It's Christmas Time on Temple Square SLC 2008

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"!! That can definitely be said of Temple Square. Since September they have been putting up Christmas lights on the trees and bushes around the square. I have NEVER seen so many lights on a single tree in my life. They take days just doing one tree sometimes. This past week they have been putting up the outside decorations in preparation for the Christmas season. There are many nativity scenes representing many of the cultures around the world. There are also many of the 'customary' nativity scenes also. Tonight (November 28, 2008) the official lighting of Temple Square takes place at 5:30pm.

This will be our first and only Christmas on Temple Square for our mission but we've been told the numbers of people who come to see the decorations and lights are unbelievable. In years past there are so many people that it is standing room only and it takes forever to get from one side of the square to the other. We'll see if that's true or not and let you know!

We wanted to share some of the beautiful decorations that are here so we took many pictures the other day. Of course we didn't get everything but we tried to get a lot of them. The lifesize nativity inbetween the tabernacle and the north visitors center is amazing. The characters look like real people. There are narations continuously and beginning tomorrow there are choirs, musical groups etc. every day from 12:00 noon on in a lot of the venues. We are really excited about it. Any of you that want to come and see them we have an extra bedroom available. First come, first served!!! Enjoy the pictures:

Another great week in Park City, Utah

We were assigned to work up in Park City at the Family Tree Center again this month. We were looking forward to working there again but had no idea it would be this soon. There are about 29 senior couples working on Temple Square and so we thought it would be at least 29 weeks before we'd have another opportunity but here we are. It's SO FUN up there. The weather was perfect and because we were there during a mission 'transfer' week we were able to work with 2 sets of sister missionaries. The first one who had been up there for 6 weeks already were Sister Amador from Mexico (on the left) and Sister Costello from California (on the right). We had 2 great days with them.Wednesday arrived and along with it 'transfer day' so Sisters Costello and Amador went back to Temple Square and Sister Sanders from California (on the left) and Sister Almazabas from Peru (on the right) came up for the next 6 weeks. We had not really had a chance to get to know either one of them yet so this worked about perfectly. We had 4 great days to get to know them personally and they are both so wonderful. They both have great personalities and are so fun to be around.
While we were up in Park City Diane and Wally Sonntag came up and spent half a day with us. We went to lunch together and caught up on everything that was happening in their lives. They have put in their mission papers and we're all just waiting to hear where there call is to. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it will be to Temple Square.
The week before we went to Park City we found out that Sharee Udy Petersen and her family were coming up there to spend the week at their time share (which just so happened to be about 2 blocks away from the Family Tree Center). We spent several of our mornings off with them. For those who don't know, Sister Udy was a missionary in our ward in Chico about 18 years ago. She and her companion Sister Rushton were fabulous missionaries and it was like they were part of our family. We've stayed in touch with her and her family ever since. She lives in Rocklin, Idaho. One morning we drove to Scarecrow Lane where they have a whole road that has all types of scarecrows along it.

To top it all off Sister Holly Rushton and her husband Jeremy and youngest child came up one morning and spent it with us. What a reunion we had. Lots of talking, laughing and food!! Can't forget the food. The Udy's raise black angus beef so you've never seen so much meat - bacon, sausage, steaks and IDAHO POTATOES the size of footballs!!!!
We had a great time and loved the weather which was perfect all week (in the 70's every day). We also enjoyed the fall colors all around us. What a perfect way to spend a week - helping guests find their ancestors and spending time with good friends. The Lord is so good to us!!

You're How Old?????????

Jeremy had his birthday on the 28th of August. He is always so thoughtful and he sends ME a gift on his birthday. This year was no different. I was sitting at home and received a call saying I had a delivery coming to me. I tried to remember what I had ordered and couldn't think of a thing. The next thing I knew I was holding the most beautiful and EDIBLE arrangement you've ever seen. If was from Jeremy and the card read: "It was a boy! Thanks Mom, I love you. Jeremy". The flood gates opened when I realized what was happening. Thank Jeremy, bringing you into the world was a real blessing to your dad and I!!!

