We have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's week.
Our hearts are full as we reflect on the blessings of 2016.
Even though we are away from home and family,
we are thrilled to be serving a mission.
We feel we have been blessed beyond measure for this opportunity.
It was a great blessing this week to have the temple busy all week.
On Christmas Eve we had a wonderful dinner with the temple missionaries in the Arrival Center.
Dinner was delicious.
And as usual, there was tons of food.
Sister Smith, The Emang's, McBride's, Adams, and Browns.
Sister Cordova is in the foreground.
This is the Mabey's, Sorenson's, Lawson's, Vinton's and Sister Burgoyne.
We had a great program singing carols and reading of the Christmas story.
We love these missionaries and it was special to spend Christmas Eve with them.
It was a very foggy evening.
There is a church behind the Arrival Center,
and when we were leaving noticed this cool shadow in the sky cast by the steeple.
After our dinner and program we headed over to Rand Park in Keokuk with the Bartschi's.
The park is filled with Christmas lights and displays.
The pictures aren't great, but it is a beautiful light display.
On Christmas we began our day by again reading from Luke 2.
There is something about having Christmas on Sunday and being on a mission
that made those scriptures especially meaningful.
We were happy the weather allowed us to attend church in Galesburg.
The ward had a nice program. And we were able to partake of the sacrament on the
day we celebrate our Savior's birth. It was a choice experience to reflect on His birth, life,
example and atoning sacrifice for us.
Our family blessed us with phone calls, packages and sentiments of love.
Our grand daughter Autumn helped us decorate our tree by sending snowflakes to hang on it.
After sacrament meeting we went to the Dobson's for lunch.
(sorry we didn't get a picture with Sister Dobson)
But these are her delicious yummy Christmas treats!
The sister missionaries that serve in the ward were also invited to dinner along with Sister Becker.
It was such a blessing for us to be with them on Christmas.
For their message they showed us The Nativity.
We love this depiction of Jesus Christ's birth.
You can feel the spirit as you watch the humble earthly beginnings of our Savior.
The ward has two sisters and two hermanas in the ward.
They translate sacrament meeting for those who need it into Spanish.
The sisters serve in the Chicago West Mission.
We have had beautiful sunny days. It is cold and the other day very windy.
The wind must be what caused this on the river.
Those ice chunks were piling up on the river bank.
That sight must have been concerning for the people who live in this house!
There was a beautiful sunset to welcome in 2017 with the crescent moon and a planet in the sky.
These are the awesome missionaries who did the New Year's Eve party.
Vinton's, Peterson's, us and Mabey's.
This is obviously before all the food arrived.
Everyone brought finger food, one couple took it literally! (see the plate of fingers?)
This party was perfect. We had terrific food (as always) and
played games and laughed and laughed and laughed.
We laughed so hard, we cried...
l to r around the room; Vinton, Cordova, Checkett, Irion, Sorenson, Adams, Brown, Bartschi, Burgoyne, McBride, Despain, Udall, Mabey...
We pass this farm on the way to church. We finally stopped to take a picture.
We love this silo. It looks like it is made out of terracotta tiles.
We are excited for the new year. Happy to be serving for a few more months.