More than a week has gone by...actually two and a half weeks since my last post.  I returned home to spend time with my sister who is seriously ill.  It was so wonderful to see her and spend some quality time with her.  I stayed with her for two weeks as she underwent her first chemotherapy treatment and worked to get several different drugs adjusted for her needs.  Caring for someone you love while they are very sick is an emotionally draining and tiring experience.  However, while I was there she did experience a definite rebound as she recovered from the immediate after effects of the chemo.  When I finally left to return to South Carolina, she was doing much better.

These are pictures of my sister and her daughter in happier, healthier times.

While in Washington, I was able to spend time with my daughter, my son and three of our grandchildren.  I spent one weekend with my daughter, new son-in-law and their two sons in eastern Washington.  Some work and some play. 

We took time out to have dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant.  Ezra, who is 11 is on the left and Josiah who is 14 is on the right.  Getting good pictures with them is always a challenge.

This is Jason, my new son-in-law and my daughter Kim.

Kim, my son Casey and me.  All together!!  It was amazing!

 

The following day we floated down the Yakima River in rafts.  I had never done it before and it was wonderful.  (Except when I dropped my camera in the river!) We floated for about 4 hours in perfect weather.  Many other people were out floating also.   Josiah and I were in the two person raft, Ezra was in the one person raft and Kim and Jason were in the three person raft.  We were all tied together as we floated.  The river was pretty cold, so anyone who did get out of the raft didn't stay out too long.

As you can see from these photos, eastern Washington is a desert climate.  In Washington, once you get east of the Cascade Mountains, the terrain changes drastically.  It is high desert climate which has all four seasons without all the rain of the west side of the state.

 

I will say that I would certainly go back and do it again as long as I had a life jacket on.  I like the water but I am not a strong swimmer, so I like to be cautious.

 

 

Flying alone can be a very isolating experience even though you are surrounded by people.  I spend time writing in my journal and taking pictures out the window.  I also did a little napping which helps to get the flight over with sooner.

 

It is an amazing thing to see the world we live in from a completely different view.  It is beautiful yet it seems so small from the window of the airplane.  It gave me to deeper thinking about the universe, other worlds and all that God has created that we don't even know about.  His creations are boundless and we get to come to earth to enjoy them, learn from them, and find our way while we are here.  I pray that we are all finding our way while we are here and making choices that will allow us to return to be with him when our mortal sojourn is completed.

 

Tomorrow will begin my first full week back in the office doing what I do.  I have lots of new apartments to find for our next transfer on September 4th.  I began the search last Friday, but it takes getting out into the area to really find the house or apartment that will work.

 

I love being a missionary and for those of us serving in the South Carolina Columbia Mission, we know we are serving in the best mission ever.

 

One of the first things on my list will be to get a new camera so I can continue to share mission stories and the missionaries who make them happen.

 

Love y'all

Until next week.