Quickie Missionary update!!

Ian wrote yesterday and said that there were transfers and his companion left Dajabón after spending 7.5 months there. Ian's new companion is Dominican and Ian will be speaking only Spanish for the next 6 weeks or more. I guess unless he starts teaching the other Elder English! Seriously though...Ian is very excited!! His new companion was already sharing the apt. where two companionships share. So, he only had to move across the hall. I guess each companionship takes one half of Dajabón. All is well and Ian is super excited with the transfer and super happy to be spending more time in this city! We get to talk with him in 16 days!!!

Life in Dominican Republic

I finally figured out how to get another pic of Ian posted. I LOVE this photo because it's so candid with Ian carrying his bananas! Ian says his apt. has electricity and plumbing but the people in DR do not take hot showers...I don't even think they have hot water that runs through the plumbing! Anyway, he says it's not just cold...it's take your breath away for a few seconds! Despite the cold showers and really living without a lot of the modern conveniences that we enjoy, he LOVES it there!! He already wants to plan to return after his mission!! When you immerse yourself in good...good happens!!

Happy Times...

Life is good in Alaska! Ian is doing awesome on the mission and our weekly letters from him are so good! He loves it in Dominican Republic and is really happy! He recently relocated to another city...Dajabón...right on the border of Haiti. He loves the people, the food and doing what he's doing! So, as his mother, I couldn't be happier!

The rest of us Dixon's are doing great also! We survived a recent winter freezing rain storm. Just before Thanksgiving...the Monday before...the temps dropped and it started raining and once that rain hit the frozen ground, it turned to ice and pretty much made going out a bit treacherous. So, the girls and I hung out at home for a couple days waiting for it to get cold again! The four day weekend for Thanksgiving began early and we ended up with 7 days off...yep, the schools even closed!! That's a rarity!

We're all excited for Christmas and the tree is up and the shopping has begun! Eggnog is in the fridge and the Christmas music is playing nonstop! It really is a happy time!

I'll try to get more pics posted of Ian. AND, I need to get our camera out and get more of us here!! Merry Christmas everyone!!

Dajabón

Hi dad!!

The girls and I drove to Anchorage last weekend and we got to see my dad, see a long lost sister and her family and catch up on family history...it was so fun! Here's some pics of our visit. Can you tell I was excited??

My New Ride...Meet "Sweet"

I've been looking for a smaller car as it's not necessary to drive a big SUV anymore. I had things narrowed down between a 2010 or 2011 Subaru Outback and a 2009 Toyota Venza. I was really worried about the '09 Venza as it was a first year car on the market. So, I was leaning towards the Outback. THEN, I drove the 2010 Venza and fell in love with it! It's my favorite color (white) and is really sweet to ride. It's really close to the Outback in dimensions but is a lot more luxurious. I wasn't really going for the lux, but it was really difficult not to like it! It'll be an adjustment not having the rugged SUV security, but change is good...so, we'll see how it goes over the next few years. Besides, we're looking at getting a new "teen" mobile and a used Outback might be what we're in the market for. I totally forgot about having to have a trailer hitch for our bike rack and an Outback would come in handy for that and be a lot safer for the kids.

Happy 4th of July everyone!! I love the freedoms of our country!! We are so blessed and fortunate!!

ELDER DIXON update!

Ian has finally left the MTC in Dominican Republic. We got a letter from him a few days ago and it was his first day in the field...obviously a P day. He said he was the lucky one to get the best trainer in the mission and he said he also scored with his first place to live! He says he has plumbing AND electricity most of the time! He was told in the Provo MTC by others who had served there that it was basically a two year camping trip! Most places the missionaries stay have no plumbing and little electricity in that it comes and goes. When you have electricity you hurry and charge phones and do whatever else you need. It's a pretty good thing that Ian decided to leave the electric shaver home! He said he's got a nick name by one of the native elders in DR who calls him "papa noel" because his beard grows so danged fast! He says he shaves in the am and within a few hours it's grown out. I guess his shaving with a little disposable doesn't work as well...I don't know. Anyway, he's loving the mission and is excited to be there and doing this important work! I don't have a snail mail address and have just been using "dearelder". I don't know if that still works as well with him out in the field. Once I get an update as far as what we should do with mail...I'll pass the info along. For now, go ahead and use "dearelder". He's in the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission.

