L * O * V * E

N * O * T * E * S

from Becky (and David)......before they left for home!

In her teenage years and while she was still home, Becky would leave little LOVE NOTES all over the house for us to find! So cute and so fun. I think they are still up (at least in the bathroom)! Unless someone has taken them down while we are here on our mission in Finland!

Wouldn't it be only appropriate for her to do that here as well!! OF COURSE!

And here they are...we may be 'finding' them for a few days until we get all of the drawers and cupboards open!.......

Even inside the fridge...... :-)

and the computer tops......

and the pencil drawer!!

ISO KIITOS PALJON.....we LOVE our LOVE NOTES!!

Me Rakastamme RAKKAUDEN MUISTIINPANOJASI!!!

BECKY AND DAVID

LEFT THIS MORNING!! :-(

So sad to see them go but their kids were missing them and they were missing their kids! GREAT TIMES have to end and reality has to return to 'normal'!!

Their flight back to Arizona left at 7:50 a.m. When we got up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to drive them to the airport it was not too hard to get up because the SUN was so bright. This picture was actually taken at 5:00 A.M.

AND...... they were off!! Long day of travel to get back home!

We had enough time to grab a quick bite of breakfast before heading up to the temple at 7:30 a.m. for our morning shift. And guess what I found in the fridge!! YUP....just like when she was a young teenager living at home......little LOVE NOTES!!! So sweet.....loved it!! Kiitos Paljon Becky and David.....

This afternoon I had a couple of quick errands to run at Sello. Wayne had to stay and help out a little longer in the Temple....as did Veli Michie. Barbara needed a few groceries. So off the two of us went. I was on the 'hunt' for some cute shoes Becky and I saw yesterday afternoon while we were doing some last minute shopping for them. They were still there AND on sale! Love that.....and that cute MARIMEKKO umbrella that I love!!

What a fun day.....great day in the temple AND a few errands. Can't beat that.

This is TAMPERE WEEK.....I think a lot of saints are still on LOMA because the attendance was down. But those that did come, it was wonderful to see!!

P-DAY

WITH BECKY AND DAVID

DOWNTOWN HELSINKI-STYLE!!

It was a gorgeous day and guess who we 'ran into' on the trolley!! YUP.....some of the missionaries headed to meet up with other companionships!! They were going to have a fun day playing 'tag football'!!

Our FIRST STOP was at he TORI by the docks!! It was a 'full-house' as far as vendor was concerned!! GREAT SHOPPING DAY!!

STOCKMAN'S was a must because they had a HUGE 40% OFF SALE ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING!!

We totally SCORED on some new walking shoes and snow-shoveling boots for Wayne and a new pair of walking shoes for ME!! All on 40% off sale!!

We hooked up with BARBARA AND KENT for lunch at wonderful FAZER'S!!!

SO love their SOUP AND BREAD BAR......all you can eat!!!

We left downtown and headed over to SELLO....for the rest of our shopping!!

And found a few more bargains there too!!! We are such good shoppers!!

And here is our PROOF!!!

Our P-DAY has come to an end and Becky and David have to leave tomorrow to head back home!! So sad to see them go! But we have had a FANTASTIC TIME and we know they are missing their kiddies as much as their kiddies are missing them!! :-)

GREAT FUN!!!

CATCHING UP......

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

With DAVID & BECKY......

The great SAINTS from ROSTOV, RUSSIA left on Saturday morning.....their last time being here the Helsinki Finland Temple.....we will so much miss them! What great people.....

We took off driving to the northeast at about 2:30 p.m......and headed for the RUSSIAN BORDER to see how close we could get!

I must say.....it was not a very friendly OR inviting approach! Did not give us the 'warm fuzzies'

Notice (if you can see it) off in the distance the surveillance cameras......I think they don't want you going beyond this point!!

they mean business.....

and we were willing to OBEY!!

The sign above is the WELCOME TO FINLAND SIGN once you got from the Russian side to the Finland side.......

Then it was on to LAPPEENRANTA where we would spend the night and attend church on Sunday. We got checked into our SCANDIC HOTELLI and decided to walk and explore the area. So glad we did.....great sites to see around the area!

Beisdes walking around the lake shore area we 'found' this amazing SAND SCULPTURE....the largest in all of Scandinavia! It was, obviously, a dinosaur theme. It was just amazing!

SUNDAY......

We (Wayne and I) had been asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting.....like we usually are asked to do. We recognized a lot of folks from the temple. Love seeing where all of these wonderful people come from!

Not only did we speak but David and Becky were also asked to speak. How fun!! Their chapel area was under renovation so they moved some of the pews into the gym and that is where we met. Wayne actually served as a young missionary in this area for about 2 1/2 months.

