Sunday, December 31, 2017

Glade went to church with me this morning and enjoyed the Spanish Ward.  He loves hearing the talks in Spanish and loves visiting with the members and practicing the language.  I’m really glad since that means I don’t have to go alone to play.

Our Rock Creek Ward, which includes only senior missionaries, had Sacrament Meeting this afternoon, but that was the only meeting of the day.  It was really nice to have a little extra time.  The speakers were great and the musical number was presented by all of the Priesthood brethren who went to the front of the chapel, in the choir seats, and sang “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” or “The Armies of Helaman.”  I just love to hear the men sing and they made beautiful music.  I played for them and it was all rather impromptu, but you would have never suspected it.

I cooked salmon for Glade’s dinner and we enjoyed a nice meal together.  Then we started our new puzzles.  There are four Disney puzzles painted by Thomas Kincaid so we each have our own.  We cleared the Christmas table cloth and nativities from the kitchen table and set them up there.  Our Christmas tree and other lights will stay lit and in place for a while yet.  When Glade’s back started telling him he had bent over the puzzle long enough, we broke open our new Yahtzee game and played a few rounds.  It’s a comfortable game that doesn’t take much strategy and is low stress.  We are working on some goals for the new year and will finish them tomorrow.

We hope you all enjoyed a peaceful New Year’s Eve and that those who still have to travel will arrive home safe and sound!   We send you all our love!

Saturday, December 30, 2017 

We had such mixed emotions today having to miss Drake and Dorothy’s wedding in the Seattle Temple and Kevin and Sasha’s baby Ezra Wolfe’s blessing in South Jordan.  I shed a tear or too but had to remember that these are great blessings in our lives and the Lord requires that we make sacrifices in order to become humble and submissive to His will.  We are just so happy for these precious events and for the people whose lives have been blessed and will continue to be blessed.  Drake has found a wonderful sweetheart to share his life with, and Kevin and Sasha have been blessed with a miracle and answer to prayers with the arrival of this sweet baby boy.  We are truly experiencing joy in our posterity!

We had snow over night but it was a beautiful sunny day.  I walked to the Post Office and then realized that the Farmer’s Market was set up, even in the freezing temperatures, so I stopped to see if Great Harvest Bread had any of our favorites.  There was a loaf left and I asked the young man if he would save it for me while I walked back to Brookside to get my wallet.  Of course, he said “Sure!”  The sidewalks that had been swept were clear of snow, wet, but safe; and the un-swept walks were getting a little slushy and it felt just like winters at home.  The snow on the trees, bushes, and rooftops sparkled in the bright sunshine and it was a lovely walk! 

Happy day-before-New Year’s Eve!  Love to you all and safe travels.  You are all in our prayers.

Friday, December 29, 2017

It was great to have a little free time this morning and we went to the church.  I played the piano for an hour and Glade went to the cultural hall to walk laps.  Then he found a basketball and played his heart out.  His shots were going in and he said his game was right on!  He felt like he was 18 again.  It will be interesting to see how his shoulder feels in the morning.    

The temperature was 58 degrees in the Primary room where I practiced and should have warmed to 68 after I set it to heat the room for an hour.  When I finished, the room temp was still 58 degrees!  Obviously, it didn’t work.  I kept my coat on for the first half hour and then started peeling layers.  My hands were cold, though; and I kept warming them on my neck and blowing on them to prevent losing circulation again. And it worked 😊   It was a great way to spend some of our morning.

The Festival of Lights around the Visitor’s Center and the Temple will most likely end on Sunday; so tonight, after our shift, I walked around and took a few more photos.  I was sad that the nativity had been closed (it was about 10:30 p.m.) and its lights were out for the night although people were still walking around and taking pictures of the trees and bushes.  

It was cold and yesterday even colder with the windchill falling to about 0 degrees.  Tonight, it felt a little better.  Anyway, here are a few more pictures.  I don’t want to forget how beautiful the displays were even though these photos don't  even come close to capturing the glory of this light show.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Activity is increasing and it was pretty busy today.  The work kept us going at a great pace all day which makes the time fly. 

