So COLD but still loving the experience!

When I say cold , I mean so very cold here. We had such a wonderful Fall, but it changed to really cold over night. It seems so much colder than Utah because of the humidity. Now I'm cold all the time. Rudi seems to handle the cold better than I do. Maybe because I'm still anemic and my blood needs to be checked again. Oh well, this isn't going to stop me from going to the temple and enjoying all the fun activities!

Traci arrived yesterday in Moline. We took the day off from the temple to pick her up. No the kids didn't come with her, they're with their dad and all the Magleby's in Disneyland. It's so good to see Traci again. I was just with her in Chicago two weeks ago. I never get enough of my family. Wish I could be with all of them for the holidays but I'll be all right. We'll be having Thanksgiving dinner with all the temple and site missionaries. I think they'll be around 200 people there, never a dull moment in Nauvoo!

I think I mentioned that Rudi and I are on the activities committee. Just what we need more activity! We've helped plan the Thanksgiving dinner, the Christmas in Old Nauvoo Activity, and now we get to work on the Christmas dinner on Christmas Day. Lots of fun going on. The most fun is working on the best committee ever. This group of people make meetings a party.

Last week was so busy in the temple. A lot of patrons here for the holidays. This week I finally felt like I got all the parts down in the temple. I never thought that would happen. I've studied so hard that I can't fall a sleep at night because all the parts keep going thru my mind. Now I need to learn how to turn off the brain and just relax and fall asleep!

Today we went to a another wonderful Sacrament meeting, then on to choir practice, then dinner. To celebrate Traci being here I had liver and onions with bacon. All three of us loved it. It was so tender and seeing Traci loving it so much made it all worth it. When she was younger she always asked for liver on her birthday with spinach. Crazy person but so loved! After dinner we went to Bentonsport to see some of the fun little villages around here. No not finished with Sunday yet, we're leaving in a few minutes to go to a sociable where George Durrant will be speaking. Sunday seems to be the busiest day of the week for us. No time to rest.
Tomorrow we're taking Traci to Carthage, Hannibal, and Quincy to see more sights. Tuesday will be spent in the temple. Traci is going with us to see us in action. She wants to do as much temple work as she can. We love having her here to enjoy the spirit of Nauvoo. Can't wait for more family and friends to come. Wednesday will be spent going thru all the Nauvoo
sites.
Well I best close and get on to the next activity.
Thanks family for the absolutely darling Christmas tree ornaments. Can't wait to decorate the tree and put all the cute little faces on the tree. You're making our Christmas so special.

We love and miss you all.

E/S Diederich
Rudi and Kathy

 Woodchuck getting our scent.

 How much wood can a woodchuck chuck?

 O.K. so we love the wild life right in our backyard!

 So beautiful and quick to run away.

 We can never get enough of this magnificent temple.

 Ice balls forming on the Mississippi River. This happened over night. So cold here. I think we got up to 17 degrees today.

 So cold but fun to see the ice forming more each day.