Family and Church History Headquarters Mission : Fireworks Display!!

Winter is in the air!! I wore a jacket to work this week on 2 mornings but carried it home in the afternoon. The days are beautiful!

One day this week at the library while I was working at the computer I glanced up and there was my sister, Lucille Webb and her husband Wendell. They brought us some delicious home-grown, Arizona, fresh garden tomatoes - YUM!!! They live in Snowflake, Arizona and were just passing through Salt Lake on their way to Idaho to see a special Dr. and visit their daughter and her family there. They also have a daughter in Wyoming they were going to visit. We enjoyed a nice visit though it was short.

We had our Branch "Hail and Farewell" on Monday night with entertainment by a string group from BYU that included 2 champion fiddlers. On Wednesday noon we did the "Hail and Farewell" for our Zone at work. (That is a welcome for the incoming missionaries and a farewell for those going home). There never seems to be any lack of a party and food. There always seems to be a party going on!!


Mountain violinists from BYU

Getting set up for the Hail and Farewell dinner

Waiting for the dinner to start (Draughons in the middle of the crowd)

Young elders lining up for dinner (they get served last after the single sisters and couples

Elder Snell

Elder Perkins waving (Byde's nephew Greg Horton is his Bishop in Idaho)

Departing missionaries line up and we sing the farewell song to them

The Draughons fom Arizona are returning home

Elders always sing "Called to Serve" for the closing number

Elder Snell from our Stake in Arizona

Saturday, September 21, was Byde's birthday (Happy 71). We started our day with a 6 am endowment session at the Salt Lake Temple, did some laundry, sewing, baked a cake for Byde's birthday and went to the Salt Lake City Cemetery to look for President Hinckley's grave (we were unsuccessful - next time a better map!!). The cemetery is GINORMOUS! We also visited the pioneer memorial and Brigham Young's grave. We ended the day at Cafe Rio (Byde's choice for his birthday dinner) and I managed to make a German Chocolate cake for him.

Plaque on front of Pioneer Family statue

Byde in front of bust of Brigham Young

Statue of Brigham Young reading to children

Flowers surrounding the memorial

Marker as you enter the Brigham Young Cemetery

Byde's birthday dinner - pork salad at Cafe Rio

The Assembly Hall concert on Friday night was"Families Making Music" featuring the Oliverson Family who call themselves "Moon Light." The 3 children Aubree (15), Andrew (12), and Lily (9), all play the violin and their dad, Stephen plays the piano. Aubree has won competitions internationally and has been a soloist at Carnegie Hall. She played most of the numbers but brother and sister contributed on several as well. Needless to say, the concert was delightful.

Stephen Oliverson, Aubree, Andrew, and Lily

The flower gardens on Temple Square are far better than any fireworks display so I am again going to take you on a tour of the gardens while they are in the height of their glory. It won't be too much longer until frost bites them and the gardeners start pulling them and putting in the tulips and other bulbs.