SUMMER HAS ARRIVED, ALONG WITH THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

This was my first week being over real estate and construction issues, now that Elder Riggs has finished his legal mission.  I’m now officially doing the work of 2 attorneys since his replacement doesn’t arrive until the end of January.  I did a complicated acquisition, disposition and lease of parcels of real property all in the same week.  While normally these aren’t that complicated, the Church’s safeguards and protocols are complex, and I’m still learning those.  So I went to the office most mornings this week by 7 a.m. and stayed late, and more or less kept up with the work flow.  If I can last one more week, then Christmas vacations should kick in for the Church employees and I should be alright for a few weeks as the work flow decreases. 

Last Sunday evening Alisa and I drove to the airport and picked up Keith and Janet Brimhall.  They are here for the month.  Alisa showed them around town on Monday.  Tuesday morning we had a Christmas devotional at the area offices which they attended with us, then we put them in a taxi to take them to the docks so they could catch their cruise ship.  They will be gone 2 weeks on a cruise to Melbourne then around the South Island of New Zealand. 

Friday after work Alisa and I attended the YSA barbecue at Bishop Dil’s home. Saturday morning we participated at a YSA service project at Maria Goode’s house, where we weeded her large garden area.  Then Alisa and I went to a lawn bowls club at the invitation of Michael Fox, a non-member with whom we play pickleball.  Alisa was actually quite good at lawn bowling, me, not so much.  We got home around 2 p.m., by then I had had plenty of sun.  So I took a long nap.  In the evening we had a farewell party for the Wrights, our in field representatives/missionary couple.

Summer has arrived, warm and slightly muggy.  We're getting plenty of sunshine now.