Tuesday, December 9, 2014

OOPS....missed Sunday, December 7th!  We were super busy and involved in so much family time that I completely slid right into today, Tuesday!!  No worries.....I won't leave anything out!

We were able to be in Peachtree City for Thanksgiving!  That was nice.  We had Thanksgiving Dinner at President and Sister Harding's home (the Mission Home).  They had made previous arrangements to be away but us Senior Missionaries were there and had a GREAT dinner and a GREAT time visiting with each other.  

The 'office elders' stopped by so we got to give them a little food to take home with them.  Elder Robison (left) and Elder Robinson (right) are great.  I made a crocheted scarf for Elder Robinson....I was glad to see he liked it and worn it today.

Saturday found us at the Atlanta Temple again.  We always enjoy going.  We ended up doing 'dealings'.  There was another young couple with us.  Good thing we were there because the young sister almost passed out.  She was early pregnant.  Wayne was able to take care of her.

And just like that......another month G.O.N.E.!!!

On Monday, December 1st, we made breakfast for the missionaries in our apartment building.  Elder Laws (2nd from right) was headed home in 2 days and this was his 'last breakfast'!  We surely had fun having them over.

I was able to finish another afghan for a worker in Becky's office.  I surely hope she likes it.  I sent it to Becky who was going to deliver it to Jenny.

Transfers were on Wednesday and we were invited to attend.  What a great experience that was.  Elder Thompson (L) and Elder Laws (R) joking around with the crutches that Sister Lake (mission nurse) had brought.

Then it was off to Maryland for Matthew's baptism.  We had gotten permission to leave our area so we could be there.

 Matthew had asked Tim to baptize him.  That was very special.

I crocheted a 'Holy Ghost' afghan for Matthew......to remind him the Holy Ghost can always be with him......warm and comfy just like his afghan!  I think he liked it.

A little FAMILY HUG after the service was over.

 A little family foto op with almost everyone that was there!

 On Saturday afternoon we stopped by Tina's home to put together a little storage cabinet we bought for her birthday.  Kristyn had made a Christmas table runner for us!  It was beautiful and we love it!

 I made a collage of fotos from the day!

Sunday was Elinn's birthday.  We had a FAMILY DINNER at their home.  It was again fun to be with the family.  I love our family and love being with everyone!!

Steven was good enough to take a foto of Wayne and I.  We never seem to have a good one when we need it.

I had a little 'sewing' project that the girls worked on......actually no sewing at all.  Just cut and tied the edges to make their blanket.

On Monday, December 8th we were out and about Brunswick doing a few errands and decided to go by Jonathan's grave.  Look who we 'found'!!

He offered to take a foto of us......

AND added a CHRISTMAS BELL for this year!  That makes 3 bells now.  Only 2 are in the foto because Bob Ward (alas Santa Claus) too the 3rd one home to polish it up because it was a little rusty.

We headed back down toward Atlanta on Tuesday, December 9th.  We stayed the night in Mt. Airy, N.C. (about half way).  We stopped at my parents and grandparents graves as we got into N.C.  

We stopped at 'Gene's' for a GROUND STEAK and HUSH PUPPIES for dinner.

It just isn't a trip to Mt. Airy without seeing Freddy Hiatt!!!  I just know he is a cousin.

 A beautiful SUNSET as we got settled into our Hampton Inn Hotel for the night.  It has been a GREAT weekend.

We surely feel blessed!!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

We are learning the 'fine art' of cramming as much in a week as possible!  We are getting pretty good at it too......even if I must say so!

I wanted to share a foto of our little Christmas tree.  I made the tree skirt.  We wanted a small tree on purpose (because we don't have room for a very big one) AND it has ornaments on it that we are collecting on our travels around our mission!!  I think we will leave it up all year round just because.....  :-).

On Sunday evening we attended a missionary fireside which was very well attended.  It was primarily for the youth of the stake.  Elders Laws and Erickson spoke on their individual conversions.  It was excellent.  We had the opportunity of having a Missionary Foto Op at the end.  LOVE OUR MISSIONARIES!!

Monday was another FULL travel day for us as we drove back up to the GREAT KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE MISSION.  It was bitterly COLD and SNOWING!!!  Our first snow of the season.  And it was so pretty too.  Fortunately, the roads were fairly clear so we didn't have any problems.

We did not get a chance to attend a temple session but we at least got to go to the Louisville Temple and see it again!  It was just gorgeous with the freshly fallen snow.

We have been handing out little individual bottles of the HAND SANITIZER to each of the missionaries.  We hope they get the message of staying WELL AND HEALTHY this winter season!

We were able to slip by the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory again!  Love coming to this place.  We did a little 'Christmas shopping' while there!

I was amazed at how beautiful the table settings were at this particular Zone Conference.  It made the missionaries feel so special that so much work had been put forth in decorating for them.  And the meal was just as good as the decorations were pretty.

On this trip I was able to finish yet another afghan!  Ready for the next recipient to get.  Glad I have this crocheting work to keep my fingers busy when Wayne is busy with lots of missionary medical stuff.  This one is for a non-member.

President Brough.....what a great mission president he is.  He LOVES his missionaries and they in turn LOVE him!  We love he and his wife!!!

It is with GREAT ENTHUSIASM that the missionaries sing 'That Song' (Called To Serve) to those who serve them a great lunch.  Love it when they do this!!

There is something so pretty about the bridges that we cross up in this neck-of-the-woods!  We criss-cross the Ohio River a number of times.

