Yesterday we had our mission wide breakfast to say good bye to 3 couples that are leaving - the Jensons, the Pixlers, and the Davis'. I brought this fruit salad and Sister Brown brought 2 of the cinnamon pull apart bread! YUMM!

From L to R
Elder Jenson at the podium, Elder and Sister Davis, Sister Jenson, Sister Pixler and Elder Pixler

Sister Pixler dancing up a jig while Elder Pixler plays a song on the Saxophone!

Cute skit....sorrow to seem them go.............

And so Nauvoo - we say farewell to you song we traditionally sing at the end of the going away skit. Here it is lead by our sweet Sister Olsen (82 years old!)

Winter came in with a vengence! This is the scene before my eyes when I opened my curtains first thing in the morning earlier this week. All this snow blew in during the night! It hadn't snowed here since Thanksgiving and the temperatures have been quite mild compared with earlier years from what I hear! But it has been so very cold on top of having the snow. One day this week the high was 0 degrees with a wind chill factor of -20 degrees. But I figure it is all part of this wonderful adventure I am having! These pictures are taken looking out from our front window towards the Visitors' Center!!

My sweet friend, Mary Ann Huisken, made this Nauvoo temple star pillow for me for Christmas. I love it! I think of her each day when I make my bed! Thanks Mary Ann. 

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!