Cher Famille et amis,
After a long winter, it's finally starting to feel like we live in Southern France. The temperatures have been mild, the sky has been mostly sunny, and the days are getting longer each day. As a result, we are all eager to start spending more time in our jardin (garden/yard) and exploring our region.
The kids have had a break from school the past couple of weeks. Julie has tried to keep their minds active by working on French a little each day. Nevertheless, they have had plenty of time to build creations with their toys all around the house and play with their friends.
In order to save vacation days for when Joe and Julie's parents come to visit, we decided to stay close to home during the break. However, last Sunday we did travel a couple of hours away to Nice to attend Stake Conference. The Stake Center is located on top of a hill in a very beautiful part of the city. The conference was well-attended, with Members coming from a dozen or so wards and branches. Joe and Julie's favorite part of the conference was listening to talks given in Italian and translated into French while the kids enjoyed seeing their favorite missionary, Elder Johnson, who had been been transferred from Manosque a month ago.
After church today, we took a short Sunday walk on the Mont d'Or. The hill is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Manosque and was incorporated in many of the writings is Jean Gionno, a famous poet and writer.
The hill provided us with a fresh perspective of Manosque and the surround Durance valley. It is also covered by olive trees, which are still cultivated many centuries after they were first planted here.
At the top of the hill is the sole remaining wall of a castle that was built in the twelfth century by the Count of Forqualqier. The wall is lit at night and is visible from our home in Pierrevert.
We look forward to spring and visits from our family.
Bonne Semain,
Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel
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