It still feels bitter cold here although the temperatures are only in the teens, and the sister temple missionaries, especially the Arizonans, are wearing thermal garments and lots of layers in order to keep warm even in the temple.

Tomorrow we have a bit of a break and that will help us sleep well tonight—we hope!  Love and lots of hugs to you all.  

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

I have always considered myself to be a “morning” person, but these two early morning shifts each week are proving to be a challenge.  We just get so tired and it is hard to get good sleep before we go.  We are always glad for Wednesday evening when we can relax a little and not have to worry about getting up early and staying awake even though we face Thursday which is our longest day

I helped with the initiatory for a sister receiving her own endowment today and it was such a sweet and emotional experience that it was hard to keep my composure.  She was young—maybe early twenties—and came in an electric wheelchair.  Her demeanor was so charming and pleasant and the pretty smile she wore never left her face.  She was quite independent despite her disability and we gave her all the time she needed.  Her happy mother was with her along with her dad and three sisters.  One of the sisters used a walker and had the most severe tremors I have ever seen.  Her cognitive abilities seemed great, but her poor body was out of control.  I don’t know how she ate or slept, but my heart went out to this family and the struggles they have faced.  But there was no whining or sadness—just joy at having this experience in the temple together as a family and knowing that at some point in the future, the Atonement will make all well and perfect for these sisters. 

Glade decided this evening that we should go out, in spite of the biting cold temperatures, and get us a game and another puzzle.  That should keep us from getting on each other’s nerves 😊 and will be much better than the limited television we have.  We found a Subway in the food court and had a bowl of delicious chicken noodle soup and a sandwich.  It was a great little activity and we found the mall to be busier than it had been before Christmas.  There were tons of teenagers and lots of families and everyone was carrying packages.  They were obviously taking advantage of all the sales. 

We love you all so much and hope you are continuing to enjoy your Christmas holiday vacations.  Thanks for the year-end summaries we received for Christmas and hope the rest of you are working on yours.  They are so delightful to read and may actually be more beneficial to the writer than to us, the readers! 

Good Night!!

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Well, it was back to work at the temple and it hardly seemed that Christmas happened over our short week-end.  It’s just as well we didn’t have more time off, except all of the ordinance workers/missionaries are feeling very tired and very much in need of a day off with nothing planned but a little catch-up and rest, rest, rest.  However, like the sweet Relief Society President said this morning—we just aren’t going to get any such reprieve.  We are in for the long haul until the closing.  There are two Monday holidays coming up, one in January and one in February when the temple is open from very early morning until about two or three p.m. and we will all work during these historically busy holidays. 

It’s too cold for me to walk outside since I worry about getting bronchitis so my exercise is about “nil.”  Glade walked to “The Sweat Shop” this morning, but it was closed so he had to turn around in his short exercise clothes and walk back home.  He was cold!  It’s not as cold as Idaho, but it’s still pretty chilly.  I drove to the church and practiced the piano for an hour or so and worked on fingering and technique for the Figgy Pudding Fugue.  I don’t even remember for sure what the exact title is, but it was fun to have a challenge to work on.  It kept me from taking a nap and then not sleeping tonight.

Enjoy your days off from work and school, build special family traditions, and make the most of the precious time you have together.  We love you all so much and are so proud of lives you have built and the wonderful people you always are!  Keep up the great work and keep striving toward your eternal goals.  It will all be worth it!  😊  

Monday, December 25, 2017

Merry Christmas!!  Our day was a special one as we celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and remembered the abundance of blessings Heavenly Father has showered over us and our family. 

It started a little rough since we are both age-related sleep-deprived, and it was worsened for Glade by a chirping sound we could not find.  Long story short—he went to investigate this morning and found a dying alarm battery in the empty apartment above ours.  The couple living there had left for a couple of days.  He obtained the key, found the culprit, changed the battery, and finally relaxed.  He did, however, have to brave the cold wind and walk off some angst outdoors. 

