Good evening everyone.  Here I am standing in the living room of Roger and Beth Cluff in Cedar Hills, Utah.  Bishop Cluff was our Bishop in 5th Ward in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  He certainly was the best bishop anyone could ask for.  They moved to Utah a few years ago and are doing well.  I went to my brother, Art's, home Saturday morning and then we went to the Cluff's home.  The purpose was for Art and Bishop Cluff to give me a priesthood blessing.  It seems I have one of the symptoms of aging with degeneration of two disks in my lower back.  This is causing a pinching of my sciatic nerves going down both legs.  I had a MRI and back xrays last week and the orthopedic doctor has referred me to a pain clinic.  I thought a blessing was in order before this appointment in early August.  I am so glad to have a brother who is a worthy priesthood holder and a former bishop that I love and admire give me this blessing.  Thank you Art and Bishop Cluff.  After the blessing we visited for awhile and then said our good byes.

I don't know when I will see the Cluffs again.  I hope it is soon.  I will see Art and his family again fairly soon and we are planning a trip to the Manti Temple some time in the near future.

On Saturday evening my friends and I went to the Conference Center for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Pioneer Concert.  Guest artists were Nathan Pacheco and Lindsey Stirling. Nathan is a "rising star in the world of classical crossover music."  What a powerful and beautiful voice.  So much talent!  Lindsey began with 12 years of classical violin lessons and played in a rock band.  She now is really popular on YouTube "with all her videos on Lindseystomp YouTube channel, which rings in at over 2.6 million subscribers --and has tallied over 365 million hits."  She dances as she plays the violin.  She was all over the stage as she played beautifully.  She has performed with the Piano Guys and Alex Boye.  Most of the pieces performed received standing ovations.  They performed on Friday and Saturday evening and the conference center was full both evenings.  It holds 21,000 people.  The performance was provided free by the church but you had to order tickets in advance.  I am in awe of all the choice opportunities I have had since coming here on my mission. My favorite piece of the evening was the last number performed with the choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square and both Nathan and Lindsey had parts.  It was "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" which is one of my all time favorites.  There was an immediate standing ovation at the end.

We continue to be very busy at work.  We were given the following statistics the other day.  For the whole year of 2012 our zone processed 10,000 cases.  So far this year - from January to the end of June we processed 33,000 cases.  Yes, we are kept very busy.  I feel that I am contributing a lot to the work.

On Monday our zone had a potluck lunch.  You know the adage of "all work and no play... "  Well, we know how to play, too.  It is a good way for missionaries and staff to talk, eat and get to know each other.

On Tuesday evening my Social Group had an activity.  We had a potato bar in the recreation room of one of the couple's apartment building.  It was good food and even better conversation.  After the meal the group went to a free concert in the park.

On Wednesday I meet Elder and Sister Givens at the Family History Library.  I brought my computer and Elder Givens loaded Root Magic on it and then loaded two files for me.  My PAF file and my Family Tree Maker file.  Soon PAF is going away--the church will lay it to rest in favor of FamilySearch and Family Tree.  I will use Roots Magic for my personal records because other people  have the options to make changes on my Family Tree records.  Roots Magic is authorized by the church to sinc with FamilySearch.  It seems very user friendly and the manual is easy to read and use.  Now I have a lot of work cleaning up my own records before I go out on the Internet looking for more information on my ancestors.  I have over 1,000 names on my personal files.  Glad Robb, Reanna and other of my children are working on our history, too.

