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At Stratford-upon-Avon, where our Gines ancestors came from, and Shakespeare!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! By the way, my Irish friends here tell me they have no idea why the Americans pinch someone if they are not wearing green. That apparently is not an Irish tradition. Crazy Americans . . .

We recovered from our long weekend in Scotland and got right back to work on everything we left behind, including our next video shoot in the Netherlands in three weeks. We took Friday off and drove to Preston and met Kevin and Amanda at the train station. It was good to see family again! We have had so much fun showing them church history sites in Lancashire, Warwick Castle, the Cotswold’s, and Stratford-upon-Avon, where we visited the Trinity Church where Shakespeare was christened and is also buried. We finished off our visit there with Creamed Tea (hot chocolate and scones with clotted cream), and found our way to the best fish n’ chip shop we know for dinner, two nights in a row. After dinner the Rook cards come out and we loved playing our family favorite card games.

Warwick Castle with Elder Partridge, the Warrior. It is colder than it looks!

Visiting Downham Village

As part of our church history tour with the kids we took them up to Downham, Lord and Lady Clitheroe’s village. I just love it there. We love to take everyone we can to our favorite lunch place, Greendale. We’ve made friends with the owners. They recognize us when we come in and we love to support their little business. After our ‘to die for’ soup and sandwiches, we ordered a dessert to share. We went wild and didn’t order chocolate! Instead, this time we ordered the special of the day, Ginger Toffee Cake. Oh . . .my . . GOODNESS! It was the best cake I have EVER eaten hands down. I went to Trevor, who made it, and told him I would make him famous in America and name the cake after him if he would share his recipe and how to make it with me . . .and he did! I won’t attempt it here in England, as my oven and I don’t get along well, and I’m sure I’ll have to make it a few times to get it down, but when I get home I would like to invite all of you over to our home for TREVOR’S BEST GINGER CAKE WITH TOFFEE SAUCE. My mouth is watering just writing about it. My next mission is to get the guy at our favorite Indian restaurant in London to sell me some of his secret spice mix . . .

My favourtie tree in England!

The weather has been coooold! Snow flurries danced about all day yesterday with the help of a bitter cold breeze most of the day. Nevertheless, we Utahn’s toughed it out. This morning we woke up to a blanket of snow once again. “The Beast from the East” is back, so they say, and I believe them. I’m ready for Spring! Church was cancelled once again. I do love a family time day, but I’m sad though that Kevin and Amanda won’t experience our little ‘mission field’ ward with us today and meet our dear ward members. Between my trip to Utah, then being sick, our travel schedule, and the weather, I haven’t been in Primary since the third week of January, and I’m missing my Primary children.

Stow-on-the-Wold, Costswolds

It won’t be easy saying good-bye to the kids in the morning when we put them on the train to head back to London and then Paris. I have to say that I do love having adult children that we can just be friends and laugh and have fun together. It’s the fun without the stress. I know I have been blessed with great children, and they have all chosen great spouses.

Congratulations to all my Festival friends for their total record-breaking earnings of over $2.7 last year at Festival of Trees. That money not only helps children but also represents a lot of hard work from the dedicated board members. I’m so proud to know and love you!

Our hearts have been with the Stromness family. Richard did pass away last week after a 20-year battle with Leukemia. They honored him with a Memorial and ice cream social Friday. We so wish we could have been there. He donated his body to science. It was all so fitting for Richard. We have known him for nearly 40 years and have many good memories with their family as a Woods Cross ‘tighter than an English corset’ neighborhood. It warms my heart when I picture in my mind the great reunion he must have had with other neighbors of ours that were taken too young . . . Scot, Steve, Marie J, Eileen, Jim Ashauer, and our Nathan.

My heart is full of gratitude for my testimony of life after death, eternal families, eternal friends, and a peace I feel inside that death is not the end, but a new beginning. I know this to be true as it motivates me each day to try to overcome weaknesses and flaws and be worthy someday to see all those I love that cross from this life to the next before I do.

Stay warm and we’ll do the same! Love to all,

Ron and Marie