FALL. IT'S HERE. I THINK...

Thursday morning and the temp when leaving our apartment was thirty-seven.  Thirty-three at the office. So...I think Fall has finally found Kentucky.  I keep hearing how beautiful it is in the fall, but so far it's been kind of hit-and-miss.  Elder and Sister Prior will be heading west today to Evansville for some surprise apartment inspections and she said she'd let me know if there are any photo opportunities that direction.  Maybe we can go exploring this weekend.  These "surprise inspections" are only a surprise to the first apartment they go to.  After that...the "mission pipeline" is activated and everyone else knows they're on the way!

 These pictures were all taken on our way home from the office, in the park we drive through.

We loved seeing the pictures of Sister Aleesa Breinholt returning yesterday!  How exciting for her family and how great to see her smiling face as she got home.  We're proud of the service she did while in Houston (and you know there was a lot of it recently).

I was having a hard time trying to decide what to get Elder Breinholt for his birthday this year.  I finally decided I'd buy him a baseball bat from the Louisville Slugger Museum.  He'd mentioned that he'd like one as his souvenir from KY.  So...we're going to go to the museum and plant where they make them and he can pick one out.  He wants one with the Dodgers logo on it and they will even engrave it for you.  So...mission accomplished!  I'm not making his usual carrot cake for Sunday because Sister Prior is making him one to have on Monday here in the office.  She is a fantastic baker!  I did bake a cheesecake for last Sunday when we had the Sisters over for dinner.  It turned out great...I was worried.

Well...the weekend was busy.  Saturday we went to a baptism of a 79 year old woman, named Peggy,that the sister missionaries taught.  She is so sweet.  They...the two sisters and Peggy...sang How Great Thou Art.  And it was really nice.  Saturday evening I took Don out to Rafferty's ( a steak house) for dinner and then at 7:30, we met the sisters at Terry and Theresa's house for a lesson.  They are a couple that have been to church several times.  The temperature has been getting a lot cooler in the morning.  We haven't had any ice yet where we are, but the Priors and Flemings have both needed to scrape their windows one day.

This is one of our busy transfer weeks.  We have two missionaries coming this afternoon (they are two transfer missionaries) and 14 more around 4:00.  Then we go to the Mission Home (finally done with the renovations) for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow is transfers and it will be chaos outside from 10-2.  Then we leave for a 3:30 temple session, followed once again by dinner at the Mission Home.  By the time Wednesday rolls around, we're ready to crash!

Our newest missionaries...dinner
at the Mission Home, after a long day!







HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL!

OFFICE EXCITEMENT

Today...Friday the 20th...Elder Breinholt and I were the first ones here and unlocked the front door to find the office had been broken into.  There was a vent removed on the financial clerks door, and it had been pried open.  I'm sure he was hoping there was lots of money in there.  He used bolt cutters to open a couple of combination locks and get the key to the rest of the doors.  He stole some new Samsung tablets from Elder Fleming's office and several gas credit cards from Elder Breinholts.  Plus the petty cash ($5?).  He ate half a gallon of ice cream in the kitchen downstairs and the candy our of the dish on the lobby counter.

One thing he didn't know was that he was on camera during much of it.  There are a couple of good full face pictures.  He came in the front door...just like it wasn't locked.  So now we're trying to find out if it didn't get it locked or if it wasn't shut tight when we left. Anyway...it's made for an exciting end to the week!  The police just left and there's a bunch of fingerprint dust left behind.  That stuff is hard to get rid of.

I decided to stay home Weds. this week. Don came home about an hour early because the computers had been down all day.  So...Thurs. I stayed home too which was a good thing because there's not much I can do without the computer and it took a while yesterday to get it up and going again.

We've been told the fall colors will be at their best the first part of November.  I can't wait.  It's been driving me nuts wanting to go and look at some and there's just a few that have turned so far. I've had to make my screen saver a picture I took last year.

I'm beginning to think I'm not making the best use of my free time here.  I've decided I need to study more than I am when it's slow at the office.  I mean...what a perfect time to learn.  Instead of bring bored!

So the church is trying to consolidate the number of  missions open. They opened up 80 new missions around the world with the huge influx of younger ages for the missionaries.  That has slowed down so that it is almost on par with what it was prior to the change.  So they will be closing missions again and adding them to some of the adjoining missions.  That will be interesting.  It won't be immediate and it may be through attrition, but some missions may be getting bigger. 

On the 5th, we have a two-stake conference.  The Crestwood Stake, that we belong to, and the Louisville Stake.  They are going to make a third stake from both of those.  What I have been told by the president is that we will be ending up with a much larger ward. That will be nice.  We also have two convert baptisms on Saturday afternoon and that night we are going with the sisters to teach a couple who have been investigating.  Busy weekend.

No pictures this week.  Love to all!

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO

This week has been bitter sweet.  Don's sister, Gayla, passed away on Friday from Alzheimer's.  She was his older sister, friend, and protector when he was young. She was so sweet to me and I enjoyed the few times we got to see each other.  I am also glad we decided to come out here through Denver so we could see  her one more time.  Even though she didn't know who we were, she was still so loving to Don as they sat and held hands.

So now a family of seven is down to two.  But we are so blessed to have the knowledge that we will be able to see them again.  I've never met his oldest brother, Bill, or his parents, and am looking forward to meeting them someday.  It's an odd thing about funerals...even though they are generally sad, they are also joyous occasions as we reminisce about the life of the one who has departed, and visit with family that we only see at weddings or funerals.

