March 2019: August 2016

August started to be one of the hottest months this summer. The temperatures are in the 90s and very high humidity. Golfing this week was tough with a heat index of over 104 degress.

Our assignments at the temple are beginning to go from extremely busy to very busy. The baptisms are family only and no groups since it is getting close to back to school for most of the visitors. We have had several performances by the Young Performing Missionaries before they depart the second week of August. Dawn and I attended the Trail of Hope presentation and the Susan Black talk since the Durants are back. We also had an incredible speaker, Dr. Pegero from Italy. He is a geneticist and has mapped out the gene haploids for Joseph Smith proving he had no descendent children for any of the wives he was sealed to. This disproved the Fawn Brody theory of his marrying for sex only.

We ventured back to Cantrel, Iowa with the Marshalls, stopping along the way to Bonaparte and Bentonsport to shop at Iron and Lace. We also met up with Tony at the American Indian museum on arrowhead artifacts. It was amazing. Dawn bought more stuff from the I and L store. I bought the grand-daughters Amish aprons and Jiffy mixes to learn how to cook.. Roxy also go a bonnet from the Mennonite store at the Dutchman.

We went to the Corn Festival in West Point, Iowa. What a treat! All the corn you can eat free and we also had a chicken dinner along with one strawberry Dakari. The Lymans were with us as a good bye meal. They are going home in two day. This couple have been a great asset to us in helping find our ancestors from Family Search

Our next adventure was to visit Swedesburg, Iowa a one hour road trip above Ft. Madison. The only attraction in the entire community of less than 10 houses was the local museum. The museum director was a great guide and took us through the history of Swedish settlers in the area. The community still has Swedish activities and the only Lutheran church in the area.

The Kurowskis came and spent three wonderful days with us. We showed them around the area an took them to Carthage visitors center where the family was given the history of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. We did the Carriage ride, sites and ate at the Nauvoo Hotel. All in all it was a wonderful experience having the family here eating and playing games in our apartment.

The Marshals and us did a bike ride in the area and afterwards visited Qunicy, Illinois to tour the museum and shop at the mall. We ate at the Pier along the banks of the Mississippi River. We have enjoyed their company and plan to have them with us to the rodeo in September.

A group of 8 couples formed a golf scramble tournament at Dear Run Golf Course. Dawn and I played with the Smiths. Afterwards the entire group had a meal at El Camino Real Mexican restaurant. After 18 holes we were hungry.

We were excused from duty on Saturday the 27^th so we could go to Galesburg to take Barbara Wynkoop and Rose Burg to dinner one more time. We also were able to visit the Galesburg Rail Road Museum. We spent the night at the Country Inn and Suits. The Thompsons drove separately to church.

The last item to report to you is our visit to Kalona, Iowa. Our P-Day group of 14 people paid for a tour to visit the Amish and Mennonite sites in this quaint little town of Kalona. We first visited the headquarters of the touring agency. The Mennonite of Iowa Museum was the place for our reception and explanation of the Mennonite and Amish people living the community. From there our tour guide took us to the JK wood working shop. The owner showed us the tools and items made by the Mennonite for sale. We bought a kaleidoscope and cutting board for Julia made from the exotic and native wood. Then off to the Joetown Dairy farm where we had dinner. The meal was extraordinary with roast beef, mashed potatoes, pasta, tapioca, peanut butter and apple butter for the homemade bread. Lastly we were treated to strawberry/rhubarb pie. I ate way too much. Following our meal we went to the local Mennonite church and listened to an old time pastor talk about their religion and sang hymns following. Then we visited the Golden Delight Bakery and picked up a couple of more food items. Lastly we visited a carriage making shop. The two Amish boys in the shop gave a great introduction of how the carriages are made. All in all it was a very good outing. Not to mention, we stopped many times to get photographs of the “Barn Art” at various farms. Iowa is a very beautiful state.

Today is the last day of the month. It has been filled with exciting things to do since the summer is upon us. We have never stopped working at the temple and our schedules are complete with line assignments as well as Dawn and I were still shift coordinators for the Monday morning sessions as well as baptistery coordinators on Thursday morning. The winding down time is soooo busy with dinners and activities. I, personally will be glad when it is over.. Not so much the temple assignments but the social activities.