Our Mission Call Has Arrived!

As Glen and I were doing our usual chatting it up on FaceTime Monday evening, December 7th, I noticed a new email show up in my inbox with this subject line: Mission President Assignment Letter. That caught my attention! This is some of the information included in that email.

The next day I heard a delivery truck stop in front of our house and heard a knock at the door. I looked out the window and what did I see...?

The time had finally arrived for us to learn in what part of the world we will be serving for 3 years. But wait!! I was all alone. Glen was in Minnesota for the week. Ben and Haley were on their honeymoon all week. And our children had instructed us that we all had to be together for the opening of the mission call--just like how it was when the boys were opening their mission calls.

I informed the family our call had arrived and that I'd put it under the Christmas tree and we would open it on Christmas. (Haha!)

The honeymooners arrived safely home from Florida a day later than planned since they had missed their flight due to TSA taking forever to move them along in the security line. I was happy to see them and enjoyed watching them open up their stash of wedding gifts and cards.

Ben and Haley are living here until it is time for Ben's new job with Amazon to begin. They were thrilled to learn they got their first choice pick of Kent, Washington, and will move there once Ben's 7-week training course in California is completed. This all begins the second week in January.

I just love looking at the house all decorated for Christmas. One particular day something caught my eye.

Enough already with the waiting!!! It was time to find out where in the world we are going to be living come July 1, 2016!!

Sunday evening we gathered the group together with Jacob's family tuning in on FaceTime from Houston and Abe's family watching and listening from San Francisco.

 

 

Glen was totally shocked to read in the letter that the current mission president is someone he knows. The Kendricks used to live in Georgia. Hal and Glen worked together when Hal was in the stake YM presidency and Glen was the high councilman over the stake YM. Small world!!

We have both spent time on the phone talking individually with President and Sister Kendrick. One of the things she commented on was how beautiful the weather is in Carlsbad, California.

After getting such a major dump-on of snow earlier this week, her mission weather report made me awfully happy!!

Ben and Haley Got MARRIED!!!

It was a surprise to me when Ben insisted we set up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving night. Glen and I were happy to have help, so we jumped right in on the plan.

Ben and Haley were getting married soon and they seemed anxious to have everything nice for their first Christmas together as a soon-to-be-married couple.

Haley worked like a champ to get the wedding plans in place and then the guests started arriving in town for the December 5th wedding. Abe was our first guest to arrive. He had flown in from a work trip in Florida.

Laurie flew in a few days early to be here for Haley's bridal shower. Jacob got here the morning of the wedding. I was happy to have a play day with Laurie before the shower. We went to the Festival of Trees. 

Laurie insisted I stand by the Mexican-themed tree to get me ready for my Spanish-speaking mission.

Laurie and I probably enjoyed the gingerbread houses even more than the trees. This house was made by a friend of Rebecca's.

This lovely three-house ensemble was made by my friend Becky Hanson. It symbolizes the struggles her little grandson has endured this past year as he's been dealing with a brain tumor.

Time for the bridal shower. Sarah hosted it at her house with Rebecca, Laurie and me as her able assistants.

We were so happy we had such a great turn-out of people attending the shower.

Meanwhile, back at home, Klarissa had arrived in town with Newland and Wynne. Her sister Mariah picked her up at the airport.

Wedding day found these cute little boys playing Legos together at our house.

The little boy cousins gathered together once again to play for a while at This Is the Place Heritage Park where the wedding festivities were being held.

 Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Thomas.

 

My favorite Jeff moment of the evening--and I didn't even know it was going on until I saw the following two photos.

Ben's buddies showing him some love.

 

 

We so much appreciated the efforts our family members from out of town made to be here for the big event. (We did miss Jacob's children a lot!)

Thanks to everyone who took pictures and shared them with me. CONGRATULATIONS Ben and Haley on your wedding!!!!