Well, I got home in October as you know, I started Weight Watchers, and did pretty good for a while, I lost 20 pounds from the end of October to January, well, I still haven't lost any more, but I haven't gained any either, I know I need to incorporate exercise, but I just don't have any energy or enough will power to do it. I know, I know that I am just lazy and just don't want to do it. I think I know what had me so bummed about my weight is that I knew we were not going to be able to go get Brad, and my heart just wasn't into loosing my weight, I was depressed and couldn't shake it.
Jan - April was good, I started work as a office manager for Dr. Randall Stucki, which has worked out really well. In the middle of March Scott called me and told me that he thought that we should go to Norway and get Brad, he didn't know, but I was jumping up and down in secret at work, I was elated. I couldn't wait to talk to him at home and start planning it.
I went to Amy's in Arkansas to visit and also so that Amy and I could go to Time out for Women in Kansas City. Matt wanted to for all of us to go, so we ended up going to Branson, Missouri to a place called Silver Dollar City, it is kind of like Lagoon. It was a lot of fun, the only down fall was it rained the whole time, and it was COLD. I felt so bad for Amy, she wore flip flops and her feet were freezing, but she was a trooper, and just kept on going. We tried to do things that the kids could ride, and since there were not a lot of people there, the kids had the rides to themselves, it was great. I hope that I can go there again with them to enjoy it when it is not raining. I don't think that Preston really cared, he enjoyed the rides, and Porter was there enjoying them also. Then we went to Kansas and enjoyed it there. Amy and Matt were able to attend the new Kansas City temple, while I watched the boys in the hotel room. I was glad that Matt wanted to come along, he made me feel, like he didn't want to miss the fun of being together. Thanks Matt for letting me enjoy Amy and the boys, for paying for everything, it means a lot to me to have had the time together. I truly enjoy being with you, and your sweet family. Thanks again for a fun time.
As May came we were kind of in the count down for Brad, at least I was. I just could not believe that he was getting ready to come home. His Skype call with us on Mother's Day was great, he looked good, and he said that he knew that it was his turn to come home. I felt kind of sad for him. I knew that it was going to come to an end, the end of getting his weekly emails, his calls at Christmas and Mother's Day, all of it was coming to an end, and I didn't want it to end, I still wanted the blessing of having a missionary out, even though I joke about the blessing that we have received, like the fridge, washer and dryer, oven all breaking down, Scott loosing his job, me loosing my job, Lisa getting thyroid cancer, me having basil cell carcinoma on my eyelid, all of these things that have happened and more, but to lose the blessing of having a missionary out is what I leaned on. I am going to miss that.
Lisa, as I said had thyroid cancer, well since she got her thyroid out, she has had nothing but problems, she ended up not having one time of radiation, but 3 times, changing dr's in between, which was the best thing, her first dr. never started her on hormone therapy so she ended up in the hospital. Scott (her husband) and the kids stayed with us, and I was in heaven to have them there. She is doing so much better, now that she is on medication and is regulated. We are truly blessed to have Lisa's husband in our family, he loves his family very much and will do anything for them, we just need to make sure he is well also, so we try and help where possible. Thanks Scott for your love, for your wife and kids, you have the heart of a giant, never complaining at all. We love you.
June came so quickly. And I was in a panic to get things done, I don't know why I do things at the last minute, I knew Brad was coming home, 2 years ago, so I wait to change Brad to where Megan's room was and then to have the bedroom painted, I know we thought we were moving, but we hadn't so why do I do this to me. Scott came to the rescue and said that he would get it done, if I would move the things out of the room, so that was a no brainer, I did it and we got it done. Then Megan told us that she sold her town-home and needed a place to live. WHAT? Well of course they can come live with us, right? She is due with a baby and has a 2 year old, ok, we can do this. But where in the world is everyone going to sleep when Brad comes home, we have Jennifer and her family coming, Amy and her family coming and Brad? Well, it just so happened that the people that Megan sold their home to agreed to rent them their house back to them until they found something, YAY! Hallelujah!
So now all of my frustration was all gone,for now.
Well, June 14 was the day Scott and I left for Norway to pick our son up from his mission. I had longed for this day, and could believe it was happening. The flights went as scheduled and we arrived in Oslo, Norway on time 9:51am, as we went to pick up our luggage and out to get a rental car, there were a lot of people screaming and clapping, yelling holding signs and Norwegian flags waving, bells ringing, I thought "how nice of them to welcome us to their country" little did I know it was for the people behind us who had just come back from their honeymoon, oh well I felt special for a little bit, plus it gave me an idea for when Brad came home to have all of the kids doing the same for him as he came down the escalator in the Salt Lake Airport.
We arrived at the apartment that we were going to rent in Oslo while we were staying there, the women that owned it was very nice and spoke perfect english. Off she went on her vacation to Sweden for 3 weeks, and off we went to sleep the cardinal sin to do when one gets into Europe, but we could not stay awake. So, 5 hours later, we went out sight seeing, it turned out that her apartment was quite big and we didn't have to park out on the street, she has a garage to park in, in the basement. We walked around the area and went almost to the middle of town, but turned around and went back to the apartment. We noticed that we were not in the best neighborhood, but it was ok, but if we ever go back, we will not stay there again, kind of scary.
SO, we went to church on Sunday, at the closest meeting house to the mission home, hoping that Brad was going to be there, but no. oh well we enjoyed seeing the missionaries and telling them whose parents we were, they were all so nice saying that Brad is a great missionary and loved knowing him. None of the members knew him because he had never served in Oslo. Finding our way around Oslo was kind of tricky, due to a lot of construction and our GPS that we brought of course didn't have the construction on it and would tell us where to go and we always herd "Recalculating" we starting saying it before it did.
