The Battle of San Pasqual

The Battle of San Pasqual of 1846 was before the Battalion reached San Diego.  It was raining at the time.  General Kearny was on his way to California to secure the territory.  After a grueling 850 mile march across the Sonora desert, Kearny and his mostly mule-mounted men finally reached California in a greatly weakened condition.  Kearny wanted to capture the Californians horses so he was going to attack them in the valley of San Pasqual.  The Californians, however, had fresh horses and long lances. Kearny and his forces were not only tired but the powder for their muskets was wet because of the rain.  The Californians won the battle and Kearny didn't get the horses he wanted.  It is reenacted each year in California.     
      The Elders took part in the battle and had a booth about the Mormon Battalion.  We sisters made salsa and served it with chips to those who came to observe the reenactment.  Richard was so excited to finally get to load and fire the musket!

David, Becki and family in San Diego for Christmas

David, Becki, Marley, Emma, Cooper, Owen and Quinley came to California for Christmas.  We had a great time together.  We took the 2000 mile march with the Mormon Battalion and panned for gold.  We went to Sea World and the beach.  We explored tide pools and toured the Midway.  We had Christmas together, went to church and had a Christmas turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  We also got to talk to all the rest of the families on Christmas.  It was a great day!  (We also were at the Battalion greeting guests who chose to spend Christmas in San Diego).

Christmas Activities

    We had the 12 days of Christmas Music at the Battalion.  Each night there was some form of musical entertainment that the public was invited to attend.  Every performance was full to overfull of people from the community that were excited to have these special reminders of celebrating the birth of our Savior.

    There was a live nativity with lights, a backdrop, a live lamb and donkey, palm trees and all the people.  There were three wise men, Joseph, Mary, shepherds, angels and the baby Jesus.  One of the wards in the Sand Diego Stake did the nativity and they changed casts every half hour.  That means they had six different casts of people who were in the nativity.  They had enough costumes for three different casts.  They also brought cookies and gave Christmas notes to the guests who came.

    There was a brass quartet, a Spanish Choir, a harpist, as well as a Hawaiian Christmas with dancers.

    One family came to see the nativity and then came into the Battalion to see what it was about.  There were two girls who were about ten years old and a boy who was about twelve.  Then, there was the mom, dad and a friend.  We had just started a tour so the next tour wouldn't start for 10 more minutes.  I told them about the tour and how much they would enjoy it.  The kids were excited to take it.  The adults, however, were NOT!  They tried to convince the kids not to take the tour.  I wold them we had some singers they couyld listen to while they waited.  One of the mothers and the three children went in, sat down and began to listen.  About five minutes later one of the mothers came and got the kids out of the performance. (They were sitting at the back).  She told them they were going to take pictures out by the wagon.  The boy resisted.

   "I want to take the tour." he insisted.  Then he turned to me and asked if they could take the tour without their parents.  I said I thought that would be fine.

   His mom said, "You have your cell phone, so you can call me when you are done."

   She left to tell their dad - and the kids followed her onto the porch where the dad was waiting.
    The three kids came back ready to go on the tour.  The mom was visibly reluctant to let them go without an adult with them.  Some other people came in and were ready so Sister Smith started the tour

   The parents watched from the doorway during the introduction.  The dad came in part way through and watched the end of it.  They they ALL went into the enlistment room because the mom didn't want them to go without an adult.

   I wondered how Sister Smith would do with these three reluctant, hesitant, parents.  I walked around to the gold panning area when they came out.  They were all panning for gold and visiting with Sister Smith.  They stayed in gold panning for quite some time.   I asked Sister Smith how it went when she came back inside.  She said in the courthouse she asked if anyone would like a card to know more about the faith that helped these men accomplish all that they did and the dad's hand shot up.  He wanted a Book of Mormon and to know more as well.  Our Father-in-Heaven leads people to the Battalion who are searching for more in their lives - and sometimes they have to be almost pulled into the place where they can find it.  Thank Heavens for children.
 

Christmas at the Battalion

    Christmas in San Diego at the Mormon Battalion was a great experience.  We had sunny skies, beautiful pointsettias that were outside, and warm weather.  We started the month by giving the sister missionaries socks for their apartments.  Sister Woodbury thought of it and we all helped.  They were excited to have this little bit of home here on their missions.  We gave the sister missionaries books that were about their mission.  We compiled their experiences of why they came on a mission, their favorite scripture, and when they had seen hearts touched at the battalion.  We hope it will be something they will treasure about their mission, something they can look back on, read and reread that will always remind them of the spiritual strength they gained as missionaries.
   
    We sent Christmas Cards of us in front of "Levi" the statue of a member of the Mormon Battalion that stands at the entrance to the Battalion

    All of the senior couples had some family here for Christmas.  Family at Christmas made it much more meaningful.