Winter in Nauvoo

Winter in Nauvoo is an experience. We had our first ice storm one night and ended up not going to the mission sociable because of slick roads. It was freezing and raining. As soon as the rain hit it was ice and stuck. The next day it was gone. Then a few days later we got a real ice storm. We awoke to a world covered in ice. The car had 1/4" of ice all over it. Everything was frozen. We got a ride to the temple and also a ride the next day. Dad went out that afternoon to see if he could get into the car. He got it started and started chipping away at the ice on the windshield. Then he started on the drivers window. I opened the door on the passenger side and rolled down the window. There was a sheet of ice. I punched it out and it broke like glass. I did the other three windows, then dad got his done. The parking lots were covered in a thick sheet of ice. Even the snow was covered in ice. We walked very gingerly. The roads in Nauvoo had ice and snow. It was incredibly beautiful. The trees were covered in a layer of ice and when the sun shone on them they glistened like diamonds. This lasted for a week until we had the great warm-up and everything melted. 

Ok Sharon, here is another blog.  We had a great time at Richard and Mindy's.  We had fun with the kids and found that Chase is a real deal.  He doesn't mind going toe to toe with anyone.  I don't know where these wild kids come from.  Certainly not my side of the family!  Their new house is really nice although not the quality of the one Richard built.  But it was nice and warm compared to outside which was frigid.  They let us borrow a tree so mom has it all decorated and we are getting quite festive here.  Richard is working hard to support the family and Mindy is working hard to keep everything running smoothly at home.  I don't know who has the toughest job.  We went out to dinner Thanksgiving eve and that was an interesting adventure.  Porter told me what he wanted before we left home.  I had forgotten what it was like to eat with coloring crayon and books all over the table.  But we had fun.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Evans' and it was really good.  Then came the tough part -- leaving.  That's all folks!

More pictures

I am still learning.

Freezing in Nauvoo

Since we returned from Utah it has been COLD.  They say "we ain't seen nuthin' yet" but I keep saying we are going to have a mild winter trusting to the power of suggestion.  The temperatures have not yet gone to single digits, however, when the wind blows which seems to be 90% of the time it is considerably colder.  Even when we bundle up with gloves and scarfs and hats and heavy coats it still seems to get through.  But there is warmth in the heart.  Everyone is cheery in the temple and the work goes forward.  I still haven't figured out how my hands can be freezing inside my leather fur-lined gloves.  But the sights are beautiful.  We see hundreds of geese sitting out in the Mississippi River with ice all around them then they fly overhead and mom tries to get a picture of them and she has trouble getting them because she can't see where she is pointing or they are too fast for her.  But we took some pictures of the river where the ice is broken up like giant ice cubes.  She managed that ok since they stayed still.  We took some pictures of David's Chamber which is a little waterfall by us that is now frozen.  It looks quite wintery.