Learning Curve

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Dear Bob and Jo,

I hope this finds you well and that things are going well for you.   We are loving it here and learning a lot. 

 

Our new thing to do is go to the grocery store.   We really do need to find something different to do.   I think we have found a couple of stores that might be less expensive so we will keep looking around.   Jens from work is taking us to a couple of stores and going to help me understand what I am trying to buy.  I think I will have Sister Asplund go too because she wants to know how to buy things and what she is buying.  She and her husband arrived the same day we did.   Marv works with them in the Centers for Young Single Adults.   I love the adventure.   We turned in our plastic Coke and soda bottles yesterday and that was cool.  We got a refund for almost 5 Euro.   So I guess we have drunk a lot of soda. 

 

I got my first haircut yesterday.   I paid 15 EUR.  She did a good job.   It is a lady from the Philippines that cleans house for the Mission President and prepares meals for big functions at the mission home and then every two weeks she comes to an apartment of one of the missionaries in the building next to the office and cuts hair for the missionaries.   She has a son who was born totally deaf but he has had the implants and now he is doing pretty good.  He is 15 years old and she is a single mom plus she is supporting her father in the Philippines.   She seems to be a hard worker and she was very nice.   She actually told me she thought I was in my 40’s and couldn’t believe I had 10 grandchildren.   Nice way to get a big tip – tell me I look younger than I am.   It was a great self esteem builder.

   

The German lady who works with finances came to train Marv yesterday and trained him for 3 ½ hours so we didn’t get to lunch until after 2:30 p.m. and I was so hungry.   Marv was getting teased about how she really liked him because I guess she can be pretty stern but Marv was a good student.   He admitted to me, he isn’t really sure what he learned but it will all come together once he has a payment request and has to actually do something with the programs.   She talked to me after and I’m not so sure she likes me as much, oh well.   (It was cute because Brother Asplund was telling me, how she liked Dad because he even saw her pat his arm.)   Poor Marv, she speaks English but with a very strong German accent.  You know he has a hard time accents and with hearing sometimes so he just smiles and she thinks he is understanding her.

The weather is starting to be rainy over here and the skies are gray overcast.   We have had a lot of sunny days since we arrived which we were told is unusual and that we must have brought the sunshine with us.  I like it so much better when the sun is shining but that is probably why things are getting green and the trees are starting to bloom.   Everyone has flower pots on their homes and the fields are getting green.   It is really starting to look pretty.

I am learning how to make a lunch for us each day.   That is interesting  trying to come up with things to eat.   If you have any good ideas for lunches, please pass them on.  There is a little store next to our office so sometimes we run over there to get a drink or something but most of the time I try to plan ahead.

Marv is funny with our car because it is really small and it shifts on its own hard.   He keeps threatening to have me drive it because I am laughing at him.   I’m afraid to drive it because I will probably do worse than him.   I am just grateful for a car and for not having to walk everywhere even though that would be good for me.  I would spend less at the grocery story because I would have to carry it all home.  We are hoping to walk around our town and stuff when we get time and the weather is nicer.   There is a river we can walk by and the town is really quite cute.

I think we will watch conference on the internet.   We will watch Saturday morning session at 6:00 p.m. here and we will see if I can stay awake to watch the afternoon session at 10 p.m.   I think we have decided to stay home and not go to the church to watch the broadcasts.

Last weekend our neighbors that are senior missionaries took us to Fulda.   We left late in the afternoon so we really didn’t get to see as much as we would have liked but we saw the Residence and the Cathedral.   Both really impressive.   I do have to tell you the funny part was trying to find a place to eat dinner.   Finally we found what appeared to be an Italian Restaurant – not sure that it was.   Anyway, the menu is all in German, of course, and so we can pick out a few words, like Pizza and basil.   We asked the waiter if he spoke English and he said a little.  Anyway he was trying to explain what was on the pizza and he said like salami or that is what I thought he said which is their pepperoni over here.   So I said that would be fine.   It was a pizza that he hand tosses.   Anyway we got the pizza which is covered with this fresh green stuff (basil) and so we cut it and start to eat it.   The meat looks a little like bacon uncooked but I ate it thinking it probably isn’t uncooked bacon.   It was really thin sliced a little hard to eat but not extremely bad tasting.   The couple we were with ordered the same thing and all of sudden we hear her say, I can’t eat this raw bacon.   Marv and I looked at each other and at the pizza again and started to laugh.  We pulled off the bacon and ate the pizza and green basil.   Not Marv’s favorite thing.  

Anyway at work I was telling one of the guys about our experience and he looked at me like I was so stupid.  Then he proceeded to tell me that I was eating raw bacon and that they love it.   It won’t hurt you he said.  He then told me of another favorite dish, which is raw hamburger on a bun.   Trying to tell me that it is really no different than eating a steak rare.   I eat my steak well done.   So I hope we don’t order the hamburger somewhere.   That could really be a waste of money.

