Golden Days

SK, Ethan, Andrew and Lauren did baptisms at the temple this morning.  They all looked so scrubbed clean and neat.  Isn't that a great?  A sixteen-year old and a fourteen year old who happily head off to the temple when they are on vacation....it is wonderful.

After they got home, we headed out to Roskilde to see the Dom Kirke, which is the grand old church of Denmark, where monarchs have been buried since the 1500's.  It is a massive building, which boggles my mind.  I can't understand how people in the 1100's, 1200's and 1300's could build such a magnificent structure, much less design it.  They did it without benefit of computers, cranes or other building tools, gadgets and vehicles.

Andrew, Ben and Lauren

Roskilde is a beautiful old city overlooking the inlet of the Baltic Sea.

Standing inside, we gazed in awe up, up and up at the gothic arches.  We wandered around marveling at the all of the details, as well as the overall design.  We snapped pictures, and we climbed up and down stairways, looking at burial crypts, sculptures and paintings.  Erin kept up, but it wasn't easy, and she was in pain most of the day.....but typical for a Madsen, she just kept going.

Do you see SK, Ethan, Erin, Andrew, Lauren, Anna and Ben directly across there?

I wish I had noticed that big ugly trailer there on the left before snapping the picture, but look at Erin, Andrew, Lauren and Ben.....the tiny figures right in front of the right side of the church.

Outside the church, we paused for at least a half hour to take pictures.  We have been in this country for nearly 2 years, and after all this time, SK took a tumble.  We know a lot of missionaries, young and old who have fallen on the cobblestones, and I have been afraid of it happening.  He was backing up to get a better picture of the outside of the building, and his shoe heel caught on a stone, and down he went, falling completely on his back, hitting the cobblestones from head to toe.

I didn't see him fall, or lying on the ground or getting up.  But Lauren was over by the building posing with her family when he fell.  She saw him, and asked, "Why is grandpa on the ground?"  She thought he was trying to get a better angle of the height of the building.

He said he was fine....but I have a feeling he will be stiff tomorrow.

As we left the city, SK decided to stop for a photo op.  He pulled over and stopped and told Ethan he was looking for a big orange sofa.  Ethan's expression was priceless.....he looked uncertain about how he should respond to such a statement and I was sure he was thinking SK had hurt himself more in the fall than he thought.

We blundered around, until Ethan led us to it.  It is a missionary favorite for pictures and we were happy to find it.

After having a fun time posing for pictures on that big couch, we came home and parted company.  Ethan, Erin and kids went to Frederiksberg Park - a magnificent place to stroll.  They loved it.

In the meantime, SK and I went to an open house for Emilie, our wonderful YSA who is leaving on her mission this week.  We absolutely love her and are excited for her to serve ....she will be an incredible missionary.  In the year and a half that she has been a member, she has been a shining light with her testimony, often expressing how much joy she feels since the gospel has come into her life.

Her apartment is in a lovely tree-lined neighborhood....the fourth floor, which means that we had to hike up 5 floors.  My goodness!  That is about 2 floors too many!  Her parents are not members....they were lovely and gracious about entertaining all of the YSAs.  We love visiting with them.

We got home before dark, but Ethan and Erin didn't get home until later.....they had walked through a lovely part of Frederiksberg to get to the park, and back....probably 4 miles at least.  The wind was cool and the sun was shining.  It couldn't have been prettier.

Ethan took this panoramic shot....and the kids figured out they could get into the same picture 3 times if they hurried.

I hope the children will always remember these golden days in Denmark.

I will.