NAUVOO'S FIRST SNOW!

 

We got up this morning to this pretty view out our kitchen window. Nauvoo's first snow.

Remember the deer eating apples I put on the blog a while back, this is that area. They still come back, I saw them this morning even in the snow. They must have cold toes, huh!

 

Can you see the little squirrel in the tree? He was scurrying around and found a nut and dashed up into the tree to have the feast. They have been so busy around here lately I was surprised he found one more!



This is a huge mountain of corn that has been harvested around here lately. They dry it and send it down river to use in making Ethanol. Do you know what that is? They dry it, alot of time it smells like popcorn all over the city. There are 550,000 bushels of corn in this moutain. The funny thing about it today is the donuts of snow that have stayed on it. I bet the dryers are shaped in a circle, what do you think?

WE ARE MOVING!

This is our first little charismatic home. It is a little space behind the John Taylor show home. What a thrill is was to move into this wonderful little living quarters for 6 months. I remember feeling "I need to be on my very best super sonic behavior" to live here. Memories of this charismatic little home are written in the memories of my mind!



We planted a garden. It was soooooo fun to have all these beautiful flowers and vegetables. Everything grows so well. We loved having a garden!!! Even if we share it with the deer and raccoons!
In the top right corner you can see how our home has a different level from the front part of the house. It is part of the original 1840's home, although it looks like it could be an addition. The ceiling in the bathroom was not quite high enough for me to tease my hair. I kept scraping my knuckles on the light fixture that was set into the ceiling. You can also see the firecrackers made from logs. Elder Flake and I made them for the 4th of July Breakfast. It was a fun project we worked together on! He makes a very good firecracker!!!

We had a wonderful little view of Main Street down the little brick pathway between the Print Shop and the John Taylor Show Home. Elder Flake, Jen and Ryan are standing at the end looking back at me. It was so fun!

We hope to have a picture of everyone in front of a home before we go home. Jill and Yuya and Kekoa were the first, then Shell and Paisley, then Jen and Ryan. James and Eva are coming soon! Yeah!!!!!!

Paisley is enjoying the upstairs. We have just finished moving our bedroom and decided to get a picture before we turned in our keys. Paisley is so patient with all our comings and goings. She is such a little doll!



This is the little door to the upstairs bedroom of the show home. We had alot of fun with this door. Many times we could hear people ask, "What is behind that door?" We had great fun answering them. One time a Young Performing missionaries' family came to visit he asked us to say something through the door. Elder Flake heard them and then said "Help, Elder Anderson, I've been waiting for you to come a mission for 150 years." Wow, there was alot of movement in the other room. Lots of little nieces and nephews who were startled. They loved it!

Shell Belle & Paisley Belle's Visit!

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Shell Belle getting out of her cute little rental car in the Keokuk, Iowa Wal Mart where we met!!! My heart was leaping for joy, but I had to take a quick picture to capture this moment when our brave little daughter came to Nauvoo to share her precious and newest little angel with us!!!!

 

After a quick and powerful hug we ran to see Paisley Blair for the first time in this life. What a little princess! She smiled just like she knew who we were. She immediately made it known that she loved us and she knew us! A tender mercy from a loving Father in Heaven!!!!!

 

She spoke peace to my soul! She spoke the same feelings I've felt with each of our grandchildren when they were fresh from Heavenly Father! It's true, it is a definate message each of our family have come with!!!!!

 

What adoring looks Grandpa and Paisley are each giving each other and speaking to each other from their hearts!


Shell and Paisley on the steps of the beautiful Nauvoo Temple. Paisley Belle is wearing the sweet little dress AnnaBelle wore almost exactly two years ago when Mark and Tiffany got married here. It was so fun to dress her up and call to remembrance the wonderful memories of that idyllic family trip.

As we took pictures around the temple we were treated to another outstanding sunset on the Mississippi.

Shell and I and Paisley were privileged to clean the reader boards in the Grove just west of the Temple. We stopped to remember the moment with pictures. The soft focus around Grandma and Paisley means Grandma was in heaven with little Paisley in her arms!



