June 29 2014 Weekly Letter

Australia Sunday June 29, 2014

Dear Family & Friends;

Another week, almost another month!  It has been a busy week with adding one extra hour each day.  We did get a lot done so it will be worth it.  We finished one box in 3 ½ days, about 14,000 cards.  If we can do that for about a month we will be able to cut back on the extra hours.  We will have to go get 6 more boxes this week, and that will leave 11 on the pallet.  We are really enjoying the Smylie’s, they are a lot of fun.  It is a lot noisier than we are used too, they talk on the phone, and we are talking so it gets a little crazy, but we are making it work.  We miss talking to all of you on our big computer, but that is ok too.  They had a new grandson born on Wednesday night there in Salt Lake area.  He was born at home and weighed 9 lb 8 oz.  I said I can’t imagine having one that big, I quit when Vaun was 7 lb 5 oz. saying they were getting too big.  He is really cute.  We also found out this week that the piano teacher Canyon and Lydia had in Colorado Springs, Mary Ann McConkie, her daughter is married to the Smylie’s son and they live in Guatemala.  The McConkie’s are over there now and told Sister Smylie she really enjoyed those two.  Small World!  Elder Meyer is in the office now and he is also fairly quiet but really nice.  The 3 young ones seem to enjoy working together.  Elder Meyer is Mark’s nephew, Malinda’s sister’s son.  He comes in Mon-Wed, Elder Cummings comes in Mon-Thurs, and Kailee is there all week.  They are doing some projects for Mark, they are all being trained to be Family History Support, and are helping the Smylie’s with anything they need.  One interesting card I pulled out this week is Henry Wilkie, died 13 Jan 1879, age 41 years.  Wife- M. R. Wilkie.  Accidentally killed firing a salute at the opening of Parliment 1879. 

I apologize for bragging about the weather last week with it being the middle of winter and so warm and beautiful.  I think I cursed the weather because Monday it turned cold and windy, it barely got up to 50 until Thursday and the wind was really cold.  There was snow in the Blue Mountains and the Snowy Mountains and the ski resort opened up.  They are supposed to get more snow this week, and we could get rain and hail.  We really need the rain, everything is so dry again.  Thursday and Friday and yesterday it got in the 60’s and was sunny.

Friday we put a chicken dinner in the crockpot before going to the office and it made a lot so we invited the Smylie’s to come down and share.   I put a green salad together, and we cleaned off the table.  We really had a good time getting to know each other.  They were raised in Adelaide, Australia, and have lived in the US for the past 30 years, most recently in Florida.  They have 2 children in Florida, 2 in the Salt Lake area, and 2 in Guatemala.  They have 23 grandchildren all under the age of 8. 

Yesterday we cleaned the flat and then went to Rydlemere to catch the rivercat to the Quays.  We then walked to the Queen’s Royal Botanical Garden that is by the Opera House.  We then got on a little train that goes all around the garden and is a hop on, hop off.  We got off at the first stop which is Mrs. Macquarie’s point so Dad could get a really cool picture of the opera house under the bridge.  They said it is one of the most photographed places in Australia.  We then hopped back on the next train and went to the top of the garden.  It was fun being on it because the driver told about all the plants, trees, and ponds as we drove by them, and the history of the garden.  We got off and walked out of the garden and found a little restaurant where we ate fish and chips outside on the patio.  We then walked to the Hyde Park Barracks Museum which was built between 1817-1819 to provide secure night lodging for government assigned male convicts.  The central building served as a dormitory for an average of 600 men sleeping in hammocks in 12 rooms.  The rooms are set up just as they were in that time.  During the day the inmates would go out to various work places in Sydney, returning for their meals and at night for sleep.  In 1848, after the abolition of convict transportation to New South Wales in 1840, the remaining inmates of the Barracks were relocated to Cockatoo Island.

