So Much to Be Happy About!

The temperature has ranged from 2 degrees to minus 1 degree - celsius.  In Farenheit, that is 36 degrees down to 30.  It has rained and snowed.

We had our quarterly PPI with President Sederholm this morning.  He is a great man who is a strong spiritual leader for all of us here in Denmark.  He spent nearly 45 minutes with us - asking about the program at the center, about how we feel about what we are doing, about the YSAs.  He gave us some good counsel and sent us on our way happy.  He will be released by July and replaced by a man from California.  The Church News announced it last week....his name along with quite a few other new mission presidents.  He is coming to the best mission in the world.

After getting home we walked to the main train station to renew our bus/train passes.  It was raining at that point and since it was only a 10-minute walk we made use of the hoods on our coats instead of using the Mary Poppins umbrella.  It was delightful to walk through the light mist.  It was a perfect day to go to the train station because few other people wanted to deal with the cold and rain.

There was no line, so we hardly had to wait at all (sometimes it can be a 15 minute wait...even then that is not so bad) and were on our way shortly.  We detoured to a small version of a Walgreen's to pick up some more tights for me.  I love those black tights that are ubiquitous around here from September through May.  They were on sale for half off....what a deal!

As we walked back to the apartment, it began to snow....great flakes floating down and melting upon landing....but the farther we walked, the more the snow stuck and didn't dissolve.  It was breath-takingly beautiful.  The street as far as we could see was shrouded in a veil of lightly falling snow.

In the evening, we joined  almost all the senior missionaries from the Copenhagen area, plus all three of the temple missionary couples and the Temple President and his wife for dinner at the Knudsens.  Brother Knudsen is about my age and HE CAN COOK.  I never cease to be amazed at the food that comes out of his kitchen.  We feasted tonight.  There were two tables, and we sat at the table with the young-uns.  It was fun just to hear them talking and laughing.  One of them - Elder Hawkes was with us in Sacramento nearly 2 years ago applying for visas.

We have not yet captured an image of a meal from the Knudsens that does it justice.  This was an amazing pork roast with whole pecans, curry sauce with fruit (pineapple, apples etc), yellow rice, and a delicious little potato chip.

Yes....Elder Oakey, Elder Child (on the left and the APs) and then Elder Hawkes and Elder Vance...don't you just love them?

Sister Hamblin on the left, then Sister VanOrden and Sister Reed....so so so cute!

He wouldn't even think of serving bowls of ice cream.  This is specially molded ice cream....3 flavors sprinkled with little chocolate crispy balls and surrounding a fountain of plump blueberries.  See the spoon at the top of my plate (in the lower right corner of the picture)?  The elders call it a prophecy spoon because it means there will be dessert!

Elder Child, Hawkes and Vance looking eagerly on at the ice cream.....Elder Oakey has recently found out he can't eat dairy......hence the long face.

We enjoyed every course....we enjoyed the company - both old and young.