So much has been going on since this weekend that I haven’t had a chance to write, but suffice it to say, Mark is here!!!

Saturday morning I went to Union Station to meet his train.  I parked and plugged the meter for fifteen minutes since I was right on time, but when I got inside the station, it was empty.  I asked a couple of security officers when the train from Wisconsin was supposed to come in and they said it was delayed.  I said, “I guess I’d better go plug the meter for more time,” and they said, “You could park in the pick-up area.”  I said, “Really?  Even if I come in here?”  They looked at each other and said, “Well, I guess we’d be the ones to enforce that, but as long as there aren’t too many people out there, we don’t really care.”

I started to walk away from the desk and then I came back and said, “I’ve got to tell you guys…May God put His hand of blessing on you!”  I told them that I hadn’t seen my husband since the day after Christmas and that he was coming on that train.  They laughed at my exuberance, and I went out to re-park my truck right in front of the door.  When I came back in, I started a text conversation with Mark where I asked him to let me know when he was at certain locations on the way into town.  As he approached, I got up to wait for him with camera in hand…

There wasn’t anyone but me there when I first got there.

Watching out the windows for Mark’s train to arrive.

Nothing coming yet…

Finally pulling into the station!

My two heroes!

A familiar figure. I let out a whoop when I saw him, and the security officers said I could come beyond the “Passengers only beyond this line” line to meet him!

Leaving Union Station with Mark driving. My hands are free again!

That evening, my Dad put together a family get together as a send-off for Mark and me…

The host and hostess, Dad and Elaine

Mark with my sister, Sherill, and Mom.  My son and daughter-in-law had been there earlier.

Easter Sunday, we visited both our churches to say our farewells there…

Mark with my pastor, Ken Comfort. He’s the pastor who married us when we eloped in 2008!

My Sunday school teacher, Lloyd, who was torn between being happy for me and sad that I’m leaving.  This little girl was playing Run-away with him.  🙂

We had brunch at my church…

…and then went to Sacrament meeting at Mark’s church. The man to Mark’s left is his former bishop, Bishop Forsberg, and the woman is my best from from that church, Linnell Mikkelsen.

Today besides all three of our tax pros being booked all day, we also had a substitute come to work with us.  As luck would have it, the substitute was the guy who had trained me at Williams-Sonoma when I worked in the stock room last holiday season, David Boris.  I knew he had been studying to take the Oregon state licensing test last fall and had passed, and at the point when I left Williams-Sonoma he was waiting to hear where he’d be working for H&R Block.  He has spent the whole season working in another office, but these last few days, H&R Block has been shuffling tax pros around to try to get the most coverage for the final push.  I was happy to see him again and catch up a little on what’s been happening at Williams-Sonoma.  He is still working there, but I hope someday he’ll be able to do this kind of work full time and get out of there.  He’s too smart to be working in stock!

Mark drove to Lincoln City on the Oregon coast and hooked up with a company that he wanted to open a business account with.  They make the sturdiest motherboards for RV appliances.  Mark had heard about them when he was in training in Florida.  Mark says the people there were friendly and they signed him up and gave him a catalog.  They can mail parts to him within a couple days so his clients won’t have to wait too long for repairs.  Mark is making some great alliances!