Happy Birthday Margaret Joy!

Margaret Joy is 17 years old.  She is excellent and a great joy to us.  She is often in her own space doing what she wants and isn't caught up in what other people are doing.  She is her own person and to me seems to be very comfortable in her skin.  She is a talented dancer and gives herself challenges so she can be the best.  From the time she was just a little girl I have often watched her and wondered what was going on in her little mind.  She's an observer and doesn't need to be entertained to be content.  She is a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a granddaughter, and a friend.  She impresses me with her steadiness and when she has something to say I try to pay close attention because I know it will be profound.  She is a keeper.  Happy birthday Meg!

Correction!

In an earlier post I wrote about the gritty material that we have on many of our documents and I had assumed it was in the ink that they used at that time period.  While at the Priesthood Restoration visitors center I mentioned to our guide that we have a grit on our documents and wondered what it was.  She said that she probably could solve the mystery when we get over to the Joseph Smith home.  Sure enough on the translation table was a ceramic jar much like a salt shaker with holes on top and inside of it is what they call pounce.  After Oliver would write on the paper he would shake the pounce over the document to dry up any ink that might smear and then pour the remainder of the sand back into the ceramic container.  When I got home I googled pounce and sure enough that is exactly what we have on our documents.  

Here is what Wikipedia said--

Pounce ultimately derives from the Latin for pumice via the old French word "ponce". It is a fine powder, most often made from powdered cuttle fish bone that was used both to dry ink and to sprinkle on a rough writing surface to make it smooth enough for writing. This last was certainly needed if the paper came "unsized", that is lacking the thin gelatinous material used to fill the surface of the paper and make it smooth enough for writing with a quill or a steel nib.

The pounce or sand is gently sprinkled all over the writing on the paper. When using a quill or a steel nib, and with inks that are made up to match those typically in use during the 18th or 19th centuries, and provided the pen has been used with the fine strokes typical of handwriting of that period, the handwriting will be sufficiently dry within 10 seconds to allow the paper to be folded without blotting. Gently vibrating the paper whilst the pounce or sand is on it ensures that little or no pounce or sand sticks to the handwriting and excess sand or pounce is shaken off before folding the paper.

In the 19th century the pounce pots or sanders often had a shallow dish round the top so that pounce or sand could be returned to the pot and reused. The process is very effective for quickly drying ink, and although blotting paper has been available since Tudor times, pounce or sand continued to be used throughout the nineteenth century because it was often cheaper.

I love discovering new things!

The Fungus Tree

I am becoming very fascinated with the fungi that grows in this area and loved this tree we saw as we walked the path to the Susquehanna River.  Notice how the fungus has kind of a ladder affect up the tree.

So cool!

Priesthood Restoration Visitors Center

My favorite part of the trip was visiting Susquehanna, PA.  I love the church history sites and am always so proud of the great job that has been done to remind of us the significant events that occurred in history to bring us to where we are today.  This visitors center was beautiful and the Spirit was so strong.  We started with an inspiring movie about Joseph and Emma Smith and Oliver Cowdery and all the events that lead up to the translation of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Priesthood back to the earth.  Exceptional place and exceptional people.

At the back is the visitors center and the front is the
Susquehanna Branch.

Two depictions of the events of this area

Isaac Hale home where Joseph and Emma lived for a short time
with her parents.

Dining room in the house--loved the gun on the wall--just in case!

Here is their pantry with a turkey and duck
waiting to be prepared for a dinner.

This is where Joseph and Emma lived while he did
most of the translation of the Book of Mormon

This depicts their bedroom.  The cradle was for their
first baby who died and is buried in the cemetery nearby.
On the bed was an actual gift Joseph had given Emma.
It was made of turtle shell and was to be worn in her hair.

They call this the translation table where much of the work
of translating the Book of Mormon would have been done.

This statue was put here in 1960 in recognition of
the restoration of the priesthood.

We walked down to the Susquehanna River when we left the visitors center.  It was a beautiful and very serene place to be.  I have no doubt that everything that occurred in history happened just as Joseph Smith testified.  I so testify that I know that Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of God.

The Susquehanna River by Joseph and Emma's home

This is where Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith were baptized

Downtown Pennsylvania

Scott just finished reading a book about
Benjamin Franklin and was excited to see this
in the visitors center.