In 1848-1886 Hyde Park Barracks became the Immigration Depot for single females.  The central dormitory building was altered and iron beds replaced convict hammocks.  The beds were really hard.  They also had wooden trunks like the ones the females arrived with and opening them they had a list of what was in them, and also a history of the female.   A lot of these females came from Ireland during the great famine.  They all came on their own and most had been orphaned.  A lot of them were placed as household servants and other places.  The histories of some of them were very interesting. 

In 1862-1886 a new Government Asylum for aged, infirm and destitute women was established on level 3 and later on level 2 of the central building.  An exterior rear stairway added in 1864, allowed these women access to the courtyard laundries, kitchen and bathhouse.  A matron and able-bodied inmates ministered to 300 or so infirm, destitute women upstairs.  They were always treated very well.  This tour was so interesting, we were there a little over 2 hours. 

We then walked across the street to St Mary’s Catholic Church.  It was build in the 1800’s and is still in use today.  It is very ornate and reminded us of the Church’s we toured in Europe.  There was a man playing the organ.  A lot of people were in there.  We really enjoyed it.  We then walked back to the Quay’s, we got there about 3:30 and the last ferry for the day leaves at 4.  We got some mango yogurt with fresh strawberries and ate it while we waited.  The wind had started blowing pretty hard by the time we got to the Quays.  Not long after we got on the ferry it started to rain really hard and it was really a choppy ride with all the wind.  It had stopped raining by the time we got to our stop but the wind was still blowing very hard and did all night.

Today we went to Church in Blacktown and the wind wasn’t too bad, and still no rain here.  It was 52 when we went to Church, sunny but cold.  The Relief Society President was one of the speakers, and she told her conversion story.  She was raised Church of England, and although her parents did not go to Church, they always sent her and her 2 brothers to the Church just up the street from them.   As a little girl she remembers the missionaries coming to the house and her Mum inviting them in.  They came several times but quit when her parents said they were not interested.  They did however leave a Book of Mormon and a Family Home Evening Manual.  They just went in the bookcase.   When she was too old to go to Sunday School they made her a teacher for the little kids.  Because she had no material to get lessons from she found the Family Home Evening Manual in the bookcase and taught from it.  She said it had fun activities.  The lady in charge of the Sunday School had a daughter in her class and told her she was doing a good job teaching.  As a teenager she began to go to our Church that was close to her house also and said she always felt really good when she was there.  After several weeks of going the Sister Missionaries started teaching her in their flat, because her parents didn’t want them in their home, and they really didn’t want her taking the lessons.  Her parents wouldn’t give her permission to be baptized so she just continued going to Church all alone.  After the missionaries got transferred she continued to go because she knew it was the true Church.  A couple of years later a set of Elders found out she wasn’t baptized and asked her if she wanted to.  About this time she was dating a guy that they had been talking about marriage.  He did not want her to be baptized but said if she really wanted to she could, so she did, again all alone except for the Ward members.  As they were planning their wedding they couldn’t decide where to get married and he said how about her Church so they were married in the Parametta building.  After marriage she continued to go to Church, at first only Sacrament Meeting, but gradually all the meetings, and began to take on callings and now she is the Relief Society President and doing a great job.  Her oldest daughter was married in the Temple, and they have a daughter on a mission in Texas, and a teenage daughter at home.  Although he has never joined the Church they have made their marriage work.  We thought this was a great story.

For dinner, I made corn chowder and had cheese and crackers.  I decided that is a winter meal.   I cleaned up the dishes while Dad chopped onions and browned the hamburger and onions, and then we put together 3 batches of taco soup for Family Home Evening tomorrow.  We probably made too much but we want to freeze some for lunches.  We don’t have any meals in the freezer at the moment.  I need to cook more I guess.  I also made 3 batches of Ambrosia Salad.  We will take everything to Buckland House in the morning and then plug the crockpot’s in about noon.  It should be an easy meal to put on, and we are all into easy.

Happy Birthday to Kaylee and Megan on the 1^st and a Happy 4^th of July this week also.  Here you will have 2 holidays this month and we will have none.

