Sunday, July 2, 2023 - Another goodbye

 Today was another Break the Fast dinner with all the seniors. Today we were supposed to wear our Aloha wear so that we could take a group picture. After Dinner we gathered in the benches outside of the Ohana Luau.

Elder Handley went across the canal to take the group shot. Some he did with his camera, some with the drone.

He took several of us on the benches. 

Then he somehow stitched the pictures together so that there was NO gap!

After that we sang an Aloha Oe for those seniors who were going home.

Elder & Sister Phillips, Sister Karen Shephard, Elder & Sister King, Elder & Sister Hansen

We all sang, some played their ukuleles, and we were led by Sister Kmack.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 - a Wedding!

 Today we were privileged to be at the Sealing of Kalani and Leanne. They were both in our ward last semester and Kalani was in our temple prep class. Leanne has graduated, but Kalani is still a student at BYUH.

We had to go to work at the PCC Luau right after the reception, so we had to wear our outfits!

Then we went to work at the VC and some friends from Buena Vista, VA who know CJ and Mush came in…Nonie and Keenan Reeser.

It is always so much fun to see friends…of ours, those who know our kids, those we have worked with…etc.

Week of June 24- July 1st, 2023- the Lakehouse Week

 This week was the week our family gets together at the Lakehouse on Lake Norris in Tennessee. Of course, we couldn’t be there, and Layne and family were not there because Zach’s knee surgery.  

Since Tanner had recently been called into the Bishopric in his BYU ward, he wanted to wait until he got to the Lakehouse to have his dad and Uncles help ordain him as a High Priest.

It was wonderful to see pics of everyone having a great time, but we certainly did miss not being there too!!!

When the Monroe’s returned home, there was a surprise waiting for Ashlyn…some friends in their ward had painted a mural on her bedroom wall !  It was amazing

Monday, June 26, 2023 - a meeting of the Grandparents!!!!

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to meet Brother and Sister Mike Jensen from Shelley, Idaho at the VC. As we were talking we discovered that we both had grandsons serving in the Italy Rome Mission!!! 

When I showed him a picture of Trevor, it turned out that his grandson, Anziano Austin Jacobsen was standing right beside him in the picture!!!

Such a small, wonderful world!

Sunday, June 25, 2023 - the beginning of goodbye

 Our good friends, Elder David and Sister Kaylene Phillips are finishing their mission. They are from Orem. They were the only other senior couple in our ward and the first ones we met here. They were the coordinators of the BYUH senior missionaries. Wonderful people! So, this day begins our good byes…..the ward did an Aloha Oe for them.  In preparation, I learned to make ribbon leis.

So, at the end of Sacrament meeting, Ralph Mallapre , who was in our ward last year annd has ann incredible voice, sang Aloha Oe and then put a Lei around their necks and then we all joined in on the chorus.  

Bishop Spring and his wife Colleen on left.

There will be more Aloha Oe’s for these great people!

Later in the day, Cindy and Leon Montgomery, old neighbors in our Cedar Hills ward that have now moved to Arizona, came to the VC. Since it was Sunday, and NOTHING here is open on Sunday, we invited them to come to dinner at our apt. So fun to see good friends !!

June 19-24 , 2023 - A week in pictures

 Monday, June 19-  Misty’s last day in Japan. Maybe buying a neck pillow for the plane?

Tues. June 20- at our Role plays today with the sisters, we were all in our Blues… made for a great picture!

Terry & Diane Bushman, Dennis & Kim Singleton, Shari & Grant Cannon, Diedra & Roger Mahaffey

Later in the day we got a blast from the past…Dean Ellis and his family came in the VC.He and Brooke used to date when they were in high school over 30 years ago. So fun to see him again.

Wed. June 21 - on our Pday we had to drop off all the items from our Give n’ Take closet at the Goodwill in Wahiawa. The other Senior couple in our ward, The Phillips, had asked us to look for some luggage there. (They are going home the first week of July) . We were amazed to find some. They needed 2 big ones and we found them. The tender mercy was that they were on $12.99 each…. So we bought the 2 outside ones and left the middle blue one.  We just ended up giving them the suitcases as their going home present from us.

Thursday, June, 22 - a couple called the Thordersons came into the VC. They told us they have just come home from their mission at the Rome VC. We asked them if they had known our friends the Geddes’?  They did! It was fun to talk with them.

Later in the day we got a cool picture from our Elder Landon Mahaffey with Perth in the background.

Friday, June 23 - today we got a wonderful picture!  Our Sister Lahache just went home. We would always joke with her, since she was from Canada, about our favorite place.- Chocolat Favoris. So, she sent us a picture today of her standing in front of our place!!!!

Next, Sister Scott and several sisters thought the surfboard in our village looked weird so, they wanted to put it in a different place. Had to take a pic of her moving it.

Sat. June 24- this morning we had our breakfast at the Sneddons with several seniors.

We usually have it once a transfer. We always have sooooo much food!

L to R-  Dan & Stacy Duncan, Mike & Jennifer Sneddon, Creed & Cammie Archibald ( who replaced the Talbots- over seniors at the PCC), Stephen & Roxey Neely ( who will be replacing the Phillips- over seniors at BYUH), Su Jones, Sister Stephanie & Pres. Sidney Bassett, Gail & Steve Olsen, Dennis & Kim Singleton ( who will be replacing the Bushmans - over the VC ), Roger & Diedra Mahaffey, Elder Michael Handley, Grant & Shari Cannon, Trrry & Diane Bushman, Sister Virginia Handley.

Then, we got to go out for dinner on Sat. Night too!  One of our sisters who served at the VC- Vanessa Bahim, returned to go to BYUH. She also found her eternal companion , Mason Bitter. They are leaving next week to get married in the Sacramento temple, and they have a lot of $$ left on their card where they eat at the Cafe on campus. So, they invited us and the Bushmans to dinner!  They have been totally remodeling the Cafe all semester and it is looking great!  (However, if we were paying it would have been $18.25 a piece! WAY too expensive for campus food that is just okay!)

First half of June - misc. pictures

 So many things happening for our family:  Arie Krey’s 8th Grade graduation:

Kaden Monroe’s trip to Cambodia with BYU

Elder Landon Mahaffey serving in Perth Australia as the social media Elders.

CJ on the field and his family in the stands. This summer he is the Athletic trainer for a professional Lacrosse team…the Bulls. They travel all around the country playing in the summer.

Tanner called to be the 2nd counselor in his BYU Ward Bishopric.

Layne and Arie enjoying their summer break by getting pedicures!!!!

Mason enjoying his trip to Disneyland and Universal by getting a great souvenir…a Darth Vader Cape!

Misty enjoying her Japan trip with  Shelli where they both attended a medical conference…

 our latest picture of Pounders Beach from Elder Handley:

And Finally, had to get a picture of our hero while we were out on a walk…

I am SURE this is not the TOTAL of things our family is doing. But, it was all the pics I was sent….so, if you want to be in the blog…sent those photos!!!!

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