Merry Christmas to All!

We started the mission together and here we are together again--2 1/2 years later. Only now everyone in the picture has served a Spanish speaking mission! We are so happy to finally be together again but missing all the other kids and grandkids (now up to 9 with one more on the way!)

(Photo Credit--Austin Howarth)

And we had a WONDERFUL Christmas day!!

It started bright and early with these two arriving at the house

(I am pretty sure that is a halo over Elder Kingsford's head:-)

They are our office couple and totally AWESOME!!

We love them and are so grateful for them!

Truly we could not do what we need to do without all of their help. 

Then the local missionaries started arriving!

Which meant that President Wagner started making pancakes. Just around 400 in all!!

I think he is pretty AWESOME as well!

This picture was in the beginning. In the end he had three griddles going all at the same time!

About 80 missionaries and one stray dog (not sure where he came from, but we found him walking around the house) came for pancakes. 

The guards at the entrance to our housing development were quite amazed we could fit everyone in the house. We did! But it was standing room only!

Here are some pictures from this morning.

 So how many sister missionaries can you fit on one chair?

 Love the companion color coodination!

 This elder received a package today!! And even better--it was from his dad!! Merry Christmas to him!

 Sister N below also received a package today!

We have had a piñata at the house for almost three years now and decided it was now or never! We were going to break it!

 From this picture you would think the elders won in the "getting the most candy" contest. But no. It was the sisters!

 This is a generational picture---Elder S on the right trained Elder J on the left, who trained Elder K in the middle. And of course they have all been trained by President Wagner!

 Believe it or not, this is what the house looked like two minutes after they left--thanks to some amazing helpers!!

We love our missionaries!!
Merry Christmas to you all!