Christmas money for day after Thanksgivng or ? from grandma/ pa mac

Hi Family: hopefully you have all received the Christmas money from our Associated bank account; if for any reason, you haven't received it, please copy back on this e-mail, so we can check it out in a timely manner. Well, we (okay, I will) be preparing Thanksgiving dinner for some of our most special YSA's; unfortunately, I can't find somethings which are fairly typical in the states, but aren't here. As we spent Christmas Eve/ and Christmas day the Aussie way--it was different, as it is fairly hot for Christmas. We will be thinking of you this Thanksgiving and feeling thankful for the wonderful family you all are and the families you are raising bless our lives soooooooooo much. Miss and love you all, love, mom/ grandma mac aka sis mac

Summers just around the corner: December 1st.

HI Family and friends: Just yesterday, Dad, received an e-mail from Ralphi (the ward/ branch clerk- for the singles branch. In the message, Ralphie, sent some gorgeous pictures from the Klemme Arboretum in Rockford to make us homesick and to chastise us for not better planning our mission, as we have already just left our second winter here and will come back to winter in the states.  Somehow the thought of leaving a hot summer here to return to the states reminds me of when we left the states, July of 2007.  We left a hot, hot summer to be in the middle of the Ozzie winter, which is soooo mild compared to what we were used to and will go back to.  But 3rd winter or not, we're getting ready. I was pleasantly surprised as we were returning from something last week, he commented as much as he has liked it here, he's ready to return.   The last e-mail I sent was saying I was really looking forward to a RS rebroadcast of the September RS broadcast with President Uchdorf and it was even better than I expected. They sure know how to have fun at whatever they do. The Saturday rebroadcast meeting started at 10:30 AM with a greeting, a short educational test and dissussion on better nutrition. I think I may have said way back when we first arrived here, I hadn't noticed any really over- weight people. I think we were so pleasantly surprised with all the bike paths and so many bikers (not motocycles) just plain and simple, bikes. You see alot of young guys, but also women, kids, etc. Well, after about a week being here, we started seeing quite a few over-weight people. Apparently, Australians are either just ahead of us as the fattest country in the world or we Americans are the fattest. Gee, that's one thing neither of our countries want or seek for,  that title! Anyway, back to the RS meeting. After the short but sweet educational info/ discussion about healthier eating came the real fun stuff. We have 4 Aussie women aged 25 -maybe 40, who dress in Bollywood/ India clothing and do Bollywood dancing. It was such fun. Then they taught any/ all of us how to do Bollywood dancing from a few teenagers up to the barely able to move. But move they did. I even tried, but I really have a problem with that darn knee and it hurts with those simple movements. Oh darn, can't wait to get that knee fixed. But, in spite of the fact, I couldn't hardly dance; I will remember Kiki (aged 26) teaching by saying Indian women lift their arms/ hands up in the air--then memorably Kiki said it is as if they are saying " look at my lovely arms, love my hands" and then she showed how to dance with the legs and repeated " look at my lovely feet, I love my feet." Even after I recupe, I'll remember her saying look at my beautiful hands, look at my beautiful feet---- and I'm sure I can do it. Yeah, sure. The fun thing to see, was just how happy the sisters were trying to dance, wether they could or not. Everyone had smiles on their faces. After that they had a lovely healthy lunch and we all visited and talked for about 45 minutes. Then we went into the chapel for a lovely singing of a song to a different melody, which I had seen them do before--it gives a different perspective to the way we usually sing a song/hymn. Their was a lovely relaxation thing finishing with a lovely song and then the broadcast. It did last until 2:30 PM (I was amazed how younger moms could be away that long during the middle of the day, like that. I told the stake RS President, I had never seen anything so much fun done in the states; we could learn from them, they are mostly more laid back then we are.   We have now finished the major teaching we had : the Eternal Marriage classes ran from May until Oct. 17th., year long Institute classes on the Old Testament were finished the week after and then we finished the second semester of Pearl of Great Price classes at the two uni's we taught at. As, we taught the last uni class on a Wednesday at UC and then Thursday, at ANU; it was indeed bittesweet to realize that was the end of that part of our mission.  After all the attendance and paperwork was sent into Sydney to make up certificates of completion; we then visted our last early morning seminary class (start time is 6:30 AM) on Friday, October 31st and that was just days from the graduation for Seminary/ Institute on that Sunday, November 2nd. More attendance and paperwork was e-mailed by sis mac for making of scripture mastery and completion certificates as well as the Programme handout. We work with the Stake presidency on this, but we do most of the leg work, the food prep and serving, etc. with our YSA's assisting. It turned out nice; our CES Coordinator from Sydney and his wife came for it. We have our opening social for Institute tomorrow, Nov. 11th and then we will teach 4 classes into December with a final class where we will focus on the Savior and this special time of year- Christmas. That last class will be on December 16th; we then are attending a special Christmas music presentation at the Sydney Opera House- called Christmas at the House on Friday, Dec. 19th and the two older sister missionaries will travel in with us. I had the privilege of taking a tour of the Opera House when Mariah, Art & family were here over Thanks giving last year, and the tour was great; but I'm even more excited and pleased we will be able to see an actual performance in the "House". Our mission President & his wife suggested we attend and any other senior missionaries who want to attend. Some of the senior missionary couples in Sydney have already been able to see some performances as their mission is in Sydney.   