Catching up.

 It has been a busy month since I last posted.  So, I will probably make multiple posts today.

The month started out not so busy, but my nephew (Joe's son), Ace got married.  Ace is a handsome young man, and an exceptional rock climber.  The photos I got (long distance) from my siblings are mostly of Joe and his Significant Other.  Joe has grown a rather magnificent beard.

This is Ace, sans bride.  I don't have a close-up photo of her at all.

Here is Susan, with Joe and his S.O.    

Charles and Joe.  They look strangely alike.

This is my sister, Ann's humor: putting these two photos together,  But it is funny !

And this photo of Joe is priceless.

Well, I DO have a photo of Ace's bride, after all.  Here she is, in the very moment of transmorgraphying from Fiance into Wife.

   I just wish we could have attended their wedding.  It has been the only moment on our mission when I wished we were home, instead of in Croatia and Slovenia.

THE CAR   October 15

  Over time, our car has accumulated some little bumps and bruises.  The mission insists that we get them repaired so the mission cars always look pristine.  (They also want us to wash them every week.)

This is a photo of the mission car, just after we actually did get it washed.    It is a nice little Hyundai I30, which I heard might start going into the USA.  This is also a photo of the damage, and I don't think it can be seen.  There are deep scrapes into the front wind-dam on both sides, but the damage is on the bottom surface.  There is also a big dent on the side rocker panel,  and that, too, is on the under side of the car.  

The curious thing about getting the car repaired is that we had to take it to Ptui.  Ptui is a small town about 25 minutes East of Maribor, but that is where the regional repair center is located.  I love saying Ptui.   Reminds me to old cowboys spitting into a brass spitoon.  Ptui - ding!  

I love seeing beehives, and this one was on the way to Ptui to get the car fixed.

Sorry the photo isn't better.  It is hard to get good photos from a moving car.  But it a classic Slovene bee house that is ready to be expanded.

Liz fixed Chinese stir fry for us for dinner on about the 13th.  Sam had been with us for several weeks, and he was pretty comfortable living with us.  He was beginning to think he should move on, but he also wanted to stay until Angela, Ruth, and Haley got here.  

Liz loves to feed people, and Stir Fry seemed to make Sam even more happy than usual.  He was touched that she made it special for him.

Sam wanted to work out so that he'd be in shape for when he gets cleared to play football at BYU again.  I suggested he check out the gym in the hotel next door.  It worked out perfectly, and several other athletes work out there, too.  Of course, Sam made friends and even introduced some of them to the sister missionaries.

Random:  We visited the Ašler farm and I thought this rooster was particularly handsome.  He's probably safe from being introduced to stir-fry.

So, that takes us through October 14.  It takes us to when the girls arrive, so that will be the next post.