01 Oct 2011

There has been so many things going on the past couple of weeks.   We have kept very busy.  We have had a Specialized training meeting, we have been to two cultural events and a very special baptism.  And then best of all has been Cody getting ready to go to the MTC Oct 5th. 

Our weather has already got cold.  We have had to start wearing our winter coats.  We went to church yesterday in our light coats and we about froze by the time we got home.  There has been a very cold wind.

We will go out on Visa Tuesday the 4th to Riga Lativa and return on the 5th.  We are hoping this will be our last visa.  The visa trips are such a pain for all of us.  Lots of time and lots of money.  But it has to be that way if we want to stay in Russia.  So we just do it. The young missionaries enjoy going to the Kyev Temple when they are on visa.  So that is a good place for them to spend the day.  They cannot stay overnight.  But the senior couples usually have to take all the passports to Riga and then bring back the new ones.

There are so many pictures again.  Just look at the ones that interest you. 

Sister Sorenson talked about the 2000 Stripling warriors at our
Specialized taining and Elder Breedlove drew all these for her free-hand.
It amazes me, because I have no art talent at...zip

Elder Breedlove showing the page of them that he dres.

Then he ran off 200 copies and Sister Sorenson taped them
all together to make 2,000.  It was a very good lesson.

Eder Paul was so hungry and the spagetti tasted so good
that he could not spoon it in fast enough.  Then he ate
another whole plate full and they were big plates of spagetti.
I ate about one third of my plate and was stuffed.


Elder Carpenter was the smart one and wore his napkin.  Most
of us had spagetti down our fronts.


This is the tie that a lot of the Missionaries like to buy here
in Russia.  I really like it.  How do you like their double knot?
Elder Gronning does not like it, but I like it a lot.  Is that a surprise?

Cute babushka's (grandmothers) that served us lunch.  They
kept going to the elders and bringing them a new plate
of spagetti.  When she came to Elder Gronning he patted his
tummy and stuck it out fat and she got the message..no more.

                                               
                                             
                                                               

Dinner at the Starlight Diner before we went to the Russian
Dance.  Gene was having an oreo shake for Gracie.  She told
him to have one for her.  She ate with us here and loved it.
They serve good American food.

                           

YUMMY

Oreo Milkshake for Gracie

Theatre

More theatre

Cute picture of Elder, Dr. Hatch and Sister Hatch
waiting for the program to start.

Elder and Sister Carpenter and Elder and Sister Craythorn.

                                           .

They did dances from all around the world.  Very talented people

Driving home in President Sorenson's car looking
out the window at the Kremlin.

                                                                                                     

Another pciture of the Kremlin

The theatres are beautiful both inside and outside.  This is going to
the Golden Cockerell Opera.

This cute group of girls came to the opera all dressed alike.
Prim and proper.  We are gussing they might be from a private
girls school.

They all have on the same pretty suits and shoes

Pretty chantelier?(Light) in the theatre.  There were many
of these all around

And the senior missionaries waiting for the opera to start. It was
a 3hr opera and not one of us liked it. 

Beautiful balcony

Good orchestra

                                                  

Our two cute office elders.  Elder Ablett from
England and Elder Bruev from Russia.

Elder Gronning got a warmer hat so Elder Hayes wanted his
summer one.  We call these Cody hats, because our Cody always wore them.

Then Elder Palmer borrowed Elder Gronning for a hat phot
with Elder Hayes.  They love Elder Gronning.

We are starting to have beautiful fall colors.  There are little
forest all around us and big trees everywhere.  So the colors
are around us all day.

Pretty colors everywhere.

Kaseenia our new member and Sister Ashby

Kaseenia was baptized last Sat. by Elder Spoerri.  She is such
a sweet girl.  We all just love her.

Sister Trunova, Sister Ashby and Sister Marty with Keesenia and
Elder Spoerri.  These are the sisters who taught her.

This is all the missionaries and ward people who
were at the babptism.  There were others but they
did not make the picture.

Elder Gronning, Elder Spoerri, Elder Goddard (from Idaho, he knows Mat )
and Elder Hayes.

                                                         

Elder Hayes playing the prelude music.

Cute family in our branch.  He is a counselor in the bishopric
and Mawsha and Anna are his daughters.  We love
the girls so much.  Mawsha and Anna are our two
little friends.

I just love the Russian children.  They always walk holding
onto a parents hand and they usually are carrying something
or pushing something.  How cute is this? 

Is this cute enoug?.  Mat and his two litlle girls hunting
on the 4-wheeler. I think they were hunting for Grouse Sadie and Courtnee.