Hapy New Year!

"Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives."Thomas S. Monson, "Consider the Blessings", Ensign, November 2012

     This week has been full!  I know that our Heavenly Father listens to our prayers!  Several of our children have been sick,some very scary things with a couple of them.  I have prayed with all my heart and I know that the Lord has heard my prayers.   On each account, things could have been so much worse, but thankfully none were life threatening in the end.  They are still not completely whole, but are on the mend.  It is hard being the "nurse Mom" and not being able to be there to help.  I guess they are being prepared for if I get Alzheimer's and can't take care of them later.  :)



Chandler, Colton, Caleb and Annalea on Christmas morning.
 

     I am thankful that we can do my part of our mission from almost anywhere.  Most of what I do is on the phone and computer.  The President wants family to visit us so that we can tell other SR couples how great missions are, hoping they will want to go also.  We were able to go to San Diego for Christmas eve and day.  It was fun being around the kids.  Caleb, age 2, was happy with the first present he opened, but then at the end of the day, he asked if there were any more presents to open.

Gammy and Annalea

Papa and Caleb

Jim, Bonnie, Chad, Kathy and Lonnie
Jim and Bonnie are Chad's Aunt and Uncle and Bonnie is like a sister to me.
They stopped in to Chad's house for a visit.

 

April, Her daughter, Jim, Bonnie, Christine, Allen and their kids.
Bonnie, Jim and I have been friends for 40 years, but have only seen each other 2-3 times in all those years.  It is  like
we have never been apart when we do get together.  They live in Illinois now.  Wish we could spend more time together.  Maybe someday.
 

       My brother, Bill Bailey,  got to our place at 0145 Thursday morning.  He rested a short time and then worked with us, helping with the mission work.

Bill helped Elder McOmber move furniture that was donated to the mission and fix a bicycle for some sisters.
By going with us he was able to see a lot of our mission area.
 

Bill and I at Signal Hill.  It was the nicest day I have ever been there.  You could see all around, no smog/fog.  It was windy and a little chilly for me, but better than the snow blizzards he  left in Salt Lake City.  Signal Hill is near the storage building that they stored the furniture in.  We stopped for lunch.

Looking down on the docks at Long Beach.  Catalina Island in background.

We could see Seal Beach and Huntington Beach on this day.

That is Bill under the whale.  After work, we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific, the 4th largest aquarium in the world.  It was fun to see all the different species of fish and animals.  Lonnie is under the tail.

After the Aquarium, we walked around the parks near the Aquarium in Downtown Long Beach.  Chad drove his motorcycle up from San Diego to spend  Friday with us. This picture reminds me of this quote:

There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what the lighthouse of the Lord can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, 'This way to safety. This way to home.' It sends forth signals of light easily seen and never failing. If followed, those signals will guide you back to your heavenly home."

Thomas S. Monson, "Believe, Obey, and Endure",  Ensign, November 2012
This next picture has Bill walking to the lighthouse and that is the full moon coming up on the right of the lighthouse.

Bill, Chad and I spent Friday together.  They both left in the evening Friday.  Bill drove to San Diego to visit Chad and Am's home.  Chad was going to take him to pet the dolphins at his work and they were going to go to a car show together.  Bill had a fast trip-11 hours drive each way for a 3 day visit.  We were glad to see him and show him around.

Chad is "Mr October".  His work made a calendar(and I couldn't get one-they ran out).  This is him with a dolphin having a pet scan .  It is an awesome calendar showing all the Marine mammals that he works with.

      With all this going on, I was able to continue to do my mission work.  I received many calls--there is a lot of sickness-mostly colds, but a few other things to make it interesting and I even had time to do my charting.  Chad liked reminding me of things for the Elders and Sisters to try to get better.  He would like to be able to tell them that I was  much meaner to him as a mother than I am to these missionaries, but he wants to do it in Zone Conference so they all can know how mean I was.
      It has been a wild week, but time to get back to doing what we are called to do, what the Lord wants here in Long Beach to do....Serve Him!
     Have a blessed New Year Holiday and God bless you all year long!  I Love You!!!!!!