Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018

Remembrance Day

I am so grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy in Canada (and I might add, the United States) that come at great cost.  We have worn our poppies everywhere for the last week and have had many comments and questions about them.  Apparently, they used to be common here as well as at home but have not been in the last several years.  Many wanted to know where we got them and if they could get them.  I think that I could have given away lots of them if I had them....too bad.  I'll probably leave them for someone else to use next year but it will have to be someone who will be here. 

We picked up Megan & Christopher from Cedar Rapids on Friday and they have been here for the weekend.  We have so enjoyed having them here and showing them around.  It was snowing on Friday but that didn't stop us from taking a carriage ride and doing some tours .   Saturday was sunny and cold but we still continued our tours and did the wagon ride in the cold.  Crazy Canadians !!  We also talked Chris into phoning his older sister (Renae) because she lives in Springfield which is 2.5 hours southeast of us.  We met Renae & Kevin and their 4 children in Quincy at Texas Roadhouse for supper (Sat. evening) and enjoyed visiting with them.  They were surprised and had a fun time with Megan & Chris.  Today, we attended church in Quincy 2nd ward (our ward) and then stopped at Carthage on our way home.  Here are some of the pictures:

 My view out my window on Monday morning as I ate my breakfast.  I love sunrises / sunsets.

This is the carriage ride we took on Friday afternoon as it was snowing.  Look at the beautiful trees that haven't lost their leaves yet.

Along the trail as we were in the carriage....it takes us out in the country and we see the outskirts of Nauvoo and hear about the people that built up Nauvoo and how they managed to tame this swampy piece of earth. Poor Christopher forgot about his allergy to horses and went up to them to pet them and remembered (too late) so we hurried home to get him some Benydryl !   He reacted so quickly. He is such a good sport....after a little while, we went back down and did a tour of the Browning gun shop and the Blacksmith shop and saw the young oxen.  We also showed them the FM compound and introduced them to some of the people we work with on a daily basis.

Friday night temple shot.....the wind was coming off of the river and it was really cold !!

Saturday morning was actually colder weather but there was NO wind and the sun was shining brightly so it did not seen quite as cold.

We went on the wagon ride next which takes you all around the townsite and down to the river and around some of the Community of Christ sites down there....including the Red Brick store, the Smith family cemetary and the Mansion House. 

These two horses were good sports about pulling the wagon around on a cold day.  They don't allow them to begin until the temperature is warm enough so it was around noon before we got in our wagon ride.  In the meantime, we toured the Brickyard, Lucy Mack Smith home, the Pendelton school room , the Family Living Center, the Cultural Hall,  and Scoville Bakery. 

Megan helped me book tickets home.  We will be coming home Dec.4 - Dec. 12 to take care of some medical appointments and doing some business.  It will be a quick trip and I suppose that we will feel alittle out of step but we are needing it.  I'm grateful that Pres. Lusvardi is so supportive of us.  We will miss our mission family while we are gone but will be happy to see and connect with our family at home.  See you soon !!