A Surprise from Texas

A young woman from the University of Texas Capitol Ward where Tony served as 2nd counselor in the Bishopric  showed up at church Sunday and boy were we surprised.  When you see someone that you knew from somewhere else in the world and don't expect to see them where you live now, it throws you off....we could barely remember her name.  We were so surprised.  She came up and put her arms around both of us.  I'm sure the look of shock on our faces scared her at first!  It was a joyful reunion tho'!  The family that she is staying with while she tries to get a job, had us over for dinner this past Sunday.  Eric is from France and Lafern, his wife, is from America.  They treated us after dinner to a french pastry called Galette des Rois.  It is a flat pastry that is layered to make it look like a loaf of bread.  It has a little porcelain figurine hidden somewhere in the loaf.  You hope you get the figurine but then again, you wouldn't want to break a tooth on the glass!  The person who gets the figurine is then crowned King.  Eric was the person that got it this time.  This little activity has been around in France for hundreds of years celebrating the three kings arrival to the Christ child.

So GOOD!

 Eric DeMoulder -  holding the porcelain figurine that was in his pastry.  I work with him in the Finance department in Bad Homburg

 They must do this a lot in their family because these are the figurines that have come out of the Galette des Rois.

2018 HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FRANKFURT 2018

Already it's another new year!  We brought in the new year with our missionary friends here in Frankfurt.  We went down to the Keller in the office building and ate and played the "Newlywed game"....with not such newly weds!  It was fun.  We got to know each other better and had some real fun laughs together.  After cleaning up we went up to Elder and Sister Carroll's apartment to watch the fireworks together.  I have never seen fireworks like this before.....they never stopped.  The entire sky was lit up for at least an hour!  We have a beautiful view from our apartment of the Frankfurt skyline (as seen below).....

This week we have tried to work but found it hard because so many contacts are on holiday here....so not much work was done these holiday weeks of Christmas to New Years.  We did make a decision after the holidays to go home from our mission on the 18th of December this year instead of January 3, 2019.  We decided this because not much goes on here during these holidays.

During the holidays, we gathered friends and all went to see Star Wars and ate dinner out.  I just love these friends.  We have made such wonderful friends since we've been here!  Just before me in the picture is Jill Roberts, she's the first person I met here and already she and Don will be leaving in April.  I will be sad on the day that they leave.  It won't be the same with out them.  They have been great in including us in things and always inviting us to go places with them and out to the movies or dinner.  They are wonderful people.  At the far end of the table, on the left are the Thomas's .... they are our next door neighbors and they work in the office right next to ours.  They leave in March, and will be sorely missed.  They live really close to us in the states so we will definitely see them when we get home.  The other two couples are the Yost's, (to my right) who were Mission Presidents in the Czech Republic, and the Nelson's (who are in the front)...he is one of our Doctor's here and Carol is a good friend whom I am having a great time getting to know better.

Taking the train to the movies

The Keller with Canfield's and Carroll's

The Lindsay's

Susie Yost, Leanna Steinekert, Carol Nelson, (missionary couple working at the mission office) and Jill Roberts. 

 Me and Susie Yost....just love her!

Fred Yost and Don Roberts

Lynn Driskell, a Barrister from the UK, brought in her robes and wig and Tony just had to try them on.....we all had a good laugh!

Then we had some fun learning to make bread rolls at Jill Robert's apartment from left to right: Jill's head, Linda Carroll from Australia, Dani Garrett (our zone leader), Kay Lundquist (her husband is the HR head at the church headquarters - she's not a missionary, Sister Dewey from Utah, she is rather new and I don't know her first name yet, Janet Nelson from NYC, her husband is Tony's boss in the OGC and then Paula Thomas.

 In Jill's living room after the rolls were made....the sister on the left is Marlene Lindsay from Lehi Utah

A picture of the group

One of the great blessings that has happened while we have been here in Germany is the birth of two of our Grandchildren.  DeAnna and Mark had a little girl in August, Makenna.  I flew home after she had her to help her for a week.  And, Michelle and Rob had another little boy, Crosby.  They are both so beautiful, healthy and such a blessing to our family!  That makes six grandchildren so far, Hunter and Kaitlin will have their second little girl in late April.  My life is full with these sweet babies added to our family!  I can't wait to get home and give them all the kisses they've missed!

CROSBY  FREDERICK  NOWELS

MAKENNA  LYNN  YOUNG

Tony and I went to a place called Tony Sauer.  He makes all hand carved figurines and enchanted wood carvings.  I fell in love with this scene - it just reminded me of all the wonderful scenery we've seen here in Germany so we decided to purchase it and have it shipped to our home in the United States.  We will find a place to display it.