Two of the Zone Conferences are held in Indiana.....yup, part of the Kentucky Mission.  Between the two towns (New Albany and Evansville) we pass by Santa Claus, Indiana.  I needed a little break from driving so I made an executive decision to stop here for 10 minutes and take a look!!!  Wayne was busy the entire time on the phone and I think he missed it all!!!

When we finished our Zone Conference in Evansville, it was time to head back to Peachtree City, GA.  We actually drove on Friday part way back down the road to make it a more manageable drive on Saturday.  We ended up staying the night at a Hampton Inn in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  Glad we did because we found a 'Trail of Tears' Museum.  We took a few minutes and visited here.  Kristina is a Cherokee herself and she volunteers at this location.  We had a great little visit with her.  And of course bought a few things.

And back into Tennessee......

And finally back in Georgia!  Felt good to be back 'home' after being gone for a week.

We stopped at NEW ECHOTA once back in Georgia.  It is the place where the Cherokee Indians were headquartered once they were ousted out of their home in the hills and mountains of North Carolina.  Very nice to visit here.

 A pleasant little surprise waiting for me at our apartment......a belated birthday gift from Andy and Geralyn!  They actually mailed it the first time ON TIME but it never made it to me.  They had it resent.  A beautiful bracelet from Nordstroms!  Amazingly I had purchased the matching necklace several weeks previously and had forgotten I ordered it.  When I discovered the 'set' I was thrilled.  I worn them to church today and they matched my outfit really well!!!  Kiitos Paljon A & G.

Another GREAT week......can't believe Thanksgiving is coming up this week.  Been too busy to even think about it.

November 16, 2014

What a FUN week this has been....in many different ways.  Let me begin by saying that we were off to the GREAT KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE MISSION again!!!  This time for more than just 1 or 2 Zone Conferences!  After church (and our speaking in Sacrament Meeting) we took off for our 7 hour drive.

Ok.....haven't seen one of these road signs before!  Only in Tennessee.....

And just like that we have driven right through Tennessee and back into Kentucky.

The stone walls in Kentucky remind us so much of Finland.  Beautiful.

We found the fall foliage to be much more 'brilliant' in color than in Georgia.

We LOVE the GKLM and the Brough's!!!  And it is obvious that the missionaries love their leaders!!!  It was a COCONUT PARADE for President Brough!!

With the power point presentation that Wayne has been doing for the Zone Conferences here he talks, in part, about good physical health.  He got a shot of President Brough doing his push-ups to insert into the body of the PPP!!!

The missionaries always SING to those good sisters who prepare their lunches for them.  We love to hear them sing!

Having a Zone Conference foto is also a MUST.  Here ya go......

After Zone Conference on Friday (and with only 5 missionaries who requested to be seen by the Doctor) we were able to leave a little early to begin our drive back down to Peachtree City.  We were able to drive through 'horse country'.  The Keeneland Horse Track was right on our way.

The trees here were just amazing in color.....just could not get enough of their beauty.  A very nice lady asked if we wanted her to take a foto of us with the trees in the background.  We never pass up anyone offering to take our foto together because that doesn't happen often!

On Friday we drove as far as Corbin, Kentucky where we stayed the night.  The next morning we drove past the original KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN location.....the very first one to be built!  Had no idea that it was located here.

The Colonel was even there to greet us!

It was a foggy drive going down through the mountains.  The fog made the mountains even prettier.

We made it back into Atlanta where we met Elder/Dr. Chuck and Sister Jolynn Bean who had come up for the Mission President's Seminar as well.  They drove up from Florida.  We went to dinner at a little place call 'The Flying Biscuit'.  It was a fun little restaurant.  As we approached Atlanta we had a few extra minutes before meeting the Bean's so we stopped in at a Michael's because I needed to get some more yarn for the next afghan (one for a friend of Becky's).  And, of course, I had to check our Becky's products and make sure they were all straight and tidy!

The next day, Thursday, we had the Bean's meet us at our apartment here in Peachtree City.  We would take them over to Senoia for lunch and to look around.  Wayne found this cute little saying which of course I just had to purchase!  Reminds me of my sweet little Hooter!!!

After walking around a bit we had lunch at the REDNECK GOURMET CAFE!  Always a treat to eat here.....had our usual 'redneck burger' with fried green tomatoes on it.

We walked around a bit more after lunch.  'The Walking Dead' TV series is filming in town for season #5 right now.  We walked down toward the set.....you can see it off in the distance.

It was fun to see some of the Christmas decorations around town.....including this pretty sleigh.

The 'boys' made it back from their 'Walking Dead' adventurous tour.

Back at our apartment.....Elders Laws and Elder Erickson were on exchanges this week.  Both have had knee problems.  YEA that Elder/Dr. Bean could see them both and talk to them.  Tender Mercy......especially since he is an Orthopedic Surgeon.  They were both so pleased to be able to see him.

It was time to be off and get checked into our Marriott Hotel by the Atlanta Airport and get ready for our dinner with the 18 Mission President, the wives and the General Authorities and their wives.

On Friday morning we had a breakout meeting with the mission president's wives and the general authority wives.  It was great to meet with all of them.  Great foto op for them.

As we drove back into our apartment Friday afternoon we found this WARNING sign planted in several locations around the apartment complex.  Duly noted!

Saturday morning we headed up to the temple for a sealing session.  We saw Elder and Sister Morten from the Georgia Atlanta North Mission.  How fun to see them again!!  We went to lunch with them at Mimi's Cafe not far from the temple.

It has been another great week.  And now we prepare to head back up to Kentucky again tomorrow!!!  Oh how we LOVE OUR MISSION!  Have we said that before??  :-)