September 18 - 24

Wow – this has been a really busy week!  I think it was pretty much a week of blessing Michael and going out to dinner with really good friends!

I’ll start with pictures of what we did!  

Michael's Blessing Day

 Of course, Michael’s blessing MUST come first.  He was blessed on Sunday, the 18^th.  Ron did a very nice job in his blessing and Michael didn’t make a peep until the “Amen”.  I think it was his way of agreeing with the blessing too.  After the blessing, Lynzi planned a lunch in the yard of their yard.  The only ones from our family who could be there were us and Gregg and Marthea.  Everyone else had just been here in August for our reunion and it was just too far to come and too expensive for everyone to come again.  Lynzi was a VERY good sport and made the best of the situation.  Ron’s family was there and some friends of Lynzi and Ron’s from their singles ward and also their ward.  All in all it was a really nice occasion.  The only thing that made Lynzi worry was that in the blessing, Ron blessed Michael to be an “example to his brothers and sisters.” - - - plural!  Lynzi said, “ummmmm, I don’t think so!”   I had to remind her that her son(s) and daughter(s) will marry so that will make plural.    It was fun, because she served “Grandma’s sandwiches”, so there was a little part of here there too.  Just a little thing that makes my heart warm! 

On Tuesday and Wednesday there was a Business Meeting for our Mission.  All the leadership was invited, so we went because of Terry’s new position.  Several days before the meeting, Elder Bailey asked me to give a closing prayer at some meeting, but I assumed it was just a meeting in the Library so I said, “No problem.”  We went to the meeting on Tuesday, and when one of the other Zone Leaders got up to give the opening prayer, I realized THAT was the meeting I was supposed to give the prayer in the next day!  This was a HUGE meeting – so big that it was held in the theater in the Conference Center, and so many people attended that they had to hold it 2 different days!  It was run by all the BIG WIGS in the Family History department of the Church, and they were introducing new things that are coming out by about next April.  No I’m OK with praying in small groups, or even Sacrament Meeting, but this?   Definitely stretched my confidence!  Because we had gone to the meeting on Tuesday, I was hoping that I could get out of the prayer the next day and someone else could do it for me.  It wasn’t that easy!  Elder Bailey  reminded me that the Church doesn’t do anything at the last minute and the program had already been printed.  He said to just go toward the end and be there in time for the closing prayer at the end.  So – that’s what I did.  As the last speaker finished, I started up on the stage to pray, but the man conducting the meeting stopped me because one last man was there to give some remarks at the end!  (Had I been there at the beginning of the meeting, I would have known that!)  Fortunately, at that point, I had no clue who he was so I went ahead and said my prayer and shook hands with the man conducting and the man who gave the remarks at the end.  At that point, I was told the last man who spoke was a GENERAL AUTHORITY!!!!!  I’m glad I’m so oblivious to most things that go on around me!  Had I known, I would have broken into a cold sweat, stuttered, and probably passed out on the stage!  I remember he was one of the Seventy’s but typical of me, I don’t remember who he was!  I must ask around!  

Last Tuesday we did dinner with our friends again.  We try to go out about once a month and it’s fun to get away with them.  OK – one more time, from left to right:  The Louise & Kent Goldsberry from Bountiful, Lana and Pat Fanello from Gilbert, AZ, us, and Craig and Maggie Pace from Eagle, ID.  This time we went to Market Street Grill.  It’s a wonderful restaurant.  Not cheap, but wonderful! 

Thursday we also went to dinner with old friends, or should I say friend.  Bill Lylle was a friend of ours from high school and college years.  He is my age, but knew Terry from the old 17^th ward, and we became friends while Terry was on his mission.  We went to Archibald’s restaurant at Gardner Village.  It was fun to meet his wife, Sandy, and to get to know her.  It was even more fun to be able to touch bases with an old friend.  I hope we can do it again sometime.

On Friday, AFTER we went to dinner with our Zone leadership, we had tickets for the 10:00 p.m. show of Joseph at the Hale Center Theater.  There are three words to describe the show: 

A – maze – zing!!!!!

The longer the show went on, the better it got!  I was very impressed with the costuming, sets, directing, and of course, the talent who took the parts!  I especially liked the way they started.  The narrator was singing to 4 children who were sitting on the stage.  After Joseph’s first song, they took the children back to their seats.  VERY cute – especially since the show is supposed to have a children’s chorus.  The end, during the re-mix was incredible too. 

Saturday was Brooke’s birthday.  It was hard, because I really wanted to go to Boise, but needless to say – we couldn’t.  We had to settle for a visit on the phone.  Hopefully next year we can be together for her birthday – and with a new baby!!! 

Friday we went to dinner at Market Street Broiler (a sister restaurant of Market Street Grill) with people from our zone.  In this picture are Elder & Sister Hunsaker from California, Elder & Sister Gilbert from Australia, Elder & Sister White, from California, Sister and Elder Bailey from Georgia, Barbara Baker (the paid consultant who works with missionaries) and her Husband Tom, and us.  We were saying good-bye to Elder Alan and Sister Lynda White.  The White’s are leaving the mission on Wednesday.  They have been trainers for the Apprentice program and Terry and I are taking their places.  While they have been here on their mission, Sister White (Lynda) had both knees replaced.  I know it was really hard for her, but it was hard for us too, because during our training, she was in the hospital.  Elder White (Allen) was gone a lot too because he had to help her.  Hard for us, but it was the right thing for him to do.  They are really great people, and we’ve become good friends.  It’s hard to say good-bye to people you love.  They say they will be coming back.  I hope it will be before we have to go home.  

We were able to spend Saturday afternoon with Shane, Kathy and their girls.  Kylee is singing in the Saturday afternoon session of conference so they had a practice today.  After the practice we all went to Gardner Village.  They have all their Witch things out for Halloween so it was fun to see, and fun to be there with them.  They are a cute family!

Shane, Kathy, and their girls. 

 Kylee, Kadee, and Kloee (I think those are the spellings!)

On Saturday evening Lynzi was able to get 2 tickets to the Relief Society Conference in the Conference Center.  It was a wonderful meeting!  All three Sisters in the Presidency spoke, and did a great job, but unfortunately for them, President Uchtdorf gave such a wonderful talk, no one will remember anything that was said before or after him.  His talk was as equally wonderful for men as it was for women, but all his examples were geared toward women.  Maybe sometime he will give the same talk to men and compare the 5 things to never forget to the 5 blades of an airplane propeller.  I’m guessing at some point these 5 things to remember will become something like President Hinckley’s 6 B’s. 

OK – so all in all we had a great week.  We are loving being trainers and are going through the Apprentice Manual so we can make some changes and find the things that cause tears.  We want to change those things so the new missionaries coming in will LOVE being here instead of thinking they’re stupid like I did!  I hope we can accomplish that.  If we can do that one thing – make British training a happy learning situation, we will be successful.