May is here!

I am so happy May is here.  That means only six more weeks until our family reunion in California.  Which plans recently had a major upheaval ....both the location and the timing!  My sister Judy called me about a week and a half ago to say that her Church meetinghouse was no longer available!  I guess I am glad we found this out now rather than a week before the event like what happened with the Young reunion last fall.  And, at about the same time, my nephew Brent emailed me asking if we could move the start time to the afternoon to allow them time to drive over from Mesa that morning.  After some anxious days waiting for Judy and her family to find a new venue, and after consulting with some of the family who I knew would be returning home Saturday night, we finally found a place and decided on a new time and we are all systems go again...(for now)

Speaking of upheaval - our depart date is now up in the air.  For over a year, our last day has been June 4th.  Our replacements, the Francos, were to come mid-May for two weeks of training.   Then, about a month ago, we learned that Sister Franco had to have surgery scheduled for May 22nd and it was a six-week recovery followed by her doctor's clearance and then clearance by Mission Medical in Salt Lake.  New arrival date would be the first of August - maybe.  BUT, we had another senior couple in the wings that could save the day.  The Thorntons are currently live-at-home missionaries in Nampa, Idaho and serving in the mission office as Vehicle Coordinator and Travel/Baptism Secretary (same jobs as Steve and me).  The Nampa Mission is being absorbed into the Boise Mission on July 1st so they will soon be out of a job, so to speak.  They want to continue to serve and they have a daughter in north Phoenix so, about three months ago, they contacted President Collins offering their services to the Arizona Phoenix Mission.  At that time, it seemed the best idea was for them to take the Poulson's place when they left at the end of September.  Until Sister Franco's surgery.  The Thorntons would be perfect replacements for Steve and me - training would be a couple of days instead of two weeks - and the Francos could replace the Poulsons.  Only, it is not quite that simple, it seems.  First, because this is not a live-at-home mission, the Thorntons have to officially submit mission application papers to Salt Lake.  They did this supposedly May 1st.  Second, President Collins has to officially request them.  He did this a week ago.  And, now we wait.  Senior missionary applications take at least a month to process.  And, hopefully, this plan is what the Lord wants because they still have to be called by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve to the Arizona Phoenix Mission.  And, once the paperwork is done, who knows how soon they will arrive?  Will they be released from their Nampa mission before it closes?  Or will we not see them until the first or the middle of July (or even later????)  Thankfully, President Collins understands our Young and Lambson family reunion plans and we can still leave and attend both.  So, stay tuned.....

Speaking of the Poulsons, they joined us on another First Friday visit to the Phoenix Art Museum.  Elder Poulson is 80 and Sister Poulson is 75 and they are not extremely adventurous.  When I told her about our last visit, she said she would love to go but that it would never happen.  So, we brought them along with us because there were a few exhibits I still wanted to see.  We had dinner at Costa Vida and then to the musuem.  

Here is Steve with one of the works of "art" - a giant Big Mac. (I just don't get modern art)

On Saturday, we invited Elder and Sister Harris, another senior missionary couple, up to our place for lunch and a nice visit.  Then, we did baptisms at the temple and we finished our day at the movie theater watching Avengers Endgame.  Oh, my.  I just LOVED that movie.  And, Steve, who did NOT see the Infinity War, also enjoyed it.  

Elise stopped by our Columbia house this week and snapped pictures of my hybrid iris bed.  I am so delighted that they are thriving.

And, the naturalized iris lining our front walk are still going strong.

Elise and Steven drove to St. Louis yesterday for Free Comic Book Day and Emily sent me this photo.  Made my heart so happy.

The UTI I was diagnosed with mid-April returned so I am on a second round of antibiotic.  I felt pretty crummy on Thursday so I only spend a couple of hours at the mission office before going home and taking a three-hour nap.  I am feeling all right now - just my tummy hurts a little from the medicine.