Time Flies............

Wow is time going fast and so much has happened. Carrie and Brock had their baby June 1 a sweet little girl, Brooklynn. I was trying to be so strong not being there. We skyped and I was there via the Internet, which was a HUGE blessing for me,but when she finally had her I broke down and just held on to Kris. All the sisters that were in the humanitarian center cried with me. They have been a big support to me. This last week was our first taste of the upcoming summer months and can I tell ya it's going to be BUSY! We had our first assignments, we told the Willie Story for two groups (one group of 65 and one of 250)and then we did the long women's pull for both of them as well (that's talking to them about women pulling their own loads and honoring the priesthood and walking up the pull with them) it was so great. We did a river crossing talk (for a group of 350)and then we did a Ephraim Hanks and Thisbe Read presentation ( for a group of 50), not to mention the square dancing. This coming week we are doing another River/Pebble talk (for 250) and then we get to do the pony express and deliver mail to a youth group. The Sweetwater River is high right now and we have had to adjust the river crossings. Kris has been doing a lot of welding for projects on the new visitor center and I have been busy sewing. I can say I know how to really sew now and quilt. Things are going well, we spend our
p-days in Riverton or Lander and then we go rock hunting. We bought a rock tumbler and I can't wait to see how they come out. I can tell you one thing, the Lord is truly with is here when we are with the youth! Kris and I both have been prompted to say things and give stories that are needed for these youth and leaders. The pictures are random Kris and I in our trail dress, yes I do wear a cowboy hat on occation. Also us with Andrew Olsen the author of "The Price we Paid" and a picture with my cousins who are serving at Martins Cove. Did I mention I never knew them before we came here? They are from the Openshaw line he is from Samuel and I am from Mary Ann, tender mercy we are both serving at these sites.

Week Three and Four at 6th Crossing

The training and firesides we have had have been amazing! We had a wonderful fireside with Andrew Olsen the man who wrote "The Price we Paid" got my book signed and pictures with him. On Monday we took an amazing CES (Church Education System) tour all day and then went back to the cove for dinner. Seems like all we do is eat. I walked the trail where my relatives pulled their handcarts, I saw the ruts in the rock that were made by the handcarts, such a touching moment in my life. If anyone ever gets to Casper you have to visit the Wyoming Interpretive Museum it is amazing! We also stopped at Bessemer Bed, I have met a couple who are serving at Martins Cove who are relatives of Samuel Openshaw, my great-grandmother Mary Ann Openshaw's brother. That is pretty cool we are both serving up here. We will exchange genealogy before we go home. I have been sewing like crazy, making things without patterns, I can barely sew with a pattern so it's pretty cool. Today May 19, it has been snowing ALL day. Where is spring? The Sweetwater is getting really high too. The trekkers start coming in two weeks. We are going home for two days, I have a doctor appointment to have my lung xrayed. I had a spot on one lung and the doc wants to make sure it is not changing, I am sure it's fine. It will be great to see the kids. Carrie is due in three weeks so she could have the baby at any time now, I got skype all hooked up so I can be in the delivery room! They got the new visitors center framed and the logs were delivered today so they will start putting the logs up next week. Kris and I have to speak in sacrament meeting on May 29th, not looking forward to that! Whats cool in our prayer meetings every morning is each couple had a turn of giving the Willies story and some one reads from the Willies Journal each day. So today they read what was going on May 19,1856. Tomorrow it will be May 20 and so on. It really gets you in the spirit of the pioneers, of where they were at and what they were going through 155 years ago to the day and what faith and obedience they had. Truely amazing!

