Snowy Sunday

We woke up this morning to--you guessed it--more snow! Steven left at about 6:00 for the MTC and I could hear him out in the driveway doing some shovelling. When it came time for Richard and me to leave for church, I thought I better go make a path for us to get out of the driveway. As I started shovelling, along came Bro. Abbott with his snow blower; he proceeded to clear off the whole driveway and the sidewalk. That was nice of him. So Rich and I headed over to church for fast meeting. It's good to be in the ward on fast Sunday, then I don't feel quite so removed from everyone and everything. Lisa Arrington Radulovich bore her testimony and told about practicing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir last Thursday evening when someone came in and told them to get their things together because they had been invited by Pres. Hinckley's family to a private viewing in the conference center. So they gathered their things and went over to the conference center where they were ushered in to the Hall of the Prophets where Pres. Hinckley lay in state. She said it was very quiet and solemn and there was the most wonderful feeling and spirit in the room. She said she was standing close enough to Pres. Hinckley that she could have reached over and touched his cheek. She said the thing she felt the most as she stood there in the room was the feeling of how much impact one person can have on the lives of so many. And how one person can make such a difference in the world. She said Pres. Hinckley's son (she didn't say which one) shared some thoughts with them and told them how much Pres. Hinckley loved the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Then he invited them to sing some hymns, which they did. They sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" and "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again." I can't remember for sure what the third hymn was, but I think it was "My Redeemer Lives," the hymn with words written by Pres. Hinckley.

After ward fast meeting, I went to the MTC to attend fast meeting with Steven's branch there. Eighteen missionaries bore their testimonies, and District F sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth" for their departure song as well as the closing song. The 10 missionaries leaving are: Elders Rodee, Hodson, Richardson, Darrington, Pearson, Castilla, Silcox, Christensen, Gooch and Despain. They've been a good district. They're all leaving for Chile tomorrow except for Elder Castilla who has been detoured to Las Vegas while he waits for his passport to come through. Elders Christensen and Despain have been the zone leaders. Elders Lamb and Wilson were called to replace them.

I phoned the Barretts this morning to see how they were doing and Nate answered. He said poor little Camden had been throwing up all night and that she and Lindy were quarantined in the "sick room." He and Riley and Sidney were trying to have as little contact with them as possible so that, hopefully, they won't get the germs. When I talked to Lindy later in the day she said Camden had finally stopped throwing up and her diarreha was subsiding. Poor little thing. She said she hoped she and Camden won't get each other's germs and that Nate and the other girls can avoid their sickness. We hope for that, too.

Steven, Richard and I had our Super Bowl Snacks dinner without the Barretts. Boo hoo. Richard had been looking forward to having them come over because they usually go to Grampa and Gramma Barretts on Super Bowl Sunday for Uncle Mark's birthday. But they were planning to come here this year until all the sickness interfered. So we had our snacks without them. We had: bean dip and chips, little quiches, shrimp, li'l smokies, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and buffalo wings. Richard had ordered those special, so I picked some up at Macey's. Steven ate only one buffalo wing and he said it about made him throw up. It was everything he can't stand about chicken. Maybe we'll forgo the buffalo wings next time, although Richard thought they were pretty good. As far as the Super Bowl goes, we were happy to see the Giants pull it off with the miracle fourth quarter. (Do you think perhaps a miracle could happen with another Super Something as in Super Tuesday? We'll see.)