Our prayers and love go to all of you!

Mum and Dad

June 22 2014 Weekly Letter

Australia Sunday Jun 22, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

It is hard to believe it is the middle of winter here, the temperatures have been 5-6 degrees above normal, around 65 every day.  We really need rain, everything is really dry and they have had to put water on the ground around the Temple and Buckland House.  They are also worried about bush fires when it is this dry.

Last Monday was Family Home Evening, we came home around 4 to put together the trifle.  I had all the fruits washed and cut.  We made 2 big bowls, and they really looked pretty in the glass bowls.  We were just hoping they tasted as good as they looked.  We went to Buckland House to help set up the tables, and Dad could get the computer set up for his lesson, and help Sister Moore with dinner.  We are now setting tables up in the big room and keeping everything in there instead of using 3 rooms plus the kitchen.  There are so many of us we can’t all sit at one table so this way we can all visit with one another.  Sister Moore fixed a Mexican dish that one of her sons brought home from Mexico.  You put rice, then lettuce, onions, and then a hamburger mixture with salsa and taco seasoning.  After opening exercises the Moore’s went in to get dinner and something had happened with the rice cookers and the rice wasn’t done.  They turned them on again and we decided to have the lesson first.  Dad asked for names of any who had relatives in the Mormon Battalion, Sister Feil had 3, Elder Archibald had 1, (Ephraim Hanks from Ephraim’s rescue), Sister Archibald had 1 and Dad had 3.  I put their names on the board.  Dad then gave the history of the Battalion and went through to California and then back to Salt Lake or Winter Quarters.  He had done a power point with pictures.  It was very interesting, we even gave some jerky out.  He did a great job and everyone enjoyed it.  We then ate and just visited, and then we brought the dessert out and just put it and the bowls on the table.  Everyone really enjoyed it and there was only a little bit left.  It was hard as they just don’t have angel food cake, so we used an orange pound cake.  I just had to find a recipe with the things I could get here.  Anyway, it was another very fun night. 

Tuesday Paul Pardon was in the office all day to train the Smylie’s, Kailee, and Elder Cumming’s, and the new Elder that will be in this week.    His name is Jared but I don’t know his last name.  He served his mission to Ireland.  The Smylie’s got lunch before they started training, Subway and chips.  It is always good not to have to fix lunch.

Friday was Birthday Morning Tea, instead of next week because some of the management will be out of town.  They had little meat pies, little pasties, cheese, fruit, popcorn, lots of sweets, cookies, pastries, and assorted juices.  It was good as usual.  Another day we don’t have to have lunch.  This week we sent in 20,000 images which surprised us and Mark.  That averages 4,000 a day.  We have decided to go in at 7:30 and stay until 5 each day we can to make sure we get them project finished.  Tuesday we leave at 4:30 to go to the Temple but other days it should work.  That could give us 1,000 more cards a day depending on the type of box we are working on.  Some just go faster than others.

Saturday morning we left about 8:15 as we had a really full day planned.  We drove about an hour to the Royal National Park.  You can just drive thru the park for free, but we wanted to stop at the visitor’s center and see what they had so we paid $11.00.  The park was established in 1879 making it the world’s second oldest national park.  A little history, for many thousands of years the Dharawal language speaking people have lived in the area and enjoyed the diversity and abundance of the land and sea.  Today the Park protects a range of Aboriginal sites and artifacts, including rock paintings.  There are over 80 historic remnants from the park’s Victorian-era including ornamental trees, many fascinating plants, birds and animals.  The park is perfect for bushwalking, cycling, surfing, picnicking or whale watching and this diverse park offers everything from beaches to rainforest.  It was just beautiful driving through it.  Leaving the park we were on the Grand Pacific Drive that is 86 miles right around the ocean.  We stopped several times to take pictures.  We then drove over the Sea Cliff Bridge that was about a 1,000 ft long.  After crossing the bridge there is a place to pull over and walk back on the bridge for pictures and to look at the ocean. Dad got some great pictures, and we were probably there for about a half hour.  A little history of the bridge, it took 18 months to build at a cost of 49 million dollars.  The piers are protected from corrosion by an electrical current.  For some fascinating history on the bridge google “Sea Cliff Bridge, NSW, Australia.   We then went into a small town and found a fish and chips place right on the ocean, and could watch some surfers.  The tide wasn’t really big at that place.  The fish and chips were really good.

