APRIL 2024
 |
| Salt Lake Temple |
 |
| Heber Ferraz-Leite Family |
 |
| Conference Center |
One of the highlights of Saturday evening was meeting up with friends from Cumorah Academy. Russell and Samantha Ford who were Mentors for a week came from England with their family and Nicole from El Salvador one of the students who is in Utah for about 3 months met up with us for a few minutes. It was so fun connecting with them and getting a photo together.
President Russell M. Nelson was the concluding speaker of the conference. He is 99 years old and so inspiring. He announced 15 more Temples to be built around the World with two more in Utah - South Jordan and Lehi. He shared that when he was born there were 6 Temples in the World and today there are 350 temples in various phases, which includes 189 dedicated temples, 52 under construction, and 109 others announced. The very first Temple built by the early saints was in Kirtland, Ohio. It has been owned by the Community of Christ Church for the past 150 years. Last month they sold it back to the Church with several additional properties, artwork and original documents. We have waited a long time to have this happen and to have the Church now conduct the tours of these properties and to be able to tell our story. Pres. Nelson shared the historical significance of the Temple and what took place in Kirtland that paved the way for the ordinances and procedures in Temples today. He shared that a Temple is a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory, order - a House of God.
He said, "You do not have to face life alone - Angels really will help you." I know this to be true. I am so grateful to have been blessed by the Angels in my life.
The Salt Lake Temple dedicated in 1893 is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. It is the sixth temple completed by the church requiring 40 years to complete. It has been closed for major seismic renovations for the past 5 years and is nearing completion in 2026. This month the Angel Moroni was reinstalled on the spire of the Temple. The picture at the top shows it back in all of its majesty. It is one of the iconic features of a Latter-day Saint temple. The Salt Lake Temple angel Moroni is 12 feet, 5 inches tall with a steal rod going 27 feet down into the building. There is also a 4,000 pound counterweight at the bottom, ensuring that the angel will withstand extreme weather conditions.
We love living in a place that has so much to offer in the Arts.
SPRING HOME PROJECTS
Next step was to paint the wood. We used rain gutters for the paint and dipped each piece and wiped with a brush. It worked really good.
 |
| Wood painted and drying |
COMPLETED PROJECT!
The roof is restored to the original look with a wood roof. It looks really nice and should last for many years. I measured, Russ cut and I nailed them in. Two days on a ladder is hard on your feet. I can't say it is water tight, but it is a great place to be out of the sun and to enjoy our back yard with an awesome view of the mountain. We can grow old in those rocking chairs!
Leah has been preparing to serve a mission for many years and she will be a dedicated, hard working, fun, spiritually minded Sister Missionary.
The time has come for many of our mission family to graduate from Universities and move on in their lives. We had a Graduation Dinner and celebration to wish them well as they embark on new careers and adventures. We are so proud of them and all of their accomplishments and are so blessed to have been a small part of their journeys. We will miss these gatherings and look forward to watching what the future has in store for them. We have 4 BYU graduates and 1 Utah State. Spencer, Cambree, Kaja, Jesse, Cooper, Elli, Grace, Caleb and Riley - Thank you for blessing our lives.
GRADUATION
 |
| Elli Vickers |
SPRING BALLROOM TEAM PROGRAM
She also performed the Triple Swing and the Cha Cha.
Emily volunteered to prepare the light dinner for the dancers before the program. Of course that means I was involved. We made delicious Green Chili Chicken Taquito’s, Salsa with Chips, and fresh fruit. Always fun to be involved.
GERMANY, NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM
In Dallas waiting for our flight to Frankfurt Germany.
It is always an adventure for us to fly. We always hope for just a seat on the plane as we fly stand-by and this trip was the best we could hope for. No business travelers and we were able to sit in Premium Business Class. Russ getting all settled in. I was across the aisle from him. No better way to fly for a 10 hour flight. Great food, Movies, a great book to read and a nice few hours of sleep. We were ready to hit the road and continue our journey. I enjoy watching the interactive map showing the flight status. We arrived in Frankfurt at 8:00 AM giving us a day to travel to the Netherlands.
For those who have been following my BLOG, you know our love of Cathedrals. So we begin our journey with a stop in Cologne Germany to see the COLOGNE CATHEDRAL.
Cathedral Church of Saint Peter
It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 6 million people a year. At 515 ft. the cathedral is the tallest twin spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster,(visited in 2018) and the third tallest church of any kind in the world.
 |
| Stain glass at every window |
 |
| Entry with intricate design work |
Repairs of the war damage were completed in 1956 with additional repairs in 2005.
