September 29- October 5, 2014

Autumn- the year's last loveliest smile.

Driving in Waltham.

I never tire of seeing these church steeples peeking above the roof tops.  They are everywhere and they always bring a smile to my face.

A river runs through it- the Charles in Waltham.

The view from my desk.  I will try and take a photo each week to document Fall's progress right here.

Just had to share a few photos right here in my own little town.

Now onto our PDay Monday.  We switched it up a bit this time.  The Moores and we went on a Charles River Cruise together in the morning but then in the afternoon, we split up.  the boys did their thing and Susan and I had our first 'Sisters Day'
together.  See the photo captions for details of the day.

ll

One of the few places in the U.S. where airplanes fly over cars which pass over trains which pass over boats.
That is not illegal graffiti but words of encouragement to cheer on the rowing teams as they compete.

The "most preferred" image of the Boston skyline.

The ever present rowers.  This was a morning cruise but if it were afternoon, the river would be filled with rowers and rowing teams.  The gold dome in the background is the State Capitol. Only states in which a president was born are sanctioned to have gold domes.  The only exception is Colorado and theirs signifies the Gold Rush.

Boston's two tallest buildings- The Hancock on the left and the Prudential on the right.  The Back Bay Neighborhood and Newbury Street lay in between the two.

The Museum of Science, where Dale spent the afternoon.

I am so disappointed it was a cloudy day.  We have driven by these views many times and I couldn't wait to see them from the water and take fantastic photos of them glimmering in the sun. 

Check out the roof top gardens and the joggers.  Rowers and joggers- two constants along the river.

Some fun facts we learned on our cruise:

1/3 of the population here are students.
Moving Day is Labor Day weekend. Leases here start and end on Labor Day. Every Labor Day at least one U-Haul gets stuck under one of the Storrow Drive bridges, even though there are signs everywhere warning of the danger and height allowances. A local radio station holds a contest in which people call in with their guess of  when it will happen.  The one closest to the time wins $$$.  They call it "Big Bucks for Stuck Trucks".
7 United States Presidents attended Harvard.
Only 3% of MIT and 5% of Harvard applicants are accepted.
The 2 top tourist attractions are Fenway Park and the Science Museum.  Very surprising.
Many of the tall buildings light up in special ways to signify certain local events.  I don't remember what but it lights up one color when the Red Sox are playing in town, and another when the Celtics are in town, etc.  Lots of fun home town pride traditions.

Boston Public Library.
We were told not to miss it.  It was spectacular !

A view of the courtyard.

The main staircase.  I felt I was in Europe.

I like to take photos looking out of windows-what can I say?

The Paintings were breath-taking.

After the library, we ate lunch at a recommended restaurant - a local's favorite- where they take favorite dishes from several of Boston's top restaurants and serve them with their spin. Afterwards we walked up and down Newbury Street, one of Boston's special shopping streets.  It is famous not only for the stores but for its beauty.  I felt I was strolling through parts of London there.

The view from the Library steps.

Lunch

Newbury Street.  Adore this variety of rooftops!

Looking down Newbury Street.

Love the juxtaposition !

I love the colors and textures here.

 At the end of Newbury Street is the Boston Common/Public Gardens which just happened to be one of our wish list places to see!  It was gorgeous but we were sad the Swan Boats had retired for the season.

The Gardens were filled with weeping willows- one of my very favorite trees! Magical!

Thank you family! How very thoughtful of you! I love it!

The gardens are famous for these statues of the "Make Way For Ducklings" ducks.

My personal favorite little duckling!

Two happy girls!

It was time to head home and as luck would have it, the street that led to the bridge we needed to cross to get back to the Moore's apartment was just across the street from where we were!
It was Charles Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood and we loved it even more than Newbury Street!

I am in love with all the beautiful signs here.  Even a humble nail shop gets a darling and impressive sign.

Notice the steeple in the background and the gas lamp in the foreground- love! love! love!

Right before we crossed the bridge, we saw the Liberty Hotel which we had heard about on our cruise so we went inside to take a peek.  It was a major prison for years in which were housed the likes of the Boston Strangler. You can google it and take a peak yourself.  :)   www.libertyhotel.com

By the way, we walked everywhere, all day , the entire day!

