Coming home to Las Vegas!

Little did we know when we came through customs what would be waiting for us!! Our flight was uneventful although long. We flew to London and had a 2 and a half hour layover then straight through to Las Vegas getting in at 6:45 pm Las Vegas time.

Hours before soe of our grandchildren gathered at our house to wait and put together a welcome home sign. This is Maggie, Alek, and Shaun. How glad I was going to be to see their smiling faces.

Matt, our son came up from Scottsdale AZ and Austen, our grandson came down from Dixie college to be there. I had no idea they were going to be there. What a wonderful surprise!!

Matt and Alek who is his oldest daughter and at Dixie also.

Sorry, a repeat of a picture.

The kids are making a sign for us and that sign is now on my closet door along with 2 other signs that they have made through the years.

Austen with his 2 cousins, Maggie and Shaun

Matt and Maggie and Shaun

Our family has now arrived at the airport where they joined our great friends the Gaffins. Margit is my dear friend and David has been our hometeacher.



Our oldest son, Kent is visiting with them. Kent has been living at our home for the last 18 months and taking care of the home and our 2 dogs. He has done a great job.

A watched pot never boils and they continued to wait for us to clear customs.

There is the sign that now adorns my closet door. That is Maggie and Alek.

Looks like they needed a little refreshment while they waited.

We are home. There is Austen and me on the sofa and of course our dog, Roxie. It felt really good and weird to be home.

When we pulled up into the garage the dogs went crazy.

We went to the Stake center shortly after getting home so Ross and I could be released officially as missionaries. That is Ross and I with Monte Ringer who is in the Stake Presidency. We have now officially been released.

Leaving the airport are Matt with Maggie and Shaun.

This is us with the Gaffins.

Here's the group! From left to right...Matt, Ross, Austen, me, Alek, Maggie, Shaun, and Kent. I only wish our son Colin who died of cancer 10 years ago had been there but I'm sure he was in spirit!!

Margit and David Gaffin gave us a welcome party at their home. We were able to reconnect with so many friends. This is Denise Chipman, her husband Bishop Chipman and Robin Bulloch.

Here are our wonderful youth; from left to right... Alek, Sarah Gaffin, Damin Chipman, Shaun and Maggie.

Seated at this table are Joyce Cory, Linda Merriweather, Robin Bulloch, and Pam Oka.

From left to right are Dave oka, Tim Cory, Mark Severts,Randy Bulloch, Jan Severts, and Margit.

Ross and David Gaffin

President Teshima, our Stake President with us.

Shaun, Sarah, Alek and Maggie.

Shaun and Sarah. Shaun and Sarah were best friends when they were in Kindergarten and 1st grade. Shaun moved to a different school and ward and they last track of each other until this year when they reconnected. Shaun says "Sarah has a great personlity, now I know why we were such good friends.

Ross and I are home again....

How fortunate we are to have such awesome grandaughters!!!

Our friends, David and Judith Nielson came down from Salt Lake City, Utah and brought our remaining family home, Mr. Red and Sporty.

When we gave our report, Devin and Scott ( Stan and Judi Nielson's daughter and son-in-law) came to hear us. They and their children are a darling family.

Here we are at the Mexican reaturant with our good friends David and Judith Nielson, where 2 years ago almost Stan and Judi Nielson asked us to join them on a mission to Poland. We did!!!!

Ross is a happy man!!!

We are so glad we had the opportunity to serve a mission and to serve in Poland. We grew to know and love so many people in Poland. Our experience was wonderful. Sometimes it was difficult but more often than not it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!!!! This mission has changed us and also deepened our testimony of the Gospel. We know that it is true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leaving Poland

this was our last Sunday in Poznan Poland. after Church we took some pictures of people we want to remember. This is Pavel. He is from Russia and I met him when he started coming to my English classes. We love him and hope to stay in touch with him.

These women are part of this small Branch in Poznan. From left to right is Margorzata, me, Jola, Marlena, Marta and Marzena.

This is our Poznan Branch with our members and investigators. there are some dedicated members in this Branch.













We are about packed up. What you don't see are the 7 boxes that went out in the mail before this. Plus there are more suitcases in the kitchen.














This picture is in the wrong place but you would never know that Flugger Farby is the words for paint store.

Kim's is a wonderful Polish Pottery store in Warsaw and this is where we picked up a few last minute items when we arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday before flying out on Friday.

We stayed at the Pickett's Wednesday night and met a couple of our YSAs and our good friends the Netos for dinner along with Jackie and Mark.

what a great resturant!! Polish food.

That is Dominik and Jackie. Dominik is headed out the end of April to serve a mission in the Washington Tacoma mission. He'll be a great missionary.

This is the dining room of the resturant.

This is the dessert area where you choose your dessert and then they cut however big you want it and bring it to you. The desserts were heavenly!!

Ross with Emanual and Gosia Neto. Emanual was Ross's counselor when Ross was the Warsaw II Branch.

Dominik and Jackie and Mark Pickett.

This is Ellie Hoyland from england. she teaches at the English School in Warsaw. I love Ellie.

Gosia, Jackie, Ellie and me. I will really miss them.

Here's the whole group.

This is an example of how they park in Poland. they park on curbs, sidewalks, and even behind trees.

Here's the paint store again in it's proper place.

This is also what the traffic is like on any given day. There is always a solid line no matter when or where. We are on our way to the Mission Home on Thursday after running last minute errands and stopping in the Mission office.

We talked Stan and Judi into going out for dinner rather than Judi cooking for us. Our mission started actually over dinner at a Mexican resturant in Las Vegas 2 years ago so it was only right that the last night of our mission we go to a Mexican resturant in Warsaw. The food was pretty good.

We thought we would get another shot of the four of us before leaving the resturant.

Back at the Mission Home we had to have the cutting ceremony. Judi is cutting a piece of my scarf and a piece of Ross's tie and those pieces will be put with all the others on a board until the end of their 3 year stint and then made into a quilt.

We were glad to leave those 2 tokens of our mission here in Poland. it was truly great to serve with the Nielsons and we are so grateful for their friendship.

Judi and I are enjoying a few last moments together as tomorrow we leave for home.

Dominik surprised us at the airport to say goodbye.

Now it's time to say goodbye to the Nielsons. there were a few tears on Judi and my part.

This is one of the things waiting for us at home.