December 3, 2015 - Thursday in Nauvoo

December is a busy month here in Nauvoo.  With the Christmas Season well on its way, we have been involved with lots of fun activities.   We have been busy with transitioning this little part of the world into a winter wonderland.  The Christmas decorated trees are going up all over town, the festive decorations are getting completed and the parties are just beginning.  

After weeks of preparing for these Christmas activities, we had our first caroling party in Carthage this evening.  Those of us who did not perform in Rendezvous or attend a practice for the upcoming Messiah program, headed for Carthage for an evening mingling with the folks gathered out there in the town square.  I have never seen so many cars, and people lining the sidewalks, and the businesses decorated so well.  Here are some pictures from this effort;

Caroling in Carthage

Lots of homemade "floats"

Bundled up warm and singing with Joy!

We sang on several store front walkways

More 1840's type "floats"

Lighted Hancock County Courthouse in Carthage

We rode out from Nauvoo to Carthage with Elder and Sister Skinner.  She was celebrating her birthday today and we had dinner with them in Hamilton on the way to Carthage.  We have really enjoyed getting to know the Skinner's!

The picture of the decorated Hancock County Courthouse shows the courthouse building that replaced the first courthouse that Joseph and Hyrum were arraigned in  back on June 25, 1844.  The building was replaced in the early 1900's and this is the replacement courthouse, 2nd generation!  During the other 11 months out of the year, this Carthage town square is pretty quiet.  About half of the shops in the town square are vacant during those months.

Mom and I were up and ready to begin our day at the usual appointed time.  We had our morning devotional and prayers, and then left the house at 6:00am for our long morning walk.  We were back at just a few minutes past 7:00am and got ready for our day of service in the Visitors Center.  We opened today and were able to welcome and greet 12 visitors during our shift.  The flow of visitors has really slowed down the last few days, but, like I mentioned above, December will come alive with many planned festivities here in Nauvoo.  

Tomorrow we have the Christmas Walk where the activity begins in the Visitor's Center.  There will be singing and bands playing and the official lighting of the Christmas Tree.  Then, there will be wagon rides through town with the pathways lighted by a half mile of live candle displays.  Mom and I will hold back and close up the Visitors Center after the lighting of the tree.

This is a wonderful Church initiative! 

We are all warm and cozy in our home tonight and mom is already sound asleep.  We sure love our precious family and we are so grateful that we can be together forever.  As we go through the different tests that come our way, we realize just how important it is to stay close together.  An appreciation of this tender mercy of being close together takes on a greater meaning as we see how quickly one can be taken from us or a family could be relocated to another city that would be farther away from where we are now. 

We read in D&C 78:19 - "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more". Mom and I are eternally grateful for our family and friends, and we rejoice in this Christmas Season of knowing and testifying that; "A Savior Is Born"!  christmas.mormon.org - #ASaviorIsBorn  

We are very blessed to see so many of the "things of this earth" are added to each one of us!  Thank you for joining with us tonight!  Merry Christmas!