Welcome home Elder E.

We took a little weekend trip down to California to welcome our nephew R home from his mission. He is a great young man and he served a wonderful mission in Philadelphia, PA. We're so proud of him. It was a tough mission, unsafe and just plain grueling with hard areas, weather extremes and some unfriendly people. He put his head down and dug in and he came home with a precious gift - a love for and a testimony of Jesus Christ. He learned some life lessons that can only be learned while serving others. He is a great young man and we're anxious to see what he does next. He has a ton of potential and he has a real gift with people. He gave a wonderful talk and shared his love of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't think there is another time that is sweeter as a parent than seeing a young man or young woman return honorably from a service mission after two years. It's incredible to see their growth, maturity and to feel of their great spirits. While they are missed terribly, it's such an overwhelming feeling to see them again and to know that they have been doing some good in the world. Welcome home Elder E. we love you!
Robyn and Bob were wonderful hosts. They have a beautiful home and a great life carved out in their community. Dr. Bob has a thriving practice and he loves to teach institute to young adults and to bike long distances when time allows. Robyn is a wonderful homemaker, mother, RSPres and community service volunteer. It's always wonderful to visit them, to chat and catch up and to spend some time together. On Friday, we got to celebrate Robyn's 57 birthday with her. I don't think we've ever been in the same place to celebrate her birthday with her in all our years in the family. We started the day attending the Redlands temple after a rain storm. It was interesting to see snow in the mountains and green grass and palm trees up close in the valley. It was a fun day to eat lunch at Claim Jumper, to go a movie and to make her a birthday treat as requested - chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss on top. Robyn is a wonderful sister-in-law and I appreciate her friendship and love. I love to talk to Bob and share ideas. He is a great conversationalist and it's always a pleasure to spend time with him. They are loyal family members and we only wished that they lived closer so that we could have more interaction with them on a regular basis.