Merry Christmas!

December 23, 2013

Hey, Hey, Family!

What a splendid day full of little tender mercies!

So today, we went shoppping I don't like shopping with Sister Knight.  Bless her heart!  She browses and browses!  Now as a non-missionary, I wouldn't mind.  As a missionary, I hate it!  So its a darn good thing that I love that girl.  And, it was a needed thing and so I did it.  First we went to Target.  While we were walking the isles, we had people keep saying, "Sisters!  Merry Christmas!"  We had no idea who any of them were but it was fun.☺  We had one lady stop and talk to us.  She had her little girl with her and she handed her two $20 bills and said, "Tell the sisters Merry Christmas!"  She shook off our telling her we were fine and smiled and said, "I was a missionary in Salt Lake City, Spanish speaking.  I remember!"  It was just so very sweet.

I had to run to office max to get your present laminated.  On our way in a man starts heading towards us and says, "Sisters!  Is there anything I can do for you?"  We smiled and said, "No."  I told him I was just getting things laminated.  He says, "Let me pay for it!  How much?"  I told him I had no idea but for him not to worry about it I had it planned.  He said, "I'll come in and pay for it!"  So he came in with us.  He was really sweet.  Turns out about 20+ years ago he served in the Idaho Falls North Stake!  Crazy!  It was really fun to talk to him about his mission.  We waited a while for the machine to warm up.  After it had gotten laminated we got the total.  I figured it would be like $10. . . . .NOPE!  $30!  I about died and felt SO bad!  He kept telling me not to worry!  It was so sweet!  After that we went and emailed.☺  Can't complain about that!  Momma your e-mail was sweet.☺  I'm so excited to talk to you on Wednesday!  AHHHH!

We had dinner at the Paxtons and since it was Joseph Smith's birthday, Sister Paxton asked us to teach the Restoration.  It was a lot of fun.☺  I like that family!  They are so kind and sweet!

December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas Eve!!  Whoot!  It was a way good day!  

We started off with Bro. Pickett taking us out to breakfast.  He is just so sweet!  He is an amazing ward mission leader!  WE were talking and he couldn't believe that I have been in Suwanee for almost 6 months.  Neither can I!  Fastest 6 months of my entire life!  It was really sweet of him to take us to breakfast.☺

District meeting today was super fun!  We just had fun and enjoyed our Christmas Eve together.  Sister Knight gave a teaching on knowledge and had us split into groups.  I had Elder Kilmer and Elder Hales in my group.  She had us pick a chapter in the scriptures and draw a picture.  Oh my Elders!?!?!?  Such nerds!  We did Alma 42 and drew a picture of the oddest version of justice. . . .  Elder Hales drew while Elder Kilmer told him what to draw and I just laughed.  We ended up with a man trying to shoot another man with Christ in the middle holding a shield of Justice. . . .  I'm still not really sure where Elder Kilmer was going with it.

Then we had our white elephant.  Elder McMurdie made up some crazy story with a whole bunch of left and rights.  At the end he just ended up spouting off lefts and rights.  It was really funny.  We decided to do a District picnic at the church.  The Sharon Springs sisters didn't really want to be there but the rest of us had fun!  At the end, we got a ride with the Sharon Spring sisters so our elders had a ride home. . . SO awkward!  The sisters didn't say a word to us.  They just seemed super mad that they had to give us a ride.  Found out later that the sister who came out at the same time as Sister Knight can't stand me. . . ummmm. . . . ok.  I've never really said or done anything to her.  I knew her companion didn't like me but I was surprised about her.  Oh well!  I will just keep being polite and nice.

More Snow for Christmas!!

We got back and wrote a bunch of Christmas cards and went to deliver them.  We stopped at the Galts first.  Sister Galt was just tickled.☺  Her grandma used to make caramels for Christmas and she passed away on Christmas Eve.  Sister Galt said it was a nice treat.☺  By the time we got done with the Galts, it was 4:00 and time to go to the Nilsson's  for our Swedish Christmas.  It was so much fun!  We had 3 courses and I was stuffed!  Pickled herring, Swedish meatballs, bread and cheese, rice pudding . . . it was all there.  And I tried some of each.  Sister Nilsson kept telling us we were so brave.  Funny lady. ☺  I guess in Sweden their Santa comes when the kids are awake.  So right after dinner the kids were running around looking for him.  Well, EVERY
 year Sister Nilsson runs out of something and sends Brother Nilsson to the store.  While he is gone, Santa always comes!  He misses it every year!☺  Well, Brother Nilsson missed Santa again!  Poor guy!☺  It was SO much fun!

