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Elder Nelson - Keri, McKay, Elizabeth and Maggie

Dear Family,

Mission News
Tuesday, we took 3 missionaries to the airport. One is going home for carpel tunnel surgery. Hopefully she will be back soon. The other two were off to Bulgaria. They were visa-waiters who had to wait 10 months for their visas. They are all exceptional missionaries.

On Wednesday the president asked me to give a blessing to a sister who is struggling with depression. She beats herself up for not being a great missionary. She has been out for only 4 months.

Fun Stuff
Wednesday February 13 evening Keri, McKay and the girls came. Thursday – Keri and Family went to the American History Museum, Lincoln Memorial, Korean, World II, Martin Luther King, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and Jefferson Memorial. About 8.5 miles. When they got back I asked Elizabeth what she did all day. She said, “We saw a lot of buildings”.

Friday – Mom and I took the day off and went to the Air and Space Museum, Capitol Tour and Library of Congress – 6.8 miles. The capital building is very interesting. It is huge and the interior is much more ornate than I imagined. It is mind boggling to think that there is where trillion dollar budgets are passed and the most powerful and richest nation is governed.

There is a reason they call it capitol hill. The capital is on a hill. On the way back to the train I was pushing Elizabeth in the stroller. As we started down the hill I let go of the stroller and let her coast down hill until she was a about to run into a tree or a post. She loved it. “Do no hands, Grandpa!”

Saturday – Keri and McKay went to the Holocaust Museum. Mom the kids and I went to the American History Museum. Elizabeth played in the play area in the basement while Maggie slept. After we had lunch, it was time to pick up Keri and McKay. We went to the Vietnam War Memorial. 5.5 miles

Saturday night we stopped by a “recommended” hamburger joint that served us very greasy hamburgers. McKay got sick.

After Church on Sunday we went to the Arlington Cemetery. McKay found the grave of a 1st cousin twice removed. Maggie and I went back to the car. The others saw the changing of the guard in the rain.

Monday the kids went to the National Archives and then to Mount Vernon in Virginia. Tuesday morning, we took them to the airport.

It was great fun to have them. I really enjoyed playing “this little piggy” and other games with Elizabeth. Maggie was my breakfast buddy. She took a little longer to warm up to us. Mom, McKay, Keri and I played “Coup” two nights – really fun. Mom is a good bluffer. I need to work on that, but I won my share anyway.


My Breakfast Buddy Margaret Marie
Grandma and Keri tickling Elizabeth and Maggie.
Elizabeth and I went through “woods” from the train station to our apartment. On the way she loved playing in the leaves.
Elizabeth liked throwing leaves at Grandpa.
Elizabeth took this picture of me on the Mall in front of the Capitol Building. Keri and McKay are bringing her up to be a photographer like they are.

Saturday we were going to take missionaries in our apartment complex and their friend to a baptism, but Mom had a really bad cough. She decided not to share the cough at the baptism. We asked the new senior couple that moved into our complex to take them.

We got two new senior couples this week. The Larsen’s and Downs. They seem like really wonderful folks. One of the best parts of being a senior missionary is to work side-by-side with great saints. They teach us a lot by their example.

Of the senior missionary couples, we have the smallest family. 3 of them have 8 children one has 7 and one has 6 children.

WES News
WES is doing OK, but the next 7 months are going to be low profit or loss months unless our customers surprise us. One large customer may be going out of business. Hopefully they will be able to pay us the $50,000 they owe us before they go out of business.

Family News
Derek and family will be here the 16th of March. Chelsea and Kent will be here at the end of the month just in time for the Cherry Blossoms. The fun doesn’t stop!

Lance went to Camille’s welcome home. Camille gave a wonderful talk and he enjoyed hanging out with the extended family. His girls got the stomach flu and stayed home.

We will miss Camille’s weekly emails. Reading about her experiences and her faith promoting stories was a great way to start the week.

Love,
Dad

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