Our First Year in Review

One year ago today, we left Atlanta to drive out to Salt Lake City for our mission.  It was such an exciting time, although it was easier on our first mission to just get on the plane.  In spite of the distance, we made it in two days – just too excited!

Now looking back on our first year, we have had so many experiences:

Being with family

We were able to live with my brother Bert and his wife Chris, renting their cute basement apartment – it has been so sweet to be able to be with my brother and his family more, since we moved away from Utah 47 years ago.

We helped our son Bryan in Provo while he was doing heavy demolition and remodeling on a new home.

Our daughter Heather in Provo stayed with us every other Friday night while she attended her Executive MBA program with BYU at the Salt Lake Campus. 

Rob has been able nearly weekly to take his older brother David (with Lewy Body dementia) out for different events and excursions. 

We were able to help my German brother-in-law with his family history and then take him with my sister to be sealed to his parents and grandparents.

Every one of our children with their families have been able to visit us in our offices and have lunch here.

We helped Annette, Rob’s brother Doug’s widow, get ready for a move to a smaller house.

We were able to visit with all of our siblings and their families who live out here.

We were able to attend our grandson Alex’ sealing back in Atlanta on Mother’s Day weekend (one of the perks that senior missionaries are able to do – leave their mission for important family events!)

We had an amazing family reunion at Bear Lake with all of our children and nearly all of the rest of their families – 40 of us!

Being with friends

We have had a number of visits with dear friends, not only from our mission in the Dominican Republic:

Crismons, Hammons, Fords, Snows (we stayed at their wonderful home in Roosevelt one weekend), Rees, Carole Hyde, Cozanne Wallace, Eichbushes (including dinner at Olive Garden), Joann Bair (lunch with her, Sherry Brown, and Sandra Glazier), Despains (breakfast at Burger King in Logan), Ruckers, the Lows who we ran into at the Nauvoo Café one day, Rafael Gutierrez (our manager in the DR) and Georgina his wife, Marilyn and Ray Anderson who took our place in the DR, the Mortensens, the Walkers as they were trained before going on another medical mission in Chili, Lidia Alcantara from Santo Domingo who was in our mission, and Devn, Elaine, and Reid Cornish, both from our mission and Atlanta. 

but also from back in Georgia –

·        Kaesi Coleman at her daughter’s wedding reception

·        Ken and Brenda Lord at their daughter Becky’s wedding reception

·        Stephanie Johnson and her folks at her wedding reception

·        Former sisters Hawkins and Stenquist who were missionaries in Georgia

·        Karen Findlay as she was leaving on her mission

·        Linda Remund, David and Linda Elefson and the Savoldi’s who we work or worked with here

·        Karen and Andy Jones who we ran into on Temple Square

·        Darlene Holladay and a nice visit in her daughter Sandra’s home here

·        Dinner with the Roti’s from the Atlanta Temple who were leaving on a mission to the Kiev Temple

·        Travis Jordan from Snellville Ward who works In our same department

·        Mark Romney who we worked with in the Atlanta Temple and is now out here

But our mission has not been all play and no work.  We have learned about the amazing translation and interpretation program of the Church and all that is being done to being the Gospel to all the world.  We have learned a number of new computer programs, including Work Front, Clarity, Fogbugz, Event Central, etc.  We have been up at 2 am Sunday morning for a broadcast and found ourselves “trapped” on the 26^th floor while the firemen checked out a possible fire in our offices above (it was just a heating belt).  We have worked with wonderful people from all over the world and learned a little of their lives whether in Ghana or Moscow or Albania. 

We are so grateful for this past year and are looking forward to whatever the coming year will bring.