Megan's Got ANOTHER Date!

While I was working hard in Provo securing our Condo and buying lighting and hardware for the doors...Megan was on a DATE with Joe Hancock!  They went ice skating and Megan said she had a lot of fun!  Joe's a nice guy.  I'm glad he asked Megan out...hopefully they go on another date!

 

Our New Condo in Provo!!

Well, new to us, but anything but "new"... it was built in 1989, which ironically was when I was there...I passed this place on my way to school, when I lived further down 7th East, every day.  I feel like we adopted a child...we closed today this condo in Provo just south of Campus very close to the Wilkinson Center.  (You could walk there in about 3 minutes!)  It's on 900 North.  The address in 758 E 900 N #110 and it is a top unit on the NW side of the building.  You can see Y mountain on the East side window.  It's called "Stonebridge".  It needs quite a bit of work, and will hopefully be finished by the time Fall semester starts in September.  (Just when I thought I was finished with renovations in our own home, we go and adopt a problem child!)  We plan to fix drywall issues, put a fresh coat of paint on it, replace all of the lighting, replace all of the hardware on the doors with new knobs and hinges, put new cabinets in the kitchen, laundry room and 2 bathrooms, and do some electrical work to get it up to snuff with code.  It is one of the more spacious units with lots of square footage.  It just needs some love!!  Here are some pictures I took...

 



 

 

Megan's Date with Kirby...

Megan went on a date with Kirby tonight...I don't know his last name, but she sent this picture to me in a text since I was in Utah.  They played Jenga on the freeway bridge and went for ice cream!

 

 

Meeting Kito and Miriam at the Airport!

It was fun to meet Kito and Miriam tonight!  They just arrived and are from the Congo in Africa.  It will be fun to get to know them...they don't speak ANY English and Google Translate didn't work very well.  They also speak a little bit of French.  Kito is in the very middle of the first picture and Miriam, who is 8 years old, is in the red.

Celebrating McKenzie's 23rd Birthday! (And setting up the apartment for the refugee family I get to help mentor soon...)

We went out to dinner at The Olive Garden and it was soooo yummy!  We had fun enjoying each other's company!  Grandma even felt up to going so it was nice to have her along!  Afterward, we went over to Grandma's house to open McKenzie's presents and have cake and ice cream and sing happy birthday to her.  I can't believe it has been 23 years since she was born and entered our lives.  What a joy she has been!  She has had to overcome a lot in those 23 years, but she is doing remarkably well and loving her life!  You can't ask for more than that!  It was a fun evening. 

Later on, I went with Julie and Rob Spear to help with a group of people to set up an apartment for a refugee family coming from the Congo tomorrow night.  It is a mom (Kito) and her 8 year old daughter (Miriam).  It was so much fun to set up this apartment knowing that they would have a safe place to call home and finally be able to have peace in their lives.  I just kept thinking about them... I know they must be scared with coming to a new country where they don't know the language or anything about our culture, but that it will STILL be such an improvement for them.  Our group will be mentoring Kito and Miriam and helping them to learn the language and the culture and help them to adjust to life here in the United States.  We will be teaching them how to balance a budget, go grocery shopping and how to use the local library-- among other things!  It should be a really fulfilling experience and I'm sure we will grow to love these people!  There were quite a few people there from our group (and children too) helping to set up, and it is a very small apartment, so we were able to get everything moved in and put away in less than 3 hours!  I get to go again tomorrow night to meet them at the airport with some of the same people that came tonight.  It is a group of women from our Stake, so it will be fun getting to know those women too.  There are several from our ward!  (Me, Sandy Weigand, Micole Hinton and Julie Spear)  Here are some pictures of Kito and Miriam's cute little abode!  (I didn't get any pictures of the bedroom as the beds hadn't arrived yet.)  But it is little!  I'm sure they will be thrilled to have everything they need to start a new life here in the good 'ol USA!!

Day 3 of Regional Meetings-- a busy day!

This was a day of pool fun!  Katelyn and I went over there a little after breakfast and found a good spot with and umbrella and shade.  Then we went on the lazy river a couple of times.  Here's a couple of pictures of Katelyn going down the slide.  A little later, Hannah Hinton came to enjoy the day with Katelyn.  They had fun!  Then a little after that, Brooke, Megan and Nathaniel Hart showed up to enjoy the pool and activities.  Edward Jones paid for a 2 hour block of time for everyone that wanted to ride the Flow Rider.  Katelyn and I had watched other kids riding it for a while this morning and it looked fun.  The girls said that it was really fun, but that they were all a little sore the next day!  I'm sure glad that I didn't ride it!  Bill and I actually headed back to Peoria for the baptism of Christine and Alyssa Higbee at 3:00-- the exact time of the Flow Rider...Ugh!  But it was a beautiful baptism and the Spirit was there so strongly and Christine and Alyssa were just brimming with happiness!  They were so excited and are happy to be starting fresh with a new life!  I could kick myself for not getting any pictures with them!  She asked me to give the talk on Baptism and I was so happy that she wanted me to do it!  Christine and I have become fast friends and it seems like we've known each other all our lives!  Crazy how that can happen!  She is such and amazing person!  She is so faithful and wants her family to be active in the church and receive the awaiting blessings.  I know that Heavenly Father has already blessed them, but will continue to do so as they keep on this path!  What a beautiful day!  It is Stake Conference this weekend as well, so I drove back to Scottsdale and Bill stayed for the Priesthood Leadership Meeting.  We missed the adult session due to the Award Banquet back at the hotel.  It was weird leaving the hotel during a vacation and then weird coming back afterward!  The Awards Banquet was really nice!  Bill again received the Top Producer Award.  It was nice not having to go up on the platform this year...because of his crutches, they stepped off of it to give Bill his award.  It was a nice evening with a really nice dinner and table to visit with and enjoy the evening.  We sat with Mary and Carl Celle, Brian and Lori Derrick, Kevin and Stephanie Henry and Matt Jones.  (No relation to Edward Jones, although they named their son Theodore and call him "Ted" for short...yeah, they get a lot of questions about that!)  His wife wasn't feeling well and stayed in the room so as not to get anyone else sick.  I felt badly about that and wished she was feeling better.  All in all it has been a fun day and fun Regional Meetings.  I'm so grateful that Bill has been able to work for such a great company for so long!  Our family has definitely been blessed by this company but also for the hard work that Bill puts in each day to provide for us!  What a blessing to our family-- one of peace, security and prosperity in a world that often doesn't know these things!  We are truly blessed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 Megan

 Brooke

 Katelyn