In 2006 the authorities declared not to allow high rise buildings to be built around the cathedral.
Floor tiles inside of the Cathedral. While it is a historical wonder, it was not the most beautiful cathedral I have been in. Many tombs inside and not a lot of decorum outside of the beautiful stain glass windows.
The workmanship and detail of the doors and outside structure were impressive.
ROTTERDAM
We attended Church with them the next morning. We were met by 10 missionaries and other Ward members. It was such a friendly welcome and we met some wonderful people. They had translation for English and Spanish and we felt right at home. I love that we can travel all over the world and on Sunday find a congregation that has the same pictures, furniture, ordinances and procedures as all of the congregations of our Church. Sybren took us on a tour of Rotterdam and the outlying area for the rest of the day. What a treat to have a local guide that made it so fun.
We started at the town square. Rotterdam is a major port city in the Dutch province of South Holland.
It is home to Pilgrim Fathers Church where pilgrims worshiped before sailing to America. The city was completely destroyed during WWII and has been almost completely reconstructed. It is known for bold, modern architecture,
We started at the large city Shopping Center. The picture above shows items like dishes, containers, silver that were found from the former buildings that were destroyed when they began excavating for the new buildings.
Many of the buildings have been named by the locals due to their interesting architecture. To the left is called the Pencil. Below is the entrance to Market Hall and is called the Pencil Sharpener.
These apartments are amazing and cost about $1 million. Several are used as AirBnB and Hostels. It was fun to walk through and see them and enjoy the architecture wonder.
Lots of water and bridges. It is a major Port City that provides most of the employment in the region.
This is the new Train station and Metro center. It is called the Whale. I think my son, Joshua would love seeing this city with all of the modern architectural features.
 |
| Pencil Sharpener |
 |
| CUBE HOUSES |
What a fun place to get a feel for all things Dutch. We were treated to the sights, taste and smell of the area. We were not willing to try the raw herring but the fresh made stroopwaffles were out of this world. I have only had the smaller store bought cookies and these fresh ones were amazing! They make a very thin large - about 6 inches - waffle. When it is done they slice it very thin in half and then fill it with fresh hot caramel and replace the top. So Delicious!
Our next stop was a twenty minute drive out to the Kinderdijk Windmills.
This was another highlight of the day. I had been driving for about 20 minutes and we were looking for a parking place. Sybren said, are you driving a manual - Yes. Greatest compliment he could give me that I was doing such a good job driving a manual car in a foreign country.
This stone windmill is from 1738. The Nederwaard Museum Mill still makes its rounds nearly three centuries after it was built. This windmill quite literally revolves around the history of Kinderdijk and its unique windmill complex. Everything here breathes the atmosphere of ages past. Some of these windmills housed a family of up to ten children or more.
It was a very blustery day and we braved the wind and rain to go see the windmills. Oh, so worth it. We had a wonderful walk from the parking lot out to the dikes and then down through the windmills. I truly felt like I was in a dream and experiencing all things Holland.
You are below sea level here and the windmills would pump the water back to the rivers and sea to keep the crops safe from flooding. Today, they use large pumping stations to keep the land dry to prevent flooding.
Every October, the cycle of planting flower bulbs, blooming and dug up the bulbs begins all over again. The park is redesigned annually. They plant in three stages for early, middle and late blooming tulips so you always have some in bloom. They were even planting while we were there. They have pavilions all through the park that highlights other flowers that they grow in the area.
The tulip originally grows as a modest, red wildflower north of the Himalayas in Central Asia. The original tulip spreads naturally westward over the next thousand years. Nomads further disperse them. As early as 1050 tulips bloom in the gardens of ancient Persia, revered as symbols of grace and beauty. The small wildflower is cultivated giving rise to precious varieties. From Istanbul, its a short journey to Europe. Travelers from the north bring bulbs and flowers, facilitating rapid spread. In the end of the 16th century, the tulip finds enthusiasts in the Netherlands. Within a few decades, in the Netherlands, unique varieties are developed that make history as Dutch cultivation.
