meet and greet

today we met half of our elders and sisters. it was humbling. they are wonderful, and you can just feel of their goodness, love, enthusiasm and spirit! we met with five zones in four meetings starting at 8 (we left the house at 6:45) and we finished about 4, and returned home around 7 tonight. I feel like i could use a good diet coke hook up intravenously right now, but i'm not a drinker anymore :(. fresca is just not making a difference. i am spent!

each meeting lasted about an hour, and then we had a little time for visiting and such afterwards before leaving to meet our next group! it was wonderful to finally see each elder and sister and look into their eyes, and feel so much love from them and for them. we really are blessed! in each meeting we sang a couple of hymns, the assistants spoke for a few minutes, then me, and then president.

to be honest, as i walked into the room at our first meeting, and they all stood, my emotions just got very tender, and i melted a little as i shook their hands and hugged the sisters. it was such a sweet experience. i got to introduce our family to them...so i got pictures printed that we had taken last week with elder oaks and spoke about each member of our family one by one. i told them mike and tod are anxious to go out with them and participate when they come to town. i proudly showed them pictures of the girls and was pleasantly surprised when no one was extra curious about when they would be coming to visit. :) and i showed them a picture of lauren and beau, and told them that to these people we were papa jon and grama thuthie! they are all excited to meet hailey, and elder mcneel especially thinks she will love maria carillo high school.

i feel happy inside, even though i am weak on the outside. i had forgotten my phone today and it was so sweet to get a couple of messages from sadie and megan with great joy in their voices, announcing that megan was in fact, a national champion in this weeks competition! "composition of me" took #1 of the whole show!!! "toe the line" was #3. congratulations and way to go sweetheart! we love you.

we are missing you all terribly!

one picture for the road...
some things will never change...
first thing unpacked and put in its usual spot! :)
sports illustrated adorning the toilet!



i came out to the back porch to see if the internet signal would be a little stronger, and i saw all of the flowers and such that sister stoddard planted for me. i have been watering them; herbs (i don't know how to cook with), flowers, peppers, tomatoes, you name it, it may be on my back porch. i am wondering how long it will be before they are all dead! i tried to ask for instructions on what to do before she left, but she had no idea someone could be as incompetent as me in keeping green things alive.

it is like being on a camp-out out here. i can hear all kinds of wild life walking around in the woods below. doing their calls and such. it is very quiet and peaceful...a little place to rejuvinate the soul!