Florida is a Beautiful Place

This mission thing has been quite a ride.  All that we do everyday is unbelievable.  Won't bore you with details -- but we are really loving our association on a daily basis with the missionaries.  Stan and I both are in contact with many of them every day in different ways.  To see them function and do this work and watch them as they bare testimony is awe inspiring.  I wouldn't trade what we are doing right now for anything in the world. ( A knock on the door....there is an envelope with a small rose from the Assistants and a card with written notes to me for Mother's day.) Today just before church I received a 'Smile Box' from my daughter Becky for Mother's day. I looked at it just before we left for church and well I had a difficult time in church today.  I kept my emotions under control  because I reminded myself that what we are doing right now is what we are supposed to be doing and we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  So children and grandchildren as much as we love you and miss you -- we are proud of you and what you are accomplishing while we are here.  Thank you everyone for your mother's day wishes.  Here is one that came to my office Friday morning from Sarah with a card that said, "See what I can do when you aren't in Juniper. 

Everyone in the office teased me about making a haul for mothers day.  I am grateful that I received calls and 'smile box' and cards and flowers, a variety of things.  I think of my family and I am so blessed -- I made a haul when the Lord blessed me with such wonderful children spouses and grandchildren.

I drove out to a Chevy dealership with Stan -- it is next to the airport.  This plane was landing and it felt like it was going to land on us.  There were fields with cows and industrial areas just a variety of things to see and look at.  The way they plant Palm trees in a new area is very interesting and I got a picture of it on our drive.

They look like toy rocket ships.

The Magnolia trees are starting to bloom.  I just can't believe how beautiful they are.

We brought one into the office and put it in water and it shared its fragrance with the whole space.  I kept a petal in my hand most of the day, it is like rubber/felt and so fragrant.

Sister Swain was asked to be the 'activities director' for the Seniors.  When Pres and Sister Darrington got here the Seniors were going out to dinner several times a week.  We really need to be helping the missionaries and supporting them by fellowshipping and making visits etc. So they asked the Swain's to organize activities once a month along with one Family Home Evening.  So this month our activity was to go to Winter Park.  This is an area that was started about the late 1800's early 1900's by affluent New Yorkers who would spend their Winters in Florida (May-Oct). 

We had to park some distance away from the Farmer's market. A lot of the roads are still made of brick.  

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  First we went to the farmers Market.  This is a huge affair in Winter Park.  It is an every day affair. 

Sister Swain in the picture on the right and then just a view of all the people. We were in the flower 'district' here.  There was food, crafts, stores, just amazing.

There are six big lakes in that area that are all connected under ground and eventually lead to the St John's river and out to the Ocean flowing northward all the way.  We took a boat ride through three of those lakes.  Lake Osceola, Lake Virgina and Lake Maitland being the largest of all of them (450 acres).  There are canals between the lakes made by hand by loggers in the 1800's.  They would cut down the oak and float them to where they needed them by using these canals.  There used to be orange orchards built on this land.  Now there are these big estates and University that cover the area.

Rollin's University is an old established University but small.  It competes academically with many of the larger more prestigious Universities.  All Professors have a Doctorate and there are on average 11 students per class.  'Mr. Rogers' went to school here.  His parents were very affluent and rented one of these big homes for him to stay in while he went to school.  We saw so many homes I wish I could give you the history of all of them.  If you Google Winter Park you can find there a history and some of the things we saw on this boat tour.

While walking to the boat docks we walked through town.  The shops were wonderful.  I had to go into the Chocolate store for no other reason then to 'smell'.  

It was a beautiful walk--That is the Swain's in front of us.

The water and docks ahead -- once again brick roads.

View of Lake Osceola from the dock.

Looking straight over the edge of the dock down into the water.  They said fishing in these lake is really good.  Big mouth Bass is what they fish for.

Elder James on the right, and Elder Swain on the left.  He has very limited use of his right arm, but it never seems to stop him from doing very thing he wants to. By trade he is a lawyer of sorts, he does all the legal work for Malls.  He did Gateway.  Elder James is an army/engineer.  He has a fantastic mind. Both men are amazing.

Sister James with her friend Gloria.  We are waiting for a boat.

Stan contemplating a ride on a boat, looking over the mass of water before him.

Leaving the dock.

Some of the houses...they are all big and beautiful.  Price ranging from 1-10 million.  Architecture ranging from early 1900's to as late as last year.  Some of the homes are all windows, and others very traditional.  All amazing.  

My personal favorite.  Smaller cottage style.  There are spill ways set up to drain the lake if it raises to high.  A lot of them are right on the water like this one is.

A sculpture lived here.  It is now a museum and is open to the public daily.  That would be a fun place to visit.

Entering one of the man made canals, yes that is a speed sign.

The canals looked like this now,  they have been rebuild and reinforced so they can be used to travel between the lakes.  There are boat garages along these canals as well.  

Branch of an old oak across the canal.

Rollins University.  It has an Olympic sized pool, and all the amenities of any larger University.  It costs $48000 a year but that includes tuition, books room and board.  They have an impressive dormitory.  

A 250 year old Oak.  That is older then our country.

Other traffic, they moved over for our four boats.  

I would settle to live in the boat house : ).

Cypress trees are trees that once lived on land but because of the erosion of the land have adapted to water.  There are groves of these trees in and around little islands and peninsulas. 

This is the home 'Mr. Rogers' lived in while he went to school at Rollins. Puts a little different light to his phrase "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood".

This is a boat of people we had to kind of push aside, he is hanging on to stabilize the boat. Behind him is one of the boat garages.  

I have so many pictures, it would be impossible to show and tell of them here.  I would really encourage you to go on line and see for yourselves.  The history of this place is amazing.  People live here year round now.  Some estates that were huge have sold and more home have been built through the years.  Names like Sinclare, Kyser, and on and on.  Yes it was a fun place to visit but as for me and my house, we will stay in Idaho on our little farm in Juniper.  There is no place like home.