Drive to Woodstock!

White River near our house in So. Royalton Vt.

Visit from Heather, Melissa & Jared!

We had such a special time with the kids after Heather & Jon's reception. We were able to get special permission to go out of our mission boundary to attend the reception in Connecticut. It was so nice to finally meet Jon's mom and family. They really love Heather and seem very nice.

We had a wonderful dinner and great time. Heather & kids drove back to Vermont with us for a couple of days. Jon had to go back to GA. to work. We visited the Yankee Candle Factory, Santa's Workshop, longest covered bridge in Windsor, VT. & the JS Memorial on the way. Later that night, the Wilson's across the street, invited us all over to watch fireworks. On Monday ate breakfast at the Sugarhouse in Bethal than off to Woodstock and the Billings Farm. From there, we ate a picnic lunch at Quechee Gorge and took pictures of a few more covered bridges and watched a glass blower make wine glasses. Later, a walk to the river to dig up some fern for Heather to take home & a bike ride. A full day of activities.

Today, we got up early and drove to the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory for a tour, and to the airport in Burlington for their departure at 1:30 pm. A nice time for all (I hope the kids had a good time, we sure enjoyed having them visit), our 1st visitors in Vermont!

We need to thank our daughter, Kristie, so much for setting this Blog up for us.
It is fun and a great way to keep track of what we are doing on our mission.

Garden behind the Directors (Elder & Sister McKinnon) home.

Elder Jensen about to blast off!

We had all the senior missionaries (6 couples counting us) over for a social Friday. It was fun. We always meet on Monday for FHE as well, with a few members of the Ward. The mission has been much different then I expected. It is completely a service type, with no teaching. We were told we would be rotating into the visitor center, but it does not look like that will happen. There are 3 of us couples who work on the grounds and buildings. We meet every morning at 8 and discuss, with 2 church paid employees, what should be done for the day. We have a thought & prayer then off to work. The ladies usually rake and plant and weed. The other day I got to paint picnic tables, it was nice for a change. We also cleared a large area that was forest and made a stone bench with the help of (Gene Hill) a guy on a tractor. The Elders usually do the heavy work of clearing logs, painting bathroom floors, cleaned the pond and hauling trash, etc. I am still a bit homesick and get bored with raking and want to go home and lay on the floor for awhile, oh, shame on me! We should be losing weight, but just eat more instead. We both have sore muscles most days. It is rewarding to feel we are making a difference in helping to make the grounds inspiring to thous who come to this Holy place.

We haven't planted many flowers as yet, so things haven't really gotten as beautiful as it will after we plant the 1000+ flowers at the end of this month. Working with others can be difficult, even on the mission. The other 2 Sisters have been here longer then myself, so I don't want to "rock the ship". Sometimes I just have to bit my lip.

Week 7 ~ Work, Work, Work!

Went for a ride last Sat, it was beautiful, found 6 chairs someone was giving away to a good home. Nephi will have to work on them, when he gets bored after work at the memorial ~ no tv. Spring is a wonderful time, we have been getting the flower beds, around the monument, ready for planting later this month. They say it may still freeze, so don't want to take any chances. The daffodils have almost finished blooming, they don't put in many tulips because of the cost and they don't do well for some reason. We do had trouble with deer eating the plants, too. The weather here is a lot like our weather, just more humid. In the forest, the fern are starting to grow and I can't wait to see it cascading down the mountain sides between the trees and streams.We are moving to a small studio apt. next month. The home we are living in now, is for sale, so we needed to find something after the Vermont Law School was over and students went home for the summer. Gee, wish I was going home for the summer, I must admit I am a bit homesick.

Foundation stones from the Mack pioneer homes.

Daniel Mack foundation.

On the 14th of May, we had Zone Conference. It was held at our So. Royalton Chapel, and was very inspirational. The young missionaries gave talks and testimonies and even sang to us! They were filled with the spirit and so, filled us with their fire. Then we had a nice meal.

Stone bridge near the old foundations.

Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial Grounds

We have had beautiful weather this week. There are 2 other missionary couples who work with us. Elder & Sis. Lamb from Arizona and Elder & Sis. Sanford from Maine. We are the "greenies". We had the Sanford's and Wilson's (we are renting their home temperately) to dinner Tuesday night. The elders usually work together & the sisters work elsewhere on the grounds. Nephi built some picnic table frames, loaded lots & lots of wood chips from old tree stomps and leaves onto little Gater carts to dump in compost pile. The ladies and I raked the forest for 3 days then got the flower beds ready for planting. Today, we cleaned up around a kiosk for maps, etc. and transformed the small wilderness area into park like space. The elders actually helped us today and it was so nice. We are planning to transplant some fern from the forest into the transformed area tomorrow.