JINGLE ALL THE WAY!!!!

Not a minute here of free time!  It seems that I am always  on the run and tired, but I have to remember I am anxiously engaged in a good cause. I helped with training meeting last Wednesday and that was very successful and from there I moved on to the Cast Christmas Party.  I was in charge of the games and must I say, it turned out very well. What a fun group of people I am serving with.

Tables decorated so festively……

25 Christmas songs posted on the walls that we had to guess…..

Good!!!! Food and friends…..

Elder Jonny Johnson who is hysterically funny.  He makes me laugh all of the time.  Luckily they are in my cast, he was the MC but jokester for the evening.

So we played “Chubby Snowman,” and I love this game. What good sports these men were, although some of them cheated by eating the marshmallows on the side.!!!

Elder Wise is one of my favorite people in this whole mission.  He is the Santa in Gregg Olsen’s paintings.  He plays the doctor opposite my Agatha. I love to pick on him…..

People were laughing hysterically!!!

UNCLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Word to the wise, be very careful when you put me in charge of the games, Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Busy Hands, Busy Hands…….

Thank goodness the sites are not too busy at this time of year. I have so many hugs from Nonna to make! Greer’s and Delaney’s are done and will be sent out so that they make it for their birthdays.

Delaney’s purple and green….

Greer’s called Sitting Pretty………..So not bad for my first attempts at “stick sewing.”

Blakely’s blanket……..

I am loving this advent Christmas.  I so look forward each day to see what they family can come up with.  I am sure they will start running out of ideas soon and start repeating themselves, but for right now I am having fun.

I am putting everything up on my bedroom wall and will keep it there the rest of my mission.  It is wonderful to wake up to “love” every morning.

You’ve just gotta love Kelly!!!!

Jacqui and Delaney’s contribution. I look on the back of all of these to read what Delaney puts on as well.

JAGGER!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HOLDING A SNAKE!!! YOUR DADDY IS MAKING ME CRAZY!!

So here is to 24 days of Christmas. Thank you all so much. Magical moments in my history.

FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH…

We have a Zone Meeting every month and in that meeting they have a disc of pictures that people have taken in the mission.  I love it!!! So many talented people that “see” beauty with different eyes than I have.  I mean who sees the reflection in a raindrop!!! Come on.  But how I love it.  Nauvoo means “beautiful place” and I truly think it is. I marvel at the sunsets, the Mississippi, the change of seasons and all of the profuse colors, the animals, I love the animals and your dad can’t do one danged thing about the squirrels!!!!! RUN FREE! I  just stand in awe at the workmanship of our Heavenly Father’s hand.  So in order to remember it, I am just going to post a bunch of pictures so that I can reflect on my time here,  and that you can enjoy it as well.

You see these huge barges going up and down the river all hours of the day and night.  It is fascinating to watch them go through the lock and dam.

These are the tug boats that push them up and down.

Looking through the bullet hole that killed Hyrum Smith to the window that the Prophet fell out of.

While we are sitting in the sites, we make things for the humanitarian efforts here in this area.  These are “Boo” bears that we give to the police and firemen.

Layettes for every baby born in Hancock County.

Double sided adult bibs for the nursing homes.

Hats and booties.

Quilts, I think I helped make over 10 in the last two weeks.

Remember I said that the Mississippi is the route for over 40% of migratory birds.  I love watching them fly in.

These are sitting in the river by the hundreds.

Bald Eagles nest here.  We saw two more today on our way to Keokuk.

We have had several days of beautiful fog that hasn’t lifted all through the day and night.

Geese fill the fields.  I love to watch them fly over and hear their wonderful honks!



The sunsets are this stunning almost every night.

I would love to know how to paint!!! Isn’t God an artist!!






My favorite……………….

Training our new baby oxen……I see them several times a week because they are in the Brigham Young pasture.

So, I am grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that appreciates it all.