LOVE IS IN THE AIR

FEBRUARY

 We started out this month with Ashley’s birthday.  She is our very first grandchild and we were so excited when she was born.  There was never a more perfect baby.  She was so beautiful and when we looked at pictures of her mother when she was born they were so alike.  They are still so alike in so many ways.  Ashley is now 24 years old and has been able to do so many things in this short time.  Getting married to a faithful young man and becoming a mother are so important.  She has a great family of her own now and loves being a mother and is teaching them the true gospel with tons of love.  We love her so much and those precious boys.

The next day we were the veil coordinators with 2 very pregnant sisters.  I made sure they were first. Whew!

Sunday found us in the Niagara Falls Ward, in Lewiston, NY.  We are so glad we were assigned that ward.  They are so faithful and trying very hard to do the right things.  We love them.  We are reading the book Saints, a conference talk and the Book of Mormon, as we travel the 4 hours.  There are no interruptions so we can pay close attention to what we read and discuss.  What great books.

Monday we went to the Champs Restaurant for lunch and a parting party for the Lindsays as they have completed their mission.  That is sad for us and we will miss them so much as they are our upstairs neighbors.  They have served so faithfully and are such a joy to be with.

Family Home Evening that night was at the president’s home with Brother Morey showing pictures and talking about Herod’s temple in Jerusalem.  It was so interesting and now, much to Kristin’s surprise, we want to go to Jerusalem.

Wednesday we again walked our 2 miles.  While we were driving home (we go to the mall because it is warmer than -21) we walked to our car in frozen rain and had to use the key to open the doors.  The windshield was covered with ice.  As we were driving, we noticed icicles forming on our rear view mirrors. 

When we got in the house we saw that there were icicles between the slats in our porch.  It is so cold here but we are happy and warm, sometimes.

Dad went to get the mail.  The ice rain hurts.

Friday, Feb. 8^th, the students came again from Southern Virginia University to do ordinances.  It is the closest temple to them because the closer ones are closed for renovation.  They bring their own names and do what they can.  They stay overnight and visit the sites on Saturday.  It is something the school provides and they charter a bus so it is free for them.  We do an extra shift to accommodate them and love having them with us.

The next day we went early so Dad could help in the baptistry for those coming early.  I washed our temple clothes so we would be ready for Columbia. That afternoon, Dee, the lady we are working with to go to church, called to thank us for the bottle of lavender we gave her.  She is really trying to feel good enough to come to church.  Several ladies in the Niagara ward are meeting once a month and going to lunch so Dee can be with them.  So far, so good.  We love this ministering.  The Seamons gave us another puzzle to work on in this cold weather.

Sunday the 10th on to Niagara we go.  We love the drive and listen to conference talks, scriptures and Come Follow Me.  It’s fun to talk about it together.   We always think about Elder Bayles on Sundays because of the missionaries here.  They are great. Two of the missionaries spoke and did such a good job.  One talked about how a person's view and attitude make such a difference in life.  They are both going home in a few days.  They have served well.  After church Deb Targon invited to her home for dinner.  We have always eaten at the church with the elders.  She lives in a very long house with 14 rooms and every one of them full of stuff.  She has all her mother's stuff and an aunt and uncle's stuff.  It is a home stuffed full of antiques.  Her children want nothing to do with it.  She is so sad.  She has a full set of pewter dining ware.  I could just see someone eating a full chicken without tinsels.  It was so amazing.  Many of her antiques are from her great grandparents.  She also shops the yard sales and finds treasures.  She has a set of bowls from her great, great grandmother.  They look like Winnie the Pooh’s honey pots.  Her Christmas village was 5 layers tall.  She is just one of the most unselfish people we know.

She has one of those old stoves and just everything was so fun to see and ask questions.  She could tell us a story of everything.  Her roof is leaking in many places and everything needs help but she is very stubborn.  We just love her so much.  She served us sauerkraut with sausage and dumplings with the best brownies and ice cream.  She even let me help a little.  She owned her own trucking business at one time.  She is always there when someone needs help with anything.  On our way home we stopped at the temple to take a picture of this beautiful wasps' nest.

Monday morning our dear Lindsays left to go home.  They have been great neighbors and we have loved serving with them.   They are from Cache Valley.
The next day we drove the Seamons to the airport for their flight to Utah.  It had snowed all night and we were really worried because freezing rain was also due.  We left 3 hours early and the freeways and highways were very difficult.  When we looked at the flight schedule we saw 14 flights cancelled or delayed but theirs was 1 of 2 that were not.  They made it with much relief.  They will be in Mapleton for 2 weeks for a granddaughter's wedding.  Makes me just a tiny homesick.

These statues in the airport were amazing.

We went to a Fairfield right at the airport, for the night as we had to be to the airport at 5:00 AM for our flight to Columbia to visit Kristin’s gang.