We had visited Philadelphia once before so we didn't spend a lot of time looking at the various sites.  Mostly we just walked around enjoying the beauty of the area and the wonderful historic significance of this wonderful place.  We did go into the visitors center and saw a movie that talked about the events that lead up to the creation of this great nation.  While in the visitors center it was fun to watch the various children who were working on earning their Junior Ranger badges and it reminded me of Caleb and Ava who always do that whenever they visit these great places.  I also experienced a little reality when we came upon a crime scene that had been cordoned off. I was glad that only the yellow tape remained and all signs of the crime has been washed away.

Independence Hall

Philadelphia Temple

We have had such a great opportunity to visit two under construction temples since we have been on our mission.  On Friday we easily found the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple site and got a few pictures of it.  It is definitely in the downtown area of Philadelphia but we were able to find a parking place and walk around to take a few pictures.  Apparently the angel Moroni is coming soon but most of the outside appears to be done.  They told us that the open house will be in the Fall of 2016.  I am sure it is going to be as beautiful as the other temples we have seen.

I'm not sure what is the front or the back of the temple.
There was an eight foot fence around the whole area as
well as barricades so I had to take pictures between the gaps
in the fencing.

This is from a side.  It appears that there is
underground parking being built as well.

Missionary Moments #65--Nov 29, 2015

This was a short work week for us because the archives closed on Thursday and Friday but a long week of travel which I think exhausted us both!  It was one of those weeks where you need a vacation to recover from the vacation!  The good news for us came from the archive director who told us that file folders have been ordered and we will be back in business as far as document preparation goes.  We ran out of the folders and that meant we kept taking pictures but we weren't replacing documents that would need to have pictures taken of them.  He was pretty sure they would come in on Monday so we are keeping our fingers crossed. 

Our big plans for the week was to leave Thanksgiving morning and drive to Pennsylvania where we would spend time in a centrally located hotel-we chose a town called Dickson.  On Friday we drove south to see Philadelphia and then west to Gettysburg and Lancaster to enjoy the Amish country.  We made it to Philadelphia where we were able to see the new Philadelphia Temple which is about one year from completion and then hung out around Market Street for a couple of hours.  While there we visited the Forest Service visitors center and saw a great movie called Independence! and then just walked around looking at the wonderful history that so permeates the area.  We had been there many years ago and it was jammed packed with people but this time it was not nearly as crowded although there were still lines waiting to see several of the exhibits.  As we were getting ready to leave we walked over towards the parking garage and on the way I got distracted by a yellow "police crime scene--do not cross area" and managed to stumble and fall flat on my face which sadly broke the camera in my pocket. Fortunately, I was able to get back up pretty quickly and move on pretending like I was fine although I knew that I was going to have a serious bruise on my leg by the end of the day! Once back in the car we headed towards Gettysburg which was another two+ hours away and the longer we drove the less convinced we were that we would have time to get there before it started turning dark and so we adjusted our schedule and decided we would have to be happy with the time we spent in Philadelphia.  We headed back to the hotel.  

The best part of the trip was on Saturday morning when we drove to Susquehanna, PA to visit the Priesthood Restoration site.  What a beautiful area and what an excellent job the Church did of preserving such a significant piece of LDS history.  We started our time there watching a video about the events that took place leading up to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery receiving the priesthood.  It was a great video and I thought the man they chose to portray Joseph Smith was exceptional.  From there we saw the statues of that event outside of the visitors center and then walked over to the Hale home where Emma and Joseph lived with her parents for a short time.  They then moved up the road to a little house where 70% of the translation of the Book of Mormon took place.  When we got back to the visitors center we loved all the displays that were there highlighting various aspects of our church doctrine.  We also saw an original 1830 copy of the Book of Mormon and some dishes and utensils that they found when they were excavating the Hale home for renovation.  The tour guide was a sister who is serving with her husband as the visitors center directors and they had come from Wyoming.  She did a great job of showing us around.  Before leaving the area we went to the edge of the Susquehanna River where Joseph and Oliver were baptized and then given the Aaronic Priesthood.  We were pleasantly surprised when we got back into the car to leave and found that we had been there over two hours.  We walked back into our apartment at 8 p.m. last night and gladly went to bed!  Our trip didn't go as we had planned but it was still a great adventure and we again realized how blessed we have been to be called to serve here in New England.  We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

My Nutcracker Princess

 This week Meggie danced in the Nutcracker in Utah.  This wasn't the first time and I am pretty sure it won't be the last.  I have seen her dance a number of times and I have bragged that she has a special gift.  The biggest gift of all that Meggie has is dedication.  Being a ballerina isn't for the weak!  I loved the picture on the left which was taken pretty early into her dancing.  The one on the right was taken last week when she finished dancing.  We are going to the Boston Opera House to see the Nutcracker performed in December and I know that it will be impressive (so wish Meggie could go with us) but I also know it won't come close to making me feel the way Meggie did when I watched her perform the first time in her Nutcracker.

