Hello--Goodbye

Welcome to eight enlightened, energetic young missionaries 

and farewell to five fantastic, famous missionaries. 

They just keep coming and going

and we love them all.

Surprise Visit

Out of the clear blue Gregg called one night and said that he and Michael were passing through Omaha on the way to visit Angela and wanted to know if we had time for a visit.  We were thrilled and after a long day of traveling interviews we were ready for a little diversion. They spent the night with us and the next morning we went to the Winter Quarters Trail Center and walked around the cemetery and Temple.  After just a short visit they went on their way.  We were so grateful for the chance to see them.

Pioneer Courage

One of the prominent banks here in Omaha has commissioned an LDS artist to create a portrayal of the pioneers who crossed this country. This magnificent work is entitled "Pioneer Courage." As each piece is put in place there is a little celebration and the wagon train grows. It is slightly larger than life and is unbelievably detailed. I understand the project won't be done for several years but already it is just amazing!

Announcing our First Grandbaby

David and Hailey are expecting their first baby- a little girl- in March!!!  We are so thrilled  for them.  Everything is going well and Mom and baby are growing beautifully.  With ultra sounds as they are today they have been able to see the baby in a lot of detail, which is so exciting for them.  They will be such wonderful parents and can't wait for this little person to arrive. And....we get to be grandma and grandpa and the kids- uncles and aunts and we all couldn't be happier.  Hailey is still doing her personal training and probably will keep going as long as possible, that's what happens when you start out in such good shape.  Congratulations to this wonderful little family.  

Another Spanish Speaker in the Family!

SARAH RECEIVED HER MISSION CALL TO THE ARIZONA PHOENIX, SPANISH SPEAKING MISSION!!!  She reports to the MTC on January 6th.  We are so thrilled for her.  She has taken five years of Spanish so she will have a good head start.   Scott will be home from his mission on the 21st of December so they will have just a couple of weeks together before Sarah leaves. While she was here in Nebraska she went on team ups with the Sisters in our ward almost every day and it was those great experiences that really helped her make her decision to go.  She is so excited to begin her mission that she can hardly wait for school to end.  She has had a real challenging semester at the Y with lots of very demanding classes, so I am sure that is another reason she can't wait for school to be over.  We are very sad to think of not seeing her for 18 months but we know what this experience will mean to her and the growth and strength she will gain so...we are very pleased with her decision.  She will be a wonderful little missionary.

Halloween 2009

We invited our great Bishop and his family to share our traditional Halloween Dinner with us. The menu: mummy hot dogs, apple bites, pumpkin brains, cheesy fingers, pond scum jello with frog eggs, bone breadsticks, bat blood, and flaming skull cake.  Anyone hungry?  We heard that Halloween is a really big deal around our neighborhood so we decorated and got all ready for the crowd only to find out that the real traffic was a few blocks away where they had coffins with the dead rising out to give candy, and a real hearse with a monster who jumped out with a chain saw to scare trick or treaters away.  We walked down to see it all and were just amazed to see all the work that went into these set ups and the crowds of people walking all over the yards.  Needless to say our little paper plate skeleton didn't draw much of a crowd. Maybe we will just keep it that way.

Pumpkin Carving

And the winner

to the Kunz Family pumpkin carving contest

goes to Matt!

....lovely.

Pumpkin Patch

The biggest thing around Omaha in the fall is a visit to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. So of course we had to go...and it really was fun! What started out to be a small pumpkin patch planted by a novice farmer turned into a huge family run business centered around good old family fun. Where else can you watch real pigs race and play in a vat of dried corn kernels...ride old fashioned pedal bikes and eat pork chops on a stick?! Every year Vala's also creates a huge corn maze with a theme. We made sure to do that before it got dark for fear we would never make it out. Move over Disney World!

More Good-byes!

These are pictures of our second and third groups of returning missionaries.  It is getting harder and harder to say good-bye as we have spent more time with them. We come to love them so quickly and then they leave and it's like saying good-bye to family.  A few have come back to visit and many call us to check up on the mission and it is so fun to hear from them again.  I tell you though, it is very hard to call them by their first names..."Hey, Ben, Libby, Priscilla and Annette, how are things going for you back home?....we miss you!"

Daniel was in his first orchestra concert at Millard South High School in October.  It was wonderful!  He did very well and looked so sharp.  He took his own cello with him because it sounds so much better then the schools instruments.  His teacher is a real ball of fire which makes it very fun to watch her lead.  The kids really respond to her and you can tell that they all enjoy themselves as they play. Great Job, Dan!! 

Number Three

Yet another wonderful group of missionaries entered the Nebraska Omaha Mission this month. President Kunz and I can never get over the spiritual depth and preparation of these young people.  It's so fun to see them come off the plane, all smiles and excitement.  We just feel so blessed to be the ones privileged to meet them there!  They have dinner and training and the Trail Center Tour and then off they go.  This is the greatest calling in the world to be able to be a part of their lives for just a short time and see them grow and develop in the gospel.  How pleased the Lord must be with them!

Snow in October!

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman, once there was a snowman, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall...

Imagine our surprise to wake up to five inches of snow the day after a sunny, sweater day!  Dad and Dan went down to the little park by our home and built a seven foot snowman.  He lasted for many days after the rest of the snow melted and eventually became a little ball in a field of lovely green grass.

SURPRISE!!!!!

For his 55th birthday Dad received the surprise of his life! A whole zone of missionaries was hiding in the kitchen when he walked through the door. They had decorated the house and designed a very original cake with the word's "to the hardest working mission president" set next to a photo of him sound asleep in the back of the car. Then they had purchased a suit from Good Will that they all signed. Their plan is that every missionary who comes through during our three years will sign it. Wow....what a treasure! He received over a hundred beautiful letters from the missionaries with many words of love and support. Dad said that of all his many birthdays this one ranked up there as one of his best! Matthew especially enjoyed all the balloons left over after the party ended!

Mission Tour

Elder Sybrowsky of the Seventy and his lovely wife came for a Mission Tour in September. They stayed with us in the mission home and it was such a pleasure to get to know them and to learn from them.  What inspired and wise people they are.  They spoke in two zone conferences and in a few smaller meetings and each time I felt such a wonderful spirit.  Many of the things they said and did had such a powerful influence that both Milan and I felt that it would be the beginning of much change and growth in the mission.  By the time they left we felt that we had two very dear and lifelong friends.

Preparation Day

On one of our "preparation days" we were invited to go fishing at a members club park.  It was gorgeous.  He had invited a few of his friends as well, including some of our missionaries, to join him. We had some great gospel conversations and even caught a few fish too.  This was a 'catch and release' pond, lucky for the little turtle that Elder Jones caught who just couldn't resist those fat, juicy worms.