The Last Days

The last weeks of the mission were very busy and flew by.  Conferences, trips, last visits and goodbyes.  It has been such a rich experience and it is with an ache in our heart that we leave.  We hadn't anticipated becoming so attached to this area and these kind people.  We turn our eyes to home and our family who we have missed so much.  The first touch of grandchildren brings a warmth that words can't describe.  However, we will never forget this chapter in our lives.  Here are some last images of our time in Marianna.

Two last projects; a patio and garbage removal

 A hike with Aleshia in Torreya State Park and a fun day with the senior missionaries doing a little salt water fishing.

I had the privilege of baptizing Summer

And we were able to take another trip to the temple with Janie and Paula.  A first for Janie.

With Tara at Mardi Gras night

And with her family

 And, of course, lots of missionary pictures.  We will miss them so...

With President and Sister Smith at the last zone conference

 And some last day visits with dear friends

Aubrey, the Mathis family

Barbara

And dinners with those we have grown to love so much

 So we had a lapse of judgement and bought a little RV for the trip back to Utah.  We camped in Louisiana

In the cold of New Mexico

And Monticello Utah

We had some family greet us upon arrival home.

And, of course, the dogs.

Lest We Forget

Time has slipped away from us.  Thanksgiving gave way to Christmas and a new year.  More visits, more encounters and more dear friends.  We have grown accustomed to the rhythms of the panhandle.  "Winter" can be a fifty degree chill or a seventy-nine degree bright burst.  Almost 40,000 miles of driving the mission and, more specifically, the roads of Jackson County.  We have chopped stumps, burned brush, stuffed food bags, and tried to help wherever we could.  Many memories of sweet and tender times here.  Location names now roll off our tongues as plausible and natural: Two Egg, Chattahoochee, Apalachicola, Wewahitchka and Sink Creek.  We are attached to the place and the people through service and through the love of Jesus Christ.

 Missionary pictures, departures and reunions.

You can be talked in to doing some crazy things too!

One of the blessings is developing relationships with these fine young folks.  Some fun too!

A picture in front of Shelby's ancestral home.  We took her there for some pictures before the barn was torn down.

 Christmas brunch at Petey Sim's home.

A shot of the food bank pantry where I stock shelves and some

frozen turkeys to unload for Thanksgiving.

 Our regular backpack stuffing for needy school
children.

Molly in front of a P-47, her father's plane of WWII

Molly is always doing something.  Whenever we drive she knits.

Below are coin purses she made and gave away during the holidays.

With my dear friend Van.

 Hannah and Summer.  We have been visiting with them this  year.

Out at our good friend Freida's.  We were
out caroling for Christmas.  No snow, of course...and
not particularly cool.

We had Thanksgiving at our place and invited a few folks.
Below, is after Christmas dinner with a special guest appearance by Nathan.

We did get away for a couple of days at Christmas.  We went

to Aligator Point and Wakulla Springs.  Nate went off

to look for Manatees 

Seems like a portion of our mission has been defined by stumps.  Here we pose at the last stump

chopped up and burned in Freida's yard.

Posing with the Cobarts 

So grateful for good friends visiting and the beautiful seashore.

Missionaries love pictures!

Molly doing what she loves to do on a break.

It's been quite an adventure.