THE WAIT CONTINUES!!!

WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR MISSION CALL YET - BUT - WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT AND A COUPLE OF THE COMMITTEES. THEY HAVE CALLED TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENTS AND TO CLARIFY SOME INFORMATION ON OUR RECOMMEND. THEY SAID WE SHOULD HAVE OUR CALL IN TWO MORE WEEKS (HOPEFULLY THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE) - OF COURSE THAT IS WHEN I WILL BE AT GIRLS STATE IN PORTALLES ALL WEEK. IF IT COMES ALAN WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I GET HOME...

It's Official!!! Alan is Re-Tired!!!! as of 4PM this afternoon. (Note the smile on Alan's face!!) There was a nice dinner last Saturday (at Cindy Nuttal's house) and a reception and presentation today (Friday) at the hospital. Now the fun starts as we get things ready for our mission (still no word yet...). Alisha will move in this month so we are getting things put away so she'll have more room when we are gone.

Old Toys and Memories

I've been going through boxes as I pack stuff away so Alisha can move in while we are gone on our mission (no - we don't have our call yet...) and found a box of old toys. Most of them were Dawson's Star Wars stuff (which I took up to Barrett - see past blog). For some reason I had saved these old cardboard blocks of Dawson's. I have no idea why - they are very well worn from all his playing. He would play with these blocks for long periods - stacking, then knocking them down, then restacking and knocking them down. And all the while he would laugh. Maybe the blocks had an influence in his going into construction (with occasional demolition work on a project...).

I don't know why I kept them but in finding them I rekindled a memory of a fun time when Dawson was little...

Little Mermaids

Katalina celebrated her birthday with a swim party at the Apex Center in Arvada (CO). It was a fairly warm day in March but as we were driving over we had snow flurries. But no worry - it was plenty warm inside. Here's the Little Mermaids taking a break. Kat is the one with the goggles.

The Paperwork is IN - Now the waiting begins!

We clicked the little submit button at the bottom of the webpage and up popped (in bright red) "Recommendation has been submitted" - Our mission paperwork is in!
We met with the Bishop this afternoon (Sunday) for his interview and he will click his button tonight! Next comes the Stake.
Hopefully, everything will be to Salt Lake within the next two weeks and then we wait...

My Birthday!!

It's My Birthday!! #53!!
I have always loved birthdays. I guess when I was young it was because of the party and the presents, but not always. Birthdays are a reminder that I'm still here - still going strong - the Lord still has a purpose for my being here. It's an affirmation of my life on earth - not just another number added next to my name. So celebrate your life in my honor!! Happy Birthday to everyone!!!

Talansia

My talansia are in bloom! So what you say? What's a talansia? Talansia are tropical air plants. I have to have a piece of the Florida Keys at our house so our bathroom (with the highest humidity in our house) has several varieties of talansia and staghorn fern (also an air plant). It's exciting when it blooms because with our arrid air here it only happens every few years.