From flower bulbs worth their weight in gold to the tale of the black tulip and celebrities receiving their own tulip the story of the tulip is impressive. New tulips varieties can be discovered by chance or intentionally crossbred. This process can take up to twenty-five years. Each new tulip receives its own name. The most famous tulip, the Semper Augustus, was named after the Roman Emperor Augustus in the 16th Century. Tulips can also be christened. Every season, new varieties of tulips are presented at Keukenhof.
 |
| Wooden Shoes. |
It would not be a trip to Holland without stepping into wooden shoes,
I had no idea there were so many styles of Wooden Shoes. The first is a Wooden Boot shoe. Next is wooden Skates, then Women's Pumps with a large heal, Sunday wooden shoes, Dike shoes, Garden Shoes, Fishing shoes and smugler Wooden shoes!
We checked into our Hotel after a short drive from Rotterdam to Noordwijk Netherlands - out in the country away from the city where the Tulip fields are.
We went to dinner in the little village - right on the beach and then drove around to get a feel for the area. It was so windy and cold but so fun to see the beach and the vibe of the surroundings with lots of restaurants and the giant ferris wheel.
All of the shops are open on Sundays and so most of them close on Mondays. We could only find a pancake house open for lunch and it did not disappoint. I had a savory ham, cheese, red onion and mushroom Dutch pancake. It was huge. it was about the size of a pizza and then you roll it and top it with syrup, powdered sugar or whatever you want.
 |
| Russ on the walkway to the Beach |
 |
| Savory Pancake for lunch |
All of the shops are open on Sundays and so most of them close on Mondays. We could only find a pancake house open for lunch and it did not disappoint. I had a savory ham, cheese, red onion and mushroom Dutch pancake. It was huge. it was about the size of a pizza and then you roll it and top it with syrup, powdered sugar or whatever you want.
After Sundays Blustery Day - it all blew out and Monday was a clear beautiful day - we were so blessed to be able to see the Tulips on a clear day.
KEUKENHOF
Celebrating 75 years: You discover the colorful past and blooming present of the international flower exhibition. With the dedication of generations of passionate individuals, Keukenhof has evolved into the most beautiful spring garden in the world. With the merger of the Keukenhof Castle Foundation and the international Flower Exhibition Foundation, The Count Carel van Lynden Foundation becomes the new owner of the entire estate.
 |
| Gerbera Daisy |
The tulip fields were a little disappointing. Because of the weather many were destroyed over the weekend. The early ones were done blooming and the late ones had not bloomed yet. While they were beautiful - the ones in bloom - it was not miles of fields in bloom that the pictures show. All in All the gardens were worth the trip.
From the Keukenhof Gardens we headed to Amsterdam about 30 minutes away. We drove to a Metro Station that had free parking and planned to take the train into the Central Station. All was going well when we got 1 street from the Metro Station and the road was closed. WHAT!!! Waze did not know of the construction and would not re-route us. Google Maps to the rescue. We were so close and yet so far away. We finally arrived at the station and now for the real adventure. Russ decided to buy tickets on-line instead of at the station. That meant that both tickets were on my phone. We went to the wrong line and I used my e-ticket and went to the other side and now how was Russ going to use his ticket on my phone? There was a crack between the glass panels and I slipped my phone through. Then we realize we are at the wrong gate so I tried to get back through. It would not accept my ticket. You know the feeling when you are separated by a turn style and a glass panel and the train is coming in 3 minutes. There was a call button for help so I called and told them my problem. You could tell he thought - Dumb American - but he was kind and opened the gate for me electronically and I got to the other side. He said, use the ticket and hand the phone to the other person before you enter. We raced to the other track and it worked! We were both in and we made the train. We asked if we could get a paper ticket in place of the e-ticket and they said "NO". Just share the phone.
 |
| Orchids in the Pavilion |
 |
| Reflection Pool |
 |
| Rainbow in fountain |
 |
| Ambassadors in historical dress |
From the Keukenhof Gardens we headed to Amsterdam about 30 minutes away. We drove to a Metro Station that had free parking and planned to take the train into the Central Station. All was going well when we got 1 street from the Metro Station and the road was closed. WHAT!!! Waze did not know of the construction and would not re-route us. Google Maps to the rescue. We were so close and yet so far away. We finally arrived at the station and now for the real adventure. Russ decided to buy tickets on-line instead of at the station. That meant that both tickets were on my phone. We went to the wrong line and I used my e-ticket and went to the other side and now how was Russ going to use his ticket on my phone? There was a crack between the glass panels and I slipped my phone through. Then we realize we are at the wrong gate so I tried to get back through. It would not accept my ticket. You know the feeling when you are separated by a turn style and a glass panel and the train is coming in 3 minutes. There was a call button for help so I called and told them my problem. You could tell he thought - Dumb American - but he was kind and opened the gate for me electronically and I got to the other side. He said, use the ticket and hand the phone to the other person before you enter. We raced to the other track and it worked! We were both in and we made the train. We asked if we could get a paper ticket in place of the e-ticket and they said "NO". Just share the phone.
