One Sunday A Month

There are so many wonderful people here in Nauvoo.  I am drawn to some immediately and we have become fast friends.  I think that is because we spend so much time together.  Then they split the casts because we need more shows and less people in each one.  We have gotten 160 new missionaries in the last two months and everyone has a place!  So the Maughan’s and the Ballard’s are some really fun people.  Actually, Elder Ballard and Richard are related through Brigham Young’s daughter Elizabeth.  I guess there are Jardine’s in Arizona.  Thank heavens Richard’s family moved to Idaho.  Arizona is not on my top ten list! Anyway, we don’t get to see the Maughan’s and Ballard’s as often and so we have decided to eat Sunday dinner once a month together.  This last Sunday she met a couple at the sites and invited them as well.  He wasn’t a member.  What an interesting meet and greet. 

Sister Maughan and I. I know I look like a big green caterpillar…….

Tiny little Sister Ballard on the left has 9 sons!!! I DID SAY NINE! 

On another note, we try to go out on our Preparation day and at least eat.  So this particular Thursday night we went to Burlington and ate at the “Big Muddy.”

Yes, they actually serve frog legs here as one of their main attractions.!  The river was very high and they were afraid it would flood the building again.  If that were to happen, they were going to close up shop! Too  many floods for their business………………..

You can see how high the water is by looking out the window behind us.  I must say that the river has a life of it’s own.  I have loved watching it through all seasons. So with all of the work we do here in Nauvoo, we try to have some fun and friendship along the way. One of my greatest blessings, knowing these people.  I will treasure our time together for the rest of my eternal life………

IS THIS A NEW SITE??????

So I get my schedule for the week and I see that there is a site that I am not familiar with?  What is going on? Come  to find out, Sister Taylor, who is over Pageant with her husband, has asked for me to help with special projects.  Yea!!! So five of us sisters go over to her house, actually Orson Hyde’s, and we get to spend the day together.  Doing what you may ask……………

PUPPETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who knew I could have this much fun and get lunch and friendship into the bargain.

Before the Pageant each night they have a country fair.  It is so much fun, lots of singing, dancing, games, and a little puppet theater.  So each child that participates in the puppet show gets to take home a puppet.  That means that they give 200 puppets out each night for the entire month!  Thankfully there are other wards that are helping to make the puppets! Never the less, I had a lot of fun and actually get to go back this week and do it again.  Thanks Sister Taylor for picking me!!!!

Sister Wise, I really love her and I think she is so beautiful.  She is Mrs. Santa Claus in Greg Olsen’s new paintings. I love she and her husband.

Not professional but fun none the less.  I hope they make some children happy…..

Also sewing three strips together so that little girls can learn to braid.

My attempt at a horse. So here is to another great memory and opportunity to serve in Nauvoo. I am blessed.

SURPRISE!!!!!

My children for some reason always love to surprise me! Richard is always in on the deal as well, and I am always, totally clueless.  So the other night we are coming home from Sunset and I think I see an optical illusion on my front porch.  That isn’t Jaimie is it?? On to take Jean home and then back again.  On my front porch is a tub that is marked Sister Jardine.  So I pick the tub up and out jumps Creed!!!!!! Yea, my kids are here for Mother’s Day!!!! Of course, Jonathan is on the side of the house filming, I think everyone is wanting to record my scream.  Won’t the world be a quieter place when I go on!! I know everyone here in Nauvoo thinks so. What a great surprise and gift and I was so grateful.  I had a wonderful time and I hope the Jardine’s did as well.  I loved being around them all and of course, love being Mom and Nonna as well. 

Jonthan commented how nice it was to be in this little town, no TV, cars or noise.  It actually is a very relaxing place to live and I will miss the small town atmosphere of it.  I would actually live out of town on a few acres and love it.

So for Mother’s Day, I came home from Land and Records and the Jardine’s were planting flowers in pots and in our front yard.  So very sweet and I will remember them every time I walk outside.  Jonathan mowed at least three times while he was here. The grass grows literally right before your eyes.

I can’t leave out the fact that I got to have Chief for a few days!!! I loved it and I am SURE that he remembers me.  I am hoping my own dogs do as well, and that they aren’t mad at me for the rest of my life.

Creed racing the bears at Pioneer Pastimes.

Tylee and Dane playing in the cabin.  She didn’t forget and they both really loved it.

Creed “milking” the goat!

