She's Back!

Is it really you?
Zoom in on Julie's face - it is anticipation at its best!

Here she comes!
There she is!

Dad was at the top of the stairs and got the first hug

She's Back!

Mom and Dad - waiting
Watching and waiting with Sign

Here come Grandma and Grandpa Maloney

Below - Wilcox Grandparents were already at the airport when we arrived

Florida is Crying With Me

I am very very very wet. There needs to be some sort of punctuation in the middle of that sentence but I'm not sure where or what. Sister Hall and I took 4 boxes to the Post Office today for me to mail home so that my suit cases are not too heavy and it was down pouring. I look and feel like a drowned rat. Earlier today I burned some stuff and then threw the rest away as it began to rain, I still smell like camp fire.

I'm glad ya'll had fun with all those kids from your BYU Ward. It sounds like quite the party! Guess what? You never will, a member here gave me her son's phone number he lives up by 7 Peaks and is actually pretty cute. So I've almost got a date lined up. Yay me.

I emailed my friends and I'm hoping to meet up with them Friday or Saturday night but that is all I have planned so far.

So while I'm still a missionary on Thursday what do you want to do? I want to go to the Temple. We can watch the Joseph Smith movie and do the Visitors Center thing and I can do a bunch of Initiatories and an Endowment. Or if that is too much for those who are working really hard to not die we'll mozy on down to Provo and I can go to the Temple there. Just so long as I go I don't care all that much which Temple it winds up being. Oh I could go to the Draper one too! So many choices - I love Utah for that fact alone. One temple in the state of Florida is not enough.

So Sheila was able to work through the outside forces which I'll tell you about in person and is getting baptized Saturday. I made a bid for it being today but Elder Levacy-Sabin didn't think I was serious and completely ignored me. So I'll miss her baptism but I'll get odells of pictures so it will be OK.

We've been running around like chickens with our heads cut off all week. I have massive dark circles under my eyes and I can't hide them very well with make-up anymore. I've been waking up around 3 or 4 am everyday ready to get going and staying awake till 6:30 finally rolls around. I keep telling people I'm gonna sleep when I get home but now I'm not so sure I'll be able too. Lame much.

Friday we went up to Bristol to hear from Elder Gonzales of the 70. On the way there, Sister Hall and I got lost. Our directions were not so good - they told us to go right when we were actually supposed to go left. 14 miles later... we found it in the end, and pulled in just after President and Elder Gonzales so we got to shake his hand which was cool 'cause only three other people got to as well.

Tori's husband was in the hospital this week, they still don't know what is wrong with him but he seems to be doing OK - we spent about two hours with him yesterday.

We had a funeral for Elder Levacy-Sabin and myself, I laid on a table with a sheet over me and people said their "last words" to me. It was fun, Sister Hall got it all on tape so I'll be making a CD of it. Um, yeah that's the important stuff. I've still got lots of packing to do. See you soon!

Love,

Kelli

Since yesterday was Labor Day we had to go work - I think I forgot to tell ya'll that. Oopps. Sorry. So happy late P-day!

Carmen Deedy came to the Story Telling Festival this year! She hasn't been in ages. I can't believe I missed her appearance. What was this years charm? My bracelet is getting full I might need to transfer it to a necklace. Hmmm we'll see. I knew that Nathan Fillion had a new show but I didn't know anything about it. I'm really excited. I was at a members house, gosh like 2 weeks ago, and saw a preview for Bones. I nearly died. I didn't even try to pretend I wasn't watching the commercial. Then it was over and I was normal again.

As for the 27th I have no idea. (That is the date for Kelli's Sacrament Meeting talk). I haven't managed to think past the BYU/FSU game on the 19th. Do I have to decide now? I don't even know how normal I'll be, I might be a crazy person! People may not want to come see the crazy lady that spent way too long in the south. I was listening to myself talk the other day, I have developed an odd accent that really only comes through on words with long "i" in them. Not to mention the "Yes, Sir." and "No Sirs." I'm about to get teased. Daggum.

Oh well - on with the my going ons of the week. We found out late Monday night that a Sister in the ward, Tori Piercy had an emergency appendectamy (totally guessed on the spelling) on Sunday. The RS of the ward really stepped up they had people there in the morning helping with the kids and then they brought in meals too. Sister Hall and I went to help clean and chat. It was good to see the ward be so united in a cause. It made my heart glad. We have another Sister, Mini Stewart who had two stints put in that we visited. She is so fiesty. It's fun.