I think her mommy is too!!!



Yet another beautiful view of the Temple. The Saints that left here in 1846 are walking with us joyfully as we enjoy the blessings of the Temple again in Nauvoo!

This sweet little humming bird fluttered by to enjoy the sweet little Paisley Belle!

A little doe played peek a boo around the delicious apple tree to say Hi to Pais.

Just a few fall leaves to behold. I know Shell was a little dissapointed but she never complained! There was just too many other wonderful views to waste time on dissapointments!


When Grandpa and Grandma Great were missionaries in Nauvoo the Lucy Mack Smith carriage house was open to visitors. Now it is stored behind her home.

What a sweet treat to hold little Pais in her blessing dress. I loved making it for her! I think it was a little big for her as she is 3 months old now and it is still plenty big.

We sit with little Paisley in our new home. We stayed here just one night before Shell and Paisley came to visit. You can see some moving clutter on the floor!

This sweet picture is taken behind the Lucy Mack Smith home. It is such a charming little place to sit and ponder!

We're at the opening of the Stone Arch Bridge. Such a gorgeous evening with the setting sun shining through the trees and the trickling creek lazily rolling along! And little Pais is off in slumber land.
I was in heaven in the sewing room the day Paisley watched me sew for 2.5 hours. What a pleasant little spirit she is, not one whimper the whole time!


Grandpa was playing the horse and taking Shell and Paisley for a wagon ride. They made it safely, tho' Shell had to use a little gentle persuasion!!!!
This littlest Flake Angel slept in one of Grandpa's drawers. We could find no pack and play in Nauvoo. But she was as snug as a bug in a rug. Just perfect age to sleep so comfortably in this little space.
Grandpa Great would get tears in his eyes as he would talk about the wood lathe that his G - G - G Grandfather Edward Milo Webb used while living here in Nauvoo. He put it back into working order while he served here in 1996-1997.
Shell is pointing at the brand burned into the door at the Webb Blacksmith Shop. It is Grandpa Great's. He burned it in the door while he was on his mission.

Grandpa is making a special little horse shoe for Shell Belle! What a privilege it is to share the stories we've learned here in Old Nauvoo.

Here we are in the Family Living Center. Paisley is riding on the sheep used as a visual for how the Saints made wool. They were very resourceful and never wasted anything!!!!!

Once again the lovely Nauvoo Temple with two sweet angels sitting near by!
Calm, Peace, Joy, Heaven is close, are the thoughts I had as Paisley and I took a little siesta on the couch!

Paisley looks pretty sad to as we took one last look at each other. She brought so my joy and happiness it was definately worth the heartache I was feeling to get a chance to hold her close and whisper. "I love you, I love you, I love you!" It is such a joyous occasion when I get to whisper that into the ears of each of the precious spirits Heavenly Father has so generously loaned us!
How my heart was aching and the tears were flowing as I watched that cute little rental car drive down Parley Street that Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 24th. It truly was a street of tears for me that morning!

My memory will enjoy this sweet little face and her visit here in Old Nauvoo. Thank you Shelley and Rusty for sacrificing so much to allow us this time with Paisley. And thank you to all the other who helped make it possible. And thank you our brave little pioneer daughter for making this trip alone to share your littlest angel!!!!!!

A MORNINGSIDE WITH SHERI DEW AND WENDI WATSON NELSON!

 

One of the 6 month missionary couples that have been serving here in Nauvoo is Elder and Sis. Dew. They just happen to be the parents of one of my favorite speakers, Sheri Dew. Sis. Mama Dew fell and broke her hip in the Burlington Mall a month ago and of course Sheri had to come see her Mom. Wendi Watson Nelson, Apostle Nelson's wife is very very good friends with Sheri and her parents so she came also. That led to a special treat for we missionaries, both Sheri and Wendi spoke to us early one morning.

