Bald Eagles Day- Keokuk, Iowa

Saturday- Jan. 18, 2014
We drove over to Keokuk to the 30th Annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days, Jan. 18-19, 2014.
As we looked at the Bald Eagles this ranger said he had seen about 130 Bald Eagles in one hour but with that many he might have counted the Eagles more than once.

                               Here is a picture with about 11 or 13 Bald Eagles in the trees.

 Here is a Bald Eagle in Iowa.  The males weigh's about 9 pounds and  the female weigh about 13 to 15 pounds and  they are very large birds when their wings are out and are flying over the Mississippi River.

Beautiful birds!!!  We were able to zoom up to show this Bald Eagle.


This is the Mississippi River on the Keokuk side.  This is where a lot of Bald Eagles come for the winter to eat fish.

Here is a Bald Eagle in a tree zoomed up.  They are so awesome to watch.  They get nervous when someone walks close and fly out of the tree and fly over the Mississippi River.  A lot of them are across the Mississippi River sitting on the ice on the river.
   After we watched them with snow coming down on us and I was so cold even bundled with my snow cloths and boots we left and went to the River City Mall which had a movie theater and they had a movie about Bald Eagles and then talked about the birds.  As they talked about the birds they let two of them fly over our heads.  That was really cool.  Here are a few pictures I tried to get with my phone but they are not very good.  The first bird they showed us was a vulture.

 When this vulture flew over us he fly's very low and I thought he was going to hit my head.  You could feel the breeze blow your hair and when his wings are out he is very large.  It was really cool!!

                                    Another bird was an Owl!!    He also flew over us.

     Here are some pictures of the Bald Eagle which means he is an older bird when his head is white.

                                         Here is where he wanted to fly inside the movie place.

                                                 They are a very large bird and so Beautiful.

                                      Here is a brown Bald Eagle that means he is a young bird.

Here is the bird that took the money and put in the save.  This is a good way for people to donate money and then they can take care of the birds.

After the show of the birds we donated $ 5:00 dollars and gave it to the bird and he put it in the save. Then he gave me back a magnet for my frig. since I gave him 5 dollars.  It was really cool!! His beck was next to my hand as he gave me my gift.

 Here he is getting ready to give me my gift.  We had to hurry because we had to be back to work at the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail by 11:30 am.  We had a great day !!!

                 Here is a beautiful picture that Sister Money was able to catch, Awesome!!

                                                Notice the Bald Eagle has a fish to eat!!

                                 

Dinner with our Friends

Sunday Night- Jan. 12, 2014,
On Sunday evening we met at Elder and Sister Ballard's home for a dinner with Melanie, Richard, and Raul.  Elder and Sister Taylor speak Spanish so they were there to talk with Richard and Raul in Spanish.  Elder Harris took them over to the Carthage Visitor Center and they watched the movie in Spanish and the Taylor's taught them about what we believed in the Gospel in Spanish.  They didn't take them inside the jail but talked about Joseph Smith at the Visitor Center.  They are meeting at the Ballard's home Thursday night so the Taylor's can teach them the Gospel in Spanish.  The Two Sister missionaries that are in the Des Moines mission will also be there.   It is really exciting that they are interested to learn about the Gospel.    Sister Ballard and Sister Harris are taking Melanie to a movie in McComb this Friday night.  The name of the movie is "Frozen".  We are excited to do some more things with her.   She isn't a Mormon but she ought to be.  She really doesn't have very many bad habits.  She is the sweetest girl ever from Switzerland.












The Two Sister Missionaries are good friends with her but we are not going to go too fast because she gets nervous and she might want to stop having the Sister Missionaries come anymore.  I know she feels the spirit when she is around Sister Ballard and Sister Harris but she is very close to her family and we think she won't want to do anything without her family.  Her father is a pig farmer and Melanie is here learning about how to raise pigs.  I think she has realized that her father is doing a really good job raising pigs in Switzerland better than United States does.
Sister Harris has been helping Melanie put her family names in the Genealogy but she is waiting for more information from her parents.  I hope this will be exciting for her and she might want to know more about her ancesters and then we hope she will read the Book Of Mormon in German which I don't think she has only read  the first page.   It is wonderful to be a missionary here in Carthage.  Melanie lives here in Carthage so we can see her often and we hope and pray we can be her friend always.

