'NORMAL' RETURNS....

KEVIN AND LAUREN LEAVE FOR HOME

IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL WEEK!!

The weather has drastically changed this past week while Kevin and Lauren have been here. The snow has almost completely disappeared.....except for the really deep, deep piles!

FROSTY is all but GONE......all ground showing around him.....that is wonderful.

It is a gorgeous spring day for Kevin and Lauren to be flying back to Utah. It really could not have been a more perfect week for weather AND activities! So many wonderful memories.

The 'Temple' shot and the 'Airport' shot.....they just seem to go hand in hand!

This is SINGLE ADULT WEEK here at the temple. We are on the afternoon shift. We look forward to getting back to 'work'! KIITOS Kevin and Lauren for a wonderful week!

DAY #8....

OFF TO SUOMENLINNA ISLAND

AND

DOWNTOWN HELSINKI

And we got there by BUS.....

and then transferring to.....

the TRAIN......

and then the TROLLEY (although we didn't get a picture of that)

and then by FERRY BOAT.....

We made some 'new friends' on the boat ride...they are from Holland. They were in Finland visiting their daughter who is in 'glass school'! They were very fun.....

We spent about 2 hours walking around the Island enjoying the history of this great place.

K & L especially enjoyed taking in the beautiful view looking out over the Bay of Finland...very peaceful and serene.

We even 'found' TWO TURTLE DOVES perched high up on this pole.

CANNONS were everywhere....Kevin found them quite entertaining......

Then back to Helsinki where we had lunch at FAZER....their great soup and salad bar...all you can eat. And it is DELICIOUS.

On the way back to the train to come home, look what we 'happened' to walk past!!! Can you believe they have a MAC STORE right here in Finland!!

Another great day.....and our feet hurt to prove it!

DAY #7.....

TALLINN, ESTONIA

BY FERRY BOAT

Our taxi driver picked us up this morning at 6:20 a.m. to take us to the EcköLine Ferry Boat for our one-day trip over to Estonia.

We could not have asked for a more perfect day.....beautiful blue skies and 'warm' weather....must have been about 40 degrees. That is warm considering what we have had for the past 4 - 5 months.

One of the first things we did was climb to the top of the church tower.....one of the old ones in Old Towne Tallinn. Look at those steps leading to the top. Quite amazing.

Kevin and Wayne made it all the way to the top! Lauren and I didn't quite make it there...but almost.

And the Russian Orthodox Church is always a 'highlight' to see. Just gorgeous.

And again.....

Lookout over the Old City area.

Sorry....we were hungry and this was the quickest and easiest we could manage!!

Yup....even in Estonia!

We managed to take in the beautiful flower mart......

and the SWEATER WALL......

The ride back to Helsinki for a great ride as well......

With a perfect sunset as we arrived back in port. Could not have been a more perfect day.....and a gorgeously beautiful day!! KIITOS PALJON......

DAY #6

MIKKELI BRANCH VISIT.....

We had a great day visiting the Mikkeli Branch today.....only one problem!

I was totally MORTIFIED when, at the hotel this morning, and getting ready for church, I discovered that I had left my skirt back in the apartment in Espoo (a 4 hour trip!)!!! :-( NO this could not be happening to me. OH YES it can!! I did the only thing I could do....I had to wear my pants to church AND I gave a talk as well. The first thing I did in my talk was have the interpreter explain that I had forgotten my skirt...that I was NOT dressed appropriately as a missionary! Everyone got a chuckle out of it.....I excused my interpreter and gave my talk in Finnish! I was totally humbled and hope I will NEVER do that again!!

When we walked in church both Veli Ojala and Veli Tupparainen, in the Bishopric, were standing at the front door to greet us!! OH MY.....they just laughed. I told him I would not give me talk if he wanted me not to. 'Nice try'.....so I gave my talk. AND Kevin also a gave. It was an Allgaier sacrament meeting!! AND, Lauren did sharing time in Primary and did a great job.

We went to the Ojala's for dinner after church. It was a wonderful dinner. Sisar Ojala had been discharged from the hospital on Friday from having a stroke.

Wayne talks to Sisar Ojala about how she is doing and her medication.

A family picture before we leave to head back to Espoo.

What CHARACTERS!!!

DAY #5.....

OFF TO MIKKELI

BY WAY OF PORVOO AND

MANTUJARHU!!

Our first stop on our road trip today was PORVOO. What a great 'old city' and all of its charm. Definitely better without all of the snow and bone-cold weather! Will have to come back here in the summer with David and Becky!

Lauren and I stand in the 'arch' entrance of the Old Church.

The Old District with the famous red wooden houses. Every old city seems to have this....traditional for Finland I suppose! You can see chunks of ice floating down the river. It is melting!!

The great MOOSE CROSSING signs along the road! Kevin wanted a picture of them by it!

On to the Multamäkki's in Mantujarhu. This is the family that Wayne help convert some 45 years ago as a young missionary. What a great family!

We had a 'feast' of a dinner with them (prepared by husband Lauri) and after dinner went to the old wooden church down the street from their home for an organ concert! The wooden church is the 2nd largest in all of Finland. The concert was fantastic!!

Inside the church......

inside the 'case' where 1933 pipes are arranged!! Incredible to see....what a maze!!

The organist.....

and then back to the Multamäkki's for dessert!! LOVE that nice warm stove in the kitchen!

And Kevin enjoyed his FIRST EVER SAUNA!!! I think he liked it!

Sunday.....over to church where ALL of us will speak in Sacrament Meeting!! Stay tuned!

DAY # 4......

KEVIN AND LAUREN HERE

THE FUN CONTINUES!!

This morning we had a pancake and crispy bacon breakfast! Okay, that is it!! No more 'fancy' breakfast. We will be traveling for the next 4 days and won't have time for that.

We kicked back and relaxed for the rest of the morning (we are on the afternoon shift this week). We looked out the window and what did we see!!??

FLAG DAY here in Finland!! It is for Mikael Agricola. Who in the world is he?? He is the FATHER of the Finnish language.....1543 to be exact!!

SO....here is our Finnish flag flying proudly! (So you can see that WE are clearly NOT the only ones to stand at our living room window and take pictures!!

While we worked at the temple this afternoon, Kevin and Lauren decided to take a walk over to Sello. They needed to do a few errands! So, when we got home there was a gorgeous bouquet of tulips sitting on our dining room table!! SO SPRING!!! KIITOS!!!

HANGING OUT was the name of the game tonight after we finished working in the temple!

Remember way back in October (actually my birthday, October 12) and my camera got 'broken'!! Well, Wayne has just 'wanting' to take it apart and see how it really works.

Tonight was the NIGHT to do that! Sure looks like fun doesn't it!! I bet we would have some grandkids who would love to be here play with this 'adventure'!!

K & L....

DAY #2 & #3

We are having a great time wit K & L here!!! So much to see and so much to do!

And the usual pictures with the temple in the background!! Of course!

'Learning' on my ipad.....HOW FUN!!

INTERMISSION: Steven sent us an updated picture of the 'Missionary Bulletin Board' in our ward at home.....Monocacy Ward. KIITOS PALJON Steven for ending it.......we are on the bottom of the Left Hand column because Steven says our grandkids can see 'grandma and grandpa' as they walk back and forth. That is just the sweetest thing!

We took K & L over to the airport to pick up their rental car......

and then they were off on their adventure today (Thursday) to TURKU to see the Castle and big OLD Cathedral.

Back at the asuntola......This cute little couple were sealed yesterday and they are showing me when they live in Russia.....Brat ja Sisret Sergeev.

Aren't they just the cutest!! Fun couple of days.......and more to come!!