On Friday I was assigned to give the spiritual thought for our zone prayer meeting.  With the assignment you also get to choose the hymn to get us moving for the day.  I chose "The Lord has need of Willing Men"  or "Put your Shoulder to the Wheel."  My talk was on assignments in the church and that we should willingly accept opportunities to serve.  I couldn't possibly list here how blessed I have been over the last 37 years for my willingness to accept callings.  For example, this calling to serve in the Church and Family History Headquarters Mission.  You have read many of my blessings since I came to Salt Lake City and it seems like the windows of heaven have opened to pour me out blessings and the windows are wide open.  I love you all and I pray the Lord's richest blessings on you and yours.  Love, Sister Winkie

My great grandson, Ivan
Looking up at the Christus in the Visitors Center

I know...I know that it has been two weeks since I have written.  I offer no excuses but just like you, my life is very full with so many things to do.  Once again it has been a momentous two weeks.  My second born grandchild, Michael Ivan, son of my son, Wade, visited me for the 4th of July.  Michael is a Marine and is stationed at Twenty Nine Palms, California.   Michael brought his new bride, Vicky (married the 11th of May) and his son, Ivan.  They drove all night (9 hours) from Las Vegas and arrived about 7:30 AM on the 4th.  I was given the joy and privileged to care for Ivan for a few hours to allow Michael and Vicky to check into the hotel and get a few hours of sleep.  Ivan is three and one half and full of life and curiosity.  We played with magnets, read books, and I down loaded a few small children's apps on my Ipad so we could play together.  His laugh, which was often, was infectious and I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  For a long time I had been missing being around children.  We have no primary or youth programs in our branch.  That is why we are a branch even though we are big enough to be a ward.  I had my Scriptures on the coffee table with a sheet of paper in it with a check-list for daily reading.  He found the list and called it his schedule and he grabbed it and took to the table and said "great-grandma Winkie sit with me and let's do our schedule."  He then proceeded to scribble all over it on both sides.  Since he has left I made a short note on the paper with his name and date.  This paper will be saved in my memory file.  He surely is a special child of our Heavenly Father.

Michael and Vicky took me to the Olive Garden for a wonderful dinner on Friday (left overs fed me the next day) and on the way home (back to my apartment) I was sitting with Michael in the front and Ivan was in the back with Vicky.  All of a sudden I overheard the following from the backseat.  "and a monster came from the dark and ate me like a delicious Popsicle."  It just slipped out of his toddler mouth like he was an accomplished author.  I couldn't help but laugh out-loud.  His father was much more discreet as I witnessed him cover his mouth from a laugh.  What a precious little boy.

Once Michael and Vicky were refreshed from their nap on the 4th we drove to Alpine, Utah to my brother's home.  They had put together a family cook-out with all the must have foods for the 4th.  You know, corn on the cob, hamburgs and watermelon!  After the meal we all retired to sit outside by the pool.  The only people there were Art and his wife, Maurine, and their children.  Of course Tyler was there with his new bride.  Please see earlier blog for pictures from their wedding in May.  It made a nice family gathering with me, Michael and his little family.  This was the first time Michael had met his great-uncle.  We had a great time visiting and watching Ivan and Emily in the swimming pool.  Michael had a bathing suit and swim vest in the car for Ivan so of course he wanted to get in the water.  Ivan had just completed swimming lessons for toddlers and he had absolutely no fear of water or anything.  He jumped off the diving board and slid down the slide.  Good thing he had the vest on. Emily (Art and Maurine's 15 year old daughter) was wonderful with him and they seemed to have a lot of fun.  I know it was fun for me to watch.  In my younger days you couldn't keep me out of the water and in fact my mom had a rough time getting me to come out of the water once I was in.  I remember saying to her more than once "Come in and get me."  At that time I was probably swimming in Keuka Lake (New York) where my grandparents had a small cottage.

Once it was almost dark we loaded up in the cars and Art led us up the hills by his home to a place looking over the valley.  He unloaded chairs for all of us and we watched a beautiful fireworks display across the valley at Thanksgiving Point.  It was made even more special because there was lightening on the mountains behind the fireworks.  It was a perfect day.  I will long remember the peace and contentment.

