Happy Birthday Heidi!

I tried to pick more flattering pictures of you, Heidi - but these are the only ones I have with you in them!  We miss you but hope you have a wonderful day.

The day at the pool with the Nordells was fun day.  We had such a great time in Las Vegas.  I hope that you have a wonderful next year.  You are in our prayers every day.  I am so glad and proud that you are our daughter.  I do  have 4 amazing daughters.

Er Nisse

In Denmark, instead of Santa's elves, etc. - they have Nisse (pronounced Knee - saw) - little Christmas Pixies.  These little elves live in your attic or basement and are pretty laid back all year until about this time of year.  Then they come out and cause mischief or sometimes bring little gifts.  They can cause mayhem or just have fun with you.  They move things, and even misplace them so you have to frantically look for something important.  They leave a gift for you to forgive them periodically.  We drew names in the office on Friday to see who would be the nisse to whom until December 20.  It would be a lot  more fun if we  just knew who our person was.  We will have to talk to Jeppe (pronounced Yep-ay) to see who it is even though we are to keep it to ourselves.  It is kind of  like secret Santa but with a teasing twist.  I am actually looking forward to this, but next year will be more fun when we know personalities better.  We will reveal all on the morning of December 20 and then we are off until Jan 2.  No one comes into the office during that time.

I cannot remember if I said anything about children in our office or not.  When one of the parents cannot take a child or they are too sick to go to the state funded daycare, then we have a child or two in the office quietly playing.  The first week we were there, Mateas came and then last week we had Maia.  Very well behaved and sweet children.  No one batted an eye.  Starting next week, one of the young men in the office will go on 'Maternity Leave' for 2 months to help his wife.  Family is everything to the Danish.

We took a little trip on the train and then walked home with our groceries - about 1/3 Km.  I of course forgot the essentials we were shopping for in the first place - so we had to run to the corner and the bakery in order to be read for Sunday.  The meat here is so wonderful.  No fillers in the sausage or ground meat.  The Pork has an amazing flavor.  Maybe it is because we are so hungry because of all of the walking and working we do - food just tastes better.  Their butter is almost the texture of cream cheese.  Very rich and satisfying.  We bought 3 kinds of cheese today, Havarti, Danish Gouda and baby Swiss.  All are amazing.  Plus, since it is Christmas, Clyde's favorite ginger cookies are everywhere.  We are discovering which brand we like best.  I haven't tried the Danish world famous Licorice yet, but plan to soon.   The only down side to all of this is that milk only comes in 1 liter containers.  And it is so good, we have to get milk every few days.

We are attending a very small branch of about 30 people.  I am looking forward to tomorrow.  I was too sick to go last week.  I like riding the bus and train.  It brings back such happy memories.  It was the only way I got around in Frankfurt a/M.  I hope everyone has a great day today and a wonderful Sabbath tomorrow.

Friday - November 29

This is our set-up.  The camera is on the pole, the computer obviously behind, on the table.  The cradle is covered with its protective cardboard - so it doesn't get scratched when we are not using it.

Here is the cradle with a book in it.  It was one of the largest ones we had last week but this week they have been even bigger and thicker!

Clyde with Andy - our application engineer.  He is the camera expert.  Can't remember what they were puzzling over.  It was probably the lens the Church wanted us to use and was impossible to focus or the one that went with the camera.  Fortunately we have the one that went with the camera for our work.

Sunrise as we waited for the bus this morning.  Just like the sky promised - it has rained all day.  But the sky was beautiful this morning.  This is at the third bus stop we wait at going to work.

Happy Birthday Luke!

This is a very blurry picture, but you work with what you have.  It was so fun to spend time with you this last summer.  We will be home in time for you baptism!  I can't believe how big you are getting.

Luke with Anneke and Mallory playing Webkinz.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday today (even if you do have to share you birthday dinner with everyone else!)  We will all be thankful for Luke today!

Ouch!

Today we spent all day doing retakes of the books we shot on Monday.  I wore a yellow top and it reflected off the books and onto the page.  We ended up shooting one book in its entirety and 3 others partially.  I am spent and very annoyed with myself for doing that.  Only dark colors from now on.  I am exhausted (but what else is new!)  Happy Thanksgiving to all tomorrow.  It is just another work day for  us.

We are settling in

 Our apartment is small but really about the size of the one in RI.  Our bathroom is the size of a shower stall with everything in the room together.

You can sit on the toilet and take a shower!  Our floor is always clean though.

