Trip out west during Nauvoo Temple Closure

While the Nauvoo temple was closed November 10-25, we got approval to go to our granddaughter's baby blessing in Millcreek, Washington, and our granddaughter's sealing to her parents in the Gilbert, Arizona temple.  Both sacred ordinances were wonderful to witness and participate in.  

We left Nauvoo on Sunday, November 10th and arrived at our home in South Jordan on Monday afternoon, November 11th.  We attended a Sacrament meeting in Iowa City on Sunday - it was their Primary Program.

While in South Jordan we saw all of our children who live in the Salt Lake valley.  It was wonderful seeing them again.  While there we had dinner with our local family both this week and the next week.  Our grandchildren just keep getting bigger and bigger.  Below are some pictures from our time in South Jordan.

We traveled to Nampa, Idaho on Wednesday, November 13th and visited with Jared, Krista and their children.  We had a great visit with them.  They celebrated Parker's 3rd birthday party while we were there.  We stayed overnight at their home that evening.  Below are some pictures from our time there.

On Thursday, November 14th we travelled to Kennewick, Washington and visited with Katie and her children.  We had a great visit with them.  Lincoln opened his birthday gift while we were there.  We stayed overnight at their home that evening.  On our way back from Justin's - we stopped by for a few minutes and also saw Katie, Shawn, their children, and Shawn's sister Steph, with her children (see their picture below).  Below are some pictures from our time there.

 

On Friday, November 15th we travelled to Millcreek, Washington to visit Justin, Kati and their children.  We stayed at their home until Monday morning, November 18th.  We had a great visit with them.  On Friday night we went to Alyssa's play (the Addams Family) at a local high school.  On Saturday morning we went to Ashlynn's volleyball game.  On Sunday we attended their ward with them where Justin gave a beautiful baby blessing to Ella, their new baby daughter.  On Sunday evening Justin sang in a duet with another man at the Stake's general priesthood meeting.  Below are some pictures from our visit with them.

On Monday, November 18th we travelled home to South Jordan.  Along the way we stopped at Katie and Shawn's in Kennewick where Katie fed us lunch.  We had a nice (and short) visit with them.  We then went to Nampa, Idaho and saw Jared, Krista and their children, where they fed us dinner.  We had a nice (and short) visit with them.  It was great to have these places to stop along the way to visit with our family.  We arrived in South Jordan that evening.  We spent a couple of days at home in South Jordan.  

On Thursday, November 21st we travelled to Mesa, Arizona to be with Nathan, Chantal and their children.  We had a great visit with them on Friday, November 22nd, including playing miniature golf with the boys.  On Saturday morning we met them and all of their children at the Gilbert, Arizona temple.  At this temple, their newly adopted daughter, Sophia, was sealed to them.  It was wonderful to see Nathan, Chantal, Sophia, Hyrum, Jesse and Hadyn in the sealing room for this sacred ordinance.  We then went back to their home to celebrate the sealing and celebrate Hyrum and Jesse's birthdays (which are both this month).  Below are some pictures from our visit with them and pictures outside the temple.

We then left for Nauvoo, driving 7 hours on Saturday, about 11 hours on Sunday (attending a Sacrament meeting in Edgewood, New Mexico) and about 6 hours on Monday.  We arrived back in Nauvoo in time to attend a Thanksgiving dinner for all of the Temple Missionaries and the Nauvoo Historic Site Missionaries at the Nauvoo Pageant headquarters.  It was a long but wonderful trip.  We feel so blessed to have been able to attend these sacred, family events.  

Exit Interviews, Temple Cleaning, Nauvoo Halloween Celebrations, Bill's Birthday, Farewell Dinner and Testimony Meeting

Last week our Temple President and his wife (President and Sister Irion) held exit interviews with all of the Temple Missionaries (about 50 couples).  President and Sister Irion's last day serving here is October 31st.  It was a very nice touch for them to interview each couple.  They have been great leaders and we will miss them deeply.  Our interview with them was very nice, with both us and them expressing appreciation for the service rendered here. 







Friday night we had the opportunity to clean the temple.  Each night (except Sunday) the temple is cleaned by some of the members who live in the temple district and some of the temple missionaries.  This is the 3rd time we have cleaned the temple.  It is a blessing for us to be able to do this.

Nauvoo Halloween celebrations

Each year during the month of October, Nauvoo has various activities to celebrate Halloween.  These include putting various types of scarecrows (we posted pictures of some of them on our last post) on the sides of Mulholland street, pumpkin carving contest, costume parade, face painting and some other activities.  

On Saturday, October 26th there was the costume parade.  All of the carved pumpkins were put on display on the sides of Mulholland street.  Included are some pictures from this.  We were serving in the temple Saturday afternoon so we didn't see most of the activities.  But this is a big event here in Nauvoo.

Bill's Birthday

I had a wonderful birthday last week with Marilyn.  She is so kind and gracious all the time - but was especially so on my birthday.  Below are a couple of pictures of what she gave me.  We had a nice dinner and our children called me to wish me a Happy Birthday.  Also, extended family members and friends also wished me a happy birthday.  I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

Farewell dinner and testimony meeting.

Last Monday we had a very nice dinner and testimony meeting at the Nauvoo Pageant headquarters.  Marilyn worked with a couple of other sisters on the food and decorations for this dinner.  And Marilyn said:  It turned out well because the soup was hot and water was cold.  The food was very good and the company exceptional.



During the dinner a slide show was presented that showed many pictures of people and some of the events that have happened here in Nauvoo over the past six months.  It was very well done.  


Before the dinner three quilts were presented our outgoing temple presidency and the matrons.  Each quilt had a square that one of us missionary couples wrote (or drew) on.  It was very touching.  One of the temple missionaries put all of this together.  She did an excellent job and this was a surprise to the temple presidency and matrons.



We had three musical numbers performed (one before the quilts were given, which was the song "For Good" performed by two women), one after the dinner (which Marilyn and I sung in - see the link below to most of this song), and one after the testimonies (Jerusalem sung by a former recorder in our temple, who is now a counselor in the new presidency).
-----  Link to song we sang:  https://youtu.be/JDQXZlTtRSE

Special Endowment Sessions

Last week we had the opportunity of being on an endowment session with 1/2 of the temple missionaries that we have been serving with.  The session rooms are not large enough to accommodate all of us at the same time so we had two of these special sessions.  The temple presidency and matrons were on both sessions.  Being with all of these people we have grown to love so much was very touching.  The Spirit was very strong.