GEODES!  Did I mention that Creed found a new obsession here?  You find these in the streams and they are round rocks, you break them open and there are crystals inside.  I guess it is like Cracker Jacks used to be for me, always a surprise.

Since I work at Land and Records three days a week I am pretty much into the history around here.  I asked Jaimie if she knew of any family that was in Nauvoo.  She thought about it and then we looked on Family Trees. Lo and behold, there were some names.  So I had her come to L&R and we looked them up. They had property here and some were buried in the Old Nauvoo Cemetery.  We made a disc, took the names and were off to the cemetery.  It is a beautiful part of Nauvoo.  President Hinckley said that besides the temple, it is the most sacred ground here.  Most of the headstones have disintegrated and so I am thinking there won’t be much evidence of her people.  We get there however and this is what we see……………..

WEALTHA BRADFORD  HATCH

JOHN PINCOCK AND MARY MARSDEN PINCOCK

Such a sweet surprise.  I think Jaimie was pretty touched, and I hope it made her feel like she was a part of Nauvoo.  Ira Stearns Hatch had a pretty amazing story that Jaimie needs to tell.  What an inspiration. 

I am sure that her ancestors are pleased with her and the choices she has made.  She is a wonderful mother, wife, and daughter. 

So thank you Jonathan and Jaimie, for giving me some very sweet and precious memories to take me through the rest of this amazing adventure.  I love you.

PELLA…..A DUTCH COMMUNITY

Never say that we don’t have big shoes to fill! Elder Oppie is about 6’4” and wears a size 15, these are a little toooooo big.  So we had our preparation day this Thursday and our best friends here have it off as well. (I wonder how that happens!) And so we decided to get out of Dodge and go to Pella, Iowa, the home of the Tulip Festival and the Dutch Windmill.

It was actually very interesting to go through this mill.  They grind wheat in here and the “miller,” also lives in the windmill.  I guess I didn’t realize that they were for grinding wheat, but I know that they can also be used to lift water up and out of an area, like the Netherlands. Inside this compound was Dutch housing, artifacts, museums, costumes and many things that were so cute to see.

Jean is actually Norwegian, but makes a real cute Dutch Girl. We were checking out the hats because of what we wear in Rendezvous.

Getting ready to go into the windmill before they turn on the blades.

This whole top rotates around on ball bearings.

The miller actually climbs these blades to let out the sails to catch more wind.

This is the miller so you get an idea of just how big these blades are!

They were whipping around mighty fast. 

Inside of the mill where the wheat is ground. The gears are huge.  I guess the idea of the windmill was created in the early 1100’s. This is me pushing down the lever that lifts the thousands of pounds of millstones.

These are the two millstones that grind the wheat!!!!! On the second floor is where the miller lives.  Very small but so cute.  They did not have open fires in these wooden buildings and so things tended to get a little cold.

Thus the sleeping quarters.  They actually slept in kind of a box.  They would have to curl up with a hot brick etc. They slept in the more inclined position because they felt it was better for the lungs.  I am sure tuberculosis and respiratory ailments were heightened in the wet, damp Netherlands.

My brother would scream claustrophobia!!!!

The children actually slept under the beds in a cabinet as well.

A replica of a Dutch village.  It was so cute, of course, always built around water.

So you get the idea.  I really enjoyed every minute there and we also got to see the home of Wyatt Earp. 

Who knew, but this part of the country is just full of American History. 

SO now to feel really sorry for those pioneers and no wonder the soldiers only had 4 good teeth.  Just look at this stuff.

This is for Kelly and Ryan.  Wyatt Earp’s 44 Revolver and marshall badge from Oklahoma!!!!

Wyatt and his brother, pretty handsome men!

We followed up our visit by going to the Dutch bakery, Jarsdaarm. All in all it was a very fun day.

Now on to the cutest part of our trip.  You know how Richard is always trying to get rid of the squirrels.  Remember that I love to watch them and my Mother actually saw one in a gas station in Oklahoma last week that was tame.  I would want a tame one.  Anyway, Richard this is for you.  In Iowa people have a heart!!! They actually feed the squirrels and give them a “dining experience” while doing it. Maybe I am from Iowa after all, me and Radar!

So here’s to our visit in Pella! 

ACTUALLY THE THREE OF US TOGETHER SPELLS T-R-O-U-B-L-E! Ah, the memories!