I walked on the beach this week:

I’m always amazed at the way the water makes patterns in the sand

Pretty good sized crab

As I mentioned in my blog last week, Deanne, my daughter, and her husband, Jeff, along with my two grandchildren, Rory and Cody arrived on Saturday, June 24th.  We had a good Sunday together and then they left for Yachats on the coast of Oregon on Monday.  I had some obligations on Monday and Tuesday so I didn’t join them until Tuesday evening.  We spent Tuesday through Thursday together playing on the beach and enjoying the cool, comfortable weather.  It was in the high 50’s-60’s in the day time so it was PERFECT for this polar bear!

Our rental house in the woods.

Just across the road, down these steps, and across the rocks and I was on the beach!!

Pretty flowers along the path to the beach

Grandma and Rory in the Pacific 

AND in the Atlantic when she came to visit while I was serving in NYC

We returned to Eugene on Friday afternoon.  Jeff and Deanne went on a date Friday evening and the kids and I went to the park to play.

A lot of playground equipment to play on but the most fun thing they did
 was slide down a little hill on a piece of cardboard they found

Saturday afternoon, I attended a baptism.  The elders invited me to attend.  It was a beautiful, spiritual experience.  A mother and her teenage daughter and son were baptized.  

Later Rory, Cody and I went to Alton Baker Park where we walked across the river to the statue of the heron.  

We walked around the pond and admired the ducks and geese.  Rory is begging her parents to buy her some baby ducks now.  She is in love?

Park beauties

We met Deanne and Jeff for pizza.  Didn’t get any pictures though.  

Sunday morning they left me to begin their drive home.  After they left and when I came home from church, my apartment was so empty and quiet.  I miss having family with me.   I’m grateful that they were able to come.

Back to mission business:

Monday our mission president and his wife, President and Sister Weekes, took the office senior couples and me to lunch. 
 

Sister Sutherland and our polka dot clothes.  We seem to do this frequently.  LOL

Tuesday noonish, President and Sister Weekes picked up the new mission president and his wife, President and Sister Cornelius at the airport and brought them to the office.  The Weekes then left the mission to go home.  It is always difficult to say good bye to people that you have served with even if it has only been 3 months that I have been here.  However, I am looking forward to serving with President and Sister Cornelius.  We met with them and some of the zone and district leaders and some of the sister training leaders for an hour or so and introduced ourselves.

On the left: President and Sister Cornelius and to the right: President and Sister Weekes

The missionaries have been fairly well this week.  I averaged about 2 calls per day which was good since I had intermittent phone service on the coast.  I had good reception on the beach but poor reception in our rental house.  If I walked to the end of the driveway, I got some reception;  at least enough to carry on business and care for the missionaries.  When I wasn’t on the beach, I would walk to an area where there was service every 30-45 minutes.  It worked out ok.  

I know I say it almost every week, but my family is my life.  At the baptism on Saturday, the printed program stated that “Families Can Be Together Forever”.  

As I watched that mother and her children be baptized, the Spirit testified to me that these words are true.  Because of temple blessings, ordinances and covenants, and because of our Savior and his resurrection, we can have the opportunity to live for eternity with our families.

I love the words of this Primary song:

Families Can Be Together Forever

I have a fam’ly here on earth.

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Fam’lies can be together forever

Through Heav’nly Father’s plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

The Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years,

I’ll prepare most carefully,

So I can marry in God’s temple for eternity.

Fam’lies can be together forever

Through Heav’nly Father’s plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

The Lord has shown me how I can.

I pray that you will have a wonderful week.

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends.

I went to the temple

The missionaries have the blessing of going to the temple once a quarter.  This week we all went to the temple.  The missionaries in the southern part of the mission go to the Medford Temple.  In the northern zones, we go to Portland to the temple there.  The mission has a van but it won’t carry everyone so those of us that can help with transportation get to enjoy that opportunity.  Wednesday morning I drove to Corvallis to pick up the three sisters in that zone.  We then drove to the temple.  

It was a wonderful experience.  I love going to the temple anytime but it was a special blessing to be with the missionaries.  The spirit was strong.   

Before heading home, we walked around the temple and took pictures. 

Sisters Mead, Jones, and Wood

The whole Corvallis Zone

When we arrived back in Corvallis, the sisters and I went to lunch before I returned to Eugene.  We ate at a Hawaiian restaurant but I didn’t get pictures there.

Monday morning we have an office meeting with the Mission President and his wife.  This was the last Monday morning meeting for us with President and Sister Weekes.  We will be getting a new President this Tuesday, June 27.  

Elder and Sister Crump, President and Sister Weekes, Elder and Sister Klaass

Monday evening, Elder and Sister Klaass and Elder and Sister Crump came over and we played games.  Fun evening of laughter and friendship. 
 

I didn’t take a lot of pictures on my morning walks this week but here are a few.