Well, I guess I will close.   You are in our thoughts and prayers.  

Love ya, 

Marv and Vickie

Office, Asplund's and Bad Vilbel

This is our office building.  Dad, Grandpa works on the top floor.  I work on the second floor.

Us and the Asplund's, who came the first day we did.

I tried to send some pictures but decided to put them on the blog.   I thought you might like to see where we live and work at this point in time.  We moved to Bad Vilbel on March 10, 2011.

Dad, (Grandpa) works with the Asplund's in the Center for Young Single Adults.  He is doing the finances and they are the coordinators for all of Europe.  We are getting to know them and really enjoy being around them.
This picture is before a meeting we had with the head of the Church's Finances over all of Europe.   We sure got fed good the first week we were here.   This is in a nice meeting room and I was invited to join them for part of their meeting seeings I do the finances for S&I for all of Europe.

Looking from where we  park to our apartment.

Vickie at front door of apartment.

The way we walk home from downtown.

Looking back toward town.

Vickie by loaner car at apartment.

Looking toward steps to walk up to our apartment from town.

We haven't gotten out too much to take pictures of our town but hopefully one of these days we will and we will send you some pictures.  There is a river that runs through town and I understand it is a favorite spot to go walk.   I am looking forward to taking a walk especially when the spring flowers are coming up.   Our apartment has 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths and is pretty nice.   There is no carpeting just rugs on the floor over laminate flooring in the bedroom and living room and then the hall and kitchen has laminate flooring that is kind of different.  There are lots of throw rugs on the floors.   Our beds are different because it is like two twin beds together and we each have our own bedding and comforters.  They have big square pillows and just a comforter each.   It is very different.   It makes it easy to make the bed because you just straighten out the comforter and pillow and the bed is made.   The bathroom is all done in tile on the floor and on the walls.  It looks really nice.  It has a tub and a separate shower.  It is a very nice place and we hope we don't have to move again but it is really expensive so we will see what happens but for now we are enjoying it.   The kitchen has a dishwasher, microwave, stove, small refrigerator, freezer and a clothes washer.  Our clothes dryer is in the bedroom.   We have had to learn how to run our appliances because they are in German. The dryer doesn't vent to the outside so you have to remove this thing that collects water from the clothes.  It is pretty interesting. 

Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany

I know we have been here for three weeks now and so it is time to update my blog to let you know what we have been doing.   We love it here and we have had lots of new experiences.   I want my family to share in some of these experiences.

When we arrived we were picked up at the Frankfurt airport after our 9 1/2 hour flight from Dallas, Texas.  We arrived at 7:05 a.m. on Saturday morning, March 5, 2011.  Both Marv and I had to sit in different rows so we didn't get to sit together.  Both of us only were able to stay up once during the flight because we were in the inside of the middle row and didn't want to bother the people around us.   So our legs were really swollen but it felt good to stand up.

They took us to our temporary apartment, which is an apartment that is used for General Authorities so you can imagine, it was very nice.   It had two bedrooms and one bathroom with a dishwasher, washer and dryer.   We stayed up all day so we could try to adjust to the time difference which is 8 hours ahead of Utah.   Neither of us had very much sleep before but the Davies took us to the grocery store to get some food and cash.  They had put some juice, fresh fruit, cookies and chocolates on our pillow for our arrival.  That was so very kind of them. We loved our apartment.

2nd Bedroom

One Balcony

Bathroom

Hall toward bedrooms and bathroom

Kitchen

Laundry Room

Looking from Living room to Kitchen

Living room and Dining room

Master Bedroom

Look at that luggage.  Vickie by Closets

Residence in Wursburg, Germany Saturday, March 19, 2011

This was our first official Senior Missionary Excursion.   We traveled to Wursburg, Germany and the first thing we visited was the Residence of the Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schonborn in the 1700's.  It was very wonderful and we couldn't take pictures inside but we can share the outside with you.  We bought postcards of the inside so you will have to wait to see them later.  I hope you enjoy these pictures.

 The Residence of the Prince/King in Wursburg

 The Hall

A lot of Wursburg was destroyed during WWII.   This was a very ornate and beautiful palace. 

Letter to Quayde, the young man we taught in the Youth Detention

Friday, March 18, 2011

Elder and Sister Paxton

Frankfurt Mail Pouch

Church Office Building

50 East North Temple

Salt Lake City, Ut  84150

Dear Quayde,

I hope this finds you doing well.   You are so very close to getting out.   I hope that your schooling is coming together and that you will be able to graduate in May like you were planning.   Do you have new Family Home Evening Parents?   Do you like them?   Are you able to keep smiling and making the best of your time?   Do you have any new boys?   Have you played UNO recently and did you win?

