What a month!

Wow!  What a month!  So much happened, and the time just flew by!

Once we got back from tending Kris's kids, we quickly got back to work and tried to catch up on our mission tasks.  Thursday and Friday (Jan. 21 and 22) we did apartment inspections on the Elder's apartments.  Friday night, the YSA 1st Ward had a "Rock Band" night.  Elder McGuire and I learned how to play 2 chords on the mandolin!  (At least we were able to participate that way!)  Friday was also spent shopping for food and cooking - because Saturday we were in charge of the luncheon for the regional Seminary Training Meeting (90 people).  Yikes! We serve where we're needed!

On Sunday, we attended both wards and I was in charge of the Linger Longer after church for the YSA 2nd Ward (usually theBishop's wife does that, but they were out of town.)

Monday, Jan. 25, classes started.  We prepped for our 10:00 am class (Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel), but no one came.  At 2:00, we left for Whittier for Elder McGuire's Uncle Paul's viewing. We spent some good time with Uncle Paul's son, Patrick McGuire, and were really glad that we  were able to do that.  I think he felt very alone, and has so little family now.  Tuesday, we had 2 classes, one at 3:30 (the Jesus Christ one), and one at 7:00 (Principles and Doctrines of the Book of Mormon).  Only one person came to our 3:30 class (Tom Sorenson, who is the brother-in-law of my niece, Angela), but we had a really good turnout to our night class.  Wednesday morning, we were prepared to teach again at 10:00, but still no one came, so our class is now formally cancelled.  Right after our class time, we headed to the airport again to fly home.

Now begins the home adventures!  The first day there, we went to the dentist for checkups and teeth cleaning.  Then, we headed to Kris's house to see that darling new baby Henry!  What a delight and a blessing!

Henry Owen Swenson, born January 11, 2016

That night, we spent with family in Kaysville.  We were able to stay at our house (love my bed!), and got lots of good entertainment from grandkids there!

McCoy, Brody, and Gavin showing us their HipHop dancing skills

On Friday, we were able to attend Kenslee's 4th Grade program, visit with grandkids, and Elder McGuire got a haircut.

Kenslee - using a costume from our "costume box"

Saturday was a crazy day!  It was snowing, so the roads were bad.  Despite that, we had an appointment at the Payson Temple at 11:00 for Henry to be sealed to Nate and Kris.  What a beautiful experience - I have never attended a sealing of a child to parents before.  Jacob, Emma, and Pete were in the sealing room too.  I can truly testify that Henry is a very special child, and is a very special gift to our family.  Kristina was literally glowing with joy.

Kristina and baby Henry, the wreath was given to her by the birth Mom

While at the temple, Julianne was having labor pains.  We went to Kris's house for lunch and the blessing.  Finally, we convinced her to call the hospital, and they told her to come right in.  So, we all headed to University Hospital in Salt Lake.  They determined she was in labor, and needed to be delivered (via c-section), but since she had eaten lunch, they wanted to hold off until 8:30 that night. We took kids home, and eventually went back to the hospital because she wanted us there.  About 9:00 she had a beautiful and healthy baby girl, named Olivia (Livy for short).  

Baby Livy

To top it off, Bob and Erica's littlest boy, Owen, had his first birthday that day (January 30).  So before we went to the hospital for Julianne's delivery, we went to their house for birthday cake. What a little doll he is!

Owen's birthday!

So the party continued! Sunday was Elder McGuire's 65th birthday. We had cake and ice cream at our house for all of the family that could make it.  We also had to speak in church (basically bear our testimony) and Elder McGuire taught Priesthood Meeting. We also went into the hospital to see Julianne and Livy.

Elder McGuire - Happy Birthday!

So at least Elder McGuire got a birthdate to call his own, because the next day, Feb. 1, we got a call from Billy about 8:00 pm to see if we could go tend because Jacee was in labor.  By 11:00, baby Strom was born.  So that was the third new little one for us.

Jacee and Baby Strom Kent McGuire

Wow!  After all of that excitement, we spent the next 4 days basically helping to tend kids, visiting new babies, etc.  Julianne and Jacee both came home on Wednesday.  And of course, the grandchildren LOVED to hang out at Nana and Bumpa's house - so it was a PARTY most of the time with more children running through the house than I'd seen in months!  Kris came up to visit twice with her kids.  So fun to see the babies together!

Livy and Henry

Strom

Cookie Decorating

Elder McGuire, doing vehicle inspections

Sunday we flew back to San Diego.  HATED to leave everyone, but anxious to get back.  We started right back with Zone Meeting Monday, teaching classes, starting our Temple Prep class (for the 2 wards), doing Missionary Vehicle Inspections (the last 2 Wednesdays), preparing our Forum luncheon, and going to the temple.  We also prepared dinner for both pairs of missionaries, along with some investigators. On Saturday, we held a cookie decorating activity for the kids at our apartment complex, and invited the missionaries to come.  

Sunday was a Special Regional Broadcast for the West Coast.  Wow, a veritable spiritual feast!  Then Monday night we "helped" with an FHE activity that the YSA 1st Ward sponsored.  It was a Valentine's Dinner - with a "speed dating" component.  They planned on a couple of other wards, approximately 60 people, and we had close to 100 people come.  Somehow, the food all stretched, everyone had so much fun, and some of the ward members even got phone numbers and dates out of it!  Busy though! (Thank you Kris for your Raspberry Chicken recipe!)

Elder McGuire grabbing a bite to eat when he had a minute

At the BYU/USD Basketball game

After a usual busy week, with classes, vehicle inspections, Temple Prep, and Forum luncheon, we treated ourselves Thursday and went to a BYU Basketball game held at U of San Diego.  Can you tell Elder McGuire is happy?

We also had a chance to see Elder Baloaloa on Monday.  We had a package to deliver to him, and so we met for lunch at a Filipino restaurant.  Interesting! So fun to see him!

Friday, we had dinner with the Senior CES Missionaries at Phil's Barbecue.  Afterwards, we went to the Grossmont Institute Building and made milkshakes, played pool and pingpong, and visited.  Pretty fun group.  We attended a wedding reception on Saturday for our ward members, Preston and Juana.  It was a true Mexican reception, complete with Mariachi band.  

Preston and Juana's wedding reception

Sunday was many hours of church, but a good chance to get back to meetings and planning.  The Mission President's Fireside was Sunday night - a wonderful chance to hear new convert testimonies and see many of the missionaries.  That always confirms how much we love this mission!

And so life goes on.  So many blessings, some of which I think have come about because of our mission and our family's sacrifice to have us here.  We know that even though we have a distance between us, there is work of an eternal nature to do here, and we are so grateful to be involved in it.  We thank our Heavenly Father every day for this opportunity. And we thank Him for the health, strength, and energy that He gives us in order to accomplish what we need to.  We know we are sustained by Him, and by your prayers.  Thank you!