MY 3 WEEKS IN ST. GEORGE...(Part 1)

"What shall we do? Oh, I don't know, what do you want to do?
I don't know... hey, I know, lets go to St. George! Come on, get up!
We have lots of work and play to do there...OK, we're out of here!"

So we did, we went from a world of COLD to a world of WARM
in 3 hours we were there and ready to stay for a good 3 weeks!

This is the carousel in the park that is just 2 blocks from our new home.

Come on, I'll take you for a little walk around this cute place.
I love the cute gazebo there and all the walkways. There are
the most wonderful places to walk all over town and around
town so many trails too.

This darling statue sits in front of the local library, just 2 blocks
from our house. I just love this because I have a grandma heart
and I love to read to my little grand children too. Statues like this
are all over the historic district of the city where our house is.

This is a cute old place to stop by for a delicious sandwich and
some yummy ice cream on a hot day, it is in this same area too
and it has been there since1879. I loved the shopping around
town too and that if I had spare time, I could go see a movie
for $2.50...so much to do here!

This is the old St. George tabernacle, built by Mormon pioneers.
It was built about 1860 and is still used every week for concerts
and lectures and music...it is so beautiful inside! It has two hand
carved spiral staircases on each side of it too!

This sits right by the old tabernacle...it is a water park that
is filled with children and people all day everyday, especially in
the hot summer time. I love spending time here with our grands.

This sits in the same block, it used to be a school but is now an
Arts Center, it's just beautiful inside too, these good pioneers
really knew how to build in 1898.

The grounds and homes that surround this block are just so
clean and lovely, lots of picket fences!

Our little home dwells in the shadow of the St. George Temple,
also built by Mormon pioneers in 1871 and at a time when
they didn't even have a home of their own yet. I see this sacred
temple from everywhere I drive or walk or sitting on my front porch,
what a beautiful feeling it gives me at any time of the day or night!

As I walk by this morning, I glance up to see this...
a huge statue of Jesus Christ... that makes my day!
It sits inside the Mormon visitors center by the temple.

The tower of the temple shooting up above the flowers.

I have to slow down and just walk around the temple grounds...
taking in the powerful spirit of PEACE here. The pioneers built
this temple after the design of the Nauvoo temple they had to leave
behind in Illinois. The prophet Brigham Young told them where to
build it and how, when they started, they found it was on swampy
ground, so they hauled black volcanic rock from the nearby hills
and pounded it down into the swampy area til it was stone solid
and built this temple on it. Even today, areas around the temple
get a bit of flooding at times but none on the temple grounds.

I still can't get used to palm trees in Utah, but they
are everywhere here and in every size!

I love it from any angle...just awesome!

There are so many cute homes all around ours, I just love
going for my walks and discovering something cute!

Love this darling one...

and it even has a real cat by the front door!

People buy these up like crazy and fix them up cute.

This is about a block from us, see the clock, it plays
the most beautiful music! I just have to stop and listen
and look at that stream of water and they have about
6 of these cute hot pink chairs and tables.

This old house is a book store and is about one
block from us.

I love their sign out front!

In front of this cute house, (about 2 blocks from us) is this
cute place and in front of it is a black iron gate. They have
invited anyone to come and leave a "locket of love" on the
gate, as a commitment to whatever they desire, like a new
start in life, a new marriage etc.

This is an unusual locket of love...

and these too, each has names & dates engraved on the lockets.

Lots of "lockets of love" here! It's fun to read each one.

This beautiful old lady sits right across the street from us.
I love looking at her right out my kitchen window!

And here we are back at our place...

As you can see, we got the picket fence up and painted!

We still have to build 2 gates for it...we just love it! I think
that if it had a picket fence when we first saw it, I would have
paid twice the price!

We sit right in the heart of the Historic district of this lovely
city of St. George, Utah. The feeling here of history and sacrifice
is so strong. I have been reading a book all about St. George, it's
called; "Where Two Streams Meet" by Lyman Hafen. It really
makes me love it here even more and appreciate those who came
here to settle this dry bones place. They struggled for years to get
water and they did it!

OK friends, this post was part one...if you care to stick around,
part 2 and 3 and 4...they are below this one!

I missed you all these last three weeks, it's great to be back!

If you haven't yet, please click on and follow this blog, thanks!

LOVE,
JULIE

MY 3 WEEKS IN ST. GEORGE...(Part 2)

While I was in St. George for 3 weeks working like mad...
We took a break and went up to see our kids in Ceder. This
little darling is our Sophia in her cute Easter dress!

On to our daughters place, the kids had just got a new swing
set and boy were Caleb, Ella and Sophia having fun!

Little Miss Easter bunny Sophia.
******

Just to show you what it looks like around our little home
in St. George, this is off to our left as you go out the front
door. There are so many sweet song birds, it makes me so
happy!

Off that same side...

The covered back patio area, so fun to sit out there
taking in the bird songs and the smell of honeysuckle!

I LOVE the old windows in this house! Built in 1937 and it
has so much of that old character that I love.

Looking out back at the old, old grape vines that have been
around this area since the pioneers...they have grapes on them too!

I worked so hard on these kitchen cabinets...They were oak
so I had to clean them, then put a layer of Primer all over
them, that took a full day. Plus I did the same to all the doors
and door frames.

There are a bunch of cabinets in this kitchen, which I love, but
what a lot of work! A couple of days I worked so hard and so
long that I went into the chills, then cramping! Some Advil and
a hot bath got me fixed up for the next days work though.

You can see here all the ugly oak-ness of it all.

All the walls in the house were stark white! I like white but
not that much of it and not blinding white!

The house was a real mess while I was working but you get
an idea of the layout and how it looked.

We hauled bits and pieces of some of our oldest furniture down
so we had something to use. When our house here sells, we can
then fix it up really nice.

They front foyer and little steep stairs that go up to two
bedrooms or whatever rooms.

I nearly threw these out because I hate the work of doors
like these but I didn't, just primed them too.

I love birds and birdhouses, so I have hung a few around
the house, they make me happy and hopefully the birds too!

I painted these...wild huh?! Oh well, maybe some little wild
birdies will love them! They really stand out and are so cute
by the house.

...Welcome To Our Nest...

This seagull reminds me of the true story of how they came
and gobbled up fields and fields of crickets, saving the pioneers
crops..in answer to their prayers.

This iron angel was just that, iron...so I used up 2 cans of
white spray paint making her...so beautiful. She sits right
in the middle of yellow honeysuckle.

If you are sticking around, part 3 and 4 of my three weeks
in St. George, they are next! (Click on older posts)

LOVE,
JULIE