Did someone say birthdays????? Both Mike and I celebrated our birthdays in September. Mike on the 17th and mine on the 27th. It was fun. Mike missed being able to see our children but the sister missionaries made up for it. Everywhere we went on the square we heard: "Elder Chatfield.....Happy Birthday!!" He found candy and cards in our mailbox and he loved every minute of it. Our wonderful children all called and wished him a happy birthday which was the frosting on the cake for him. He also heard from both his and my siblings which was wonderful. Being 64 aint so bad!!!! About 9 days after Mikes birthday I began receiving 'large' amounts of mail in our mailbox. We're lucky if we get 3 pieces of mail a week (and that's usually junk mail) so this was very unusual!!! The first day I must have received 20 birthday cards from my children and grandchildren. Then the next day I received MORE cards.......................book club friends, ward friends, old friends, new friends.............you name it and I heard from them. What was happening??? How did so many people know it was my birthday??????? Well, to my surprise each day for about the next 4 days I received numerous cards in the mail. Our dresser top couldn't even begin to display them all so I changed locations and put them on the table.
Well you guessed it and so did I (finally). My sweet, wonderful daughter decided that she needed to make my big 60 birthday special so she had contacted all my friends and relatives and wanted to make sure that I received at least 60 birthday cards on my 60th birthday. Let me tell you.......it worked!!! I received more than 60 cards.

Thank you ALL for making my 60th birthday a day to remember!!!! It's hard to see all of them because even the table couldn't hold them all. Trust me though---they're there somewhere on the table!!! I LOVE IT!!!

These are my relatives???

One of the senior sisters in our mission set up a tour of the McCune Mansion through the Utah Historical Society. This is a mansion that was built and lived in by my great-great aunt, Elizabeth Claridge McCune. She is my grandmothers (Nana McLaughlin) aunt (sister to Samuel Claridge, Nana's father). She married Alfred McCune and he became very wealthy through his businesses of transportation/railroads. They built this mansion in Salt Lake City just two blocks above the temple on Main Street and 2nd North. It is HUGE and would cost over $22 million to be built today. It was a very interesting tour. The tour guide gave me a big hug after she found out that I was related to the McCunes. She said that she has been giving tours for over 20 years and had never met an actual living relative of them. The mansion is used today as a reception and conference place. The McCunes donated it to the church and for many years it was used as a music school. Here are some of the pictures I took of our tour:

This is the senior couples who come to the tour with us on Thursday, Sept. 18 standing on the front steps of the home. We had to split our group up to two different days because there were so many who wanted to go on the tour.

This is a picture of the side of the home

This is me standing by the picture of Elizabeth Claridge McCune.
The fireplace in the entry reception room

Part of the ballroom
A small couch in another part of the ballroom
The fireplace in the ballroom
A clock in the entry hall

These are all pictures of the master bathroom, sinks, fireplace, shower etc.

This is a room at the far end of the ballroom

Sitting in the sunroom

Part of the side yard

This is hard to see but Mike is rubbing the nose of the boar statue in the yard.

It was a fun morning. I don't know where all the family money went but I do know one thing....

......................................I didn't get any of it!!!!!!!!!

Our Temple Square Senior Couple 'family'

Here is a picture that was taken on September 21, 2008 outside of the South Visitors Center of the Senior Couples who are serving on Temple Square with us. A lot of them are hard to see because it's so small but I thought I'd share it with you anyway. We're up on the right hand side about 4 rows up. I'm about 2 people above and just to the right of the gal in the bright blue top. These are WONDERFUL people and we love serving with them. They are all great examples of selfless service to the Lord. Our mission president and his wife are on the front row on the right.

Grandma & Grandpa time at Dinosaur Park

A few weeks ago Heather called and invited us to go with them to the Dinosaur Park up in Ogden. After our shift on Temple Square was finished she came and picked us up and we were off to the park. It took about 45 minutes to get there. Of course, there was never a dull moment in the car during the trip. Lots of talking and laughing.

Here's Heather and Lexie:

Here's Branden, Hayden, Ethan and Devin in the dinosaur playground:
Now this is what I call 'using your head"!!
Anyone ready for a game of 'hide and go seek'??
All aboard for the ride of your life!

And they thought their dad was tall!!!
Grandpa helping the boys to feed the fish:
Oh no.........Grandma's in trouble again!!!
We had a great time. The weather was perfect and the company superb!