We then walked past the Royal Palace of the King. Saturday was King's Day with a lot of festivities. Everyone wears ORANGE in honor of the King.
The Royal Palace, King Willem-Alexander's official reception palace, plays a major role during state visits, and other royal occasions, such as New Year's receptions, gala dinners and award ceremonies. It is open to visitors.
The bridge on the right is considered one of the most picturesque places in the city. As you look down the canal you can see 7 bridges with the tree lined streets.
We walked over 16,000 steps that day and were ready for a good nights rest back at our hotel.
VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890) MUSEUM
Van Gogh only found his true calling as an artist at the age of 27. Without knowing whether he had any real talent, he set to work with a great determination. He taught himself the rudiments of the craft by studying the art of others. He had worked in the art trade for a few years and had seen a great many works of art and so had trained his eye.
He admired primarily the work of French 19th century peasant painters. They portrayed life in the countryside, paying homage to this so-called honest and humble existence in the face of encroaching industrialization and urbanization . With these models in mind, he decided to focus on peasant life. He could thus transform his love of nature and the rural landscape into depictions of diggers, sowers, and peasant dwellings. My kind of people.
His father was a minister and his Bible was filled with many colors of markings. This picture depicts those many colors and then a book - depicting how close human life or mortality is to the spiritual life of the Bible- or how easy it is to be swayed by the ways of the world. I really like this picture and its meaning.
In 1886 he moved to Paris, which at the time was the centre of modern art. Face to face with the Paris avant-garde, Van Gogh became aware of just how old-fashioned his Dutch work must have appeared.
He eagerly absorbed the many new impressions. He experimented with color, brushwork, line and planes. His time in Paris proved extremely fruitful, and thanks to his contacts with other artists he discovered possibilities for developing his own expressive style. Vincent was very close to his brother Theo. He was the most important person in his life, as a friend, a sounding board and a financier. Theo was an art dealer in Paris and had a good income. He supported his brother for 10 years. In return Theo became the owner of the works of art Vincent sent him. He sent his brother 820 known letters that are a crucial source for understanding him as a man and an artist.
Van Gogh painted self portraits because he could not afford to pay for a model.
 |
| ROOTS One of his last paintings that was left unfinished. |
The picture on the left was painted by a fellow artist who used Vincent as. his model. 
The monument contains the names of the more than 102,000 Jews, Sinti and Romas from the Netherlands who were murdered during the Holocaust. They never received a grave.
This is a place of commemoration and mourning, of remembrance and contemplation - a warning for all generations all over the world, now and in the future. Through the names written here, the victims are not forgotten, They will never be forgotten.
We would have loved attending the Temple in The Hague Netherlands but it is only open on Thursday-Saturday. We were there on a Tuesday. It is in a beautiful setting in the middle of this little city. It was breathtaking to drive down the street and come to the intersection and have this beautiful Temple in the middle. It is much larger than we were expecting. There is something spiritual and peaceful just walking on the temple grounds - even if we could not go in. It is such a blessing to the people in the Netherlands.
We checked into our Hotel - it did not look like much from the outside, but when we went in it was a beautiful boutique hotel with just 15 rooms and a huge restaurant. We had the most delicious Steak
dinner in the dining room and then settled in for a nights rest for us to be ready for our last day of our trip.
His motto, "In art one must give heart and soul"
After his hospitalization in the assylum in Saint-Remy, he felt like a broken pitcher that could never by mended. Even so, in between his mental breakdowns he worked on steadily and courageously to become an even better artist. Painting and drawing gave structure to his days and helped him not fall prey to the loneliness plaguing the other patients. He could not work outside of the institutions walls, he painted the view from his room: "through the iron-barred window I can make out a square of wheat in an enclosure, . . . above which in the morning I see the sun rise in its glory".
"I believe that at present we must paint nature's rich and magnificent aspects, we need good cheer and happiness, hope and love." Van Gogh
Our next stop was:
On May 10, 1940, the day of the invasion by nazi Germany, 140,000 Jewish men, women and children and several thousand Sinti and Roma lived in the Netherlands. Only 5,200 Jews and 30 Sinti and Roma survived the nazi concentration and extermination camps. Another 2,000 Jew perished by other means during the Holocaust persecution.