This year Meg is performing in both casts.  The first cast she is in the snowflake dance and in the second she will be a Spanish dancer.  She is the back half of the dragon in the Chinese dance.  She is also a demi-soloist in the Waltz of the Flowers and in her part she is the "flirty-fun one" (her words!).  What can I say--the girl's got talent!

This was 1854--Just in case you need to know how to write!

Missionary Moments #64-Nov 22, 2015

 I am starting a little late today because we had church this morning instead of at our usual 1 p.m. start time.  It was Stake Conference.  It is hard to get use to the idea that there is only one stake in New Hampshire, one in Vermont and two in Maine.  In spite of the small numbers the people here are amazing and we have enjoyed wonderful insight when they have given talks.  I have been surprised to realize that this week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving.  It seems like we just finished Halloween.  I am not complaining but time is truly flying by as we come to the end of this wonderful journey we have been on.  I was listening to a talk given by Brother Richardson this week and in talking about his mission as a young man he made the comment, "It was the best two years for my life."  That hit me so profoundly because this experience for Scott and I has been exactly that, the best 18 months for our lives."  So many great things have happened to us in our lives that it makes it hard to say that any one thing was the best thing that ever happened to us. But when I think of the various things we have experienced together since we started our mission service I know without doubt that that we have both come to know many things that could have only been experienced as we have served together.   

This week one of the first sister missionaries we worked with went home at the completion of her mission.  On Facebook they posted a video of her coming down the escalator at the SLC airport.  About half way down she started to walk down the stairs faster and faster until she got to the bottom then she ran into the arms of her mother and they held on to each other for dear life!  Sister Boyce and Sister Burton will always have a special place in my heart because they extended an invitation to me to do something I said I would never do again and because of their enthusiasm I accepted the invitation and it has made a huge difference in my life.  

Work continues to move forward.   We used up all the manila folders so that means we may have worked ourselves out of a job until new folders come in.  Our archive director said he would find some money so they could order more.  We are hoping that has happened and new folders will be here after the Thanksgiving holiday.  I found a fun document in one of the folders this week and took a picture of it.  I'm not sure why it was inside the probate files because it had nothing to do with typical probate information but it was in "mint condition" and the file we were working on was from 1854.  The paper was titled, "Correct Position of the Body, Hand, & Pen" and it was rules on how to write.  I am putting it on the blog tonight.  What can I say--every day we find something new and interesting to catch our attention.  Have a great week everyone. Happy Thanksgiving! 

New Grandbaby!

Amy told me yesterday that she is expecting their sixth child in June.  We are excited and will pray for good health for Amy and the newest little one.  The one thing I know for sure--this new addition to our family will receive so much love!

A Little Pondering

Lately we have come across a lot documents that have been glued together.  When the missionaries came in to help us one day I walked over to where they were working and they had one of those documents stretched out across the room and they were taking a picture with an Elder on each end.  On Tuesday I again opened one that was at least 15 feet long and with Scott's help we took a picture and then slid it through and clicked again until the whole document was recorded for posterity.  After that I spent quite a while thinking about how annoying glue is!

What often happens when I am working at the camera is that my mind starts thinking about the person that did it. Don't worry I didn't have bad thoughts--just thoughts.  I was thinking that they probably thought they were doing such a good thing because all of the documents would remain together and could be folded up and stored in the packet.  Little would they know that over 150 years later we would have technology that would make it possible to digitize every word ever written and even more impressive--the ability of people all over the world to see it!

As I continued to ponder, the idea came to me that the clerk with a bottle of glue was a lot like we sometimes are.  We begin to think about a dilemma we find ourselves in and then we start thinking about how we can make it easier, or move convenient, or more efficient.  And it works--for us.  But often down the line it doesn't work for the person who deals with our idea and has to undo the problem we created.  I think this is especially true in our role as parents.  I guess we can only hope that in the end our children will know what we thought was a good idea was made with love--and forgive us as they try to make it right.

Fun Stories from 1938!

