Missionary Week 68  - December 30, 2019 ~ January 5, 2020

Sunset - with clouds in front

Happy New Year!!!  

This was another Holiday Week!  We don’t have to be to work until Thursday!  Enjoying our time off from work and spending some time with friends.  Hope your Holiday was full of fun memories and excitement!

Parking Garage

Map to Garage on -2 level

Monday – We relaxed in the morning and then we drove to the Mall of Scandinavia. We found our parking place, and then took pictures of all the signs so we could find it again!  We walked all 3 levels, didn’t find what we were looking for.  We went to BauHaus (their Home Depot) and City Gross- our Grocery Store and more.  We are finding some good Christmas sales!

Bacon

Tuesday – New Years Eve!  We had another lazy morning, and then decided to go to the movies today. It was a clear day with SUN!  Still cold. The last show was at 3pm today, so we went to see the new Star Wars movie.  We took the train, so no parking involved.  We were a little early, so we went and bought the tickets and then walked around that mall.  I have some favorite stores there, so we hit all of them. 

Then it was time for the movie.  We went to the counter to get our treats – usually we get popcorn and a drink, today we decided we had to try their other “snacks” which are  close to the texture of  pork rinds – these were a little smoother – they come in Bacon or Sour Cream.  They were okay – but we’ll go back to Popcorn!  But we tried them!  We enjoyed the movie (although I had a small nap), when we left, the whole mall was closed up or closing as we walked out.  They take their holidays seriously!

We came home and watched movies and waited for Midnight!  

We heard a few fireworks around 9 pm.  Then at 10:30, then way more at Midnight.  We went out on our balcony and could see about 90* around us…. It really sounds like a war zone.  Amazing how big some of them were.  There were some people right down the street shooting them off in the street.  A pretty good show from our neighbors also.  We sent Marco Polo’s to the family and wished them a Happy New Year!  

We warmed up some Glögg and put almonds and raisins in it – tradition.  It’s a nice “Merry Christmas mulled wine” ours was Alkoholfri 😊.  The ingredients are water, grape juice from concentrate, oatron juice, citric acid…made by a flour company for over 100 years.  It smells and tastes like cinnamon and cloves.  It really is a nice warm drink.  We stayed up til 1:30 and called it a night.  Hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day!

Wednesday – We forgot to cancel our alarm, so we were up at 5:30 but did get back to sleep for a while!  We fixed breakfast and I decided this year I am going to tackle things that I don’t’ do well at!  I made cinnamon rolls today!  Sweden has some wonderful yeast – there is a yeast for bread and a yeast that is for sweet breads.  They turned out pretty good – I know that if I practice more often it will become easier and I won’t make as many mistakes! 

Then I put away our Christmas Decorations – when I was little we always took down our Christmas tree and decorations on New Year’s Day – while we watched the Rose Bowl Parade!  No Rose Parade here, but we are clean for the new year.  We got some cute Marco Polo’s from our kids in St. Johns at Jenn & Matt’s house playing Minute to Win It games!  So funny to see the kids.

Thursday –January 2, 2020.  Back to work today!  No rain or snow.  It’s about 40* F in the morning.  Work was good with 2 boxes done.  It is a little lighter when we leave at 4pm but within 20 minutes when we get home it was dark.  We are on the swing the other way now.  John found an app that tells you the amount of daylight for each day – we were right at 6 hours of daylight this last week.

We checked our mail when we got home, and low and behold, Janell’s Thanksgiving Card arrived today!  She mailed it on November 20, from Hawaii.  So we called her and showed her that it had arrived….Finally.

 

Friday – Went to work and it was pretty windy this morning.  When we arrived at the archive, there was a lady – that we recognized as working there – sitting just inside the front door.  She jumped up when we came in and said that her badge got her in the door but not into the stairs/elevator, so she was waiting for us!   We got 2 more boxes done today and mailed off the shuttles.

We left at 3pm, and we got ready for a dinner out with some Senior Couples.  We met at the Mission Office and took off to Taby Mall, for TACOS.  We rode with Clouse’s and Nielsen’s and the Ashby’s were going to meet us at the mall.  They called while we were in route.  They had hit a curb and blown a tire.  They had to stay with the car, and the road service told them they were going to have to tow the car, so the Ashby’s took a bus home!  Elder Clouse offered to go get them, or deliver some tacos to them, but they said they were okay!

Saturday – John got up early and did the laundry at 7am.  I helped him on the 2^nd hour.  

Then we met the Clouse’s and Nielsen’s at the Mission Office again and took a day trip up to the Viking burial grounds at Anundshög.  We were there back in June, but we wanted to go again.  It was cold, but it is an amazing area.  I’ll send more pictures.  We went into the little café and had some “Fika” – treats.  They have wonderful bakery’s here. 

An insect attractor - I'll get a better
name for it.  You put them outside
and the insects want to move in.

 On the way home we stopped for our weekly groceries.  We got Marco Polo’s from Jon with JT in Prescott for the big tournament there.  He won match on points and pinned his next guy.  Great job JT, they were tough matches.  He was one of 4 boys from St. Johns that advanced to Saturday’s match.  We found out that he lost his next match, but what a good showing he had. 

We had more Marco Polo’s from Jaylen to catch us up and Jennifer with her kids wanting to say hi!  Gunner said “Grandpa, can I come visit you?”  John said “Sure, have your mom put you on a plane!”  They are already planning for when we are home, the boys go on an annual Father’s and Son’s Campout, and the girls have a sleepover with movies! We can’t wait!

Sunday – Fast Sunday today.  Great meeting and John was the Sunday School English Speaking teacher today.  We had a great discussion and are ready for the new year!  We came home and watched the new Book of Mormon video’s the church put out, there are several and more to come.  They really help you see and feel like you are there.  I think they are on YouTube.

You might be able to see snow falling
by the street lights -snow on road

It snowed a little this afternoon but turned to rain a little bit later tonight!    Too warm for snow!

Tonight, we got to talk to Jody and see all of their new critters!  Jody and I did some Family History together.  Then we talked to Jaylen for a while, then Jenn’s kids sent us more Marco Polo’s.  So fun! 

 I was so busy, I totally forgot it was Sunday night and I was supposed to be doing this email!  So, it is a little late – but I am getting it done before we go for John’s hair cut!! (It’s Monday – and another holiday….13^th day of Christmas or Epiphany.)  Tuesday we won’t be at the archive because we will be going to Zone Conference….so another short week!

We think of you often and miss you!  Love hearing from you!  Love, John & Linda, Mom & Dad, Gramma & Grampa