Well, work at the mission office has definitely kept me off balance and blogging has definitely suffered as a result. So here is a final attempt to cap off the year, altho much will be left out because it is just impossible to go back and recall it all.
Christmas Eve Michael and Mary arrived around 9:00 and we went to dinner at BJs Restuarant, which is in the mall close to us. We had just been there early in the month with other couples from the ward who have been in our dinner group - their food is really good:)! Christmas day we had a nice breakfast with Mary and Michael, then headed to Roseburg to deliver packages while Mary and Michael went to spend some time with his family. The packages proved to take longer than expected but were finally delivered. We stopped by Jill Garvin's but she appeared to not be at home so we left a note and then went to see Linda. Linda had prepared a meal so we shared it with her and had a good visit; so grateful to Mary for being with us and helping us to have a good time together. It was a good place to be on Christmas day. After we left Linda we went back up to see Jill and visited for a short while there, then headed back to Eugene. Happy to be back at the apartment where we just kind of relaxed and rested.
Thursday Mary joined us at the mission office and I put her to work tabulating the number of packages and letters we had received, recorded, re-labeled with addresses and taken to the post office in December: it added up to 528 packages and 1593 letters when I added these last few days to it. That number did not include the number of packages sent on to the Salem mission, which was quite a few, nor the ones for the office couples, elders and APs who manage to get their mail as it comes to the office. It has been a tiring mail month:). We enjoyed Mary's company Thursday; Michael joined us near the end of the day and we had dinner at our apartment. Michael stayed in our apartment Thursday night and then he and Mary took off in the morning and spent Friday together, coming back later. Micihael came with us Saturday morning to see our new addition (the motor home) but had to get up to Portland to work, so didn't get to participate in our drive up to Fern Creek Reservoir - which sounded like a nice place to go, but in the winter is pretty much blocked off from campers of any kind. Dad really enjoyed fiddling around with all the different mechanical aspects of the motor home; Mary and I enjoyed just being together - and the heat which finally warmed it up once that got figured out:). We had stopped at KFC and picked up a little lunch, which we ate while parked in about the only spot we could find near the reservoir...and enjoyed watching other cars and trucks that showed up here and there. It was a good maiden voyage. We are kind of thinking of taking it up to Charlotte and Seth's for our first over-nighter, hopefully on a weekend. We will see.
I got a number of things done Friday, Saturday and Sunday pertaining to office work and we had a good Monday and Tuesday... actually left last night with a few things under control, but very tired. Instead of the 4:30 pm quitting time which is supposed to be our standard, most of the office couples seem to be staying until 5:30, 6:00 or even later every night... makes for long days. Hopefully we will get our act together soon and things will be more "normal" - whatever that is:)
Today - New Year's Day - I had an awesome morning...time for personal prayer, scripture study, and exercising - I think it has been at least 2 months since I could have said that and I probably will not be able to do it on a daily basis again for some time, but it felt absolutely wonderful:). Hoping to put those things back into my daily schedule for sure once this mission is completed. Seems a little funny to me to have to give up those things in order to serve a mission... but basically that is what this mission has required of me. Perhaps if I were a little younger.... So - if anyone wants some advice - if you can serve a mission in your 50s, DO IT!
I think Dad and I are going to see the movie, Saving Mr. Banks, this afternoon/evening... today would probably be our best opportunity. A number of people that we know have seen it and said it is good, so I will trust them:).
Wishing our beautiful family - kids, spouses and grandkids alike - a wonderful, happy and fulfilling new year!!! (Thought I would add the picture that Sara sent me last night to cap off this entry...Love to all!)
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| Jocee - Happy to Greet the New Year...2014! |
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