I baked a boxed Krusteaz cinnamon roll mix that didn’t hold a candle to “real” homemade cinnamon rolls, but it really made our apartment smell wonderful and gave the holiday feel I was hoping for.  We opened a few presents and had a relaxing morning.  

Our progressive dinner took place in the four buildings here with each one hosting a course in the apartments on the third floor.  The food was great, but by the time we got to dessert, I just came straight home skipping that fare since I couldn’t eat another bite!  Glade had a piece of cherry cheesecake to finish his Christmas dinner.  It was nice to socialize with this group of amazing people, but we are all tired and ready for routine again.  The time in the temple this week is predicted to be busy and we already have extra assignments.  We hope people will come. 

I got a frame for our puzzle and now it is displayed on our wall.  I will think of all my kids being here for my birthday, Thanksgiving, and holiday celebration!  It still just warms my heart and makes me smile.  

  

Sunday, December 24, 2017

 

Both the Spanish Sacrament Meeting and our Rock Creek Ward Meeting were special Christmas celebrations.  The later was filled with beautiful music from our ward choir with piano and flute accompaniment, a six-person bell choir, a vocal duet by a couple I played for who sang “O Holy Night” and, of course, the precious hymns of Silent Night and Joy to the World.  The music was spaced with three speakers.  

We loved our day and found ourselves home early since we only had Sacrament Meeting like everyone else in the Church, and wondered what to do with our time.  So, we looked at photos on Facebook, watched The Piano Guys Light the World music presentation, made popcorn, read Ensign stories, and looked for a Christmas movie to watch.  Maybe later we will open a gift. 😊  However, we only have a few!

We are missing all of you on this Christmas Eve and wish we could somehow all be together again for a traditional night of fun and food.  Do you remember cleaning the house and getting it “company ready,” rearranging furniture, stirring slush punch downstairs in the freezer, making cheesecake, wrapping cousin gifts, and practicing Christmas piano pieces to play for the program?  Then we waited expectantly for guests to arrive with more gifts, Grandma’s meatballs, pizza, cookies, and more goodies.  The family band, talent program, nativity with all ages of cousins taking their turn, games, gift exchanges, and visits from Santa himself filled the night with fun and festivity.  Then, after the crowd left, we had to clean up all over again!!!  I loved every minute of it.  We are grateful for the traditions that bind us together and bring back happy memories. 

We would love to hear from you about the traditions you are creating for your families.  We love you so much and hope to visit with you all soon.

Good Night, and Good Bless You, Every One!!!

 Saturday, December 23, 2017

This past week just disappeared so quickly and suddenly we are approaching Christmas Eve.  Crowds of people have been coming to the Visitor’s Center filling the parking lots and theaters again and strolling everywhere.  It’s such an awesome sight. 

The daily preparation meetings for ordinance workers have been held in the temple chapel all week and it has been nice to have the added atmosphere, music, and special Christmas messages.  Tonight, I played organ prelude, hymns, and accompanied the special musical number.  Glade gave a short talk on his most memorable Christmas and told about the passing away of his grandfather on Christmas Day when he was 14 years old.  He related that event, to his realization of how important the Savior’s Atonement is in our lives and how it affects us directly.  It was a testimony building experience for him.  He did a great job with the talk.

It was a late night for us and there were not very many patrons in the temple.  They could have closed at noon, I think.  The last few sessions were very sparse, but we persevered and saw it through to the end.  Glade and I led a Spanish session which was great, and I helped at the Spanish veil again.  I just love doing that. 

I practiced at the church today and played the Figgy Pudding Fugue that Jeff sent to me.  I think we should all learn it and play it!  Did you all see it on FB?  It’s awesome and was really fun to read.  Now I’m going to learn it with all the fingering, etc.