Monday- Jan. 13, 2014
Well we went to serve at the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail and I called a Dentist in Hamilton to see when I could get an appointment and the secretary said, " Could you come today at 10:00?" And so we fixed our schedule and we left to be there by 9:45 am.  I have been having my bottom left jaw aching for about the last week.  I got Dr. Miller to give me some Amoxcillian for infection because I thought I had infection in the lower jaw or maybe in my implant in the upper left side of my mouth.   I was really glad when he took an X-ray of my left side and everything looked really good.  He said I have inflammation or redness around my gums.  I probably have had some meat or pop corn caught up in between my teeth.  He gave me some mouth wash to kill bacteria twice a day.  Needless to say I was relieved.
   Then we went to Navuoo because it was our turn to go to the Family History Center.  I didn't find only one person to do Temple work for and Elder Harris just had a wonderful time.  He found about ll people that needed all of their work done or couples that need to be Sealed together.  He was on cloud nine and had the best day ever.

Wednesday- Jan. 15, 2014
Well today is a wonderful day it is our son, Spencer James Harris' Birthday.  We called him and sang Happy Birthday!!  We all hate to get older, don't we.
     At the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail we hadn't had anyone come since Saturday and we finally had a family of 9 come to visit, Excited, Excited.  We had another couple, Elder and sister Jenson there so we gave the tour to them.  We also at the same time had a couple come and they wanted to go with the tour with the 9 family members so Elder and Sister Harris haven't done a tour for Three days.  The jail's furnace is broke and gone.   So we have two small furnaces FM have put in but we are waiting for parts and they won't come until Friday.  So we have 5 small heaters and they don't do the job.  The tempature in the jail is about 40% and that is cold, cold.  I can't wait until it is working again.  We wear out coats to give the tours.
    Because we have no Rendezvous, the cast met in Hamilton to a Mexican Restaurant.  It was fun to see and eat with the cast members.  Next Wednesday we are all going to the Navuoo Temple at 6:00 pm.

Our Children gaves to us the 12 days of Christmas.

Dec. 1, 2013,
Our children did 12 days of Christmas to us.  They wanted us to start on the First day of December so we could enjoy longer what they were giving us in December.

This is the Christmas Tree in the Nauvoo Visitor Center.

On the 1st Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- A Desert Book Gift Card and two chocolate   advent calendars. Elder Harris will love the book gift card.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas Your Children give to You- Two Christmas Sweaters.
          Two beautiful sweaters we both love, thanks.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas Your Children give to You- Three bags of Pine Nuts.
          Three bags of Shelled Pine Nuts, so good!!!

On the 4th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- Four pairs of gloves
        We got 2 pairs of gloves for each of us.  Boy, we really needed them.

On the 5th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- Five Ways to Pamper.
        Five ways to pamper our feet and hands,  Mary Kay supplies. We love them.

On the 6th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- Six Christmas Stories.
       We really enjoy the six Christmas books but especially the Christmas from Heaven(The True Story  Berlin Candy Bomber) honored by the Tabernacle Choir.  AWESOME!!!

On the 7th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- Seven Testimonies.
       The children had put in pictures of the family and their Testimonies in Seven Book of Mormons          AWESOME!!!   I made copies so I could keep all your Testimonies.

On the 8th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- Eight S'mores a Making.
        A S'more maker that goes in the microwave and all the supplies. It works too, yummy.

On the 9th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you- Nine Feet Warmers.
       Sock, tights, and packaged warmers that fit in shoes or around face or any place you want them.

On the 10th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you-  Ten ways to be Healthy.
       Exercising DVD, weights, Ball, Sweat Bands, Exercising Schedule, and balls for your hands.

On the 11th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you-  Eleven Fun Postcards.
       Pictures that Kisti-Jo took at Dodge house and land and pond and made into postcards and cards.

On the 12th Day of Christmas Your Children give to you-  Twelve Months of Memories.
       A Calendar with the families pictures on each Month of their Birthdays.

Thanks children we just loved opening a gift everyday for 12 days.  It was very special to us.

                   Hear are some pictures we took as we opened the 12 days of Christmas.

The first day of Christmas pictures.

Here is our Christmas Tree to the left.  It looks more like that tree.

                     Elder Harris showing the pine nuts.  Elder Harris behind the Christmas tree.

                                  The fourth day of Christmas was our 2 pairs of gloves.
     We got so busy that we didn't take any more pictures of opening the gifts but it was so much fun, Thanks again.
                       Click on 'tis the season Collage to see the pictures of our Christmas Tree.

'This the season Collage

Friends with us at Christmas Dinner Dec. 25, 2013

Click on With Inspiration to see the cutest picture.

With Inspiration

This was at the Christmas Dinner.  Elder Harris, Melanie, Sister Harris.

The Ballard's Family with Melanie. Lt. Peter, James, Melanie Sister Ballard, Elder Ballard, and John.