It was yet another near perfect PDay! (the grey skies on our boat ride brought it down to a 9 :D )

Temple day.
What a touching and spirit- filled occasion today.  Remember that family I mentioned a few blogs back that we discovered on Family Search, where we knew of the father and one son, but with no wife?  We found the wife and 5 more children.  Mike, Susan and I were able to perform the ordinances to enable them to be together as a family forever.  Very sweet experience.  We all felt their joy and acceptance. We love James and Betsi Barrett and Robert, Willie, Nellie, Jennie, Maggie and Annie.  It makes me want to just do family research all day!
familysearch.org


Friday
Zone Conference

President and Sister Packard

Friday brought us to the 2nd zone conference of our own Boston mission.  It began at 8:30 in the morning and ended around 7:30 at night.  You'd think it would be exhausting but it was stimulating and invigorating.  We were challenged, inspired and motivated.  President Packard and his wife are
truly amazing and incredible individuals and leaders.  ( as well as energizer bunnies!  They never cease to run out of power and energy.) Their vision extends beyond this mission for all of us and if we live up to the challenges they presented us our entire lives will be better and blessed.  They are building individuals of great strength, faith and commitment and these characteristics will help them in their careers, in their future marriages and families.

President with our own Sister Nielson and Sister Batschi.  We love these two!

Sister Packard always has a fun "Getting to Know Your Mission" game that everyone loves!

During the day we also enjoyed a wonderful lunch and a preview of the movie coming out next week, Meet The Mormons. 
It is a very professional, well-done movie to be proud of .  Very enjoyable. We encourage you all to go see it and take a friend or two!  It tries to answer the questions people have about Mormons- who we are and what we do. It's got humor and heart-warming stories. You will feel good after seeing it.
Go see it!  :)

Saturday and Sunday:
General Conference!!
How we looked forward to this weekend!  We were spiritually fed and filled.
 May I encourage anyone who didn't see it to go to www.lds.org
 to see what you missed.
  If you go to the Sunday afternoon session, the very last speaker was Elder David Bednar.  He spoke on why Dale and I and 88,000 others are serving as missionaries today.  His talk was directly to those of you who do not belong to our church and hopefully will answer your questions as to why we do what we do.
There seemed to be several repeated themes which always makes one want to pay closer attention and discover the meaning and message there for you.
It was an historic conference in that it was the first time people of other languages were able to give their message in their native tongue and it was translated into English instead of vice-versa.

We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days!

This great blessing sends us on our way rejoicing!

September 22-28,2014

IT'S OFFICIALLY FALL! 

The entrance to our apartment complex.

Love the Pumpkin Patches everywhere!

We are loving watching it happen gradually. Every day a few more leaves have changed, a few more trees have entirely changed! Autumn truly is one of God's and Nature's artistic masterpieces. I am so grateful for the beauty He created for our enjoyment and happiness.
I am treasure it with a touch of the bittersweet for I know once the leaves all change, in a few short weeks they all fall off and then they are bleak and bare for the long winter months here.  But we will find beauty there as well (I hope! :)

We spent our P Day this week biking along the Cape Cod Canal - a wide waterway between the mainland and the Cape. There is a long flat stretch all along it just begging for a bike ride.

The Railroad Bridge. The bridge lowers for trains to pass over then rises again for ships to pass under. Ingenious!

At the end of the trail is Scusset Beach where we enjoyed a rest and a picnic lunch.

Don't know what happened to the photos this time- colors are weird!

Some of the boat traffic we saw along the way.

The Intrepid Four!

Afterwards, we bought live lobsters at the market  (which they steamed for us) took them home to the Moores where we absolutely delighted in our feast.  We had two each.  8  lobsters for $50!  Not too shabby!

We didn't have any traditional lobster crackers so Dale improvised with scissors !
He did a great job and his work was appreciated by the rest of us.

On Tuesday, we inspected an apartment...for cleanliness but mostly to make sure it is a safe place inside and out, for our young missionaries to live. They passed  :)
In the afternoon we got together at the Mission Home with the Packards and the McBrides to meet our new mission nurse and her husband, the Dennys from Sandy, Utah.  They are assigned to Lowell, Ma. so unfortunately, we won't be seeing much of them.  But she and Dale will communicate constantly via calls, texts and emails, I'm sure.  They are upbeat, energetic people who will serve this mission wonderfully.  Sister McBride, who is not a nurse but Sister Packard's mother, has been serving in this capacity for about a year.  She did a splendid job but is very relieved to turn it over to a 'professional'.  Sorry no photos !

Wednesday found us attending the temple and then a wonderful luncheon with all the senior missionaries.  The lunch was at the Mission Home.  The Assistants to the President serve us.  Ham, baked potatoes and rolls are provided and the rest is the potluck we all bring. It is a day we look forward to and is always enjoyable.

Our  happy waiters: Elder Carvalho and Elder Sowards

President Packard inspiring us! His wife is next to him in the blue .

Our humble president serving us. 