Sorry this has taken so long to get to you but I can’t believe how crazy things have been for us.  It has all been good and a learning experience also.   The MTC kept us really busy from about 7:00 a.m. until about 8:30 p.m. and then we usually had reading assignments for the next day.   We learned a lot while there but we were definitely tired at night.   I (Vickie) ended up getting sick with a bad cold while there and just today, I am finally feeling much better.   I usually don’t get sick but this bug hung on for three weeks.   So far Marv is staying well and hope he stays that way.

Well, we flew out on March 5 early in the morning and made it to Dallas and after a 4 hour layover we were back on the plane heading to Frankfurt, Germany.   Both flights Marv and I were not sitting by each other so we got to talk to new people but I really would have liked to have sat by him.   The 9 ½ hour flight to Germany was not as bad as I expected except it was hard to get up and move around because the chairs were so close together and I would have to make those sitting by me get up and I didn’t want to disturb them.   We did have movies we could watch on a screen in front of our seat.  The earphones weren’t the best but when I remembered I had some, I put those in and for the last half of the flight was able to hear the movies better.   I think I was just too nervous to sleep so I didn’t.   I only had about an hour of sleep from Thursday morning until what would have been Saturday night there for you because we stayed up when we got here to try to adjust to the jet lag.   We actually did pretty good but by about 4 p.m. here each day, I would feel really tired.  But now I think we are adjusted and things are great.

Let me tell you a little about Germany.   First, the put us in an apartment temporarily that is used for visiting General Authorities and it was really nice.   After about 5 days there, we had to move because one of the couple’s  husband had a stroke and they needed our apartment because it had an elevator so they found us an apartment in a town nearby but that required us to get approval for a car to use, which they gave.   We are living in one of the nicest apartments for senior couples in the Area apparently.  It is very nice.  It has two bedrooms, 1 ½ baths, a dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer, a TV and DVD player.   It does cost more than the others but I guess we will just pay the difference and go without something else.   It is about 15 to 20 minute drive from our office so fairly close.  This is located in a very cute town, we call it the Park City of Germany.   We understand a big portion of the millionaires live in this town and it is a town with hot mineral waters apparently.

Now the driving over here is very interesting.   You definitely have to have a GPS to get around.   There are a lot of one way streets and you can’t always go one way to get somewhere and take the same route to get back.   There are street lights all along the roads and each lane has its own light so you have to watch carefully to know if you can go in your lane or if you have to stop or turn.   The drivers are pretty nice over here.   I would say most people will use public transportation to get around instead of using their cars because it is hard to find a place to park.   The streets off the main streets are very narrow maybe wide enough for one car and then cars are parked on the side and somehow some of these streets are two way so you have to pull over and let each other by.  It can be very stressful.   I drove today for the first time just from our apartment into work and I did fine.   We drive on the autoban but it does have speed limits contrary to what people in the states have been told.   There may be sections that there are not speed limits but so far on the parts we have driven there have been limits and there are not very high limits – less than what we drive in the states.  For example, the sign may show 80 but that is really 50 miles per hour in the states.  

Food is expensive to buy in the restaurants.   We went with another couple to a restaurant the first week we were here, one they really liked and we ordered a cheeseburger and fries and a drink and it cost us 20 Euros or $30 American.   It was a good hamburger but I thought it was pretty expensive.  Also you have to buy water at restaurants, they do not serve free water and of course none of your drinks are free refills.   A drink in a restaurant is typically around $3.00 US dollars and they aren’t very big.   The food has been good.  Marv and I have actually split a meal a couple of times and it was plenty for us.   We have had lots of pizza since we have been here because that is what people have ordered to feed us.   We actually went to a Pizza Hut and it was like back home but with more variety.  We have had Croatian food, which has been my favorite restaurant so far, we had Chicken Cordon Bleu with a salad and vegetables and it was all very good.  We have had Thai, Mexican and a hot dog from a vendor.   I have bought food to cook at home and that has been fun guessing a little about what I am buying but so far we have liked most everything.

The weather was beautiful when we got here.   The sun was shining for the first two or three days and you really noticed all the spring flowers beginning to break through.   We have gone into a little cold spell the past few days and I have decided my coat is not going to be warm enough in the dead of winter so I will need to buy another one before we enter winter next year.   There are a ton of apartment buildings here and most people live in apartments because it is too expensive to own land and your home like we have.   The buildings are really close to each other.   We learned how to ride the train and go downtown.   The shopping places are huge.   I have never seen so many stores in one place.   We didn’t shop but just walked around.  

The people have been so kind to us and treated us as royalty.   We are both trying to learn our new responsibilities.   Marv is doing Finances for the Centers For Young Single Adults and I am doing the Finances for the Seminaries and Institutes in all of Europe.   Marv may have to do some traveling with his position so I am hopeful they will let me tag along.  

This Saturday we are going to Wurzburg and I believe see a castle over there with a group of people.   I will let you know what we see and how it turns out.   It will be a new experience.

