Changes at the Office

This week we had a change at the office -
Elder Bardsley, one of our Service Missionaries, went home and we now have a full-time missionary serving with us in the office, Elder Willis.  He will be a joy to work with.  He will be a new companion for Elder Ashwell, our other Service Missionary.

Elder Bardsley

Elders Ashwell and Bardsley

Elder Willis 

Saturday - July 8th was our Senior Couples Activity at Gadfield Elm, Castle Frome Church and Benbow Pond.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

I loved the presentation by Simon Gibson, who is a friend of President Garner, about the conditions in England at the time the first LDS missionaries came to England.  There were many people in England that were preparing for the gospel to be restored and accepted at the same time as Joseph Smith.  He used the symbol of the 2 pound coin of "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants".  Issac Newton used this phrase when he said," If I have seen further, it is by Standing on the Shoulders of Giants".  Learning from those before us.




I have certainly stood on the "Shoulders of Giants".

Eating lunch at "The Swan" - good food - great company










I loved President Leppard's comments of the analogy of driving a car and the need to look both through the glass in front of you and in the glass showing a view behind us;.  In order to move forward in our lives we also need to look behind us at those who were before us and ahead at what and who comes next.

Stopped to capture the countryside flowers
on our way home from church
(Toad Flax)

44 Years together as "Companions"

Our wedding day - June 29th, 1973

This week we celebrated our 44th Wedding Anniversary.
I am so grateful we are eternal "companions".


Have we changed much??? - One time one of our grandchildren looked at our wedding picture and asked who grandpa was kissing!  At least one of us has changed. Jairon also asked me many years ago if my special dishes I got for my wedding were as old as the dinosaurs.

Just a note - I was Madi's age - oh my!

Bob and Carol Dowling

We hope that we can celebrate our 60th Anniversary together like Brother and Sister Dowling.  What an amazing couple.

We also hope we can make our back "garden" (not lawn) look like theirs. Ok - I will be realistic about this dream.   It is amazingly beautiful.  Or should I say "lovely".

Eric used to tell us about their back garden when we was serving his mission and visited their home.  We also saw where he signed their guest book.

Brother Dowling feeding his fish in his pond.
They eat the food from his hand

We started teaching our first Addiction Recovery class this week - All I can say about it is it will be a very special and spiritual experience.





The first of our family arrived at the cabin this week and they face timed us - it literally brought tears to Elder Willmore's eyes.  We are so grateful for this special place our family can gather to share memories.

For right now we will just imagine sitting on the deck looking at this breathtaking view.







Not to be mistaken for Harry Potter










Another way to "go on holiday" in England



Canal boats that go throughout England. 












Hanbury Hall Manor House - Built in 1701

The English  people really know how to grow beautiful gardens.

Our New Missionaries Have Arrived

Our new missionaries arrived on Tuesday - June 20th 
They are an amazing group of young men and women and we are so excited to get to know them better.  




June 20, 2017 Arrivals

Elder Gilbert and Elder Staheli

One missionary that arrived from Provo MTC had his luggage lost by the airline.  We had the opportunity to get to know Elder Staheli from Utah a little better as we took his luggage to his flat in Nuneaton when it arrived on Wednesday and Friday.

Charolette (in front of green wall in balcony first row on left in blue shirt)

Tuesday Night we took a lovely drive through the countryside to Swadlincote and went to a choir concert that one of our primary children was performing in.
They sang with such enthusiasm.  It was a fun night.  It melted our hearts to see Charolette smile when we walked in and took our seats.  She sang a solo and has a beautiful voice - she sang her heart out to the songs of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Jamie, Ryan, Jeff

Tuesday was special night for Ryan as we went to the Denver Temple.His farewell was today and we heard he gave such a great talk.
He is leaving on July 4th for Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  It will be fun having a grandson on a mission again.

Poppies in the round-about near our flat

Saturday and Sunday we had wonderful Stake Conference in Lichfield and we received another calling - We were set apart to be the Stake Addiction Recovery Coordinators and will hold classes once a week on Wednesday nights.  This will be a new experience for us!


With summer here it seems our family is very busy with activities.  Jairon, Kenzie and Kaeli have been in California.  Nichol and Kurk are leaving tomorrow for Trek and then to the cabin.  Eric and Brandee had a campout with her family, Jamie had a reunion with her family in Colorado and Eric and Jamie's families will be going to the cabin in July.  Melissa and Eric's families are going to California in August.  A summer full of fun and memories.

Hottest June day since 1976 in UK

Happy Father's Day today

Monday - we prepared for our departures and transfers which are tomorrow.  We found out we need to be out of the office tomorrow so a company can decontaminate our building.  We were having windows replaced in the building a few weeks ago, when they discovered asbestos where they are taking out the old windows.  They shut the work down and quarantined part of our building.  It will probably be a long process now to complete the rest of the building.  I had to fill out a report to hand in with the details of who was where in the building at what time.  We had to move all our papers and supplies that we need for tomorrow over to the church.

Elders - Miner, Lo, Searle, Rane, President Leppard, Lawson
Sisters - Dignos, Price, Belnap, Jones

Sister Belnap, Veater, Jones, Willmore, Price and Dignos

Tuesday - Our departing missionaries started arriving at the church and we had our check out with them there.  We are so sad to see so many amazing young missionaries leaving us.  Testimony meeting was so wonderful and what great young men and women we have to lead our church in the near future.  We hope they will keep in contact with us through the years.


