Thanksgiving guests

Here is Sarger. He is now just three years old. He has Sarager feet, which means they are like my father's... big, wide and he hold his big toe up most of the time. He loves his sister Piper, except when they both want to be on the Gazelle.

Sisters are wonderful! Piper loves having a big sister that will give her a piggy-back ride. Piper is in kindergarten now and loves it! She likes to draw and is well on her way to knowing how to read.

Quincey is now 13 years old. She loves being in Mutual. Right now her passion is the violin and her painting classes. She was a great help around here. I sure love that girl!

Briggs is crazy about being in the kitchen every time anything is being prepared. He wants his nose right down by the stove. He will probably grow up to be a chef. It looks like his Papa is holding him back, but he is really holding him for a picture. I earned a few kisses from Briggs this trip and that truly warmed my heart.


Boston is now 8 years old and 5 feet tall. He like chasing the cows with his dad in the field next to our house. He does very well in school, along with his two sisters, and is on the football team.

Thanksgiving

No one can crave a turkey like Lloyd and of course, he made the gravy. I think it was the best gravy ever and it was fat-free!
Here the gang is. Paige's family came from Texas. They brought Tag's parents, Paul and Dion, from Utah. The missionaries enjoyed having the kids around.

After we ate, everyone played games. Boston ended up playing Dominos with the missionaries all afternoon.

Our visit with the Uchtdorfs

As we were driving home, we got a phone call from Elder Joe Christiansen asking us to come to a meeting tomorrow morning here at the duplex. None of the missionaries would be going to Trenton to church. We would have a meeting and then break our fasts together. That sounds interesting. Lloyd left as soon as we got home to go to the car races with four other guys. They were so excited. I am excited to just stay home by myself and work on my rag rugs.
We were all ready and at the duplex by 8:30. There were parking places blocked off and we were all excited. Lloyd was asked to bless the sacrament along with Elder Rucker. At 9:00 in walked Elder Dieter Uchtdorf, his wife and their twin grandsons. It was so exciting to feel their spirits. The two grandsons turned 19 today and will be leaving on their missions next month. They live in Germany. The boys flew into New York City, the grandparents met them there, and the four of them have been taking a church history tour.
Elder Joe Christensen conducted the meeting and spoke first. He said that they love being at Adam-ondi-Ahman and at Spring Hill where Adam first offered sacrifice. When asked why he gave sacrifice Adam answered, “I know not, except I am commanded.” Adam also called all his posterity here at the end of his life and gave them a blessing and he will come again to bless all the people of the world. Elder Christensen compliments us on how things have been taken care of since the rain last week. He told us that only a few members of the Quorum of Twelve have ever come here, none for quite a while. This is a low-key mission. We are called here to maintain the land and to make it beautiful. Joseph Smith spent 22 nights here, usually in Lyman Wight’s home. They held meeting in the home. This is the first sacrament meeting presided over by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve since July 1838. In October of 1838, the extermination order was given and people left here. Adam-ondi-Ahman is often referred to as an outside temple.
Sister Uchtdorf spoke next. She bore her testimony and mentioned that even though it was hot and humid; she so felt the silence and peacefulness of the area. She said that she felt that each of us today and those from the past are all parts of a huge puzzle and each of us is important in getting the work done. She spoke of how sometimes it seems so strange that she is where she is today. She said she “was just a little girl from Germany; what has happened to me?” When her husband was first called to the Quorum, she felt peace and knew it was of God.
President Uchtdorf spoke last. He called his wife “the sunshine of my life.” He told us we are living in history and we are a part of the puzzle just like his wife said. The circle will be closing and the puzzle will be completed. It is not important where we serve, but how we serve. He told about how the Quorum met on the fourth floor of the temple after Pres. Hinckley died and what a spiritual experience it was to witness the mantle being past onto Thomas S. Monson. Pres. Monson then stood and said who he wanted for his counselors. President Uchtdorf was totally surprised when his name was called. He did not know until that moment. President Monson is the prophet of God today; he has a firm testimony of him. He told that President Monson is a very considerate and kind person. He spoke of how something that is sacred is often secret as well. Not that it cannot be told, but that it is sacred and should be kept to oneself. He spoke how the church is a universal church. It was only possible to have the restoration happen here in this country because of our freedom of religion, even though the Saints have been persecuted. He loves the song “America, the Beautiful.” Self-control is always needed. “You are the salt of the Earth.” This place will be ready when it is time. The Second Coming is a reality. The stumbling stones we encounter must be turn into stepping-stones. What we are doing here may also be helping people’s testimonies become stronger. WE are part of the history of the church. “I know it. God lives. He is with us.”
He left us by giving us an Apostolic blessing. In it, he said we will see miracles happen in our families, our close and extended families. He blessed us and told us the God knows us and has accepted our sacrifices. He will hear our prayers. We all broke our fast together up at the work center. Darline had prepared the meal all by herself since she could not tell any one what was happening. She had it decorated with read, white and blue. She had prepared ham, bake beans, lots of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and brownies for dessert. It was a huge job. Elder Christensen had us sing for them. We sang the songs from when we had ward conference. We first same “Onward Christian Soldiers” and then “Secret Prayer.” When we looked over at Pres. Uchtdorf, he just had tears running down his cheeks. It was really was the best we ever sang. The Uchtdorfs were gracious and let us take their pictures as much as we wanted. Lloyd and I were able to talk with them about the Glendale 3rd Ward when we were in it together. Sister Uchtdorf told us that we were the highlight of their trip.

