December Departures

I called this month December Departures because there were a lot of departures taken this month. 
To start off, Garrett and Zandra departed Ghana and arrived home! Before departing though, they were able to finish up the intramural program for the kids and made up a little video of the kids and showed that when they gave out the awards.

As for Garrett's internship, his group was able to fund the first class in Abomosu. The loan recipients were all so excited and happy to finally get their loans. There were also people in another village that got funding as well.
Zandra got real sick and had a fever that lasted about 3 days. They thought it might be malaria, but by the 4th day the fever broke and she improved.

An excerpt from their last email: Garrett and I have made some amazing friends being here and will miss them a lot. Ghana was nothing like I expected it to be. I now feel as if I can see this village the way it is. The people are kind and welcoming. They may not have all the things we have at home (at all) but that is ok. They are some of the most hard working, happy people I have ever met. I love how simple life is here.
The Abu's whom we are staying with threw us a party. We had more food than we could eat and had ice cream! They are the best! They also surprised us with parting gifts so that we may always remember Ghana throughout our lives. They got me the prettiest Ghanalan dress and jewelry to match! They go Garrett a nice Ghanalan dress shirt (in his favorite color of green) and a wristband. They really are the nicest people we know. I was speechless. We will miss them.

Now that all the work is done, we're going to take a little vacation (hopefully spend some time on the beaches of Ghana) and then head home.

Dale and I picked Garrett and Zandra up at the airport and they were all decked out in their Ghanalan clothes. When Zandra gave me a hug she said, "It's good to see you, and you smell so good!" Welcome home!!

We got home and they were so grateful for heat, warm water to shower in, a comfortable bed, cars, and good food.

Dale and I helped fill Christmas orders, from donations from people in our ward and the community, for the Toys for Tots program. It made me realize how much we really do have and take for granted. I hope to help again next year.

We went to the Hansen Christmas Party and had it at the Pioneer Valley Lodge, in their "gathering" room, where Dale's folks are currently living. We ate. visited, and had Santa come. Amie and the kids departed from Idaho, and were able to come to Utah for the weekend, to see Garrett and get in on the party and see cousins.

I've been busy doing DIBELS testing and ushering for the Eccles Theatre Events. With the holidays, they've had quite a few shows. I've enjoyed seeing them, it's helped me get into the Christmas spirit more.

Danica departed for home via Virginia (to visit Andrew & Lindsay and spend Christmas) after she graduated from Iowa Western Community College with an Associates Degree in Art. She got done a semester early due to taking college credit classes while in high school. She's got some colleges that have wanted her to go play soccer in Iowa, Flordia, Texas, Colorado, and Hawaii. She hasn't decided where she'll go next yet though. 

Garrett and Zandra departed Utah and drove to Washington state to spend Christmas with Zandra's family. Garrett got to go salmon fishing and caught some nice fish. He also got to go mountain biking. They enjoyed their stay.

Kim got into the Christmas spirit by helping serve a Christmas dinner to 300 people for the Bay Area Rescue Mission before she departed for California, and Nate did a lot of studying before departing Utah, to go to Colorado, to spend Christmas with Kim's family at her parents in Pagosa Springs, CO where they had a good time.

Dale and I departed Utah and headed to Mannassas, VA to see Danica, Andrew, Lindsay, Titan and Eloise to spend Christmas with them! We flew out on the busiest fly day, and had a few delays, but made it to Virginia safe. Andrew and Danica picked us up at the airport and when we got to Andrew's I got out of the car and I heard a little voice yell from their apartment balcony, "It's Grandma Debbie!" Then he met us on the steps! What a little cutie!

  




While we were in Virginia Andrew took us all into Washington DC and we saw all the monuments and the Nations Christmas Tree and Village. We saw the White House and the Washington DC Temple. The temple grounds were all lit up and decorated to the hilt. So pretty!

                                   

We stayed the night in DC and then headed back the next day and Lindsay made sugar cookies and we decorated them and watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and played with the kids. 

Christmas morning the kids were good to us and let us sleep in. It was fun seeing them open their gifts. Titan got some airplanes from the movie "Planes" and that's all he wanted to play with! Eloise wasn't sure about everything, but did enjoy her toys, especially the one that played music. She loves to dance. 

We went into DC again and went to the Holocaust Museum and the Smithsonian Museums for the day. 

We also saw the movie "Frozen". Titan loved it! We had a wonderful time and hope we didn't wear out our welcome, but it was so good to see our Virginia kids and spend time with them. I've loved snuggling with Titan and hearing Eloise sing and watch her get around and dance.

Andrew took Lindsay, Dale and I up in one of the helicopters he teaches in and we flew over the Shannondoah Mountain Range and got to see some pretty nice Estates. Dale even got to fly the helicopter. 
What a way to end our time in Virginia----so fun and so pretty. In the spring and summer all you'd see is green because there are so many trees. 
Danica departed for Utah 6 hours before we did, so we did some sight-seeing and took Andrew and Lindsay out to dinner as a thank you and to celebrate Lindsay's birthday early. 


Dale and I landed in Salt Lake and found out that Danica was in Denver, CO waiting to board another plane! I guess when they came into SLC there was a lot of fog and they couldn't land. So they went to Denver. She didn't get to Salt Lake until 2:30 am!!! Luckily we had booked a hotel close to the airport planning to stay the night, so she rode the hotel shuttle so we didn't have to go pick her up. What a day for her!! Thirteen hours of travel!!! And to top it off we had snow!!

Danica went to soccer camps in Orem and to meet the coaches for BYU-Hawaii and Texas. She'll have to see who gives her the best deal to determine where she'll go next to play. At least she's narrowed it down to two!

Garrett and Zandra departed Washington and drove to Oakley, ID and stayed the night with the Mallory crew before coming home. 

They got here just in time to celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary.
Dale, Danica and I departed Utah and drove to Idaho to spend New Year's Eve with the Mallory's.

 We played games and ate and played games and ate! They had invited Matt's folks and a couple of neighbors that are older over for games and finger foods. It was a fun evening and the kids even got in on the games.
We even got in a little target practice with Matt's new BB gun he got for Christmas before heading back home.

Can't think of a better way to depart from the old year!