Went out to dinner tonight in Hamilton at my favorite Mexican Restaurant - El Camino Real - with Sister Lisa Brown and a new friend, Mary Hilding!

Christmas morning 2014 and our cute little tree! It was a fun day of delivering gifts to other missionaries and having an early dinner together complete with entertainment. Then talking with all my children and grandchildren was the highlight!

President Gibbons welcomed everyone to our mission dinner. We invited the temple missionaries to join us and so it was a large group!

Just a glimpse of the size of the group and this is just looking behind me! The family in the foreground is my former companion Sister Walker's family.

The apron brigade of men ready to serve us dinner! Sister Walton and her committee and helpers did a fabulous job!

Sister Toomer and friends made the decorated cookies and the Temple Missionaries made the lucious dessert!

The Udall family singers

Sister Redd tells about God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Sister Veenker played the song on the violin afterwards

The Shepherds told about their other mission experience to Albania

Sister Apperson told about the history of the song O Little Town of Bethlehem and then her husband played it on the guitar

Elder and Sister Pincock told about their other mission to Armenia

Elder Swindler told the story of Joy to the World and Sister Swindler played the song on her accordian

President and Sister Gibbons told about their other mission to Russia

 Then back by popular demand was the live nativity including the angel choir that I sang in on the far right. From L to R Sisters Brown, Brinley, Walker, Boyle, Johnson and me!

Mary And Joseph were played by Elder and Sister Aaron

Wise Men were Elder Harwood, Elder Brinley, and Elder Johnson

Shepherds were Elders Clark, Pincock and ?

The Narrator is Elder Couch

Christmas Eve in Nauvoo 2014 and as you can see there is NO SNOW! I thought I would have a white Christmas here in Nauvoo with sleigh rides, sledding etc. BUT don't get me wrong! I am not complaining.....at this time last year I understand it was below 0 and it is a warm 36 degrees!. 

Tonight's sunset was especially beautiful.

 All 11 of the single sisters were invited over to the Mission Home to spend the evening with our Mission President and his wife - Elder and Sister Larry and LaDawn Gibbons. We had a super fun night of food and games! My kind of evening!!!

 There turned out to only be 9 of us for the picture because Sister Sue Brown had gone home to talk to her kids and Sister Walker has her kids here in Nauvoo for Christmas.....

From L to R
Sisters Allen, Layne, Thomas, Boyle, Redd, Lisa Brown, Jones and kneeling are me and Sister Olsen (would you believe that Sister Olsen is 82 years old - she is AMAZING!

Today is the birthday of our beloved prophet Joseph Smith Jr. So Sister Brown and I decided to take a couple of the roses from her birthday bouquet down to his grave site and honor him tonight after Rendezvous. Who knows when we will have this opportunity again to be here in Nauvoo on his birthday. We sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" and felt honored to represent the missionary force today of over 88,000 missionaries throughout the world. To ponder that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored to the earth because this man Joseph Smith Jr. wanted to know which church he should join as a boy of 14 and had to faith to ask God ....... We wouldn't be here doing what we are doing if not for him!

Siter Brown placing the rose on his grave marker.

The original log home is in the background of me and the marker

I decided to take a few pictures of some of the Joseph Smith sites at night when we were done. This is the Smith Mansion House.

The Nauvoo House where Emma died.

The original log home. The grave site is to the right.

Shortly after we got home, two of our neighbors and fellow missionary sisters, Sister Thomas and Sister Jones came to our door and were caroling to us and brought fudge and toffee! The lights from the Women's Garden are seen behind them!

Today when I was going in to serve in the Wilford Woodruff home, I was amazed at how beautiful it was with temperatures today in the high 40s and no snow! Sister Wright and Sister Skidmore were out front beautifying the grounds. Our Facilities Management staff are wonderful at keeping everything looking great!

Sister Wright

Sister Skidmore

These pictures were taken just before the concert on Sunday, Dec 21st. I am so proud of them for all the hard work. Noone in the bell choir had ever played a bell before 8 weeks ago! They did Great! The Miracle of Christmas was a wonderful concert.

From L to R
Front Row - Sisters Singer, Udall, Walton, Pincock, Johnson, and Brown
2nd Row - Sisters Barnum, Orme, Thurston, Harwood and Robison
Back Row - Elders Clark, Harwood, Barnum, and Clement

The choir

After the show with my companion Sister Brown, who sang in the Choir

Elder Marshall, the conductor of the performance  - with his wife after the show.

Our first concert was on Saturday, December 20th. This is the Children's Choir practicing before the show. My former companion, Sister Walker did a great job conducting and preparing them. They did a wonderful job!

 The Adult Choir is rehearsing prior to the performance. There were over 60 people in the choir!

Bishop Seamon from the Quincy 1st Ward where I have been attending the last several months is at the piano getting  the choir warmed up! I wished that I could be in two places at once in this concert because I would have loved to sing in the choir in addition to leading the bell choir!

Elder Marshall the conductor talking to the group prior to the show!

A little blurry, but me with my bell choir.

From L to R
Front Row - Elder Clark, Sisters Udall, Walton, Robison, Bowen, Orme, Thurston, Harwood
Back Row - Elders Harwood, Clement, Barnum, Sisters Barnum, Pincock, Johnson, Singer and Brown

The shepherds, the wise men and Mary and Joseph ready to go

Brother and Sister Bean were the Narrators for the evening with Elder Schultz

Here I am with Elder and Sister Schultz (my good friends) and the Organizers and  Directors of the Concert

The Orchestra and choir in the chapel ready to go....

 After the concert, my niece and her family - The Hills - came to visit on their way to see Marc's mother in Mt Pleasant, Iowa. Jenny and family live in Lexington, Kentucky! I was so happy to see them - even for an hour. She brought me her Mom - Pat's Christmas carmel corn too which I love!

Me, Marc, Cogan in front, Dalton, Brooke and Jenny

Jenny, Me, Marc, Cogan in front, Dalton and Brooke Hill

I was in the Interfaith choir that performed the "Messiah" in the Nauvoo St. Peters & St. Paul Catholic Church.....it is beautiful and it was an amazing performance!