Monday, April 27, 2015

Lizard

I have been traumatized AGAIN in this house.  I walked into our bedroom and in the middle of the carpet was a lizard.  I didn't even know what to think but gave out a blood curdling scream.  Dell  came running.  I was frozen.  When I screamed the lizard RAN between a chair and dresser.  
Dell was trying to figure out how to catch it as there were different directions it could take off to.  He texted the zone leaders in Ventura and asked if they would come and help.  To the rescue! I was not fast enough to get a picture of the Elders and President on the floor spread eagle getting a game plan together.  Elders Sorensen went behind the chair as the lizard had moved and caught it with his bare hands.  It was no big deal to him.  He is a scouter and has gotten rid of many rattlesnakes.  What's a lizard?! 
Elder Law and Elder Sorensen
They of course teased me as to the size of the lizard.  I felt bad because the lizard bit Elder Sorensen and didn't want to let go.
Tomorrow one of the mechanics, Alex, from the FM Group will see what can be done so it doesn't happen again.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Felix

President and Sister Jones saw this in LA.  I don't know the details but she sent it to me and told us to have a nice evening.  
There are purple flowering trees all over.  One day last week it was a bit windy and so purple petals were on the ground.
On my walks I continue to find flowers that I've not seen before.  
California is beautiful (anyway our mission is).
Saturday was a day of service.  President Felix invited the missionaries to participate with the stakes they were serving in.  We worked with the Ventura Stake.  Two projects were arranged.  One was at the equestrian center in Fillmore and the other at this cute school in Santa Paula.  The first school house was built in 1879 and the third and present Santa Clara Schoolhouse was built in 1896.  I wonder why it is Santa Clara when it is in Santa Paula.
We were one of the first there and able to choose our task.  We tackled this table and benches.
First we had to scrape off the beige paint down to the brown wood.  
The man looking down is a convert.  He moved from Holland to California.  He was invited to go to a YSA activity by a co-worker.  Bro Maas wasn't sure if he should go so asked his boss who he trusted.  The boss said oh for sure go.  He found out later that the boss was a stake president.  He met a gal there, had the missionary lessons, and got married in the temple to the gal he met at the YSA activity and now has an 
18 month old daugther and 4 month old son.
By one invitation see what happiness can come!
After scraping we sanded.  I am using a power blower to clean the table off.
Bro. Riggins is a convert of less than a year.  It was fun getting to know him.  I did the edges with a sponge and the rest was rolled on with a little roller.
Thomas would go from project to project.  I called him our quality control person.  He's in a wheelchair.  We had fun talking about his experiences with wheelchairs.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

David Archuleta

A couple of weeks ago President received a call from Kendra Lowe.  She is the accompanist for David Archuleta.  He was going to be in the area (Los Angeles) and was offering to do a fireside for the missionaries in our mission.  He loves missionaries and the missionary effort. We were with the Hales coming home from the zoo when she called.  He didn't lead on at all to any of us what the call was about.  Kendra said she had called Elder Maynes'office and permission was given.  Two dates were offered and  April 19 at 6:00 was the agreed upon date.  With this offer came the request that we would not tell anyone about him coming.  This was totally for the missionaries.  We didn't tell anyone!  The missionaries were told about the training and to stay in their cars until 5:45, then go into the chapel to wait reverently.  President sent out an email last Monday making sure the missionaries didn't think Ipads were going to be the topic.  There was so much excitement.  This is the first time since we've been here the missionaries have all been together in one place.
We invited them to have dinner with us at 4:00 prior to going over to the stake center. It's been a long time since I've made Lion house rolls so I made them after stake conference today.  We had "rumbi grill'chicken salad.
At 3:30 Kendra called and said she was picking up David and that was in Santa Monica.  We were afraid they wouldn't get to the mission home until closer to 5:30.  We both prayed for them to arrive in a timely manner.  We ran to the stake center just before 4:30 to take signs to tape on the doors that said the doors wouldn't be open until 5:45.  We got back about 10 minutes later and Kendra and David had just arrived.  I think a little miracle of "parting the cars on the road"occured.
Yeah, we had time for dinner and they did the warm up at the mission home.  I was excited to tell David the connection we have.  Vicki knows him and it's because of the relationship she had of tending his father when he was young.  They were neighbors to the Griders.
Kendra said don't you live in Cottonwood Heights?  She lives on Top of the World.  After I told her more specific to where our home is, she asked if we knew the Ringwoods.  She is good friends with Kim's Aunt Marjorie.
We invited the outgoing Area Authority, Elder and Sister Garns, the new one to begin May 1, Elder and Sister Wilde, both counselors and wives in the mission presidency (the Records and Moffats), and President and Sister Jones of the Ventura Stake.
David invited Brooke White (also competed in American Idol when he did) to join in the fireside by bearing testimony and singing Amazing Grace with him.  She lives in our mission with her husband and little girl.  
David did a great job by sharing scriptures, stories, and singing.  He sang five songs:  Come Come Ye Saints, Be Still My Soul, Amazing Grace, I Believe in Christ, and Glorious.
We did pictures with the zones with us, Brooke, Kendra, and David.
Since we didn't have time to have our strawberry shortcake after dinner, we came back to the mission home and finished the salad and had dessert.  We had a very nice visit and they went on their way.  

