NOVEMBER - A MONTH OF MEETINGS, ELECTIONS, BABYSITTING AND THANKSGIVING

This month has been one of many meetings - mission training meetings, district and zone meetings, Stake missionary coordination meetings, ward councils, and a special meeting with a general authority, Elder Curtis, who was on a tour of our mission.  We also have gone out to meet a few people and been on several missionary discussions with the couple we are replacing. We had a very encouraging meeting with our stake president who is extremely missionary minded.  He is going to talk with the bishops about having us go with home teachers into the homes of less active members. That will be so much more effective than just knocking on the doors of the people whose names we've been given ('cold calling'). He will also order a case of the book 'The Power of Everyday Missionaries' so we can give it out as we teach families how to start a family mission plan. His idea is that the books become a pass along book - once a family reads it, they pass it on to another family. A great idea too.

Peanut Butter, Toffee Bit, Chocolate Chocolate
Chip and Banana Cookies all in one day.

All one Saturday, I was busy baking cookies.  I did four different kinds and put them in the freezer. Our plan is to make up a small plate of cookies each time we go out to visit someone. We will put a pass along card with them so even if we don't get into their home we will have left our name and phone number and the web address of the church with them. The first plate of cookies we gave out was to Jon Jacobsmeyer. He readily invited us in and we had a great visit. He is semi active but doesn't hold a calling or a temple recommend. He said we could return so we will take him a Christmas video to watch with us next month. We visited a Julie Jensen who told us we were wasting our time with her and even handed us back the cookies. She can't eat dairy and because the cookies have egg in them she couldn't eat them. We have tried several times to take her a fruit basket but have not found her at home. 


Our favorite meeting was with an inactive couple who are trying to become temple worthy. He was excumunicated when he was younger and spent time in prison.  He has a chewing problem and his wife has a smoking problem. We visited them with Elder Chapel and, after getting to know them a bit, gave them the third discussion on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ricky, the husband, seems to have the great knowledge of the gospel and both are reading the Book of Mormon again. They go to church most Sundays but don't partake of the sacrament. He had not chewed for 6 days and was really proud of himself. Carolyn wasn't doing as well with her smoking but we challenged her to try this next week to lessen the number of cigarettes she smokes each day. Paul promised to bring her the church's program for quitting cigarettes and she seemed grateful. We knew she was gong to have surgery on her right wrist on Friday so, Friday evening, before leaving for the airport, we took a plate of cookies over to them to make sure all went well. Carolyn was sitting on a chair with her arm totally immobilized by a large foam rubber contraption which caused her to keep her wrist elevated. We immediately commented that she now had a forced means of quitting her smoking as she has no way of lighting up a cigarette, or to put on a coat so she can go outside to smoke. We all chuckled. 

Other mission happenings included a delightful lunch with the elders assigned to our stake, Elders Duncan and Ruzi.  They are really sharp. It was fun to get to know them and, of course, to feed them, of which they were very appreciative.  We spent some time talking about people we could go visit which is the purpose of a weekly lunch with them. We will really enjoy that part of our mission assignment as we always love to feed the elders and sisters.




On Wednesday of that week, we drove out to Tabiona for the funeral of the daughter of good friends, Janice and Allen White.  Janice served with me in the primary presidency and Allen served with Paul in the High Priest leadership.  Their daughter, Keri, lost her year long battle of breast cancer.  She was only 40 and left behind four children, the youngest being about 10. It was sad but the funeral was beautiful, full of hope and the promise of eternity.  We were so glad we had driven the hour to get there as we left with a greater love our our Savior and His Atoning sacrifice as well as a deeper understanding our Heavenly Father's plan for us.  

A horse drawn hearse - probably a Tabiona tradition.
The procession of automobiles followed it all the way to the cemetery.

