A Busy Three Weeks

Besides our usual work at the office and in the schools, we have enjoyed some extra opportunities to serve. On October 22, we hosted a progressive dinner in our apartment. We served a traditional German meal of weinerschnitzel, red apple cabbage, spaetzle, and rolls with raspberry jam. We enjoyed getting to know and enjoy the three groups of Senior Couples who came by for the different courses--salad, main dish, and dessert. Everyone seemed to have a great time.

We went out to dinner with our home teachers, the Leonards, to the Vietnamese restaurant. It was a great evening of friendship and catching up. I also went to lunch with Reingard Blacoe, our wonderful past RS President. It will be hard to leave her, as we have become great friends. She treated me to my favorite--tortillini in a saffron sauce at Dick and Doofs. We enjoyed a delicious lasagne dinner with salad and ice cream for dessert with the Dearings.

We also enjoyed fabulous French cuisine in the home of Jill and Brooke Derr, along with the Coltons, and the Livingstones. We ate the meal in courses, taking our time to relax and enjoy great conversation, ala France. We began with bread and butter with pumpkin soup. Then we enjoyed rabbit in a prune sauce with onions and green beans. We had our green salad with pears and candied walnuts after the main course to cleanse our palates. Last of all, we enjoyed a tasty dessert of quark pudding with berries in a fruit sauce. As we sipped our peppermint tea, we knew it was an unforgettable evening with dear, forever friends.

We had our first snow storm on October 27. Cold weather always signals time for Halloween. We celebrated by having a Trunk or Treat Party at the Stake Center. I went shopping with Karen Maynes, our new RS President, and we bought hot dogs and apple juice and served 90 people. We enjoyed watching the parade of costumes and the children getting treats from the trunks of cars. This is a spooky counselor to our Bishop, Brother McKee. Whoooooooo!



We went to Stake Conference and afterwards, invited over the sister missionaries, Alejandra, and Anahil Sanchez from Spain. We enjoyed manicotti, apple cabbage, garlic bread, and cake and ice cream for dessert. We had a great discussion after dinner with Alejandra as she is getting baptized November 10th!

On November 6, I organized our Sisters Evening Out to celebrate Christmas Around the World at the stake center. Sister Blacoe spoke about her family's customs in Germany both as a child as well as with her own family. All of the sisters brought the most beautiful holiday treats to share. The serving table looked beautiful, and we all enjoyed eating and visiting with one another as we got in the mood for Christmas.



We had a wonderful Stake Relief Society Meeting on November 10: "Finding Joy in Troubled Times--Our Spiritual Storehouse."
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind . . . ." 2 Timothy 1:7

It was raining that day and when we walked in, we saw the chapel decorated in umbrellas. It was a nice meeting because it was all in German, and we had an English translator.

We are thrilled that two of our wonderful grandchildren, Eve and Marshall, are getting baptized. What a wonderful choice in their lives that will bring direction, joy, and comfort. We are so proud of them.