Monday, April 13, 2015

The Hales

The Hales arrived at the mission home on Monday, April 6 in time for dinner.  We had pizza and salad ready for them.  The plan was to watch the finals of March Madness.  We didn't see so much of that but enjoyed being together.
Tuesday morning we ate waffle mormon.  We wanted to beat the rain that was in the forcast.  We did get to the zoo in Santa Barbara before it rained.  We were grateful we went prepared with umbrellas.  It hardly rains but both times the Hales have come we have had rain storms.  California people love the rain as we are in a drought.
In the background is a giant snake (not real).
I love Tad's look.
I asked the kids what their favorite animal was.  Nash chose the flamingos.
It was good timing to see the elephants eat.  We even had an elephant trainer talk to us about them.

These frogs are poisonous.  They look ceramic and they are very colorful.
I asked Jared and Shelby to let me take their picture as they are love birds in front of the love birds.
Annie loves giraffes.  The baby was born one month ago.

Tate wanted to see the lions.  The female wanted to play but not the male.
The Gibbons were here.  Look closely behind the black one as there is a light colored one that swung on the ropes.  They were so vocally noisey.

The Gorilla is taking off to get his food that was thrown down in a burlap bag.



The rain stopped long enough for us to have a picnic.
We had borrowed the mission van so we could all go together.  We drove through some of Santa Barbara and then went to the movie McFarland USA.
A roast was cooking in the crock pot for dinner.
Annie and I made swig cookies.


They are picking avacados in the back.
Shelby and I were able to go hiking.  It was great being with her and hiking again.
The other mornings we walked/ran and Annie joined us one of the mornings:)
Last time the Hales were here we went to McConnells but we weren't able to get ice cream.  The shop had been vandalized as a rock had been thrown through the window. 
It was a must for this trip.

We had interviews on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  The Hales were on their own during the days.  They went to Universal Studios twice and the beach was sandwiched in the middle.
We wanted to go to Souplantation for dinner which is by the outlets.  The girls went shopping while the boys "hit"the batting cages.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Pismo Beach

We left Ventura Monday and picked up two elders at the airport that have been assigned to our mission. They both got very sick on their missions and are better now and get to serve here.  One served in the Congo and the other in Peru.
We drove to Atascadero and stayed the night so that we wouldn't have to get up so early on Tuesday for interviews. 
We drove to Santa Maria to stay two nights.  Wednesday interviews in SM then Lompoc on Thursday. 
Thursday morning we drove to Pismo to get cinnamon rolls. We've discovered they are so much better consumed on the premises.
For exercise we walked around Pismo. It was windy so a bit cold. 
The Easter bunny is coming.