Monday, was the day we were going to pick up Brad, but not until about 5:30pm We walked around and looked up the address of the mission home, to make a long story short, we had the address of the office, not the mission home, and you guessed it, we were lost, with no phone and no way to email, since our phones didn't work with the internet unless we were back at the apartment. What to do, Scott ended up asking some bikers to use their phone, and he got ahold of the assistant to the President and we were off to the address. As we pulled up Brad and a couple of the other missionaries that were going home also were headed down the driveway to see where we were, I couldn't believe that I was seeing my son, I was so excited to see him, we stopped and we both ran to hug each other, he was not letting me go and I didn't want him to. It was truly exciting to see him, it was so surreal. I told him that I am not taking my eyes off of him. We ate dinner with President and Sister Evans in their home, along with the other missionaries that were going home and their parents and a senior couple that also was going home with one missionary that parents were not there (which I felt so bad for him while our sons parents are sitting with him and his are not with him, how sad) which was a very nice place. We ate a Norwegian dinner, which didn't seem to different to me than like corned beef and cabbage, but it was good. They then had a testimony meeting so that the missionaries could bare witness of all the work they have done good and bad, but ended with the love of our Savior and thanked him for letting them be apart of his work. After that President Evans took each of the missionaries and had an exit interview with them and counseled them what to do next.
The adventure began, Tuesday Scott and Brad arose early to study (me being the lazy one stayed in bed for just a little while longer) got dressed and went to meet the other parents and missionaries (Elder Johnson and his parents and Elder Knudsen and his parents). We went to some museums that Elder Johnson wanted all of us to see. It ended up being a very long day, and I had, had enough of museums for the day.
Wednesday, up early to get started to go around Oslo to get our money exchanged, and then to see things around the city of Oslo, like the ski jump that was in the Olympics in 1994.
Thursday, up early to get started on our way to Trondheim, Brad's last area to serve and his favorite. It took awhile to get there, but once we got there it was great, it felt like you were at home, we knew why Brad liked it, it gave you a sense of peace. We went to the church to see if the missionaries were there and they weren't so we walked and as soon as we turned the corner, there they were. We walked back to the church and talked to them (Elder Jensen and Elder Layton). From there we went to a huge Cathedral that was beautiful, we walked along the streets and roadways, the canals, it was just beautiful. From there we went to a members home to spend dinner with them and spend the night. What fun we had with the MacKenzie family, they made us feel like we were old friends that hadn't seen each other for awhile. We played games and like every night we talked and not realizing what time it is because the sun doesn't go down, so it is light and before you know it, it is like 12 midnight and we need to get up early and get started on our way to Alesund. We were never going to leave Oslo, but Brad really wanted us to see some of the areas that he served in and the people that he had met, so we decided that even though we spent the money for 10 days in this apartment, we would go to all of these places and we are so glad that we did. The people are so nice and really loved Brad, and was so glad that he was in the area. One of the members of the bishopric told us that Brad is one of the missionaries that he will never forget, he helped the ward so much when needed. It made me and Scott feel grateful that he could serve in Norway and touch the people there.
We went to Gerganier and Trollstigen from there, but we didn't have as nice of weather, it did start to lightly rain as we were climbing up the mountain and the fog set in and we couldn't see the tops of the mountains, but we saw some beautiful waterfalls. We even went to Lillehammer where the 1994 Olympics took place. We enjoyed being with Brad and having him tell of the different things, and to just have him to ourselves to just ask questions and talk about his future, things that if we hadn't gone we would never have the opportunity to be with him like we did at this time. I am so, so glad that we were able to go, it will be one of many treasures in my life.
Once we left there we headed back to Trondheim, to stay at the Mackenzie's, once we got there they had all of the missionaries, including the sisters there for games and dinner. We joined in the fun. Sunday morning we got up to go to church, there we met many people and enjoyed the lessons, even though we had to wear the little translator ear pieces Brad and Elder Knudsen were the interpreters.
After Church we said our goodbye's and took pictures, and then left for Oslo to get ready to come back to the States. On Monday, Brad wanted to take us to Moss, his first area and kind of his second to last area, since he served in Fredrickstad which is close to Moss, so we went there and walked around and he took us to a couple of the members homes and said his goodbyes to them. It was great to see the areas that he served and also to meet the people that he had contact with.
We got back to Oslo in the evening, so we started packing and getting ready to come home.
I am truly glad that Scott and I had the opportunity to have been able to go to Norway and pick up Brad from his mission, it will be one of the highlights of my life.
On the way home we didn't have as much luck with our flights as we did going to Norway, we ended up not getting home until around 2:30-3:00am on Wednesday, June 26, when we were supposed to be at the airport at 11:20 and all of the kids would have been there, but it was so late that only Heidi and her 3 kids came and then Matt our son-in-law came since he was a ride home. So no flags or signs waving or bells ringing, we were so tired we really didn't even care, but I felt bad for Brad, to not have the fan fare.
Now that we have been home almost a month now, Brad has a job working for our Bishop at his work Asphalt Zipper and is registering for school at UVU for the fall semester, we are looking at cars for him to be able to drive, things are coming together and we are a happy family.
Next month I hope I don't fall short in writing and keep on what is going on with the Farnsworth's
Pictures to come, stay tuned!
