What if the hokey pokey is what it's all about?

 What if the Hokey Pokey is 

"what it's all about"?

I'm sure glad to know "that is not what it's all about!" In fact, serving a mission here in Nauvoo is teaching me more and more what life is all about. 

Life is all about time and what we do with it. For us it is amazing how quickly a year has flown! I just read my post of last April, and I was longing for spring at that time too. It is a little illusive right now--today we are having thunderstorms and tomorrow morning we are to have a few snow flurries. Yesterday it got up to 80 degrees! But isn't that what spring is??--we should dress in layers, carry a sweater, bring an umbrella, and just enjoy it!

The above tulips are the earliest to pop open in the Women's Garden this year, and I actually had a hand in planting the 12,000 bulbs we put in all over Old Nauvoo. I won't show you a picture of my little garden here by our RV, because even with the scattering of deer repellent (aka moth balls), the deer have helped themselves to most of my tulips. My next door neighbor is about 20 feet away, and her tulips are not touched! Go figure.

Life is about change--we have a brand new Mission President, Larry Gibbons from Houston, Texas. He is just getting his feet wet, so we don't know too much about him.  It will be wonderful to have his guidance and direction.

Speaking of change, our new little home in Virgin is progressing. Our neighbor, Jean Krause, informs us that the drywall is almost all up. The outside insulation is all up and is being wrapped for the stucco to be applied. Brent, Ashley, little Parker, Lacey, Wes, Hailey, Georgia and Weston will be camping right across the river from our home this coming weekend. I hope they will send new pictures for all of us to see. I also wish I could be a bug on a branch to see what fun they all have without us.

Last Sunday, LeRoy and I had the "privilege" of teaching the Relief Society and Priesthood lesson. The subject was "the gifts of the Spirit". Life is also about being reminded that the Lord wants to bless us with all he has for us. Paul tells us in Corinthians that all we need to do is "ask" and He will give us any gift of the Spirit that we desire in order to perfect ourselves. We all have inadequacies. Why would we hesitate to ask for these special gifts of the Spirit? Perhaps because we would then have to stretch to learn about those gifts and to use them.

Life is all about not using the word "can't". I remember a first grade teacher, Mrs. Bonner, telling us first graders that there was no such word as "can't" in her classroom. I really did not understand what she meant by that, but I certainly never used it within earshot of her--she liked to spank little hands with a ruler when we were disobedient. To this day I seldom use that word. As my mother used to say, "Can't never could do anything but pee in his pants!" That was my mom.

Life is all about growth. "There is no comfort in a growth zone and there is no growth in a comfort zone." This week many new missionaries have arrived for the busy summer time. I look at the circles under their eyes and see their confused looks and  questions--remembering what I felt like this time last year. We are asked to do many things here which "stretch" us--from teaching classes, conducting meetings. performing in front of audiences, going without regular meals, memorizing and learning new information, and physical activity that is hard for many from daylight to dark. It is comforting to know that I know the ropes by now and find it a great experience. 

 The dark winter months are about over and we have just about finished transplanting and receiving plugs to transplant. The garden will begin to be planted about May 10th. I have loved being a part of the physical beauty of this place. The climate is perfect for tropical plants, so we enjoy the colors and textures of coleus, impatience, begonias, scented geraniums, Angel trumpet flowers, elephant ears, and many herbs. I just wish these varieties would grow in Virgin, Utah!

Sisters Harris, Bogaski, Swapp

Life is about helping and teaching others. I had the opportunity to spend a day in Bowling Green, Missouri, a small rural farming community. We have a van filled with hands-on activities which illustrate some of the things people can experience if they visit Old Nauvoo. The program is called "Nauvoo on the Road". Another missionary and I told these fourth-grade students about our Family Living Center where people can learn some of the skills and activities the early pioneers in Nauvoo would have used. We taught them about the "bustle" oven some of the early pioneer homes had--a brick oven built into an outside wall of the home which could be loaded with wood and burned. Then the wood was removed and the ashes scraped out. When the bricks surrounding the opening of the oven felt "just right", loaves of fresh, risen bread would be put inside on the brick floor of the oven. A wooden door soaked in water would be put over the opening of the oven. In about 20 to 30 minutes the loaves of bread would be finished baking and would fill the home with the beautiful aroma of baked bread. The bread would be removed and some bread product requiring less and less heat would be placed in the oven--like pie crusts, crackers, cookies. These fourth graders then got to roll out fresh molasses gingerbread cookies and cut them out--just for the fun of it. Then they got a fresh cookie to eat. 

Sister Phillippi

The other missionaries helped the students make a rope for their classroom. Others learned how the pioneers made candles, made bricks for the homes, or the games the children played during that time.

It was all about inviting these children and hopefully their families, to Nauvoo.







Life is all about loving others. One of those "gifts of the Spirit" I would like to have as I try to perfect myself is charity. To be able to accept and love others without harshly judging them because of their outward appearance or their actions, is a challenge for me. I want to feel love for them and acceptance--no matter what. 

And love is what life is all about--I think. Without love there is no meaning at all--and our Savior's love for us is the ultimate in love. He is truly our guide.

So, enjoy some pictures of our grandchildren I love. Family is always top on the list--and I don't have current pictures of them all at this time, but here are some I have recently received. All of you who read this blog are certainly on my list of people I love--and thank you for taking the time to read the posts. You are dear to me and to LeRoy also. Thank you.

Emily Thompson

Parker Lee Thompson

Weston Lee Beard

Hailey Ruth Beard

Georgia Lynn Beard