Here we go again. We are in a motel in Wichita getting ready for Zone Conference tomorrow at 7am. The Bouy's are with us this time since he has to hand out new phones and she has to see some sick "children" as she calls them. The nursing job is turning into one of the biggest jobs around. Me, well, I just came along for the ride!

All of the Zone Leaders and District Leaders were in the office yesterday after their morning of meetings at the mission home. We have started a picture wall in our little corner and have been putting pics of the missionaries who have come into the mission since we got here. It really helps us learn their names and the Elders and Sisters seem to enjoy it too. Well, Elders Benson and Clayson could not find their pic on our wall since they arrived before we did, so I took this pic of them and it will be on the wall next time they come in. Elder Clayson is from American Fork and he has challenged Dad in a racketball game. His dad is a champion player and has told him not to let the family name get tarnished! I will let you know what happens. Elder Clayson had dinner at our apartment one night and he reminds us so much of Brett that it is crazy.

This is Elder Zipf just off the bus. This is for his Mom. She has looked in on our blog a few times. We became quite endeared to Elder Zipf when we found that he was not writing his Mom as often as he should! Just kidding, but it has been fun to keep our eye out for him and visit with him at conferences.

Last Saturday I went with two other seniors to the Powell Gardens. It is 915 acres of gardens, some still undeveloped, but we spent nearly 5 hours there just wandering. This is the hot house where this orange tree is growing. There were banana trees, lime tree, tangerine tree,

and, you guessed it, a pineapple plant.

This is an apple tree that they are training along wires like you do grapes. Could not believe that an apple tree could grow along aa wire. And they were all over.

In this pic we rode an elevator to the top of an open silo. We could have climbed the stairs to the top! This is overlooking the harvest gardens. Looks like a quilt doesn't it! That is what they are trying to duplicate.

Here are closeups of the individual quilt blocks. It is so beautiful. Different colors of greens and whatever is in season, they give you a taste. We had two kinds of lettuce and some baby carrots.

Another small quilt block. Parsley, beets, lettuces, nasturshem (I know it is not spelled like that), carrots, strawberries, peas, beans, broccoli, (I can't spell tonight), etc., etc., etc.

There is this mostly glass chapel. There was a wedding going on just as we walked up to it. The bride and groom walked out into the rain for pictures.

This is the Living Wall and it goes on and on and on. It is beautiful.

There is a hummingbird sort of garden. Look at that! Oranges cut in half and on the hummingbird hangers. Hummingbirds there too.

I don't know how Elder Zipf jumped in again. Whoops! He was not at the Garden with us!

This is a ball made out of grapevines and then they have put plants in side and outside it. It looked cool and will bloom some day soon.

This pic is by Dad as we walked out of the VC fireside on Sunday evening. It was absolutely beautiful. Partly because it had been raining most of the day on Saturday! That is the stake center up the street from the VC where we are and then further up the hill is the mission office where we spend our time.

This was Monday night. We were invited along with the AP's to the Cook's house for dinner. Brother Cook is the ward mission leader and they had a wonderful dinner and it was also the AP's birthdays this week. Elder Hedger on Sunday and Elder Glenn the following Thursday, tomorrow. They are both 21. Get it!

These are the Cook children. I could not get a clear pic of them. They were on the move! Evan is the eldest and then Lillian and Sydney. Oh, I could not get enough holding and snuggling those little girls. They are all so sweet.

Bye now.