It is hard to believe it is my second Mother's Day in Sweden! Actually, Sweden's Mother's Day is celebrated in two weeks, but we American's hold to our tradition, especially because today is one of two days a year missionaries can call home!
Spring is blooming in all her glory right now! Blossoming trees brighten the landscapes, while tulips and daffodils explode in flower beds, and woodland wildflowers carpet the forests. It is beautiful! With temperatures all week in the 70s people are pouring into the parks, sitting on balconies, and catching the sun's rays any place they can!
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| Many people ride their bikes to a park to sunbathe. |
Our expected missionaries did not arrive this week; they are visa-waiting in the United States, so we won't see them until the next transfer. (Hopefully, they will have their visas by then.) However, our planned 6 missionaries did returned home, so we had our usual temple trip, dinner at the mission home and final trip to the airport.
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| Random picture...the car we drive :) John had just washed it, so I took the picture. |
Our outing this week took us to Haga Park. This was another summer home and park for royalty centuries ago. Today, the small palace is still used by the royal family and is fenced off for privacy, but the other buildings and gardens are open to the public. There is also a butterfly house and aquarium there, but it paled in comparison to any I've experienced in the US. However, we thoroughly enjoyed being outside and walking through the park on one of the most beautiful and warmest days I've experienced in Sweden, with the temperature reaching 75 degrees!
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| Cocoons were glued to sticks in a frame in the butterfly house. There weren't very many butterflies and lots of unopened cocoons, so I guess we were there "off season." |
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| Aren't these moths? Anyway, there were "feeding stations" of fruit or flowers located throughout the butterfly house. |
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| The Copper Tents at Haga Park. This facade, built of copper and attached to a building, which was constructed in 1787 to lodge palace guards and stable the horses. |
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| Echo Templet--the Temple of the Echo--named for its acoustics. Originally, it was built as a dining hall for royalty. |
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View from inside Echo Templet. Wouldn't you love too have dinner here with this view? I would!
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Next we went to the Hornstull Market. Located along the bank of the bay, this is a flea market with food trucks. It was smaller than we anticipated.
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| Hornstull Market entrance. |
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| We ate our lunch here along the bank, by the boat dock. Sunbathers were behind us, dipping their feet into the water. |
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| On our way to and from the market, we passed this graffiti activity. We don't really know what was going on, but after a panel was finished, it would be painted over by a different artist. |
We wrapped up the week with calls with all our kids and Mother's Day wishes. We hope all of you have had a moment to either let your mom know of your love, or remember her who gave so much for you. Motherhood is the most demanding, challenging and yet rewarding job in the world. We all make mistakes in our motherly efforts, but we also give our children our best effort. As I watch my own daughters and daughters-in-law mother their children, I am awed by them and their patient, devotion, dedication and love. I love you, Melanie, Kim, April and Corinne! I am one of the most blessed mothers in the world! Thank you!
And for everyone, here is a lovely message and reminder of motherhood. Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day!
