ToddlingAroundTheWorld

5/31/2020 Today, we went down to Tacoma to scout out the beach at high tide, since it will perfectly be high tide when Autumn wants to get married at Sunset next Saturday. Turns out it will likely be too high to get a wedding party with grandparents out on the smaller space of beach with lots of driftwood. So we walked back down by the boathouse and found a space there that Autumn likes, which also has a covered space where we could have the ceremony if it rains. As of now, there is rain in the forecast for next Saturday, so we will see if that holds true.  While we were down there, a sweet little three year old girl with Downs Syndrome ran up to me and started hugging my leg. Her mom said: ‘She loves to give out free hugs!’ I told her that is exactly what this world needs more of right now, and gave her one back. 17.5 miles today. Walked Tacoma Waterfront, Jovita Trail and mucho miles on the treadmill. Like this:

Today, after about four months, I finally got a haircut. From Jaylin. She is brave and just went after it with clippers. This is what she had to contend with: She did a great job, though didn’t touch the top. She said that would be left to the professionals. I’ll take it though. I don’t feel half as shaggy now.  While hitting the treadmill again tonight, since it was raining like crazy all day, I got the following message from Austin on Messenger: So excited for him! It is great that he will be back Spanish speaking and have a companion from Colombia. This will be a fantastic growing experience for him! Walked 8.9 miles today. Rain or shine, its always walking time!

5/29/2020 This is a conversation I had with Austin on messengertoday: Austin said: ‘  Ever since I've gotten to Vegas, I feel like I'm actually going to finish my mission. When I was in Argentina,  I always felt like I was going to be there forever.’ I responded: ‘  Yes, there is so much psychological when thinking about two years. When you get to that year mark, you hit the hump and its all downhill from there!’ He is almost there. 19 days til 365 and then ‘forever’ won’t feel like quite so long. 

Took the Flex in to the dealer to get the timing chain problem diagnosed. LeAnn drove into Auburn with the Volvo and then had to go into school by 9:00. I had her drop me off on 320th and I walked home from there. It was a good 6 miles. Saw these beautiful rhododendrons. Wonder why the ones in our front yard don’t bloom like this.  And it was pretty hot. Thankful there are so many evergreens around to throw some shade.  Later in the afternoon I heard the damage from the mechanic. The car that we finally paid off last year, (though it has been a great car otherwise) needed the timing chain and water pump fixed to the time of $4200. Sheesh. After a long discussion with LeAnn, we decided it would be a better idea to invest in a newer car thank dump that much into the 9 year old Flex. This is what we came home with- A Honda CRX. Out with the old, in with the new. 

During today’s walkabout in rural Milton, happened upon this noble Shepard, guarding his domain like a majestic hood ornament, of which the Shepard King, Michel Pinard would be proud! #SeattleToBahiaBlanca

Picked up a Kitchen faucet. 

Hit a major milestone on the #Seattletobahiablanca journey today. After 343 days, I passed the halfway mark!

5/25/2020 We had planned on going on a hike to a waterfall with the family, but the rain was coming down like crazy.  Otherwise, it was a Hard day with the GI pain,. But trudged along anyway. Sent this quote of to Austin after video chat today and hearing they are having a tough time with the lockdown.  Went on to say that I  know how hard some days are. Gotta keep on walking through those painful days and when I am tired. Just like in missionary work, we Always need to endure to the end!

May 24, 2020 Wasn’t feeling well with the IBS going on most of the day. Was considering a sitz bath late in the afternoon to help with the pain, but it finally subsided enough that I headed out for a few miles on the Jovita trail at about 5:00. Got back just in time for a nice dinner at 6:00. Then finished with 4.5 on the treadmill this evening.  Austin messaged me on Facebook to send him a picture of his perm because some friends wanted to see it. So here it is!

Weirdly cold day for May. Had to wear slippers and a jacket in the house for most of the day. Did make a foray out into the Wilds of Corona land to try to go to dinner with LeAnn. Once we got out there, got a text from Mike Monson, who I forgot I had told him that I would lend him our outdoor projection screen. So we headed back home to meet him. He was trying to do a Corona Bday party for his twin girls and do an outdoor SD movie for them. 

