Winter Snows Come To Winter Quarters

 On Dec. 19th we had our first major snow storm of the season 

insuring it would be a White Christmas!

 Getting to the Trail Center was a bit tricky for a day or two.

 This is our beautiful drive to the Trail Center...snow magically transforms

everything into a winter wonderland!

 The snow was so heavy on the trees some practically bent over.

Home Sweet Home....

We live on the 2nd floor at the end.

DECEMBER DAYS....FULL and FUN!

 We invited Sister Farnsworth and Sister Coats to eat artichokes

 with us in our apartment. They did pretty well for first timers!

 Our senior couples monthly dinner at the Trail Center...

we were in charge, so the pressure was on...it turned out to be a lot of fun!

 Our Southern Virginia University friends, Burke & Nikki Olsen 

and their cute daughters visited us on their way to Utah. 

We brought a crock pot of soup to the 

Trail Center and ate lunch together.

 Our Christmas outing to the Kanesville Tabernacle to see the

 gingerbread houses, go shopping and out to lunch...we love our "P" days!

We even get to casual dress on "P" day...such a fun get-away!

The Holidays Are Here

 The Gingerbread Festival is going on at the Trail Center and Kanesville Tabernacle until after Christmas with over a hundred displays of creative edible artwork. YUMMY!

 We love the aroma of gingerbread and frosting wafting through the Visitor Centers!

The spirit of Christmas has settled in a little early this year!

 The young sister missionaries have several mall performances throughout the Holidays.

These are just a few who sang at the Oak View Mall on Nov. 20th.

I love being a chaperone on these little jaunts because I can slip in a little mall-shopping on the side!

Our Thanksgiving Feast was delicious with turkey, pumpkin pie and everything in between.

We welcomed the brand new missionaries who just landed the day before and loved all the attention.

The sister missionaries sang lots of holiday songs which put the finishing touches on a perfect day!

Here Come the Holidays....

 Whenever we have free time we hop in the van and go exploring to some of the pioneer sites

along the Mormon Trail.  There are many markers in the greater Winter Quarters area noting events which took place during the years of 1846-52.

 It's November so we got out our Thanksgiving decorations, then went right on decorating....

putting up our little Christmas tree and all the rest of the decorations we brought from home.

 Our little apartment is looking nice and cozy with our holiday decorations

adding some color to the room!  We might just leave them up until spring!

 Here are all the cute sister missionaries getting ready for transfers.

We love serving with them....they are the best!

If you want to have a spot on our bedroom mirror.....send us your pictures!

We love getting your letters and pictures!

Welcome to Omaha...Julie, Roger, Tanner & Spencer!

 A chilly afternoon in downtown Omaha at Pioneer Courage Park.

We also visited several museums in the area.

 Spencer & Tanner walking from Nebraska to Iowa

 on the pedestrian bridge across the Missouri River.

 Julie enjoying the sunny fall weather at the Omaha Zoo,

listed as a top zoo in the nation!

A Sunday afternoon visit to the Pioneer Cemetery in Winter Quarters.

 Learning of our pioneer heritage in Winter Quarters.

 At the beautiful entrance of the Winter Quarters Temple.

 The Pioneer Trail Visitor Center at Winter Quarters....

one of our assigned sites.

Spencer & Tanner taking a tour of the Pioneer Trails 

Visitor Center....we loved getting to show our family

around Omaha and Council Bluffs while they were here!

Conference Weekend Getaway to Kansas

Our visit to the "Ellsworth Farm" in Hesston, Kansas over Conference weekend 

included watching Jared milk their goats and.....

..... watching Becca gather lots of lovely brown eggs, and......

" visiting via Skype" with Jon & Shaunae's family on the computer

 while eating yummy apple crisp, and......

....learning all about following the "Iron Rod" for Family Home Evening, and.....

..... listening to Jeff tell the story of the "Great and Spacious Building"....and...

 ....learning the importance of "holding to the iron rod"....and....

...enjoying home-made root beer made from the "mists of darkness" dry ice.

It was a super F.H.E.activity!

We are so happy to be living just 4 hours away from our Kansas family!

Working at the Kanesville Visitor Center

 Back view of the visitor center and Tabernacle.

At the entrance of the visitor center.

 Elder Ellsworth showing where the wagons crossed the Missouri River.

 Pioneer family memorial

 Beautiful flower gardens at the visitor center

 Inside the Tabernacle visitors learn that Brigham Young was sustained there

as Prophet and second president of the Church on Dec. 27, 1847.

People come to the visitor center to find out about the Mormon Battalion:

500 Saints enlisted to help in the war against Mexico, gave their uniform $$ to support their families, marched 2000 miles, never fired a shot in battle, discharged in Los Angeles,

some helped in the Coloma gold discovery before joining their families in Salt Lake Valley.

  

Kanesville Tabernacle in Council Bluffs, Iowa

We seem to be working here at the Kanesville Tabernacle

the majority of the time and we enjoy it a lot !

Pioneer Courage Park in downtown Omaha

Exploring downtown Omaha we stopped at Pioneer Courage Park to view these

larger-that-life bronze sculptures of a pioneer wagon train spanning an entire city block.

The work of L.D.S. sculptor Blair Buswell.

We're here in Winter Quarters

We got to Omaha Sept. 8th and hit the ground running!  

Here we are at the Winter Quarters Visitor Center ready to start our shift.

Heading to Nebraska

 The last day at the MTC with new missionary friends.

 September 6, 2012 all packed and ready for the drive to Nebraska.