it's always fun to find something new. I did have great success in finding a black and a white slip, which I very much needed. Hurrah for me!!

Even though we have a mall about a mile away from our house, I have only gone there twice. Neither of those times did I walk through the mall. I just stayed in one or two stores. This time I was determined I was going to see the entire mall.

This is proof I met my goal.

 I saw this wall mural on the last part of my walk. I would have missed it if I had not met my goal.

Quotes of the Week

No failure ever need be final.
--Thomas S. Monson

If you have stepped off the path, may I invite you with all the hope in my heart to please come back...whatever our challenges, whatever your concerns, there is a place for you in the church.
--Russell M. Nelson

Believe in yourselves. Believe that you are never alone. Believe that  you will always be guided.
--Elaine S. Dalton

Believe in yourself. Believe in your abilities to do great things.
--Gordon B. Hinckley

MP Interview Week, Surprise Visitors--Ray and Maurine

Sarah sent us a photo of the amount of snow that had fallen at our house back in Utah. I countered back by sending her a photo of what our "winter" looks like.

Our hiking adventure for the week was in Escondido. It turned out we were walking up in the hills all by ourselves.

We didn't climb 63 flights like the other hike, but it was maybe half that and we had a good view of the surrounding land when we got to the top.

It was a bit disconcerting to see this weather warning on my phone. We don't live too far from the ocean... Thankfully, nothing came of it!!

We spent the week in different areas of the mission so Glen could interview each one of the missionaries. We started in Temecula where he interviewed 25 missionaries.

While Glen was interviewing, I was reviewing dress and grooming standards with each companionship. We ate our sack lunch as we traveled to Murrieta to spend the afternoon interviewing 18 missionaries.

The second interview day we did 20 interviews in Carlsbad and then traveled to Del Mar to interview 19 missionaries.

While there, an elder presented a plate of burnt cookies to Glen as he had remembered I had mentioned the fact in the Christmas video that Glen loves burnt cookies.

Glen was so touched by the fact that the elder would make burnt cookies for him. I asked the elder if he had made them specifically that way for Glen. The answer was no. He had burnt the cookies and THEN remembered his mission president's love of burnt cookies.

I still say it's the thought that counts!!

The third day we were in Escondido the whole day interviewing 32 missionaries while I continued to review dress and grooming standards with each companionship.

The fourth and last day of interviews was held at the mission office. There were 33 missionaries to be interviewed that day. I was exhausted by the time the week was over. Glen is used to working that hard talking with every single missionary. 

I don't plan something specific for me to talk to them about every interview cycle. Sometimes I give myself a break and just chat with them.

Glen's sister Maurine called at the end of that week. As they were talking together, Glen casually asked when she was going to come visit us. She responded, "Well we're here now." WHAT?!?! 

Sure enough, Maurine and Ray had been invited to join in with their friends on a stay at a time share in Southern California. They jumped all over that invitation! And we got the benefit of the great deal as well since they weren't staying too far from where we live.

Turns out their friends are Keith and Cheryl Allred who live in my Dad and Mom's ward in South Ogden. I got a chuckle out of Keith opening up his LDS Tools app to show me my Dad and Mom's name to prove they live in the same ward.

We had a few free hours on Saturday afternoon to go to lunch with them. We took them to our favorite rib restaurant--Coyote Grill in Carlsbad Village. They raved and raved over the delicious ribs.

Maurine wanted a photo taken by the little palm tree in our front yard. She was enjoying the sunny, warm weather here.

We were so happy to see them before we headed off to a baptism in Escondido.