We then got on the Princess Highway to go to Hyams Beach (yes I spelled it right).  This is supposed to have the whitest sand in Australia, and as we pulled up to it the sun was on it and it was really white.  We parked and walked down to the beach.  We picked up a lot of shells, bigger ones than we have found before, and some pure white ones.  We talked to a couple who are working in Sydney, but their families are from the town there so they come as often as they can.  He was in shorts and a tee shirt.  We never put on our jackets the whole day it was so nice.  We then drove to Ulladulla getting there just as it was getting dark about 5. We checked into our motel, and then went and found something to eat, just around the corner.  We shared a pizza that was really good in a cute little Italian café.  We then went back to our rooms.  We didn’t have to study talks so we watched tv.  Not much was on so we ended watching Harry Potter, at least it wasn’t one we had seen before. 

This morning we left for Nowra at 8 as it is an hour drive and their Church starts at 9:30.  The Moore’s were assigned to be there but they didn’t have to talk so we all sat together.  They had been to Canberra for meetings Thurs. and Fri so they just came down from there.  Most of the members remembered us so it was fun to see them again.  There was just a few from the Ulladulla Branch, and we got to meet the Branch President.  He got out of the hospital last week.  He broke his ankle when he fell off a ladder while trimming branches.  He was in the hospital 4 weeks and had 3 surgeries and is now in a wheel chair.  He said he will be this way until December.  They have found a new place to meet, in the Civic Center, but they can only have it on Sunday’s.  They still want us to come and talk so we gave them the little cards Dad made up with our contact info on it.  They said they have about 16 people come to Church.  We will have to go on a Sunday other than the 4^th Sunday of the month because we are scheduled to talk that week in other Branches.  We came home through rain forest and Kangaroo Valley.  It is a beautiful drive and everything was really green.  It was such a great weekend, and wonderful pictures.  We will try and stay late one night and post some on the blog.  It is getting late so we will close for now.  Talk to you all tomorrow we hope.

Happy 1^st Birthday to Eli tomorrow, that means we have been here a year this week.  Hard to believe!

We Love you All and you are all in our prayers daily.

Love, Mum and Dad 

June 15 2014 Weekly Letter

Australia Sunday June 15, 2014

Dear Family and Friends;

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers!!  It is not Fathers Day here, it is celebrated September 7^th, so I told Dad he gets 2 Fathers Days again this year.

It is 8:30pm and we just got back from delivering cookies in our building.  I was in the mood to bake and had a lemon I needed to use.  We had left for Church at noon as we always do, and as we turned onto Pennant Hills Road I saw a spider crawling on the windshield above Dad on the inside.  I told him to pull over before it moved over on my side or dropped in his lap.  He pulled into the service station and got it with a napkin.  I hate spiders!!  We just love the members of the Blacktown Ward.  They are so sweet.  Sister Kawaguchi is being transferred tomorrow and we feel bad, she has been in our ward since she came from Korea about 3 months ago.  She could barely speak English and today she gave a wonderful talk.  We are going to miss her.  The 4 Elders are staying.  The Stake Primary President spoke about her family and doing family history.  It was very interesting.  Her mother was born in England and her Dad was born in Scotland.  Her mother’s mother passed away when she was 4 and her sister was 6 so they were sent to live with an Aunt and Uncle until their father re-married.  Her dad’s father passed away when he was 16 and left him to care for his mother.  After they were married they came to Australia to live with an Aunt and Uncle.  They had to start anew as they came with very little money.  She said how grateful she was they came to this country where they found the gospel and were baptized.  She is one of 5 children and before her father passed away he had over 20 grandchildren, which was overwhelming to him being an only child.  Then the Bishop talked about how Joseph Smith followed the scripture “Ask and ye shall receive”.  It was also a very good talk.  It has been cloudy all day but no rain, colder, only got to 63 and everyone was bundled up in coats and scarves.  We told them they have no idea what cold really is.  We came home from Church and had dinner, I had left pulled pork in the crockpot, I made potato salad last night, and had ranch carrots.  It was very good.  We have enough left for a couple lunches.

