Weeks 26 and 27----December 20 to December 29, 2013

Hello again:

We had a marvelous Christmas.  What a wonderful time of the year.  We trust that you all had enjoyable experiences that make Christmas so joyous.   I can't  believe that Christmas is over for another year.  It has certainly been  a unique Christmas for us.  We had a great time with Annette, Christian, and their children.  They came on the train and had a great experience feeling relaxed, enjoying the beauty of the environment and carefree from the trials of driving with children-potty breaks, long hours on the road and being closed in for too long. 

in the van on our way to the apartment from the train depot

As you can see from the picture we started the party on the way home from the train station and continued the fun for the entire week.

Sunday afternoon we visited some of the sites.  That evening we met at the Church with all the missionaries for a soup and bread dinner before braving the weather for some Christmas caroling around the town. 

soup and bread before going Christmas caroling

Monday was a fun day at the sites and when Elder Pincock and I got done with our assignments for the day we went to the Cultural Hall to meet our friends, the Jones'.  They did their performance of Thomas and Elizabeth for us, and then gave us the tour of the upstairs so we could dance and enjoy the beautiful sight of the temple through the windows up there.

with Elder and Sister Jones at the Cultural hall

Christian and Ellie dancing in the Cultural Hall


 

Returning to the apartment to make gingerbread houses

making gingerbread houses

Ellie posing with her gingerbread house

That night we went to Rendezvous and enjoyed one of the performances that the Buhler's saw during their visit. 

During their time here they got to go on the oxen ride, the wagon ride, the carriage ride and the best of all was the sleigh ride.  It was cold but very fun to trot through the countryside in a two horse open sleigh singing Christmas carols. 

sleigh ride.  (cold but beautiful day)

Christmas Eve we played games, watched Buddy, the Elf,  acted out the Christmas Story, and hung our stockings. 

our reenactment of the Nativity (notice the wise man!!!)

It was Christmas Day!  It was so fun to have kids on Christmas morning and enjoy seeing them open their presents and stockings.  They played with their gifts and went out to play in the snow and explore the neighborhood.


Christmas morning

Ellie with her American Girl doll dressed in the
wedding gown made for the dolls by Grandma (from grandma's
original wedding dress all the girls got one for Christmas)

At 3:30 we went to the Church for the amazing Christmas dinner.  The committee did an excellent job of organizing it and picking a delicious menu of baked chicken, yummy salads, potatoes, rolls and creamy dessert.  The program was inspiring and we enjoyed the whole event.  They had reserved a table for our family and for a moment I thought we were being seated for dinner on a cruise.     That night we went to Rendezvous and we did our Noah and Sophia parts.  It was fun to perform for our family. 

Christmas Day dinner with 250 other guests at the church

Thursday I had an assignment to bake cookies and when I got done at noon we had our tour to Carthage Jail.

Buhler family at Carthage Jail

Grandma was making gingerbread cookies and the grandkids got to taste some

David was assigned there that day and so he got to give the tour.  The kids thought this was one of their favorite tours.  It  is very touching to be there and learn about the events that took place in those rooms.  We went to eat at one of our favorite places in Keokuk, an Italian restaurant called Angelini's where you design and watch them prepare your pasta.  We got home so Annette and Christian and David could go to the Susan Durrant lecture.  While they were there I got a very fun surprise.  The door bell rang and when I answered it, it was Elder Davis, our missionary that we served with in Armenia and then served with him again this last summer here in Nauvoo.  It was so fun to see him.  He told us that 3 other performing missionaries were coming and we enjoyed them several times during this last week.

We were pleasantly surprised to see Elder Davis who we served 
with in Armenia 

Friday morning, David and Christian got to help Elder Mendenhall load up his truck and trailer.  He is the husband of the Sister Missionary who got burned three weeks ago.  She was flying home with one of their daughters that afternoon and he had come to pick up their belongings and was driving home with another daughter.  Things have gone well with her  and it looks like everything will be successful in her recovery.       

Another interesting side note for the Pincock family:  We met Kelli (Sharp) Excell at the Visitor Center this last week.  She was here with her husband.  Her husband is the son of one of the missionary couples here.  She is Kim Sharp's  (one of Elder Pincocks first cousins) oldest child and still lives in Ames, Iowa.  It was very fun to see her and remember past family activities and happenings.   The meeting was another example of the Lord's tender mercies.  If we had been serving any where else but the Visitor's Center that day we would have not had the chance to meet them.

Well, all is quiet here now.  Along with all of our Christmas excitement, we have had our Rendezvous Director here from Salt Lake practicing and teaching us many fun things about our performances for the summer.  He's gone and so are our kids.  They had a safe trip home and a fun side trip for New Year's  with Christian's family in Bountiful. 

What a fun thing to have family and friends come to Nauvoo.  It's an amazing place.  And now we look forward to our son and family coming to visit before Brenna goes on her mission and my sister got  plane tickets for Christmas to come and visit in the next few months.  We are so excited for our visitors.  It is great to see how well it works out  to have people here in our little apartment and  sharing our car with them.    It's meant to be.  So hurry one and all.  We have a super year planned and the summer holds fantastic events coming for the commemoration of the  tenth year of the pageant.  We're so grateful to be here.  We love you and appreciate all the Christmas gifts and greetings.  It was very fun.  Happy New  Year!

 

Buhler family walking on the ice covering the Mississippi River

 

Nativity in the Old Nauvoo Visitors Center

                                                                                                                                                                             Love,  Elder and Sister Pincock