Time's Tickin' Away!

We can hardly believe that we will be heading home just four short weeks from now (hence the title of the blog and the photo of the clock on City Hall below)! The time that we have been back in Houston has flown by and we are enjoying every minute that we are here with these great missionaries. 

Houston City Hall

This is a photo of our dinner with the Cluffs before they left in mid November. I didn't realize how many great friends we would make here - definitely a bonus of missionary service.

President and Sister Larkin took us all out to celebrate after Christmas and we enjoyed a fun evening with the office staff. After we leave there will be just one senior couple serving here that is not from this area. We are hoping that will change soon as more senior couples are able to get the vaccine.

We had a quiet Christmas Eve - our second one away from home - but we loved using our Echo Show to feel like we were part of the festivities going on at home! 

We put the Yule Log on YouTube with classical guitar music and had a nice evening.

We got a little Norfolk Pine as our Christmas tree which was fun because that's what we had back in our first apartment!

We were able to attend two Christmas Zone Conferences - 

The highlight is always the talent show - 

it's so fun to see what they come up with. These drummers were impressive! We also heard some great vocals, piano and instrumental pieces.

While we were at home in St. George we learned that our friends the Arnolds had a daughter reassigned to our mission from Chile! We met her there and then got so see her again here in Texas!

Here we are taking she and her companion to lunch, Hermanas Arnold and Balch - one of our favorite things to do! It was fun to see them at work too as they left a pass along card with the waiter and got the information from a hostess who is a member but hadn't been to church since she moved here.

More fun out with missionaries - Elders Blackburn, Dyer and Darling.

This was before John accompanied one of the missionaries to a doctor appointment.

We delivered crutches to Elder Rivera and of course met at a delicious lunch place -

Jax Hamburgers in Liberty, Texas. As we were finishing up another group of Elders walked in so we surprised them by buying all of them lunch and paused to get a photo with them!

Elder's Wilkinson and Tu'avao at Iguana Joe's

Some of our reassigned missionaries are getting ready to go back to their original assignments. Depending on the country it can be quite a process! We met a missionary who is going to Korea at this urgent care in Cleveland, Texas to get an exam certifying that he didn't have any COVID-19 symptoms. This along with a negative test needed to be sent overnight to the consulate in San Fransisco. Luckily it all worked out.

Elders Thompson, Josie and Bramwell - of course we found a great lunch place in Cleveland too!

Fat Floyds Barbecue and Burgers!

A sign said that they are closed on Sundays and invited you to join them across the street at the church. Pretty cool!

I am often taking calls no matter what we are doing!

This was in the women's restroom at Fat Floyds - you gotta love Texas!

While we were in Cleveland we got a call from Elder Hallam who had been sick for a few days and had tried two different urgent cares and was still miserable with a sore mouth and throat. We decided to drive to where he was about an hour away, pick him up and bring him to a better urgent care. Here he is after finally having his mouth and throat numbed by lidocaine so he can eat!

Waiting for medication at the pharmacy.

Silly missionaries!

We have been trying to do some fun outings with our friends Elder and Sister Dickman.

We brought them to Morgan's Point - one of our favorite places.

It was a bit cold but we had fun anyway.

These stacks of shipping containers amaze me! What is all of this and where is it coming from and going to?! It was fun to watch the ships coming and going.

 

We also went to the San Jacinto Monument and Battleground again -

This ship is from World War I!

This was a trip the Dickman's took us on to Sheldon Lake State Park.

It's fun to get a view when you can -

Even if you have to climb a tower to do it!

I haven't seen a "Be Alligator Wise" sign! 

This was posted at the beginning of the boardwalk walkway. I'm glad we didn't see any that day, but we do want to get to Gator World before we go!

The Dickman's knew of a really good food truck that had delicious tamales. They are prepared with a table cloth and silverware that they carry in there car so they can eat out safely. Great idea!

We took a trip to the Austin Area where we had the opportunity to get the vaccine as medical providers. John first thought this was an ambulance on the freeway until we got a little closer!

It's an Emergency Donut Vehicle! 

This was the clinic near Round Rock where we got the vaccine. It was so well organized  - we feel blessed to be able to get it! We go up this next weekend for our second dose.

We got to stay at the LaLa Land Ranch again thanks to Scott and Jessica Law. It was fun to be back and see this cute family again. 

Elsie is twelve and had grown since we saw them last year!!! It will be fun to follow her in basketball and volleyball. She has a great voice, too... when we can coax her into singing!

We saw more of the little ones because the older kids were at school, but this is one of the youngest twins miss Birdie! They know that I look a lot like their nanny Anne so I must be OK.

Cute Andy - 

And brother Red is just a year older. They have so much fun together!

They got some new pups since we were there last - This is Hank Williams  I think, 

And Patsy Cline!

We finally made it to the Tin Roof Barbecue back in Humble. And We got the BYU Cougar Fan parking spot!

It is such good food and they stay so busy!

We drove to Houston's Restaurant in downtown (now called Hillstone) to use a gift card that John's partners had given us. It was delicious food! We came early and got out before the dinner rush.

Doing some nurse duties as usual!

Delicious steak and salmon that we shared. 

My sweet mother turned 99 on January 25th without any of us being able to be with her. Her sweet granddaughter Margo brought her niece and nephew for a window visit and took this photo. I loved seeing mom so happy. She has been getting more confused  - the isolation has been so hard. She will be moving to memory care this week, still at Jamestown. It will be a hard adjustment but I think she will be happier having more care and structure in her day. When we left on our mission we weren't sure whether either of our mothers would still be here when we came home. It was so hard to leave but they are both women who have great faith and who love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they were very supportive of us going. I am looking forward to seeming them both soon and hoping since we will have had our second vaccine dose and they will too that we might even get to see them in person and give them a big hug! We will forever treasure the memories and friendships we have made her in Texas and we look forward to being with our children and grandchildren again. We highly recommend a mission for our friends and family who may be thinking about it. Set a date - you won't regret it!