February, 2016

VALENTINES DAY -- LITTLE SURPRISES LEFT AT OUR DOOR!

We really enjoyed reading all the cute notes from members of the Ward.

Our Missionary Temple trip was great. We always love attending the Temple. We drive two hours each way when we attend, so we make a day of it!

 After leaving the Temple, we always stop in Oklahoma City at the Cheesecake Factory. Elder Lemmert decided to try their super nachos!  It was enough for four meals! But, as you can tell, he really enjoyed them!

 Reuniting with Elder McGinnis, our former District and Zone Leader, at Tulsa, OK at the missionary conference with Elders D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder Robbins of the Seventy, and Elder Southward of the Seventy. That was an awesome experience and we loved meeting these men, shaking hands with them, and listening to their counsel.

 Sister Garner, a former Ada missionary.

 We had to snap this picture of route 66 in Tulsa!

 Making friends with Roger

 Chinese New year, the year of the Monkey!  We partied again at the Marshall's home. Bernadine is standing with us. She has been a member of the Church for nine months.

 Our official Chinese New Year photo shoot!  Year of the monkey!

Miscellaneous Pictures!

Missionary transfer day in Moore, Oklahoma

 Our Bishop gave us a Book of Mormon assignment to read 2 Nephi 2, and a member sent out this fun picture. I thought it was just plain funny!

 Sister Lemmert balancing a bird on her nose at Bro. Prien's house. Elder Savage is photo-bomging, which is the usual missionary tactic!

 Success for Elder Savage!

 Brother Gary Ericsson feeding his mule.  He loves living on a ranch!

 This is our major vice in Ada. Braum's is an ice cream store/grocery store, and it is very attractive at odd hours of the day.  It's a trap!

 One thing that we love in Oklahoma are the sunrises and sunsets, they are so beautiful!

 Elder Lemmert sitting on some sort of chair, not sure what, but it was great to watch him try to get up from it!

 Another service project.....cleaning an apartment so someone could move out!

 Our District in January!

 Our monthly food bank service at the Episcopal Church down the street from us. We really enjoy volunteering there.  We fill about 225 bags or canned foods and 225 bags of dried food each month.

 Our goofy elders trying to balance each other. 

 Elder Lemmert and Kurt Sweeney...they seem to have the same haircut...

San Antonio, Texas, December 28 - 31, 2015

We travelled to San Antonio, Texas to see Michelle's family after Christmas. They were planning on visiting us in Oklahoma, but since our accommodations are limited, we asked for permission to travel to San Antonio to visit them.

 The Alamo

 The Alamo from the back view!

 Elder Lemmert and Michelle and Brad & family by a wall within the Alamo property

 Sister Lemmert and Michelle and Brad & family

 We are able to attend the San Antonio Temple while there. It was so beautiful with all of the stained glass depicting Texas scenery.

 Michelle and Barb in front of the Temple

Pappasitos Cantina was a wonderful restaurant where we ate one evening.  We had such a long wait, that they comped out all of our dinners, so we had a free dinner of succulent fajitas, chips, beans, rice, and were so stuffed!

 The River Walk in San Antonio, TX

Christmas, 2015 in Ada, Oklahoma

Christmas Eve at Brother Richard Prien's house:  Bro. Prien, Elder Savage, Elder & Sister Lemmert, Elder Martinez, Sister Shurtz, Nodia, and Sister Garner

 We hosted a Christmas breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, and miscellaneous goodies for the Elders and Sisters Christmas morning. Then they called their parents on our Ipads and computer.  Tamara sent us "Brick 'em Young" building blocks for Christmas to construct the Nauvoo Temple.  Sister Shurtz and Elder Martinez were excited because they always put together Legos on Christmas morning.  So they dove right into all the pieces and started construction!

 Sister Shurtz and Elder Martinez building the Temple

 Sister Shurtz showing off the finished project!

 Elder Martinez donated his Star Wars legos to the project so we would remember him!~

Miguel's Baptism in December 2015

Elder Cummings (Zone Leader) and Elder Lemmert in the hallway at the church after filling the font  for Miguel's baptism.

 Elder Martinez, Miguel on his baptism day, and Elder Savage

 Elders Neal, McGinnis, Cummings, Martinez, and Savage

 Sisters Shurtz and Garner; unknown elder, Elders Neal, Martinez (District leader); Sister & Elder Lemmert

Elders McGinnis (Zone Leader) and Savage

 Elder Lemmert (surrogate grandfather) and Elder Neal 

 Elders McGinnis, Lemmert and Neal, always good buddies

Christmas tin the Air!

These are some examples of the beautiful Christmas decorations at the Chickasaw property on Arlington Ave.  They have hundreds of lights and Christmas scenes, which really get you in the Christmas spirit!

Ralph and I at the Marshall's Christmas party.  We donned on our most exquisite holiday duds, as you can tell.

 White elephant gift exchange. We couldn't keep hold of our original candy, but finally ended up with a cute snowman decoration and a candy bowl with M & M's. The Parks are on the left, then the Bishop and his wife, and the Goza's.

 Dale Rex thought it very funny to put his humungous whoopie cushion (a white elephant gift, of course), under Elder Lemmert when he sat down. Actually, it was very funny!

 Bro. Marshall and Elder Lemmert

 Our zone holding up our huge Christmas sign, "Unto Me a Savior is Born," which was our Christmas initiative in 2015.