Our Amish Adventure

The great adventure of Ethelyn and Donise…It all began with Ethelyn needing to go to H and M to pick up some ointment and needed someone to go with her. Since I am usually open for anything, I was the one she called. We did her shopping there and I suggested we drive back on the dirt roads. I enjoy so much seeing the Amish farms and the animals, so off we went. Ethelyn then wanted to go to Sherwood Quilts where she did some other shopping. I am interested I learning how to do this “wagon-wheel” rug making that she knows how to do and I need a wheel to do that. She thought we could get one at the harness shop, so we headed back down Major Street. We had not gone far when we noticed a black horse running towards us when her harness on her. We looked down the road and saw and lady running after the horse. There were two cement trucks parked in the road as well. I opened the door, thinking that it might cause the horse to turn around, but she kept on running past us. We made a quick decision to turn around and follow the horse to see if there was any way we could keep cars from hitting it. A way down the road we saw an Amish woman, about our age, come running towards the road. We stopped and asked her if she saw the horse, she said that she did and that it was her son’s horse. We had her jump in the car and we went after her. The horse was already a quarter of a mile ahead of us, so we speeded up to catch up. Thankfully, there were no other cars on the road and “Daisy” the horse stayed on the right side of the road. Once we tried to go around her to see if we could head her off to one of the dirt roads, but she was just too frightened and ran as hard as she could right ahead. The weather was hot and we were all afraid that she would just run until she dropped. Finally, after running about 5 miles she turned off to a dirt road she knew where there is a shooting range. We followed her, but she ran down a path where a car couldn’t go. Our Amish friend, Edna Troyer, told us to let her out and she would walk down and she was sure that she would let her catch her. She asked us to go back to the accident and let them know that we know where the horse is and to send someone to help her. We turned around and headed that way. When we passed the lumberyard, I noticed two young men outside looking down the road. We turned around and went and talked with them. I asked if they had seen the horse, they had and that there was a truck with men in it going after it. We had not seen the truck, so we knew they were on the wrong path. We got the boys to jump in the car and we drove them down to where Daisy and Edna were. They jumped out and went to help her. It wasn’t long until they all were walking up the path with a very tired Daisy. The story goes that Edna’s son and daughter-in-law are building a home and the daughter-in-law had driven down to watch them pour the cement basement. The noise of the trucks had scared the horse and she bolted, ran the buggy into the ditch and then broke the harness and ran. The pregnant daughter-in-law was not hurt, thankfully. When we dropped Edna off at her home, she wanted us to have some strawberries that she had just picked from their garden. We were more than willing to accept them. They were delicious! I had just been saying to Ethelyn that morning that I would really like to be friends with an Amish woman. I would like to just sit down and talk like friends and compare our lives. We plan to go back to visit Edna next week and take her basket back and find something that we could share with her.

I'm crossing my fingers

Hey Mom and Pop,

I hope this turns out to be fun for you. I know that a lot of people will enjoy what you guys will share.


love you,
nell