A week in the life of a Senior Couple

It was a relatively quiet normal week.

Except for a daughter and family in the path of last week tornado's

 Plus others experiencing...

accidents, illness, snow...

But the Lord is in control and many many miracles have been experienced.

There is a great need for our family to express gratitude.

 There is a war in Afghanistan.

But life must happen.

Joe looks right at home.

  Tawny and Ceilidha are not well...

Our prayers are with them.

We are so grateful for a family who can depend on the Lord for strength guidance direction 

AND

PEACE.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Preparation day...

 Elder White singing a rap song for missionaries...

Elder Wood (above)and Brown (below) are making the rhythmic sounds with their mouths hand and legs.

A new hair cut...

 Elder Bennett.

Picnic in the office...

 Sister Kaaa and Fernandez.

Anything goes for Preparation day...

 He is very self conscious about his attire...

most guys don't care.

(Elder Jensen)

Elder Fox and Fielding...

Elder Fielding says...

Hi mom.

(his mom Amy Heaton Fielding grew up with our girls.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We can see anything while driving around.

Some of it we can't look let a lone take pictures of it.

 Extermination is the game here.

Not Micky.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Elder Steinman (Blake) came back to visit...

with a 'prospective' wife.

 Haily has not said yes yet,

She has set her mission call to the Ukraine aside...

taken an extension till she decides.

She is smart and will make the right decision.

Elder Wood and Shelley.

 Where is our area? (mission maps on google)

 They are disputing their area boundaries.  They have been tracting out side their area..

oops.

The sisters had a training meeting at the church then lunch at the Mission Home.

 President and Sister Hall invited the 'Senior Sisters to the lunch'

They have such a sincere interest and concern for the sisters.

They are an amazing couple.

('Davis, Jensen Perry, Lovejoy, Villalobos, Allen, Raney, Peterson, Christensen, Higginson, Millyard, Kaaa,  Walborn, Ried, Worwood, Fernandex
 Durr,Gervais, Holladay,Homer, Sister James, Sister Hall, and President Hall Sister Campbell, Messer, Miller)

What was left over from last weeks tornado's.

 We got a sprinkle through the night.

Elder Capps left a file...

 I actually clicked on it...

I clicked on each of the following messages separately till...

Don't go any further 

It's a trap

I warned you

Just kidding

...but seriously stop

Why do you persist

It's hopeless

Gaaaaahhh

That's it...I'm sick of this

Please stop

Fine

Ghost of Doxey...

Good to see the kid again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Stan and I went to the temple Saturday morning.

Peace.

Then on the way home we got a phone call...

Sisters Raney and Perry couldn't start their car.

Their battery was dead and all the other missionaries were at the National Service Day project.

So we gathered up a bike to deliver out on the coast and headed to Cocoa.

 They are the Rockledge sisters...

 and dead car.

 Of course Elder Campbell to the rescue...

We took a battery booster that got the car started.

We had quite a wait for the car to be fixed so we had lunch.

Our waitress

at a locally family owned restaurant.

'Old Fish House'

The LDS family who owns the restaurant..

They are from Scandinavia.

 All missionaries get 50% off.

 Sister Raney and Perry and our Hero.

From there we went to the Palm Bay Elders

Still on the coast.

 Elder Campbell delivered a now repaired bike to Elder Folkerson.

Elder Kimpel...

 This looks like something Joe would do...

 Elder Folkerson and Kimpel

One more deed for our hero.

The last license plate to be delivered for one of the new cars.

 Front seat Elders Casayuran and Snyder

 back seat-Elders Hunting and Grant (Spanish)

While traveling to Rockledge and Sister Raney and Perry..
Sisters Reid and Worwood called to say their battery was dead.
They were able to find someone to jump their car so they could drive it in and get it fixed.

We went through so many love bugs...

Stan said they were three deep...

Then he said..

wait there are two hooked together...

they are four deep.

(we couldn't see out the windshield)

He took the car through a car wash and he vacuumed it-- after we got home...

Then he took the garbage out and folded the clothes.

Yes he is certainly the hero of the day.