We made Brother Gibbons a Auborn State Football cake to thank him for speaking at Laura's baptism - he had been really nervous about it. I baked the cake and made Sister Hall decorate it - we all know how artistic I am free hand :)

Saturday the PCB Elders had a baptism I went to go support them and surprise surprise it was Anita Shook! Sister Hartman and I had started teaching her a year ago and I got to be here to see her baptism. It was a wonderful experience.

We finally got Karen to go to church! We sat with Nick (her son) in Nursery for the two hours so his mom could be there. We'll probably have to do it again.

Sheila's Baptism has been postponed. She is ready but other outside forces are coming in to play and she doesn't want it to be tainted by these things. I'm sad that I'll miss it but I'm very proud of her for recognizing the importance of letting some things go before she makes a covenant with God.

That's all I've got to say about that. I love hearing from you - thank you for all the love that I feel coming from all directions. Have a blessed day.

Kelli

Congrats Teil! Thanks for sending the photo you look fantastic. I look forward to seeing you in the next couple of months. Let me know what I can do to help (Kelli's cousin Teil got engaged)

Mom, you have and ewwy baggy! That's what we called them in the nursing home. (I have a tube draining my kidney - a little complication) Having a plan of action is good I'm glad you and the Dr know what your gonna do and how it's all gonna work out. Finally I get to help ya'll. It's been very frustrating being on the other side of the country knowing that I can't do a blessed thing for ya'll besides carry on and pray lots. While prayer does initiate miracles sometimes it's nice just to be there. Like dad was talking about when he was still in pain, lots of pain but when his wife was holding his hand he knew it was ok.

Sorry about all the confusion about my release date. President and I had talked about it when Short was still here but turns out the system didn't know when I entered the MTC making a mess of everything. Their dates were wrong so I knew it would all work out but I didn't know ya'll were sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear too. Sorry I would have told you more about it if I'd known the office got involved with you. (We received a letter saying Kelli would be home October 29th but it is September 17th!)

Aidea! Yeah! Yeah!! Yeah!!! I know I will always enjoy musicals. President Monson is "Show-aholic" I think it's perfectly acceptable for me to be as well. What I'll like as far as fashion is concerned that's a whole different ball game. I may need a fashion consultant, someone that can tell me whether or not I should be on "What-Not-To-Wear".

Moving on - my week was good.

In other news Laura's baptism was most excellent. We had a minor freak out when we couldn't get a hold of her the day before her scheduled date but all was well. She is very similar to Farah in that she completely turned her life around in just under two months. She is a different woman. It is such a blessing to be involved in that change.

Miss Sheila set a baptism date for Sept 12 the Saturday before I leave. She is good. She worked hard to gain a testimony and is now eager to build on the foundation she has. She is full of good questions and is going to be a power house for good. She's having a hard time with tithing she's a single mom and works as a teachers aid which doesn't pay well. What finally got her is when we told her that only full tithe payers are considered worthy to enter the Temple. She then committed to live the law. But dang it took a lot of prayer and the Holy Ghost testifying and the two of us testifying before we finally got there. That was a long lesson. 3 1/2 hrs - My brain hurt at the conclusion of it.

Yesterday we went over to my favorite part member family's house. Brother Jack isn't a member he's the one we went to the non-denominational church with a few weeks ago. We talked about what we had felt and learned there and how we can add to it. He knows that the church is true but he needs to take the baby steps there. He is happy learning about the Savior this way and he knows that he will be baptized and sealed to Andrea but he is going to do it on his time table. Little does he know that he's actually working on the Lords time table. I can't wait for him to get smacked up-side the head. It's gonna be fun.

Well that's me in a nut shell. I love you all very much and I'll see you soon!

Kelli

Just know that I pray for ya'll every night and expect to see semi healthy people in 24 days. No exceptions.

Speaking of healthy. I was sick this week. I'm on the mend now I had a mild case of the flu but we were so busy I didn't have time to sleep it off. I just had to take lots of vitamins - drink lots of water and try not to touch anyone. I spent most of yesterday morning pulling dead skin off my nose cause I'd rubbed it raw. That was fun.


