Mormon Battalion, Crock Pots Galore, Flower Fields Being Planted, Beach Walk

The weather has cooled down a bit--and Glen has been feeling it in the house. He has pulled out his space heater and turned himself to the heat source while he sits for hours and hours and hours on Mondays working on his letters from the missionaries.

We had another trip to Tequila Factory with the missionaries and their trainers completing their first 12 weeks of training. The missionaries love this outing!!

The mail shelves in the mission office are beginning to look a lot like Christmas... 

And then with our big push to have the missionaries feed themselves during the week to preserve sacred finding time of 5:00-7:00, Sister Van Aarle, our housing coordinator, has been working hard to provide a crock pot for each missionary companionship. 

There are crock pots EVERYWHERE!!

Every quarter we have our Mission Leadership Council (MLC) with the district leaders invited to join the zone leaders and sister training leaders.
Former Elder Nathan Taylor and his parents stopped by for a visit. He was anxious to go surfing the next day. We walked along the beach that next day and it was a high wave warning. Looked scary for a novice to be out in those waves.

Once I got the Christmas decorations up and we attended the Christmas concert in Del Mar, it's beginning to feel a lot more like the Christmas season.

I had to laugh when Sarah sent this picture of Jonah shortly after they returned home from visiting us. She let me know she's back to real life dealing with the antics of her little boys.

I can't get enough photos of Ben's new little baby. Since we haven't met him in person yet, I'll just keep enjoying this sweet face via still shots of him. Ben, Haley and Kade are now on the calendar for a visit in March. Hurrah!!

Caroline and Madison sure look happy to be spending some time holding their baby cousin.

Our next door neighbors, Jim and Jackie Stewart, have moved away. We were sad to see them go after we'd gotten to know them. We think their for sale sign looks very festive. They tried to convince us to buy their business and buy their house. Tempting, but no. 

We took a walk one morning along the Flower Fields. They are in the process of planting. Some of the fields already have green shooting up.   

Another Monday we went to walk along the beach and literally did just that.

Usually we walk on the sidewalk near the beach.

This day we went right down to the water's edge to walk in the sand on the beach.

This is the closest we are going to come to getting in the ocean.

We sure love this place where we live! We continually pinch ourselves that we are so lucky and blessed to be assigned to this mission.

There is beauty all around. Continually. It is truly another day in paradise each and every day of the year.

Jacob sent a photo with snow on the ground in Omaha. Rebecca sent a photo with snow on the ground in Utah.

I walked outside (without a jacket on) and took this photo of palm trees and blue skies. So divine!!