Quayde, now I will give you my missionary pitch.   Please read the Book of Mormon because I know that you will find answers and peace in your life.   I would love to hear what you are reading about and how you feel.   Moroni 10:3-5 (last book in Book of Mormon) is a promise of how the Book of Mormon can bless your life.   I challenge you to read this and take the challenge to read it.   You have a couple of months before you are out and if you read a little each day you might get it read before you leave but then I encourage you to read it when you are out every day.  It will bless your life.

I best get this in the mail.   We are hoping and praying for you.   Take care and we miss our Monday nights with you but we love what we are doing and the people we are meeting.  

Sincerely,

Elder and Sister Paxton

Our Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany

Our Arrival in Frankfurt Germany

We arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, on American Airlines Flight 70 from Dallas, Texas, at about 7:05 a.m.  After getting through customs and picking up our bags we met up with the Asplunds and the four of us proceeded to try and find Brother Davies.   We found Brother and Sister Davies and they welcomed us to Germany.   They loaded all of us and our bags in a vehicle and we were driven to where the Asplunds were going to stay.  They are staying in the building next to the office building.

 We were told that the apartments aren’t as nice and they were moving people out of them so I was glad we weren’t staying there.   Then the Davies said they were taking us to an apartment that was above theirs temporary.  We were expecting to go to an apartment in Bad Vilbel.   Apparently the apartment we were going to was one used for visiting General Authorities and in a building owned by the church.   We were in the top floor which is 3^rd floor in Germany but 4^th floor in America.   There was an elevator so that was really nice having to get our luggage up there. 

When they opened the door and showed us around, I was so impressed and fell in love with it because it was really nice.   It had a 2 bedroom, where they had a computer set up in one with a printer and a twin bed and closet.   It was nice.

The main bedroom was huge with lots of closet space and a balcony and carpet on the floor.   The bathroom was nice with a shower and a heating rack for your towels so that you.

4 More Days

I can't believe that we are down to our last 4 days before we go to the MTC.  Actually it is 5 days but it is 11:10 p.m. and so it is closer to 4 days.  I feel like I am going in circles.  I keep working on my packing and it is taking so long.  I think I have the clothes packed and then I have been working on what jewelry, what medicines and what personal items, like soap, shampoo, makeup, medicines, etc. we need to take.  I try to remind myself that I can probably buy it if I forget something.

I talked on Skype with Alison in England yesterday morning.  She is the secretary that will train me and I will take over her job doing the finances.   I have to admit it seems like such a big job and I hope I can do it and will be able to understand all I need to know.

I really wish we knew what Marv is going to do.  I think that would really help him.   I sure hope they give him something he will like.   I am so grateful we get to go together.   I don't think I would be able to do this on my own.   It will be an adventure and I hope that we will love it and the people we work with.

I have been trying to print out pictures to put in frames so we will have some pictures on the wall.   Here are a few other pictures I have found of the families.  Wow have we had some fun with everyone this past year.  I will miss being with everyone.

This is Bryan, Candalyn, Madison, Mason and Jayden on the fateful 4-wheeler trip at the top of Summit Canyon.  We did have a fun ride until the accident.

This was coloring Easter Eggs at my house with Kasen, Madison, Jayden, Barrek and Camron in Grandma's apron because we were trying to save his clothes from egg dye.  

I wondered where Mason was but it looks like he was there and he is cleaning up.   What a great kid!

Kasen with Santa Doesn't he look sharp in his new glasses!!!!

At the Zoo with Barrek, Kasen, MaKayla, and Camron this past summer (2010) when we did the City Pass.

Madison, Jayden and Mason at Yellowstone.  Marv and I got to take our trailer to Yellowstone with Bryan and Candalyn and their family in June.  It was lots of fun.

. When computer is trying to die so I will have to quit for now.   It has been fun to go with everyone this past year.   I need to add pictures from Disneyland  with Christie and Scott and their family.   It was great.  It is great rethinking about all the fun times I have had with kids and grandkids over the past year.   Thanks to all of you for including us.  We are so blessed. 

Count Down to MTC

Well I don't know how to do this blog thing but I will try it.  It was suggested I start a blog so that we can use it while we are on our mission to share information with our family so that is what I am trying.   I can already tell I have a lot to learn about blogging so bear with me.   I love all of you and we are going to miss you.

I can't believe how much we need to do every day to get ready to go.   Today Christie came over and helped me pack one of my suitcases.   Even though I have 13 more days until we enter the MTC I have been  worrying about how many clothes I could take and hoping not to overpack things.   I feel pretty good about the things we got packed today and I think I am good on the weight of my suitcase.   I will reweigh it tomorrow and probably start the next suitcase.   One of my friends that went to Australia ended up taking 5 suitcases so maybe that will be a possibility for us.   I just need to contact the airlines and find out what their requirements are for sure.  I think Marv was glad Christie came over so he could do whatever he wanted for a little while without me asking him questions or bothering him.