This is a catalpa tree. When I was a little girl, we would go to Pocatello, ID to visit my grandparents.  They had a long driveway lined on one side with large catalpa trees. Seeing this tree triggered memories of playing in the yard and picking up the long bean like fruit growing on them. Of course I only played with them after they fell to the ground but they made good weapons. LOL

In this close-up you can see the fruit. Most Catalpa are deciduous trees; they typically grow to 40–60 ft tall, with branches spreading to a diameter of about 20–40 ft. Catalpa species bear broad panicles of showy flowers, generally in summer. The flower color generally is white to yellow. In late summer or autumn the fruit appear; they are siliques about 8–20 in long, full of small flat seeds, each with two thin wings to aid in wind dispersal.

This tree has more blossoms

St John’s Wort

Thursday I manned the office by myself.  The Klaass’s and Crump’s were on their temple excursion.  There are almost always missionaries in the office so I wasn’t totally alone.  

On Saturday evening, my daughter Deanne and Jeff, her husband, along with their two children, Rory and Cody, came to visit me.  It was so fun to get their hugs and to see them.   Sunday after church, the kids and I took a walk around my neighborhood.  

We saw quite a few turkeys.  It appears that Cody has a turkey on his head.

This deer is resting in the shade

Rory had to rest for a minute in a shady place.  It was on the warm side!

Then we went as a family to a park where the kids could play for a while.  We stopped at the rose garden so Rory could take pictures of all of the beautiful flowers.  

It has been a busy week.  There have been three missionaries with shoulder/leg/neck injuries or pains and some other ills that have required doctor visits so I’ve spent some time coordinating and finding doctors to help us.  The missionaries schedule their own appointments but I send them the information to make those calls.  Then there is the follow up on the doctor visits and other missionaries to make sure they are healing and getting well.  I love being busy and getting reports that health is improving.

I had a personal experience this week that made me realize even more that our Heavenly Father knows each of us and watches over us.  I pray daily that I will be guided to know how to help the missionaries with their health and to be aware of the needs of those around me.  I had received a call quite late one night and did not make a note on paper or my phone.  I thought I’ll remember to call in the morning to get the needs of the missionary met.  It was not until I was praying two days later that the name of the missionary I was to have helped came to my mind.  I had forgotten to do what I needed to do and the Spirit gently reminded me.  My prayers were answered in a way that let me know that the Lord knew that missionary needed attention and I was reminded.  

I know that the Lord loves each of us.  He wants us to progress, to be well, and to be happy.  I am so honored to be able to work with and to try to help the missionaries but I testify that it is through the guidance of the Spirit as I am reminded of the things I need to know to do my work.  I often remember something I learned years ago in training that will help me to help a missionary or teach that missionary.  I know these thoughts/memories would not come to mind without a prompting.  It’s been a LONG time since I was in nursing school.

I hope that this coming week will be good for you.  

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends.

It’s the little things

It’s a fun thing when you get a text Sunday evening to let you know that your really close friends are coming to take you to lunch the next day!! 

 I served with Diane and Marc Williams in New York on my first mission.  We had so much fun there and so it is always a delight when I get to be with them to remember the “good ol’ days”.

It has been a steadily busy week.  Nothing overwhelming but not a lot of down time either.   Seasonal allergies seem to be under control for the most part so it is the usual upset stomachs and muscle pains/injuries.  Other stuff I can’t mention (HIPPA)

I got this cute pic from two sweet sisters.  I love the missionaries!!

On Friday, I helped Sister Klaass and Elder Crump and 6 elders clean out an apartment that is no longer going to be used.  It is good to feel needed and useful.  

Saturday I went with my friend, Diana, to the farmer’s market in downtown Eugene, to Costco to order glasses for Diana, and to lunch at Jung’s Mongolian Grill.  Good day and good food!

My morning walks always make me happy.  One morning as I came close to the end of my journey, I felt a small pebble in my shoe.  I thought I would ignore it as I didn’t feel I had the time to find a place to sit down and take off my shoe.  I tried to ignore it but it seemed to get larger and more annoying.  I finally stopped and removed the nuisance.  It was so miniscule that I had to laugh that such a tiny thing could be so annoying. 

As I continued to walk, I began to think of that tiny pebble and how sometimes I let little things bother me, yet I don’t take the time to fix them.  For example, I often can’t find something that I know I have “put away” for safe keeping. I realize that if I would take some time and organize a better filing system for important documents, etc, it would save me time and stress/anxiety in the future.  Just as the little pebble annoyed me for 30 minutes, it really only took a couple of minutes to remove it and then I could happily go on my way.  Does that make sense?  

All too often I get caught up in the moment not thinking of the future.  Keeping the goal or the big picture in mind would help me to be more prepared and ready for whatever comes my way.  The “little things” can pile up until they get in the way of progress.  Now I’m rambling.  Oh well.

Here are some pics from my morning meanderings.

I hadn’t seen the turkeys around my apartment for a month or so but these
two showed up Saturday evening.  Good to see them again.

I pray that you will have a happy and healthy week ahead.

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends.

Here’s a giggle for you