'Tis the Season...for Sneezin

The hay fever is really kicking up this year and I'm not sure why. Olivia has the same problem. We had to decline an invitation to dinner because I am so under the weather with it. No secondary infections this time, so that 's a good thing, but it is still debilitating. Olivia talked to Elsa about it because she is suffering from it, as well. She tells us the birch tree spores are especially bad, so that is probably what is causing it.

Despite that, the leaves are beginning to show themselves, the early Spring flowers are all in bloom and we finally got some good, close-up pictures of the cherry blossoms that are so prevalent around this area and in Uppsala.

Tulips, daffodils, and other Spring flowers grace the median
of this road in Stockholm

Forsythia are everywhere. Olivia was disappointed that this bush
was against a yellow wall, so it doesn't stand out as it did in real life.

These little guys are apparently the culprits
that are giving us the headaches and runny noses

Some of the cherry trees we saw on our travels in the city.

Three more of our children are planning to come for visits, so we have tried to plan our cleaning and moving apartments in the times when they are not here. That meant much of our week was spent in moving furniture out and cleaning the apartment in Täby. The apartment was fairly clean, but we still have to scrub every square centimeter, so it is quite time consuming.

Olivia's typical pose, if she is not on
her knees, that is.

There is always a surprise waiting
when you pull out the stove to clean
behind and underneath. This is the
first time we have seen that many raisins
under one, though!

This wall was impossible to clean, so
I painted it.

Scrubbing the stove top.

These windows enclose the balcony.
You can see how difficult it was to
wash the outside, but Olivia insisted,
so we found a way.

Friday, we left early in order to attend a baptism in Uppsala. Dolgorsuren Nergui (everyone calls her Dola) is a friend of our Mongolian family in the ward. She had been associated with them when both families had left Mongolia for Czech Republic where Bayarnemekh's (Baya, for short) mother introduced her to the Church. They got reacquainted when both families moved to Uppsala. Dola has been meeting with the missionaries for the last several weeks and determined to be baptized. She was confirmed today. Her husband and son attended the baptism, though neither is a member. Her son also came to the confirmation today. Baya performed both ordinances.

Dola with Baya's children

Sisters Beck and Jones taught her.

Her son joined the picture, here.

Her husband joined us for this picture as did Elders Grover and Dawson

Baya performed the baptism and the confirmation.

Baya's wife Oyuntuya, joined the group for a sort of Family photo

With most of the members of the ward who attended: Judy Hammar,
Dola's husband, Rasmus Hammar, Baya, Odd Uhrbom, Torsten Hernon,
Oyuntuya, me, Dola, Peter Stegeby, Julia Stegeby, Sister Beck, Sister Jones,
Ulf Hammar, Elder Dawson, Elder Grover, Olivia

 Sister Beck spoke at the baptism as did Oyuntuya. The latter spoke in Mongolian, but she had written it also in English. About five minutes before the service was to start, she asked Sister Jones to read it as if she was interpreting from Mongolian. The service, however, was in Swedish, so this amazing sister missionary who has been in country less than six weeks interpreted from English to Swedish while trying to keep up with the speaker. Words fail to express the admiration we have for this valiant young missionary.

We were able to complete cleaning the Täby apartment on Saturday in time to join the Hales for a movie. We went to the Mall of Scandinavia, a very large complex in Stockholm, to see The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. We were not disappointed. We had both read the book and loved it, so we were anxious to see how true to the book the movie would be. For me, it has been so long since reading the novel that I couldn't be certain. Olivia remembered more of it because the book group she belonged to had discussed it. She said it was quite close. The lead was played by Lily James, who has been in several productions we have enjoyed, including Cinderella, and most recently, The Darkest Hour. We recommend the movie highly. Apparently, the book is not so well known, here, as we were the only patrons in the entire theater.

Visiting the Society, Juliet tastes the famous potato peel pie

Today, despite not feeling well, we both went to church. Our testimony meetings in Uppsala are always very uplifting. There is seldom a break from one testimony to the next until the meeting has to be closed. Today, Olivia bore her testimony IN SWEDISH. Now the pressure is on, I suppose. She got lots of pats on the back and enthusiastic expressions of gratitude for doing it. Not only was I surprised that she did it, but button-popping proud. Now I have to get a t shirt that says "Jag är Olivias man!" 

A short one this week. Next week will be a challenge because our daughter Hannah and her family will be here to visit. We will be out of town on Sunday, so it may be delayed. In the meantime, enjoy your week.