Nine months - what?!?!

Great news!!!! Monday, July 12, we open the Lucy Mack Smith home and the Sarah Granger Kimball home to live, in-person tours! Progress! We are so excited for these sites to open! I hope that Lyon Drug opens soon for selfish reasons! Haha! If people walk around the gardens, then I won't have so many weeds to pull from the pathways!

While it's burning hot in Utah, we have been in the 60's and low 70's here. This is unusual compared to other times that we've been here in July. Usually it's hot and humid but it's been raining and chilly the last few days. I actually had to pull out my sweaters.

The cooler weather sure makes it easier to work in. Speaking of work, we did a whole lot of mulching and wood chipping this past week. We mulched around 40 tree circles at the VC, the front flower beds at Lucy Mack Smith home and wood chipped the gardens at Sarah Granger Kimball home. That was all in addition to keeping up with Lyon Drug and Orson Hyde home. We have been working hard to get Lucy and Sarah's homes ready for their opening.

Bunnies! Bunnies have become my nemesis in the gardens at Lyon Drug! I want them gone! They are so cute but such a nuisance. There are a bunch of babies and they chew the plant off at the bottom and then leave it to die. There is a huge arbor that is full of gourds and it is beautiful! This past week, the bunnies bit off so many of the plants right at the bottom of the vine and then the vine dies. I lined the area with moth balls and I hope that keeps them away. Does anyone have any ideas of how to keep them away? They also chewed up my artichoke plants. I'm not happy with them, can you tell? 

We had a great training on miracles and realizing what miracles are and what miracles we have witnessed here while serving. Miracles happen here everyday and I love to look for the miracles. 

I am lucky enough to get to work with the YSMs in making fleece blankets that will be donated to the Nauvoo Fire and Ambulance and other places around the area. The Senior sisters are donating fabric or money. I  went yesterday and bought a lot of fleece. When Sister Elia and I went to the store, we found that the fleece was 30% off, which was great! Then, when we were checking out, the lady there gave us a 25% discount on the whole purchase so we saved 55%! We took what we bought to the car and went right back in and bought more! 

My cousin, Vicki, was in town and we were able to get together for a few minutes. I wish we could have spent more time together but I'm thankful for the time we did have. Another friend, Rhonda Monson (we were in the pageants together), was here and we saw each other basically long enough to give each other a hug. Life is great, my friends!

Elder Burns and I were asked to help with the program for a 24th of July Celebration and dinner that the Senior Missionaries will be having.

Friday night we went to Pageant Headquarters and watched the broadcast of the final performance of the Palmyra Pageant. 

I love serving here in Nauvoo! I know I say that often, but I really do! Saturday we hit our 9-month mark! How did that happen? We are half-way through our mission. Time is flying! I just had the thought that I wish my pregnancies had gone by as fast as the nine-months of our mission has! 

Love to all!

Some of our oxen

The sheep are kept in a field next to Lyon Drug.

We have one that loves to escape!

Mulching around the tree rings in the VC. Elder and 

Sister Elia are in the trailer shoveling out the mulch. 

My sweet cousin, Vicki

There is beauty all around!