A WinTer DaY at the SMitH FaRm!!

A quick follow-up on our Saturday:

We worked our shift at the Temple in the morning, then had the afternoon shift at the Joseph Smith Farm. We had 31 visitors from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. I think nearly all of them also visited the Sacred Grove after their tour of the Welcome Center and the Log Home and the Frame Home (our 1/2 mi. walking tour). The Sacred Grove walk meant "breaking trail" thru the snow -- and they'd come back nearly frozen. Then they'd thaw out a little and say how they loved the tour and the Grove.

It was the beginning of the 3-day holiday weekend I guess that brought more people than usual. Some of them were Dental students from Buffalo and their little families, and some were from Utah and around that were taking advantage of Southwest Airlines half-price special "if you fly to or thru Buffalo, NY."

All is well, we too "thawed out" after our busy afternoon!!!

SNOWY and COLD!

January -- New York Winter

We enjoyed the beautiful Christmas decorations at the Visitor's Center. This was about the last day before they came down.



It's time to begin a New Year and this one seems to be a COLD one!! The HIGH temperature today (Jan. 16) was 10 degrees -- breaking a record of 11 degrees that has stood since 1893 (according to news reports). The wind chill makes it much colder, but (from inside) the brief sunshine made it appear much warmer! We are grateful for a warm, cozy apartment where the furnace works well.

Tours at the Sites have slowed down quite a bit with the COLD weather and storms, but we still "man the posts" and greet those who do come. Some of our missionary couples are completing their missions soon and will be returning home. One couple left this week and we have two more couples leaving in March. We will have a new couple arriving the end of this month, then one more the end of Feb. and another one coming the end of March (these last ones are the Hamblin's from Ivins, UT). We may find some distant cousins serving with us, we are excited to discover just who they are.

We love our mission and enjoy having people visit these Sacred and wonderful sites. It's a joy to bear our testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel and of the events that happened here. We feel thankful every day for the opportunity we have to serve here. We pray always that you children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will feel of the blessings of the restoration of the gospel, and that you will each be an example to others of righteous living and service to our Father in Heaven. We pray always for these blessings for each of you.

All is well with us -- despite my "stumble bumming" fall on New Year's Eve which left me with a well "tatooed" black and blue elbow and arm, but it is getting better. I'm grateful for no broken bones and a good LDS chiropractor and his good care.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Happy New Year to all of our family and friends!!

We can hardly believe 2009 is beginning -- seems like the time is really flying by. We are so thankful for all the wonderful blessings that has come to us as we serve here at the Birthplace of the Restoration. We truly have felt the Spirit of the Lord in our lives and we love bearing testimony to the truthfulness of the restoration and the truths of the gospel. We are also grateful for the blessings of health and strength and the ability to serve. We thank all of you who support and sustain us -- and in all you do for us. It is with grateful hearts that we acknowledge the birth of our Savior, the example He set for us, and His atoning sacrifice for all of us.

This past week has been a busy time -- lots of fun activities with all our wonderful Senior missionary friends, and many of the young Sister missionaries. We had a brunch together on both Christmas and New Year's Day, also some fun programs and talents to go along with the good food. We also attended a live Nativity program and had a Family Home Evening program to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This evening we went to dinner at Elder and Sister Pinegar's (an old Page Elementary School reunion, he called it) -- the Pinegar's, the Bennett's and us, we all attended that old school together in our youth (at least Linda and I and Ed Pinegar). It was fun to remember all those old teachers we had and friends we'd almost forgotten. The Pinegars will finish their mission and be leaving soon, they will be sorely missed.

This greeted us for the last day of 2008, this was following a mid-winter thaw a few days earlier. This is looking toward Linda and Gary's house and the Sacred Grove parking area.






This week was transfers for some missionaries. Elder McKee and Elder Wilson came by the Grandin bldg. to let us know Elder McKee was being transferred from Palmyra. They are both really good missionaries and they have seemed to "adopt" us.





Here they were hugging us goodbye. Note: Elder McKee's long distance hug for me. HA!!





They came for dinner with us, afterwards when they went into the bedroom to change to their missionary suits they "spied" Elder Hamblin's boots. So out they came with each of them wearing a pair of his boots. What a "hoot" these two are!!!





This is all of our Site Sister missionaries at the Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center following our Site mtg. last week. They are wonderful, dedicated young women. Hoorah! for Sister Missionaries!!!!