Three-Fifths Done!

Our travelers have been in Europe for three weeks and have two more to go! They've been to:
London
Bergen & Oslo, Norway
Berlin & Dresden, Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
Rome

Now they're in Florence, Italy and they still have Switzerland and France left to see!

The couch surfing and B & Bs have worked out well. There was one place that was dirty and smoky, but John got online and found them a cheap hotel, so all was well! He is a pretty amazing travel agent/concierge!

I have enjoyed daily updates from Marianne. She sends me pictures and we chat every night once she has wifi.

Aaron doesn't usually contact me unless I make the first move or request pictures.

They are both great photographers, but it is fun to see the difference in their styles. Marianne sends me funny selfies that make me laugh, photos of her meals, pictures of their rooms, favorite paintings/sculptures and beautiful shots that she has edited.

Aaron sends landscapes, architecture and photos with interesting angles and/or points of view.

Here are a few shots for fun. Can you guess who took them?

Lavender's Weekend

In her own words, "I climbed a mountain. It was swippery. I went on top of the BIG ROCK."

Evan, being an awesome big brother, took her on a not-so-little hike in the hills near our house. When my phone rang and Evan told me to come outside, I was shocked to see them up so high. And they were indeed on top of a huge boulder. I'm not sure I want to know how he got her up there. I had to go inside when they started to climb down. I couldn't bring myself to watch!

When Evan asked her if she wanted to go on a hike, she was very excited and came down wearing her fancy gold shoes. She informed me that "these are my hikin' shoes." We convinced her to change her shoes, but I decided not to push my luck and I let her wear her pajamas.

Another weekend highlight was babysitting Teddy who is, for lack of a better word, our granddog. Lavender has loved having him here. She insists on kissing him on the lips and says he likes lots of hugs. We know she really loves him because she even forgave him when he ate her last piece of sidewalk chalk!

Saturday

I love General Conference weekend! We get to be inspired with wonderful talks and stories from prophets of God! Watching conference is always an adventure with three little girls. We use the projector so everyone can see and hear. We also have quiet, conference related activities for the girls. We try our best, but let's just say that we all get a lot more out of the afternoon session which conveniently coincides with naptime!

Our morning of attempted conference watching was also punctuated with texts and pictures from our travelers who have to take advantage of free wifi when they can. They have had a great adventure in Berlin and are headed to Dresden next. Norway has been their favorite place so far!

And hey, two out of three sessions today isn't bad!

Today's the Day!

These two just left for a five week trip through Europe! They are staying in 10 different cities and visiting many more! To save money they are staying with friends, LDS church members, at hostels, in a B&B, couch surfing and a couple of places TBD. Some of those options make me nervous, but I know they will have an amazing adventure together!

And yes, that backpack and small suitcase contain everything they packed for 5 weeks!

Grandma Would Be Proud

This afternoon we celebrated Labor Day by swimming with my sister's family. All of my kids and grandkids were there. I love it when that happens!

Dinner was easy because we got In N Out. Well, it wasn't so easy for John who had to keep track of all those orders, and of course everyone had a special order. What a picky bunch!

After I got Lavender to bed tonight, my middle kids and I played a game of Scrabble. We had a great time and we used all the letters except for the "J".

We played on my Mom's old turntable board and we reminisced about games of Scrabble with her. My kids have fond memories of playing board and card games with their grandma. I am grateful they are blessed with such fun memories of time spent laughing and playing together. I hope I can leave a similar legacy for my grandchildren.

Life Goes On - Part 6 of Ann Phillips' Mission Journal

This series shares excerpts from the missionary journal of my great, great grandmother Ann Elizabeth Rasband Phillips who served in Laie, Hawaii 1900-1902. Click to read previous posts:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

I can't imagine what it must have been like for Grandma Phillips (who was nothing like a grandma at age 22!) to lose her husband during their mission. Although her journal doesn't mention it, family tradition says that she chose to stay and continue serving as a missionary rather than taking the next boat home. I imagine that their mission calls were for three years as was common back then. She certainly didn't stay that long, but I admire her for continuing to work and serve even though her her heart must have been broken.

Dec 25th – Sister Madsen and I cooked Christmas dinner. Leisle got a rattle in her stocking. Received $10 from the Sunday School for Christmas.

1902

Jan 15th – Made some oyster soup for Bro Davis.  He had his teeth pulled and he was sick from the effects.

Jan 16 - Bro Davis’ teeth are no better.  Put warm cloths on his face and rubbed it with linement.

Jan 19 - Did what I could for Bro. Davis and after my work was done at the house Bros. Smedley and Miner took Sister Madson and I to see “Kaliu-waa” the water fall.  We had a fine ride for about three miles and then started to walk up a gulch.  It was very rocky and wet to it was hard climbing but the beautiful scenery was beyond description. We got some lovely ferns and saw the waterfall. We started back home [illegible] carried Leisle all the time. We got some nice guavas.  Sister Madson fell off a floom and bruised her hip and shoulder. When we hitched up the horse she would not go. She balked and so we had to walk for a long way to the road. Bro. Minor, Sister Madson and I got in the Kaa and Bro. Smedley took Leisle on the hoke with him.  After we went a short distance the horse quieted down and we came home safe and sound.  After supper I put hot flannels on Bro. Davises face and then went to bed.

