Dad's in California

The death of your mother on Dec. 9, 2011 was shocking and hard to take, but we all knew she was not in the best of health and, in fact, was frequently in a great deal of pain.  So it was for the best that she moved to a better place.

Mika met me on Feb. 2nd, 2012 at Chicago's Midway Airport, from where we drove west to Utah. Had a great visit  in Sandy, UT, with Erik and family, then down to Timo's in American Fork, UT.  It is nice to have your own car so you can go when and where you want. Met with a lot of Provo High friends, BYU Friends, Manavu Ward friends (John, Conrad and I took in an endowment session at the Jordan River Temple then ate supper with them and Dale).  Great reminiscences of our youth and mission days.

I drove down to the St. George area where I met Bp. Morris and Betsy, then had family Home Evening and stayed the night with the Wright family, their son Christian is on a mission in Autsralia.  The Wrights and Morrises were friends who once lived in Champaign.

Am currently in San Diego staying with Mika and his family.  Wonderful to walk on a Pacific Ocean beach in February in shorts and short sleeves. Mikael, Itza and Federico were home from school for President's WEEK so I got a chance to get reacquainted.  Mika is job hunting as his company has had trouble raising the funds to keep it going  So he has been able to spend more than usual time with me.
After beautiful weather for more than a week, yesterday was rain, rain, rain...with snow in the mountains. Although a little cool, today was sunshiny.

This afternoon I was on my own so I drove down near the Mexican border, returning past the famous Coronado Hotel and than across the high Bay bridge to downtown San Diego. Everything is sprawled all over the place.

On March 9 I will head for Mesa, AZ to see my sister Trudy Wiltbank and family...and friends, then the long drive home across AZ, N.M., TX, AR. MO, and home to Champaign,  Illinois.  Some 2300 miles from San Diego.