Marv has been working on fixing some undercounter lights that were burned out and broken and putting cardboard in the windows of the trailer so that they will not have sun rot while we are gone. 

Princess, the cat, is just content to be wherever we are.  She definitely thinks she is a Princess.   She is going to have to learn to get along with a dog and another cat.  Hope everyone will get along.   It is so nice of Bryan and Candalyn to take her in.   I sure hope she doesn't give them too many problems.  

I have to say I have the cutest grandkids ever.   I sure love all of them and maybe we will even get to love and meet our 10th grandchild, Lincoln Scott Paxton, before we leave but if not then we will see him over the internet.   It is wonderful that we can communicate over SKYPE.   I sure hope that works good.   I will need to get my family fix by talking to everyone and seeing them.  

Last night I spent a lot of time putting together family history stories to take to the MTC for both Marv and I.   I have to admit as I was doing it, I really wanted to read and learn more about all the different relatives on both sides of our families but I just didn't have enough time.   It is pretty interesting to me that I finally realized that Prussia was part of Germany and so maybe we will get a chance to visit some of the places that my relatives came from when they born and died in what was called Prussia, which I believe is called Germany now.  Who knows, maybe I will actually get to learn about my relatives while we are serving over there.   That would be awesome!

Well, I guess I will go for now.  

Our Mission Call Arrived

Monday, December 20, 2010  Today we wrote Christmas cards because it was getting so late but we were waiting for our mission call.   It has not come yet but hopefully within the next day or two we will get it.  We had Mason, Jayden, Madison, Scott, Christie, Barrek, Kasen, Camron and Hudson come in the afternoon and decorate sugar cookies.   Then Marv took Mason, Jayden and Madison home and Scott and Christie and their kids went to WalMart to get some friend and brother presents while we watched Hudson, who slept while they were gone.   When they came back I had made Hamburger pie and invited them to eat with us.  Then we went to the Detention for Family Home Evening.   We finished watching the last half of the Polar Express.   It always makes me sad to think Quayde is going to have to spend Christmas inside there but he has a good attitude and said he doesn’t want out until he is sure that he has really changed his attitude and all the things he has done wrong,

  

Tuesday, December 21, 2010  No mission call today.  Marv and I went to the viewing and Catholic Mass for Julie McGuirk, who was Don McGuirk’s wife.  Marv used to work with him at the FAA.   She was 53 years old when she died.   It was really sudden.   Our understanding is she had breast cancer started her chemo but had a reaction and they found she had a blockage of some sort and I believe she had surgery but I don’t know if something happened during the surgery or what but she died some time after that.  Apparently it was only 2 ½ weeks from the start to finish.

Marv and worked on Christmas presents.   Marv did the recording of Twas the Night Before Christmas on two story books (the three book wouldn’t record – we will have to take it bake) and I put the Ancestors Charts I had made into forms and then we went to lunch at IHOP and then we went shopping for me a new coat for Christmas.   I found one at Beall’s and so we bought it for Christmas.   We went to Smith’s and picked up a couple of gift cards and bread, eggs, etc.   Came home and finished wrapping up the presents and cleaned up just in time for the kids to come over to decorate gingerbread houses.   Bryan and Candayln and their three kids, Mason, Jayden, Madison and Scott and Christie and their four little boys, Barrek, Kasen, Camron and Hudson came over.   It was fun and the kids and parents made cute houses.   Marv and I worked on ours.   Then Marv took pictures of the kids with their gingerbread houses.   We will miss this doing these things with our grandkids while we are gone but I am sure the blessings will be worth all of it.  

Wednesday, December 22, 2010  Well it is 8:30 a.m. and I did not receive a phone call from the post office this morning saying our mission papers were here.   I feel like a mother waiting for the birth of her child.   It seems like it will never happen.   I guess I feel this because both of my boys were past their due dates, Bryan 2 weeks and Scott a whole month.   The only reason Christie came close to her due date was the doctor was going out of town and so he induced me around her due date.  

Marv said the Lord is trying to teach me patience but haven’t I been patient enough?   After all the whole process started the end of August and now it is the end of December.,   Scott Perkins parents were contacted about a mission at the Guatemala Temple around the 1^st of November and they were told they will get their call this week.   They think it has taken forever but it definitely is quicker for them.   I know the Lord had to get Marv to the point that he was willing to go.   I know he isn’t anxious for the call because then he knows the whole thing is a reality and we will need to move forward.  I hope and pray that he can get excited at this call whatever it is and that it will be one of the most rewarding experiences for the two of us.   I sure hope it comes by tomorrow.   That will be the best Christmas present yet.