The following Tuesday was election day and history was made.  We witnessed a miracle as the vote tallies began to come in.  They were in Donald Trump's favor which led to his eventual win of the Presidency of the United States. He is not the most honorable candidate but the alternative, Hillary Clinton, would have taken this country even farther down the left's progressive road then did President O'Bama. We went to bed late that night with a renewed sense of hope for our country's return to its former greatness. It truly was a miracle that a Republican could so soundly beat the Democratic corrupt machine. The American people were fed up with government as usual, especially the policies and executive orders of this past 8 years.  We have a renewed faith in the American people and so grateful they would finally stand up and be counted!



Mid month, I flew to Oregon to babysit Andrea and Casey's girls for a week. Casey and Andrea went, for a second time, on a business convention trip to Florida. This time Charlotte and a friend went with them for a 'senior trip' experience so I only had 4 girls to take care of.  My week was getting up early enough to be dressed and ready with lunches to get Jillian and Maggie to early morning seminary.  Then it was picking them up, taking them to high school and Allison to middle school. At 8:25 I dropped Lydia off at elementary school and was pretty much free till it was time to reverse the order and pick them all up from school. Evenings meant getting dinner and making sure piano practicing and homework got done. This babysitting of grandchildren gets easier with each passing year.

 Of course we had to bake sugar cookies and frost them.  It is a tradition that Grandma makes some kind of cookie whenever I come to Eugene.

It is always nice to see the sun in Oregon.  I have a hard
time with all the clouds and rain whenever I'm at Andrea's.
This time the clouds parted to let the sun in more than I had
expected, based on the weather reports.  That's always a treat.

Paul stayed home and went to two ball games and attended all our missionary meetings - ward councils, lunch with the elders at the Chapels, the mission tour meeting, and the stake missionary coordination meeting.  He visited again with the Kinsey's, Rick and Carolyn.   

Thanksgiving always means tea rings
for breakfast.  I baked an extra one
for Jon and MIndi to take home.

The Tuesday after I got home, we fixed a lunch for the Elders and the Chapels and then it was Thanksgiving. Jon and Mindi and three of their children joined us for a late afternoon turkey dinner. We were glad they could come up as it's always better to share Thanksgiving with family. We loved being with them and giving thanks for the many blessing we all have. 

Carly loves helping Grandpa - even carving the turkey

All set for our traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
Note the red china being used.  It was a gift for our 50th
wedding anniversary last year.

We had a delightful lunch here at our home with Sarah Bunnell Bray, the daughter of old friends in Spokane.  She had recently moved to Heber from back East and was needing to be with someone familiar.  We had been meaning to have her to our home so this was the perfect opportunity to get together and visit. I served Cafe Rio chicken soup - perfect for a cold and showy day. 

We spent the week of Thanksgiving promoting the Church's Christmas program. To all our inactive and non member neighbors in the Crossing, we took an invitation to the ward Christmas party as well as a pass along card and 25 day calendar.  We took time with each of them and explained about the Christmas video, Light The World, and the suggested 25 ways of emulating Christ in 25 days as outlined on the calendar. It was great to reconnect with our neighbors and do a little missionary work at the same time.


On the next to the last day of November, we had a delightful lunch at the Chapels with the Elders and then were fortunate to catch an inactive sister, Jamie Shaw, at home. She came out of her trailer to talk with us and we had a wonderful 20 minute visit with her.  We gave her the 25 day calendar, too, and challenged her to do the things outlined on the calendar to emulate Christ.  Our day ended with a visit to the Hiltons. They are an older couple who were so gracious to us the first time we met with them. This time we showed them the Light the World video and gave them the 25 day calendar.  Again, we challenged them to follow the ideas on the calendar and told them that we would follow up with them after Christmas to see what special things they were able to do to emulate the Savior.  We look forward to that visit and hope we can inspire them to go back to church.  They know they should go every Sunday but haven't for over a year.  

That's about all for this November.  It did turn cold this month and that brought with it our first blanket of snow.  We always pray for a good amount of snow in the winter so we'll have plenty of water during

the summer months.  

And then there's Aria - as cute as ever.

Loving the drawer filled with our plastic storage containers