We went over to the Garfields after the Nilssons.  sister Garfield told us to help ourselves to the food.  She had a big bowl of fruit and that was all I wanted!  When I explained that we had just had a Swedish meal she laughed and agreed that fruit was much needed!  We played Uno, with them and watched the kids open their PJ's.  We then shared a thought.  I did Alma 7:10-13.  Brother Garfield like that.☺  He said the elders had done Luke as their thought so I guess it was a good thing to change it up a bit.  Then they gave us stockings.  Cute Sister Garfield had put our names (missionary names not our first names) on them and filled them full.  It was so nice!  I was so grateful for everyone who was willing to share their Christmas Eve with us!  Hey, guess what?!?!?  TOMORROW I GET TO SEE ALL YOUR FACES!!  AHHH!! ☺

December 25, 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  What a stinkin' fabulous day it has been!  Momma, last night we opened our jammies.☺  Thanks!  I love 'em!  sister Knight liked 'em too.  She told me, "Your mom is so nice!  My mom loves you too. . .   But, well. . . ." and then she shrugged her shoulders.  Haha.☺  It made me giggle!

Sisters and their Jammies

We love our Sister Fullwood!

We actually started off our Christmas by going to  the gym.  It was our day to go.  We only get it 3 days and the elders get it 3 days.  We were not going to miss our day!  No one was there.  It was awesome!  We just tried out all the machines.  It was fun.☺  Then we went home and showered and got back into our PJ's. Sister Fullwood picked us up cause the elders go the car today.  We headed over to the cute Watkins house.  When we got there I just grabbed my apron (yes, I have one that I call mine☺) and started making waffles.  Sister Watkins kicked everyone else out and we cooked.  Yesterday they had the elders over today it was us.

HaHa!  Look at the date.  Batteries died and so the date
Never changed

After breakfast (thanks for the waffle recipe!☺) we sat down and opened the stockings that the Watkins had gotten for us.☺  they are just the mostkind and generous people in the world!  Daddy, when she handed me my box of cereal all wrapped up I just lost it!  That is one of those silly things that I will forever remember and love!  One of those memories that I willtell my kids about.☺  Where I will try and pass on the tradition.☺  Then I opened the presents from my package.  Oh!  What a beautiful outfit!  I LOVE it!  I feel so peretty in it.☺  Thank you!! 

We left the Watkins full and happy.☺  Sister George's mom wants to know how the Watkins managed to stay out of the pictures?!?!? 

It took some looking and I know it's not Christmas but
It is Sister George with Bother and Sister Watkins!!!

Sister George and her dear Watkins!

Sister Fullwood dropped us back off at the apartment and said she would be back in 45 minutes.  We got dressed and ready for the day.  Then she came back and picked us up and took us to her house.  I let Sister Knight go first.  She took an hour and a half!  We had a letter sent to everyone from the 1st Presidency that we take no more than 40 minutes.  She said her brother's president said it was 40 minutes of us talking and then 40 minutes of our families talking.  Ummm. . . probably not but I can't blame her really!  But it doesn't matter because FINALLY I got to see your faces!!  Oh!  What a wonderful thing technology is!!  It was so good to see y'all!

We love Facetime!!

 Everyone looks so much older!  Sydney and Hannah!  Where did my babies go?!?  You both look SO OLD!!  I don't like it!  Obviously you need to send more pictures!☺  Forty minutes was SO not long enough!  Thanks for keeping me obedient though Daddy.  I felt like we only talked for 10 minutes!  Oh!  What a happy Christmas!☺  We stayed at Sister Fullwood's for a while longer that talked.  Then she took us to the Holgado's where we were having Christmas dinner.

Sister Holgado was a wreck.  Her 2 oldest are very inactive and were furious with her and she told us all about it.  Who could ever be mad at sweet Sister Holgado?  Gee, it made me feel awful and so sad.  Their oldest son refused to come downstairs while we were there and ate.  They had done everything they could to calm their other son before we came.  Sister Holgado asked us not to give a message.  Basically, we got in and out as fast as we could.  We didn't want to be the source of contention for any family, especially at Christmas.

Sarah (loooove her!) drove us to the Galt's and told us that her mom, Sister Holgado, had tried to cancel on us this morning.  But Sarah told her mom that they couldn't do it again.  Sweet Sarah.  We would have been fine if they had cancelled.  Especially if it would have made their Christmas less stressful.  I just didn't understand it.  

Our pickle ornaments!!