Good Night, Family.  Hugs and loads of love to each of you!   😊

  

Friday, December 22, 2017

Working on tonight’s shift was a delightful experience.  I spent time in the baptistry learning the system of clothing distribution that this temple uses, and saw lots of young people come through to do baptisms.  It seems that the baptistry is often filled with both youth groups and families. 

My next assignment took me to the office which I haven’t liked before because it is mostly answering the phone.  However, at 8:30 each evening the office worker transfers all the calls to the answering machine system and can then do other things.  All of the secretaries had gone home, so the remaining Brother taught me how to do the recording for the ordinance cards.  I loved hearing the little doorbell sound as the scanner picked up and recorded the information.  It was computer work and it was fun!  There was enough work to do to get some good practice. 

Earlier while I was on the phone and ending a call, the handpiece knocked my earring off and across the desk to disappear over the top dropping between the wall and the desk which had a solid back.  I could see the earring by squishing my face against the wall and peering down, but there was no way to retrieve it.  The nice gentleman who gave me the training on recording called the engineer who came to the office carrying a long pole with pinchers on the end and quickly and easily retrieved the earring!  He was the hero of the night!

One of our missionary friends had a wonderful surprise tonight when one of their daughters and her family from Arkansas showed up unexpectedly to spend Christmas with them.  They came to the baptistry in the temple and each brought a handful of family names.  They get to stay until Tuesday.  I was so happy for them.  Of course, it made me think of my own birthday surprise visit which is still bringing me enough joy to carry me through Christmas.

We sent out our Christmas cards today.  They will be late, but they are on their way.  Oh, well!

Love you all.  And Good Night!  😊

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Today we decided to send a few Christmas cards.  It has only been possible to tackle one thing at a time with our schedule and time constraints, and this was the last Christmas activity on our list.  So, even though they will be late in arriving,  we are going to send them anyway. 

It was too late to buy cards, so the computer came in handy for creating a homemade offering.  We looked up the Staples store closest to us and drove there this morning before our shift started to have a few copies made.  I had to take my computer because I still can’t figure out how to use the thumb or jump drive we just recently purchased.  I know, I know—so many of my children have shown me how, but it takes practice! 

The nice lady there named Lateesha was very kind and helped me by doing it for me with her own drive and it all worked out nicely.  It is so great when people are kind and willing to go the extra mile to help others out and make their day brighter.

The temple experiences today were wonderful, as usual; and the sister coordinators brought chocolate to share.  Everyone is in such a cheery state of mind with the anticipation of family visits and celebrations.  Time together is so precious and we must savor every moment.

Hope you all have a wonderful week-end and enjoy these last few days before Christmas.  Love you all so much and pray for you every day.  😊  

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

After an early, early morning and a busy shift, we set to work filling the rest of the neighbor gift treat bags, organized four trays by building number, and regretted not having a Santa hat for Glade as we delivered the goodies.  Most of them were left on doorsteps next to other treats since two shifts of people were overlapping at the temple.  It was great fun and Glade was a happy participant.  😊  We accrued several more gifts at our own door and probably won’t sleep tonight with all the sugar coursing through our veins.  My heart rate is already racing! 

While we ate soup about 8:00 p.m. I placed the DVD that came by way of Scott and Alexis—I think—in November into the new external disc player we picked up for my computer, connected it to the TV via the cable that was already here, and wallah!—we had a movie on our nice TV.  We watched George C. Scott playing Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol.”  That’s my favorite version along with “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”!!    

Love you all!  Enjoy the last few days before Christmas and fill them full of joy and great memories.  

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Warm temperatures today (in the 50’s!) made going back to the temple very pleasant.  It’s always good, but good weather always helps.  We worked hard and enjoyed our shift.  We saw a man from Corey and Kristie’s ward who was there for the wedding of a young man he baptized in Colorado.  When he saw Glade, he said, “I know you.”  And then the connection was made since we met them in Texas.  Also, he or his wife, is related to Garon Bell’s sister’s family.  We can’t remember the exact connection.  The young people made a very cute couple. 

