Salem is progressing

You'd probably never guess but this is a picture of the Tower Inn.  When we moved here twelve years ago (Yes, it's been 12 years already!) they were supposed to be tearing down this really ugly ten story building which had at one time been a hotel.  They had to tear it down because our fire fighting equipment wouldn't reach that high.  It finally started coming down a year or two ago and now the bottom potion of it is being remodeled into some offices.  It should look nice since it is being made to look like the rest of the strip mall that it is in.  That corner is really looking a whole lot better.  You'll have to come to Salem and see it when it is done.  This is only funny to those who lived here and experienced the tearing down over a long period of time.

More work in the kitchen

The elders add their expertise to the project.

Elder Anderson fits under the sink better than Alan.

The finished  project.  Cool, huh?

This is the most exciting thing around our house this week.  Alan bought an under-the-sink water filter.  Actually it was supposed to sit on the countertop but we didn't think it would look too great, so he also bought this faucet to hook it up to.  It took quite a while to get it finished because we couldn't find the right connectors, but finally we did and with a little help from our elders ....... voila!  All we have to do is flip the handle and filtered water goes right into our glass.  We're really happy with it.

Dustan's Homecoming

Dustan's mom welcomes him home!

The family is whole again.

If I remember right this took place on Aug. 5.  Sorry I took so long to post pictures.  Dustan had been serving his mission in the California San Bernadino Mission and had been gone for 2 years.  We were surely happy to see him back home again.  A mission for the church is such a good experience and the things he has learned there will stay with him all of his life.  These pictures don't show it, but Lambert International Airport in St. Louis is still undergoing repairs from a tornado that went through earlier in the summer.  We were in St. Louis when it happened; luckily there was no damage at the temple where we were at the time.  After we welcomed Dustan home we went out to eat (a favorite activity for our family) at Appleby's.  I was going to post a picture from there but when I looked the group shots over, none of them were really any good.  Why do so many of my pictures turn out fuzzy??

A busy week

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted on my blog.  It's not like I haven't been busy.  Maybe it's because I've been too busy.  After I got home from Karen & Mike's house we had company for a few days.  Karen & Mike brought Emily to Salem to be blessed since both sets of grandparents live here.  Jeanette & Amy and their families came to witness it.  Somehow we all ended up sick within a couple of days.  Alan and I both lay around feeling sorry for ourselves for a week or so.  Well ... not really feeling sorry for ourselves, but we really did nothing but eat and watch movies and read.  We didn't have the energy for much else.  We're good now though.

Somewhere during that time I got called into the branch president's office and asked to be the Relief Society president.  The following week I was released as YW pres. and sustained as RS pres.  Boy, a branch really knows how to keep you busy. Actually I wasn't even there when they sustained me.  Alan and I drove to Illinois on Sat. May 30.  We dropped our stuff off at Amy's and went out to see Harry Potter 7-2. We enjoyed that.  It's just too bad they didn't have time in the movie to put everything in.  I'll just have to reread the book.  I've got some other things to read right now though.  On Sun. May 31 we went to the matinee of Michael's play "Hairspray".  Those of you that don't know, he played the part of Edna Turnblad (the same part that John Travolta played in the movie).  I have to say, "He was brilliant!"  People around us were bragging on him.  Alton Little Theater does a good job putting these things together.

Edna (Michael) and her (his??) daughter dancing

Edna gets all dolled up for the big "shake-up" on the Corny Collins TV show.

On Monday Amy went to girls' camp; she was the camp director.  They drove all the way to Lake of the Ozarks area where our stake went a couple of years ago.  The weather was horrendous with a heat index of 108.  They did well despite that.  Alan and I stayed at her house and watched the kids.  Eleven month old twins do keep one busy. Wish I could post a couple of pictures of them but we're not allowed. They are very sweet so we had a good time with Zach and them.  Last of all we worked at the temple on Friday and Saturday.  And now I'm home.  I got a chance to teach the 1st Sunday lesson at Relief Society and got to hug my young women.  We will have a YW overnight before school starts up again.  (The old presidency, the new presidency and the girls.)  We'll watch movies, play games, eat and basically just enjoy being together.  Then I'll have to come home and sleep it off.  Wish me luck.

Oh, yeah.  Jeanette and Jason had their sixth wedding anniversary on the 5th.  A HAPPY BELATED  ANNIVERSARY to them.  Some of the family also had the opportunity to go to the airport and welcome Dustan back home from his mission.  That was pretty special.  Now he faces the difficult job of fitting back into "normal" life.  Welcome home, Dustan.  We're glad to have you back.