IT'S A BIRTHDAY WEEK!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JACOB AND BRENNA!!!!!

Life has been pretty good in room 201 of the Palmyra Inn since BYU beat Tennessee 27-7 last week.

Thank you BYU we knew you could do it!

They must have some help from heaven as they were playing on the "day of the dead".  Ha.  We now must wait till 15 of November for the UNLV at BYU game.     Because we love you!

I wonder if anyone has blue marigolds that could be sprinkled on the field?  Here is a yellow one to wish BYU good luck!

Sunday 2 Nov. 2014 we had a good Sunday School class and then a lovely dinner with The Carmack family in Rochester, NY...of course it was fast Sunday and I totally forgot to take pictures.  The Carmack home, backyard, looks right into Erie Canal!  Richard said his boys had boats they used on the canal and they fished, but never saved what they caught.  He said there was no swimming in the still water as there were too many plants etc. in the water.  They drain the canal every winter so all the plants and other detriments freeze down.  Then in the spring it is refilled...something else for us to watch! 

Well, it is getting cold in the mornings, when I go swimming.  I now wear my wooly coat, socks and warm ups and my ol' skii hat.  Sure am glad I kept it all these years...it keeps the wet head warm as I drive back to the Inn.  Do I look as refreshed as I feel?  Ha! Burr....

Verl & Peggy Christensen left the mission this morning.  We visited with them last evening and they brought us their last tomato this morning as they were leaving Palmyra.  Their car was packed to the top and they had 3 bikes on the fender...It was very, very sad to see them drive away...sob!  Art got his thumb in the picture, but you can see behind Verl the car is packed to the top!

And off they drove into the Sunrise!  We sure are thankful we were blessed to serve with so many wonderful people.  We miss the summer missionaries and those others who have finished the works they came to do!  "Parting is such sweet sorrow".  Farewell dear friends.

Monday we drove to Clifton Springs Hospital where I met with Dr. Brown, a dermatologist, about some brown spots I have on my nose.  They are actinic keratosis..pre cancerous sun damage.  So he performed a little Cryosurgery on me.  He put liquid nitrogen on the surface of each brown spot...and O' did I cry!  Now I have a blistered nose that is bulbous and looks like Rudolph!   I know my children really want to see this so am including the photo below!  Hopefully it will heal quickly and the spots will drop off and be gone.  I'm to return to him in March before I go back home.

Isn't growing old fun?  We got a phone call from Pres. Broadbent on Monday evening.  He asked if there was a possibility that we could serve at the 5:30 AM session on Tuesday...so of course we did...bulbous nose and all.  We were already serving on that morning shift anyway, so just needed to be there a few hours earlier.  Of course life has to be interesting, so my glued tooth came off and I almost swallowed it.  As soon as we returned to the Inn, I called Dr. Woodworth's office and they told me to come in on Wednesday at 10:15 AM.  So this morning Elder Bushman and I drove to Phelps, NY and the dentist cleaned up my repair job and shined up my crown and replaced it with the real dental cement...hopefully it will stay on for a long time.  Thank you Dr. Woodworth for rescuing this missionary twice now with tooth repair.  Elder Bushman went ahead and made an apt. to get his teeth cleaned in December...he gets a plaque buildup quicker than me!  Hurrah for my Golden Crown!

I am about finished with the book President Cahoon loaned me.  I have prolonged finishing it because it has been so good.  This book has made me so thankful that I was born and raised in America.  I just have been so blessed and have not pondered these blessings till reading this marvelous book.  “No man is perfect,” write the authors. “And neither is any nation. Yet, despite our weakness, we are still, as Abraham Lincoln said, the best nation ever given to man. Despite our faults, this nation is still the last, best hope of earth.” In short, God still cares what happens here. This reassuring message is a bright light in a world that longs for such hope."  Thank you to both Stewart's for writing such a fantastic history of the miracles that saved America.  May God continue to Bless America!

Elder Bushman wandered over to the Sacred Grove today and took some pictures this Wednesday afternoon.  It is a stark contrast from a month ago.  I would say the trees are ready to slumber through the winter.  The ground is definitely covered in a blanket of leaves.  I suppose we should be thankful they "leave" the Grove in its natural setting...or the Elder's might have been called upon to rake all these fallen leaves away!  Ha.  

My daughter sent me the memory book from our Idaho Falls High School 50th year reunion.  This book is most impressive.  Thank you to the committee that did this extraordinary task.  Elder Bushman and I have so enjoyed reading through this book.  I still can't believe 50 years have passed, time flies when we are having so much fun.  "Thank's for the memories."  Not only does this book have many of our classmates greetings in it, but we have extensive pages of those who have passed and moved on to the future life.  This memory book is so informative, thank you again.  

Saturday is the 8th of November.  This is our grandson Jacob Hansen's 13th birthday.  It is also our granddaughter Brenna Bushman's 11th birthday.  Happy, Happy Birthday to two of my most favorite grandchildren!  Love them both so much!  Having Grandchildren is the best gift ever in this life.

It is now Thursday afternoon.  We served in the temple all morning and are serving again this evening.  As I served in initiatory this morning, the patron was a 95 year old sister, she was my inspiration for this mission.  She loved receiving ordinances for her deceased ancestors.  Every time we completed an ordinance she would say, "Thank you, Oh, I know she is so happy, I look forward to meeting her soon."  What a great example to us all.  For those of you who have not gone to the temple I just would like to explain a little of what I am talking about.  

What do people do in the temple?

"In the temple we are taught, we make covenants , and we are promised blessings.  We receive ordinances that enable us to live in the presence of God.

One ordinance we receive in the temple is the endowment which includes the initiatory promises.  The word endowment means "gift" or "bestowal".  As part of this ordinance we are taught about the purpose of life, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father's plan for His children.  We gain a glimpse of what it will be like to live in His presence as we feel the peaceful atmosphere of the temple."

We serve in the most wonderful environment, where everyone that is in the temple, chooses to be there.  We have learned to keep our baptismal covenants so that we are ready to receive and help others receive the higher covenants of the temple.  I hope each of you can find time to serve in the temple.  Being a patron, like our 95 year old sister today, is a good service project for all of us! 

Happy Birthday to all the November Birthday Children...especially Jacob and Brenna.  Remember Elder Packer's quote.  Those of you who have temple recommends..."Pack" up you temple clothing and visit the temple...

Hug's always,

Elder Arthur & Sister Gene D W Bushman

Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Gene