There were two weddings on our shift and the beautiful brides and handsome grooms were posing for photos outside the temple.  They must have been so grateful for a pleasant day.

Tonight at 5:00 I gave an organ lesson to a young sister in the Spanish Ward who wants to play the organ in Sacrament Meeting.  She plays the piano and has had some organ instruction from other missionaries, so she is well on her way to success.  You know the magic words for success—practice, practice, practice!  I told her that that is all she needs.  We’ll meet for a lesson once a week until March and hope she is ready.  We’ll prepare her to start playing prelude in a couple of weeks—if she practices enough 😊

We set to work this afternoon filling our treat bags for our missionary neighbors in the Brookside Apartments.  We added the chocolate, the oranges, the story, and  some trimmings to the bags and will deliver them tomorrow.  As per the photos, this is still a work in progress that will have to be finished tomorrow.  It’s time to try for sleep!

Love you all.  Good Night!  😊

Monday, December 18, 2017

Today was finally our fun day to relax and we spent part of it doing a little Christmas shopping for each other together.  Glade even enjoyed the pressure-less shopping while the 50-degree weather and a little sunshine cheered him greatly.  We had lunch in the mall and shopped for neighbor gifts that we will give some time this week.  We bought bags of fresh mandarin oranges and bags of Hershey kisses to put on a bed of shredded decorative paper in treat bags along with the story of The Christmas Orange.   We’ll tie the bags with red and green ribbons.  There are about 40 couples here and five single sisters, so our work is cut out for us.  People have been leaving cookies and chocolate treats at our door for several days now and it is our turn to share.

It was a wonderful day and we are trying to soak in every precious minute of this glorious season.  Every day we bask in the shine of the brilliant lights on the temple grounds and will be sad when darkness replaces the light. 

Sending lots of love and wishes for a joyous Christmas season.  :)  

P.S.  We would love to see photos of your Christmas happenings!

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Let me tell you there is nothing relaxing and easy about being a missionary.  It was an extraordinarily busy day, but I have prayed for opportunities to use what the Lord has given me to serve His children.  Prayers have been answered!

As per my new calling as Ward Organist in the Spanish Ward, I played for their Sacrament Meeting this morning.  Glade wanted to come with me, since he loves every opportunity to use Spanish, and we left our apartment about 10:00 a.m.  Afterward, Glade stayed at the church for his meetings and I drove to Kensington Park where members of our ward presented a Christmas caroling event for the residents.   It is a facility where seniors reside in one of three different buildings assigned by their needs.  It includes assisted living, rehab, and more severe cases of dementia.  The buildings are huge, beautiful, and quite “upper end.”  I was the accompanist and we presented many of the same songs we sang last week plus a few hymns.  The singers were gifted and the residents loved the festive nature of the event and joined in with the singing.  Many are lonely and the holidays a sad time being separated from home and family.  Their comments included “You have made my Christmas—Thank you so much,” “Now I can tell people that I sang with The Tabernacle Choir.”  Probably most of the residents are not members of the Church, but they know who the Mormons are and that some of them took time today to share a musical program with them and life their spirits. 

Then it was back to our building near the temple for our ward’s block of meetings where again, I was the organist.  During Relief Society, I played background for a part of the lesson presentation and then accompanied the final song rendered by a sister with a beautiful voice who sang “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked.”  If any of you are familiar with that number, you know that half of it is written in SIX Flats with lots of accidentals and has two full pages of 16th  notes.  It is a fairly difficult number and it is a good thing I played it in my youth or it may have been impossible to prepare in such a short time—like one practice only.  😊  I loved having a day full of music, but there is no way to get around the fact that it is stressful! 

Our meetings ended at 5:30 p.m. and Glade was starving.  He didn’t even have a chance to eat the granola bar he took with him and carried around all day.  But dinner had to be put off since my visiting teachers came right after we arrived home—about 6:00 p.m.  It was a long, albeit productive day and hunger was finally satisfied, and satisfied again unfortunately.  It’s always hard to stop eating when you have been deprived for a long time.