Thursday we were back in the temple for our regular weekly shift. I do love being in the Lord's house and when I'm in the Celestial Room, I feel I'm in His living room. I feel love and peace and His presence there.
A convert shared this testimony with me at the temple this week.  Paraphrasing:

I had read the Book of Mormon and was taught all the lessons about the church.  I thought the church was very nice but it wasn't until I was reading along in Doctrine and Covenants that I received a witness and knew  absolutely that it was true. And I was mad! I didn't want to know! Because now I knew that I had to live it.  I knew God knew that I knew.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24:
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of Him: that He lives!
For we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that He is the Only Begotten of the Father-that by Him, and through Him, and of Him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."

Friday was District Meeting. Again, can never say enough how much we love working side by side with these exemplary young people .  They are so impressive and the life skills they are learning are so invaluable.  Part of the agenda is a "Getting To Know You" question.  Someone comes up with a different one each week. This week's was 'If you could relive a part of your life over again, a day, a moment, a time, what would you choose and why?' I loved that Dale and I chose the same thing. We cheated and picked 2- our wedding and honeymoon and the time span when all our kids were younger and together- the magic years we call them.  It is so fleeting .  We have such wonderful, fun , funny, beautiful, smart, talented, adorable kids and it was just so much fun- everyday life- with them.  I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it again.

I served the famous Tortilla Soup and they all were crazy over it. Nary a drop  or crumb was left.

Afterwards we took our two senior sister missionaries home. They are our heroes.  They are in their mid 70's and they usually always take the "T' (the train) , the subway or public buses everywhere they go. They are serving a Family History mission .  They are just a few blocks away from the Archives where they work but church and everything else is far away.  They have to take several trains and buses to get there- not just jump on one train or one bus- which I think would be amazing enough.  They are just little pros and nothing scares or phases them. We love them.  Sister Valentine and Sister Elmer.
Once again- no photo.  I'll try and remember to take one with them next time.

Saturday was a glorious sunny hot (82 degrees) day.  The words of advice that we heard at our first senior luncheon here came ringing back to me: get outside as much as you can now for in a few months you will be stuck inside for a looooong time!
So, we obeyed!  We grabbed our lawn chairs and a blanket, our water bottles and our books and after an outdoor lunch we looked at our map and picked a nearby park to 'camp in' for a few hours.

 Did we ever pick a winner! It was not only peaceful and beautiful with the leaves changing and falling at our feet but imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon THIS VIEW:

The Boston Skyline from Prospect Hill Park in Waltham

We followed a sign that said scenic overlook and were expecting a view of the hills and woods and maybe Waltham.  Scenic indeed! What an amazing surprise! It makes me so happy to discover such wonders in our own backyard.

The view I was expecting to see: our very own Waltham. 

Saturday evening I watched the Women's Conference Broadcast here at home on my computer.
I especially was touched by the combined girls/women choir's medley of "I Know My Savior Lives" and "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and President Uchtdorf's message on how very much we are loved by our Heavenly Father- right now, right this minute, without even trying.

Sunday we attended the Moores ward because our President and his family were speaking.  They are all incredible speakers. Their 14 year old son was like a junior John Bytheway- amazing!  Their talks were all inspiring but what I enjoyed most was getting to know their family better this way.  President delivered one of the easiest to understand talks on personal revelation and how to pray. Sister P talked about priorities.
 
We had a pasta dinner at the Moores with their sister missionaries and then back to the church for a fireside with President Clayton Christensen, another truly remarkable man.


Voted #1 management thinker in the world in 2011
Has 'changed business forever' with his innovations
Professor at Harvard Business School
Rhodes Scholar
Worked at the White House during President Reagan's administration
Author of 4 books one of which we have read and loved; "The Power Of Everyday Missionaries."
AND... he is a counselor in our mission presidency!
So we have the great blessing and privilege to sit at this feet and soak up his knowledge, and wisdom and kindness often.
He has a great website I encourage you to check out:

http://www.claytonchristensen.com

If I enlarge it anymore it gets blurry. 

Here he is on his mission to Korea.  He is 6'8"!

He spoke on prayer and receiving answers through the Book of Mormon.
He said one of the things he loves most about the church is that it is based around questions and not just answers.  The Dark Ages happened because people stopped asking God questions. The Restoration happened because Joseph had a question. He encouraged everyone to read the Book of Mormon asking questions.
He helped start a website which attempts to answer many of life's tough questions from everyday people like you and me. The questions are from everyday folk and the answers are from everyday folk.

It is: reallifeanswers.org

Another remarkable aspect to the man is the way he has not only survived but risen above a myriad of health problems of which one would overwhelm most of us.
He has had :
cancer
a heart attack
a stroke
feet neuropathy
retinal detachment in both eyes
and Temporal Arteritis which causes such excruciating and unrelenting pain that something like 90 percent of those who have it kill themselves.

