Family Reunion for Paul's Wedding

Dave, Becki, Chad, Rebecca and Ty.

Clayton, Sam, Mom, Sadie, Becki and Noah.

Paul, Mom, Joseph and Anna in front of the house where Mom's dad was born in Hatch, Idaho.

The Higginson House in Historic Chesterfield.

A pyramid of grandchildren.

Family pyramid with Dad, Dave, Paul and Mike on the bottom.  Mom, Joey and Anna in the middle and Rebecca on top.  Andrew helped Rebecca get on top.

Mom on top and Rebecca, Tara, Anna, Carrie and Becki on the bottom of the pyramid.

Me with siblings, Joanne, Mike and Jeanne.

While we were back in the States we also got to meet with a couple of missionaries we had worked with in Italy.

Matt Herrington, from Safford, with his fiance, Kelsey Brown.  They are getting married in July.  He was an assistant to the Mission President and drove us from Milano to Forli' when we first arrived in Italy.

We met with Seth D'Addabbo in our home.  We worked with him for our first six months in Italy.

Wedding Bells for Paul and Tara

We had the wonderful blessing of being able to attend the wedding of our son, Paul, to Tara Cotten in the Twin Falls Temple on June 7,  2013.  We received permission from our Mission President  to attend this special occasion and I needed to have some blood tests done and we both needed some dental work so we got that done while we were home.  At the wedding we got to see all of our children and grandchildren.

Grandma got to hold Sadie, our newest grandchild, who was born in February.

  

Paul and Tara with Paul's sisters, Rebecca and Anna.

Paul and Tara with all of his siblings and their spouses, left to right, Joseph, David and Becki, Mike and Carrie, Paul and Tara, Ty and Rebecca, Jason and Anna, Jennie and Sam.

Paul with his proud parents.

Paul and Tara coming out of the temple.

We got to have all of our 16 grandchildren at the wedding.

Paul and Tara dancing at the reception.

Music Night

Last Saturday evening we had a Branch Music Night.  We had about 25 in attendance with about 13 members of the branch and the rest were friends.  It was a very entertaining evening.

Brother ans Sister Garcia sang a couple of numbers.

Agnese and Sorella Montagnoli did a violin and piano duet.

Sister Tarroni did a number as an opera singing chicken -- it was very funny.

Mila sang a fun song in the Romagnolo dialect.

Sorelle Bennett and Montagnoli sang Come Thou Fount.

Paolo played a piano piece that he composed himself.

Sister Rossi put the whole program together.  With her granddaughter, Elodie, she led us in a variation of Old McDonald had a Farm, in which she wrote lyrics for every branch member in attendance.  At the end of the song she asked if she had left anyone out.  Laura, who is investigating the church, said "What about us?"  On the spot, Sister Rossi made up a verse for Alberto, Laura, Agnese, Chiara and Giovanni.  She also led us in a fun song about too tight blue jeans.

After all that music we were all hungry.

Bike Accident

Last Tuesday, May 14, Sorella Montagnoli had an accident on her bike.  She didn't get hit by a car nor did she hit anything.  She said that one second she was riding along and the next second she was laying in the street.  She must have hit a pothole or loose gravel.  She came to our apartment and Sorella Jefferies cleaned her up.  She had a bad scrape on her leg and one on her arm and her little finger on her right hand was swollen and didn't look good.  I gave her a priesthood blessing and took her to the emergency room.  Her finger was broken and she got a cast on her arm.  She was preaching the gospel and handing out pamphlets to other people waiting in the emergency room.  She is one tough missionary.  She didn't cry and was laughing most of the time until we finally got her back to her apartment.  She is starting to heal and is frustrated that she can't ride her bike for a while.

Eating tacos in the ER.

 The wounds, three days after the accident.

Our tough little Sorella Montagnoli with a cast, a sling, and a smile.

Preparation Day with the Sorelle

Last preparation day we took the Sisters on an adventure.  From Castrocaro Castle we had seen another castle on a hill nearby.  We had to go on some dirt roads but we found Castle Montepoggiolo.  It was a lookout post for Castrocaro.  They could see advancing armies and warn the citizens of Castrocaro.

When we found the castle, it was fenced off and the gate was locked so we couldn't get close.  It hasn't been restored or worked on for several years so it is probably too dangerous to allow people to wander around in it.

We then drove to Portico di Romagna.  This is along the medieval street where there are lots of beautiful flowers.  Brother Rossi grew up in this quaint little town.

Festa della Mamma

Friday evening we had a Mother's Day party at the church.  We had about 30 people in attendance.  We had food, music and dancing.  The mothers got chocolates and several of the men wrote poems to recite.  About 13 of the attendees were friends of members of the branch.

Fratello Garcia grilling with his daughters Daniela and Maria Jose assisting.

Sorella Jefferies dancing with Michael.

Paolo dancing with his son, Francesco.

The Mother's Day cake with the accordion player in the background.

Sorella Garcia with Sorelle Bennett and Montagnoli and Maurizzio, Valentino and Michael.

Erica and Xavier doing the tango.

Goodbye Sorella Bush, Hello Sorella Bennett

Wednesday evening we had Laura and Alberto and kids over for dinner as a farewell to Sorella Bush.  She was transferred to Verona.  On Thursday evening we welcomed Sorella Bennett.  She is from Alpine, Utah. She and Sorella Montagnoli actually knew each other and went to school together.  So, after only six weeks in Italy, Sorella Montagnoli is training.  Seventeen new Sisters and thirteen new Elders arrived in our mission yesterday.  The missionary work in Italy and all over the world is being hastened.

Sorella Bennett on her first full day in Forli'.

Sorella Bennett with her new companion, Sorella Montagnoli, very happy missionaries.

Sorella Jefferies with the Sisters.