The last two or three weeks have been exhausting and we have decided that a mission like ours is not for the faint-hearted or the feeble-kneed.   It is only going to get busier and they are already asking for additional hours on our shifts starting next week.  And there were over six thousand people who went through the Visitor Center yesterday.  That has happened several times since its opening.  They still need more help there, too; but we are going to have to pace ourselves so as not to invite illness.  We love it, but we are feeling our age I’m afraid.

We love you all and hope and pray that you love this last week before we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that you fill it with things that matter most.

“The Joy We Feel has Little to do with the Circumstances of our Lives and

Everything to do with the Focus of our Lives.”  Russell M. Nelson

May our focus be on “The Light of the World.”

Saturday, December 16, 2017

There are two posts with different dates today since I forgot to “publish” last night’s notes.

It’s still really cold here and I actually wore leggings under my skirt tonight when we went to the temple.  That helped a lot!  Then a strange thing happened.  I was changing clothes and reached into my locker for my white skirt when suddenly, realization dawned on me that my skirt was home in the closet!!!  Somehow I neglected to get it into the clothing bag along with all of the other clean clothing going back to the temple locker.  So, there was no choice but to get dressed in street clothes again, find Glade and get the key, brave the cold again, give up a great parking place in a packed lot, drive home, retrieve the skirt, return to look for another parking place, then change clothes and be happy that I had already received the training in the preparation meeting I missed, four times this last week, and make it to my first assignment right on time.  Remembering to laugh at myself and this silly mistake let me smile all the way out to the car and return in the proper spirit without being upset or angry!  Silly me.

Have a great Sabbath Day, Everyone.  Love to all of you.  😊

Friday, December 15, 2017

This was a great day.  It’s always nice to have a little more time on Friday’s since we don’t go to the temple until the evening shift.  All the Christmas packages are in the mail and it was so fun to do a little “Christmasing” here in spite of our tight schedule.  More light snow fell today which added to the season’s charm, but the roads were a little slick.

Christmas is only a few days away and I wish these days would stretch out a little so we could enjoy them longer.  Our “Light the World” efforts have definitely been limited to our temple service.  I hope your families have enjoyed participating in some way in this marvelous initiative. 

Below is a photo taken just before these items went into the mailing boxes.  They are small tokens, but they say “I love you” to my family and it was a little taste of home and tradition.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

We left for the temple at 12:30 p.m. and returned at 10:30 p.m.  It was our ward temple night—can you imagine that a ward made up entirely of temple missionaries who do a shift every day in the temple still have a ward temple night—and after our regular shift we helped with another sister’s family work.  Glade and I acted as proxy for a couple and did initiatory, endowment and sealings.  There were eight children sealed to “us”—six girls and two boys!  That was a little humorous.  I wonder what life would have been like to raise six girls!  Then some of those children were sealed to their spouses and one had four children sealed to them.  The director started with everyone on one side of the sealing room and as each family was sealed, they moved to the opposite side and it all made for a very effective visual sealing of families.  It was late and we were tired, but it was a good experience.

Love to all my kids and families!  Have some hot chocolate and sing some Christmas songs! 

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

This was our super early day and we drove again in the dark to the temple.  The wind was blowing in a cold front and everyone was freezing and wearing all their winter layers!  It really felt like Idaho winter weather.

We both had some sweet and touching experiences today in our different realms of service and wish we could share the details.  But I can tell you that I helped a sweet Spanish sister who was doing work for her mother at the end of a session.  She started out fine but became very emotional and was soon weeping so much she had to stop a few times to get through it all.  I hugged her and encouraged her and waited for as long as she needed.  Of course, that made me cry and it was all wonderful, but it took a while to recover and I was weepy through the next sister’s turn as well.  It just brings home again how important this work is to people and how much it means to do work for their families.

