Balmy Weather in Stockholm

It's nearly the end of February and there's still no snow in Stockholm.  Such an unusual winter, we are told.  It hovers around freezing but usually above.  The wind reminds me of southern Alberta and I'm glad for my winter coat and warm boots.  I've been cold ever since returning from serving a mission on the equator in Kenya; I think my blood has permanently thinned.  Äldste Torrie doesn't think it's as cold as I do.  He only wears a light jacket and sometimes a toque to cover his ears.

We're settling in to our duties in the mission office.  So much to learn and so much to do.  The Swedish language is our biggest hurdle but it must be possible because other couples who have not known Swedish have been assigned here.  We love working with the junior missionaries.  What great young women and young men they are!  It's humbling to think that they would give up 2 years of their lives, at their own expense, and at such a young age, to serve the Lord.

On a lighter note . . . The sun rose this morning at 7 a.m.!  So nice to have light in the mornings!!!  When we came mid-January, it rose at 8:30 a.m.   I like the light.

Silly Äldste Torrie in just a sweater in the cold.  He says it's not cold but I think it is!  He's standing beside the steps to our office and apartment.

The building is owned by the Church.  On the main level is our apartment, and the mission office; the upper level has storage, an exercise room and apartment for the junior missionaries.

The basement, which used to house a pizzeria, has lots of storage and an apartment for visitors.

Will be nice to see the bushes leafed out in the spring.  Grass is green!

Wish I could get a side-view of this little car.  It's actually a very tiny car, like a Smart car, but not a Smart car.  Notice the red triangle on the back.  This is what young drivers drive when they first get their licenses.  They can only go so fast; not sure if the car is governed or it simply can't go fast.  I'll have to find out.

It's nearly the end of February and there's still a lot of Christmas lights out.  This is actually a snowman in lights.  So cheery on a dark night.

We sometimes drive on the freeway.  Drivers seem quite polite.  If you signal for a lane change, they let you in quite easily.  We haven't heard much honking here.  Unlike many cities in the West.

We had the missionaries over last week to celebrate Äldste Merrell's 21st birthday.  Had a lot of fun with them.  The yellow package you see on the table is one of his birthday presents wrapped in sticky notes.  So creative!  I made brownies and we had them with ice cream.  Ingredients here are different so the brownies weren't as yummy as my recipe usually is.  But the missionaries liked them anyway.

Äldste Hall from Denmark, birthday boy Äldste Merrell, Äldste Seely (whose family came originally from Lethbridge, Alberta), Äldste Sherwood, and Äldste Jensen.

The highlight of the evening was singing with the missionaries while Äldste Torrie played his new keyboard.  They sang sometimes in English and sometimes in Swedish.  They are all fluent in Swedish.  Ha ha.  Notice Elder Torrie's warm sweater.  Sometimes we think it is colder inside than out!

We've driven to the airport 6 times now, either picking up new missionaries or taking departing ones home or transporting the mission president and his wife.  This 747 marks the entrance to the airport but it is also a huge hotel.  Can you imagine sleeping in a little compartment in the engine room or in the cockpit?  Check out images online.

We drive past this cute school a lot.  Architecture here is so interesting.  You can't really see the yellow siding in this picture but you can see the steep red roof and the barn-type front.  Very "old school" wouldn't you say? 

Thought you might like to see a picture of me in my little kitchen.  This is the first time in 50 years that I've had to cook on an electric stove.  I grew up with a gas stove and it was such a shock to go to university in 1969 and find an electric stove in my apartment.  Had to learn to cook all over again.  I was so happy to have a gas stove the past more than 45 years.  And now . . . I'm back to learning to cook on electric.

LeRon is so happy to have music again.  We were here for only a week when he had to get a keyboard or he thought he would die.  I love to hear him play. So nice that he has so much music in his head!