Dad isn't knock down excited about this Christmas concert and especially since there will be three of us senior missionary women in his car. Or is it possible, he will fill like he died and went to heaven as he chauffeurs us into Sydney? Last week, I had planned on reciprocating for dinner appointments we had been invited to; so we had a couple in last Tuesday for dinner and a widowed lady and her YSA daughter in for dinner on Wednesday. That was the week, we thought we would slow down a bit and to a degree we had, but that big word BUT... The Monday following the seminary graduation, we both felt like collapsing after our Sdyney CES coordinator came over to our flat, before he and his sweet wife returned to Sydney to discuss what we have planned as we continue to teach and yet finish up and even what to do, should another couple not replace us. That Tuesday following the Sunday graduation, one of our older YSA's called in the morning and said she wanted to stop in for a chat around 11 AM, which she did; we talked and fed her lunch. We had one of our YSA's ask us if we are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving over here and said if we were, would we invite her for dinner. Well, why not; I just love this great YW. With so many of the YSA's not having parents near by, they feel generally pretty comfortable inviting themselves over to eat. Last week Elder Mac let me have a few hours without him to attend a Cirqus Du Soleil with the widow friend later in the afternoon, then she came over for dinner and her daughter came also for dinner. This lovely sister, Sister Loveland had invited us over for dinner on Christmas eve last year and made my Christmas away from family, bearable and had invited us for dinner a couple other Sundays during the past year. So, it was time to thank her by cooking for her. I LOVED the "Dralion-cirqus Du Soleil and feel an addiction to wanting to see some others. The first time I had ever seen a Cirqus Du Soleil was on TV when I was helping out Shauna after her surgery, the year before Mallory was born. I had never seen one before. Our tickets for the live show were side seats and I thought the seats were fine. Then as we were returning from the intermission to our seats, one of the people who help you get seated, said if we would follow him, he would seat us in better seats and better seats they were. How about 2nd row, totally front and center. It was terrific to see everything so upfront and close. To sort of kick back last week finally on Thursday, we drove into Sydney/ Umina beach where we will be staying at the end when Annie, Rob and family are here for Christmas. They will be here, just five weeks from yesterday, on December 21st. Wow, it is so amazing that the time is drawing so near, so quickly. We were able to attend the temple on Thursday night and then the next morning, Friday, and then return to our flat. We were involved in a service project Sat. Nov. 8th from 9AM to 2 PM at a public school. There were about 60- 70 adults who painted the interior of the school and Dad worked outside in the landscaping area and loved it, but is still in pain. I had the easy job, taking care of the younger children, up to about ages 10-12 in the school's gym watching and entertaining 20-25 kids and was worn out when we returned. It is good to be useful, but we will be ready to finish up and return. It has been mostly good to be here; the members are just so loving and fun to be with and around. But, a mission is work, and certainly we're not slackers; but we are getting tired. At our final uni class, it was two young women and a young Chinese convert of about 2+ months and we said that was the last class and the young women said how much they loved attending Institute at their uni's and couldn't we stay longer. One of them said, we see you as grandparents and I haven't ever really had grandparents. I responded,  we see you as grand'kids' and love being with you, but we have 33 grandchildren in the states and they said they understood. We are putting together a final seminary graduation for this coming Sat. night at Nowra, on the south coast. The drive should be beautiful (but scary- thru to very narrow mountain passes. We will drive down Sat. during the day, attend and each speak at this graduation, etc.;like the other one, just smaller and then stay overnight, attend their Sunday meetings the next morning and drive back. It is 3+ hours each way. The South coast is really lovely and I always love visiting with the lovely members in Nowra, it is a small branch and they are always so friendly. We will see a couple of young missionaries who had served in Canberra and now are serving there; we are looking forward to seeing Elder Boyer--he is that sweet young man, who had been a rodeo rider before he hurt himself. We are continuing to go as full out as possible and hope in small ways we have been helpful. We are missing you all so much and now our hearts are happy to return to all of you, who we love soooooo much. Sorry again, this is so long. It is a snap shot of our lives/ service here. We feel blessed and feel the tender mercies of the Lord here. Love, mom/ grandma/ sister/ friend aka sis mac