They finished working on our patio door replacement today by painting the trim, tacking the carpet, and removing the protective tape that has covered the carpet in front of the door for over a week.  They vacuumed afterward and then we moved our table and tree back into place. 

And while Glade read a book on his Kindle, I watched a Christmas movie on Netflix in the kitchen and dipped a few pretzels and thought of all of you doing your Christmas traditions.  Love and miss you all.  😊

Tuesday, December 12, 2017   

It’s very cold here and we keep cranking up the heat, but we are surviving and love serving in the temple.  It has been a beautiful day.

On Sunday, the Bishop asked me to accept an additional calling and serve as the organist for the Spanish Ward as well as the Rock Creek Ward.  The missionary sister who is leaving this week has been playing alternately with someone else who has recently developed cancer and can’t play anymore.  Their Sacrament Meeting is at 10:30 a.m. so that will make Sundays very full days.  I am more than happy to help out and it will be good practice to play for two wards every Sunday.  There is a young teenager who wants to learn to play the hymns on the organ, so I hope to help her get started and get comfortable enough to play in church.

Enjoy your pre-Christmas days.  It is a wonderful time of year!!

Love you all.  😊    

Monday, December 11, 2017

This was a busy, busy day that ended with the missionary Christmas party at President and Sister Colton’s home which is about 30 minutes from where we live.  Their huge beautiful home is located in a very pretty, wooded area.  We invited another couple to ride with us and the evening was a great success.  There was an abundance of delicious food, a “hail and farewell” for one couple leaving this week and another who recently arrived, and a fun caroling event—all for about 65 people.  Pres. Colton plays the harmonica and was coaxed into playing a couple of numbers.  There was also a small bells choir performed by six missionaries that was so sweet.  I played the baby grand piano for the old-fashioned secular caroling and it all made for a fun night.  We have made so many friends and love these wonderful people!  

A scary phenomenon happened to me on Saturday and I discovered I have Raynaud’s syndrome.  I was cracking and breaking cold eggs from the refrigerator for the sheet cake when suddenly my right middle fingertip started to tingle and to hurt like it was burning.  It hurt enough that I had to stop and realized my whole finger felt numb, but still hurt.  I looked at it and it was completely white with a purple swelling near the palm of my hand.  I rubbed and massaged it fiercely, flexed and exercised it, ran water over it—and it still remained completely white.  I started to panic a little since I really need my finger! 

We started looking for an urgent care so I could call and ask advice.  Then I decided to look up the symptoms on the Internet and found that my question, word for word, had been asked by other people as well.  Cold temperatures or stress can cause a spasm in the blood vessels that diminishes blood flow causing the finger to turn white.  It usually then turns blue and back to red as the vessel recovers and circulation resumes.  My finger finally started to return to normal, but I am going to be extremely careful of direct exposure to cold.  The suggestion is made to wear two pair of gloves to avoid the cold and keep the hands warm.  So today when I practiced the piano at the church, I kept my gloves on since the room was cold and the keys were frigid!   Needless to say, it was an interesting practice.  

This is just a little health history for your information.  It’s easy to look up and find out more and to see if there is a genetic tendency.

Love you all.  Hope you had amazing Family Home Evening’s in your homes tonight.  😊    

We look a little weary here!

Sunday, December 10, 2017

We feel like we are in Idaho!  It is so cold today.  However, my phone said it was 7 degrees in Rigby this morning and it was 32 degrees here; so we’re still not as cold as it is at home, but we are freezing.  We must be getting old!

After our Sunday meetings, Glade and I went to the Visitor Center to usher again.  It was packed with people who came in spite of the cold temps.  The parking lot was completely full and the stake center parking was nearly full as well.  It was wonderful to see such diversity in the crowds of people who came.