This week was also the Royal Wedding.
I am a succor for 'Princess' weddings.
So I bypassed exercise and personal scripture time (I did it later)
To watch...
It was amazing.
There was so much said about having a family centered on the Lord.
There was a choir that sang beautiful hymns and praised the Lord.
It was magnificent.
BUT THEN...
The Archbishop of Canterburry performing the ceremony said...
'Till Death do ye part'
It hit me in the stomach so hard.
The temple ceremony is so simple...
BUT
Done with the Authority from God
There we are sealed together for 'Time' AND 'Eternity'
Yes it was fun to watch
yet in the end the Lord has given us the way.
We are do blessed as a family to have this blessing in our lives.

The Lord is so aware of us and our needs...

Since this is Easter Weekend I would like to say how grateful I am for the Savior.
The atonement is so much a part of our lives.
I am humbled to know that He loves us so much.
The trick now is to...
Believe Him.

The week has been so full of adventure and work.

When Stan made the decision not to travel to his sisters Funeral...

I was concerned for him...

But the Lord has filled his life with so many wonderful things to keep his mind and body active.

We have also had close contact with family... 

who have kept us current with what is going on.

Thanks family!

Our daughter Becky sent a Blog about the funeral. It was real enough we thought we were there.
Many tears were shed.

Stan's mom sent him a birthday card.  

It will be cherished forever.

It was transfer week AND we got four new cars that had to be recorded and assigned to the missionaries who had the oldest cars. 

 Four new cars fitted with their bike racks...

I think they look like stinkbugs.

 Three of the old cars, the fourth one is getting it's locks fixed!

(Transfers for cars as well I guess)

New missionaries...

Sister Allen could be related since I am an Allen through my Grandmother...

and she is from Grantsville.

I love this time of Orientation.

The night before we were able to be at the mission home and have dinner with them as well.

I am so impressed with the new missionaries.

They are so alert and ready to work.

With transfers as well as new missionaries we have those who are going home.

Everyone gathers at the mission office to get their new companions...

or make the transition to go home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

It isn't often we get sisters in the office...

This is a wonderful moment.

Just after this picture four more came in the door.

 Back: Sister Christensen, Durr, Raney, Homer, Akin and Higginsen

Front: Sisters Jensen, Holladay Davis and Freeman down front

 The assistants Moore and Rydalch who are the Roosters of the Roost...

Think there are way to many hens in the house!

Total sadness...

Elder Capps is going to Cocoa and we are no longer going to have an office Elder.

The good thing about it is...

Elder Berhold is going to be his companion!!!!

 Our last photo together....

for awhile anyway.

 Elder Pratt and Whitworth peeking behind us...

The last of the office Elders and one Spanish Elder.

 Elder Pratt (Spanish)--Capps Jensen and Whitworth.

Elder Trotter is going home!

 Elder Jonson is going home!

 This is what is called a four generation picture...

Elder Trotter trained Elder Volorio who trained Elder Goodrich who is now training the new

Elder Brough (from Tremonton)

 Great grandpa, Grandpa, PaPa, Baby

Elder Capps left the first two notes.

Elder Jensen now old companion wrote the next note.

Elder Jonson, going home wrote the last note.

 

The Hunters Creek Elders.

 Elder Shelley, Brandenburg, Campbell, Wood Jensen and Whitworth.

The no longer office but now East Elders are now two...

Elder Jensen and Whitworth.

The West are now three, Elders Shelley Brandenburg and Wood (District Leader)

I always wish these guys would never change...

But change they do...

And each new Elder worms their way into our hearts and leaves a forever print there.

 This is Elder Lopes...

He is from Brazil.

 The package he is holding is one he sent to his family.

He paid a good chunk to send it to them.

The postal service in Brazil put a little note on his families door Friday afternoon.

Since the post office is closed over the weekend...

His mom went in Monday morning to pick it up.

Oops!

They put it in the wrong pile and

it came back to Elder Lopes.

He is hoping the post office here will have compassion on him...

For his sake I pray that they do.

Elder Lopes left and Silva Augusto right are companions

both are from Brazil.

Elder Nordstrom in the middle is waiting for a Visa

So he can go to Brazil.

Don't know if I have had this cross here before.

If so I still don't know who it belongs to.

I have asked a lot of questions

and googled it but no answers.

It is quite impressive.