We love these missionaries!

Elder Rane, Lawson, Miner, Lo and Searle

Wednesday - Elder Willmore and I got up at 2;30 a.m. to take Elder Lo to the airport for a 6:10 departure.  At 8:00 am we had 2 families arrive to pick up their missionaries.  Such an emotional thing to watch.  A family also came into the office on Wednesday to see the mission office.  The mother of the family had lived in the mission office when she was 8 years old for 3 years in the 1960s while her father was the mission President - President Cannon.  Her great great grandfather George Q Cannon also served as Mission President.
Zone Conference for Nottingham Zone so the office was quiet today.

Thursday - Zone Conference for Lichfield Zone which was held at the church next to us so we had a few missionaries coming in before and after the meeting.

Friday - Drove to Henley for a dinner with some of the Senior Couples and President and Sister Leppard at the Bull's Head.  It is a building from the 1500's.









Saturday and Sunday have been very hot and muggy.  The hottest we have felt since we arrived - actually they are saying the hottest since 1976.
We were outside most of the day on Saturday - we went to a Boot sale - like a huge garage sale.
Very interesting to see all the many things people are selling. It was very fun to walk through. We drove to Mary Arden's Farm and enjoyed the old farm where Shakespeare's mother grew up.  We also revisiting Ann Hathaway's home - wife of William Shakespeare.  We went there in the fall but wanted to see it in the summer when the flowers are in bloom.  Had ice cream (twice).  Yummy

Yes - the building is very crooked!  It was built in the 1500's

Hollyhocks in the village of Henley

Calm before the Storm

This week has been very calm and slow at the office - just waiting for the busy next two weeks with Departures, Transfers and Arrivals and all the computer work and paper work that comes with them.  This next week is actually one of my favorite weeks because we get to see the missionaries before they return home and hear their testimonies.

Wednesday was Relief Society and we made English scones which are like our biscuits except they are sweeter.  We also made homemade strawberry jam to have on them along with clotted cream and whipped cream.  They were delicious and it was a fun night with the wonderful sisters in the ward.





Elder Willmore took a driving lesson on Friday to prepare for his practical driving test which he is scheduled to take on July 4th.  It is a ways out but there is a long wait list for the test.

Friday we went to dinner with the Assistants to the President.  Elder Searle will be leaving next Wednesday to return home - we will really miss him.  It is amazing to watch these young elders do their many responsibilities.

On Saturday we had a Stake Faith in God Activity for our primary children.  It was held at the Lichfield Chapel.

After the activity we took a ride through Nottingham and the Sherwood Forest - it was a beautiful day and we loved our walk through the forest.

Oak tree that is 1500 years old - the tree not the people!

Elder Willmore at Sherwood Forest

Jeff and Jamie and their family are having a family reunion this week at a resort in Colorado - she sent pictures of them having a great time together.  Make Memories!

Melissa, Caden, Scott

Sunday - June 11th - Caden was ordained a deacon today - We are so proud of him.

















Today I also talked in Sacrament meeting about Charity.  It was a great topic to contemplate and think of ways I need to improve.  It reminded me of the talk Nyla gave at Mom's funeral and the attributes that mom had that exemplified Charity.  She was a wonderful example of a women with Charity.
"Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life."  President Thomas S. Monson

HUMP Day

Tomorrow is HUMP day - We have been out 9 months tomorrow on Monday, June 5th.  We already know who the replacement couple is that will serve in the office and have been in contact with them.  We will overlap by one month so we will have time to train.


What an amazing adventure and special experience this past nine months has been.  Our mission has truly blessed our lives.  We had Elder and Sister Veater and Elder Searle and Elder Smith over for dinner this evening and we talked about our mission experiences.  One of our favorite parts is our relationship with the missionaries.  Oh how we love these missionaries!

A very special day this week for our granddaughter Madison Weidauer.  She graduated from Riverton High School on Thursday, June 1st.  She will be leaving to attend UVU in the fall and off to many more adventures - Here she goes!

Caden 

This week on the 8th of June our grandson Caden will turn 12 and receive the Aaronic Priesthood.  What is happening to our grandchildren.  They are all growing up!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY CADEN - WE LOVE YOU!  Oh how we love the MEMORIES

Helping Grandpa at the cabin

We walked over to the New Hall Mill on our lunch break on Monday after our office meeting.  Such a beautiful walk over, but on our way home we had a downpour of rain - We got soaked!
After all - We are in England. We heard the AP's and President and Sister Leppard were back at the office laughing.




June 1st -Thursday - New windows are starting to be installed in our building - WORK ZONE!

Sister Knudsen

President Leppard

The office was full of missionaries this week and we had a lot of luncheons to prepare - We had Trainers Meeting for the new trainers for our next arrivals, Self Reliance Workshop for the missionaries going home in a few months, and Mission Leadership Council.  On Friday we ended the week by going out to dinner with President and Sister Leppard.

Looking out the window of the house into the garden

Saturday - Pday - June 2nd
PACKWOOD HOUSE
A House to Dream of - A garden to Dream in

What a beautiful garden it was...