Feb. 13, we flew to Atlanta and then on to Columbia.  It was a very fast trip.  A friend of Kristin’s met us at the airport and took us to the Batchelor home.  We crashed until the kids and Kristin got home from school.  We needed some things from Costco and had dinner and then headed to David’s school for a song fest.  The traffic was so heavy that we were 30 minutes late but got to hear some amazing students sing.  That evening Kristin set out tons of Valentine candy and cards for the family.

Valentine’s Day we were to meet the kids (we had the car ‘cause we took them to school) for lunch.

The red roses are frrom David and the tulips are from Dad

No picture of the millions of candies.

We had a very hard time finding a place to park so when we got there Baylie was sobbing.  We felt so badly.  She got over it very fast and Jalen joined us with fun for all. 

They didn’t know we were going to do this  but we checked them out at 2 and then picked up Kristin at 3:30.  Her classroom is amazing with all her Latin décor.  She made a yummy ravioli dinner from Di’s book and we had a fun evening being together.

Kristin let the kids ditch school Friday.  We did whatever they wanted and had another fun day.  We were so tired and just loved being in their new home.  It is so beautiful and filled with a good Spirit and Kristin’s ability to make everything beautiful.  We loved walking Tashi every day.  She is very well trained.  We went to Blaze Pizza for dinner.  We love to eat there.

I loved the picture I made for her with her bracelet and 1 bootie. (I lost the other one)

Makes me feel good to see these hung in their home.  Sorry about the reflection.

Dad hung the American flag on their garage which gives the home a personality of patriotism.  David had a choir competition so he was somewhere with his school.  His choir took 4th, which is very good.

February 16, we just had fun at home.  That's exactly what we wanted to do.  Dad made a wind chime out of the shells the Batchelors had found when they camped at a beach.  It turned out very beautiful and they hung it on the front porch.  Dad played basketball with the kids and the kids put on a tramp 

show for us.  He fixed Jalen's bike so he could ride it.

We had take-out for dinner at Chick-Fil-A and watched Indiana Jones in the evenings.  What memories.

Sunday was wonderful.  It is so refreshing to have the same lessons and Spirit wherever you attend.  We love this true gospel of our Savior.  After church we went to the temple.  It is small and sort of like ours.

The angel Moroni was being repaired and some of the fences were being replaced and it still was wonderful.  There is a distribution place just across the street.  We then went to 2 plantations but found they were closed.  It was a nice drive though.  David and Tashi drove.

 

Kristin fixed another of Dianne's recipes for dinner, a spinach sausage dish that was so good.  She is a great cook.  She spoiled us with her granola bars and homemade bread.  Her cookies are to die for. That evening after scriptures, we watched Hettie Feather.  We have been watching that at home.  It's on the BYU station.

We have to put in a little piece about George's baby sister.  She is all growed up and a grandmother but she will always be his little sister.  He has such fond memories of when she came to California to visit us in her teens.  She is a great mother, sister and friend.  She has so many hidden talents and we just love her.  

Monday, Kristin had meetings and the kids had no school so we slept in.  We all decided to take a short time and straighten the house.  We wanted to surprise her since we didn't do the regular jobs on Saturday.  There was not much to do and it only took 30 minutes.  Jalen and I worked on some times tables.  He is getting pretty good.  We had plenty of time so David took us to the zoo.  Columbia has an amazing zoo. 

We loved everything, especially the gorillas and otters.

I loved the flamingos.

 Of course we had Tacos for dinner.  We loved having home evening with the family.  They did a beautiful job and included everyone.  We loved having family prayer together.  They are a family who are trying so hard to do the right things.  Our visit could not have been better.  We took the naps we greatly needed and played and worshiped together.  We hated to leave.  It was a relaxing and fun week.

Tuesday, the 19th, Kristin took us to the airport at 5:AM.  Again we made both flights and slept every minute. When we got to the parking lot our car looked like this.

 So much for SC weather.

We went right to Charleys

 The best thing about the day was Asher's birthday. 

What a marvelous boy he is.  He loves his family and anything he can do with them, especially travel to many stadiums through out the United States.  He always has something to say about football.  He loves his Father in Heaven and knows that he is a child of God.  He has a very tender heart and loves to have friends over.  He is the LEGO king and has buckets of pieces.  His models are perfection, especially with his dad's help.  We love that guy.

We had to be back Wednesday, the 20th, to help with the temple cleaning.  What a privilege to do that.  All of the missionaries who could were given a day to do this.  It was fun to be together again and do a service in such a Holy place.  Most temples have someone assigned to clean but after each shift, every day, we have an assignment to clean an area.  Once a week some ladies come, when there is not a shift, and do more intense cleaning.  Anything one does in the temples of God is a pleasure.  Dad cleaned the ceiling moldings and I dusted all the flowers with a paint brush.  We were very tired but loved being in the temple.
The next day we picked up Mike and Rae Anne Barrett and headed for the Montreal Temple in Canada.  They were so much fun to be with.  They serve with us in the temple.  They are wonderful and a delight to be with.  We laughed a lot.

