Sunday April 21, 2019

Happy Easter !!  We are so blessed to be able to celebrate this pivotal , most historic event in all of our lives.   I have such love and appreciation to our Heavenly Father for providing a plan that we can access in order to return to His presence as an eternal family AND for our Saviour for sacrificing His life so that plan could be implemented in our lives.  Because of His birth and resurrection we, too, can overcome death (both physical and spiritual) by our daily repentance and sincere efforts to better ourselves.  

This week has been a continuation of getting things ready for the last set of missionaries which will arrive next week.  Jim is busy constructing 24 new picnic tables that have metal frames as well as repairing the existing 27 picnic tables which are placed around Nauvoo.  He is using a very hard wood ( of the osage orange tree family) which will not rot.  AND spring is definitely here !  The tulips have blossomed just in time for Easter Sunday.  We walked around the Women's Garden (outside of the Visitor's Center ) last night and I'll take you on a picture tour.  

You can see the Visitor's Center in the background and the garden circles around and back to this statue.

"Woman in Prayer"  You have probably seen many little white porcelin statues of this.

Directly opposite:  " Woman Learning"

"In Her Mother's Footsteps"

"In the Family Circle"   My personal favorite because of the memory of Jim, Stacey & I depicting this during a Stake Relief Society commemoration when Stacey was little. Notice that background of yellow tulips. 

 

"Woman & Her Talents"

"Joyful Moment"

"Preparing Her Son"

"Teaching With Love"

"Fulfillment"

    I love walking through this garden any time but it has been awhile since I have done it and it was so beautiful last night.  There is a special feeling here.  As I walked out and looked west, this was the sun setting.  We live in such a beautiful world !!

Then today on our way home from church in Quincy, we stopped at Carthage and took some pictures of all the tulips there.  The grounds crew literally plant thousands of bulbs every fall, then dig them up after they have bloomed and order new ones for the next fall.  Richard Hancock (head grounds) employee says that when they bloom in following years, they lose their vigor and are less vibrant.  He says that Temple Square in Salt Lake do the same thing.  So.....they give away the tulip bulbs to anyone that wants them after they dig them out. 

Here is another picture of the magnolia tree outside of our back door.  It has fully blossomed and is beginning to lose those blossoms onto the ground. 

Finally.....here is a picture of a visitor outside of our kitchen window one morning as we were getting ready to leave for work.  They usually are out in the field beside the house but this one must have gotten extra brave. He was eating the seeds that the birds had knocked out of the feeder that our neighbor has set up.

We have been kept busy with practices for Sunset by the Mississippi two times each week and we had zone conference this past week as well.  It is alittle stressful preparing for that since we feel the responsibility to give good instruction.  We asked the single sister missionaries to give a presentation about asking good questions that invite the people we meet to share some of their lives with us.  It was excellent and I am convinced that we have such a valiant and prepared generation of young adults around us !   

Have a good week and know that you are thought of everyday and loved!  Have faith....have hope....live like His Son.  Help others on their way. (words from He Sent His Son....Primary Children's Songbook)   OOH!    We watched the Easter Concert on Temple Square last night and they sang "In the Garden".  It reminded me of Grandma Smith and mom....they loved that song.  I would encourage you all to watch it on the Church's website.  Also.....we received a phone call from Phyllis & Dale Evanson as they passed through Nauvoo on their way to their mission in Palmyra.  They didn't want to stop but it was good to hear from them !

Till next week.....