Even in very difficult times it seems there can often be found a moment that can bring a smile to your face. Our friend Tim Mayville shared a small book that he had found in the archives about the hurricane of 1938. I wrote about the book I had read earlier in the year about this famous storm.  This account was about what happened in New Hampshire as a result of that storm.  It was interesting and fun because I knew the towns he was talking about.  I wanted to share two stories that gave me a chuckle.

Ralph G. Page the author wrote, "Now that it is over funny things are being remembered.  Comical now it is all over.  But tragedies then."

Story 1--Ralph West of Marlboro raises a few turkeys each year.  Thursday morning they missed their sire. A proved gobbler of some three or four years and a displacement of over 30 pounds.  He returned Sunday proud no more.  Disconsolate in his nakedness.  He had just 8 feathers left!

Story 2--One cast iron casket was brought up when a tree fell in one of the cemeteries.  A Mr. Dennison spoke about it to Superintendent of Streets Wallace.  Wallace:  "I'll bet whoever was in that casket was surprised."  Dennison: "Wouldn't wonder.  What are we coming to when even the dead can't rest in peace." Wallace: "Don't know and don't care, but when I watch some of the men I have working for me, I believe that's where they came from."

Missionary Moments #63--Nov 15, 2015

This has been a great week for us and having Veteran's Day on Wednesday meant that the archives were closed so we were able to have a nice trip to Canada.  We left on Tuesday after work and drove to Burlington, Vermont where we spent the night and then continued on to Canada the next morning.  Canada was beautiful and definitely foreign to us since neither of us speak French!  Visiting the newly remodeled Montreal Temple was such a treat and it was a beautiful building.  I loved the feeling I felt inside as we walked through the various rooms of the temple.  It wasn't as large as the Boston Temple and a little smaller than the Redlands Temple but they definitely put beautiful touches throughout to remind us of the sacred experience we can have while there.  I have put some pictures on the blog and wrote a little more about our time in Canada.

This has been a week of reflection for me.  On Tuesday our missionaries came in to serve at the archives and they spent time preparing documents for us.  We have a new Sister and when they brought back the finished project she made the comment that she could never do this all day.  I replied to her comment by saying that at the beginning I felt that way but I have learned that when the Lord gives you an assignment you can do just about anything.  Amy forwarded me a email that a she received from a young woman who she worked with at church who is now at the MTC preparing to serve in Equador.  

In the letter she wrote:

Well. In case any of you were just DYING to know what I have been up to this past week, I will sum it up for you. Try to keep up. 

I wake up.

I run a mile or two.

I go to class.

I study.

I eat.

Then I study again.

I eat again.

I teach.

And study some more.

Then I sleep. 

Here is the craziest part.

I do the SAME THING all over again the next day.

It really is so amazing. I have learned lessons I never could have imagined I would learn. I love how much knowledge I have already gained. I am amazed at how much knowledge I have left to gain. I never want to stop learning. It is so fun! If only the public education system could teach with the Spirit. State test scores would go through the roof!

I couldn't have said it better than she did (Thank you Hermana Bryce!) and that pretty much summed up our days--with the exception of "running"!  In this process I have learned so much about myself, about Scott, about perseverance, and about what matters the most.  At work we spend the day doing the same things and pretty much living in our own little world and yet I have gained so much knowledge because as we work we put earphones on and listen to scriptures, talks, stories of people doing so many hard things.  We enjoy music that fills our souls and often can't help ourselves as we sing along. Sometimes I have to remind Scott to sing a little quieter!  I also find that my mind can wander into other things which gives me personal insight and perspective and I love that.  I have made it a goal to become a nicer person and this mission has shown me so many areas that I need to work on so I can achieve that goal!  To sum it up we do the same thing each day but each day is never the same!  Have a great week!

Love These Missionaries

Sister Harper!

Elder Sanders and Elder Butler after
teaching Brother Lao

I can't tell you how much I have come to love our missionaries.  Each time one of them is transferred it breaks my heart and when new ones come I worry about them and pray that they will feel welcomed and have positive missionary experiences.  Last week we had to say good-bye to Sister Harper who headed to Vermont on Saturday for an emergency transfer.  Last night we had a wonderful opportunity to watch Elder Butler and Elder Sanders teach the discussion on the First Vision to a member of our ward.  I certainly felt the Spirit as they both bore testimony of Joseph Smith.  We serve a different kind of mission but one of the greatest blessings for us has been interacting with these wonderful young adults who bring great wisdom and knowledge and love as they serve as missionaries.

