Easter Week

After church on Easter we stopped at Carthage for a picnic lunch and to see the tulips.  Later we had Easter dinner at the Mensel's with a few of the FM couples.

At Carthage

Easter Dinner

Richard, our employer, was on a much deserved vacation this week so we were left to our own devices - and Louis'.  Louis is the treeman - or arborist, so he asked us to beautify his trees, by removing all the decorative rocks and replace the 10 islands with mulch.  Several times we found ourselves humming "Working on a Chain Gang".  We had the young sister missionaries helping us and the three new summer interns from BYU-I, or I don't think we could have finished the job.

Before

During

After

Way after - Young missionaries after digging rocks.

Sister Corder, the FM secretary, took time to take our picture at the FM compound. There are days when we work really, really hard, but most of the time it is enjoyable to be outside in the fresh spring time and work to make a yard, or a garden look nice. We are happy to be FM missionaries.

We started dance instruction for the performance all senior missionaries do in Sunset on the Mississippi.  It actually was fun; even Elder Barrow seemed to enjoy it. I'm in the orange shirt, Elder Barrow is on my right.

Elder Cornwell's corner - our resident photographer

Spring Sprung

Elder Cornwell's photo of the Women's Garden, Easter morning.

Birds and tulips bloomed this week. The greenhouse plants started going outside.  We had a few days in the 70's.  But before we get into the work week, we started the week with an instructional fireside by Elder Waddell from the Presiding Bishopric. He taught us about what the Presiding Bishopric does and doesn't do. Using President Lusvardi and President Irion, the temple president, as object lessons, he explained how priesthood keys work, and who has what keys.  We learned so much.

Elder Waddell explains priesthood keys.  Photo by Elder Crump, mission photographer.

The work week started out with greenhouse work and yard work. And baby birds hatching. 

Elder Cornwell's photo of the birds.  

Our phone photo of the birds. 

 We had our last song practices for Sunset on the Mississippi.  The dance instructor comes next week.  This should be interesting.

The young sisters sometimes help us. 

Employees, Louis and Adam, finish cleaning out the spider house. 

So let me explain. In the fall  The Spider house and the Stone house are filled with plants that should stay dormant all winter. No light - no photosythesis.  They are watered, and in the spring they come out. Now they should start greening up. 

Stone house grasses.

We ended the week with an Easter dinner with our FM family.

Elder Baker entertains us with cowboy poetry.  Ever heard of Baxter Black?

 

Saturday we took a bike ride around Nauvoo, and enjoyed the flowers.

From Parley Street, on our bike ride. 

Soon we won't be able to see the temple for the leaves..

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Elder Cornwell happened to be in the garden when we were and took our photo.

Signs of Spring

The Greenhouse

Things started warming up at the greenhouse this week.  We continue to plant seedlings into trays, and trimming the potted annuals so that they don't get too "leggy" before we can move them outside. By cutting them back, they will be bushy when they do go outside. 

AND the cover went over the outside tables. This week's shipment was potted and left outside. 

See the pretty flowers.  We cut them all off. 

Cover is over the outside tables

Our leader, Richard, with our days work, potting all of these plants.  They will stay outside instead of going into the greenhouse. 

Around Nauvoo

First tulips

Smith Family cemetery

Women's garden coming to life.

At the House

Our little bird finally posed for a picture long enough to be identified.  House wrens have nested in our Christmas wreath.  I know, I should have taken it down before this, but now I'm glad I didn't.  There are 5 blue eggs in the nest.   I'd take a picture of the nest, but we upset the birds enough just coming in and out of the house.  But hey, we lived here first. 

And we trimmed back the bush in front of our house so that we could rake the leaves away from it. 

Everywhere you see dirt - you couldn't before we trimmed this bush. 

The Sunset

You might get tired of seeing sunset pictures, but they really are beautiful and numerous over the river.  We saw this one after coming out of song practice one evening.  I wanted to take a picture because it was over the Sarah Granger Kimball home - the oldest standing home in Nauvoo.   The home is near the FM complex, so I drive or walk past it every day.  Hiram Kimball lived here before the saints came.  He does share a common ancestor with the Heber Kimballs, but it is way back. They didn't know each other before Nauvoo.  You might remember from my March post that this is the home is where the idea for the Women's Relief Society was born. 

Sarah Granger Kimball home on the left. 

Family Time

One of the many unique things about the Illinois Nauvoo Mission is that families are encouraged to come.  That doesn't mean we stop working, but when we aren't working, we hang out with our guests.  Consequently, my pictures for this week are not about the mission, but about our family's visit. 

Snake Alley - Burlington

Our yard

Thomas with Lincoln - my oldest and youngest grandchildren

A very Cold wagon ride

Everyone but Elder Barrow, who kept working

Kelley with children

                                                Making Rope at the Family Living Center

Aaron, James, Kelley and children

Hot dog cookout

 Aunt Jenny is always fun.

Driving the FM machines

Learning how to make bricks - pre-school style

A cold carriage ride out into the country

Driving the Ox Cart - Gee Haw

And in other news

The young sisters returned, a sure sign of Spring.