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Pictures

Saturday July 5

Saturday, July 6 We got to go to the Temple today. I sure miss our weekly trips. This has only been our third time since we've been here. The flowers were beautiful. It's hydrangea time up here and I took a picture of a beautiful one at the Temple, but also a blue one here in University Place. We are taking care of the other office couple's fish and garden while they are on vacation and this is a bush by their home. I just see hydrangeas in pots at home, if you are lucky to get them to grow. But up here they are huge bushes and mostly blue. Mary Crockett taught me that this means a base soil, red means acid soil. I remember something about that in chemistry class. Enjoy the pictures. I have been enjoying text pictures from the kids in McCall. They are having a great time. It seems to be our whole family's favorite place, even with the oven and refrigerator not working. I have a remodeling project when we get home. I hear it's been hot down in Idaho. Well, poor Seattle area got hit too. We had a couple of days when the fans were going 24/7 and it really didn't cut it. Luckily we have four fans here in the apartment, but you couldn't buy a fan in town to save you. It was 95 one day and that was a record setter. The office is air conditioned and we almost went there to sleep. It's cooled off again, so we are happy. We have been getting ready this week for transfers on Tuesday. We are only getting 16 new missionaries. That's like half. It will be an easier day. We will get all settled and then on Thursday we head home for McKay's farewell. We are so anxious to see everyone and enjoy wonderful Nampa. It looks better every day. The President gave his approval today and told us to enjoy. Even a 9 hour drive sounds good. Monday night we had dinner with the other MLS couple and four elders. We had fried chicken and apple pie al-la-mode - good American food (one elder is from Australia). It was a fun night. We were saying good bye to our "Donny Osmond" elder. We will miss his wonderful singing voice. It's really fun being around these young missionaries. They have a wonderful spirit about them. Had a visit from the senior couple in the new Federal Way Mission. I'm now counting myself blessed as they are having such a hard time because nothing is set up to work. I actually was able to give her some helpful tips and she was grateful. All of this was set up for me - just because it took me forever to figure it out was my fault. I hope things get better for them. I've had a call from her and she seems to be getting for information an help. Hope you all had a great 4th of July. We went to see The Lone Ranger movie with three other senior couples and then had a bar-b-que. I actually made them Winger Salad. It was a nice day. We watched the McCall fireworks with the kids on their cell phone and New York's on TV. Very relaxing. We weren't quite sure where to go up here, but we heard it all until about 12:30 a.m. Friday it was back to the office with the highlite taking 4 missionaries to lunch. Two will be transferred and they are some of our favorites, so it was another farewell party. All these good bye are very hard. The only one I'm looking forward to is my own. I'm just like Dorothy, "There's no place like home." Well, looking forward to seeing many of you this Friday. Senior missionaries are truly blessed to have this kind of opportunity and we are blessed to be this close to drive. Love to all.

Sunday, June 30 Remember Bro. Oaks' talk "Good, Better, Best"? Well we had that this week. The Mission was "good" as we were able to finalize the transfer of 30 elders and sisters to the new Federal Way Mission. Now all that's left is to send on their mail as it trickles in. We said our good byes at a Fireside last Sunday night. They are great young people and will do well wherever they are, but we will miss seeing them and hearing about their accomplishments. The "better" started as Connie, Lindsay and children met us Friday night in Leavenworth, that little Bavarian town a few hours north of us. We so enjoyed seeing them and seeing how the little ones had grown. We could walk around the town that is situated in a beautiful valley with gorgeous mountains all around. We ate great German food, brats, pretzels, apple strudel, spetzala, snitzel; and walked the cute shops. The kids swam in the hotel pool and we just talked and relaxed. (I'll post some pictures.) We made it back in time for the Church Missionary Broadcast and then on to the Fireside. It was fun to have the missionaries meet the girls we had talked so much about. Monday started with us going to the office and the kids beginning their exploration of Tacoma area. They found some not so good areas of Tacoma, but made it to the Mall. As the week progressed they went to Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, Vashon Island and a ferry ride, Point Defiance and the beach where Alison and Camden caught crabs. They enjoyed the seafood and also fun visits like Katie Rowe Wilson stopped by and Connie's old college roommate who lives up by Seattle came down for a picnic at a park. They were like teenagers talking and laughing it up again. Old friendships are the "best." We were able to have lunches with them and evenings, so all was great. The highlight came on Saturday when we drove them up to Mt. Rainier and hiked some of the trails. They loved the rivers, bridges, waterfalls and even slipped and slid in the snow still in the meadows of the mountain. Even though they know all about mountains, growing up in Idaho, they still were awed by Mt. Rainier. It truly is the jewel of Tacoma. Sunday morning they took off for their 10 hour drive to McCall. Keven flew in to Boise and was meeting them up there. All the kids will meet in McCall during the next two weeks. I told them to send me pictures of all they do. Alison was worried it would make me sad, but I said it would keep me happy seeing them enjoying our favorite place. Family is truly the "BEST." I'll post some pictures of our adventures. Hope you all have a happy 4th of July. We celebrated an early birthday for our 4th of July, all American baby girl - Connie. Another month down - who's counting? Love, Carolyn

Thursday, June 20 I just had to record the feelings we had after our Mission Tour with Elder and Sister Pieper of the Seventy. We were able to have dinner with them and then he taught the missionaries for two days. We went today and he and his wife are marvelous people. They spent five years in Kazakhstan with his work. Found out where Kazakhstan is - east of the Caspian Sea, north of Afghanistan,south of Russia,and west of China. It's very large, with a population of 13 million. Their oldest son left there on his mission to Moscow. She said that the Lord's Plan is so much better than what we think ours is. Over there she was amazed to find that you can be an answer to someone's prayers and they had many missionary experiences. Elder Pieper gave us 5 hours of instruction - mainly for the young missionaries. He said he was a General Authority, not a specific authority. Here are some of his highlights for me: You don't need confidence in yourself, you just need confidence in Jesus Christ and expect to see miracles every day. His theme was Learn by Faith. We are all disciples first. He told the missionaries he was going to move them to help them be what they could be and to show them how to enjoy every day. I really need to focus on that one. Our big thrill of the other focus in our life was watching the trek of Connie, Lindsay and children from Texas and Oklahoma - ending in Washington tomorrow. All went well until Wendell when the timing belt went out and they were stranded. Peter Castagneto came to their rescue and they finally made it to Nampa. As soon as the car is repaired they will head for Washington and next week you will have a great saga of their adventures here. My favorite story of the trip was when they arrived in Nampa and Camden ran into our home and looked around and said, "Where are they?" Lindsay told him he had two more states to go. I was so touched. Of course they had me in tears as they stopped in Tremonton at Mother and Daddy's graves where Trevor sang "Jesus, Savior, Pilot me" to Grandpa Ned and sent me pictures of their visit. You never stop missing those loved ones. I'm posting two pictures. One is of a lily plant right outside our apartment. Everything grows here; and the other is at the office dinner party for Elder and Sister Pieper. President and Sister Weaver are sitting next to them.