 

 Mike and Rae Ann Barrett

I had made reservations for a hotel and an Endowment session so we were on a schedule.  It was a 6 and a half hour trip which was supposed to be very stormy but the roads were bare.  A lady at an information center gave us great directions so that we would save an hour by missing the city traffic.  The very first turn to make we missed and couldn't turn around.  I had a horrible panic attack and was so embarrassed but the Barretts were so patient and kind.  I was so afraid we would miss the session. It indeed took an extra hour so we got there just in time to eat, change and head to the temple. 

hanging in the middle of the lobby  Holiday Inn

We were so hungry so we decided to get a fast bite in the restaurant at the hotel.  Check out the menu.

We ended up at a McDonalds.  The only thing we could find. 

There is just nothing on the highway between Palmyra and Montreal. We got there just in time for the session.  What a beautiful temple. 

It was wonderful and the session was so good.  They called out languages and English was the most so we didn’t have to use ear phones but the officiator did.   I am so grateful for this opportunity in this beautiful temple and feel such a strong Spirit in His house.

Februrary 22^nd, we got up early, ate breakfast and headed West for the Toronto Temple.  This was also a 6 hour drive.  There was nothing to see but the roads were clear so we were happy.   The missionaries who went 2 days earlier had to stay in a hotel for 2 days because of the storms.  We have never traveled so far without seeing a place to eat or a rest stop. We did like this barn. 

It’s a good thing we had good company or it would have been very boring.  We wore our Sunday clothes because we knew it would be a tight fit.  At the last minute we decided to do initiatories instead so we could make it to Niagara Falls before 10.  The temple was so pristine and so beautiful. 

The picture in the very back is the very same one as in the Provo temple, only bigger.

There was a very special Spirit there and a very calm, peaceful feeling.  The sisters were so nice and reverent.  We had a very sweet feeling there.  Afterwards, the Temple President took us on a tour of the temple.  I had asked if we could see the baptismal font and he took us downstairs.  This temple was huge, maybe because we are so used to tiny.  The rooms on both floors were so bright and large.  The basement had a huge room with all kinds of things to keep the furniture repaired, new carpet if needed and even, tied in the ceiling a damaged Moroni which had been hit by lightning and ruined. SLC does not want him.  There was even a room to do woodworking and repair.  It was as beautiful a temple as we have ever been in.  We finally found a Horton's and had a bite to eat.

We did not want to leave that special place but we needed to get on to the Ambassador Hotel in the Canadian Niagara Falls. We were on the 37^th floor with such a view of the falls.  They have lights on the falls that change colors all night long. 

American Falls

Our rooms had a jetted tub that looked out so we could see the falls.  The view from our rooms was unbelievable.  Everything around the falls was ice and so pretty in the colored lights. 

The American and Canadian Falls

They stayed on until midnight.  The only problem was that our room had no heat and the phone didn’t work.  It was way late before we discovered this and Dad was asleep and I didn’t want to go 37 floors to tell someone.  They gave us a whole $50 off our room.  Oh well, the trip was great.

We walked around the falls in the morning and could not believe the ice on everything. 

 I don't know if you can see but the hair on my head is standing up.  The wind was wild and the temperature below zero.

more hair standing crazy

 Everything had ice on it.

Dad thought maybe he could move this.

It was just beautiful.

The first time we came to the falls Dad put this lock on the Lock Bridge.

everything had ice

 We loved this little island on the river just before the falls.

 It was just a great day.  Sorry that we did not take more pictures on this trip.

Sunday, we stayed home and went to church in the Palmyra Ward.  We were exhausted.

On the 26^th, we went to Rochester to pick up the Seamons from their trip to Utah for a granddaughter’s wedding.  Glad to be together again.  Of course we went to Charleys.  We got home to this:

 

Do you believe these ice cycles formed while we were driving home?

Monday was Home Evening in the Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center.  The president of the site missionaries gave a talk on some of the history around here.  We heard things we did not know about Joseph's brother, Samuel.

view that evening of the sky from Cumorah

A non member was fixing the painting behind the Christus and painted in this little leaf he said represented the new life and resurrection of the Savior.
The wind was blowing 35 MPH and lots of snow when we got home.
Tuesday we were able to serve in the temple again.  My assignment was the entire time in the office.  Me? In the office with all the computers and machines?  It seemed like a very long break but we certainly did not waste any time having a good time.  Now we need to rest from our break.
Just a picture we like.

We love all the historic things we can visit and the temples we have been able to go to but most of all we love that we are sealed for eternity to a most wonderful family whom we love with all our hearts.

If it were not for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we would not have this great blessing.