Our time in Middleton

As much as we enjoyed our time with Andy and Kathy, we were very eager to get moving on to Middleton to see our son, Aaron, and his family.   The kids all spent Christmas in Michigan with their non-custodial parents. Sharing holidays is something you just get used to in blended families.  On the day after Christmas, however, we got to pick them all up at the airport and bring them home. We could scarcely believe how much they had all grown!

We have absolutely no doubts or second thoughts about serving this mission.  We KNOW it was the right decision at the right time fr us. Still, seeing our grandkids so tall and self possessed was an abrupt reminder that one of the big sacrifices we made was to miss out on the caboose of their childhoods.  Gone are the days of little kids cuddling with us while we read books on the couch.  This new version of youth who took their places are still great kids, but oh how different they all are.

It was wonderful to see the new home that their family now lives in.   We had watched pictures posted on FaceBook as it was being built, but actually staying with them in that home was a very special treat.  One of the things we had talked about during the time they were building it was that they had decided to forgo having a third bay garage so they could afford to put in a full bathroom and extra bedroom on main floor - something that had us very much in mind.   For now that extra room in a craft room and is where they keep their exercise equipment.   But in the future should health or circumstances ever necessitate us needing more help or care, they wanted to have room in this house for aging parents.  The love and forethought of that decision truly touched our hearts.  

We hope it will be a long, long time before we will even have to think about living anywhere other than our own home.   Still, it was very tender to know we were sleeping in a room that had been put in that house especially with us in mind.

One funny thing that happened when we were staying there -  on one of the days when both Aaron and Stephanie had to go to work I was at the house with the boys while Larry went out to have lunch with his sister, Toni.  Chesilee had gone to work with her mom.   (Stephanie is a Nannie for three sweet little kids in Boise and on occasion Ches will go with her to play with them.)

So I was spending some quiet time on my own downstairs while the boys were upstairs playing their video games.  I decided to be helpful while I was there and did some cleaning up around the kitchen.  Then, as I was putting things away into the refrigerator, I saw the most wonderful looking salad.   I figured it was probably something special Stephanie had made to go with dinner than night.   I tried to resist it.  I really did!   But it looked so scrumptious that I just couldn't help myself.   So I took just a wee taste to see what it was like.   SCRUMPTIOUS!   A little bit latter I took a second taste, which was every bit as good as the first.   Finally as I finished the last of the dishes I gave in completely and just went ahead and scooped up a bowl, enjoying my share of the salad for lunch, figuring I could pass on it when it was served later for dinner.  It truly was delicious.

When Stephanie got home I complimented her on the wonderful salad she had made.   She gave me a strange look and asked me "What salad?"   Now I was the one to be confused.   I said "That really good salad in the bowl in your refrigerator.  I had some for lunch and it tasted wonderful.  I hope it was ok that I had some before dinner."    Still looking uncertain she pulled the bowl out of the refrigerator.   "Do you mean this?"  she asked.   YES!   That's the stuff...absolutely yummy.

Now she looked at me with a mystified look on her face and answered "that's the iguana food".
OOPS.   Oh well - it was still very good.  It was a mix of chopped collard greens, kale, red and yellow peppers and mango.   I liked it so much I ate MORE of it at dinner.   (Hopefully the iguana won't mind.)

Valli Hi Christmas

 After a LONG road, we finally made it safe and sound to Idaho.  We spent Christmas Eve and a delightful Christmas morning at my brother's home in Eagle.  Andy and Kathy really know how to make the holidays special.   We went to Mass at Holy Apostles Catholic Church with them and enjoyed the sacred music.  Of course on Christmas morning there were wonderful surprises for everyone in our stockings and we played the usual white elephant game that is the family tradition.  There was not quite so much stealing / trading of gifts this year as there has been in some years past, but it was still a lot of fun.

Christmas brunch on Saturday morning was absolutely to die for.  It felt wonderful to be inside all snug and warm while watching the light shift across the snowy landscape outside.   This was indeed a Christmas we will long remember. 

Home for the Holidays

We enjoyed our time with Ormonds.  However, as soon as it was time for them to leave we had to scramble to get ready for our own big trip back to the USA.  We will fly out on 15 December and will come back on 8 January.  I still can hardly believe we are actually going home for the holidays.