Friends- Richard, Melanie, Raul. They all live here in Carthage, Illinois. They all are doing an internship on a large pig farm.

Sister Brockbank, Melanie, Sister Salcido

Elder Taylor and Melanie

Friends

Christmas for the Children

Sunday- Dec. 15, 2013
In the evening we are doing the Nativity for all the Missionaries.   It turned out really nice even when we didn't have the backdrop.  We had Site Missionaries and Temple Missionaries watching.  The Missionaries were so busy helping with "The Christmas Walk" on Dec. 6, that they didn't have time to watch the Live Nativity.  We all wore our costumes and the angels sang all 6 songs as the Nativity was performed.
     I had decided to make these cute pioneer dolls that you can put your bags in the skirt for each one of our children's family.  I started before December.  Here are some pictures of them.

                           Here are the dolls up close.  They turned out to be so fun to do.

More Messiah

Saturday- Dec. 7, 2013
Sister Ballard couldn't go over to the Messiah practice at Nauvoo but Sister Harris did.  I got off early from the Carthage Visitor Center & Jail to a practice at 2:00 to 3:30 pm.  This practice was in the Grade School music room in Nauvoo.  The choir practiced with the full orchestra and it was really beautiful.  The conductor was a man from the Catholic Church but was very strict with the orchestra  but not the choir.  He told the orchestra that they had to know when to come in because he was going to conduct the choir and bring them in when they should sing but sometimes he didn't bring us in so we just had to know the songs and come in at the right time.  It was surprising how many Mormons were in the choir.  Their were only 6 missionaries singing in the choir.  We had been practicing for 2 months.  We will perform the Messiah in the Catholic Cathedral on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013.

Sunday- Dec. 8, 2013
We went to church at Nauvoo at 8:00 am until 11:00 am. We hurried back to Carthage because we worked at the Carthage Jail and Visitor Center today.   It is really special to serve here and give the tours to the visitors.  We really enjoy meeting people that come to see the Carthage Jail.  When we have the Sunday off their isn't anything to do except maybe write letters or sleep or read books.  It is really fun to skype with family members on Sunday evenings when we aren't having meetings.

Tuesday- Dec. 10,2013
We had Messiah practice again this evening at 7:00 pm until 9:30 pm.  Sister Ballard and Sister Harris went together this night.  Our husbands drove us over to  Nauvoo at the grade school music room to practice and then they went to Elder Durrant and Sister Susan Easton Durrant his wife, meetings.  The Durrants talked about Joseph Smith's brothers and sisters.  They both know so much about Joseph Smith and they are doing firesides every Tuesday and Thursday nights.  We have had to miss a lot of them because of the Messiah practice and Rendezvous.  They have been called here to the Nauvoo Temple to serve a Mission.  So it is fun to go to their firesides and learn so much.

Wednesday- Dec. 11, 2013
We had our 8:00 am training meeting and then served at the Carthage Jail & Visitor Center.  Then in the evening we went to a party at Elder and Sister Gnieting's home at 7:30 pm.  Others came and we sang and ate finger foods.  When a lot of couples came their husbands played instruments and we sang.  Their are so many talented missionaries here in Nauvoo, it is amazing.  It was so much fun to sing Christmas carols as the small band played.

Thursday- Dec. 12, 2013
We had the Dress Rehearsal at 7:00 until 9:30 pm at the St. Peter & Paul's Catholic Church in Nauvoo. We had to do the Rendezvous to night but ran to the Messiah practice at 8:00 pm.  It was amazing.  The sound in that building just bounced off the walls.  The soloist didn't need mikes and it was so fun to sing in the choir with the amazing orchestra.  We drove back to Carthage, the car seems to know the way.  We are traveling back and forth every night to Nauvoo then back to Carthage.  We are really putting the miles on our car.   O,well the fun of being on a mission.

Friday- Dec. 13, 2013  
 Early in the morning at 7:30 am we had a Nativity practice because Pres. Gilliland wanted us to perform it again for the Missionaries this next Sunday night since they missed it on Dec 6th.  Elder Harris and I got up early and drove to Nauvoo again.  Elder Harris was a shepherd and I, Sister Harris was an angel.  We traveled back to Carthage to serve at the Carthage Jail & Visitor Center.
         The Messiah performance is tonight at 7:00 pm.  We have to be there at 6:30 pm and it has started to snow today.  We got about 7 or 8 inches of snow.  It is beautiful but not fun to drive in.  Some of the orchestra couldn't make it because they lived in Quincy, Ill.  We sang in St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church.  We all had corsages with a red rose that this man Bob made.  We had a lot of couple missionaries there to hear us all sing, it was so much fun.
 
