WE are here! WE are here! We are here!

We have arrived and already bought a car.  It is so wonderful to be close to family again.  Now to just get over the jetlag.  So much to do but we have plenty of time to do it.  We will put this house in order just like we digitized all of the work we did in Denmark  - one click at a time.

Farvel Danmark

...we have enjoyed our stay in your beautiful country.  We have learned to love your people and many of your customs.  It has been a wonderful year and a half. 

Tomorrow morning bright and early we will head to a new adventure.  Only the Lord knows what is in store. 

God Be with you 'til we meet again...

I cried so hard at church that I have a headache.  I intended to take pictures and got none.  It was a hard day.  I love our little Branch as I love my family.  Knowing that I will probably not see most of them until the next life was really quite heart breaking.  It was nice to ride the bus though and know THAT was our last 1 hour commute to church.

I am not sure I can blog tomorrow.  It depends on how early I get up.  We have to send our internet receiver back in the morning so we will have to see.  I cannot believe that our mission is finished.  I doubt I will be sleeping much the next few nights just because I am running through my head all that needs to be done before we go. 

Heidi said that we will be speaking in Sacrament Meeting on the 17th of May.  It is the Manti 3rd ward and 9 a.m.  We will have a get together after the church block at the house.  I will even make my famous 8 bean barbecue 'chili'.  Love to see one and all.

Our Last Saturday in Denmark

Today we have cleaned clothes and finished the kitchen and bathroom.  Now all we have to do is the floors and dust.  Monday we will have to do some chasing around to get the internet box returned and get checked of our commune.  Tomorrow is church and so we will say goodbye to our church family then.

Last night we had dinner and Richard Andersen's home.  We had a chicken pot pie with lots of salad and fresh vegetables.  I ate most of the veggies.  For dessert we had what they called lemon fluff - a little more oomph to it than just pudding or whipped cream but still light and airy.  There were also 2 kinds of cheesecake and trifle made with spice cake, apples and lots of whipped cream.  The company was wonderful.  Elder Andersen is the one that took us out our full day here and got our furniture and checked into the commune.  I will always be grateful for his kindness.

Coming home is becoming more real

We just sent a suitcase and box to the Manti.  I cried after they went out the door.  We are truly leaving.  It is unreal to me that we are going.  We have done a bit more packing and cleaning.  Just like our mission being one click at a time - our move is going the same way.  I look forward to wrapping my arms around my family again in just a few days.

Our Last day at work

Here is a picture of our keys to the gate and city of Copenhagen.  The passes next to the keys are original antique passes that were issued in the late 1700's and early 1800's.  Our names are on them and everything.  The pillow is from a past princess in the Danish Monarchy and was borrowed from the Copenhagen City Museum to present these treasures to us on.

Mayor Ebbesen with Clyde and me in the entrance of the huge hall in the Raadhus called the 'town hall'.  Mayor Ebbesen apologized to me when he first arrived and said he would not be able to stay much past his speech.  He stayed almost to the end of the reception.  No one had every known him to do that kind of thing before.

Today we said goodbye to our family for the last 18 months.  I felt like I was saying goodbye to my sisters, sons and daughter.  The card the IT techs gave us with our gift said, "Dear Mom and Dad..."  It was a hard day but I didn't have my heart wrenching cry until I got home.  This has been a wonderful mission - the perfect mission for Clyde and me.  I hope we have served in a way pleasing unto our Heavenly Father and loving Savior.

The gift our 'children' gave  us from the IT department is a pillow with our archive family picture on it.  The silly picture on one side and the more serious picture on the other.  Perfect gift.  Bo said that every time we lay on it we will get a hug from them.  A great day.

A Busy day

Today we cleaned the oven, cleaned almost all of the kitchen cabinets and drawers and packed a box and suitcase we are shipping to Manti.  We made arrangements for a pick up on Friday.  We are now sorting through clothes and decided what we are taking what is staying behind.  As the suitcases are filling, I am realizing more and more how frivolous my decisions can be.  I have to be brutal and not sentimental.

Tomorrow is our last day at the archive.  We are having an archive family lunch with the famous open face sandwiches of Denmark.  It is going to be a sad - hard day.