Hodges Lake, Mormon Battalion, Farewell to Radfords

We had a fun Monday morning adventure hiking around Hodges Lake. I always get excited when we find new places to walk. Hodgee greeted us upon our arrival.

I had spotted this lake from a distance and was anxious to get up close and see the conical-shaped island.

We walked for a while on a lower trail.

Good news was we did not see any rattlesnakes!!

The trail went up, up, up.

A rusted out car was a very unexpected sight to see in the ravine. We could not figure out how it could have gotten there.

It looked like it had been there for quite a while.

As we hiked higher and higher, we got a whole different view of the lake.

This reminded me of the Grand Canyon with Glen perched on a rock on the cliff so we could get a good picture.

I liked the pattern of the water as the boat went by.

The floating house on the water caught my eye. A boat pulled up alongside the house and the boatman went inside for a short time.

It was just as I suspected--a floating porta potty!!

The lake was a beautiful sight to behold.

It was definitely worth the drive to spend some time in nature.

Glen did a wonderful job planning a full day of one-hour exit interviews with the departing missionaries at the mission office. When he does interviews there, I don't have to be nearby because there are other people in the office. I got to go shopping at the mall.

It was that time of the transfer again where we took the missionaries just finishing up their training, and their trainers, to have lunch at Tequila Factory followed by a tour at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site.

 

The missionaries love panning for gold almost as much as the grandchildren enjoy it. They also like to walk up the stairs to the look-out tower to get a good view of Old Town San Diego.

It worked out so nicely for Glen to be able to talk to missionaries at Mormon Battalion who he might be using for new leaders.

The assistants provide him with a calling list of who the new leaders will be for the new transfer and then he makes the rest of the calls (with me as his car secretary finding the numbers) as we are driving home from Mormon Battalion.

When we first got here, he used to wait until later in the evening to make the calls. We find this is a good use of our car time and it frees up his evening hours to do other things.

The new leaders joined the assistants, two sister training leaders and us the next morning for a new leadership training meeting.

A few days later we had all the departing missionaries over for the traditional roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy dinner--their last evening meal in the mission.

It was Elder and Sister Radford's last few days in the mission and they were anxious to attend the testimony meeting following dinner.

It seems so unfair that the sisters sleep upstairs in the beds and enjoy the nice bathroom with the double sinks and separate tub/toilet room. The elders sleep on the main floor--literally on the floor--and have an all-inclusive one-sink bathroom to share amongst the larger group of them.

I don't know how it happens, but no matter how large or small the number of missionaries we have going home, each time they have all been ready to leave the house by 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

We were able to get photos in front of the temple before we went in for our 8:00 a.m. endowment session.

Then it was off to the airport to bid them all a fond farewell. 

We're learning it's not usually a final good-bye. They tend to trickle back to the mission for vacation. Former Sister Abby Laing has been back twice. Hermanas Kaylene Parris and Brenna Donnelly were in the mission separately, but just happened to be at the mission office at the same time. And Hermana Danielle Dean came on vacation with her family.

We had a farewell dinner with Elder Steven and Sister Kim Radford at the Chart House in Del Mar.

We had a table right next to the open-air window which looked right out onto the beach and the ocean. 

We will miss our Radford friends. Working with them for so long tends to make us get a little attached!! We feel this way with all the missionaries and with all the missionary couples.

Quotes of the Week

We can rejoice--even shout, "Hosanna!" --that the Lord's mouthpiece, a prophet of God, is in place and that the Lord is pleased that His work is being done in the way that He has divinely prescribed.
--Gary E. Stevenson

Even if forgiveness doesn't come today, know that as we desire it and work for it, it will come.
--Larry J. Echo Hawk

Many times true winners in life are those who have been hurt and disappointed but have risen above these challenges.
--Marvin J. Ashton

Every person is different and has a different contribution ot make. No one is destined to fail.
--Henry B Eyring

Grandchildren Photos, Escondido Stake Conference, We Love This Place

Dallas's grandmother passed away so Sarah consented to tend the Golden children while Dallas and Rebecca went to the funeral.

It looks like Caroline and Jonah were happy with the arrangement!

Sarah amazed us with her get-this-many-kids-ready-for-school-by-8 a.m. skills! I trust she had the little ones leave all toy weapons at home.

Wynne looks like she's well on her way to becoming a prima ballerina.

Eli is well on his way to becoming a baseball lover like his dad.

Family fun at Lagoon for the Excell family.

What a cute little Eli Cub Scout.

It always melts my heart to see a Sunday porch photo with Jeff surrounded by his little boys.

It also always melts my heart when Sarah is surrounded by her bunch of boys.

It was breaking my heart thinking of Jeff leaving for 3 months to go back east for training for his new job. We didn't know if it would be harder on the boys to have him gone, harder on Sarah to have him gone or harder on him to be gone from his family.

Let's face it--we were all sad about it, but the inevitable was upon us and Jeff was soon gone.

It was so fun to hear about the family party held at Andy and Amanda's house. 

How sweet of Andy and Austin to take Sarah's little boys on rides around their yard. The look of pure enjoyment on the boys' faces is so cute.

I love that my brother and my nephew stepped in to do fatherly things with these little boys whose father is out of town for a while.

At the Escondido stake conference, we always get invited to have a meal with the visiting authority, the stake presidency and their wives in the high council room between meetings on Saturday.  

We went on another Monday morning walk adventure before Glen spent the rest of the day reading and answering missionaries' letters. We thought we had found a new, good trail, but it turned out to be short and we ended up walking on the street.

The short trail gave us a different view of Interstate 5 upon which we frequently drive.

We had a first trainer follow-up meeting with these trainers and their companions who have been in the mission 4 weeks. 

Former Sister Leah Patera from our mission returned to her home not too long ago sent us a photo of one of the missionaries serving in her ward in Florida.

It is Sister Gabby Todd from our home ward in Utah. I was a leader in Young Women with Gabby for many years. I was so happy they took this photo and sent it to us. Small world!!

District meetings are now called district councils. We enjoyed spending time with the Olivenhain district in their district council. I really loved the bulletin board in the room where they met.

We all can learn for ourselves about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and if Joseph Smith was a prophet and truly saw God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ in a grove of trees. We can pray to Heavenly Father to know the truthfulness of all things.

I can echo the words posted on the bulletin board because I have asked in prayer just like Joseph Smith did when he was questioning which church to join. His prayer was answered just as my prayer has been answered. I HAVE LEARNED FOR MYSELF.

This is Christ's true Church on the earth, restored through His chosen prophet, Joseph Smith. The Priesthood was restored. There is a living prophet on the earth today who receives revelation from the Lord. That brings me great comfort and peace.

We love our office couples--the Van Aarles and the Radfords. They put together a nice little feast for themselves as a farewell luncheon for the Radfords.

We love Southern California!! The ocean!! The flowers!! The palm trees!!

We love this place!!!!