March gathering

We were all together except for Al, who stayed in Richmond preparing for board exams.

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Home

Marjean and Joe Anderson were scheduled for our same flight so we all checked in our luggage the night before. Yes, it's a lot but one of our suitcases was almost full of chocolate.

The flights went fine but of course, not fast enough. It struck me how much I loved seeing the mountains again.

This picture brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. Darling, enthusiastic 

Talia risked the wrath of security to give us the first hug.

Hugs and tears galore

The airport party

 and more at home.  Nick and Becky saw the information indicating that our flight was delayed. But they made up for it by providing dinner for us all and decorating Millie

Personal touch from John

After and before. 

das Ende

The last weeks of the mission are a blur.  We moved to Friedricksdorf so improvements could be made to our apartment before the Burts arrived. What a beautiful town, right next to forests and farmland. This is Gicklesberg, a nearby hill covered in cairns.

I saw this happy German on our last day. One of the few leiderhosens I saw.

Besides the beauty of Frankfurt,

we will miss our friends. Here's the zone as we left it

We grew closest to the AMA/AMHA team. Cranes (in UK), Biddulphs, Piepgrasses, Jackie Hawkins, Hackings and of course, Janice.

 Many people we will probably not see again. The wonderful Fafflock family:

the Berkhans

Elder Tim Dyches and his wife Jill. He supervised our team and Rand and he loved chatting about everything on their minds.

Sister Bakker and other young missionaries who will go their way upon their return. But there's always facebook for tracking them.

and speaking of Facebook, that's how Megan Hodun found us. She and Arvid joined us for one of our last Frankfurt dinners.

Selfless, hard-working, faithful mission presidents and wives (Daytons from Spain Barcelona Mission)

stake members and others who completed an amazing refugee service project.

Undoubtedly we will see the sweet Kennedy family again

and lastly our great friends, the Pelucchis and Janice (her family visited). 

Some friendships will continue on.

The sun sets over Frankfurt

18 month mission completed - victory!

Nicholas visit

Here are Robyn and Pete, right off the plane.  They stayed in the extra Porthstrasse apartment (between bedbug investations, but don't tell them that).

We had a great vacation with them in Rüdesheim

Ronnenberg,

and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Not all German tourist towns begin with the letter R.

Music Box Museum was delightful and Pete earned the right of Organ Grinder:

Almost half the souvenirs I bought in Germany were with them - great shoppers!

We spent a night in Colmberg Castle - a royal night

    Nuremberg is rich in history.  Nazi rally grounds and documentation museum were sobering. People were incredibly caught up in Hitler's propaganda machine.

Then we left them for their Danube River cruise

Zollikofen and Berne, Switzerland

 I miss our Frankfurt temple so much that we planned a March team trip to the Swiss temple and Berne.

Us, Stephen and Elaine Biddulph, Denis and Jackie Hawkins, Ken and Marlene Matheson, Diane and Jim Hawkins. Jan and Sterling Piepgrass were still inside.

Rand was our navigator. 

Berne's famous clock tower

Shop owners use basements to sell unique goods. Marlene took photos of a delightful antique store before we were told not to.

Speaking of Marlene, she is always doing a knitting project.  Ken is her loving and supportive sidekick.

Jim Hacking is always tied to his phone. He is one of the most selfless, conscientious missionaries we knew. 

The Cathedral of Bern (Das Berner Münster) is Switzerland's largest ecclesiastical building. 

The view from the tower was breathtaking.

and stained glass windows galore!

Berne is a great city with covered sidewalks and Swiss flair

After yummy waffles, 

we headed back on the ICE (Inter-City Express) train

Haßmersheim

Marsha organized an overnighter to a town that hosts a festive song, eating and drinking night once a month.

Sterling and Jan Piepgrass and Janet and Jon Jensen joined right in.

Dancing concluded the evening.

And the next day we explored Bad Wimpfen where we bumped into Mitch and Yvonne Bausman and Jensens again,

also Denis and Jackie Hawkins and Carlene and Gordon Walker.

Several performers played German music

and some American favorites as well.