The Giving Machines -- serving, freezing, and having fun (with a little bit of wrestling thrown in!)

 The Giving Machines are in full swing here in Kansas City. Brian and I get to be at the machines every Sunday from 3-6 to answer questions and offer assistance to those who stop by. It's a lot of fun and we get to meet some amazing people. This winter has been colder than last year so we are definitely feeling that midwestern humid cold as we are standing outside for 3 hours!  

Three machines are located at Crown Center in Downtown Kansas City. You can see the ice skating rink just above the machines. 

Some of the amazing people I got to meet and work with. Val on the left is an amazing selfless volunteer in our community. She is the go to photographer for all events like these and I'm happy to call her my friend! The woman in the middle is Sister Camille Johnson, the General Relief Society President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was a delight to meet and very down to earth. 

Free Crumbl cookies were given out on the launch day of the Giving Machines. These two beautiful people are the owners of many of the Crumbl stores in the area and good friends. I handed out carrot sticks to combat all the sugar being eaten!

Lucy, Brian, Me, and Peter at the evening event, it was slightly cold!

Brian chatting with people at the Giving Machines

Beautiful lights at Hallmark's Crown Center--some of the Hallmark movies were filmed here at the national headquarters.

The fountain dances to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy music that plays over the loud speakers. 

And here is a wrestling highlight! Peter is a freshman at Liberty North High School and on the wrestling team. He had his first dual meet against Park Hill High School. He did a great job! Here is the last part of his match: 

Click here to view Peter's match

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

 Young Adult fiction. This is a re-read for me. I really enjoy all of Shannon Hale's books and this is one of my favorites. A young motherless girl gets assigned as a lady's maid to a princess that is about to be shut up in a tower for seven years because she refuses to marry the ruler of a neighboring kingdom. Thus starts Dashti's adventure with the Princess Saren, who is petulant and sad and stubborn. 

Dashti is resilient through situations that seem daunting and hard, which is a favorite attribute of heroines in the books I read. This is a book I will be re-reading again and again. 

Veteran's Weekend in Nauvoo and Carthage Illinois

 Here in Liberty, Missouri area we are among so many historically significant sites, both from the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and U.S. History-namely the Civil War. Our family has visited nearly all of them. Another historical site, Nauvoo, Illinois, is a short 4 hour drive for us. The last time Brian and I were there was in the 1980s and things have changed much since then and we wanted to go see the updated visitor's center and surrounding buildings. So since Friday was Veteran's Day and our son-in-law, John, had the day off we decided to load up two cars and go for the weekend. 

We picked a great weekend to visit--it was extremely cold and started to snow as we were there. That meant Nauvoo was very empty which was nice to miss the crowds, but the cold felt like it went right through you and the wind coming off the Mississippi River was frigid. It really helped me understand what those early Saints went through as they were forced out of their beloved Nauvoo and crossed the river in the cold winter. 

Our first stop was the Nauvoo temple. Brian and I and Audrey and John were able to go while Eric, Lucy, and Peter stayed with Ollie. The temple is incredibly beautiful and I felt such calm and peace while I was there. When we were done Audrey and John took Ollie and went to the Airbnb to make dinner and Eric, Lucy, and Peter were able to come in and do baptisms. 

We spent a fun night playing games and enjoyed being with each other. The next morning we headed down the street to the city of Nauvoo. The Visitor's Center is large and has so many things to look at and do. Our first stop was at the Lands and Records desk. Both Brian and I and John have ancestors who were born, lived, and died in Nauvoo. The senior missionary (who is from Tooele, Utah which is where my mom grew up and knows my cousin well!) looked up their names on a database and was able to print out a map of where they lived. We found out that Brian's 2nd great grandfather and my 4th great grandfather lived right next door to each other in Nauvoo!

We drove around and saw the land they lived on. Brian and my ancestor's land is mostly under the Mississippi River now, but it was still amazing to walk where they may have walked. 

With the cold and wind we didn't see everything there was to see--we definitely need to go back! We did see the oxen since my grandson Ollie loves cows!  They were so gentle and were named Jim and Joe. The missionary couple yoked them for us and took us on a small ox cart ride, which, have I mentioned, was SO cold!  They were from Star Valley, Wyoming and Brian and the husband knew some of the same people which was a great connection!  Even these seasoned Wyomingites thought it was cold!  

We stopped at a small café for lunch and then drove 30 minutes to Carthage, Illinois, where the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed. It was a lovely peaceful sacred place. 

We then headed back home. It was a wonderful two days and we are definitely planning on going back when it's warmer!!

Giving Machines in Kansas City

 A little break from my book review posts. I'm actually not reading any fiction right now because I'm involved in the Giving Machines again this year. My experience on this committee has been incredibly wonderful and I've loved every busy minute. It's amazing to see things fall into place, other obstacles arise, and then solutions come. I love seeing God's hand in this work of relieving suffering here locally and across the globe. 

There are 8 charities that will benefit from people's donations this year, 6 are local charities and 2 are global: 

Mayor’s Christmas Tree Association

Veterans Community Project

Reconciliation Services

Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Jewish Vocational Services

KC Shepherd’s Center

African Girls Hope Foundation

UN Refugee Agency

This year we have some local celebrities that will be at the Grand Unwrapping of the Giving Machines. Kansas City Chiefs' football coach's wife, Tammy Reid, and the wife of the owner, Tavia Hunt. They will emcee the event. The KC mayor will also be there along with Sister Camille Johnson, the General Primary President from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There will be a gospel choir from Kansas City which also performed last year and they are fabulous and so fun. And to top if all off KC wolf will be there (mascot for the KC Chiefs) and the KC Chiefs' drumline. It should be a fantastic event!