Christmas Day - December 25th
We had a quiet Christmas Day and then had the AP's (Elder O'Hare and Elder Kjar) for Christmas Dinner and the Wylde Green Elders (Elder Terry and Elder Edmunds) for Boxing Day (the day after Christmas)
It was wonderful seeing and talking to our family on Christmas Day through facetime.
Wednesday - December 27th - Eric arrived - what an amazing experience it was to share our common mission sites and experiences. We wanted to go to England to pick him up after his mission, but this was an even more amazing experience to share our missions together ten years later - What a blessing!
We picked him up at the coach station in Birmingham at 5:00pm and went shopping at the Bull Ring
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| Of course - we had to have fish and chips |
Many memories for him walking around the Bull Ring. Stopped on our way home for Fish and Chips in Sutton Coldfield near the mission office. Eric even remembered his way around the area. He was ready to have a nights rest after the long travel and the time change of 7 hours.
Thursday - December 28th - Visiting Derby, Burton on Trent and Tamworth. Places Eric served on his mission. We went to his mission flat and then walked around the market street in Derby. Eric was hoping to get a German Sausage and there was one stand left from the Christmas market there. He was very excited.
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| Eric and Conley at the Derby Market |
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| Enjoying a German Sausage in the Derby Market |
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| Eric's flat in Derby |
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| Kaeli arrives by coach from London Airport |
Friday, December 29th - Kaeli Arrived in Cheltenham and then we went to Stratford Upon Avon (Shakespear Country). Kaeli's arrival was an answer to prayers and a tender mercy from our Heavenly Father. She found out that she has lost her passport two days before her flight. Jamie and Kaeli worked for 2 days together to find a way for her to get a new passport quickly. She flew to Denver and the next morning had her passport in time for her flight at noon. The passport people told her it would be impossible - but we believe in miracles! It is a great story - one that needs to go into our journals.
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Eric, Jolayne, Kaeli at Ann Hathaways (Shakespeare's wife)
Cottage in Stratford Upon Avon |
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| Outside Shakespeare's cottage in Stratford Upon Avon |
Saturday- December 30 - We went on a road trip to the Cotswold's....
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| Eric and Kaeli visiting shops in Stow on Wold |
Burton on the Water - a lovely village to visit. We stopped for tea (hot chocolate and pasties)
...and traveled on to Worcester (my favorite place in England)
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We climbed the Malvern Hills - it was very windy
such a brilliant view |
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Eric, Conley Kaeli on top
of the Malvern Hills |
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| Kaeli at Gadfield Elm Chapel |
We had three generation of Thomas and Ann Oakey's grandchildren together at Gadfield Elm.
Jolayne - Eric - Kaeli
It was dark but we had to make use of every minute of the day to fit everything in.
Sunday December 31st (New Years Eve) - Newport Ward in Wales where Eric served - it was so fun to see the members greet him and remember when he served there. They wanted to talk and talk to him. Lots of hugs and reminiscing.
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Eric's missionary flat in Newport -
it was pouring rain |
Coch Castle near the Newport Church -
the perfect princess castle.
A Drive to Swansea to see the Ocean Cliffs in Wales - Breathtaking!!! One of Eric's requests was to see the ocean cliffs in Swansea, Wales.
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| Kaeli made us do it! |
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| Three Cliffs in Wales |
Eric and Kaeli were our photographers on the trip - I just got to enjoy the time and they shared their photos.
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| Eric and Kaeli arriving back to Birmingham by train |
Monday - New Years Day 2018 - Kaeli and Eric went by train for a day of walking around London.
Happy Birthday to Conley - they bought him a ship in a bottle for his birthday at one of the antique shops on Tuesday. Eric helped Conley find some ships to take home - we are losing more and more space in our suitcases for clothes. Oh well!
Tuesday - January 2nd - Our last day together. We drove through Lichfield and Tamworth and went to antique shops. I think we got Eric and Kaeli hooked on these wonderful little shops. They learned to share my love for teapots and china. Of course at the end of the day we had to stop at Asda (grocery store) and buy lots and lots of english chocolate for them to fill their suitcases with.
We also made a stop by Bob and Carol Dowling's home who also knew Eric from our Tamworth Ward and had a visit by their fire and were served Carol's delicious gooseberry pie with custard. They are always so kind and generous to all the missionaries.
Wednesday - January 3rd -
Goodbye - We took Eric and Kaeli to the coach station at the Birmingham Airport at 5:00 a.m. for their coach ride to London Heathrow Airport. What an amazing visit we enjoyed. We are happy to report they made it home safely - probably a bit of jet lag but we have wonderful memories to last a lifetime. Thank you Eric and Kaeli for sharing this experience with us.
We picked up our replacement couple on Wednesday morning at the train station and they came to see our flat that they will be living in and also came to see the mission office. They were on vacation with their family in London and decided to come to Birmingham to see where they will serve. They will arrive to serve on February 3rd and we will spend a month training them.
We received news of President Monson's death. He died on January 2nd in America, but it was January 3rd in England. We will miss this good, kind prophet who taught us to serve and love others.
Thursday and Friday - January 4th &5th we turned out thoughts and deeds back to the office - had Self Reliance meeting for the missionaries leaving in six months and MLC on Friday. We helped with the lunches and enjoyed seeing missionaries in the office. Next week is our transfers and departures so we made sure everything is ready for those big days.
Saturday - January 6th - Pday -Recover from keeping up with Eric and Kalei! I could say just kidding but I'm not. It was a wonderful exhaustion.
Sunday - January 7th - we started teaching our primary class out of the New Testament. We have the same class and it is amazing to think that we only have 7 more classes with them. I also received my subjects for teaching Relief Society for the next two months.
We had three generation of Thomas and Ann Oakey's grandchildren together at Gadfield Elm.