We got to the Galts and the elders were downstairs skyping.  We talked with them for a while and waited for the elders.  When they were done, Sister Galt took us over to the tree and said we were going to play the pickle game.  It's a German game you have a little pickle ornament that you hide on the tree.  The first person to find it gets a prize.  It was so much fun and slightly infuriating.  Elder Rahman hated the game, it was so funny.  At the very end after it had been hidden and found by all of us, the Galt's gave each of us a little box.  Inside was our on pickle~!  Haha.☺  We promised to play it when we get home.  What a great ending to a Mary Poppins day - "Practically perfect in every way."

The Pickle Crew!!

December 26, 2013

Hey!  Momma, Daddy, tomorrow is your anniversary!  Yay!☺  And tomorrow Zach gets married!  Double yay!

So this morning I woke up to a very sick companion.  Poor sister Knight!  She has been throwing up.  We didn't have any sprite but I figured the elders might.  Elder Hales answered the phone, well, Elder Rahman is sick too!  Bummer!  So Suwanee missionaries are out of commission for today.  UGH!

The elders have their baptism interview with Will today, so the ZL's came and did an exchange.  Elder Bridge is with Elder Hales.  They came over and gave Sister Knight a blessing.  I love that we are surrounded by worthy priesthood holders that can do that.☺

Today I mostly just wrote letters.   They have been piling up on my desk.  It was nice to have time to write them all back. 

Elder Hales and Elder Bridge came by and we talked for a while.  They went and grabbed sprite for our little sickies.  They got me one too.  So that was way nice!  At the end of the day Sister Knight and I drove to the mail box cause she was feeling up to it.  We got the elders mail too.  So that was pretty much all that happened today.

December 27, 2013

Happy Anniversary Mommy and Daddy!  Happy Wedding Zach!

Luckily Sister knight is feeling better.  Elder Rahman, not so much.  I woke up feeling like I'd gotten slammed by a truck,  I just hurt all over.  No fun!

The elders asked if we would grab some gatorade and crackers for Elder Rahman so we ran to Kroger and grabbed those. 

We started to weekly plan and then got a call from Sister Ketchum.  She said Clara (who we haven't heard from forever) might be home right now.   So, we got in the car and headed over.  We knocked 3 times.  We could hear voices but not answer.  Darn it!

On our way home I started feeling sick.  By the time we got home all I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap.  Sister Knight said she was starting to feel sick again too.  Great!  So another day was spent at home being sick, only this time I got to join in on being sick!  I dragged my mattress into the living room and Sister Knight was on the couch.

We had a lesson with Ben tonight and we also had dinner.  We ate at the Leifsons but mostly just tried not to look like we were dying.  Our lesson with Ben was at the Hunsakers.  We got to do the Law of Chastity.  Fun.  It went fine though.  No problems there!

December 28, 2013

We got up not feeling well again.  Yuck!  Being sick on the mission STINKS.  It is one thing to waste your own time being sick it is another to waste time dedicated to the Lord.  I feel like a total waste.

We did get up and get dressed though becasue today, was Will's baptism (the elders investigator)!!  They had asked if I would play the piano for them so we got permission to go from the AP's.  They said as long as we had an investigator there.  Ben came ☺ which was good cause that way he got to see how it all worked.  Neither Sister Knight or I felt good at all.  As soon as the baptism was over we left.

Cute Sister Galt dropped off some movies for us, The Legacy, Only a Stonecutter, The Live of John Tanner, all good church movies.☺  We watched The Legacy and we decided that it was the best chick flick that we were ever gonna get as a missionary.☺

I got a blessing and by dinner time I was feeling better.   But I didn't want to push it so I didn't really eat a very much.  As we were driving home the elders called us,  It was raining so they had gotten a ride home and asked if they could take the car to get their bikes.  We were driving by where their bikes were so we just went and got them.  We went and checked the mail.  I got a Christmas card from the Radfords, a letter from the Hodges, some family history stuff from Grandma and Grandpa and your letter Momma.

December 29, 2013

I woke up feeling much better!  Yay for priesthood blessings!  Sister Knight was feeling better too.

Church was good today.☺  It just about killed me though, to think that this was my second to las Sunday.  I got teary eyed a few times.  I haven't gotten the feeling that everyone says they get when they are going to be transferred.  I'm hoping that maybe means I'm NOT going to be transferred.  But I doubt it. . . .

Brother Johnson said that he saw President Wolfert at the temple yesterday and he talked to President about me.  Maybe it will help to keep me here!  One can dream. . . . .

Will got confirmed today.  I have never seen 2 happier elders in my life.  I was happy for all of them.

We went tracting after church but nothing came out of it.  Just seeds planted!  After dinner Sister Knight started feeling sick again.  So we headed home.  Hopefully this next week will be better!☺

Love y'all!☺

♥

Molly