Yesterday morning when we woke up it was raining so we decided to go to Parklea.  We got some Christmas gifts to send home the next couple of weeks, so they will be there when we get home.  The last boxes we sent took 3 months.  We went to Parametta and had a meat pie from Harry de wheels.  Then we came home and put some produce away we got at Parklea and then went over to the mall.  We have dessert for Family Home Evening tomorrow so we had to get some things for it.  I am making a trifle with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  Hope it turns out okay.  Dad is giving a lesson on the Mormon Battalion.  We will let you know how it goes next week.

On Friday Elder and Sister Moore came into the office to visit for a few minutes and said we needed an outing so let’s go to “Pancakes on the Rocks”.  We decided to meet there at 6:30 last night and they said we could ride with them, and she would let everyone else know.  We go past this place on the way to Church but had never been there.  We left here about 6:00, it is about 15 min away, and when we got there the line was out the door. She had made reservations so we were able to walk right in.  The Smith’s, Archibald’s, Smylie’s, Killebrew’s came just after we walked in the door.  The Feil’s had another commitment.  The menu offered breakfast and anything else you wanted from steak, ribs, salads, sandwiches, pizza, nachos, and fish.  The pancakes came with anything you wanted.  On our table we had regular pancakes with eggs and bacon, pancakes with ice cream,(no it wasn’t me), filled with fruit and topped with cream.  Dad had potato and onion pancakes with cheese sauce.  You could just barely taste a little onion.  They were really good though.  It was Elder Killebrew’s birthday this month and some of their kids has sent a gift certificate for cheesecake so they brought it to share.  It was chocolate and really good.  The restaurant brought it out with candles lit on it.  A fun evening. 

We had 4 days of capturing cards with the holiday last Monday and we did one whole box, sending in 18,830 images.  We had really big days and did not stay late any day.  The cards were all the same size so they go pretty fast.  We are hoping this week is as good.

It was so fun talking to all of you last week that could get on.  With not having to work we talked for about 3 hours.  We missed those of you that weren’t on.  We decided on leaving to go to Parametta to get Mexican food.  We had just paid to park the car and was putting the ticket in the car when the heavens opened up and we had a down pour.  We jumped back in the car and waited about 5 minutes for it to slow down.  Then we got the umbrella and walked around the corner to the café.  It just sprinkled after that and had almost stopped when we got out.  The rest of the week has been mostly cloudy but no rain until yesterday and the weather man got that one right.  I guess he is entitled to be right once in a while.

Guess that is all for this week and we have no birthdays.  We are supposed to go to Ulla Dulla but when Dad called the Branch President his wife said he is in the hospital with a broken leg, and his one counselor is in Israel,  the other one is out of town, and they lost their lease on the building they were renting so are looking for another place to meet.  She said to call back this week and see what happens, but I doubt we will be going there.  Maybe we will find another place to go.

We got a letter from Ann and Dan this week.  It is so good to get news from home.

Love you all!!

Mum and Dad

June 8 2014 Weekly Letter

Australia Sunday June 8, 2014

Dear Family,

This has really been a full week, which makes the time go even faster.  Monday night was Family Home Evening and the Allen’s served a delicious dinner of chicken and gravy, tossed salad and a huge bowl of grapes.  The Moore’s had dessert and the lesson and she made brownies with ice cream and toppings.  The Moore’s asked us last week if they could show the movie “Baptists at our Barbecue” so we said sure.  She had a prize for anyone who could find us in the movie.  Sister Howes is the only one to spot us.  She got 2 boxes of Tim Tams.  We also had popcorn during the movie.  Another great night, and everyone was there including President and Sister Howes.

