March 17 2024

 Well today is St Patrick’s Day or the birthday of the Relief Society!!  I got to read the Relief Society meeting transcript cause  not feeling up to going out today! It was good but felt bad to miss the get together at the institute for the meeting and dinner! Elder Cox took the corn bread over and got the meeting started without me! Bummer!!  

View from Homer Across Cook Inlet.                              

We have had a good week!  We started with shopping for institute dinner with Sarah Powers. She taught us Tuesday night to make empanadas.  We had district council and family night!  All planned and put on by the young adults & missionaries and not us. We are generally impressed with their  great spirits!  We went to the temple with our district Tuesday morning and that was great.  We are on spring break so no class so we had a party instead and did the empanadas and chips and pico and fruit! Did ice cream sandwiches but still spent the day preparing!!  We had a great turnout!! Patti came and helped and Justin brought his family!  We had about 40 kids. Not a lot of our regulars so a good crowd.  We were there until 10. So a long day but worth it!  Felt a lot of kids connected with someone and that is the goal. If they know someone they are more likely to join us for class!

Because of spring break and Kuerths shortening their time here we decided to go south Wednesday morning.  We drove in a blizzard over the pass but Gar was okay and I was in the back seat so it was good !  We drove all the way to Homer and to Lands End!  We walked on the beach and ate at the waters edge and had fish and chips and clam chowder!!  It was really good!  About the only place open but good.   We are so comfortable with them that we laugh a lot and really enjoy visiting!  We stayed in a Vrbo in Kenai.  We found our church there and a street named Devin( after their son).  Our place was nice and we visited until after 12.  This daylight savings still messing us up!  Lynn brought snacks so we didn’t go for ice cream!!

Thursday we got a late start and went to the recommended breakfast stop!  It was good but $50 later. I try not to go into shock!! I know it is more expensive here  but really?  We went and walked the board walk on the river which was frozen solid but still beautiful!  A few places on the way we saw the beautiful blue water or frozen. We saw quite a few Eagles about !  We are anxious to see in the summer also !  We drove home and it was gorgeous blue skies! The roads were clear but it looked like they had like 18 inches over night!  We stopped in Coopers Landing and Mark treated us to an ice cream. The girl that waited on us was a member, returned missionary from BYUI. And Alabama! Darling accent!  Not participating currently but we invited her back . She knew where the churches are!  

We got back to Anchorage after a side trip up to watch skiers at Girdwood. We had empanadas from Tuesday left so we had dinner together at our place before we took them home.  A fun couple of days!

Saturday we went for walk in Russian Jack park. Stopped to talk to a guy with a dog as big as a horse!! He asked us what ward we served in !  Obviously a member. What are the chances--we run into so many!  Wearing a badge helps.  By the time we got home from our walk I felt gross so that put me down for the night until this afternoon. I feel better tonight!  Glad cause a full week in front of us!  Sister Moleni went home Friday so another change! Love them all!  Not so much the change!

Love serving here . Grateful for the gospel in our lives!  Love those we serve and serve with !  What an honor to be in Gods army at this time!  Grateful to share some of home as Benny read to us and Hayes had Prom dinner at our house!!!!!  We sure love you all.