Tuesday we did service for a recently widowed woman whom we'll begin teaching this week. We've met everyday with Sheila and she is so much fun to teach she has a deep thirst for truth and doesn't just take our word for it. She is anxious to find out for herself. Which is impressive and frustrating. She knows that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is God's word to us today but she wants to make sure that Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Wodruff, Lorenzo Snow and so on were all prophets too. I gave her a bunch of talks by President Monson and she is reading those and praying about him. What a kick in the pants she is.

Wednesday we had Zone Conference it was good. Then we had another lesson with Shelia then a lesson with Laura who by the way is getting baptized on Saturday. Yippie!

Thursday we planned to take our car in to get it fixed. I learned that no matter how confident an Elder sounds when talking about cars don't freak out when he thinks you have no brake fluid. Turns out it was so full that you couldn't see it jiggling around in there. Way to scare me to death Elder. Anyway we met with Sheila again then with Miss Laura and had dinner at a members

Friday we did service - I'm getting pretty good at covering books. We had a lesson cancel for which I was exceedingly grateful as I felt like death warmed over. I went to bed only to arise 2 hrs later and go to Sheilas and then Karen's. Turns out that Karen had never been told about modern day prophets - only Joseph Smith. And she's been investing for a year now - Sigh. Well now we know where we need to go from here.

Saturday we had 6 lessons back to back we came home at 8 and went to bed.

Sunday we had meetings, church, choir, a lesson with Alissa, then dinner with the Stewart's - Good times. It's been a busy week. All the days just blur together I'm finally feeling human again and could proabably use another 5 hours of sleep to let my body recover fully.

Love you!

Kelli

Tropical Storm

Elder Levacy-Sabin trying to convince me to touch the fish. It didn't work.




You had a football in your tummy mom? No wonder you couldn't loose that last bit of "fat" you just had a football tucked away in there. Will wonders never cease? (Mom here - I had a fibroid growing and had a total hysterectomy).

Well ya all didn't give me much to comment on so I guess I'll just tell you about my week.

Monday we went fishing out by a pier. The Elders told us to get cigar minnows - they bought hooks that were too big and we caught nothing. This fish just devoured the sides of the bait and left the hook alone. I was very bored and was repulsed by the ever present smell of fishy badness. I brought my cross stitch with me and mostly did that.

Tuesday we had District Meeting. A couple in the ward took us out to lunch it was a buffet and we ate way too much. Ugh! But we had no time to sleep it off we had lessons to teach. The rest of the day was spent running to appointments and making sure that members were going to be there too.

Wed we visited with less actives and had several lessons with investigators, we taught Laura the Word of Wisdom, then at 8 had a lesson with a less active. We went in planning to teach tithing but it felt very wrong so we did peace and hope instead. It was the first time I think he actually listened to what we had to say.

Thursday we planned then Sister Hall was sick so we stayed in. I don't remember what I did so I'm betting I slept too.

Friday we had service at the Library and spent the day going way out to the edge of our area to visit less active members. Our miles for the month are shot. But we got several good visits in.

Saturday we had 3 lessons back to back. We met with Miss Betty - her husband was there and was very hostile at first but calmed down and really started talking to us after a bit. We're meeting with him on Wed. We had Ashley (a male) come with us to Miss Laura's to give her a blessing to help her over come her addictions. Then we invited her to be baptized. She agreed! Her date is set for the 29th. The day after dad's b-day. We tracted after that.

Sunday we went to Northstar Church. It's a non-denominational church out here. We went with a part member family Jack and Andrea Beaudette. We have a great rapport with them and going with them really helped soften Jacks heart. It was a good experience. And the teachings were so close to Mormon doctrine it was almost frustrating. I was sitting there going, "Yes that's true! Let me add to that truth!" They have the basics but they could have so much more. We'll keep trucking on.

Sister Hall has been planning a fireside since we got here and it was supposed to be last night but we had a tropical storm pass through and it got canceled. It wasn't nearly as bad as people expected it to be. The one that I saw in Tallahassee last year was considerably worse. Ah well. Well you now are officially caught up on my week. I hope all is well with you and that recovery to all parties is on the horizon. I love you and pray for you often!

Kelli