O Canada!

We loved our time in Canada when we went to visit the Montreal Temple.  We left work on Tuesday afternoon and drove to Burlington, Vermont where we spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express.  In the morning we headed towards Canada which was barely an hour away.  We had gone to Canada when we visited Niagara Falls on our way to serve our mission but this was much different because the border crossing was very small and we didn't have to wait to show our passports and be on our way.  What a beautiful area.  Once in Canada we had another hours drive to get to Montreal but the areas we drove through were beautiful and there were farms everywhere.  It reminded me a lot of Nebraska.  I was really impressed when I saw my first speed limit sign and it had 100 written on it.  Fortunately I realized quite quickly that probably wasn't MPH!  It was actually 60 mph for us and so we drove along enjoying the many little towns along the way.  I noticed the houses didn't seem to be very old compared to what we are use to seeing in the New England area and I'm sure if we would have been able to drive around downtown Montreal we would have seen many more vintage buildings.  This area is different because everything was in French and there

were NO subtitles.  Good thing I learned all the shapes of signs and what they mean when I took the driving test!  We spent about an hour at the Montreal Temple open house and then headed back home.  We decided we had better get some gas and eat some lunch before we left.  We pulled into the gas station and put our card in the machine but it didn't work.  A voice came on in beautiful French and told us something which was wasted on us.  We went inside and again she only spoke to us in French and wasn't giving away her secret that she knew exactly what we were saying.  We managed to get our gas and then moved on to the McDonalds where again we encountered a French only employee.  I thought we would be okay because I just gave her the number but then she started asking us other questions and we were in trouble.  She finally gave up on us and called her manager over who spoke excellent English (with an accent!) and he completed the order for us.  After that we were happy to move along and head south to Vermont and into New Hampshire.  It was a great experience and I wish I would have realized how close it was because this summer we would have definitely gone exploring around Montreal.  The skyline was beautiful!

La Maison du Seigneur

Scott outside the Temple

On Wednesday we were able to attend the open house of the Montreal Canada Temple.  It was a beautiful temple and everyone working as ushers and guides were so wonderful and kind.  The temple was originally opened in 2000 but closed recently for renovation.  According to Sister Tinker they had a serious problem with mold in the walls and had to completely remove the inside walls and start again. Inside the temple they pointed out several things that were unique to the temple.  In recognizing the settlers to Canada they have used the special items in their design to represent the four original countries that settled in the area.  The rose for England, the Shamrock for Ireland, the Fleur-de-lis for France, and another flower for Scotland (sorry, I can't remember what it was!).  And of course the maple leaf which makes them all Canadians!  We loved the experience and were so glad we heard about it in time to visit it before the weather becomes less agreeable to travel!

French is the Language of Montreal

The temple is made of granite from Alberta and they
carved maple leaves in the granite to represent Canada

We started the tour in the church where we saw a
video about why temples are important in God's plan

Can You Believe This!

This Will required six pictures to capture all of the
information on it!

This is a Will we found in one of the probate files. This is one sheet--no tape and full of beautiful cursive. This particular set of probate files in Hillsborough County has been so interesting because we find things like huge documents, documents taped together that reach across the room, paper that is never straight and so many ink stains.  Another interesting thing we have noticed is that the ink is gritty.  When you rub your hand across a document a fine black residue comes lose from the paper.  We are half way through the first set of documents which is from 1790 through 1855 and are in alphabetical order.  By December we will probably begin working in the 1850's through 1900 and I am curious to see what we will discover in them.  Every day is an adventure at the archives!

The Sabbath is a Delight

Today was my turn to teach the 14-17 year olds.  It was a great lesson with a lot of wonderful thoughts and ideas shared by our class.  So grateful for the opportunity we have had teaching these wonderful youth.  It will be hard to say goodbye when we get ready to come home.

Missionary Moments #62--Nov 8, 2015

Here we are with another week behind us and a great week ahead.  Things at the archives have gone really well and I think a big part of that has been because we had stopped working on the camera for a few days and just did document prep so that now we have six boxes of documents waiting for us.  That has been something we are continuing to maintain.  I don't know why it has helped our productivity but it did and we are consistently getting back into the 500 pictures range each time we go on the camera--even though we are still working in the late 1700 and early 1800s.  I have said this many times and believe it to be the truth--we are not doing this work alone!  I hope to put a picture on the blog that I took of Scott holding a will. You will see why when I get the picture posted.  Someone had a great need to make a statement!  

