Trip to Macau and Hong Kong (China)

It was good to be greeted by Chad, Jessica and girls after a long flight.  Here is a view of their apartment in the background.  No, their apartment does not face the beach.  Darn.   Jozie and Haven are in the foreground.  

They may not have a view of the beach but this is a view of their patio and common court yard.  The patio is glassed in.  They picked a home in the "country" rather than the city.  

Claire wasn't walking when they left Utah.   Such a cute cute girl.  And I am not one bit prejudice.  Hahaha

Chad and Jessica took a mini get away vacation while I was there to "babysit".  They went to Thailand.  They took Claire and she was much happlier with her mother than she would have been with her grandmother.   This is a picture of the girls playing on the beach.  They are making a cake, can you tell?  

We went to the Lyon Parade while the parents were gone.  This was part of the New Years celebration.  The fan fair goes on for the entire month of January.  Flowers and Mandraine oranges are everywhere.  Oranges are for good luck.  Chad took me around the peak you can see in the background.  In fact we went around 5 peaks in a canoe.  We even discovered a cave and no we didn't get too near it but we could hear it sucking the waves into it.  Okay, back to the Lyon parade.  It was more like a presentation than a parade.  The 3 performers were accompanied by a large drum.  

After the performance at the Weston Hotel, one of the "Lyons" came onto the grassy area and teased the children.   Can you see Jozie and Haven in this picture?

This is Jozie's last day at school before the new year break.  She is in the first grade.  They are performing the "Chicken Dance" on the play ground.   I think that is what it is called.  She is the cute girl in the yellow shirt.  She got a reward from the Principal, of course.  

This is Claire ready to take me back to the airport in Macau.  She does wave but I couldn't get her to do it for the camara.  See you again in 18 months.  Viszontlatasra, Hungarian for goodbye. 

Mission Farewell

You are welcome to come to my mission farewell, if you would like.  It will be held at the Roses Park 2nd Ward at 9:00am.  Be sure to go to the EAST chapel.  The address is approximately 1200 west and 800 north, Salt Lake City.  There will not be a luncheon afterwards.  Sorry, but it will be good to see you.  

Fun things we did in Texas.

Emmett and Olivia.  I hope you will be friends forever. 

Three generations.  Too bad Mother (Melba) isn't here for this photo shot.  

The kids are making a mess.  No I mean the kids are making a surprise dinner for their parents.  

Christmas Eve.   Candle light dinner with children can be more fun than you think. 

Thank you Crystaly's family for letting me spend Christmas with you.  I will miss you. 

My Mission Call

The very day I retired I also turned in my application for a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then I made a trip to visit my grandchildren in Texas and Macau, China.   While I was in Texas I received my call to the Hungary, Budapest Mission. I will arrive at the MTC on March 10, 2014 and leave the Mission Home one week later. My assignment is to serve as a Mission Office Specialist. My companion is a nurse.  It will be my privilege to travel around the countryside with her. I suppose English isn't spoken as much outside of Budapest so learning Hungarian is uppermost in my mind. I feel very blessed to be able to serve in a foreign country. Mike served his mission in France and he was in Germany in the US Military. I hope he will be with me during the next 18 months.