Cupcakes and Chocolate (and missionary stuff too)

Last Sunday, after our block, we had our Linger Longer.  Everyone brings a dish and we all have a wonderful meal together.

 Craig took this picture standing at the podium and looking across the main room.  The Brother in the black suit at the front table is our Stake President, President Cameron.  We love these people!!!

We spent a good portion of last week in the car.  Our neighbor, Stacey, came over on Monday and couldn't move her arm.  Her shoulder was hurting.  We offered to take her to her doctor in Lafayette.  (57 miles south).  Her shoulder was so inflamed, the doctor could not diagnose it.  He gave her steroids (hope I got that right) and told her to come back next week (today, in fact).  While we were waiting for her, we found this cute little park.

It's literally about 1/2 block away.  Can you see Craig hiding???

On Tuesday, we had to take Rob to the hospital in Lebanon (77 miles) for shoulder surgery.  His wife was out of town at a conference for work.  We left our house at 7 AM and didn't get home until about 5:30.  It was a VERY long day.  Rob's son, Daniel, went with us.  He was VERY well behaved.

We haven't had a good rain for at least three weeks.  That means we have to water our lawn.

 We have to fill up the watering can 10 - 15 times to get the lawn good and wet.  It's tedious.

Rob had to go BACK to the doctor on Friday to have his bandage changed.  This time, I drove with him and Craig stayed home with Daniel.  After visiting with the doctor, Rob wanted to go to Donaldson's Chocolates.  I guess they are very famous here in Indiana.  His family has been going there since he was a boy.

Yummy!!!  It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.

On Saturday, Craig and I visited Brother Obringer's daughter.  She is getting ready to move and needed some help with different things.  I wanted everyone to see this beautiful home.  This is the back view of her home.

This is looking across her back yard.

This is a view of her front yard from the street.

And right across the street, is a forest.  Literally.

You feel like you are in a James Fenimore Cooper novel.

Craig and the elders are putting in a hardwood floor for her.  He was there all day Wednesday and Friday as well.  They finally finished the floor a few days ago.

They popped off all the floor boards and Rose stripped off the white paint and stained them to match.

Craig really is VERY GOOD at what he does.  It turned out beautifully.

Saturday night was pizza night.  Again.  Brian makes all the dough from scratch.  Stacey has all the fixings ready and we load up.

The sisters got in on the act as well.

Good enough to eat.

Sunday evening, we picked up Rob's wife from the airport in Indianapolis (108 miles).  He was still not feeling well.  We had a good visit with her on the way home.  She is super nice.

Monday afternoon was Zone Activity.  We don't usually go to these, but it was a talent show and the Zone leaders asked Craig and I to be judges.  We bought candy for the winners. 

 Before the show, we had a picnic lunch in the foyer.  Here are some of the sisters kicking back.

Acts included an a capella hymn in Samoan.

A scene from "Newsies"

A yoga workout for pregnant mothers.  Craig videoed the scene, but all you can hear is him laughing.

These two Sisters did the cup-slap-clap thing and sang.  Very cute.

Two Sisters doing a very "hip" hula.

A rapping Elder.

This Elder had the audience involved in doing some kind of Haka, clap chant.

These Sisters imitated bagpipes.  Original and funny.

This Sister juggled baked potatoes.

Elder Tate lassoed a deer's head from a rocking horse.

This Sister said her talent was letter writing.  As a result she was the recipient of some great letters.  She read some of them.  Funny.

 This Elder's talent was finding obscure passages in the scriptures.

 These two Elders did a scene from Les Mis.

Here are four of the Sisters watching the show.  

On the way home from the talent show, the sisters convinced us to stop at the Cupcake Shop in 

Val Paraiso.  It is so cute.

 The inside is as cute as the outside.  Here are our Sisters.  Craig is in the background looking at his choices.

 The cupcakes were $4 each.  Mine was a chocolate cupcake, fudge in the center, chocolate mousse on top, with a chocolate shell topping and crushed up Heath bar on the very top.  I could only eat about 1/2 of it.  It was GOOD!!!  Just very rich.

One last picture.. We really have beautiful skies here.

So, our official title is "Member and Leadership Support" missionaries.  That's what we do each day.  Each day we wake up and ask, Who can we serve today?  We love that we have this time to totally serve the Branch, the people, and the Lord.  We are enjoying every minute.  We know that our "call" was inspired by the Lord.  We are in exactly the right place for us.