Throughout the two days with my grandson I was impressed by his love, patience and parenting skills toward his son.  He is divorced from Ivan's mother and each share custody.  Vicky is a great mother to Ivan and the young parents seem to be on the same page in parenting styles.  In another life (as a social worker) I was a parenting facilitator and taught individual and group parenting classes.  Because of that I can't help observe interactions between parents and children.  I was happy to see that Michael is so much like his father and is a devoted parent.

On Friday I had to work in the morning so Michael and family met me by the Joseph Smith Memorial Building at noon and I gave him a tour of my office and desk.  He took pictures from the 6th floor that overlooks the temple.  We then went to the Mezzanine floor to see and experience the ambiance in the beautiful chapel where I attend my Sunday meetings.  I took pictures of them standing at the podium.  From there we went to the main level to see the movie about the restoration in the Legacy Theater.  Even though I have seen it several times it still touches my heart.  The Family Search Area on first floor has a facade of English River Port made to look how it may have looked when people/families left from when coming to America.  There is a special camera set up there where families can have their picture taken and then type in an email address and it is sent directing to them.  It was emailed to Michael and he, in turn sent it on to me.

By now everyone was starving so we purchased lunch and took it outside to sit on the patio in Temple Square.  Sister McKnight had one of her son's and his family visiting for the holiday and they were in the area so they came over for introductions.  After a short chat we each went on with our day separately.  Michael, Vicky, Ivan and I then did all the Temple Square buildings.  We toured the Tabernacle, the Assembly hall and the two visitor centers.  Vicky asked lots of questions and Michael surprised me by being able to answer most of them.  He isn't a member of my church but he was exposed to it often during his growing up years.  We had a wonderful time wandering around and taking pictures and talking.  At the end of the day we went to dinner and then back to my apartment and some last minute conversation and final play with Ivan.  I sure got attached to the little guy fast and I will miss them all a lot.  They told me they had such a nice visit that they may come back to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square in December.

This past Friday Stephanie Phippen Cooper came back to Salt Lake City for a couple of days and left her children at her sister's home and the older ones went with friends to Lagoon - a theme park for the day.  Stephanie picked me up at work and we had lunch then went to the West Jordan Temple for a session.  We actually sat in the Celestial Room and shared spiritual experiences for an hour.  We were amazed when we looked at our watches.  How quickly the time went by.  She and I never run out of things to say.  We also shared many funny stories and laughed a lot.  I am sure she and I were friends long before we were born on this earth.

As this is July with the 4th and for Utahans/Latter-day Saints - Pioneer day celebrating the  July 24th (1847) arrival of the Saints to the Salt Lake Valley.  There are a lot of special activities going on.  Saturday night there was a Days of '47 Pops Concert with the Choral Arts Society of Utah, the American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic and featuring Jenny Oaks Baker (world renown violin soloist) and George Dyer (Opera singer and also performer at Branson.  The Philharmonic were award winning students from all over Utah.  The youngest was only 11.  My oh my the talent of this combined ensemble.  There was also a surprise visit from "Abraham Lincoln" where he recited the Gettysburg Address.  Every piece was so much different from the other. It was held at the Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City.  It was free but very difficult to get tickets.  One of the missionaries in my zone obtained some tickets and four of us sisters went together.  It started to pour as we were leaving our apartment and we had to walk.  It was an umbrella brigade.  Of course it stopped about two minutes after we got in the door.  What a concert!  I made a note in my planner to order tickets early next year.

One more thing I wanted to share on this week's blog is that on July 1, 2013 we experienced our first Monday devotional with our new Mission Presidency.  Among other Hymns we sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."  It sounded so powerful as about 1000 missionaries sang it.  Afterward President Dewey referred to the hymn's  phrase "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat."  Ponder that for awhile.  I love the Lord, I love this mission, I love my fellow missionaries, I love this work and I know it is true.  Last of all I love you dear readers.  You make my life so full and rich. Good night until next time.  Oh, to comment you can leave me a message on Facebook or write to me by email at bjwinkie@gmail.com.