PART 2 Home for Holidays & Home to the Mission

Great Holiday Party for Autosuficiencia Volunteers at Princesa Marina

Look, our bags on the tarmac leaving Costa Rica

Layover in Long Beach to visit Lindsey & Joseph.  See the Queen Mary in
the background?

Coolest thing.  We shared the flight home from LA to SLC
with 24 returning missionaries from CA Ventura Mission!

Hermana had tears in her eyes.  Not sure if it was seeing the
Grandkids or her Tacoma!

Greatest joy was being with our nietos carinos

Wow real roads with shoulders and rules.  Rather cold in Utah!

One restaurant on our list to visit...Javiers with Blake Erika and
the 4 prettiest granddaughters on the planet

and Ryan Jay

With all 6 Grandkids at New Living Aquarium in Sandy

the traditional Petersen Nativity reenactment (2nd generation) 

Sawyer was less than awed by his Costa Rican Gift

Joseph bonding with his "soul mate nephew"?

Christmas eve visited Christmas light show in Uintah and the Cemetary where
dad is buried.
 

Each of kids got a genuine leather Costa Rican Rocking Chair

Melanie and Jeff opened theirs via Skype.

A blanket to wrap our dear granddaughters around our hearts!!
Now sits on our Couch in the apartment where we use it every night.

Joseph, Lindsey with Stockton and Sawyer

Even Linda got into the challenge of Mike's new "passion"

Yes it was cold and snowy.  Give me Costa Rica any day where
the temperatures stay above 59 and around 79!!!

Hard to leave the family behind but by January 8th we  were ready to
get back to where we belong now....COSTA RICA

On January 11 met with all priesthood leaders in the Country and Elders Duncan and Cordon
on 2015 Initiative for the Centroamerica Area in Autosuficiencia (Self reliance)!

Greatest joy...newest grandchild.  Baby Will!  We were closest when he was born in Alabama
as we were in the Atlanta Airport while Melanie and Jeff were in Wilson, North Carolina
trying to get to the birth of their adopted son...William Isiah Alexander Tucker!!
Welcome to the family Will!

TRYING TO CATCH UP BLOG - EARLY DECEMBER & HOME 4 HOLIDAYS

Early December spoke in El Tejar Ward in Alajuela Stake

Hermana Petersen is helping Rodrigo monitor his high blood Pressure!

Training for Missionaries en Zona Alajuela on Self Reliance

the second Tower is now complete with new move ins

Spoke in El Pital in northern Alajuela Providence and stayed at Hotel with Thermal
Poos while it rained like crazy

Groupo El Pital is part of San Carlos Ward 30km away.  the group
leader (Tellaz) is a 23 year old recently returned missionary.

Most times driving the mountains of Costa Rica are very...precarious

Always fun to see the new missionaries receives their first assignments
and companions after being in the country like 30 hours and go out
and get to work!

The Stake relief Society President of La Paz Stake and daughter-in-law (a PEF
Participant) infront of Capilla El Jardin

Workshop for recently returned missionaries in early December

We were asked to serve dinner at the annual temple workers party and sing
in a choir made up of Senior Couples (mostly working in the temple)

Festival de Luz (Christmas Light Parade) went right down our
street so from the 12th floor balcony we had the best seats in the country.

third annual choir fest on temple grounds in Belen.  7 choirs
 great & beautiful setting to set the Spirit for Christmas



The sunsets here are continuous!  We will miss them as we've been given the
green light to go home for the holidays to be with family as our
office will be closed Dec 20-Jan 4....

.

So we used some sky miles and found some snow & cold in the northern
frozen tundra.  This is in the San Jose Airport on 12/16/14.

Honor to get to be part of Uncle Bill Smiths funeral and see family and cousins.

Brother Brent retired as men's wardrobe for MoTAB Choir after
13 years.  We always love to have chance to go to a broadcast &
added bonus saw our friends Donaldson's there and sat on the second
 row next to Mitt Romney and his family

Reindeer games with Stockton at Carlson Family Party

Great to see my favorite sister

Brent & Jan & Family with us and mom.  Isn't it great that we
got to be home for holidays with family!

BUT BY JANUARY 8 WE WERE READY TO BE BACK IN PARADISE
SERVING