Thank You More Than Once!

First, I need to say thank you to Aunt Pauline for having an open door - always! This time up at their cabin in Heber City, UT. The views were spectacular.

She has welcomed us into their home time and again when we have been in town and needed a place to lay our heads! Laughter, good times, games and great conversation just come with the territory. You enrich our lives by sharing with us. This time we got to see Janece & her youngest, Skyler, as well. I learned how to play SPEED. I won the first round, beginner's luck and then proceeded to lose in a big way.

If it's not Aunt Pauline then one of my cousins is always willing to help us out as well - picking up college boxes, etc. Thanks for your service with a smile! Our door is always open as well - way down here in Florida if you ever make it this far away from home!

Silly Sweet Sisters!

Sweet sisters - Aunt Pauline & my mom, Helen! Can you tell they are sisters?!

Well, one of the mornings mom and I were there - we were enjoying a few quiet moments - I think Aunt Pauline dropped a thread on the floor or something. Next thing you know she reaches underneath and comes up with an Easter egg! Next thing you know she is on her knees looking under the chair. More treats! How could the grandkids have missed those?! Too funny.

Silly Sisters!

The two sisters end up looking under all the chairs and come up with quite a stash. They were then making dibbs on which candy was who's. It was pretty funny! And cute. All in good fun.

They shared a few with me too!

Missionary Madness! Shopping!

This is the motto for Brigham Young University - but I would venture to say this is Austin's motto for life as well. He has demonstrated that in more ways than one.

Austin putting his mark on the world.

So eager to pose for my pictures - not!

Thanks, John, for letting me be there and spend this time with Austin. When I sent this picture to John of his awesome son from my phone, he sent back a note - 'who's the good-looking babe standing next to him?' I'm glad you think so. Love you too.

Austin's gonna look snazzy. Very conservative when it came to picking ties. He would not go for a pink one!


It wasn't so painful after all!

Thank you Grandma Swensen for being our chauffer and wheels every time we need you. It's fun having you be part of the process.


Thank you Daniel & Diana for making time to do dinner with us at Legend's Grill - campus style.

We had fun having Austin's roommate join us.

Housework Can Wait! Right?!

After doing a few things this morning I decided that housework could wait just a little bit until I update our blog with at least one noteworthy item.

Austin did receive his mission call to the Washington Seattle Mission!

This last week someone finally called me and said, "Did Austin get his mission call? You can't still be waiting!" Oops! He received his mission call on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. He opened it at 11:30pm! And then left the next day for his Military Science class Physical Training Exercises camp.

Then it was spring break here. Before that week was over, I was on a plane to Michigan to drive with my mom from there to Utah. She needed someone to drive with her and it was an easy and FREE way for me to make a trip to Utah to do mission shopping with Austin.

It all worked out quite well. I-80 was only closed for 5 hours one day! I was able to see my sister in Michigan, my brother & family in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, a cousin & his wife that I hadn't seen in maybe 19 years in Omaha, Nebraska and a few other things along the way. It was a good trip. It was fun to spend that time with my mom. We don't get to do that very often.

John held down the home front with Parker & Macey. They got to have pizza and chinese (I did leave them food in the house, I promise). But truth be told the best meal was probably the eggs John made them as he's the best egg maker in our family, just ask the kids! He took them to Corkscrew Sanctuary, swimming, bike rides, made sure they got to play General Conference Bingo w/m&m's (tradition), helped someone move, attempted to teach seminary one morning (another story), got Parker to school early two mornings for honor chorus practice, attended scouts, attended the orientation for middle school, and was right on time to pick me up from the airport. He took a couple hours off that morning to spend it with me. It is great to be back home. I missed you, babe! (I think you missed me too?!) Thank you.

You Are Hereby Called To Serve . .

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Washington Seattle Mission!

(I added the ! mark)




This is not a very good picture of the area his mission covers. I scanned it in from the paperwork because there wasn't anything better to be found online.

The Story of the Mission Call
Austin opened his call in his dormroom at BYU with guys from his hall crowding the doorway and his Grandma Swensen in Michigan and his family in Florida watching via video SKYPE at 11:30pm on Wednesday, March 24, 2010!!!

He had a Computer Programming take home midterm he was working on that was due at 9pm Utah time and it took every last minute. Austin texted earlier in the day, "It's here!" Then proceeded to ask us how late we were willing to stay up for him to open it. The answer - we're up and waiting til whenever! (like we could go to sleep!)

We had the video camera rolling on the computer screen. When he opened the call and began to read and said, "you are hereby called to serve in the Washington Seattle Mission," I thought he was trying to be funny and playing a joke on us.

I haven't watched the video of it all but I'm pretty sure I was waiting for him to reread it for reals and then finally said, "are you serious?" "are you joking?" It took me only a moment to realize it was for real.

Austin is excited. We are excited for him. He is going to be an awesome missionary! He has a testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and his plan for us here on the earth. It has always been a guiding force in his life.

There are some interesting things surrounding Austin's mission call to this mission. As I have related this to different individuals in telling them where he will be going - I have had (4) of them tell me it has given them the 'chills.' A good feeling!

1. John grew up in Washington. His whole family lives in Washington state - his two sisters, his brother and his mom. Along with many other relatives. We go there every year to visit. In a lot of ways it is our second home. When I got to UT to see Austin I got to look at the map more closely. I had to call John right away. His sister & family and niece in Puyallup, WA will be within Austin's mission boundaries!

2. We lived in Issaquah, WA for 4 1/2 years from the time Austin was 18months old until he was 6 years old (almost 14 years ago). Issaquah, WA is also part of his mission.

3. Just this past weekend during General Conference, Phillip Bussey, who was our bishop when we lived in Issaquah, WA and has since been a stake president, was called as a new Area Seventy. (It was a couple of months ago that somehow John had looked something up and saw he was a stake president, still in the area working for the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. All before Austin got his call.)

It will be exciting to see the events of the next two years unfold and the years to follow as Austin serves the Lord. This has been an opportunity for me to put my faith in the Lord and in his wisdom of all things.