I'm back! June 5, 2016

Had a few technological challenges in the weeks since our return, so I haven't been blogging.  I have wrestled within myself as to whether it makes sense to continue blogging.  I don't know that I will have anything of worth to share.  But what I do know is that we have been asked to have a presence on the internet, to counteract the false information that flows abundantly out there.  So, I am back.

Returning from a mission is a little rough.  Sort of like reentry from space orbit.  I have found that sometimes I am hanging on tightly to those lessons I learned.  Things don't always go smoothly.  Sometimes the mission seemed like a simpler life.  I read a post from one our missionaries in which he talked of being homesick and wanting to go back to Georgia.  I understand.  Georgia is very close to my heart.

For example, in the mission, we didn't have a yard to care for.  Here we do.  One of the first things we did was put in a new line to water in two beds that used to be hand-watered and plant flowers. 

 One of the beds Kaitlyn calls the Tim Burton bed because it has black petunias and some other interesting flowers.

Probably one of the things we disliked about the mission was moving apartments.  We did a LOT of that while we were there.  So, when we returned home, we have found ourselves unpacking boxes we had packed before we left.  Oh, my, I guess you never get away from it1

One thing we will never miss is Waffle House.  Waffle House was a staple for many of the missionaries and our good friend, Barry Jessen, ate there every week.  We never acquired the taste.  However, PE and ME introduced us to a place here in Utah called Waffle Love.  It started as a food truck and now has a location in West Bountiful.  We liked it .

We have also returned to using our barbecue, grilling, they would call it in Georgia.  We missed that in Georgia.  In most of the apartment complexes grilling is not allowed except in designated areas.  

Some things are not the same.  Some buildings have been razed.  Some roads have changed (what is with the weird intersections off the freeway).  Spaghetti Factory must have changed chefs because the food was not the same.  Now there is an "At Home" instead of a Shopko.  Mom Dixon is now living in Barton Creek where my Mom once lived.  Barry and Jana did some awesome work at the cabin and so it is almost complete.

Mostly what has changed is our family and friends.  Cancer has been brutal to some of our loved-ones and neighbors.  With Titan, it has been easy to reestablish the relationship.

With P1 and P2, it has been harder.  P1 was about 2 when we left and so (after a great session of playing with Grandpa) he said "I like Titan's Grandpa".  Ilana is still not quite sure what to think.  And our little Canadians really don't have any idea who we are.



Knowing all of that, I would still go on a mission.  It was a blessing in our lives and the  lives of our children.  We didn't see them as particularly being blessed while we were gone, but they appear to have been protected from the fiery darts of the adversary.  Since we came home, they have all had car trouble.  My guess is that they soon will be begging us to go again!

The hightlight of the week was Titan's graduation from kindergarten.  Way to go, little buddy!