We are excited beyond words that Aaron and Stephanie have chosen to go to the temple - which is the real reason we are going.  On top of that, however, is a chance to see so many we love and to enjoy having a real white Christmas in Idaho.

We have been packing and unpacking and repacking our suitcases to get them all at just the right weight.   We want to take home all the little things we have picked up in the islands, plus Christmas presents we have for our family.   Additionally, we will take some of the clothes/shoes/other stuff we brought with us that we don't often use and leave them in our storage shed so they won't take up space or weight on our final exit.   Then, on our return trip back to New Zealand after the holidays, that space will go to some of the supplies we will pick up in America that we can't easily get here.   We will also raid our clothing box in the storage shed for a few items to bring back.   Oh, what a delight to have something different from the four or five mix-and-match outfits I've worn over and over again since this mission started.  

We didn't have a clear idea of what would be practical for us here. The only direction we had was the mission guidelines which are really intended for the young missionaries who have very different rules from Senior missionaries.  We definitely wish we had brought more casual wear for the things we get to do on our P-days.  So we are grateful to get the unexpected blessing to get a Do-Over on our wardrobes at the half way point of our mission.

Besides just wanting to change out some clothes, we are making lists, trying to think of anything and everything we might want to consider to bring back with us.   People back in America have NO idea what a blessing it is to be able to just go to a store and have such a wide selection of goods available to them.  

We are fortunate in that New Zealand is very much part of the developed world and does have most modern conveniences.  Still, there are so many brands and products that we just never see here. Others are in the store but are outrageously expensive.   (Example, in the USA a LARGE bottle of hydrogen peroxide is less than $1.00.   Here I got a TINY bottle for $10.00.   I almost choked!)

We will restock on vitamins and bring back another full year of our prescription meds.  We will get Shake 'N'Bake and sun screen, a box of Larry's favorite granola and who knows what else?    

We know this will NOT be a restful holiday.   We have quite a long road trip planned in order to see as many of our family and friends along the way as we can.  (Also to get my car from where it is stored in Arizona up to Idaho where we will be when this mission ends.)   We have so many details yet to get sorted out.  Through all the planning,  I've been on pins and needles with anticipation for days.

Last Christmas was so forlorn - here in a far away land with no clue of what we were supposed to be doing and missing our family terribly.   This year we are nearly giddy to know we get to go home.   What a blessing!    We so appreciate the fact that President Pearson and President Balli both gave us the green light to make this trip.  Rules for Senior missions are indeed VERY different from those of the young Elders and Sisters.  I think if more seniors knew just how flexible it really can be there might be less hesitation for people who hold back from committing to a full time mission.

Elder Pearson told us in Tonga that if any Sr. missionary had a special family event they wanted to be part of they should go if they could afford to do so.   This will definitely strain our budget.  We never expected or planned for this.  But once we got over the initial worry over the price tag and decided it was the right thing for us to do we just went for it.   Now, as the days are getting closer for our departure, I am so very glad we did.   We are going HOME for the holidays.   I can't wait!

PAO Christmas Party

Today we had the Pacific Area Office Christmas Party.   There was a lovely buffet luncheon for the entire staff made up of both church employees and all the senior missionaries that work there.

For the entertainment, all the Missionaries and Church Employees had been assigned into groups for a skit / lip synching contest.  Family History was teamed up with Human Resources group.  They are pictured here as follows from Top stair to bottom:

Human Resources Department

Lorena Costa – HR Coordinator

Nilo Penales – HR Operations Business Partner, S&I

Ruth Hamon -  HR Generalist Business Partner

Vanessa Teio-Poleo – NZ Human Resources Manager

Albert Niuelua – Area Human Resources Manager

We did a dance to mash up of  Feliz Navidad and I Wish You a Merry Christmas.  Doesn't Larry look great with Blue Hair??  We only had a few times to get together to plan what we would do and practice it once or twice.  Having seen the video later, let's just say none of us should give up our day jobs to try to take this sort of thing on full time.  Still, it was a lot of fun working with these folks during our lunch hours to share some laughs as we put it together.  