Not as impressive as the temple.

Temple at sunrise...

We felt angels there today.

It is where we went to remember Jeanne Marie.

Elder Campbell has been moving washers and dryers and repairing them with Elder James.

He has been shuffling bikes and cars.

Today he is taking an old car (the one not shown above) to Elder Berhold and Capps.

They have a new car that needs a bike rack on it.

I finally got in touch with a sister in our ward and she is in the hospital.

There are a lot of things being done in her behalf.

I tried to be a part of it...

BUT the visiting teacher and home teacher and Compassionate Service Specialist have it all under control. 

It is beautiful to see how the Lord works through his servants.
+++++++++++++++++++++

I am sure most of you remember the great white duck that was the mascot of Colonial Grand Apartments...

It seems he used to have a partner.

They were named Heather and Glen..

the name of the housing community (Heather Glen) across from Colonial Grand.

Heather was run over by a car in the parking lot...
so Glen was alone for a lot of years.

He became crippled and folks around fed him and loved him...

He got to old...

Animal Control got him and put him in a retirement home for Ducks.

So now this funny looking guy is a loner...

No other ducks will associate with him.

He is almost pretty...or handsome or something.

 This week Mary Eskelson drew pictures for 'the grandma and grandpa missionaries'

I invited Power and James to dinner for Easter.

James had other commitments.

Then there is a family whose mom has been in the hospital.

(I mentioned her before)

I asked if they needed food for Easter dinner.

Mom said yes.

Then the Home Teacher and Visiting Teacher (husband and wife) and the Compassionate Service Leader told me that the ward members would take care of them and not to worry.

So I invited Jennifer to dinner instead.

This was her 'first Easter Dinner'

Before she joined the church Easter was bunnies eggs gifts etc.

She is such a sweet humble teachable gal.

The Powers Jenneifer and Stan and I had just said the prayer and the phone rang.

It was the daughter Fabiola (13) who called to see when we were picking them up for dinner!!!!

I told her what I had been told but as soon as we were done we would bring their dinner to them!

I wanted to jump and run right then!

But did my hostess duties then started cleaning up and getting food ready for the Pinaro's.  

The others felt my urgency and helped then left.

Powers got away but I did get a picture of Jennifer...

such a choice one who is trying to hard to do what the Lord asks her.

Fabiola and brother Eugene.

 I felt so bad that they were counting on us for dinner.

Don't know what happened to the other families who were going to take care of them.

I need to make some calls to see what happened.

There is so many who are suffering trials...
That of course is what this life is for.
As I was reading this week a thought by the Apostle Orson F Whitney (1855-1931) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle stated:
No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted.
It ministers to our education,
to the development of such qualities as patience,
faith,
fortitude
and humility.
All that we suffer and all that we endure,
especially when we endure it patiently,
builds up our characters,
purifies our hearts,
expands our souls,
and makes us more tender and charitable,
more worthy to be called the children of God...
and it is through sorrow and suffering,
toil and tribulation,
that we gain the education that we came here to acquire."

Each life that touches ours for good...

Louie and Jeanne Marie Tibbitts
Jeanne Tibbitts
4 July 1958---16 April 2011

 Deanna Edwards a family friend and recording artist...
expresses our feelings beautifully...
  I love Deanna Edwards whose life was filled with love and compassion for those who were dying and those who were grieving. Her Work Shops and original songs will live on in the hearts of those she has touched.  

Mine is one of those...

These are her words...

Eric Lund, a young man who was dying from leukemia in a New York hospital, said to his mother, "Mom, walk in the world for me!" He was really saying, "I want you to live better and love better because I was here." His message has given hope to countless thousands who have made the decision to make their "walk in the world" a beautiful one.

Walk In The World For Me

The time has come now
For me to say goodbye.
No sad farewells
Will we share
For you will live within me
And I will live in you.
No words can say
How much we care.

We've walked together
On the dusty roads of life,
But kept our eyes upon a star.
We've laughed at the little things
And cried along the way.
I've come to know
The friend you are.

Walk in the world for me!
Sing a happy melody!
And keep my memory
Not far away.
May you find
That life will bring
All the best of everything!
Take special care of you
For me today!

 Love you girl...