New AMA; Mark and Michelle Here; MP Seminar; Grandchild Pics

We attended the Murrieta Zone where Glen taught these missionaries about the rescue effort which is being implemented in that stake.

We met our new Area Medical Adviser (AMA) and his wife--Elder and Sister Burtenshaw. We also met our new nurse Sister Probst. We spent a few minutes getting to know each other. 

The Burtenshaws live in the Irvine mission and oversee 14 missions. Sister Probst lives in the Del Mar Stake and has been called as a Church Service Missionary.

I always laugh with glee whenever I see a house that is tented for termites as our house once was and then I immediately switch emotions to sorrow for the people who live there. I think about how they have had to double bag all the food in their house and in their freezer and refrigerator and then move out of their house for a couple of days as the poisonous gas permeates every nook and cranny. NOT FUN!!!

This tented house is on our street. Our house is one of the red-roofed homes right behind the for sale sign. 

The assistants have been having a good time shredding all the old paper area books that the missionary companionships have been turning in after they have gotten all the information entered into their smartphones.

They wanted me to take a picture and then promised to dispose of all the piles so we could have a neat and tidy office once again. Nice job, Elder Jordan and Elder Eddins!!!

Our three newest missionaries had their first trainer follow-up meeting.

We welcomed Mark and Michelle to our home for dinner and to spend a few nights with us at our house. I only wish we could have spent more time with them, but we were leaving town the next day.

It's a good thing I had practiced making chocolate-covered strawberries a few days earlier.

Because Mark and Michelle sure enjoyed the batch I made for them for dessert.

The next morning the carpet guy was here bright and early to get the carpet replaced in the section where the copy machine sits. He also stretched the carpet in the other two areas that were a problem.

I was glad he got in and out of here before we left for our trip so Mark and Michelle didn't have to deal with workers while we were gone.

Mark was in town to attend some optometry classes in Del Mar and we talked them into staying at our house instead of a hotel. I was sad when we figured out their visit was going to be right during our Mission Presidents' Seminar which is held twice a year. We had them come anyway so they could save money on a hotel.

Then off we went to a hotel.

Our hotel was the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Glen was able to still use his status to get us a nice room with a king bed. Last seminar we had two double beds as he hadn't checked in himself and hadn't gotten an upgrade.

As has happened our whole married life, when we are out of town Glen is always still busy working on his computer. Such was the case this time as usual.

I kept calling this our "vacation" but he kept telling me to not call it that because he still has to fit everything in that he usually does and then has the seminar on top of that.

Well, in my mind, I was on VACATION!! I liked sitting by the window and looking out at the view.

We received a gift basket full of goodies welcoming us to the seminar.

As we walked to the elevator, we caught a glimpse of the pool area. It helped with my thoughts of being on VACATION! We ate a lovely dinner that evening with our peers.

 

The next morning we made our way down to the lower level where all the ballrooms and meeting rooms were located.

I experienced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when I saw several big fans pointed at the carpet and turned on for drying purposes. 

Flashback to several weeks ago when our house was flooded and 25 similar machines were whirring and blowing in our house. NIGHTMARE!!!

We found our designated meeting room and had to search to find our names to find out where we would be sitting.

We all got a good laugh at the sign posted on the food table when we had our morning break. Glen said they apparently don't know their customer very well!

As members of the LDS Church, not only do we not drink coffee, but we would also never leave "U" out of church!!!

We were fed well as a group for lunches and dinners. These are our friends the Rasmussens from the Federal Way Mission which is soon to be dissolved. They will be changing to preside over the Seattle Mission for their last year of service.

In the mornings we went to the 18th floor to have breakfast in the M Club Lounge. We are enjoying our preferred status as long as Marriott lets us.

It will be sad to lose the status Glen earned while living at the Marriott in Minneapolis for the 2 years before our mission. Not to mention the status with Delta after all those weekly jaunts back and forth from Minnesota to Utah and back again.

Our last day there I was asked to be the pianist. See me sitting off to the right by the microphone?

Our leaders both days were Elder Patrick Kearon, Elder Scott D. Whiting and Elder John C. Pingree along with their wives. 

The second day Sister Joy D. Jones and Sister Jean B. Bingham joined our group for lunch and the afternoon session. They shared a few thoughts and their testimonies with us. 

I asked to get a picture with them to send to Abe and Klarissa as they know Sister Jones' daughter and her husband. 

I took this picture for Mark and Michelle as the Lewises preside over the Washington Yakima Mission and know each other.

This photo is of President and Sister Bekker who preside over the Hawaii Mission. Our neighbors from back home, the Cowleys, have a son who has been called to serve in their mission.

We took this picture with the Frandsens who know one of our new missionaries. They wanted to send their love to her and I told them it will be best done with a photo.

We got home from Los Angeles at dinner time which was about the time Mark and Michelle were finishing up their sight-seeing in San Diego so we got together for dinner.

It was nice to be able to spend time sharing with each other what we'd been doing for the previous couple of days. It was also nice to play Qwirkle with Mark and Michelle after dinner.

Sunday morning we went to church right around the corner. Two of our sister missionaries are in that ward and had invited us to listen to them speak in sacrament meeting. It worked out perfectly as Mark and Michelle had wanted to attend a 9 a.m. meeting so they could leave right after that for the airport.

We bid them farewell and went to another sacrament meeting. It turned out the speakers ended 10 minutes early, so Glen was asked to step in and share something with the congregation.

After the meeting, one of our former missionaries, Emilee Robinson, and her parents were there waiting to talk to us for a few minutes. They had attended another ward earlier and had come to the ward where we were to catch us after the meeting.

She said they got to our building just as the second speaker was sharing her testimony. When it was announced President Thomas would speak, she was so happy!! I actually thought it was a tender mercy for her to have a little remembrance of what it was like to hear him at the pulpit and it was nice for her parents to hear him speak.

When Sister Robinson came up to greet us, she started to cry saying she was just so happy to see us.

Hermana Nadia Terron and Hermana Brenna Donnelly, two other former missionaries were in town and we had scheduled for them to eat dinner with us.

Speaking of visitors...Abe's family was in town (back home in Utah) and it looks like Brooke was very happy to see him.

Newland, Eli and Carson appeared to be having a great time together in the backyard on the trampoline.

Wynne had a really fun time playing on the swing at the new park down the street from our home.

I loved this picture they sent of Madison with her little girl cousin Wynne. Madison's playmate is usually Lincoln. The girls are outnumbered a bit by the boys.

Here's the whole gang! I love each one of those cute little people!!

I'll end with this adorable picture of one-year-old Jonah in his whale shirt looking so happy and cute.

I thought it was a clever thank you note. And on that note, I'll thank any of you who read all the way to the end of this post.