Get-to-know-you games and Interview

 Treats, treats, glorious treats!

Tuesday, we met the McQuivey's for lunch to have a Wet Burrito. They were huge burritos, so Elder Shelley and I shared one. We even had leftovers for another day.

Then, we went to the church from 1-4pm for "Getting to know you" games. There was also, cornhole and 9 square game set up. My thoughts were "finally, we get to play the kids' games".

This is Sister McQuivey. Elder McQuivey is actually related to the McQuivey's that lived across the street from my parents house. Either cousins to Richard or his son, Steve.

At 2pm, we skipped out for a bit to go have our interview with the Branch Presidency, over HVC. It was a quick interview and I tried not to specify where my hopes of serving would be. We had a nice, short visit, then we headed back to the games.

That night they had a "fire bowl", where you just meet and greet around a (propane) camp fire.

It. Was. COLD!

Cowboy Camp Official Begins

Our first official day of our Heber Valley Camp Mission.

 We received this name plaque for the front of our R.V.

Our welcome to Camp bag,

Missionary Name Tags, Camp Logo Tags, Notebooks, Theme Cards,

Parking Pass, Camp Map, and other fun stuff.

Camp Theme For This Year

Goody Bag From Our Mentoring Couple.

Magnetic Name Tags for the Laundry

Our "Welcome to Cowboy Camp" Official Snow Storm!

The pallets are our "sidewalks" to keep us out of the mud puddles.

 

Cowboy Camp Day 2

We woke up at 2:45am because the furnace was having a little glitch. After Elder Shelley went out to inspect the propane and found all good there, he came back in and we decided to turn the furnace off and then back on again. After a minute it started working again, and so far so good. We went back to bed and had a hard time getting back to sleep. Finally slumber took over after about an hour.

After breakfast, we watched the morning session of conference. As soon as that was over, daddy went out and started shoveling dirt to try to fill some of the mud puddles we were in. Pretty soon we had a bunch of missionaries over helping. After filling in some of the puddles, we decided to put some pallets under the front jacks, so we didn't sink in the mud any further. After a few tries we finally got it all worked out...we hope.

After the afternoon session of conference, Elder Shelley talked me into going for a walk instead of taking a nap. On our venture, we found us a sidewalk for our Pallet Palace. It was a ways from the trailer and we decided to use our muscles and carry it back. After every 20 feet or so we had to stop and switch sides. When we got half way back a missionary couple helped us pack it the rest of the way back.

We have met so many wonderful missionary couples and remember so few names at this point. There is currently about 40 trailers parked and more to come between tomorrow and Tuesday.

Everyone has been so kind and excited for this year.

Cowboy Camp set up

 

Annnd we're on our way. We got word that we could come up earlier than the April 3 date because of a storm coming. Since we were pretty much packed and ready to go, we took advantage of the wonderful travel day and drove up to Heber on Saturday, April 2, during the morning session of General Conference.

We got there a little early so we parked at in a church parking lot and finished listening to General Conference, so we didn't disturb the other missionaries that would be helping us know where to park.

We were one of the smaller trailers that got there early, so they parked us on this east row. Unfortunately, it was the muddiest part. After they parked us, they were wondering if they should try to put us somewhere else. The next "smaller" trailers that arrived were put on the other end of this row further away from the mud, and they would work their way towards us.

Pros: We have the area to ourselves.

Cons: This is our view and our set up for Saturday night.

We were able to find some pallets to help with our walk-ways, but it was still pretty muddy and we tried not to track too much in the trailer. We had to learn to take our shoes off.

These were a pretty good investment for me.

This is our muddy home-away-from home.

Elder Shelley has the hose and pipe all bundled up and ready for the cold.

Here we are in exile.

Done and ready for the afternoon session. Bundled up with my blanket from Dawn and chocolate cake from my mom.

In 2011, I participated in a Man vs Mud run. This is where I met Dawn.

 A few weeks after that run, I stalked her and we became friends.

We used to run, walk and eat together. Now we just chat and eat.

Anyway, she has been busy making Doran and I some quilts to go with us on our mission. The yellow one is even of Utah. Dawn has been a blessing in my life more than she knows.

Beautiful work!!

 Thanks, Dawn. These will help keep us warm, while we are freezing in the snow!

Mission Preparations Begin

For the past few months, we have been making preparations for our mission to Heber Valley Camp beginning April 3, 2023.

We have been unpacking the 5th wheel so that we can leave home the things that we won't be needing or can't play with up at HVC. Now our shed is beginning to look like a yard sale. We really should have gotten rid of some stuff, but alas, we have not...yet, and honestly, it may have to wait until we come home in the fall.

