October 19, 2013 The week started rather slowly but ended with a bang starting Thursday. We had to go to the airport to pick up an elder who had to fly to Las Vegas to meet with the Mexican Consulate for his visa. All they did was take a finger print and picture and he flew back. Don't know why he couldn't do it in Seattle, but to Vegas he went. Driving on these roads up here scare me to death and going to the airport is the worse. We survived and got the elder back to his apartment. It was a long and strange day for him. All week seemed to be preparing for missionary apartments inspections. Jerry had assigned all the senior couples areas and given them instructions of what to do and so off everyone went on Friday. We started at 8:00 and finished at 2:00. It was an interesting day. I will post some pictures from the apartments so you get a feel of where and how the missionaries live. These are the apartments Jerry has worked so hard finding and furnishing. The first elders' oven was a total mess. They didn't even know it as they said they had never opened it up. It happened to be a self cleaning oven and so Jerry turned it on for them and started it cleaning. Their frig was filled to capacity though which was different from one sisters' apartment. We opened their frig to check it and they had one jar of pickles and one jar of grape jelly in it. That was all. We asked what they ate and they said that the members fed them. I asked what about breakfast and they said they just ate whatever. We took all the missionaries we visited cereal, fruit, bread - things for breakfast and then some cleaning supplies. I think we should have taken the cleaning supplies first. Breakfast items were a good choice, they need to eat breakfast. They have an interesting way of thinking what is clean. It was an interesting day, but so fun to visit with the missionaries in their home quarters. The inside pictures of how one ward tried to make the apartment so homey by putting up rub on signs. It was really cute and I'm sure made the sisters feel welcome. We finished just after lunch time and so the last apartment go to go to lunch. We'd better not tell the others that we went to lunch. However, they are so busy with appointments and lessons. They are very good and obedient hard working missionaries. Next week starts with the next new senior couples arriving - one for Member Leadership Support and one for the office. The turn over has started. Saturday was a fun and relaxing day. We've had tons of fog and so driving anywhere is a mess. We went up to the Tacoma Dome. We've always just driven by it, never gone to it and they were having a Christmas Gift Show. You know me and crafts. Well we went with Elder and Sister Trotter and the rest of the Northwest. It's suppose to be the biggest craft show in the Northwest. Well the traffic was backed up on the interstate to get to it. Luckily we went through town. It was huge and crowded but we enjoyed it. I will post some pictures. Jerry enjoyed it at the food court. Greg and Kyle called a number of times asking where items in the basement went. They went over to put things away after the GREAT FLOOD. I really owe them, but then I remembered child birth. They said I might never find things again, but I'll be grateful just to have things put away and back out of the middle of the family room floor. They are good sons to do something that would have been second nature to their sisters, but they did it anyway. Well I'll end with the count down - 23 days, 3 weekends, 4 Mondays, one transfer. Love, Carolyn and Jerry