April Showers

April 6-12

The Sisters using their dirty car for advertising "mormon.org"

SUNDAY     It was nice to watch Conference and hear the inspired messages which were all so wonderful!  As soon as conference was over at 6:00, we prepared for dinner with the sisters.  We invited the Harman’s as well but only Elder Harman came as Tammi was not feeling well.  (Harman’s just returned from Utah for a baby blessing and a medical emergency which caused them to stay a little longer than planned).   

MONDAY    We were at the Memorial as usual in the afternoon and then Family Home Evening.  About 5 minutes before the start of FHE, Elder Osborn ask me to conduct, he said the people were tired of hearing his voice.  No big deal.  I locked up the visitor center while the FHE people were getting their plates full.  We were just about ready to head home when a carload of visitors pulled up.  They had read the sign which said we were closed but they had driven a distance and wanted to see what it was all about so I unlocked and turned everything on and had the tour.  We finally got home about 7:45pm.  It all worked out OK as the NCAA final championship game didn’t start until 9:00pm EST.     

TUESDAY   The day started off on the rainy side as it rained most of the morning.  The rains are starting to take a definite toll on the amount of snow still on the ground.  I had to give the missionary lesson to the group meeting.  It was supposed to be something from Preach My Gospel so I choose the topic of Accountability.  For Institute,  we decided rather than give a strict lesson, we would highlight some of the trials and episodes that occurred right after the Church was organized.  I thought it went pretty well.  Besides the “regulars”, the sister missionaries showed up! :)   Rhonda made some good snicker-doodles which made up for any slight in the lesson.  After arriving back home, I watched the Women’s NCAA finals which I had taped from earlier in the night.

WEDNESDAY    This week Wednesday turned out to be our day-off.  Osborn’s asked us to trade as their son is coming on Wednesday night and they wanted to be with him starting on Thursday.  We took another shopping trip to W. Lebanon for a few hours in the morning and afternoon.    When we finally got home, I washed the car again.  With the days getting longer, Rhonda decided to go on a walk with me.  I took her through town and up the hills for about a 3 mile walk.  When we got home, we were both pooped.  I had to fix a pair of suit pants I had ripped the clasp on.  Guess I am putting on too much weight for my britches.  Not a lot happening in the evening.  I spent quite a while taking to LeIla on the phone.  She wasn’t feeling good and depressed.  She often feels lonesome.   
THURSDAY   Started some cleaning for the arrival of Randy and family tomorrow evening.  Osborn’s asked us to come to the Memorial an hour earlier than scheduled so they could go out with their son and his family.  We were really quite busy giving tours, etc.  After our shift, we were doing more cleaning when Randy called and said Alena is sick and they may not make it to see us tomorrow.  We finished our vacuuming since we had borrowed the vacuum from the Memorial as the one we have doesn’t pick up much.  It won’t even pick up a little sand off the wood floor.   
FRIDAY    Hurried and checked the flights as soon as we got up to see if Randy’s family was flying.  No luck!!  We are disappointed as that is the second time they have scheduled to come see us and couldn’t make it.  Today was another full day at the Memorial and we only had a few groups come for tours so it was a long day.  It was a beautiful spring day so after we went to the apartment and changed our clothes, we took a walk around town.  We couldn’t find much happening so we just spent the evening watching TV and trying to do a little reading    
SATURDAY    Today was another all-day affair as Osborn’s were taking their son and his family to the airport in Boston.  There were a good number of people coming for tours and they seemed to space out quite good so we were busy most of the day.  The day seemed to go much faster when you are busy.  Osborn’s hurried and were back by 4:00pm so they sent us home an hour early.  We were debating about going to Stake Conference in Essex (75 miles north by Burlington).  About that time, Elder Harman called and needed us to take some walkie-talkie radio’s to the conference to be used for parking on Sunday so that made our decision to go.  When we got to the Chapel, there was no one in the parking lot which seemed unusual as we were still a minute or two before the hour.  We walked in and the meeting was going on so we found a row of seats in the back of the cultural hall right behind the Osborn’s and newly arrived FM missionaries, the Egan’s.  We no sooner sat down and the Mooney’s walked in.  It turned out that all of us were an hour late for the meeting.  Somewhere along the like the communications broke down.  But, it was probably good we did go.  As soon as the conference was over, Sister Scott, from the South Royalton ward, had some type of emotional breakdown and I and Elder Mooney were able to administer to her at the stake center in Essex.