March in Nauvoo

There are signs that Spring may actually come. Some of the daffodils are coming up and we've had a few warm days. But, the last couple of days have been cold again.

There were some nice events and happenings in March. Elder Richard Hinckley from the Missionary Dept. was here for a mission tour. Monday March 8th he spoke to us for an hour and a half or so and we didn't want him to stop. He was really great, and funny. About halfway into the meeting he had us all stand and stretch. When we sat back down he said that we sounded like a bowl of Rice Krispies! He spoke of the need for senior missionaries, especially couples. There are 3900 senior missionaries serving right now and 6500 are needed so that's a shortage of 2600! He said, "When you go home, even if you had a terrible time, tell your friends that it was great!" He asked for suggestions and comments from the missionaries as to how to simplify the process. We discussed the difficulty of the medical forms, then he said, that basically "if you have a pulse and can recognize yourself in the mirror, we want you to serve a mission". We all enjoyed his visit.

Then Elder Jeffrey Holland and his wife were in town for a Stake Conference March 14. We were instructed in no uncertain terms NOT to try and attend Stake Conf. because there wasn't room. So, Elder Holland spoke to us that Sunday evening. Again, it was a great event and we could have listened to him for another hour or so. He told us of his experience when he was called as an Apostle, he answered questions and then told us the Book of Mormon story of the Savior's visit to the Nephites. He talked about how the Lord was ready to leave and he saw the tears of the people so he stayed and healed the sick and blessed the children. He said that we can have what we want if we pray in faith. He said that we believe in vicarious righteousness. It's what we do in the Temple and we can do it for our family. He said that missionary work is a legacy to leave the grandchildren and will reach to the 10th generations. He gave us all a blessing and told that the righteous desires of our hearts will surely be ours. As he said those words I felt a warmth fill me and I knew that it was true. It was a very spiritual, wonderful evening.

March 17th was the Relief Society Commemoration meeting in the upstairs room of Joseph Smith's Red Brick Store. There were 3 sessions to accommodate everyone. The Temple missionary sisters went in the morning and there were 2 evening sessions for the rest of us. The ladies who were in charge of this event did am amazing job. It was perfect. We met at the Visitor's Center in our pioneer dresses and had a carriage ride to the store. The meeting was wonderful and the Spirit was very strong. It was very easy to imaging those early sisters being there. We each received a beautiful program and a crocheted handkerchief.

And there's more exciting news: Ken and Jane Myers will be joining us here in Nauvoo on April 23. They are coming on a 6 months service mission. We're really excited about this! Woohoo! Party in Nauvoo!!

The Exodus from Nauvoo

Thursday February 4th was the anniversary of the beginning of the Exodus when the Saints were forced by the mobs to leave Nauvoo in 1846. Every year there is a reenactment. The site missionaries were joined by the temple missionaries, some townspeople, and missionaries from the Peoria Illinois Mission, I think.

We actually began the Sunday before with the Exodus Sociable (fireside). We heard beautiful music from the mission choir and heard great pioneer stories from some of the site and temple missionaries as they told of their ancestors who lived in and then left Nauvoo. Ron was assigned to take pictures and I had hoped we would still have snow on the ground but it snowed the next day instead. It was cold but everyone was bundled up as you can see. It gave us all a great appreciation for those who left their homes in the freezing winter time and headed out leaving most of their belongings behind. What faith they had in a prophet of God! It was a great day, an emotional day, a day of appreciation and remembering.

We were able to wear the names of our ancestors who were here then, or any of the pioneers, as we walked down Main Street to Parley Street and then on to the edge of the Mississippi River. As you can see by the picture Sister Lauralee Foote and I chose the same name. She's a temple missionary here with her husband, Derrell Foote. Does that name sound familiar!! They are wonderful and it's been so fun to be here with them. Derrell is my second cousin.

A year's worth of cookies

Yesterday was my last day to bake Gingerbread cookies for the Scovil Bakery. Since August 8th I've been assigned 1 or 2 days a week to bake cookies in the basement kitchen in the Visitors' Center. I've always had a helper and we've had a GREAT time in the kitchen. It's been so much fun. We kept track of how many we've baked each day. Our goal was to fill all three large chest freezers. Which we did. We figured that would be enough for the guests who come this year. We don't know how many cookies we actually have in Nauvoo right now because, of course, there have been many guests since August, but the total we've baked is - drum roll please ............... 59,613. (one at a time) In case you're wondering, these are good cookies but, they are even better after they're frozen and thawed. So, anyone coming to Nauvoo this year, please stop at the Scovil Bakery and know that a lot of love and fun went into each gingerbread cookie. (And if you get one that you think is a duck, it's not, it's Sunbonnet Sue)

