Sunday, March 20, 2016

This started out as a great 'upcoming week' with Becky and David and their children coming to visit us.  We are excited when any of our family comes to visit!  In order for all 7 of us to be able to travel around together, we rented a mini-van.  That would make it so much nicer!  These were our wheels or the week.  We picked it up on Monday.

As soon as we met the kids at the airport I knew immediately that the kids had sure grown since we saw them last.....Porter is as tall as I am, already!!!  They arrived on Tuesday evening.....just as the sun was setting.

We headed to a really good Bar-B-Que place in the PTC.....Dickey's.  It was surely GOOD!!

At our apartment it became apparent pretty quick that 'Lucy' was anxious to make friends with Becky...not sure Becky was up for that.

On Wednesday we headed to the Georgia Macon Mission.  We had been invited by President and Sister Cottle to visit them in the Mission Home!  We surely love the Cottle's.  As we drove down to Macon we saw the gorgeous flowering pear trees.  We just had to stop and take a few fotos!!

And here are the 'girls'.....L to R:  Sister Cottle, Mission President's Wife, Sister Westbrook, Office Missionary, Becky, Mom, Sister Finlinson, Mission Nurse.

When we left the mission home we headed for the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds there in Macon.  They were so cool.  This foto was taken on top of the windy mound.

When we got home from Macon, Nancy Allen (left) and Ashleigh Haycock (Bishop's wife) in our ward asked if they could come over to meet Becky.  Becky was gracious enough to have them come. 

Thursday, we headed up to the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta.  We really enjoyed being there.  This was our 3rd time going while we have been on our mission.

Centennial Park is located just outside of the Aquarium.  Adjacent to the Park is the SkyView Ferris Wheel.  I have wanted to ride that for a while now.  Today seemed like the perfect time to do that.  I am not sure why I keep wanting to do things like this, especially since I don't really like heights!!  This compares to the London Eye, which we have also ridden.

Claire was helping me feel not too nervous because we were stopped on the TOP!!!  Of course, where else would we be stopped!!!!  The views were great though.

When we got off the ferris wheel we had a one of these ladies come up and ask us if we could take a foto of them together with their phone.  We, of course, were happy to help out.  As it turned out, one of the ladies knew Becky's products and uses them.  The other 3 got an 'on-site', first-hand demonstration of how the Project Life App works!!  Fun little lesson.

We 'rounded' out our great day with a rounded foot shot.

On Friday we headed over to STONE MOUNTAIN.  No matter where we are and what we are doing, Dad is still on call.  And he got plenty of calls on this day.  Right in the middle of the cafeteria where we were getting our lunch.

Among other things, we took the gondola ride to the TOP of the mountain.  GREAT views from up there.  And a little family foto was in order.  Can you tell the wind was blowing up there!

We ended our day at Stone Mountain with the train ride that goes around the base of the mountain.  We always enjoy doing that.

 Back home in the evening, it was story time with Grandpa reading the Uncle Remus story book.  I think the kids seemed to enjoy it.

On Saturday David took the kids and headed over to 6 Flags Over Georgia (or whatever it is called!). Becky and I headed over to Michael's to do a little signing and visit with this cute store manager.  We enjoyed the little visit.  I then took Becky up to meet with David and the kids.  They had a very LONG day there!!!

In the meantime, Dad and I were catching up at the apartment.  We went to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  We ran into Rodney (some of you may recognize him!) and his Aunt in Kroger's.  It is always fun to run into him!!

I even got a minute for 'down time' to add a few more rows into a cotton boll afghan I am making for a gift.  I really enjoy working on this particular pattern!

We enjoyed being in our Whitewater Ward on Sunday.  After church we swung by the Starrs Mil for a little foto op.  We love this little place.  

Sunday afternoon walk with grandpa while grandma and Becky made lunch.  Porter and Claire surely enjoyed that little walk! 

Hard to believe the week has flown by so quickly.  And they were OFF and back to sunny, warm Arizona.  We sure loved having them here this week.  We surely LOVE when any of our family has been able to visit us in the mission field.  We surely love ALL our family!

We are grateful for the love and support from our family as we continue to serve our mission.  We only have 2 months left and that is not a very long time.  We are NOT getting trunky......but realizing that we have to work hard to get everything accomplished in this short time.  We hit our mission running and we will finish our mission running!  We are grateful for our blessings and the opportunity to serve on this mission!  We feel blessed!