LoCo in Chile!

REFLECTIONS

In November, we were asked to give a presentation on love and marriage for the young adults in this area of Chile at their institute building downtown. It was a sweet stroll down memory lane -

43 years ago - seems like yesterday:)

We were a family of three for nearly 5 years with our little Justin - and then

Jonas joined the group!

And not too far behind was Jordan! (photos won't cooperate - sorry for the spaces!)

Before we knew it, four little girls had fluttered down from heaven to be ours!

And then our new "son", Ricky Lee Fisher, joined our clan!

SOME OF THE THINGS OUR BLUTH FAMILY LOVES! . . . .

BEACH TIME TOGETHER!

And beach naps!

And beach snuggles!

Reading stories together:)

We love our mom/grandma/great grandma
LaRee Lunt Bluth McRae Shaw!

We love cabin time together!

And cabin chowtime!

We love girls day pedicures

And mother/daughter trips:)

We love family fun!

Family trips to the zoo - petting the sting rays!

Family easter egg hunts - Harry Potter style!!

We love family swim time

And celebrating birthdays together!

We love each other - through thick and thin, through good and challenging, through hard and not so hard!
We love each other regardless of the distance or time that separates us!
We love the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us the understanding of how families can be together - forever!
THAT is what we are striving for!
THAT would be a state of never ending happiness for us!!

CAMBIOS - AGAIN ALREADY??!!

NOVEMBER 2014 - and time for some to return home and some to arrive and begin their journey here in Chile.

Here is President Bluth with 5 of the greatest missionaries in the world!

Four of them have been either our Assistants or Office Elders since the day we arrived.

They have trained and guided and helped us with so much love and patience!

Two of them are going "back out into the field" before their time to return home is here.

We will love and appreciate them forever!

The first day of cambios (always a Monday) we love having the
departing missionaries come to the mission home and be with us.
They each have a private interview with the Pres., and we enjoy
a nice almuerzo together (thank you Ingrid!). Then a memorable
testimony meeting before they head for the office and their last
night here in the mission.

Happy Hermanas enjoying a little breakfast!

Only one Elder going home this time - doing some
serious pondering:)!

Ingrid loves having them help in the kitchen
and they are always so willing!

Always a bittersweet moment - our last photograph together. Some of the most amazing youth on the planet - such dedicated witnesses of Christ!

AND NOW - A WHOLE NEW GROUP!

12 lovely Hermanas and 1 wonderful Elder - many flew all night from Mexico City to get here.
Nervous, excited, dedicated, fantastic!

There was one more great Elder who drove in from closer by. Here are the two new ones (in the middle) with their
companion/trainers. Let the mission begin!

And here go some of the new hermanas with their luggage and trainers - off to the bus station and their first sector!

On November 18 we were delighted to welcome Terry and Lynda Lee to our mission!
This picture was taken in Provo while they were in the MTC, right before they came.
From winter to summer!!
We have known and loved the Lee's for many, many years and are so grateful for their
decision to come and serve. They are already a great blessing to all of us!

AND - they brought a suitcase full of goodies that our daughter, Chelsea, packed up for us - including brown sugar and chocolate chips - hard/impossible items to find down here!
SOOOO - time to bake chocolate chip cookies for the missionaries - interviews are right around the corner:):)

Cute little Spooks!

We got home just in time for Halloween - but no trick or treaters in our neighborhood in Chile.
However we got to see just how each one of our little grandkids went out in search of the treats!

BUT FIRST - OUR HALLOWEEN BIRTHDAY BROTHERS!

Buddy was a Nascar driver for Halloween!
His picture doesn't want to go where it belongs,
so here he is on top!

Gussy turned six the next day - right on Halloween.
Biggest birthday donut ever!!!

Buddy turned 3 on Oct. 30th.
Mom & Dad got him a drum set -
what were they thinking?!

Gus was a spooky skeleton!

And here is our "partially Frozen" family! Mom (Nicole) is Anna, Dad (Treavor) is Cristoff, little Dutch is a penguin, and Layton is Olaf the Snowman. Mom was busy sewing!! Parker decided on a clown, TJ is a Minecraft guy, Tate is a glow-in-the-dark stick man, and Celyn is a toilet-papering Ninja. Very creative, boys!!