Christmas in Paris 2017

Christmas 2017 was bound to be different than any other we have ever had.  We didn't have family here in Germany so we planned a fabulous trip with good friends, to PARIS!  The Canfields and Goodall's took the ICE train from Frankfurt to France.  We were in first class so it was very roomy and even had a table between us.  France was wonderful, beautiful and rainy.  It drizzled just about daily.  The Harrison's, the other couple that joined us arrived after we got there.  We were grateful that Anita and Steve had been to France many times and knew exactly where to go and what to see!  The first day, we walked 12.2 miles.....whew!!!!  We took the subway from our hotel into Paris....about 10 minutes away and walked all over.  We saw the Arc de Triomphe, place de la Concorde (although the gardens were empty because it's winter),  the Louvre,  Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, the Sainte Chapelle Cathedral and the ChampsElysees.  We ate at Lorraine's (famous for their hot chocolate and desserts) and had such a wonderful time together.  We WALKED Everywhere we went! We couldn't help but notice the armed guards and police with machine guns everywhere we went, even inside the Louvre!  It's a scary world we live in today!  Somehow, the guards didn't make me feel safe but instead made me a little uneasy just always being reminded that there are probably terrorists among us.

Below are the Canfield's from California.  Don't know who that man is in the background! (photo bomb).....  We have a really great time with them!

 This picture below is the side of the Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was just beautiful inside and the biggest church I've ever seen.  This cathedral is know to be one for the finest know French Gothic Architecture.  It is the largest Catholic Church in the world.  It is said to house  some of the relics of Christ's death......the crown of thorns that Christ was made to wear, a piece of the cross and one of the nails from that cross.  In the 1790's Notre Dame suffered a lot of damage during the French Revolution.  An extensive renovation began in 1845 and then again in 1991.  It is a beautiful LARGE building.....I would have liked to see a mass here but we didn't have time.

 This picture below is right down the street from our hotel and you can see the metro to the right which took us to downtown Paris.

 Stunning Architecture we saw as we walked down the ChampeElysees

Friends forever, it's interesting how you can meet someone and instantly feel a kinship to them, that's what happened with the Canfield's and Goodall's and so many other wonderful people we have met while serving here!

 I just loved the store fronts and all the Christmas decorations!

 This is the Basilica Cathedral St. Denis, where the kings and queens of France are said to be entombed.

 Inside the Notre Dame Cathedral

 Notre Dame Cathedral

 Me and Tony outside the Notre-Dome Cathedral

 The inside of the Sainte Chapelle built by Saint Louis within the medieval royal residence "Palais de la Cite', rises above the current law courts of the Palais de Justice.

 We briefly visited one of the Paris Christmas Markets.

 

What's Christmas without SANTA

Below is a picture of Tony and me and the Canfield's and four young missionaries from America.  We came to help distribute hygiene kits and food to the refugees, most of them from Iraq and Africa

 This was the group of us who worked handing out supplies for the refugees.  The four younger men are full time missionaries from America.

 The long line of refugees waiting for food.

Standing under the Arc de Triomphe

 The tomb of the unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe

 A wonderful Christmas in Paris! Goodall's, Canfield's and Harrison's

Photo BOMB!

 Typical street in France

 Campbell and John Harrison

 Anita inside the Four Seasons Hotel

Laduree

 The Pastries in France are MARVELOUS!!!!  Tony loved the Macaron's

Macaron's 

In this picture below, not only is the building beautiful but I took it to show the barracades along the street to protect pedestrians from terrorists running us over!

Everything in Paris is so close, you literally can walk everywhere.  To Tonys left is the Champs Elysees and then the Louvre and the Eiffel tower in the distance.

It was rainy and chilly but we had a ball ..... we look forward to going again in the spring.

 Another Beautiful Store Window

 Louis Vuitton Headquarters

 This is Angelina's.... the hot chocolate is to die for!  There was a long line outside, just to get in!

Inside Angelina's

Desserts and Hot Chocolate at Angelina's

Anita and Campbell looking at the map figuring out where to go next.....

The Canfield's

....The Louvre....

This is the first thing you see as you walk into the Louvre.  Notice how small the people are.....this place is huge! 

Guards everywhere!  We were also told to beware of "pickpockets"!!!

 The Louvre

this is also part of the Louvre, it is HUGE!

I was really surprised at how small the "Mona Lisa" is!  It's only about 16X20

One of the things I loved about the Louvre was Napoleon Bonaparte's apartment.....more like a mansion within a castle!

This is Napoleons chair ..... thrown

the Crown Jewels

The case for the crown jewels

Famous Rembrandt picture .... of Rembrandt!

Time to leave the Louvre and walk to the Eiffel Tower.....we turned down and street and there it was!

Going thru security at the Eiffel Tower

The view from the Tower

Pere Lachaise Cemetery where many famous people are buried including Jim Morrison from the DOOR'S and Chapin

Even tho the weather wasn't great we still found people outside enjoying the holidays and eating at cafe's

Typical street 

AND.......another photo bomb!!!!!!!

Heading back from the Louvre, the ChampsElysees

On the train going home, Anita and Steve Canfield talking to their grand children......made the end of a wonderful Christmas!