Veli Röykö invited us out to his summer cottage to meet his wife (who is not a member of the church yet). He wanted to 'show off' his beautiful place.....it was indeed BEAUTIFUL!!

Then is was on to Veli Jäkkö's place for a little LUNCH!! And a delicious lunch indeed!! Sausage cooked over the GRILL in his COOK HOUSE!!!

And HOMEMADE CREPES over the fire!! What a great 'event' this afternoon was!! ISO KIITOS you wonderful Finn people!!

As we often say.......A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!!!

Monday will be our last full day with David and Becky.....yet, another wonderful visit with one of our children here!! Next children to come....Jonathan & Tina and Steven & Elinn!! It will, no doubt, be a wonderful visit as well!!!

THIS WEEK AT THE TEMPLE: Tampere Week!!!

Today: Off to downtown HELSINKI with David and Becky!

J U H A N U S P Ä I V Ä

CELEBRATION....

HUGE EVENT HERE IN FINLAND AS THE FINNS CELEBRATE THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!

We decided we would go celebrate with the Finns by going down to the Island of Seurasarri......

But, before we went we wanted to see a few purchased David and Becky made while on their little road trip over to Savonlinna for 2 days....LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those purses she bought! How adorable!

And they caught up a bit on their laundry before re-packing for the trip to Lapenrranta for Saturday and Sunday (where Wayne and I had been asked to give talks in church)

RAIN or NOT.....the celebration goes on....and so we just take our umbrellas.....along with a lot of other folks. After all, this is FINLAND and we need to do as the Finns do!

Becky was 'forced' to try a little HERRING.....she spit out the first bite but actually tried the 2nd one! Not sure she liked it. I am not brave enough to do that!!

There was a 'WEDDING' performed at 2:00 p.m. in the old wooden church. The couple had their FIRST DANCE at the public event about 6:00 p.m. We got to see that. Missed the wedding though.

A great array of foods were to be found!

Surprise, surprise......Sisar Kailonko 'found' us. She is a fellow temple worker and great friend. She told us earlier at the temple that she would 'find' us. She was true to her word!! She is so cute!

Dancing festivities!

ONE of many BONFIRES during the course of the evening! These people P A R T Y all night...

The BRIDE AND GROOM light the large bonfire.....and they are taken to it (in the lake) by a large church boat.....so cool!!

We stood out on some rocks in the lake to have a good view.....this picture below is at about 10:00 p.m.!! CRAZY!!

And the church boat is arriving at the LARGE BONFIRE! You can spot the bride and groom in the front of the boat.....

AND THERE SHE GOES......BIG FIRE!!

To make sure everyone is safe and secure.....our local POLIS 'take control'!!

Job well done boys! We had a great time. We got home around 12:00 midnight. What a great evening!!

GREAT DAY SERVING IN THE TEMPLE TODAY!!

Every day is a wonderful day when we serve in the temple!! But today marked yet another milestone for me, personally!! I was able to continue my progression of performing temple ordinances in RUSSIAN!! I was so excited. Sistra Kazakova ja Sistra Zaretskija both helped me. And I felt good about what I was able to do!!!

When we finished our afternoon shift at about 9:00 p.m., Wayne and I decided to take a little 'tour' around the back of the temple just to check out the flowers that might be in bloom.

Above is the side view of the temple. Just pretty and not the normal picture that we take. Just wanted to a be little different.

Above and Below are the flowers in bloom at the bottom of the steps that go up to the temple and flowers in front of the asuntola door. Just wanted to take these because.......

And can you really believe that is it 9:00 P.M.!!! The sun isn't going 'down' anytime soon!! I don't think it will be going down at all actually......just 'scooping' the horizon and going back up again!!!

AMOST THERE!!

......to the LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR, that is!!

JUHANNUSPÄIVÄ

This picture was taken at 3:28 A.M. Wednesday night going into Thursday morning......

WEDNESDAY......

with DAVID and BECKY here....

We finally got to sleep in a little this morning. We looked out the window and what did we see......a RUSSIAN BRIDE AND GROOM. They were so happy and such a nice looking couple!

We finally were able to get over to the VANTAA AIRPORT to pick up the rental car.

David and Becky headed out to SAVONLINNA for a couple of days. Can't wait to hear from them and see some of their pictures.....they should have a wonderful time. And the weather is beautiful.....

This evening when we got home from the temple, I was able to give SISRET KAZAKOVA her cross stitched bookmark. She was very pleased to get it. She and her husband and daughter, Anatashia, have come to the temple quite often. In fact, they are here for 2 weeks.

We shall see what tomorrow brings......