Made a trip up to Bellevue to drop off some devices with some other members of the T-Mobile test team. On the way back stopped for a nostalgic walk at Gene Coulon beach. One of my favorites. Near the Kidd Valley burger joint, there is this statuary of walkers. Youcan see that they are perfectly adorned with masks and gloves. They haven’t figured out the social distancing protocol yet though.  Walked the Jovita trail with LeAnn later in the day andthen 4.5 on the treadmill for a 12 mile day. 

5/19/2020 Bad day. 

Here is his letter from today: Hey everyone! My weekly emails are back again, this time from Vegas 😎 I'm writing this pretty late because I kinda forgot haha. Being here has been an interesting change! The mission life is very different in quarantine.  We spend most of the day reading scriptures, talking with members and trying to find people that are interested in our message. It does get pretty monotonous and I've already struggled a bit haha. But the members here are great and super supportive, so I'm sure that I'll be in good hands :) My comps name is Elder Wood! Hes awesome and from Alberta Canada :) We are teaching a family; the Casolaris! The mother's name is Adrian and the two daughters Violet and Vanessa. They are the sweetest girls ever :) They have committed to be baptized! Once the quarantine is lifted, the girls will have their baptisms. They don't want to do it right now because Violet has some health complications. I'm in a part of Vegas call...

On this Sunday, I took a walk out on the Jovita trail late in the afternoon. I was almost to the trailhead by theStation, which is about 1 1/4 miles from our house. That is when the queasy sickness to my stomach hit. I had to stop walking because I felt so sick. I was considering calling Autumn to come pick me up because I didn’t think I would make it back home before my bowels exploded. At about that time, Ias I was crouchedover in pain, I looked up to see LeAnn trotting on the trail toward me. She had caught up to me pretty quickly as she was trying to join me. I waited for a minute or so to hope my queasiness would subside, which it finally didn’t I felt a bit better and that I would be able to finish the route back home with LeAnn. I guess she rescued me as she often does in this life.  On the way back, we saw this springtime snowfall of the cottonwood fluff. 

Good thing I have a treadmill on these days. Where I used to go out to the mall on rainy days, now, with the malls basically being shut down because of corona,Very blessed to have the treadmill. I was able to walk about seven miles there over two different sessions during the day. Otherwise, we did go to Costco and then to Lowe’s with our masks on. Walking through those big spaces and then doing work in the yard during a couple hour window of no rain, gave me a few moremiles. Love hitting that double-digit miles mark each day. 

Went out with the Cundiff’s and Crawford’s and grabbed dinner from Burger Express and went to Celebration park for a SD (Social Distance) Dinner. We had a picnic table and our lawn chairs. It was nice to sit back and chat for a while with these friends of ours from the star lake ward.  We were planning on walking down the trail afterwards, but it was getting chilly and I was having some good pain in my knee from the arthritis. I had gotten up to8 miles today, so called it good at that. 

Rough day with head cold. 

We finally heard from Austin tonight. So good to see him and that he is happy there. 

Mom Kelly Keeney 

And he’s off! Again.  This time Austin Miller is heading out to Sin City for a ripple in time. He was set apart as a missionary again last night. We had a wonderful six weeks together as a family while enjoying his bright and fun-loving personality. While he was here for the past six weeks, he taught himself to play the guitar and practiced the piano. He brings such light to our home and takes a big piece of our hearts with him to Las Vegas. So excited to see the great experiences he will have there while he continues to scatter sunshine as a missionary.

Surprise for Mothrrs Day

Austin did such a great job

Unbelievable 

Hike with my best bud. Surprise for LeAnn

Tired today. Did the trout lake loop and then sleepwalked through 5 miles on the treadmill while watching The Empire Strikes Back

Took Austin to Grandma and grandpas house to clearsome cattails from the shoreline behind their house. 

Started slow. Walking wise. Finished strong with 7.8 miles outside and 4.1 inside on the treadmill  

Blessing to be spending days with these two.  Prom for Jaylin

Ferry from point defiance. Scurvy Dogs

Had to take the Flex in this morning to get the brakes fixed. 

Austin got his temporary assignment!