We are probably going to St. George today because one of the books “Twas the Night Before Christmas” that Marv was recording in doesn’t work.  We hope they give us a new one but if they don’t then I hope we can find another one so Marv can record in it for Scott’s family.   I can’t believe Christmas is here in three more days.   This year has gone by fast.

Thursday, December 23, 2010   Princess, my cat, woke me up at about 7:40 a.m.   I got up and showered and took the phone out of the bedroom so it wouldn’t wake up Marv if the post office called.   I sat on the couch and read in my scriptures for about a half hour.   I was so hopeful that we would get our call today.   I read the scriptures that teach us we must believe all things are possible with God if we just believe and if it is good.   I had said my morning prayers and asked again that we might get our call so that we would have it before Christmas.   I was expecting the post office to call by 8:00 a.m. but no call came and finally when it was past 8:30 a.m.   I thought that we must not be getting our call.   I was pretty discouraged.   I said another little prayer and then the phone rang and it is Rachel from the post office asking if I was looking for a mission call.   I said, I sure am, do you have it?   She said she did and that either I could come get it or we could have our carrier deliver it.   I said, “I’ll be right down.”   I got in the car and drove down.   I had to fight back tears because I was so excited that our call had finally come.

When I picked up our call, I started to call my kids in the parking lot to let them know.   I talked with Bryan, Kristin, Scott Perkins and Christie and then I stopped by Candalyn’s Office on my way home because she was the only one having to work today to find out when she could come to have us open the call.   We decided on 11 a.m. because Christie had visiting teachers coming over at 10:00 and I had told Marv or fed him breakfast yet.   He was home when I got home and figured I had gone for the letter.   I definitely more inpatient about getting it than him because he said, what does it matter this year or next.  

Mason had the flu so he had to stay home but Bryan and I got our computers set up on Oovoo so we could do a video chat and he could see us open our letter.   Candalyn ended up going home to be with Mason and Bryan brought Jayden and Madison to the house.   Scott and Christie and their four little boys just barely beat Bryan here and were so excited at beating him to our house.   Apparently they were following each other out to our house from Enoch. 

 

It was probably around 11:30 a.m. when we got everything set up and we asked everyone to give their guess of where we were being called.   Then I opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.   I realized there was a letter for Marv and one for me.   I handed him his letter and everyone told me to read it out loud.   I started to read and my eyes scanned and saw that we were assigned to the Germany Frankfurt Mission with our assignment being to labor in member and leader support and in the Frankfurt Germany CES Program.   When I saw this, I started jumping up and down and screaming, yes, yes, we are going to Germany.   I’m sure I looked like an idiot but I was so relieved that we were assigned to the position we had been talked to about before.   We had been told even though we were tagged for this assignment, we needed to be aware that when the General Authorities considered it we might be assigned somewhere else.   We will go to the MTC on February 21^st, 2011.   That will give us almost two months to get prepared.  

Scott and Kristin’s baby is suppose to be born March 6 so we wouldn’t be here for that and Kasen’s birthday is February 24 and Makayla’s Birthday is February 29^th and will miss those this year.   Of course I can make sure they have their presents before I leave so that will be good.   I guess this will be the start of missing some birthdays and events but I am sure we will be blessed and our kids and their families will be blessed.

Scott Perkins has put in his application for a position as Principal in Enterprise.   I hope that works out for him if it will be a good move for him.  If he gets it, it will start the middle of January 2011.

Scott’s parents did not get their call today.  They were told last week that they should get their call this week.   I hope they get it tomorrow.   They are both so excited about it.

I made a count down chart that I bought from Deseret Book for each of the kids family so they can mark off the days we are gone.   I put our picture on it.   The name on it was Grandpa and Grandma Paxton and then there was a place to enter which mission we were called to.   I printed all this information off on sticker paper and put it on the form.   I made copies for all of Scott’s brothers and sisters which was for two years instead of 18 months that they could add a picture and information for Lynn and Terri when they get their call.   (The chart I had bought had 18 month on one side and 24 months on the other so I just copied the side I wasn’t using.)

Marv and I tried to take Pam Bringhurst and Jim Wilson a present for Christmas but their office was closed so we went to Pam’s house but she wouldn’t answer her door.   Her car was there and her door was kind of open.   I hope she is okay.   Then we went to Jim Wilson’s house and took him some See;s Chocolates and to thank him for his help and tell him about our call.   Then we went to WalMart to finish up things for Christmas.  We went to Walgreens but didn’t buy another there.   We went to Smith’s but Marv had walked around plenty and was really tired and hurting so I had him sit in the Denali and I did the food shopping and then we came home.   Before we left I sent out a quick e-mail to a few people to let them know we had received our call.

