Okay, first let me explain the "missionary sons" comment. I may have mentioned before that there was a time, before life became so incredibly insane, that Alvin and I had the missionaries over for dinner every Monday. We also would drive them around town so they could run their errands, do their shopping, etc. Over the course of time we became very close to a few, although we enjoyed them all very much.When Elder Jensen, now Jordan, was still on his mission he promised me he would come back after his mission was over and we'd have a Lord of the Rings, extended version, moviethon.
Well, yesterday was the big day! Yup, it took us 11 1/2 hours . . . and yes, we were bleary-eyed by the time it was over. But it was so much fun! I think my butt was paralyzed by the end of the day. We started at about 10:30 yesterday morning and finished at 10:00 last night. Sheesh, I have never, NEVER, NEVER watched t.v. that long, sat in one place for that long, not done anything but socialize and watch t.v. that long! I think a part of my brain atrophied! But I have to admit, it was a total blast!
Anyhow, here are two of my boys!
This is Elder Jordan Jensen and he served in the Utah Provo Mission, along with all of our other missionary sons: Jordan, Jarel Singh, Joao Saraiva, David Woolsey . . . if I missed one it's because my brain is fried!Jordan lives in Canada where he's going to school and working with his parents on some restoration projects. He's a farm boy at heart and from the moment Alvin and I met him we just welcomed him into our hearts.
He's my Lord of the Rings buddy! And by the way, I don't think I'm ever going to do that again, 11 1/2 hours WAY TOO LONG to watch t.v.
On the the 26th of this month, Jarel Singh, another of our missionary sons came to visit. Alvin picked him up at the airport and he's been staying with us. He and Jordan were companions for quite a long while, but he'd always said there was no way he'd join us on our Lord of the Rings moviethon. But he did, bless his heart.
It really was a lot of fun.
Jarel, blue t-shirt, is from Fiji, but he and has parents now live in California. He's working in Northern California but is planning on being at either BYU or BYU-Idaho by the summer or fall. He's a wonderful young man and we love him so much! He's Fijian/Nepalese, and he and Alvin just connected right off the bat. To me, I believe he's very much like what my sons would have been like had they lived.We're enjoying our visit with him and ladies, if you have sisters or daughters in the early twenties age group, my boy is available!
Jarel is helping me move my office and library downstairs (and yes, it's a huge task and we still have a lot to do.) He spent the entire day, on Friday, helping me rearrange everything, haul my desk from the garage to the new office area and set it up. Always willing to help, always a sweetheart. We think the world of him! I am having so much fun visiting with him and getting him to know him out side of his missionary role, the same with Jordan.
Ah shoot, here are a couple more. Joao Saraiva is visiting family in California, but will be here on January 4th, to attend BYU. He's another of our missionary sons that we absolutely adore. All these young men are so fine! They were stellar missionaries, dedicated to the work. And now, that they are home from their missions and going to school, or getting ready to, we remain very impressed with them.Every time I go to visit my friend, Linda, in Rigby, Idaho or my brother in Idaho Falls (who just moved to Rigby as well) I call Joao and we meet at Craigo's and catch up over pizza bombs. Now that he's moved here to Provo, which I'm very happy about, I'm going to have to find a new pizza bomb buddy!
So ladies, Jarel and Joao are both available . . . come to think of it, I think my nephew Sete is as well. Y'all remember him . . . right?
Cute, smart, sweet . . .
he's the one on the right (my left, your right!)He graduates in April with a degree in Sociology, was the captain of the 2007 BYU Cougar football team and we just love this young man so much!
You know, all these young men really have restored my faith in the men of this generation.
I think I feel a chorus of "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me match . . . " Huh, maybe I should apply for a "yenta" job. Whaddya think?
Only sharp, sweet, daughters of God need apply!
Time to get ready for church. See you all in Blogland.
A Day With My Missionary Sons
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Rating:
heehee!
ReplyDeleteI still have a beautiful, 26 year old sweetheart of a daughter available right over here in Holland! And you just keep talking about all those great young men of yours over there.....?
Stop that, and send them over!!!!!!
LOL
X
How cool -- and how fun that you're rearranging your office, too. That's a project!
ReplyDeleteCandace, that was so great! It made me remember my missionary days and how I became very close to a few families also.
ReplyDeleteOne of my sisters lives in Rigby and the other lives in Rexburg. When I was going to Ricks I lived across the street from Craigos and we ate there allllllll the time. Yum- pizza bombs!! So funny to see how truly small the world really is!! :D
All three movies in one day??? Now that's stamina.