Sister Nelson told us how she got a note from Apostle Nelson about a new book she had just written. She called Sheri to say is this normal, should I worry? Sheri said "Don't worry, I have a box full of notes". Then a month later she received a birthday card. She again called Sheri, "Is this normal, should I worry?" " No it's not normal and yes, you better start worrying." Then he called and asked if he could see her. She said "How do you date on Apostle? Well, I found out. We had 1 date 40 times, in Sheri's living room." What a fun time we had listening to her sweet story!

Then Sheri spoke. She talked about the Lords way of picking leaders and the worlds way.

Right now with all the hoopla of the election. The mud slinging, the half truths, the stretched truths, the flip flopping, the positioning, what a mess. Who is right?

Contrast that with the calm peaceful shifting of the mantle from President Hinckley to President Monson. Tremendous difference!!!

A recent statement by Elder Holland struck Sheri. He said, "We spend too much of our lives acting as though we are going to stay here. We aren't, we won't, we can't!"

Then she said our challenge:
"Get past the world and not let that be the force that governs us."

She said, "I love the last chapters of the Book of Mormon. She reminded us that Moroni was, the son of a prophet. He endured staggering trials, he was left alone for decades, he lived in a very wicked day! He saw our day, he knew how it would be and he made an urgent appeal.
1. Know the Book of Mormon
2. Don't deny the power of God.
3. He pleads in Moroni 10:30 "Come unto Christ"

How? Make the same choice those early Saints did,
WALK AWAY FROM THE WORLD!!!!

We make that same plea to our loved ones,
"WALK AWAY FROM THE WORLD!"

PS Sis. Mama Dew is a delightful lady and we have had good times serving together. Elder Dew is on the lawn mower daily. He gets frustrated with these younguns' who stop work way to early. (Most stop around 2 or 3 o'clock) He says "you're supposed to work from sun up to sun down" Many a day we have seen him out on the mower until 6 or 7 o'clock at night. They can't get him to stop! "You're wastin' daylight" he says.

What A Way to be Uplifted!!!!

  This is the beautiful big white stone building called the Cultural Hall, where we perform in Rendevous two nights a week. I love this building and have felt tremendous sorrow for all the hard work that had gone into building this edifice and then the Saints not being able to use it very long. It has four floors, the bottom or Green Room, is now where the cast meets and warms up for performances and where the young performing missionaries readies for their 2 shows a day of "Just Plain Anna Amanda", when they are here. It gets pretty messy with all its use in the summer.

During this busy busy time it was our turn to clean the Green Room. We were not doing it grudingly, but we were very tired as it had been a hot busy day at Pioneer Pastimes. We left Pioneer Pastimes about 4:25pm and headed straight for the Cultural Hall, it would take a little over an hour to clean if we hurried. We had to be back and ready for Rendevous at 6:30 pm. I started in one area and Elder Flake started in another. I was busy moving chairs so I could sweep and trying to make myself hurry. All of a sudden I was just bouyed up, it was almost a tangible feeling, a real lift for my tired body. I could feel smiling, happy faces all around. I could feel joy and happiness. Then I realized the saints of long ago are so happy for this buidling to be restored and in use again. It was being used for just the purpose they built it and they were smiling joyfully.

I too am joyful!!!! Joyful to be here and feel of their spirits as they see their beautiful Nauvoo full of appreciative visitors and again complete with its crowning glory, the Nauvoo Temple.


We finished our job and felt as refreshed as if we'd had a nap that day.

Horror in the Corn Patch!

  I was out admiring our little front garden and the cute watermelons coming along, when all of a sudden I spied........
 .....bits and pieces of corn husks. Chills went up and down my spine. OH NO!!!!!.. did a little critter get into our corn patch?
  I ran around to the back garden and to my horror there was our precious corn trampled down and the corn cobs lying all over the ground.
 The culprit, a little racoon we have been chasing off. I looked at the corn the evening before and said "OOOOO, just one more day and we'll pick it and have sweet corn and tomatoes and squash from our garden for supper!". I didn't mind sharing the lettuce with the bunnies and the tomatoes with the deer but I did not want to share the corn with Mr. Racoon!!!!! He had a feast, Boo Hoo Hoo!