A Family Update

Our mission pictures are getting to be a lot of the same things.  Really, how many beaches, coconut palms, and roadside fales can you take on a small island.  Besides, we spend much of our day in our office in the Service Center.  We walk the large Church compound and attend the Temple once each week.  Last week we did a sealing session with our ward and this week we attended a Samoan session (it's always fun to attend these and their times are earlier than English).  So, we are sharing the many things that are happening in the family.  Family back home is definitely a big part of our mission.

This week, I have been having lots of sorrow about not being home to help Curt and Melanee.  I know that Adrian, Crystal and our ward will help, but I will be sad not to be able to hold these little babies as babies.  I figure they will be a year old when we get home, which will mean they might be walking or at least crawling.  For us, this is a fun age!!!  and we look forward to spending time watching them.

We received our first pictures of the babies this week and want to add these to this journal.  They are labeled Baby AAA (a girl), Baby BBB (a boy), and Baby CCC (a girl).  They look so cute with small button noses and all their toes and fingers.

Curt shared this picture with us of Melanee and Brittney comparing belly sizes.

Adrian and Todd just barely learned about the babies because they were ma and pa on trek with their stake.  So cute, pulling their handcart.  Cameron and Taylor were left behind staying with cousins.

We hear it has been very hot there and have seen lots of pictures of Mason, Ali and Tyce playing at the water park.  Taylor is getting is buzz for the summer.  Right now he's Mr. Arrowhead!  Cute.

Ali is enjoying her pedicure foot massage and Tyce is learning that he can ask to have his diaper changed.  It's close to potty training time when they go to get their own diaper and supplies for you.

My sister Lisa just had her back surgery this week and she is doing well.  Linda is up there this week taking care of her and then she's under the care of Heather, Thomas and Christian for at least 4-6 months.  The next back surgery will be Linda.  In case you didn't remember, we all three of the same back problem.  Seems like it runs in the family.  In my case, I'm sooooooo glad to have had the operation and that it corrected the problem.  I can walk, sit, think and live now.  So grateful for modern medicine.

Theron's been under the weather this week with a little stomach ache and accompanying symptoms.  We don't relish the prospect of going to a doctor here, so I pray he gets better.  

Today is the 4th of July so the senior couples got together and watched the movie National Treasure and eat apple pie.  This coming week is the BIG rugby game as the All Blacks are coming to play Samoa.  I don't think it will mater which team wins as they are pretty much all Samoans.  We drove out to the West end of the island to take one of the ICS guys out to the ferry to Savaii and the miles of road to the airport were all decorated to welcome the all blacks.  There is literally miles and miles of the triangle flags strung on poles they have put in to support them.  Quite a few people have stacked coconuts and painted them to look like rugby balls.  Some are all black with silver painted lacing, Some are gold, or white or blue.  One family put up giant cut-out pictures of the players in what looked to us like a re-purposed manger scene.

Well, that's the news on the home front and the mission front.  Love and Kisses to all our family and friends.  Soifua until next week or the next big happening.