Happy Birthday

Today is my birthday!  I can’t believe that I’m 81 years old!  For some reason, I’m looking back to my 75^th birthday, which I celebrated in Ghana.  Mindi was there with a humanitarian group.  John let her have the key to our apartment, and she came in and baked me a birthday cake.  It was a sweet gesture and a pleasure to be able to celebrate a significant birthday with a favorite granddaughter.

I don’t feel much different, certainly not any older than I did then.  I must admit that the problem with my left knee has slowed me down a little.  I had the “scope” to clean it up so I could come on this mission on March 21.  I was told the recovery time would be 3-4 weeks so I expected to snap right back to normal activity by the time we arrived in Nauvoo.  My good friend Vilate Long reminded me that, at our age, it takes longer to heal.   She’s right!  The knee is better each week, and it hasn’t slowed me down as far as my temple activity is concerned.  I do still take the elevator, and I sometimes come home eexhausted, but I’m thrilled to be able to be here in Nauvoo.

To serve in the Nauvoo Temple has been a dream of mine – sort of the capstone to our missions!  We have met so many outstanding, wonderful people who are also serving here.  There is definitely a special spirit in this place – the spirit of our ancestors who built up this lovely city, only to have to leave it again.

I was pleased to go to the Land and Records Office to get the information about my great great grandfather Lewis Dunbar Wilson.  We got the map and went to the place where he owned property when he was in Nauvoo.  It is still pretty much open fields.  They put all the information the Church has on a disk for me and only asked for a $1.00 donation.  I learned some things I didn’t remember – that Lewis wasn’t alone in Nauvoo.  His parents and two of his brother were baptized the same day he was - 23 May 1836 in Kirtland.  Two of his brothers were baptized the week before he was.  His father Bradley Wilson died in Nauvoo in 1842 and is probably buried in the old Pioneer Cemetery.  We need to check that out.  It’s exciting for me to realize that there was a whole family of Wilsons in Nauvoo.

I was happy to receive cards and gifts and to be able to talk to each of our children on my birthday.  Because it was Sunday, it was easier to get in touch.  John gave me two Nauvoo Temple plates – one with Brigham Young as the President with the names of the Twelve Apostles and the other with Gordon B. Hinckley as the President with the names of the current Twelve Apostles.  Our Home Teacher Roger Monsen sent me as original picture of the Nauvoo from the original plans.  He showed it to us before we left and promised to have one made for us.  It was such a nice surprise to get it on my birthday.

I suppose it’s a sign of my pride and vanity, but it pleases me when people can’t believe we’ve been married 60 years and that I am 81 years old!  I have been blessed with good health all my life.  I’ve tried to take good care of myself and use wisdom with diet and exercise.  Words really cannot express the gratitude I owe to my Heavenly Father for the wonderful way he has blessed me all these many years.  I’m sure having a wonderful, loving husband has also made a tremendous difference.

Happy Birthday Grandma