Jan 18 - Went to meeting. Sister Madson and I sang a hymn and bore our testimony in native.  Made a bunch of guava jelly.

Jan 19th -  Went to Sunday School meeting and wore my black holoku for the first time.

Jan 20th – Bro. Bush started back to his field of labor on Hawaii where he was laboring before Bro. Phillips took sick.

Feb 2nd – It is fast day. Have been to three meetings. Sister Madson, Lahela and Miliama and I sang a song in Mutual. Bro. Read played the organ for us.

Feb 3rd - Went to Primary.  Sister Sears and Bro. Spilsberry went and spoke to the children a short time.  Came back and talked to Bro.Musser.

Feb 5th - The chinamen of Pufat’s plantation gave us a fine dinner at our mission home.  They furnished every thing and sent a cook to cook it. It was enjoyed by all.

Feb 8th – Held officers meeting in the meetinghouse. I had to read an essay.  After meeting we all went down to a chinaman’s house for supper.  It was China New Year.  We had a good time.

Feb 9th - The natives had a fine entertainment here for the Samoan missionaries that were visiting here.  I did not go downstairs to hear it.

Feb 22nd - Leisle starting to cough with hooping cough.

Mar 4th – LeIsle is one year old to-day. Bro. Musser gave her a silk bonnet.  Ethel Woolley five cents, Sister Woolley a little dress and a silk handkerchief.

Mar 10  - Released from house duties so I can sew and prepare to go home.

Without Walter - Part 5 of Ann Phillips' Mission Journal

This series shares excerpts from the missionary journal of my great, great grandmother Ann Elizabeth Rasband Phillips who served in Laie, Hawaii 1900-1902. Click to read previous posts:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Nov 1st 1901 - Worked in the kitchen and went to primary.  Gave out the program for next week.

Nov 10th – Gave the lesson in Mutual today in Native.  Got along very well.

Nov 8th - Made 8 boxes of soap.  Sister Madsen and I. It is very good soap.

Nov 9 - Was put in as Tres[urer] of the Releaf Society.

Nov 17th - Went visiting and inviting the natives to Sunday School.

Nov 19th – Was combing my hair and found  big louse in my head.

I'm not sure when this picture was taken, but it shows that Annie had very long hair as a young woman.
Fortunately, I do not have a picture of the lice.

Nov 28 - Went to an entertainment in the morning given by the school.  Had a Thanksgiving dinner at the mission house, the first one ever held here.  Sisters Wooley and Madson and myself prepared the dinner.  There were twenty seated at the table at three o’clock.

Dec 4th – LeIsle is 9 months old today.  Sister Madson and I are still in the kitchen. Have had most of the kitchen work to do since Erin left last April.

Dec 5th - Sister Madson and I fixed some medicine for a Japanese women to rub her side where she had been kicked by a horse. It was badly swollen and Sister Madson rubbed it for her out in the wash house.

Dec 9th - Sister Woolley is very sick.  A Japanese woman has come to help us.  Sister Madson and I were very busy all day doing the work and went to Primary in the afternoon.

Dec 10th - I received two little dresses from Nettie and Thomasina Hansen for Leisle, one silk, the other lawn: white.  Also a strand of coral beads.  Sister Woolley is still very sick.

Dec 11th - We all fasted from six one evening until six the next evening.  Before supper we went to Sister Woolley’s room had prayer and the Elders administered to her.  We are happy to say that she is better this evening than she was this morning  Bro. Minor was mouth in prayer, Bro. George Davis administered the oil and Bro. Woolley sealed the annointing. They also administered to Roney Woolley.

Dec 17th  - About 5 o’clock, Bro. Waddoups telephoned out to Br. Woolley that the sad news of the death of my darling husband had reached Honolulu.  He died at 10 o’clock Saturday night Dec 14, 1901 with pneumonia.

We heard nothing more until today, Dec 21st.  Br. Bush arrived here from Hawaii where Bro. Phillips died.  The body could not be shipped.  It was buried at Waimea in a beautiful little spot.  The natives brought flowers of all kinds for him. He died easy and brave. The Lord has greatly blessed me and prepared me for the worst.  All the Bros. and sisters are so kind to me, I can never repay them.  Sister Madson has done everything in her power to comfort and help me.  She and Bro. Silver have done my work, ironed my clothes and everything.

Today Br. Minor took me out for a ride and told me that I could not see  my husband for he had to be buried at Waimea, Hawaii.   We went to see the pump, the reservoir and saw a crowd of Jap[anese] planting cane.

When I got back, all the sisters of the Releaf Society were gathered in my room to see me and show their aloha for us. They had pule and bid me have courage and faith.  Br. Davis gave me a calabash  and a native basket half full of shells. Lahela gave me a calabash and some Koa seeds. Br. Silver gave me a number of leis, lots of seeds and his picture.

Dec 22nd - Raining so hard we can not hold meetings to day. Sister Madson brought me Bro. Phillips clothes and I opened his bundle. My heart was nearly broken with grief. Bros. Davis and Musser made some candy.

Dec 23 - Got me a black dress and started to make it.  Lahela helped me.  The weather is very stormy.  Everything looks dark and dreary.  All nature seems to weep with me.

Walter Freeman Phillips, age 22
2 or 3 years before he died