Tuesday we had one of the service missionaries that is going to work in our office come.  He is Elder Glen Cummings and is a recently returned missionary.  He lives by the Blue Mountains so has an hour drive each way.  He is very quiet so far.  On Wednesday Elder and Sister Smylie arrived.  They are taking the Williams place so will be in our office, or we are in their office.  They are most recently from Florida, but were both raised in Adelaide, Australia.  He was born in Ireland but moved to Adelaide at a young age.  They are excited to be back in Australia.  Wednesday night the missionaries in our building had dinner for them at the Archibald’s.  Chris made chicken enchiladas and we all brought the rest.  It was nice to get to know them a little better.

Thursday it rained most of the day and was pretty cool down to the high 50’s.  We knew it was Mark’s birthday on Friday so I asked Melinda if he was going to be in, and she said no they were going to Queensland to visit their boys so we said we would celebrate it on Thursday.  She said that his mother always said he was born on the 5^th but his birth certificate said the 6^th so they celebrate it both days.  We met the Smylie’s in the hall at 7:30am and went to the mall to pick up the tarts I had ordered.  Mark has a favorite and they are always sold out so I ordered them on Wednesday.  We then picked Kailee up as Mark asked us to if it is raining.  Kailee had found a Happy Birthday banner and Dad printed a picture we had of Mark to put in the middle of it.  We took the balloons from FHE for Elder Killebrew’s birthday so we hung those around his office.  He was rather pleased when he came in, he immediately took a picture and sent it to Melinda.  I told him we wanted to have tea around 10:30 and he said that would work out good.  I invited Melinda to come, also Mark Allen but he was in Perth.  We had Mark’s favorite tart, also caramel, pecan, pineapple tarts.  We cut them in ¼”s so we could taste them all, and they are really rich.  It was fun just visiting, we had Mark and Melinda, the Smylie’s, Kailee, Glen and us. 

Friday we sent in 15,500 images, and we were in a box of miscellaneous where Sister Rogers had glued or taped lots of newspaper clippings of deaths, marriages, births, and anything else she found interesting.  We had lots that had “turn over”, or “over” and on a few “PTO” on them.  We have to write over on the front of each card in red and film them one at a time so they stay together.  A couple of interesting cards this week were: “Samuel Pollock, criminal court 2/13/1818. Sentence of death was passed for highway robbery.”  The next on was: “Death, 5 Mar 1810.  Lost overboard from England, convict named Pope.” 

It was cloudy most of the day Friday and a little rain in the afternoon.  Friday night the forecast was for rain all weekend and until next Thursday, 80-90% chance.  We decided to stay close just in case they were right.  Yesterday morning we went to the Sydney markets as we wanted to see the fruit and vegetable market they have.  It was at least 2 football field size in one building.  There was anything you would want.  People were taking case loads of everything out.  The prices were really good, a case of apples for $8.00.  Most of the vendors buy the produce and then sell it.  There were a few farmers.  It was all fresh though.  I was just wondering what people were doing with a case of lettuce.  We bought green beans, carrots, bananas, sweet potatoes, grapes, mandarin oranges, avocados and honey.  Dad also bought some mixed nuts and cashews.  It was fun but we probably won’t go again, we can get all we want across the street.