Saturday- Dec. 14, 2013
When we woke up I couldn't believe all the snow we had in Carthage.  Elder Harris was out on the tractor pushing snow so people would be able to get into the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail.

              Here are some pictures I took in the morning to show you how deep it was.

                                                                                         
         This is taken from our back porch looking at the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail.
                                                     

                  This is the house we live in.  The front porch hasn't been cleaned off yet.

                                              This is our car covered in snow.

This is the tree by the front door.

                                      Here is how deep it is on the fence.

                                   This is how deep the snow is on the front porch.

This was taken inside the house looking out the window and through the blinds. The branches are so heavy with snow.
We have certainly been blessed as we have had to travel to Nauvoo so many times, isn't the snow beautiful though but it is really cold here.

New Years Day

Jan. 1- 2014
Here it is New Years Day and we had to work at the Carthage Visitor Center & Jail all day.  It was OK because we had nothing else to do.  We didn't have one person come in all day.  Things have really slowed down but we do Indexing and Humanitarian things to do.  I am crocheting receiving blankets to give to the Humanitarian. It is a good feeling to be doing something for someone else. The Missionaries are crocheting hats for children.  The children in Navuoo can't go outside and play unless they have a warm hat on.  We are giving the hats to the school children. I am going to buy these looms that Walmart sells and teach Elder Harris how to do them.  He spends his time reading a lot. Their are some Elders here on the Mission that make these hats from different sizes of looms.  They are really cute hats for boys or girls.

Thursday- Jan. 2, 2014
This day was our preparation day.  We always wash or clean our house or shop for food.  We try to go to the Navuoo Temple every preparation day to do sealings or endowments.  I almost have Jenny's family names done, only I think one more male name left.  We went to Susan Easton Durrant's talk on Joseph Smith that she does every Tuesday and Thursday nights.  She is so smart and interesting to listen to but she does talk fast.

Tuesday Night- Jan. 7, 2014
We did our Rendezvous this night.  Elder Harris and I did Jed and Annie but I didn't feel like I did as good as he did.  I went blank on one of my lines and I couldn't here the prompter for a short time then I said my part.  It turned out okay but I want to do a good job every time so I tell my husband that he has to give me the exact verse so I can remember my part.  I have memorized his part and I get lost if he doesn't say the words right.  I know that is a bad excuse but I just have the lines memorized exactly the way it says.  Anyway I hope in a week I will remember my part better.  The audience just loves Elder Harris.  He makes them laugh all the time with his cute lines and twinkle in his eyes.  It really is fun to help others feel the spirit as we perform  in this program.

                                       O Jed, I really want too!!! Marry you!!!

                                                                        What a Kiss!!!!

 The week of January 13th through 18th we don't have Rendezvous all week because they are painting and fixing up the Cultural Hall.  Ha!! one week off, free nights, can do anything we want too, well to a point.

Friday Night- Jan. 10, 2014
This night we didn't do Jed and Annie part because it was the Elder and Sister Duncan's turn but the WHOLE Rendezvous was the BEST we all had EVER DONE.  We had some big families there and a lot of missionaries watching the show and that helps us sing our songs better and do our parts better. In Relief Society sometimes I do the part of " Why didn't I think of that!" The audience just laughs and laughs. It does help to have a good laughing audience. Here is a picture.

                                                   Sunday- Jan. 12, 2014
 This Sunday Elder and Sister Harris have this day off.  Every other Sunday we don't work at the Carthage Visitor Center and Jail.  I usually stay for choir practice for l hour and then we drive back to Carthage, home.  We eat and take a nap and study scriptures, read Ensigns and then sometimes we go back to Navuoo to Zion Conference or District Meetings and Jan. 18th or 19th this week we meet our new Mission President.

President and Sister (Howard W. Hunter's son) Richard Allen Hunter from Wallsburg, Utah.  We are excited to meet him because he knew our son-in-law, Ken Bonney's father, Carl Bonney very well and our grandson is named after him: Mark Hunter Bonney.


  Friday January 17, 2014
We had the Farewell Missionary Breakfast at 7:00 in the morning.  We ate and then the missionaries that are leaving have to do a skit.  It was the cutest song that the President wrote the words too.  We are really going to miss President and Sister Gilliland.

President and Sister Gilliland

Elder and Sister Boyer

Here are the words to the song:

Life is different when you leave Nauvoo,

    You can't share all that you've been through.

   Your clothes are old, and they don't fit you!

Life is different when you leave Nauvoo.

