Saturday...is a Special Day

This morning I could not keep from snapping pictures from my perch in the loft.  I so enjoy reading and studying up here.  I looked at the pictures just a little while ago and realized you have already seen similar ones.  I don't want to bore you, but the view outside these windows is ever-changing and I am endlessly fascinated with it.

Isn't this a great place to sit in the morning?

Infants in strollers around here get a lot of attention.  They are bundled up and nearly always just lie there enjoying the sights from their well-insulated interiors.  These big heavy strollers are very common around here.

Look at this young mother with a baby in the stroller and this cute little toddler in green just standing and watching the older children having a grand time with their sleds.  There were two young fathers out with the youngsters, who occasionally took a turn "skiing" down the hill on their feet!  I read and then I look up to think....then I see these beautiful scenes....and have to work to focus on my studies!

How will I ever be content with looking out the windows in Gilbert again?  I have always enjoyed the sun playing over the rustling leaves of our citrus trees and the swaying palms in our neighbor's yard.  And I know that  I will enjoy that again.  But this near constant array of joggers, mothers pushing strollers, people out for a leisurely walk, people walking dogs, and bicyclists, not to mention the varying-from-day-to-day surface of the lake ...and the birds and swans just make me happy!

The high point of this dark day was being in a temple session with several of our outstanding YSAs plus five young men who came from Sweden at the invitation of our YSAs.  We also had two sister missionaries on the session.

We were given a special session of our own (if we had enough, we were told by the temple president that we could schedule a time after the regular sessions).  President and Sister Williams are amazing people.  He was on a mission here about the same time that SK was here, then he came back as a mission president a few years ago, and is back now as the temple president.

They love the YSAs like we do and have been happy to have a few of them sign on as temple workers.  SK is encouraging all of the returned missionaries to do that.  President Williams worked closely with the then stake president in finding the center where we are at now.

Sister Williams is a cute petite blond who has that can-do attitude about everything.  She found a lady to cut her hair the way she likes it (she wears it about the same way I wear mine).  She gave me the phone number and the address of the lady who cuts it, and then met me there to show her how to cut mine!  I love to be around people who know how to get things done!!!!  She reminds me of my cute sister-in-law Debbie....so efficient and capable!

I sat in the endowment room studying the murals....just beautiful.  Majestic forests similar to what we see around Denmark.  One of the young women whispered to me that if we go a little ways north to a public park, we will see the exact place that is portrayed in the murals including the reindeer.  That sounds like a fun Spring outing.

I loved our time in the temple.  I loved being there with the young adults.  They are beautiful...their smiles, the joy they exude at being there, their strength.  We feel so blessed to be here.