We came home and put things away and then went to the train station and caught a train to the city.  We have never been on the train here but we had no problem.  We changed once to go to the Quays.  We had dinner on the pier at one of the many places to eat around there.  This one was close to the Opera House.  Dad had fish and chips and I had salmon.  It was all very good.  We then walked over to the Opera House and found a seat for “VIVID”.  It is a light show on the Opera House.  We waited about an hour for it to get dark.  It is definitely the most incredible thing we have ever seen.  We are going to try and post a video of it, or at least pictures of it.  We sat and watched it twice.  There were thousands of people down there.  Walking back to the train station more and more people kept coming.  This is the last weekend for it.  It has been here for a month. Walking back we could see lots of lights on the buildings around the quays.   Google Vivid in Sydney and see what you can find.  We haven’t tried that yet.  We found a Baskin and Robin’s ice cream and they actually had pralines and cream so we got a small scoop, it was so good, but cost us $11.00. They had all the pier’s blocked off so we had to walk outside to get to the train station.  There were still hundreds coming off each train.  We were glad to get out of the crowds.  We changed trains at central station and got home about 8:30.  The day was beautiful, blue skies and sunshine.  It did get a little chilly after dark but we were fine with our jackets.

Today was another beautiful day, it was cloudy on the way home from Church but no rain.  We will see what the rest of the week brings.  Tomorrow is a holiday, the Queen’s Birthday so we don’t have to go to work.  We will go in to call you and to send the letter.

A very Happy Birthday to Deven tomorrow, Cooper on Wednesday, also Bruce, and Tifanie on Friday.  Grandma Mary would have been 104 last Monday, we were wondering if anyone was working in the yard.

We have the lesson and dessert for Family Home evening on the 16^th so Dad has been preparing a lesson on the Mormon Battalion.  In the book Norma Rickets wrote she said, “Without the journals of the members of the battalion little would be known of their lives during this trek.  They transmitted knowledge and values and feelings.  The structure and tempo of their daily lives touch those who read their story.  In their writings they gave themselves identities that carry from one generation to the next.  In retrospect, one must ask if those priceless journals, written on small pages by the light of campfires, are not their most important legacy.  One cannot read the diaries without being impressed with the sustaining power of faith as they recorded not only their experiences, but a belief that God protected them and that promises make to them by their leaders would be fulfilled.”

We should all be keeping journals and teaching our families to also!!

We love you and pray for you in your individual lives,

Mum and Dad

                       The white lights on the bridge are people coming down from the top.

                                  One of the buildings at the Quays decorated for VIVID

                                               Opera House for VIVID!  Incredible!!!

  

                                                           Old Tractor in St Albans

                         This camel was in St Albans, Sister Smith and Kailee petting it.

                                                       The Roberts, Kailee, the Smiths

                                                             Mudgee Branch

June 1 2014 Weekly Letter

Australia Sunday Jun 1, 2014

Dear Family and Friends:

Another month gone by.  We are now in the middle of winter and the average temps have been in the high 70’s, warm for this time of year but we are enjoying it.  Everything is really dry, they have been watering the lawn around the Temple and Buckland House the past week.  The weather man has been predicting rain for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 60-80% chance.  We got some rain this afternoon while we were in Church.  Sister Smith said she thinks the weather people over here flunked weather school in the US and came over here and got a job.  They are never right.  Hopefully we will get more rain this week.

Monday night we were sitting here watching “Mash”, one of the few shows worth watching over here, when a knock came at the door and it was Sister Archibald with 2 pieces of mud cake with strawberries and cream.  About a half hour later another knock and it was Elder Killebrew with a couple of pieces of warm brownies.  Wow! They were all really good. 

We had a good week at the office capturing 18,500 cards.  On Thursday we took 10 copied boxes back to the warehouse and brought 6 back leaving 17 on the pallet to finish the project.  It definitely is going to get done.  Of course we still have to have really good weeks.  One card that I saved to tell you about was the death of Frances Peat, died Mar 28, 1842 at age 10 years and 9 months.  On her stone it reads: Pray dear Parents as you pass by.  Look on my grave and do not cry. But hope my soul has gone to rest with my dear God, whom I Love Best.  It was an isolated grave on Ruin Wharf Road near Mooney Mooney.

