closer to Christmas

We woke up this morning to the first real snow of the Winter, to some that is a wondrous event but to us who have suffered through many years of cold and snow here in Zion it was just cold and slick.  I took some pictures of our forest under our window.  

Today is Sunday we have had a great day.  We were able to attend this morning the Tabernacle Choir annual Christmas Bells Concert.  Brian Stokes Mitchell, a Broadway singer and Edward Herrmann were the guest performers.  It was wonderful.  The story was told about how the song "I heard the bells on Christmas day" was written.  It wonderful story about how Henry W. Longfellow found hope during personal crisis in the 1860s in the midst of the Civil war by his faith in the Savior.  

We are really busy now as we have some new assignments to do on the Square. We are in charge of the Sisters Exercise Program.  We get up early, the building needs to be opened prior the 6:00 am,  Monday, Wednesday and Friday at a local Stake House so the Sisters can exercise.  Their favorite thing is to play soccer in the gym.  A couple of Sisters played for good teams back in their home countries.  It really gets loud and competive. 

 Dad has also the assignment of getting everything ready for Sacrament Meeting, making the assignments for preparing, blessing and passing the Sacrament.  We go early, 6:30 AM,  Sunday Morning to get everything ready, opening the building, turning on the lights ect.  We are turning in to early morning people.   

 

Mom gets to go early Saturday Mornings to practice for a special Christmas musical program. She will be playing the Piano. 

At the end of each day we walk home through the Christmas lights up the hill to our apartment,  to feel good about another day spent in the service of the Lord.