Hawaii Bliss

This was the view right outside our door...for two weeks! It was beautiful and couldn't have been more relaxing! The house pic is the house we rented over on Laie side and that too was tucked away from any hustle and bustle! We can't wait to go back!

Up Next?

Well...Ian is in the MTC in Provo for just one more week before he heads off to the Dominican Republic. As sad as it it to say good-bye to one of your children...especially for two full years...it's an awesome thing to see them progress and so willing to do what is good and right. So, what are we doing next? Hawaii!!!

We have a house on the beach...almost...the house and beach are separated by a lush green park and we've got family portraits planned and the Polynesian Cultural Center...Haunauma Bay and snorkeling, hiking and sunning on the beach! We can hardly wait! All the grand-babies will be there and I'm just thinking it's going to be pretty close to being in heaven! Aloha!!

Elder Dixon is in the MTC!

Well...yesterday was the day! It seems just like yesterday we were counting down the days till we left and that was 50+ days ago! Ian was to check in at 12:45 but we got him there about 12:35 because we just didn't want to prolong the agony of saying goodbye. We seriously pulled to the curb and the Host Elders greeting us asking Ian, "do you have a cell phone?"..."do you have the car keys?"...and, "do you have your immunization record?". And, then Ian hugged us and grabbed his bags and was gone! It was pretty quick. I miss him already but am so excited to hear about his adventures over the next two years.

If you want to write Ian, there is a cool website set up that makes it pretty easy. It's called dearelder.com
You need Ian's name, his MTC mailbox #, which is 270 and his mission...Dominican Republic Santiago. He'll have the letter you write by the very next day, if not that day! It's pretty cool!

I'm back in Idaho Falls with Scott and family and am here until Monday am. It's fun to have extra time with all of them here and my grand-babies, but I miss my family and can't wait to see them!

Ian is on his way!!!

Ian left AK on Wednesday and is on his way to the MTC. He begins his journey leaving Fairbanks and heading for Denver for the wedding of his good friends from BYU-I...Jason and Lauren in the Denver Temple...too awesome! From there he heads back to ID to spend time with Scott, Kluane and the kids and will be joined there by Delaney, Daegon and ME! The good-byes in Fairbanks weren't so horrid at all since I knew we'd be together in a week. Ian enters the MTC on April 21 to begin training (in Spanish) before he heads to the Dominican Republic! (This good-bye I'm sure will be a bit more emotional!) We're so excited to hear all about his adventures and experiences in sharing the gospel! We'll miss you Ian!!!

I want to play with an Ipad! It seriously looks way fun!!

FOXNews.com - Wilson Bentley's Pioneering Snowflake Photography - Slide 21 of 21

FOXNews.com - Wilson Bentley's Pioneering Snowflake Photography - Slide 21 of 21

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Advice from Elder Busche

What a beautiful message!

IAN GOT HIS CALL!!!!

Woo-hoo!!! Ian is going to the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission. He reports to the Provo MTC on April 21, 2010! It's a Spanish Speaking mission and he is extremely excited as all of us are! Too exciting!!!

Where is the call???

So...yesterday, two other future missionaries received their calls! That would be two out of three men waiting for "the call". One is going to Cape Verde (Portuguese speaking) off the coast of Africa...just south of the Canary Islands and the other is going to Dominican Republic (Spanish speaking). Needless to say, we here at the Dixon house are getting a tad impatient and anxious for the mail to come every day! Perhaps today will be the day!!! Ian is secretly hoping for a foreign mission so it'll be exciting to see if he's going to New Jersey or New Zealand. I hadn't thought of New Zealand...that would be fun! I'll let you all know as soon as we hear!