Here are some of the other staff that work at the PAO:

Self Reliance Department

Elder Reed Spencer  & Sister Nada Spencer – Pacific Area Education Specialist Coordinating Couple

Renee Solomon – Pacific Area Self-Reliance Support Specialist

Paul Reid – Pacific Area Self-Reliance Manager

Dean Westerlund – Pacific Area Education Manager

Ariel Wetere – Pacific Area Self Reliance Operations Manager

(in front) Dallas Olsen – Senior Admin Assistant (Welfare)

Public Affairs Department

Missionaries:  Elder Barry Preator & Sister Susan Preator on left
Elder Jeffrey Camplin and Sister Linda Champlin on right.  

In center is Rich Hunter,  Public Affairs Manager for the Area.

Previous public affairs missionaries that we worked closely with were the Fugals and Wallaces:

Paula and Guy Fugal

AP Missionaries and Secretaries 

Carol and Keith Wallace

(These department photos were taken a few months AFTER the Christmas party and added later.  Back at that time The In-Field Rep was Elder Dirk Cotterell, assisted by his wife Sister Sally Ann Cotterell.  Elder Bruce Brereton was serving as Exec Secretary to the Area Presidency, assisted by his wife Sister Patsy Brereton.  Elder Allen Whidden with the Mental Health Rep assisted by his wife Sister Arendje Whidden.  The Area Medical Adviser when we first came was Elder Doyle Brown assisted by his wife Sister Jeanne Brown.   Part of mission life is getting used to the fact that we get close to people who cycle in and out of our lives as their terms of service come and go.)

Publishing Services Department    

Materials Manangment Derpartment

Physical Facilities Department

Finance Department

Legal Department

And of course, our own Family History Department:

Area FH Manager, Mike Higgins, Elder Bennett & Sister Bennett

We truly do work with a great group of folks.  Some we know better than others.  In truth, there are more than a few that I don't know at all, as shown by the fact that I couldn't put a name to every face in the photos.  Still, we appreciate the friendly way we are greeting in the lunch room or as we are going about our business.  We see a lot of these folks at Monday morning devotional and have visited with some about various things.  Others we've worked one-on-one with to help them with their own family history.  Being surrounded by such high caliber people is a great benefit of working in the Area Office.  So we enjoyed being with them all at the party today.

However, it did seem strange that this party was to celebrate Christmas.  We have been so incredibly busy between our preparations for our upcoming trip to the USA and our ongoing work assignment working hard to meet the My Family 15 in 15 goals  that we have not done any decorating or baking or other things to keep our usual holiday traditions.  Also, with the seasons reversed here in the Southern hemisphere, it's summer now which is a big switch from our experience in the state.  The other major difference is that very few houses are decorated here and most stores don't make a big deal about it at all.

In the US, Christmas is blasted from every store beginning as early as October.  Private homes become beacons as owners drape every window, gutter and tree with lights.  Here there is very little sign of the upcoming holiday, either commercially or in neighborhoods.  Every now and then we will see a decoration or two someone has put up, but it just isn't publicly promoted the way we are accustomed to.  In a way I like that it is not a commercial extravaganza here, but it is hard to get into any sort of festive mood without some of the sparkle we have come to associate with Christmas.  

Nevertheless, the PAO party went off well.  We enjoyed the company of those we work with and a good time was had by all.

The MoTab Christmas Concert

Christmas concert pictures from YouTube video

One of the fun things we got to do with my pal Alice was go the Christmas concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Jeff and Alice's oldest son, Josh, sings in the choir.  We always watch for him during conference broadcasts or anytime we have had an opportunity to view Music and the Spoken Word.  This was our first chance ever to hear the choir perform in person.  

They put on quite a show with the Muppets and and Santino Fontana as guests.  

 As we walked out from the show we saw Santa Clause speed by on a bright yellow motorcycle

Photo by Alice Walker

and we got to take in the Christmas lights on Temple Square

Temple Lights photos from Mormon Newsroom

My emotions were all over the map as it really begin to sink in that we would be very far away from home on Christmas.  The enormity of our decision was hitting hard.  I felt grateful, scared, sad, and excited all at the same time.

Realizing the next two Christmases would be spent in a land far away and that I would not be seeing my family for the next 23 months brought a lump to my throat.  I kept fighting back tears.  Yet through it all, I knew without question that I was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be.  That knowledge is what sustained me through all the confusion.  I was ready for the big adventure to begin.