Happy 2012

Happy New Year everyone. . . .

Well the holidays are over and now Sister Brown and I will get back to our regular schedule.. This past month has really been fun as we have served in the Visitors Center for the Festival of Lights.. Today was our last shift until next Decembers festival.  Elder Olsen the Director of the Visitors Center said that we broke all records this year, we had 90,000 + people walk through the doors to see the beautiful trees and the nativity scenes from all over the world and of course the evening musical performances.  As we left this evening, it was sad because some of those wonderful people that we worked with will have gone home by the next time we work there, and we made so many friends. 

 Elder and Sister Noel

 Elder & Sister Crowley

Sisters Cardall, Olsen & Crowley getting dinner ready for all the workers 

Sister & Elder Cardall

• Last Tuesday night at the Visitors Center our Bishop of 1st ward was in a group called "Trifecta".  It is a trio made up of a Bishop Vance on the saxophone, another guy on the piano and one on bass. They are all professionals playing in the US Army Band and the US Air Force Band.  They were fantastic and got a standing ovation.. we saw a whole different side to Bishop Vance..

They played traditional Christmas music with a jazz touch.  They also played an original song the Bishop Vance and his wife Haleigh composed.  She played with them on that song. She plays the violin and the song was fantastic.  They are so talented.

• Our day at the temple was really fun, we were swamped all day and that really makes the day go so much faster.  I was in the baptistery and we had several youth groups come to do baptisms..
• A very sad note; we have had 5 sisters pass away this past 3 weeks.. 3 from one ward and 2 from another.  A young sister just 25 years old passed away on Saturday of breast cancer.. so sad.. the others were elderly, but it is still so sad when a family loses a loved one.

I love this scripture and the thought by Pres. Hinckley

"Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you".  1 Corinthians 13:11

"We are all in this together, all of us, and we have a great work to do. Every teacher can be a better teacher than he or she is today. Every officer can be a better officer than he or she is today.  Every father can be a better father. Every mother can be a better mother. Every husband a better husband, every wife a better wife, and every child a better child.  We are on the road that leads to immortality and eternal life and today is part of it. Let us never forget it."
President Gordon B. Hinckley

A beautiful sunset for our last night at the Visitors Center

We are excited to get back to our schedule and work with the sisters all week in our wards.. I hope you all have a wonderful week.