2/8/2015 Nice Busy Week and More Snow

We like the snow because it covers up the ice and makes walking a lot easier.  Before the snow at the end of this week, I had my second, Mike his third fall.  We were walking to get our cleaning,  I slipped once, stepped to rebalance and slipped again - the missionaries say you can recover from a once, but when it goes into second, you're down so the trick is to finish the fall as gracefully as possible.  Not sure we accomplished that.  I had my arm through Mike's so when the second slip came almost the same time as the first, he went down too.  Another miracle - it should have been, but wasn't a hard fall.  Our fathers must have been there holding us to let us down gently, because I hit my face and came away without breaking glasses or nose, a only a slightly bruised and swollen top lip, Mike with nothing.  And we landed on a clean spot, so we didn't get dirty.
   It has been snowing now, and it is really beautiful. You can see how high the snow is getting on the sides on one of the "walking streets" that are here and there throughout the city.  They come in daily with a little bobcat to clean.  He dumps it into a truck that carries it off to who knows where since there is snow everywhere already.

This is one of the statues with his lacy cape and hat of snow and a couple of our Elders.  We have permission from the President that if a missionary is leaving our area, either a transfer or a go home, we can take them to dinner - as long as it is during the time they have planned for dinner and for not more than an hour.  We have a restuarant that is close - isn't that funny that we think it is close and it is about a 20 minute walk - it is good and amazingly inexpensive since the ruble is where it is now.

This is on our way back, I'm in the middle.

Our building is still closed so our church was moved to the conference rooms of a Planetarium - everyone was hoping we could see the displays, but it was just rooms.  There is also an exercise area there too, so occasionally there would be someone in sweats walking around probably wondering what in the world was going on.   

Very short  blog this week, wanted to be sure you all knew we were doing well.   We never continue to be amazed and touched at the many things in this wonderful world we live in .. the variety of seasons and plants and varying shades of  blue and green and grey and even white, in reality, all colors.  In some places where people have walked, the snow can vary in color from the froth on a good rootbeer float (no rootbeer here however) to dark brown sugar .. quite pretty.  There are some  black spots too, but right now they even look clean with the snow around them.  We think that might change when the thaw comes.  Makes us think of D&C 59:16-20 summarized: "the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth (and I guess even those things that biteth the missionaries :) ..and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for rainment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards:

and then more great verses that show how much our Father loves us and wants our happiness:

Yea all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart...for food and for rainment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul...

and it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man.

And we are grateful for that - and grateful for all of you!!!