Let the Journeys Begin

Together One Last Time

And at the Temple

Blogs are a new world for me as far as posting goes, reading them not so new because they're everywhere.  You can't even print a new recipe without the detailed description of the woman's day and her overriding hormonal need for some home baked goody. Also why or why not so and so cannot eat said goody if purchasing it at this particular store, although sometimes the item can be found another place, which is the place she went, but they were out.  By the time you get to the posting of the actual recipe...well by cracky...there is no time to make it yourself so you wind up going to the place she said she found it just to see if you can buy it there to save time, when actually NOT reading her blog for 3 hours would have been your best bet in the first place.  I have never done this...nor have you, I am sure.

Now then!  Our kids always stretch us out of our comfort zones, so here goes,  Wish me luck!  I mainly wanted to have a place where anyone interested can get updates on their missions.  There is another missionary mom currently posting every jot and tittle on face book who I will probably introduce to the bloggosphere very soon before she drives me to crazy town.  I don't want to drive anyone crazy though, so if you're here it's purely by choice, and a good one too I might add!  Let just use the technology we have been given to branch out a little.
My main goal is to provide organization of these memories and though there are duplicates in lots of places, it is nice to have a central location of these "journal entries".  In writing my letters to them it will be more of a challenge to find interesting content.  They are the ones embarking on a huge adventure.  We as empty nesters, on the other hand, well...pish pot!  Everything we ever do has to do with work or the kiddos. It's high time to get back to our own lives and Russ and I have high hopes and great goals of biking and hiking along with gardening and dog training...t r a v eling?  I hesitate to even mention that one but we are doing something while they're gone, I am promising myself.  I am kinda laughing as I type that since it has been a goal for a couple decades.  Perhaps now we will have more time.  Our kids are our life but we would be insane not to enjoy the fruits of our labors ie. adulthood and grandkiddies by being in shape and taking care of ourselves to enjoy it!  So in my letter writing I hope to inform, inspire and send a quote or favorite scripture of the week.  Always being upbeat since they tell us not to whine and complain about the goings on at home or how much we miss them.  I will be good!

Like any mother, I am all about my kiddos and have always been especially as a home's cool mom.  I know, I know - you can't relate right?  Most can't.  But that's why we did.  Just to be different?  Well no, but being involved in Chiropractic, we are fairly alternative, so we didn't mind doing something completely different because we already were.  Though as the years have gone by, many are looking around for other avenues for healthcare as well.  Politically we are conservative and don't know too many who are of the other ilk personally.  With the end of 2016 and the Obamanation out of office, we are ever hopeful of a less divided country, though Snowflakes have now been added to the dictionary with a whole new meaning cross referenced with Self Absorbed Brats.  Primarily our decision to educate our children at home from the get go, was our friends and their examples at the time we started our family.  Plus my sister had done it many years with great success and later my brother joined in because they listened to what they felt their child needed at the time.  At one point we were in a Christian school cooperative where our family were the only Mormons, this was interesting since they would only go so far in the relationship and then back off, ha.  We always felt loved and still made many friends and we all enjoyed it immensely.  At our LDS church, we were at times the only family in the ward or stake who taught our kids at home and though we never felt isolated, I still kick myself for not befriending certain families who I thought perfect for the job, although of course everyone is.  I kept to myself too much and even when someone did ask me later, I told them it was a very personal decision between them and the Lord.  The father is the principal and I could tell them some websites we used but that it would need to be up to them.  That was actually my fear speaking as I never wanted anyone to come back to me and say, "Well Sister Fuller said so."  Hmm, maybe I am not as independent as I thought, although I have always told myself I am.  Thinking about that as being a good thing is now being driven back directly into my face as each of our kids is fiercely independent and will certainly go on living without my daily assistance.  This is something I am still processing and will continue to do for the next 2 years. 

So with all that said, here are the posts starting with Benjamin who went to the mTc in September. But first, most recently during his Christmas Skype call, he reminded us he is at the 90 day mark, which, when you think about it, is a probationary time period (like for a job) and he is now through it. After relaying to us the amount of weight gained in the mTc and then how much he lost those first couple weeks in the field, I realized I have no control at all.  Something happened to him that I knew nothing about and he actually got over it and came out on the other side, unscathed.  I am still mortified not that he did it on his own but that I was not there while he was suffering.  Though he did say he appreciated my letters, he is too independent to complain of such things while its happening.  Therein lies my faith, faith that he is now being taken care of by others.  Which is great too, because while on the call, the family who made them Christmas dinner set a huge piece of turkey breast down beside him to take home.  Such a relief to see his bright eyes and beautiful smile on Christmas Day! 

First skype 2016 from his perspective, love it!!

Missions are defined by Date and Time as well as Pictures and People, also by Exciting Experiences.  Missionary mommas has several ways to chart your DE (Dear Elder), DD (Dear Daughter) experiences and time away.  Counting Fast Sundays is the fastest since it is by months.  The half way point is huge and I am intrigued by the person who figured out all the time even down to the seconds they have been serving to that point, kinda funny actually.  We are going to count here too, though by dates only, although I am thinking of Mother's Day in May, just not counting down the days.  I do not have a paper chain for this one.  I have a life of my own to live...at least that's what I keep telling myself and my husband and the dogs...well the cat too, but not random people at the grocery store, of that you can be sure - well just the cashiers...and only people who glance in my general direction.

Daniel is headed to Nairobi Kenya after his training period of 3wks in the Johannesburg mTc.  He will probably be learning some Swahili, although mostly English, there are several different dialects and tribes with many languages in Africa.  Rachel is currently in the Madrid mtc where she will spend 6 wks learning Castilian Spanish and then travel to Barcelona.  I am not sure how they will transport since  Kenya is 13hrs northeast from South Africa.  Benjamin is currently in Offenbach, Germany and was in the Provo MTC for 6wks learning German.  Ben saw his cousin come and go and some friends.  He was happy to be finished and on his way finally.  We will see how stir crazy Rachel gets.  Although she will be happy to have the time to prepare since her brother said the mtc was the easy part.