When we got home it was around 5:00 p.m. and I put away the groceries and then I took around our neighbor gifts, visiting teaching gifts and friends gifts.   I only really got to talk to Sharon Eddings and Shannon Roseberry.  It was 7:15 p.m. by the time I got done with all that and we hadn’t eaten since morning.   We took Scott Perkins Christmas present that was too big for them to take (ice fishing hut) out to their house and then we went to Wendy’s and brought a chicken club combo for dinner.   We brought it home and finally sat down and watch the Sorcerers Apprentice which Bryan had paid for us to watch on satellite.

I am so excited about this opportunity to serve a mission for our Savior in Germany.   I am nervous that I won’t be able to do everything but I keep reminding myself that with the help of the Lord all things are possible so I am trusting in his help and support.  I pray Marv will get more and more excited about the call now that it is officially here.   I guess I had best go get the paper I need to write my acceptance on and get it done.   I am so grateful the Lord gave me the best Christmas present ever today by letting me get my call.  

Journal Entries from September 2010 to December 2010

December 7, 2010

I have been thinking about all the ways I have been blessed over the past few months and the things we have been doing.   I have seen the Lord’s hand in our life and have felt the strong impression that “Be Still and Know I am God” is real.   From the time I received a phone call from Richard Hawks from Church Educational System seeing if Marv and I were possibly ready to serve a mission or not.   That, of course, started the process of thinking more seriously about a mission.   That was on a Monday and the following Saturday is when Marv had his 4-wheeler accident where his life was spared and he ended up a broken leg, which had to have surgery and a plate with 12 screws put in but if could have been so much worse.  

It seemed we had a lot of challenges as we prepared our paperwork for the mission.  The doctor’s office messed up a couple of times and I had to have my mammogram redone on the side that I had cancer 6 years previously and an ultrasound.   Everything worked out well and it was only scar tissue.  

Marv had to have a stress test and had to do the chemical one because his leg was broken and he couldn’t walk on a treadmill yet.   But we think that turned out goo too.  We finally got an appointment with the Bishop (Chad Carter) on October 31^st (Sunday) and couldn’t get an interview with the Stake President (Allan Rau) until November 14^th (Sunday).   Then our papers didn’t get turned into Salt Lake until November 18^th because there were some issues with our medical papers – the doctor’s office forgot to fill out some of the boxes on the first page of Marv’s medical records so I had to go back to the office on Wednesday and get them to complete it.   I think the doctor’s office was tired to seeing us.  It took all day to get the paperwork and then I had to take it to the Stake Clerk that night so he could enter the information.   On Tuesday night I had to take down the stress test papers for Marv to the Stake Clerk and he didn’t have our medical papers and then Bishop Carter found them and took them to him.   It was a stressful time.

Now we are just waiting to hear if we will get the assignment in Frankfurt Germany at the Church Educational Office with the Area Director there or some other assignment.  Marv agreed to this mission because he felt they needed me.   I know I have had to put a lot of trust in the Lord and his timing because he knows what is best for us.   If we are asked to go somewhere else, I hope that Marv and I will be willing and feel it is the right thing to do.   I am just telling myself that if we get our papers before Christmas that will be great.  That will be 5 weeks since our papers went in.   I am trying to be patient and not get to anxious but it will be nice to finally know what we are doing and when we will be going.   I pray that Marv and I will be able to do whatever is asked of us.

 

On November 22, 2010, we received our 9^th grandchild.  Our daughter, Christie, had her fourth little boy and her 4^th C-Section.   The doctor said she had a lot of scar tissue and her uterus was extremely thin and that their decision to tie her tubes was a good decision because it wouldn’t be safe for her to have any more children.   They named him Hudson Riley Perkins.   He was 6 lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long.   He is her smallest baby.   He is so cute and sweet.   He loves to be held and he has done really good.  He had a little bit of jaundice after they took him home from the hospital but he is doing much better. 

 

On November 24, 2010, Mason Lee Paxton, our first grandchild, turned 11 years old.   We took he and his family to the Pizza Factory for lunch.   It was lots of fun and I sure love those grandkids and then that night we all went to their house and had cake and ice cream.  Scott Perkins, Barrek, Kasen, and Camron came for the party.   Christie just got home from the hospital that day with the baby so she didn’t come.  Calvin and Carol Ann Goodwin came from Beaver for the party.   Scott and Kristin, MaKayla and Sterling came for Thanksgiving weekend but didn’t make it to Bryan’s until the party was pretty much over.   Bryan has worked really had to do light outside that play to music when you tune to FM 88.1.   He turned them on that night for the light show.   It was wonderful.   He is so smart and is not afraid to try hard things.   I am so proud of him.   He is doing really well at his job too.