The walls with names carry the four Hebrew letters that spell the word "Le'zecher" which means "In Memorium".
We decided to stay an extra day on our trip to be able to fly on a better day for open seats on the plane. Best decision ever. We said good-bye to Amsterdam and began our drive back to Frankfurt via Belgium. Two new countries visited to add to our list.
THE HAGUE TEMPLE
They served a breakfast buffet that I think everyone in the city came to. We found out that in Belgium in that area the stores are all closed on Wednesdays. It was a full Belgian breakfast buffet filled with meats, cheese, fruit and a full table of just breads. They had the best homemade natural yogurt with many kinds of fruit. Great start to our day.
FLANDERS FIELD AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns belos.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt daw, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
Lt. Colonel John McCrae, M.D. 1872-1918
Millions had already perished when the United States entered WWI in 1917. With opposing armies deadlocked along the battle-scarred western front, new American arrivals helped reinforce and reinvigorate Allied forces in Flanders. Four American divisions joined British imperial, French and Belgian troops during the Ypres-Lys Offensive from August through November 1918. The attacks dealt a crushing blow to Germany and helped fore the collapse of the central Powers and end the war. The Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 which ended the war.
The wives and mothers of the fallen USA soldiers lobbied with the US Government to help them go to Flanders Field and see the memorial to their husbands and sons. They established the red poppy as a remembrance. Every year since 1940 the Belgium community in Flanders celebrates Memorial Day with a special ceremony and singing of The Star Spangled Banner. Local families have adopted each grave and put flowers on the graves a few times a year and keep the memory alive for each generation in gratitude for saving their country.
When the November 11, 1918, Armistice ended combat operations in World War I, about 2,400 temporary burial sites held more than 77,000 American war dead. In accordance with the wishes of their next of kin, the government buried nearly 31,000 Americans overseas alongside their fallen comrades. They were laid to rest in eight memorial cemeteries maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
The grounds hold the remains of 368 individuals, most of whom died during the Ypres-Lys Offensive in 1918.
The Walls of the Missing commemorate 43 missing and unidentified service members.
Inside the memorial is a small chapel. It is beautiful - especially the detail in the ceiling.
I have always been touched visiting National Cemeteries and this experience was no exception. It is sacred ground and invoked many emotions. I am so grateful we made the decision to extend a day and visit some special places in Belgium. After seeing so much destruction from WWII and all of the atrocity that happened to the Jews, it was so special to visit this memorial for those who fought and paid the price for the freedoms of people in Belgium and the Netherlands.
 |
| Ceiling of Memorial |
As we continued to make our way to Frankfurt Germany we made one last stop -
WATERLOO 1815
 |
| LION'S MOUND MEMORIAL |
We walked the 225 steps to the top of Lions Mound. My legs are still sore from all of the climbing.
This historic site covers more than 20 hectares. It retraces the history of the battle of June 18, 1815.
Announcement of the victory after the battle of Leipzig on 18 October 1813.
1817, Johann Peter Kraff
Wellington Museum - in the heart of Waterloo is a 1705 building chosen by the Duke of Wellington to establish his headquarters on June 17, 1815 before facing Napoleon.
Wellington on horse.
Russ has studied this battle and enjoyed this so much. He took it all in and we were both glad that we planned this stop.
 |
| Napoleon |
Napoleon's last Headquarters - 17 June 1815. It's almost dark, it's raining, Napoleon's troops are exhausted. The Emperor ordered them to stop and his aides de camp spotted an unoccupied residence. It was The Cailou Farm. It will be Napoleon's Last Headquarters.
I love asparagus season in Germany and it was just beginning. Schnitzel with white asparagus and boiled potatoes - the best! I was content. It was time to go home.
We had a wonderful flight home in Premium Business Class. Arrived home in Lindon about 10:30 pm.
 |
| Pork medallion with croquettes |
 |
| Good-bye Frankfurt |
We had a wonderful flight home in Premium Business Class. Arrived home in Lindon about 10:30 pm.
We packed all we could into 6 days and got a little taste of the Netherlands and Belgium.
I am so grateful for this opportunity and all that has happened in April. It is harder to travel as we get older - we just have to realize it takes longer and we cannot see as much in a day, but we made it happen.
Much Love,
The Grimmett's
