It was a wonderful Mothers' Day week. We drove to a city 1 1/2 hours away to welcome a new missionary couple. The city is far away from other missionaries and the branch is very small. It was wonderful to meet them and help them get settled in. The next day we drove to another small town to deliver some beds. I wish I had a picture so you'll have to imagine - two boxes going from almost the front windshield to the back window (about 4" x 10" x 8'), two rolled up mattresses, two elders and us in an Opel. It was too crowded to get a picture. Everything was delivered safe and sound, laughing all the way. We also got to go to the Freiberg Temple again. It was packed. It was fun to see people from Jena and from the States. Plants were given to the Mothers and mothers to be at church and the elders came to our apartment to call home and use computers to Skype. So of course they made me dinner while they were here! Their mothers should be proud! I got to talk to 4 of my kids and all 12 grandkids and got messages from my other two.

I got to talk to this little bundle of chubbiness. He was born two weeks after we left so I got to hug him as much as Skype would allow. At church Duane was asked (we were both asked but I couldn't do it without crying) to tell a story about our mothers. He made my mother sound like a circus act and his mother a saint but it was perfect. I'm sure he told the stories our mothers wanted shared. A couple of other people also told hilarious stories about their mothers so it was not a sad time like it sometimes is. It was a wonderful Mothers' Day!!