Gayla was cremated, as will her husband, Dick, be when he passes.  I learned a new word Wednesday.  Inurned (instead of interred).  She was being inurned at the            National Cemetery.  Dick is a veteran and, I assume, that is why they decided on there for their final resting place.  I took several pictures because it is a beautiful cemetery with rows upon rows of white headstones.  It left me in awe of the numbers of veterans who have served their country.  If you multiply that number by numerous ones in other cities and states, it is very humbling and makes me even more grateful for those who have served our country.

I'm also grateful we were able to attend.  Even Gayla's bishop was surprised we were able to get away.  It's so different for senior missionaries, and I assume it might be different with different mission presidents.  All I did was tell President Hughes that Don's sister had passed away and that we'd like to go to the funeral.  He said, "take all the time you need".  Of course it helped that we can do much of what we do over the phone.  I was able to find flights that weren't too expensive and we flew out of the Cincinnati International Airport (which is actually in Kentucky).  Don's brother, Lynn and his wife, Karen met us in Denver and we stayed in the same hotel.  It was so good to see them...we always enjoy our time with them (even for occasions like this).

Getting to the airport Tuesday was quite eventful.  We put it into our google maps and followed the directions.  Looking at a map before hand it looked pretty straight forward, but as we got closer, it had us go down some country roads (think dueling banjos) and before we knew it, we were at the end of a road with a mobile home.  Between the yard and the porch I counted 5 dogs and 6 cats.  There was someone sitting on the porch and eventually she came to the car and Don asked how to get to the airport.  She said, it's not around here!  After backtracking awhile...and Don driving faster than I've ever seen...we found our way there and made our flight!

Coming home wasn't without it's own story.  We got to the Denver airport in plenty of time to have something to eat for breakfast.  When we arrived, we found a place in the airport to sit and wait for our flight.  There was a young man and a couple sitting across from us.  The woman smiled and said, " this young man is a BYU student."  She and her husband are from Orem and were flying to Cincinnati to see their children.  Funny thing, on the same plane was the BYU track team flying to Louisville for an invitational meet.  The young man decided to go get something to eat before the flight, had left his phone in Provo, and when he looked at his watch, forgot about the hour's time difference and thought he had plenty of time.  He missed the plane to Louisville.  So...lucky turn of events for him...we were going to Louisville from Cincinnati!!!!  So, we brought him to his hotel in Louisville...not far from where we live.  He is a distance runner and on track to make the Olympic team (possibly for Canada...as he is a Canadian citizen).  So if you hear of Rory Linkletter (yes!  that is his real name).we helped in his quest for the gold!

The End...to a very eventful week.

NAPS?????

One of the videos the church posted of senior missionaries telling about their experiences, has an Elder saying, "you can even take a nap during the day, if you need one".  That sounded pretty good to us!  Especially since Elder Breinholt had gotten in the habit of an afternoon snooze!  I'm not sure this is what we had in mind:

     

                The boxes behind him are some infamous TIWI's waiting to be installed!    

I had planned to post this last week before the new month started.  But...good intentions don't matter if you don't follow through!  Anyway...it's now October 4.  The mornings are starting to feel like Fall.  Don is dreading having to go back to normal time next month!  I have a feeling though, that winters may not last as long here...guess we'll see.  I've seen several pictures of fall colors back home.  Most trees here haven't gotten there's.

Yesterday was MLC (Missionary Leadership Council).  It's always fun and chaotic when you get a pile of missionaries together.  This group meets once a month and come from all six zones so they haven't seen or talked to each other for awhile!  You can imagine how that is!!!  And the Elders are as bad as the girls!

I am grateful for the feelings I get when I'm around them.  We are constantly being told we are loved by them.  It really brightens my day.  And it's hard not to fall in love with all of them...each one different...kind of like a big family.  They radiate the Love of Christ and it's contagious.  It gets harder to say goodbye when their missions are up!  

Random thought:  Don said the other day, "Do you realize that we now know someone named Kansas and Chynna?"  

Elder Breinholt's sister, Gayla is not doing well.  She has alzheimers and is now in the final stages.  I'm grateful I got to know her. She is really sweet and the thought of her being gone is hard.  We may have to fly out to Denver, depending on what they plan to do.

Our mission president and his wife have been living at a Residence Inn since July 1, while some of the mission home was being remodeled.  What a way to start out!!  They were finally able to move in last Friday.  The home was first used in 1960...so it kinda has that look.  The carpet is gone and laminate is in. The Master bedroom and bath were made bigger, the kitchen was completely re-done.  It's a good house as it has several bedrooms downstairs where the new missionaries stay their first night here and the ones being released stay for their last night.   Anyway...long story short...we had dinner there Sunday night and one of our AP's played the baby grand piano for us.  No music.  Oh my!!  He is so good.  Don taped it.  If there was a way to put it in here, I would!

So...in the last 3 transfers, we have had several of our leaving missionaries dating, or engaged, or married, after they get home!  It's been quite the surprise seeing who has paired up with who.  

Last night the weatherman said, we're in need for some rain.  It's been two weeks since we've had any! So different from the western united states.  They can get as much in one day as we get all year!

Bye for now...