Hi y'all!  We finally got our internet connection today.  I can hardly believe we've been here a week tomorrow.  Our home is one of the restored historic homes on the "flats"; the Winslow Farr home.  It is cozy and comfortable.  No bathroom on the main floor though.  One in the basement and one upstairs where our bedroom is. We also have a second bedroom, hint, hint.  Oh well, good exercise! The stairs to the basement are just short of being a ladder with a hand rail.  Lorin Farr, one of the founders of Ogden, is the son of Winslow Farr and Olive Hovey; so we feel like its a piece of home.  Nauvoo is beautiful even in the winter.  We have had beautiful sunsets over the Mississippi River the last two evenings.  We are attending Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo, one of the nightly productions here, every evening; sitting in the audience and singing along, trying to learn the words.  We had our "talent review", i.e. tryouts, on Wednesday and should be assigned to a cast within a week or so.  Then we'll start rehearsing with them and be on stage in about a month.  Everyone here is so welcoming.  Everyone speaks to everyone.  I think they're glad to see us come to share the work.  President Ludwig and his wife arranged for the new missionaries to go to the temple yesterday and then we went to their house last night for dessert and to get better acquainted with them.  They're great.  He converted to the church after he met her.  Dad and I served at our first sites yesterday.  Dad was at the Family Living Center and I was at the Brigham Young home.  We didn't have any visitors, but it was a good opportunity to give practice tours to the other missionary that was serving with us.  We will serve to gether on Sundays, but probably not on the other days.  There are three schedules:  9-3, 9-2:30, 11:30-5, and the split schedule is 9-11:30 and 2:30-5.  We often have different schedules also.  Dad has been asked to perform on the annual talent show on March 21st..  I think he's going to play and sing Rabbit on a Log!There is an amazing spirit at Nauvoo.  You feel how much the pioneers loved this city and their temple.  We feel priviliged to serve here.  I wish all of you could come back and see it all. 

Today was our preparation day and we went to a little town about an hour and a half away, in Iowa, called Cantrill.  There is a store there run by a Mennonite group (something like the Amish).  They have Amish style hats and Dad needed one for Rendezvous.  They had shoes, clothing, groceries, toys, gifts etc.  It was amazing.  The highway to Cantrill is an Iowa scenic byway.  It was good to "get out of Dodge."  Well, I think its time to pack it in for today.  Dad's at the Riser Boot Shop tomorrow and I'm at the Brigham Young Home again.  We'll take some pictures in our 1840's clothes and see if we can figure out how to get them on the blog.  We miss you all and love you so much.  We pray for you all the time and know that the Lord will watch over you and bless you.  So long for now.  Mom