Testimonies and Raspberry Jam

 

Dave and I flew to Seattle on July 19, 2013, to attend Spencer's farewell speech and dinner before he left for the Mexico City Missionary Training Center.  After six weeks in the Center, Spencer will travel back to the US to serve his mission in the California, Arcadia Spanish-speaking mission.  Lisa's home was packed with her Flindt relatives, visiting for Spencer's farewell.  Since Dave and I had spent time with Lisa's children at the reunion, it was only fair that the Flindts should take the children as they chose.  Lisa hung out with Dave and me, picking berries and making jam while everyone else was away.

 

We picked the berries ourselves at "u-pick-it farms" in Carnation, a rural area near Sammamish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave, Lisa, and I picked three flats of berries.  I had no idea that would create 75 pints and half-pints of jam!  The three of us worked all day, mashing the berries, mixing them with sugar and pectin, stirring them, and pouring them into freezer containers.  We were amazed, but very proud of our accomplishment.  JoDee Flindt and her daughters agreed to drive Dave's and my portion back to SLC, and we treated them to a few pints as a freight charge!

 

 

The root beer store where Spencer works was having an open house, and offered free samples, so we dropped by.  The Flindt children have become connoisseurs of root beer and other types of soda pop, as a result of Spencer selling 100 varieties of pop at The Root Beer Store.  Spencer's boss was at the store and told us how responsible and capable Spencer is.

 

 

 

On Saturday evening, we took the Flindt kids, Lisa, and Kyle to a Mexican restaurant in Issaquah for dinner. 





 

 

Because Lisa's house was packed with people, she decided to sleep in a bed in Dave's and my hotel room.  Sunday morning, the three of us stopped by Pike Market for a breakfast of croissants, orange juice, and macaroons at the French bakery there.

 

We treated Lisa to a bouquet of flowers for the table at Spencer's farewell dinner. 

Dave and Lisa then took a nap in the car while I finished wandering through Pike Market and took a quick tour of the new exhibits at the Seattle Art Museum, just down the street.

 

 

 

 

 

The visiting show at SAM was "Thity Years of Japanese Fashion."  The dresses looked virtually unwearable, although they were undeniably creative.

 

 

 

 

 

Back home at Lisa's house, we took family pictures.  Spencer's Flindt cousins were adorable!

 

 

 

 

 

Spencer gave an excellent speech in Church.

Afterwards, we went to a farewell dinner at the Nielsons' house.  Their son, Logan is Spencer's best friend and is leaving the same day to the same mission.  Lisa and I fixed most of the food--ham with mustard sauce, salmon with tartar sauce, orange rolls, green salad, raspberry jello salad, and cookies.  Kari Nielson provided additional food, paper products, and her beautiful house.  Kyle's parents provided a keg of root beer, and we all had root beer floats as we watched a video about Spencer and Logan that Lisa and Kyle had made.  Finally, it was time to say goodbye, after a delightful party.