Our kitchen is a galley kitchen with no dishwasher but we do have a tiny washing machine.  It does about 3 or 4 shirts or one sheet at a time.

 g

Both sides of the kitchen with our quirky window at the back.

Our jet we took to come here from Dallas.  Not a trip I want to take again soon!

We are loving being here.  Tomorrow I will post pictures of our camera equipment.  I just love that we are online and I can keep tabs on my family again.

Fun Saturday

We spent the day with Marianne and Frank along with Sara and Dallin.  We took Pam and Dane with us and they had a wonderful visit with the family.  We went to a fun restaurant called 'Rollups' that sells crepes and Panini.  We had a great time.  Dane and Pam slept most of the way home.

We spent last evening going through our luggage and making sure we were within weight limits.  I think we about have it.  Packing 3 coats is a lot of space and weight!  I am also taking 3 pair of shoes and that weighs things down.  18 months of meds is also bulky and a bit heavy.

We found out our visas were ready on September 28 but our equipment in Denmark was giving them fits.  They think they have the bugs worked out now.  We learned this week how to fix some on our own - so it is going to be exciting and fun.

 Clyde says I am pointing toward France.  I can't help I am a foot too short!

Clyde and Hyrum Smiths profiles.

A quick note

Today we went to the Draper Temple.  We have a goal to go to the Copenhagen temple next week.  It seems wild that we are heading over finally.  We are balancing suitcases and trying to find room for things.  I finally have my big suitcase down to 48 pounds.  Hopefully things will go without a glitch. 

Our sonicare toothbrush is dying and we are trying to find another 'e series' toothbrush to replace it because we have the toothbrushes for it already.  We don't need this.

I am very tired today.  I guess I am somewhat crashing after our whirlwind week.  Today has gone by quickly. 

Finished - Now Onto New Beginnings!

We just got home from our last day at the Church Office building.  We had so much fun!  I am going to love this mission!  We had lunch with my sister, Marianne at a beautiful restaurant in the Joseph Smith building.  We had a great time.  We will see the Dittmar family on Saturday, when I will retrieve our Danish guidebook and give Marianne some things to take to my parents for storage.

We digitized books and documents, learned about the auditing process of what we 'capture' and the paperwork that we need to take care of weekly.  We are both excited to get started on this a week from Monday.  I must say I am not looking forward to 22 hours of travel but I am looking forward to this mission.  It is going to be a blast!

One Day More!

Since Monday, we have been learning the ins and outs of Digital Photography on new equipment.  (Heather, they had been using Canon cameras but switched to Nikon.  There were multiple reasons why.)  Our trainer has never used the new equipment and so she is learning along with us.  The Canon cameras that are being used are set up for grayscale only.  The Nikon is color and picks up different variations than straight grayscale.  There have been several glitches that the head of the program has had to come and straighten out.  Our trainer said today that we must think her inept because of how little she knows.  She is very knowledgeable but needs to learn the new system - if that is the direction they choose.  Clyde and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute we have spent in the Church Office building.  We are actually grateful to be learning this with problems because when we see these things pop up in  the field, we will know how to handle it.  Today something happened that our trainer had never seen happen in 8 years.  She was amazed about it.  Now we know that if the camera starts only shooting one page in a book instead of 2 - you reboot.  Tomorrow will be our last day and then we have a long weekend free to get ready for our trip on Tuesday.  We are very excited and getting more excited every day!

Capturing

Today we learned about capturing images and the new services offered on Family Search.  It was a very productive day.  I am so tired tonight.  I don't think I will have trouble sleeping.  Tomorrow we practice capturing all day.

Hurray!

Today we started at the Church Office building to learn how to run the digital photographic equipment.  Our visas are here!  We will be leaving on the 12th as planned.  We also found out we will be spending all of time working at the Danish National Archives for our whole mission.  We are excited and really looking forward to the mission more and more.

First week of our mission - only week in MTC

This is our 'District' for the MTC.  You can hardly see Clyde but it is nice picture of the other couples and our teacher, Sister Fillmore from Sandy, Utah.  On the left is the Rasmussen's from Payson - going to Norway, the Hawkins from San Diego - going to the Ukraine and on the far right is the Smyths from Rexburg and now St George - going to Florida.  We had a great time with them.  We are all love the gospel and had some wonderful discussions.

Clyde is pointing to Denmark in front of the MTC world map.  His name badge says Elder Bailey.  We had to wear that one when we  were in the MTC.  We now also have our Danish ones.  I will post more pictures tomorrow.