Willies Sixth Crossing

We are here and I think finally settled, until the wind gusts hit and then we wonder where we will be when we look out our "prairie home" ( 5Th wheel) window! Wow has it been an experience so far. Tons of training, meetings and some awesome firesides and presentations so far. We at Willies are building a new visitors center and the men have been working so hard on it as well as putting in new "potties" in the new campground. The women have been busy making quilts and all kinds of things in the humanitarian center. Kris has been appointed over the audio-visual equipment. I have been appointed to over see the organization of sisters going in to Riverton to make lunch at the homeless shelter twice a month. We have trekked at Willies over three miles on Thursday and then at Martins Cove we trekked 5 1/2 miles. We also did a women's pull at both sites. I was ready for our P-day Saturday!! It is a sight to see so many "older" men and women pulling handcarts. I hope to get some pictures posted soon, however our Internet here has limited download capabilities unless you download between midnight and 6:00am......We are so tired when we get done with things we are in bed early! We have FHE every Monday night and game night on Sunday nights and we are getting together eating ALL the time, I came up here hoping to lose weight, I will be surprised if that happens. We have not even missed having TV. Oh and the camp dog "willie" (hmmm wonder why he was named that) anyway willie has adopted us, he sleeps outside our trailer, I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact Kris bought him hot dogs and is feeding him. We go in to either Riverton (37 miles) or Lander (39 miles) for groceries. Walmart is in Riverton that's the "hangout" for us missionaries. We go to church at the Martins Cove Branch at Martins Cove, we have to drive about 67 miles one way to church.

A New Adventure

Well it now begins.......we are about ready to head out on our mission. We will be set apart Sunday April 24th and then leave Monday April 25th. I hope to post our adventures often so please feel free to take a look. Our new address is :
Elder and Sister Wallace
4181 Highway 789
Lander, Wyoming
82520
Love to you all!

The Old Sycamore Tree

I have to tell about our European Sycamore Tree. 25 years ago when we moved into our home I wanted a fast growing shade tree so I went to the wise one, my grandpa Wright and asked for his advise. He told me the European sycamore tree is the best. I asked " isn't that the type that has the fuzzy balls on it?" "Oh no it doesn't have those." So I search high and low and found one. We planted it and it took of just as he said. It gave us shade the second year. A few years later my grandpa passed away and I was grateful for the tree to remind me of him. A year or so later we had a bad bad wind storm that blew the tree in half, we were sure it was dead and so Kris cut it down to almost nothing. Low and behold in the spring we saw life in the tree. It flourished beautifully but with one flaw, it started growing those fuzzy balls........I sure do have some things to tell grandpa when I see him again!!! We never let our kids climb it much cuz it was so fragile when they were growing up. But when the grand kids came along.....well it became the climbing tree, and we even kept a small pool ladder to help them get in the tree. Since we won't be around the tree for much longer I had to get a picture of the grand kids in the "tree". I will miss this old tree, and I hope and pray that there will be other children climbing this tree again one day, it really likes to be climbed in, I can feel it does. I know that sounds a little crazy but it is true. I love the old sycamore tree fuzzy balls and all.

Finally Finished (for now anyway)

We started this painting project about two months ago. Starting in the bathroom.....we painted tore out the old tile and layed new tile and then decided we wanted to hang bead board, I painted the cabinets and our wood medicine cabinet...because we ended up doing more than we planned it took a while. We then went on to the living room, I love my vaulted ceilings, except when it comes to painting them. We two toned paint and with a very high vaulted ceiling thats not fun. When we got into the kitchen we decided to hang bead board there as well and I LOVE it! We got the kitchen 3/4 done and it seemed like something always came up and I could never get it finished. But this last Thursday we were able to get going on it. It seems like when you start a small project it turns into something major. Carrie brought over a folding door she had in her garage she wanted to cut up for a project she was doing, well Kris wanted to paint it and put it on our pantry, but it was to small It had two beautiful etched glass pieces on it, so we figured out how to fit it on our pantry door and the results were beautiful, but it took us two days to fit, cut, glue and paint it. Then we worked on the last of the painting, and I am happy to report it is done! I want to paint my bedroom and the office but that will wait a while. Here are some pic's. I also made a tie rack and necklace holder from the slats off my old pantry door.

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

The Tender Mercies of the Lord