Well, we are back to Sunday night again. I don't know where the last 10 days have gone. They have just been busy. And we have been tired. I guess that is why people retire at 65--they can't stand sitting at the office from 8 to 5 everyday. But I guess we have come out of retirement because that is what we are doing.

Our Zone Conference on the 9th was cancelled because of weather. The president did not want us driving for 3 1/2 hours to get there on the bad roads. We were grateful that he cancelled it because all of the missionaries are really spread out in that area and thinking of all those young men and girls on the road at 6 am in the snow was scary. I worry about them the same as I did my own kids. I remember all the drives to Snow College and to USU in the snow and you would have to call me when you got there.

We did have conferences on the 10th and 11th. One drive is about 45 minutes away and the other about 20 minutes. Zone conference is always great. The kids coming together is always fun to see. The guys are giving hugs to the guys and the sisters just hug and hug each other. I think that is about the hardest thing for me. Not hugging those Elders. I can hug the sisters and I really would like to give some of those guys a hug, but rules say it is a no-no.

Conference was good too because we had a special Christmas program. One of the senior couples is from American Fork and interestingly enough he has a group that play at the MAC (Murray Arts Center) where we have gone dancing the last few years. Yes, we have even danced to his band! Well, he arranged the program and it was very nice.

This is a pic of Sister Maxfield. We were excited when we got here to meet her. Dad coached her older brother in tennis at Brighton. And another brother I believe. And we know her parents. She is Nanette and Vern's niece. It was fun to tell her that her uncle was my brother, Vern. She is going home in a couple of days. She is the most pleasant Sister around. She always has a smile on her face. She was in one of the quartets of sisters who sang a couple of songs. Beautiful. Dad is trying to put it on the blog. The song is Pie Jesu by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Each time Dad heard it he was in tears and asking me for a tissue! He has a hard time with beautiful songs.

We had to pick up Elders in two places who were on the program and take them with us and then take them back to their places. Arranging all these things and these trips is crazy!

After two conferences, Saturday was here. Yea! And I have a new friend. She is Sister Stutz and they are from Highland. She and her husband work in the employment office, so their mission is really different from others. I have decided that all seniors have completely different kinds of missions. More about them later. But every week in RS and Priesthood, one of the announcements is about employment. Does anyone need a job? and do you know of any jobs out there? And people report on what they know. So the jobs are fed into the LDS employment office and the Stutz and several others try and find jobs for people. They give training in writing resumes and how to apply, etc. Then when the missionaries are leaving they give them a short class is returning home and looking for jobs.

Anyway, Sister Stutz is filling a void in my life. I just love her. She is fun and we call each other by our real names. Anyway, we went shopping. I had never been to the Independence Mall, but it is huge. You walk in and in the center is a huge area that is open and you look down to the next level and see this........

Yes, a real live carousel. It is huge. And then big play areas with all sorts of animals to climb on and things to ride.

We couldn't find the store we were looking for so had to call them and ask where in the mall they were. Turned out you had to go out of the mall and they were outside the mall. It was Coldwater Creek and Carole had never been there. I had ordered a skirt out of a catalog before I left for the mission and when I got it, it was not really the color I had anticipated. So I was looking for something to go with it. Then it was back inside the mall and we saw Christopher and Banks, so we had to go in there. We both ended up buying two items in each store. But what a deal! I had a 30% coupon for CWC and C&B was 2 for the price of one! We made out like bandits. It was a fun little shopping experience. She hates to shop as much as I do so it did turn out to be fun! Just the company.

This next pic is just an idea for Primary workers. We were in one of the wards and out in the hall outside the Primary room were pics of all the kids. This one was pics of each class inside like a building and the doors opened up... Get it?



This was another pic of individual kids. I thought how fun for those kids to see their pic on the wall each week as they go to Primary.

This last week we had to take the long trip down south on Wednesday, so we left at 2pm on Tuesday and picked up one elder about 45 minutes away and he was so sweet. He was from Twin Falls and comes from a family of 12 kids. So good to talk to him. Elder Dodds was his name. Then about 75 miles from there we picked up two more Elders. These three were 3/4 of the male quartet. Lots of talent, these young kids. There was a piano solo, an organ solo, a piano duet with an elder and a sister. They were good. And others also. We got back on Wednesday at 6:30 pm, so no office duty that day!

This week was fun too because we received some packages. A delightful calendar that I believe Janae put together, but all of you contributed pics to. Thank you. It is so great! There are four pics on every page, so it is fun to see more pics of all of you. You just don't realize how much we miss seeing you and that calendar will take care of a little of our longings. Also, our little tree received some decorations from Eryn, Silver and Matt. Can you see the large star at the top? And the little gingerbread men and light ornaments? Even one with a pic of Silver on it. They must have used a can of cinnamon in them, because they sure smell good! Thank you. Our tree looks much better. And also another decoration that I will show you next time with a pic. Another package from Linde and Fred with turtles that we love only made with macademia nuts instead of pecans. Have to admit they are the best and much better than what we have loved for years. And a package from the Waltons. We have opened only two of six gifts. The first was a box of orange sticks. Gosh, why do we love those sweet things so much! And then two magnets for the frig with pictures of Izaak and the twins, Ben and Mason, on them. I guess the boys taped all the packages up and you have never seen so much tape on a little gift. We have to use a knife to get them opened. It is fun to open them and think of those little fingers taping them up so well. You are all adding things to our little place that make up happy and make things look so much better. Oh, and the art work on the wall is from Ben and Mason.

This was Saturday, yesterday at home. Thank you Erin for your suggestion to Mod Podge my leaves. You can see my leaves still hanging from the chandalier and it was time to put them away. But I couldn't bear to throw them out. So I got some MP and put it on each side and they are preserved! They are almost bendable. I think it is great. I am also hoping to make a quilt.

That muslin with blue painters tape around it on the clip board is the beginning. I am going to have kids sign it when they leave and then when I get home I will put it all together and call it our missionary quilt. I was on the phone about 3 or 4 times with Linda to find out how to do it. Thanks. I think it is going to work. Now it will be collecting the names of kids.

Oh, I forgot I had another pic here of the tree. This is the one showing the cinnamon decorations. You can see them better in this pic. It smells good in here!

Last night we went to dinner with the Stutz's and then over to their apartment to play Mormon Bridge and Mexican Train. We had an enjoyable evening. Dad has been playing racquet ball with him each Saturday for the last three weeks. They play pretty hard. But both seem to enjoy it.

Had a wonderful musical program at church today. Gosh, there is a lot of beautiful Christmas music. Tomorrow is a new week and a big one already. We have 20 missionaries arriving tomorrow at 1:30, transfers on Tuesday, and 18 missionaries leaving on Wednesday. They will be happy and sad days, lots of interruptions and not getting a lot of our work done, but just more days in the life of the mission.

ALL IS WELL Mom and Dad, Doug and Shauna, Grandma and Grandpa, Elder and Sister (I guess that is all we are!) Loves and hugs and kisses.