ReplyDeleteIronically, I enjoy watching the movies on TV for the commercial breaks where I can get up and move around...
Those are fine looking boys you have. I hope that the members in Belem, Brazil feel like you do about my son, while he serves there.
Your first picture looks like Bryce. Is it?
Dan
Hi Dan - the first picture is Jordan Jensen.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know, across the world, there are families who embrace the missionaries. These particular young men are ones Alvin and I felt an especially close connection to, although there were others, but I didn't visit with or talk to them that day. Hence their exclusion in the post.
I admire the young men and women who head out into the world to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is a wonderful thing.
Morning Candace,
ReplyDeleteYou are too cute! Wonderful how you are with the missionaries. Sweet to share.
Blessings,
Kathleen :)
Marja - sadly, these boys are 21 to 22, too young!
ReplyDeleteTristi - I know and I am so excited to get everything organized and things in their proper order again.
Pezlady - go Pizza Bombs! Maybe we'll have to make a day trip one day, just to get a pizza bomb.
Candace,
ReplyDeleteHow fun and thank-you for this post. On my mission we had a few people who would adopt us too and it made such a difference in our lives. You guys are fantastic!
I wish we had more contact with the missionaries! We get to see them maybe once every three or four months. You sound like what we used to have in my mission - a mission mom. The BEST!! grin. And you're movie day is what my 17 year old son keeps trying to get us to do. WAY too long for us! Have a good one!!
ReplyDeleteI love the missionaries. I have two nephews in the Cordoba, Argentina mission. Weird that cousins went to the same mission at the same time, huh? They are due back within 4 &6 months. My brother served his mission here in Utah and lived in the ward I lived in. It was great.
ReplyDeleteOh, and my daughter's friend said "oh, set me up with Jordan!" So maybe, oh great mighty matchmaker, we should talk? (she's 20)
Shanna - missionaries sure bring blessings to many lives, both to Mormons and friends of other faiths. And thanks for the compliment, we just love serving the missionaries.
ReplyDeleteGaynell - we never see the missionaries in our ward. I think I've seen them three, maybe four times in the last twelve years. So I guess "never" would be inaccurate, but close to. We run into them at Wal-Mart.
Sandra - Jordan is the only one who has a serious girlfriend so far. I forgot to mention that. Bummer! Tell her the others are awesome too, believe me!
Wow, I'm a TV/Videogame fanatic, and I don't think I've actually sat that long and watched. I keep talking about it though, since I thought LOTR was fantastic. One of these days...
ReplyDeleteBeing younger and single (and an only child) I tend to consider the missionaries more like adopted brothers than sons. The elder who originally taught me is as close to me as a brother too. He's married of course, and lives halfway across the country, but we still try to keep in touch. Anyways, happy New Year!
okay these boys are adorable. But my daughter is still far too young to be setting up so I'll have to pass on that.Cute pics and I envy you a day of Lord of the Rings. Souonds like a blast!
ReplyDeleteI was singing that song this time last year Candace and guess what? I managed to find a perfect match for my nephew! They got married in August! I'll send my mad-matchmaking-skills your way!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your boys with us Candace. They are lucky they have you.
Absolutely, Candace, they are lucky to have you hon, kathleen :)
ReplyDeleteThe LOTR event was a lot of fun. Just fried my brains though.
ReplyDeleteAnd sons, brothers, whatever, missionaries take the gospel to the world and enrich the lives of members at the same time. It is a wonderful thing.
Jules - what a bummer. If your daughter was older I'd hook her up in a second. Then we'd be related . . . kinda . . . in a round about way. Okay, not at all, but we could pretend!
Ali - congratulations. Maybe we should start a business. Gotta be more money in that than what we're doing!
Kathleen - I'm lucky to have them. Believe me!
Darn, my daughter is soon to be 27, but she's a sweetie. Knows the gospel backward and sideways. I think she tends to scare the young men in her ward, she sounds like Hugh Nibley when she gets going! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI never could get into LOTR, but even if I could... 11 hours?!?! No way.
We have some Sister missionaries that my husband and I still stay in contact with. They're such wonderful girls and I feel like their adopted mom. It's so neat to hear from them and catch up on what's going on in their lives. We just got a letter from one the other day, she's living in Jackson and working for Thomas Mangelsen - what a dream job! My goal is to someday make it out to a wedding for one of my girls. I haven't been able to yet, but I will!