Monday, August 31, 2009

...Elder Renshaw's Return Visit...

A little over a year ago there was an elder serving in the Leesburg ward named Elder Renshaw.. he was awesome, but I only got to really talk to him once when he and his companion came over to my parent's house to teach an investigator... they had us break up into little companionships and teach parts of the lesson and I got to teach with Elder Renshaw... it was the best and I really felt the Spirit... I remember thinking to myself, "this is a cool gy, too bad you won't get to know him too well." A couple of days later I headed up to FSU.... Fast forward about a year, I'm sitting in my cubicle at work and decided to check my facebook... To my surprise I have a message from an "Elder Renshaw"... Immediately I start to panic because his profile picture was one of him on his mission and I thought it was an elder serving in my single's ward, and I thought to myself," Please don't be stupid enough to use facebook while you're on your mission!", but as I read the message it slowly came to me that this was that Elder that served in my home ward! I was really excited... he gave me his number and we started texting each other... Well between all the texting and e-mails and phone conversations he decided to come back to FL before school started up so I could see him and he could visit the people he met during his mission... I took off a few days from work and thus started GunnarWeek (I decided to call him Gunnar because I couldn't call him Devon for some weird reason and He didn't like Renshaw).... Here it is in as much detail as I can remember.......

Tuesday I went to work and got off around 5 pm, hopped into my silver Honda Civic and drove the 4 (but I made it there in 3 hrs. 15 min. and I wasn't speeding) ride to the Orlando Airport... I got to the airport about 30 minutes early for his 10 pm flight and I got rained on, so I went into the bathroom and redid my hair and talked to Laurel on the phone while I waited... Then he got here! I was soo excited to finally see him after over a year! We got back into my car and I drove him over to Knevil and Nigel's house (two of Devon's converts)... they were sooo hospitable to us! We didn't get there until around 11 pm and they went out and got us pizza and were practically shoving soda down our throats... They are from a country in Africa... I can't remember which one though :( I left their house around 2 am to go stay at my brother Tommy's house about 20 min. away... He is awesome... He gave me a tour of his new home and we talked for a bit then I crashed...

Day 1: This was the Orlando day... I went a picked Devon up for a tour of the Orlando/Kissimmee area... it was probably our busiest day... Fist thing in the morning we went to visit Chris, who was different but awesome in his own right... He lives along an old grown-ver gold course and he has taken over a hole or two and turned them into "The Sanctuary." His goal is to become a professional golfer and until then, he studies his scriptures, takes care of the Sanctuary, and practices his golf... I hope that one day he can achieve that dream... after hitting some balls around with Chris, we headed over to Ann-Marie and Shannon's (her son) house in Kissimmee... Ann-Maire moved to the US when she was 15 from Haiti... She is one of the most amazing people I've ever met! She was so warm and welcoming and she made awesome Haitian food for Devon and I! They coned me into playing the piano for them, and she Shannon played some pieces that he wrote himself... they were really great... he is so talented! Once we left their house, we went and visited the Mission President and his wife... I want to be like President's wife... she is very friendly and talkative and knows how to present herself in such a kind and caring manor you just can't help but feel comfortable! It was kinda awkward being there though, just because RM's usually don't bring girls over to the President's house unless they are serious, and Devon and I are far from that! but overall I really enjoyed meeting them... Once we were done there we headed off to Downtown Disney! We just walked around and looked at the shops and even rode the ferries that Disney provides for those who are lazy (like us!) to walk back to the other side of the area... My favorite part was the Lego store... I'm an ubber nerd for sure, but I just love Legos! After Downtown Disney, we went to The Herndandez's home... I've never see Latin red-heads, but I got my fair share, and they are one of the coolest families ever... Sister Hernandez captivated me not only with her spaghetti, but also with her novel she is writing... I seriously think I was drooling with my mouth gapped open and she was telling me about it... I CAN NOT WAIT till it is published... we spent some time with them, watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks from their yard and then headed back off to Knevil and Nigel's house to watch Taken... after that I went back to Tommy's to crash... I was EXHAUSTED!
Day 2: Woke up... went to pick up Devon.... Drove to Daytona beach! I was sooo excited about going to the beach because I hadn't been much this summer since I've been working a lot... I mad us drive with all the windows down and the sun roof open (I think Devon got a little burnt on one arm because of the sun shining in through the sun roof).... I just loved being at the beach! We stopped at Wal*Mart on the way there and got some snacks and a frisbee and hit the beach... I immediately ran out for the water... something about it just drags me in... We threw the frisbee around and I'm pretty sure I was horrible and Devon probably thought to himself ,"Why even try to throw it to her?!" but hey I enjoyed it... then we went out into the water, but I remembered my fear in the Atlantic of murky water and not being able to see what you're swimming with when you go aways out, so we decided to take a run on the beach and went down to the rocks along the Ponce Inlet... We decided that we were too cool for staying on the board walk, so we ventured way out onto the rocks and sat out there and even got to see a school of dolphins swimming... it was gorgeous... Then we headed over to The Koffee Kup restaurant to have lunch with the Daytona Elders and Grandpa... I'm pretty sure Grandpa has a past in the mafia, but that's just between us! He was hilarious though! I'm trying to convince him to take me to Europe... who knows! After lunch it started to pour, so we booked it over to Bernadette and her hubby's house and talked with them for a while... They have such an energetic son! He made me smile! Once we left there, it was off to Leesburg! We showered off at my parents house and then decided to go dancing with the older folk of the Villages... too bad we got there at 9:30 pm on a Thursday night... the dancing stops at 9... so we drove alll the way back to Leesburg and went to go see the G.I. Joe movie (which I personally thought was awesome!) then I drove all the way to South Leesburg (I hadn't been out that way in over a year or two) to drop Devon off at the Aldriches...
Day 3: We went and played pickleball and Tennis out at the Plantation with the Aldriches... I totally forgot about the most frustrating thing in Central Florida... the retirees... I didn't bring any tennis shoes with me on the trip, so I was on the court in my flip flops and an old lady had a fit, so we had to get off until she left... Ahhhh the joys of living in the number one retirement destination in the world! After some racquetball sports, Devon and I went to visit the Wilson family who were very welcoming like always... they made us sandwiches and gave us chips and such for our, whit I thought would be long, trip to Tampa... It really only took us an hour and 15 minutes from the Villages exit off I75... pretty amazing huh?! If anyone thinks we were speeding we totally weren't and Devon was the one driving... In Tampa (technically Brandon) we got to hang out with Devon's sister Aubrey and her two AWESOME! kids, Madison and Hyrum... Madi is just sooo fun loving and quickly became a god friend of mine, especially after making me a pretty sweet necklace! Hyrum is just so quiet and sweet and his cute little eyes just make you melt! I loved playing with them and running around the house... Madi even let me paint her nails to match mine! It was so sweet! We made homemade pizza and watched a bugs life with the Coopers, and I even got drilled by Aubrey's hubby, Corey... I had to think of his name... we just called him Coop :) After the movie I was exhausted so I knew I should hit the road...

It was really sad seeing Devon leave and really sad saying by to the Coops because they are just the best... but I had a blast on this trip and despite all the driving, it was totally worth it because of the precious souls I got to meet... I'm grateful that Devon was willing to share those people with me because I learned something from each of them and it was a great testimony of how each of us is a child of our Heavenly Father and that each of us, no matter how different, have a purpose on this earth... Thanks Devon for sharing that week with me... it was awesome!!

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Thanks for the comment you sweet person you! If it is a question or something for me to reply to, check back here as I tend to answer through the comments. I appreciate all the love!

Love Kaylee

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