Independence Day

Senior missionaries got together for a potluck dinner, concert, then fireworks.

We set up dinner at the Facilities Maintenance building where it was air conditioned. That's me I the left helping with some chicken.

We had a concert by the Hughes Brothers from Branson, Missouri .  They have about 100 family members who perform.

Here are senior missionaries who attended the concert.

And fireworks as a finale to the evening!

We were so close to where they set off the fireworks! What a fun celebration!

Maker Faire

The Maker Faire came to Kansas City and we signed up to volunteer.  Here I am with other volunteers ready to take tickets. 

After our service we walked around to see everything.

This human hamster wheel made snow cones after you ran for a few minutes.

This is Tapigami, made entirely of masking tape.

Here is my favorite, the motorized Adirondak chairs.

It was a fun day!

Apartment Continued

Here is our lovely dining area and kitchen, complete with shutters.

The downstairs bathroom decor is from another era.

Here is the guest bedroom waiting for company!

Our bedside lamps are matching vintage plastic and ceramic that sit atop a set of plastic drawers.

We also have an office/second guest room and a garage with washer and dryer.  Feeling like our housing needs are well met!

Our Apartment

It's not very fancy, but for now it is home!  Our apartment is in a very small complex within walking distance of  the Visitor Center and The Square in Independence.  We are second to the end on the left.

I found some pots in our garage and decided to garden.  Tomatoes, basil and verbena to brighten things up.

Here is our view from the porch.

Does this couch seem familiar?  Yes, it is the same as in many church foyers.

All senior missionary apartments are equipped with a recliner or two.  We need it!

More about the apartment later.

Burlington Iowa

I have been doing a lot of family history research since we have been here and Burlington, Iowa is a place where many of  my Grandma Crocker 's family lived.  Grandma (Jeannette Pauline Huss) was born in Burlington and it is less than 30 miles from Nauvoo.  We had to go!  

   From census records I found addresses of where family lived. One family home is now a parking lot, another is an apartment complex.  But here is the house where grandma's father grew up. 

 

And here is the Catholic Church where many family weddings, funerals, baby baptisms and Sunday worship took place.  It is only a few blocks away from the house we found.

 

 

We also found the cemetery where many ancestors are buried.  We were not able to find any family graves though.

 

 

I wish we could have found more, but it was awesome to see where some of our ancestors lived.  Grandma Crocker' father was a tinner in a stove store in Burlington .  (I think that would be a tinsmith.)  She and her parents lived one block down from her grandparents.

A Trip to Nauvoo

Senior missionaries from our mission are allowed to make one trip to Nauvoo during our time in Missouri.  We drove first to St Louis.  We saw the arch from afar, And stopped at the St Louis Temple before heading north to Nauvoo.

 

 

Nauvoo is such a fun place to visit! We attended the temple, took a horse drawn wagon ride, saw a live show and toured lots of houses.

 

   

One of my favorite places was the 1840's Lyon Drug Store.