One day they hiked up to the Y on the mountain.
Ricky certainly looks like he got a lot smarter at the camp!
They had trip to Temple Square where they watched a movie and toured the grounds.
Ricky in the back row middle.
Fun time
Mario! Mario! Mario!
Banquet night was a dressier affair. 
Apparently there was some studying that went on. Nice feet!
Now it is back to the humid summer of Japan for the boys. We are glad to have them home.
This is Sister Tong I believe. Nori Mason's mother!
Here she is with Elder Monson, who I believe will be arriving in our mission next month.
This next one looks like her MTC district before heading out to Japan.
This is nice shot her and Elder Henry Eyring. Henry was in our stake in Tokyo while his father served as Mission President there. We hoped Elder Eyring would come to Kobe but one of the other Japan missions got him!
It looks like she met up with Mika Sawada at the temple before departing.
Here she is with Sister Glenn who is one our newest missionaries to arrive.
And last of all here she is with her little sister, Julie at the Provo Temple!
On June 12th we flew to Utah having completely moved from our Tokyo home. Earlier that week we shipped our remaining personal effects from Tokyo to the mission in Kobe. June 12th was Julie's birthday, she turned big 18. To celebrate her birthday and graduation, on June 11th, we took her to Kobe Beef at the Sekishintei Restaurant in the New Otani Garden. Sister Evans and Jeff joined us.
We arrived at our home in Utah on the afternoon of the 12th. The next morning, Friday the 13th, our shipment from Tokyo, which was sent back in May, was delivered to our home in South Jordan. As far as we can tell, nothing was damaged or broken. We will not really unpack much as we are leaving back to Japan in a few days. Our old life will remain boxed in our Utah home basement.
Friday the 13th 2008 was not unlucky for us. This is the day we were set apart as Mission President and full time missionary. The whole family went to the church administration building where we met with Elder Oaks of the Twelve and Elder Maynes of the Seventy. My oldest sister Sharon, her husband Jeff and Dad were also able to join us. Elder Oaks, assisted by Elder Maynes, set me apart first as Mission President of the Japan Kobe Mission, with all the keys associated with that calling. After which Elder Maynes, assisted by me and Elder Oaks set Rika apart as a full time missionary, companion to me, the mission president, and special representative of the church. 
It was a great experience. Before actually being set apart, we had time to visit with both of them and learned about Elder Maynes' early days at BYU on a basketball scholarship. After the setting apart, our family went to the Roof Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and had a great meal together.
It was great to be all together as a family for this event. We have had several hectic months preparing for the next few years, and it is all culminating with our entering the MTC and returning to Japan to start our mission this month. Although we are busy and it seems like we have too many things to get done, I find I have extra energy to do all the needful things and somehow everything seems to fall into place. We are grateful the Lord is helping us and watching over our family.
