Update

So there isn't much exciting happening around here, except for trying to keep it all together when everything is a mess. I am posting some pictures of my house. The three of us are residing in the upstairs bedrooms. The unused bedroom is my makeshift kitchen/TV room. Kipp and Ethan watch DVD's on the portable DVD player. I have started painting Ethan's bedroom. I figured since we had such a big mess anyway, I might as well. Tony will be here next weekend, so it better be done by then. As for the rest of the renovation, it is slow, but there is a little progress being made. The basement is being taped and mudded, and we are waiting on granite and cupboard doors for the kitchen. My new appliances have arrived, but they are still at the store until we are ready. the hardwood has been laid, but needs to be finished once the construction is done. Don't you like our den setup?

Rich

My Gram had a cross-stitch on her wall when I was a little girl. It said, "They are rich who have true friends" I having been feeling very rich indeed over the past few days, as we have been blessed by the kindheartedness of true friends, who look after us in our time of need. Our bodies have been fed, and so also has been our spirit, as we contemplate their goodness to us. Thank you friends.

End of Vacation, Back Home Again

We made it home! At times on Thursday and into Friday I wondered if that was ever going to happen. We were scheduled to arrive home at 5 pm on Thursday. Our actual arrival time was 12:45 pm on FRIDAY. Yay United, you really outdid yourselves this time. The highlight of our extra day's vacation was staying at the Renaissance O'Hare on Thursday night and having the airline pay for it. It is pretty over the top. The price listed on the back of our door was $459 a night. And some people sleep in cardboard boxes. Makes you really wonder about how spoiled we are and how we take it for granted.

The rest of our trip was wonderful. We enjoyed Missouri, going to Visitors Centers in Independence and Liberty, and driving to Haun's Mill, Far West, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Jamesport and various Graveyards in the area. It was still cold, but not as cold as Nauvoo.

The picture of Ethan and Kipp is at the SE cornerstone of the Far West Temple, where Wilford Woodruff was ordained an apostle on the 26th of April, 1839. He left on his mission to England from there. The prophet Joseph Smith had prophecied they would leave on that date from the temple, but it was after the extermination order, and the mobs were determined to make sure the prophecy was never fulfilled. Their eyes were blinded that night, and the prophecy came to pass.

This was a wonderful trip, and we feel blessed that the weather did not keep us from seeing anything we wanted to see.

We will now concern ourselves with getting our renovations completed. They progressed a bit while we were gone, but it is far from finished. The hardwood will go in this week, and the work on the basement will continue as scheduled, I hope. Right now I am sitting on the floor in the den, typing on the laptop. All the main floor furniture is packed into the living room and dining room. I have no usuable kitchen. We have wonderful friends who have offered to feed us over the next few days, or else we would be eating peanut butter sandwiches.

Sunset on the Mississippi

Words not necessary...

Praise To The Man

We have been enjoying Nauvoo, and have been blessed to come here. The Spirit of this place is strong, wherever you may visit. Each site speaks of the dedication and faith of a people who were not afraid to follow a prophet of God. It also speaks of a wonderful prophet, who did not expect anything of his followers that he did not live himself. He was an example, leader, friend, and prophet. The Saints called him "Brother Joseph". They loved him, and we also love him. He knew that trials built and strengthened a people. The important thing is to not lose faith, no matter what. He said,"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" We shall go on, just as Joseph and the early Saints went on. He and many others paid the ultimate price for this cause. We must also give our lives. We probably will not be asked to die for it, but we need to live for it by being obedient, following the prophet, and serving our fellow men.

Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven!

Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.

Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren;

Death cannot conquer the hero again.

Nauvoo the Beautiful

We drove into Nauvoo on Wednesday afternoon. It is truly a beautiful place. We have enjoyed an abundance of the Spirit as we have visited a few of the sites here, in spite of the cold. The temperature is hovering in the high thirties, with a strong wind. We froze today even though we dressed in many layers. The picture above is the new statue that the church erected in front of the temple called "The Loveliest Place". It depicts Joseph and Hyrum as they passed the temple on the way to Carthage, stating that this was the loveliest place and the loveliest people, and they would never see it again. Thursday we toured the Joseph Smith sites that are operated by the Community of Christ church. We toured the Smith farm, the Mansion House and the Red Brick Store. From there we went to the Brigham Young home where we were given a tour by Sister Wilson from Enterprise, UT. After lunch we went to the Wilford Woodruff home. We were given a tour by the Browns from Provo, UT. This home has particular interest for us, because Wilford Woodruff is Nona's Great Great Grandfather. We went to see the oxen, but their driver was having difficulty with them, and they drove the the wagon into a tree! We will try for pictures tomorrow. I never knew exactly what an ox was, but now I do. We went next to the church visitors center, and watched "Remembering Nauvoo" it is a wonderful movie, but Kipp, Ethan and I slept through it. This wasn't so bad, since we have already seen it, and then we were able to stay awake for the temple session last night. The temple was the highlight of the day. A perfect ending to a perfect day...

Enough is Enough

This is my kitchen...

Think I'll go to Nauvoo...

Things will look much better in 10 days...

(I hope)