We have had some beautiful weather this fall and we keep waiting to wake up to a big snowstorm but that hasn't happened.  It seems that we are enjoying a little reprieve before reality hits and I am not complaining one bit.  All the leaves are off the trees now and everywhere you go there are huge leaf piles.  On the way home from work this week we saw a young mother sitting by a huge leaf pile and her little toddler was having a great time playing in it.  Everywhere we go there are people walking, jogging, and biking.  It seems they are all trying to get as much exercise in while they can still be outside.  One of the sad aspects of Concord is the large number of homeless people who suffer from physical and mental illness.  I don't know if the number is so high here because the state mental health hospital is here but I have never seen so many people with obvious illness who continually wander the streets.  

Yesterday we were planning to attend a dinner for the senior missionaries at the Joseph Smith Memorial but Scott got really sick in the morning and ended up sleeping most of the day. Instead I enjoyed some quiet time and worked on the finishing touches for our Sunday school lesson,  caught up on several projects in the apartment, and also took a nap.  By evening he was feeling better and then we just watched old NCIS reruns.  It was a very nice day once he felt better.  

One of our sister missionaries had an emergency transfer yesterday.  Typically transfers are every six weeks and that is coming up a week from Tuesday.  She was told to pack her things and then after their Zone conference yesterday she would be going to work in Montpelier, Vermont and the missionary she is replacing will be coming here.  Sister Harper is an awesome missionary (a little note--so far they have all been AWESOME) and we will miss her. At least our ninja missionary Sister Davis is staying around a little longer.  I love these young adults and am in awe of the great job they do.  Be sure to have the missionaries for dinner whenever you can because you are their oasis in a sometimes barren desert.  Have a great week everyone!

Too Cute?

Yesterday Duncan asked, "Mom, when I was a baby was I too cute to die?  Amy responded, "Yes, yes you were!"

I don't know why Duncan was thinking about this or if he even realizes what he went through to survive his rough beginning, but I do know that we are all so grateful that he lived.

Adams and Adams

John Adams Birthplace

John Quincy Adams Birthplace (This house was built
when John and Abigail married--just 75 feet away from the
original homestead)

On Saturday we had a great experience when we drove to Boston and then on to Quincy, Massachusetts. We wanted to visit the homestead of John Adams and John Quincy Adams.  Father and son and both Presidents of the United States.  One of our best trips!  We started at the National Park visitors center where we were able to see a movie about both of these great men.  When we finished there we boarded a trolley and they took us to the homestead of John Adams and on the same property the homestead of John Quincy Adams.  We toured each house and then boarded the trolley again and went to Peace field where John and Abigail retired to after John finished as Vice President and then President.  Eventually John Quincy and his wife Louisa came and retired there.

Peace Field
"It is but the farm of a patriot."

Library built to house both men's collection of books

Inside this window is a table and on that table are the most
rare books.  One was a 1841 Book of Mormon
that was signed by Joseph Smith and had Emma's name
on the outside in gold leaf.

Will is Baptized!

So proud of Will choosing to be baptized.  He is such a great little guy and his dad often calls him "sweet Willie" which is a perfect name for such a kind little boy.  We are proud of you Will and hope this special day will remain in your memory and you continue to grow up and learn what it means to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jesus came to John the Baptist,
In Judea long ago,
And was baptized by immersion
In the River Jordan's flow.

"To fulfill the law," said Jesus,
When the Baptist questioned why,
"And to enter with my Father
In the kingdom up on high."

      Now we know that we must also

Witness faith in Jesus' word,

      Be baptized to show obedience,

   As was Jesus Christ, our Lord.

CSB, Page 100--Baptism

Our Family Costume Parade!

Thank you for the cute pictures and for sharing them with us.  You all looked so cute and I hope you got lots and lots of candy!

From Apple Valley, California

Caleb-Paul Bunyon!

Ava-Madeline!

Ellis-I'm not sure but it looks awesome!

From Gilbert, Arizona

Eden-50s Girl!

Duncan-Mutant Ninja Turtle!

Jane-Nurse!

Ruth-Princess Leia!

Lincoln-Napoleon Dynamite's Friend
Check Amy's Blog for the whole picture--it is great!

From Fargo, North Dakota

Peter-A Policeman!

Jeremy-A Chef!

Miriam-A Hippie!