Tuesday, August 8, 2017


Spring finally came and summer has flown by.  The beauty of the green hills and the wildflowers growing everywhere never ceases to give us a visual treat.  All of the rain pays big dividends by giving Mother Nature everything she needs to create a colorful palette to paint pictures that can't help but delight.

 

 AS FORECAST,

our summer has been very, very busy with thousands of visitors and thousands of tours, but it's heartwarming to have so many come and enjoy the Spirit that pervades this area.  The land recalls the sacred events that occurred here and you can't help but feel peace as you walk the paths.

To get ready for the crowds we spiffed up the statues a bit by cleaning them and putting a coat of wax on them.  A water fight was bound to occur the day we pulled out the hoses to scrub off the winter dust.  But, it was fun for all!


4th of July didn't pass by unnoticed here.  Although, it was a normal day at the Visitor Center, we got up early in the morning and went to the local high school for some races and some fun with water balloons.  Later in the day we had a little barbecue and managed to have some fun games between tours.

 

 We were so blessed to have some of our family come see us in July.  My parents and my sister Leslie and her husband, Bruce flew out and we enjoyed so much showing them around and spending time together.   Christine, Doug and their daughters, Sydney, Jordan and London also came for a few days and we were able to drive up to Palmyra with them and see some of the sites there too.






This is the cabin on the Smith farm where the prophet Joseph Smith was living at the time of the First Vision.












               

                 Inside the Smith family cabin.












The upstairs bedroom where the Angel Moroni told Joseph of the Gold Plates hidden in the Hill Cumorah.










Another highlight was the visit by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency.   The wonderful people we meet here are the greatest blessing of all for the service we that we give.  Each are cherished, unique and have a story to tell.  We love spending an hour or two with these beautiful children of our Father in Heaven and sharing our testimonies with them.













5 comments:

lindsay said...

It looks like you guys are having such a good time out there and are meeting some great people. I'm jealous of all the fam that's going to visit! But I love the posts and seeing you all together. The flowers and colors are so beautiful too, keep the pictures coming! Love and miss you guys so much!

JaneH said...

Glad to see that you are Blogging again. Great way for us to keep up with you.
We had such a great time visiting in Penn. Thanks for all you did to make things good for us.
Now we can picture it when you tell us about happenings. Love ya and Miss ya.
Mom.

o charm said...

Wow, the wildflowers!! So green and beautiful.
You guys will make a party wherever you go!

Unknown said...

So great to see your update! Johanna and I are excited to come and see you in October!

Unknown said...

Thanks for making our trip out so memorable! It was neat to see where you guys serve and learn from you about the history of that place. It's amazing!