So you can see why we all respect, admire and love him so much.
Plus, he is THE nicest, most gentle, kindest man.

Well, that about wraps up another week.
Surrounded by such beauty and such wonderful people
it is no wonder we can go our way rejoicing!

September 15-21,2014

One of our slower weeks so far.
But still plenty busy.  We marvel each night how fast the day speeds by and before we know it is 9 p.m.! Our  daily "To Do" lists never seem to get completely checked off.

We switched around our PDay this week and spent Saturday with the Moores in Charlestown so we could attend a Home Tour of historic homes in the area.  It was lovely.  A beautiful day to be out walking through this charming part of the Boston area.  We were able to explore 7 different homes ranging in date from the late 18th century through the 19th.  There was a happy mix of styles that showcased how these historic homes have been transformed to meet the needs of today's families and lifestyles.  It was fascinating to see how the homeowners turned every nook and crannie into comfortable and unique living spaces while still maintaining the integrity of their houses.  It is a hilly region ( home to Bunker Hill ), and the tree lined streets complete with gas lamps, window boxes galore, and public parks and spaces was almost as delightful to explore as the homes.  Unfortunately, photos inside the homes were taboo, but hopefully the following photos will give you a glimmer of the beauty and charm of this neighborhood. One of our favorites had a full roof-top deck with amazing views of the Boston skyline, the harbor, the Constitution (an old sailing ship- think Captain Jack Sparrow), and the Bunker Hill Monument. 

"The boys" were great sports! Actually, they enjoyed it as much as the girls. 

Don't you love everything about this?

The next 4 photos are from Bunker Hill.

The entire Freedom Trail is marked like this and one can follow it on foot in its entirety .

Bunker Hill Monument

This photo and the following 2 are the view from the deck of a fabulous house!
Would love to see this at night.

The Constitution masts behind the trees.

Roof top deck. Sigh.

Love this old Fire House!

I'm a sucker for gas lamps.

We enjoyed a late lunch at Warren Tavern, where Paul Revere himself enjoyed a meal or two!

Other highlights of the week include:

Family Home Evening and Pot Luck Dinner with all the Temple missionaries and the temple presidency and their wives.  Sorry- once again I forgot to take photos.  Our neighbors, the Dahles, taught a lesson on kindness.  I neglected to mention that our literal next door neighbors,Dave and Joleen Dahle, are also missionaries, serving in the temple here. We are usually on very different schedules and don't see a lot of them but it is wonderful knowing they are there (to borrow butter, eggs or crock pots!)
I made a Pinterest "experiment"- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Cream Cheese Ball . You dip Nilla Wafers , graham crackers, and green apples into it.  Pretty yummy!

Seeing the leaves gradually changing , day to day. Thrilling!

Serving in the temple. With my sister.  Such a unique and wonderful experience.  (Kathy, you and Keith will have to serve with us on our next mission :D! And Bob and Pat, let's all sign up together!)

District Meeting and feeding the Zone lunch.  We really missed our amazing group of elders and sisters while we were away.  We served Hawaiian Haystacks. They were a hit. So many said it was one of their family favorites back home. They are so grateful for these lunches and that makes it even more fun serving them!

A young woman in her 20's approached our sisters on the bus and wanted to know what church they went to because she was so impressed by the modest way they were dressed.  She said she is very discouraged by the lack of respect it shows God when young people come to her church dressed so inappropriately. She came to church, stayed for the entire 3 hours, participated and commented over and over how happy she was to see so many women respectfully worshipping the Lord.  She said she will be back next Sunday.

The very best part of the week was Sunday when we witnessed 2 baptisms!

Djeison and Ildo

Djeison (pronounced Jason) Lopes from our ward. He was baptized by a fairly recent convert himself, Ildo.  It was a special experience for Ildo and one both he and Djeison will never forget. We were so happy to see their happiness.

AND...
Mike had his first baptism!

  It was a moving service and Mike and Susan performed their song beautifully.  It was especially touching to see how this baptism came together. He was taught in Mike and Susan's ward but lives in the Arlington Ward so he was baptized there and will attend there.  It was so gratifying to see how these 2 wards came together to make this a memorable occasion and day for Mark Anthony.  Many made sacrifices to see this happen.  A couple from Rhode Island drove 3 hours round trip so Sister Scott, who was one of the missionaries who taught him, could be there.
I was most touched by a young couple from Mike and Susan's Cambridge ward who rented a car so she could come and play the piano for the baptism.  They don't need a car for their life in the city.  I love seeing the gospel in action and all the Christ-like service being rendered every day right in front of me.  It's wonderful!

It is no wonder that we are able to go our way rejoicing!  :)