Our new assignments and random thoughts

I'm moving the list of places we've served to a post. We have now been lucky enough to serve almost everywhere in Nauvoo! What an experience. I even got to make a couple of horseshoes. Of course I've never seen the horse that could wear them! It would be a sad horse. But it was fun making the shoes.
It's now time to begin practices for "Sunset by the Mississippi". We began last week and everyone has been great. This is going to be a fun, interesting calling. Ron is still in the sites during the days and helping me with practices at night. My days are now spent in the Nauvoo Productions office finding and copying music and working out schedules and other "to be determined duties". We're in charge of the annual mission talent show which will be Monday Jan. 25. Elder and Sister Camp, the new Directors of Nauvoo Productions. will be here for the talent show/auditions for Sunset and then they're staying for 2 weeks. I'm so excited for them to get here. We'll be able to go over the Sunset show and decide which numbers should be in it this summer. We've been practicing the ones we know are staying in the line up.
So, my days are very different now. This week I will have 2 more days of baking gingerbread cookies then we will be cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the surghum. And no more sites for me and also, now I have a bigger decision to make in the morning, since I will no longer be wearing site dresses. Before it was "Hmmmmmmmm, blue one or brown one? White apron or colored apron" Now I have to think about what to wear. Also, I will miss my apron, I love the pockets! It was like having 2 mini purses with me at all times. Aprons are an underused gem! Another change is that our days perfoming in "Rendezvous" are about over since our evenings will be spent with Sunset. I guess this means I could cut my hair if I want to. It's longer than it's been since about Jr. High. On the nights we do Rendezvous I have to put it in a bun so I've let it grow. I had a scary moment the other day. I was wearing my blue site dress with my white bib apron and a little white collar. I was running out the door and caught sight of myself in a mirror. It was terrible. I thought, "If I had a head band I would look like a dumpy, chubby, REALLY over the hill Alice in Wonderland!!!
...and it's time for District Meetings ... I'd hate to be late for a very important date! That's all for tonight.

*Blacksmith/Wainwright Shop - Ron & Bren
*Brickyard - Ron & Bren
*Browning Home & Gun Shop - Ron & Brenda
*Carriage Ride - Ron
*Carthage Jail & Visitor's Center - Ron & Bren
*Cultural Hall - Brenda & Ron
*John Taylor Home - Brenda & Ron
*Lucy Mack Smith Home - Brenda & Ron
*Lyon Drug & Variety Store - Brenda & Ron
*Nauvoo on the Road - Ron & Bren
*Nauvoo Restoration Inc (NRI)(working in the greenhouse & in the gardens)Brenda
*Nauvoo Visitor's Center - Ron & Brenda
*NRI Building walls and painting a wagon - Ron
*NRI raking and raking and raking - Brenda & Ron
*Oxen Ride - Ron
*Pendleton Log School - Brenda & Ron
*Pioneer Pastimes - Ron & Bren
*Print Shop - Brenda & Ron
*Riser Boot Shop - Ron & Brenda
*Sarah Granger Kimball - Bren
*Seventies Hall - Ron
*Stoddard Home & Tin Shop - Ron & Bren
*The Family Living Center - Ron & Brenda
*Trapping & relocating distructive wildlife - Ron
*Wagon Tour of "Old Nauvoo" - Brenda
*Wilford Woodruff Home - Bren

More Photos

Christmas in Nauvoo

December was an eventfull month in Nauvoo. We began decorating just before Thanksgiving and the town looked beautiful and festive. The shops along Mulholland Drive all had Christmas trees out front and their windows were decorated. It was great. I went crazy taking pictures inside every site and outside all over town. The first Saturday in December (I think) was the Christmas Walk. We had a tree lighting ceremony at the Visitors' Center and there was a band and then chorus from the High School. The Mayor spoke, and President Ludwig then they lit the tree. Horse drawn wagons took people to Main Street where they could go to the Cultural Hall for a live Nativity and short program with wonderful music, then to several other sites for Chrismtas stories. The evening ended with a stop at the Family Living Center for refreshments. It was a really neat event.

On Christmas Eve we gathered with the Temple Missionaries on the Temple Steps and sang Christmas Carols. It was cold and raining but nice. Christmas Day we closed our sites early and met at the Stake Center for a delicious dinner with the Temple Missionaries.

A Silly Squirrel Story

Ron has really enjoyed the plentiful wildlife here in Nauvoo. We see raccoons, possums, deer, squirrels and lots of kinds of birds, every day. Last week Ron saw a squirrel that was being attacked by a cat. He rushed over and scared the cat away and brought the squirrel home. It had been bitten in the neck pretty badly and it didn’t look good. Ron put the squirrel in a cage in the basement and it made it through the night and next day but the second morning Ron went down to feed it and check on it and came upstairs holding it by the tail. It would be a shame to waste a perfectly good dead squirrel so he put it out on the squirrel feeder hanging in the tree just outside our side door.
Later that afternoon Sister Saville came over and she didn’t notice the squirrel on her way in but then she spotted it out the window and got very excited. She said, “There’s a squirrel in your tree!!!” she grabbed her ever ready camera and ran to the door. (The tree is only about 4 feet from the door.) The squirrel was facing the other way so she tapped on the glass and said, “Come on little fellow, turn around so I can take your picture”. I was biting my cheeks not to laugh and I suggested she go outside to try and get her shot. She was afraid it would run away, but then since he wouldn’t turn around for her she went outside. She kept talking to it as she carefully circled the tree. Finally she stopped and her whole expression changed and she looked at me and said “Is he dead?” I burst out laughing and then we were both laughing our heads off. Just then Ron arrived home and we were all cracking up when our neighbors, the Thompsons, came hurrying over from across the street with their new camera hoping for shot of the squirrel they had spotted in our yard before we all scared it away! Yes, a good time was had by all!
PS We named him Morty. That's short for rigamortis (sp?) Yeah, I know, it’s sick.