Open House

Wow! We just got back from a great trip to Utah.  We went down and spent Tues. night with my sister and her husband Eric.  They are so fun and caring.  Erin has completed my new knitted shawl - she is so talented.  Then on Wed. we picked up my former companion Bonna B. and drove down to  Ephraim to a wonderful open house for all of us former Italy North missionaries.  My mission president and his lovely wife, Dan and Elaine Jorgensen, hosted the affair and the food and company were great.  We all are 40 years older but that didn't matter.  We laughed, cried, told funny, inspirational, and life-changing stories.  My mission in Italy changed my life forever.  President and Sister Jorgensen inspired me then and continue to inspire me today.  They had the awesome experience of watching over some five hundred young missionaries for three years when they were in their early thirties.  They had small children yet gave of their time and love so freely.  President Jorgensen had a very successful career in banking - living in Italy before they were called to be mission president and then after both overseas and in the U.S.  Sister Jorgensen is teaching full time at Snow College.  She has a doctorate in Music from Julliard.  They have five children and lots of grandchildren.

It was so fun to share family news, what we were doing, etc. with such dear old friends.  It was amazing how many connections we shared that we didn't even know about.  People, places, and family connect all of us  in some way.  We are all so excited about the new temple being built in Rome and so many of us want to be there for the dedication, we are thinking about chartering a plane and renting some villas in Italy and going together as a group.  It will be so much fun! We seemed to make the intervening years seem like just moments since we last saw each other.  The spouses joined right in and we became instant good friends.  I don't know how other missionary reunions are but ours was like pure heaven.  My face hurt from smiling so much.  Each memory shared brought forth another memory and it was amazing how much we were able to recall and share.  It was wonderful to hear about people we all knew in Italy and how they are today.  Many of us have been back to Italy through the years and kept up with one member or another for news.  Several of the former missionaries are in Italy right now.  President Jorgensen is already planning more reunions.  The only bad thing of the whole reunion is I forgot to take any pictures.  We were so busy talking that I didn't even take my camera out of my handbag!  rats!!

This opportunity for Marv and I to return to Italy and serve the people is a dream come true.  As events have occurred we  have seen the hand of the Lord helping us as we prepare to serve.  The other couple going to Italy on a mission have seen the same blessings and help as well.  They will be serving in the Rome mission and will be working with the young single adults throughout Italy.  They are a great couple and both served in Italy before.

We are so grateful to be going to Italy.  Marv is still learning Italian at a great pace.  Monday he will start skyping with the MTC (mission training center) and has a teacher assigned.  He will also get a "coach" to practice with and one of the sisters (she was my district leader on my mission), Janice Hileman, may get to be that coach.  What fun.  He is doing so well.  We both are rereading the Book of Mormon and loving it.  It is a truly remarkable book and teaches us many precious and sacred principles.  It is also great to read for the history as well.  We are ready and anxious to leave.  Only 51 days left.  But who's counting?

We are off next week to New Mexico and Arizona again to see the grandkids one last time.  This mission would be much harder if we didn't have skype available.  Monday and Tuesday, we will be helping Ruth (Marv's mom) get new carpet upstairs.  Marv's best childhood friend is laying it but we are the movers.  Marv's sister, Maryln, is coming up from Utah to help.

We are busy all the time.  Tonight we are going to play games with our old friends and their friends.  We are having a pot luck dinner and then playing games all evening.  Tomorrow night we will take Ruth out to her favorite restaurant for Mother's Day and then will have a family dinner on Sunday.  Then carpet for two days and then off to New Mexico.  Our 16 year niece is coming with us for a visit with Leigh and her family.  She just finished high school and will be off to college in the fall.  She is a dear girl and we love to be with her.  She dances with the Idaho Falls Ballet school and last Sat. we watched her perform at the Civic Auditorum as they performed selections from the ballet The Secret Garden and then some different dance pieces.  It was fun.  She is very tall and very graceful.  Being able to see our nieces and nephews is a great blessing.  Living  home here means we get to see family almost daily.  We cherish these opportunities. Families are truly eternal and are the only meaningful achievement of this earthly life.  Love your families and let them know it every day.  Time passes so quickly that many moments can be lost so easily.  Ciao cari amici.

Side Trips

May 6, 2013

While we have been here in Idaho, we have taken the opportunity for a number of different side trips.

Peggy mentioned in her last entry that we spent one day with my Uncle Kent in Terreton.  He is a large animal veterinarian and I went with him on all of his appointments for that day.  It was wonderful  But not for the queasy.  We drove out past Howe to sample 27 bulls for Trich.  This is a venereal disease that could cause large number of deaths in the new born calves.  The Bulls were run into a chute one by one and Kent sampled their semen.  My job was to log the tag numbers and sample envelope IDs.   They were kicking, snorting, howling and making a real ruckus.  We had Bull shit and Bull snot flung all over.  It was great!  Next we went to Blackfoot to castrate two young colts.  They were quite feisty.  I'm not sure if they knew what was about to happen to them, but it was quite an experience.  I didn't get any pictures of my assistant vet experience, but here is a shot of the mountains just west of Kent and Brenda's home.  I love the mountains

The following Thursday I got to ride along with my bother Douglas who was making a drop off of some tables and chairs at a restaurant in Jackson Hole.  It was great to spend this time with him and catch up on old times.  We drove past Palisades Reservoir on the way up and over Jackson pass on the way back.  Nice trip

Last week Peggy and I drove up to Yellowstone to see the Baby Buffalos.  Peggy got her lifetime pass (one of the benefits of old age).  It had been 8 years or so since we had visited the park and I was very surprised at the trees that have grown since the big fire.  We saw lots of Buffalos, most of them bulls, we only saw baby buffs up at the north entrance around Mammoth hot springs.

Baby Buffs staying close to mom

 

 

Mammoth Hot Springs

 

 

Dropping down into Mammoth you must drive through a narrow canyon and one spot is called the golden gate.  Check out the road way.  Back in the 1800 they build this road out of timbers. Imagine driving across that!

 



 

 

We saw Old Faithful and lots of Elk.  This one jumped out in the road in front of us.  It is a good thing the speed limit is 45 mph.  I had to rush to grab the camera and get a picture before he wandered down to the river.

 

 

 

On our way to Old Faithful we came across 5 buffalo that were walking down the road.  They seemed to know where they were going and did not stop to eat.  The leader was come right down the middle of the road!

 

 

 

On the way back to west Yellowstone 3-4 hours later we came upon the same group of buffalo that were about 6 miles down the road.  They were still plodding along at the same pace. We figured they were on their way to the Friday night dance and were looking for some Buffalo Gals.





 

We spent the night in West Yellowstone.  This is the best time of year to go through the park.  No crowds and lots to see.  However, the food selection was very limited.  It seemed like the only option was hamburgers.

On our way home on Friday we stopped by the upper Mesa Falls.  This is spot that few people stop at because it off the main drag on the old highway.  Very neat place.  My dad used to take me here to fish.  Peggy and I went on our first camping trip together here.

 

We drove the long way home through Driggs and stopped the drug store to get a Huckleberry Milkshake.  Yum.  The Tetons are always marvelous to look at.  Did say I love the mountains?