The money has been flying out of our bank accounts at an alarming rate. We are looking forward to actually BEING on our mission so that the money can slow down. We decided to cancel our cable at home, so we could save the money. However, that "savings" will go toward the hired lawncare while we are gone.

A couple of years ago we bought my parents 5th wheel and have loved the extra room.

In preparations to LIVE in the trailer, some of the changes that we have done are one: We took out the futon couch and replaced it with a recliner couch. That was pretty tricky to do because we needed it small enough that the slide would clear the couch when rolled in. But we found one. 

I forgot to take a picture before we took the original couch out.

Doran and our FAVORITE grandson, Brayson, built a box for the original couch and we took it and put it in Brayson's bedroom.

We lost a lot of storage under the couch but I think we will be okay, because we took out some things that were under the couch and will be leaving them home.

We wanted to extend our table, so I asked Doran if he would build some kind of extension. He said he would, but when we were out shopping one day, we found this table that was just the right depth between the table and the wall. We decided that we would get this and Doran would cut the legs a little shorter to be even with the table. After we brought it home, we put it on the couch to see how it would fit. We decided to leave the legs as tall as they were and that way I could put some of the storage bins under that table. We can cut them off later if we change our minds.

These are some of the conditions that we are constantly working around.

We had a good friend help us with altering the windows for the "buggy" in order for them to work a little better. We searched high and low for windows to fit, but they don't make them for this make, model and year. So we found some that were "close".

The kids gave us a backup camera for the buggy, so dad was able to get that installed. Instead of buying an expensive cargo box for the back, we decided to go with a good tote and tie and bungie it down. We'll see how this works, but so far it looks like it will do the job.

I've had to use my brain and come up with some clever ideas inside the trailer to organize and make "extra" room for all the STUFF that we are taking. (I sure hope we use it all!)

I've been frying hamburger and making a bunch of eggs to freeze to make cooking a little faster and easier in the trailer. This will only last for this first batch but as soon as we get to know our schedule better, this will help.

Now we need to finish the last minute things this weekend and PRAY for good driving weather this Monday, April 3, 2023.

It's getting real

Let me set the stage...

The last few years we have been contemplating a mission. Where do we want to go? Do we want to choose, or have one chosen for us? Do we want to serve two years, 18 months, 6 months? Do we want to live in our trailer?

A few years ago, we were able to TREK with the youth of our Stake one year and then the next time we were able to TREK with our ward as Ma & Pa. We trekked at Desert Land and Livestock both times. So, we thought maybe this would be a good mission for us. We get to wear Levi's. We would get to CAMP, and we could ride around on 4-wheelers. Sounds good right?

Well, last May 2022, we went to Heber Valley Camp for their open house. We had some friends serving up there, so we thought we would give it a look-see. We drove around and looked at the camp a bit, and then we participated in one of the challenge courses (zip line) and hatchet throw. Not only was that FUN, but the area was beautiful! Doran had been struggling with some anxiety, but he felt "at home" in the mountains. I mean really, who wouldn't? After our play time, we stopped in to "visit" with the mission president. There were other people there getting information. We filled out what we thought was a "survey" type of thing, but I think it ended up being applications for the mission.

Most missionaries serve from the first part of April, until the last part of September, so we wouldn't get word until September when they knew who would be returning for 2023 summer. The wait was HARD!! Do we wait, do we go ahead and research other missions, just in case? Did I say the wait was HARD!!??

Finally in the fall, we received a phone call asking if we were still "committed" to serving for two years. We assured them that we were. He then told us we would be getting an email with some information on it and to follow the instructions. Does that mean we got the call? Do we get to go? He was pretty vague, or at least we didn't understand. Waiting for THAT email seemed liked forever. We finally got it and was able to go online and "apply" for the mission. MONTHS later, and waiting for the next expected email, it finally came. We were waiting for..."You are called as missionaries...." but we didn't receive anything like that. Anyway, long story short, we visited with our Bishop and filled out more papers, then they were sent to the Stake. Somewhere in all of this we received an email stating that they are "saving a place for us" at Heber Valley Camp! Then MORE waiting. We figured that Doran would have to be released from the Bishopric before they would even call him to a mission, so we waited. We finally met with the Stake President to visit with him about the mission, and also thinking that Doran would be released. He was still serving in the Bishopric (6 years) and we were both working in the Brigham City Temple (5 months). Well we had our visit and then HE SET US APART! Doran was NOT released yet.

Two Sundays later, Doran was released from the Bishopric. Now we are officially called and set apart as missionaries. However, I am still teaching the Fabulous 14 & 15 year old Sunday School class, just passing 6 years.

Next, missionary preparations begin.