We spent most of our time in the creche display where the line seemed to go on forever and the press of people was constant.  We seldom see so many people of different ethnicities in one place, but DC would be the place for that.  The people were gracious and grateful for the beautiful displays—87 different nativities have been donated by local residents—and took lots of photos and enjoyed pointing things out to their children.  There were dozens of different countries represented.  Most of the children were well-behaved and parents kept a good “handle” on them.  There were also a lot of adults without children who came as well.  A youth group from Columbia, Maryland, gave the concerts tonight.  All the concerts are free.

Glade was really in his element as he had a chance to do some missionary work with a couple of gentlemen, one of whom was from India and was very interested in the Church.  Glade told him the Joseph Smith story and the man asked if we believed in the New Testament.  When Glade explained that we did, he said he wanted a Book of Mormon.  So, Glade took them in search of the sister missionaries who were moving among the throngs of people answering questions, etc. and introduced them.  The Sisters took it from there. 

Usually Glade is not interested in too much socializing, but if he can tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he just warms up immediately and loves to talk and share his testimony.

Good Night!  Hope all is well in your homes tonight and that they are filled with love!  😊

Saturday, December 9, 2017

It started snowing at about 9:00 a.m. as predicted.  I took photos every half hour for a while hoping to show progress from no snow to a winter wonderland.  But the ground was warm and the snow fell as if it had been sifted through the tightest screen and gave us only a continual dusting all day long.  It’s kind of pretty, but I long for heaps of giant Idaho snowflakes.  Our car was covered by 2-3 inches by the time we left for the temple and it accumulated two more while we were there.   When we drove home at 10:00 p.m., the houses, trees, cars, and bushes were enveloped in wonderful white and glistened in the Christmas lights.  It was picture-perfect. 

It was a housekeeping day and the peaceful snowfall showcased through our big windows made it a happy day as well.  The yummy smells from the pumpkin sheet cake I baked for a missionary party on Monday added to the holiday feel and it was a great day!  I actually had to adjust the recipe for sea level and it turned out much better this time.  It takes more sugar, less water, more baking powder/baking soda, less flour, a longer baking time, and a lower temperature!  It's still not as good as when it is baked at home, but it still really tastes good! 

The following pictures do not show the depth of the snow since we were in the temple when it finished coming down, but it snowed all day long and into the evening and this is all there was--at least on the lawns.  The cars were covered with a lot more.  

Friday, December 8, 2017

Today was our turn to have our sliding glass door replaced and it proceeded with noisy drilling equipment and cold air.  We vacated as much as we could by going grocery shopping, spending over an hour at the Church where I practiced piano for the Christmas Caroling event at President Colton’s home on Monday and Glade read a book on his Kindle, eating a quick lunch while the installers ate theirs, and then going to the mall to do a little Christmas shopping.  By the time we arrived home, they were just finishing up and we had time to get ready for our shift at the temple.

Snow is predicted for our area tonight and the storm has already closed Saturday schools and all activities for Saturday and Sunday to the South of us.  It is supposed to be moving our way and is to bring only a couple of inches, but already the apartment manager has scattered Snowmelt on all the sidewalks and stairs and placed snow shovels and boot brushes in each building.  Some of the workers leaving the temple tonight were expected to have a rough trip home as it was snowing where they live.  There were already accidents reported on these busy roadways.

Have a wonderful week-end, everyone, and enjoy all of your Christmas activities! Love your spouses and children and shower them with love and kindness every day! 

Love you all so much!  😊

Thursday, December 7, 2017

The first whole week of December has quickly disappeared and it really feels like Christmas in our neighborhood.  The apartment dwellers have adorned their patio railings with beautiful welcoming lights and we see the gorgeous light display at the temple and visitor center every single day.  We see a little TV now and again when we eat lunch and I’m even enjoying the Christmas commercials that feature home with family gathered around a warm glowing fire and gentle snow falling outside.  We are also loving the “Light the World” features and the messages from General Church leaders that are shared on social media.  It is truly a season of love and service and we are so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and His message to all the world. 

Love and Hugs to You All!  Good Night!  😊