Friday was the Birthday morning Tea and the finance dept was in charge.  They had homemade chips and dip.  They buy the chips at a place about 5 min from the office and they are warm when they get them.  They were so yummy!  They had about 5 kinds of bread with toppings, cheese and barbecue sauce, garlic and cheese bread, onion and cheese, vegetable and cheese, and crackers with cheese, tomato and pickles.  Fresh fruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple, and grapes.  Chocolate and strawberry milk and plain milk, and juice.  It was very good.

Saturday after cleaning and doing some laundry, we went to Temple Housing and picked up Kailee and then went to the Smith’s to get them.  We told them we would take them to Wiseman’s Ferry as they had not been there yet.  We stopped at an information center and got maps and went along the Old Great North Road that was constructed between 1826 and 1834 and it remains one of the major engineering feats of the convict era.  Up to 700 convicts worked on the road at any one time.  The convicts were re-offenders, and the living conditions were harsh, work was labour-intensive and the equipment crude.  The many bridges, complex drainage systems and walls that remain are a monument to the labour of the men that built them and represents an important era in the development of Sydney and the Nation.  The road was constructed during a period of colonial expansion as it became necessary to link settlers in the Hunter Valley with Sydney via an overland route.  Prior to this, passenger travel and transportation of goods was conducted via ship.  The road also facilitated further expansion of Sydney and provided greater access to agricultural areas, especially within the Lower Hawkesbury region.  It was very impressive to see after you knew the history.  There is still beautiful agriculture ground all through there.  We stopped at the Hawkins lookout and found the marker that told some of the history of the convict gangs that worked on the road.  We went down to the river and crossed it at Webbs crossing and drove to St Albans.  This is a very old town and we got out and went into the courtyard of a restaurant that is housed in one of the old buildings.  There was an old iron wheeled tractor and a huge old tree.  We looked at the pictures inside and then left and decided to take another old road back to Wisemans Ferry.  Most of it was dirt and washboard and narrow.  We found a very old cemetery, St Albans and some of the markers were in the early 1800’s, one 1805, and Australia was discovered in 1790 so they were some of the original settlers.  There were none in the 1900’s and a lot of the stones were broken and very hard to read.  It was fun walking around and reading them.  The drive along the road was beautiful, lots of old stone houses in the middle of farm ground, and a few log cabins.  Most have just left them there and built newer homes.  We got back to Wiseman’s around 1 and rode the ferry over to have lunch at Convicts Kiosk, a really good hamburger and chips with chicken salt.  Then we went back to find the kangaroos but there were none out so we went back across the ferry at Webbs and went to Ebenezer Church and graveyard so they could see it.  The drive there is so pretty.  We saw one farm that was cutting sod, and another that the cabbage looked ready to harvest.  A lot of the early settlers came to this valley because of the fertile soil.  We came home through Winsor and stopped for and ice cream cone and show Kailee the town.  We got home about 6 and we had a few sprinkles of rain, otherwise it was beautiful, just a jacket sometimes.

When we got up this morning the road was a little wet but we hadn’t had much rain.  I told Dad it needs to rain really hard while we are in Church to wash the dirt off the car.  When we came out everything was wet and the car looks pretty good.  It just sprinkled on us on the way home.  Church was really good, the Stake President was there to release the two counselors in the Bishopric and sustain 2 more.  Relief Society and Priesthood was held together and it was all on Family History.  The Stake is having a special Temple Day on July 25^th and they want everyone to take their own names.  The youth will do the baptisms the week before.  They gave everyone the My Family booklet and told everyone to get busy.  We are thankful we take our own names every Tues night. 

Guess that is all for another week, we were thinking about Amanda at her graduation.  This is the first one of the grandchildren we have missed.

Happy 5^th Birthday Henry on the 4^th.

As we close remember the words to the 1^st verse of “How Gentle God’s Commands”

How gentle God’s commands! How kind his precepts are! Come cast your burdens on the Lord and trust his constant care.

We Love you!

Mum and Dad