  

On November 25, 2010, Thanksgiving Day.   Christie, Scott, Barrek, Kasen, Camron and Hudson Perkins, Bryan, Candalyn, Mason, Jayden, Madison Paxton and Scott, Kristin, MaKayla, Sterling Paxton were all at our house for Thanksgiving dinner and stayed pretty late.   Christie and her family went home around 10:30 p.m. and she was feeling really bad she couldn’t stay and play but she had had a really long day and she really needed to go home to rest.   We ended up letting Bryan’s kids sleep downstairs because we were going to have Mason help with the kids while we went to Black Friday sales at Wal Mart.   Marv ended up staying home because he still has a little bit of a hard time walking for very long and he was going to get up at 4:00 a.m. and go with Bryan to Sport Authority.   So Candalyn, Scott, Kristin, Bryan and I went at midnight to WalMart and it was pretty crazy.   I didn’t buy very many things but did get Marv the Modern Warfare #2 for the X-Box that the boys wanted to play on their game night.   Scott got one too and then I got a few DVD’s but that was all I bought.   I just get so overwhelmed at the masses of people everywhere.   It is kind of fun.   We got home at 1:30 and Bryan and Candalyn went home to sleep for a couple of hours and Scott and Kristin and went to bed.   

When the alarm went off I told Marv he didn’t need to go because Scott and Kristin and Candalyn were going.   He had been moaning during the night about his leg so I felt it was better for him to stay home.   I stayed home to help with the kids.  Bryan, Candalyn, Scott and Kristin got back about 8:00 a.m.   They had gone to breakfast at the All American Diner and I think they had a good time together.   I am so blessed to have kids that enjoy one another.   In the afternoon everyone got together again and hung out at our house.  We watched Christie’s boys while they took Hudson back to the hospital to have his belly ruban checked again.

We played some games in the evening and Bryan had rented some DVD’s for the kids to watch. 

November 27, 2010, Scott, Kristin, MaKayla, Sterling, Marv and I went to the All American Diner for breakfast and then later in the day everyone came over and we played games.   Everyone went home late.  The weather report was not too good and said there was a major snow storm coming in.   Scott and Kristin decided to head home that night.   They left at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 28, 2010. It ended up being a good decision.   I made him promise to call me when they got home so he said I will call on your cell phone.   Apparently they got home at about 5:00 a.m.   They last hour and half they hit the storm and could only travel about 30 miles per hour.   They were glad to get home.   The kids slept most of the time so that was helpful too.

November 28, 2010 (Sunday) Christie’s 32^nd birthday.   Scott made chicken cordon bleu and invited Marv and I over for dinner at 5:30 p.m. and then Bryan and his family came over at 7:00 p.m. for cake and ice cream for her birthday.   She is amazing that she is doing so well after all her surgery.  

November 29, 2010 (Monday)  I went over to Christie’s and helped pick up things then took her, Hudson, and Camron to the hospital to get Hudson’s belly rubon checked again and then over to the doctor’s office and then we came back to our house and fixed lunch and then I took them home before the other boys got home from school.

November 30, 2010 (Tuesday)  I went over to help Christie and took her lunch (Subway sandwich) and we watched the movie Return to Me.   It was a nice afternoon.  I can’t remember which days I went to help but I didn’t go as often as I think I should have.  

December 1, 2010 (Wednesday)  Marv and I went to St. George and did some shopping for Christmas.  We went to Costco, lunch at Red Robin, Shopping at Penney’s, See’s and Target and then we came home.  Marv and the boys played Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox on line.   Our internet went down.

December 2, 2010 (Thursday)  The Relief Society Presidency came for a visit.  Karen Marchant, President; Kathy Barton, counselor; Rochelle Hansen (don’t remember her married name).   I talked too much but it was nice they came.  We talked about Marv’s accident and our turning in our papers for a Mission.   I got the tree in the front room done and so decorations out before they came.   Marv was working on the tree in the family room trying to put new led lights on the tree because the other lights were not working very good.  

December 3, 2010 (Friday)  I went over to Christie’s and helped get her house cleaned for the weekend so she could relax.   We fixed a ham and avocado sandwich for lunch.   It was so good.  

December 4, 2010 (Saturday)  We worked on decorating the tree and Bryan and his family came and got us to go to the Storybook Parade down town at 2 p.m.   We were going to run out some presents to their house when they called.   I rented three redbox movies, “Ironman 2”, “Eclipse”, and “Letters to Juliet”.  We picked up dinner from Applebees.   We each had a steak with baked potato and vegetables with a spinach/artichoke dip and chips.   Marv had a 9 oz steak and I had the 7 oz steak.   It tasted really good.  We watched  “Eclipse” and “Ironman”.  

December 5, 2010 (Sunday)  We went to church and I was asked to tell the story of Esther in Sunday School.   There wasn’t very much time for me to do it but I am glad that I was asked because I learned so much more about the story than I knew before.   I fixed spaghetti for lunch with a salad and garlic cheese bread.   I had Choir practice from 4 to 6 p.m.  When I got home, we watched “Letters to Juliet”.  I enjoyed it but Marv was not impressed because it is a Chick Flick.  Oh well.