                            P  If we go, we'll be spoken of as cowards

                                     SG And we've grown as wide as the Mississippi

                                            SB What am I supposed to do with this pickle barrel?

                         EB Nothing good from what I understand!

(Chorus)

Rendezvous, sites, and Sunset, too?

                   Cleaning up what little birdie's "do"  birdie's do

       The Audi-i-tion, and Young Sisters, too,

           Can't go with you when you leave Navuoo.

                                               SB   Anything interesting in the paper we should know about?

                         SG   Just this article about Thomas & Elizabeth

                                                                 when he saw her sitting a top their wagon, he tripped over his whiskers.

                            EB   The city Beautiful, was a city in mourning.

Life is sadder when you leave Nauvoo,

   No one gets your lines from Rendezvous.

They pity one who is as old as you.

 Life is sadder when you leave Nauvoo.

  SG  Too old?  Too old?

                                         SB  You have been looking a little peaked lately.

                                            SG  I can still give orders, if that's what you mean.

(Chorus)

Rendezvous, rides and Trial of Hope,

                       Making bricks and braiding lots of rope, lots of rope

  Cookies baking and the Teamsters, too,

       Can't go with you when you leave Nauvoo.

                                                P  Please think about what you're leaving behind!

                  SB  All these ordinary people,

                           EB  And all the old geezers in town!

Zion's gone when you leave Nauvoo,

Worldly cares quickly confound you.

       They take your badge and then forget you,

 Zion's gone when you leave Nauvoo.

          SG  Our home town is full of riff-raff.

                                                P     We need to find a place where we can plow our fields as we see fit,                                                       worship as we want, and live life, as we've a mind too.

                                            SG   And it's not just desert and sagebrush, whatever that is.

(Chorus)

Rendezvous, B-Y-U Groups, too,

        Vignettes and Special events  e-e-vents

               All of these and more, we will see no more

           Life is different when we leave Nauvoo.

                                         EB  Is Doctor Stout still making house calls?

        SB   I think he is.  Why?

                                                                EB   Jed swallered some of that stuff, and he's awfully sick.

                                                                  P   Brother Brigham would know what to do if he were here!

  Back in Nauvoo, guests are seldom seen,

Computers, sewing dominate the scene,

     Dreams of coming spring are everywhere.

       Please don't wake me 'til the guests appear.

                            SB  Now, why didn't I think of that?

(Chorus)

     Rendezvous, slide show without you

                       How-ow can they quickly forget?  They'll forget

All you meant, didn't make a dent.

             Nothing's changed since you up and went!

                                                               SG  Mark my words, a year from now you'll be over Nauvoo!

                                       P   You'll be sleeping in your rosewood bed,

                                                       All        And whatever the good Lord gives us, we'll meet it together!

                                                           P      And, if our age we don't make it, well, then what the.....

Hello, everybody, ....it's been good to see you,...

      now that's the end of our ...., really the end of our....

                    that's the end of our show-o-o-o.  That's the end of our show!

Singing our Farewell Song- It was so sad, they wave Good bye to us as we wave back to them as we all sing Farewell to Old Navuoo.  

These are the two couples that are leaving.  President Gilliland left Saturday Jan. 18, 2014 and the    Boyer's aren't leaving until the first week in Feb.  Our new Mission President was supposed to arrive

Saturday Jan. 18th but we received an email that he is bedridden for about two weeks and may be a question if he can come at all.  Pres. Chynoweth who was the first councilor is serving as the President of the Navuoo Mission at the moment.

The sewing ladies made this quiet for President & Sister Gilliland, front of the quilt.

This is the back of the quilt and the names of all the missionaries he has been over.  

The President and his wife just kept getting gifts and gifts and they were so touched and grateful of  all the love shown to them.

Elder and Sister Taylor made a DVD with all the Missionaries telling President and Sister Gilliland how much they have loved serving with them and gave them a portable DVD so they could watched it in the car traveling home.

Sister Gilliland telling us all of her feelings and love toward's us and thanking us for all the wonderful gifts.

Elder & Sister Harris with President and Sister Gilliland


 He has been a GREAT Mission President and his wife has been the kindest woman ever. I can't believe how much they both know the Scriptures so well.  They are directed by the spirit 24/ 7.  I hope that we will have Missionary Reunions so we can see them again.

Elder and Sister Boyer came and served at Carthage Visitor Center and Jail this day January 17th.  It has been so fun to get to know this couple.  Dick and Carolyn Guymon's grandson that lived in California married the boyer's granddaughter.  So when we came on our mission we were to look them up.


      On January the 8th was our half mark of our mission.  I can't believe how fast it has gone.