All Around The Square: New Missionmaries, BYU, Spring Flowers, Saint George, and Las Vegas!

WHOOOOO! This has been a whirlwind of a week! I can hardly wait to hit the sack, but alas if I don't do the blog now it won't get done, because this upcoming week is going to be sooooo busy. Monday March 1st was Heather and Jacobs 23rd Anniversary. How can that be. We also got 16 new full time missionaries into the training zone, but only 10 stayed the whole week. Six of them were returning Hong Kong missionaries removed for the Coronavirus. They will now be serving in our mission till they can return. Three were put right to work with Church Legal so we really did not see them. The other three were hit and miss. We ended up getting two into the training zone. We also got three Service Missionaries from the week before. One couple, LynnAnn and Paul Farnsworth, are my second cousins once removed. Small World. I now have met cousins from both my Moms side and my Dads side.

Lynn Ann and Paul Farnsworth, 2nd cousins once removed.

Monday night we had an amazing family home evening with Herbert Klopfer. He serves on the church music committee, and has been very involved with the 1985 hymn book and this new one they are putting together. He told his story of escaping East Germany at 14 along with his younger brother and mother. His father, they found out years later died in a Russian POW camp. It is a story filled with miracles and the church has been blessed with his amazing life. He also plays the piano every lunch hour in the cafeteria. One of my favorite things has been listening to his playing at Christmas and everyday we are there.

Bob and Debra with Herbert Klopfer at FHE

Got a good haircut Tuesday and am grateful I found someone who knows "Dorthy Hammil" wedge haircut. Wednesday night we went to the Tabernacle to hear the BYU Choirs and Orchastra present A Celebration of Christmas in March. It was for the Western Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. Who should we meet, but Ben Peterson, Valerie's brother in law. He is a Choral director in the schools in Snowflake and does their community choir, which Valerie sings in. It really is a good choir and we were able to attend one of their concerts before we came on our mission.

Ben Peterson at the Tabernacle

BYU Singers, Concert Choir, Men's Chorus, Women's Chorus, and BYU Philharmonic March 4, 2020

At the Tabernacle March 4, 2020

Thursday was temple day in Bountiful and Friday was the Honey Butter Go Forth and Serve meeting. Bob and I left right after to drive to Saint George to spend the night with Debra's sister Sherry and Richard Jensen. We spent the entire evening doing Family Search, scanning pictures and reminiscing about our family. We got up early Saturday and the four of us drove to Las Vegas to meet up with Heather and family, and Heidi and families. We were all there and after a nice breakfast at IHOP we attended Kyen Mayhews' gymnastic meet at the Bally Hotel and Casino. She is such a talented gymnast and loves her sport. We certainly are proud Grandparents. Her neck was weighed down with medals and her team, Desert Devils, took 1st place again.

Desert Devils 1st Place! Kyen is far left front on the first place platform.

Back: Bob, Debra, Sherry, Richard, Brenan. Middle: Jacob, Heather, Heidi, Weston, Wynn Front: Shaylin, Kyen, Alea. Team Kyen!!!!

Sunday we attended church with Sherry and Richard, had a delicious meal and then packed up for home. Before leaving St. George we drove by the Temple and took some pictures. It is also under renovations. We also went by the cemetery where Bobs dad is buried. A safe trip home and now here I am.