Last two weeks

I'm not sure I can remember being so busy.

I know that a weird title, but I really don't think I do remember a busier time, and that is saying a lot considering I am also including canning season!

It is all good. I can't believe how much we are blessed and guided in what we are doing and who we are seeing. Sometimes our schedule changes and then immediately it is filled again.

I am beginning to understand why people come back east in the fall to see the colors. It is amazing. It has been so neat to watch them this past month, and everyone just keeps saying, "Oh, this is just beginning!"

Elder Day from Tremonton. I took this picture and sent it off to his mother. They live in Stacey's parents ward. I remember waiting for that first picture from the mission field. His trainer was in our district and I know him. He is in good hands.

Love going to transfers because we get to see the Elders we have served with.

This is Elder Pearce and Elder James. We loved them both!

A picture just doesn't begin to capture what it really looks like.

At the top of an old certificate of Mary Aull's grandmother's school for girls.

Making royal blue and yellow braclets for the wedding reception.

This is Emily and Charleen Dixson.

Sister Gibson had her annual summer picnic for her family and our branch.

She is a wonderful woman. She has 100 acres of land, a beautiful amazing house that was in shambles when they purchased the property, and she is always learning & serving.

Such beautiful plants

More fall colors

 

Brother Kruppenbacher told us today it is most likely poison ivy. It grows up the trees and it is one of the first to change colors. It is really beautiful

Our first almost official Young Woman's activity. We tied a fleece quilt for the Jasmine Albers.

This is one reason the leaves are so beautiful. There are so many varieties of trees and they all change different colors. It is so beautiful.

I love you all. I was very happy with how beautiful the green leaves were. 

Their is a beauty in every season. As is there also in life.

I love you all, and I'm excited to see everyone.

Week of September 9, 2014

Another busy week!

There was a ship at the dock in Coxsackie. It was in for an evening and a day, so we went

to see it. It was cool, but I wish we could have gone on board and it would have been neat to see the sails up, but it was still good.

We had a district meeting and took pictures since it was transfers.

This is Kim Percell (Dr. Percell daughter) with her husband who is going to school and 

their new little baby son. She is in between David and Joe age wise. We saw her at the Family History Fair in Albany on Saturday.

 Leaves are changing and the pictures do not do it justice.

Hard to see, but there is a wild turkey just right of the sign. This is our neighbor's house.

We had so much fun with the 2 nonmember ladies who come and do Family History with us at the church house on Thursday nights. They also went to the FH Fair in Albany on Saturday.

The one lady was showing us her assignments in a class she is taking from a University in Boston so she can become an accredited genealogist. It was all on using familysearch.org.

The church is one of the biggest keepers of genealogy for the world.

Love you all, read Dad's letter for the news.

Week of September 2, 2014

Too short of a blog, but only 4 pictures

I put all of Joe's family in last week's blog even though some were from Monday. I don't think I put this one in and it is so cute of Zach and Ben

Brother Kruppenbacher needed a picture of him to send to a friend, so we took this one of all three of us, so here we are:

This is Mary Aull. She is the one who grows and dries her own herbs, and I am learning a lot from her. We go up to Wyndham and help her do Family History. She made this lamp.

She has huge photos of her husband's family hanging in one of her rooms. They are such an heirloom. Sorry, I don't have anything like that for you.

Dad was sick last week for a couple of days, so we lost some missionary time, although i was still able to go on my own to the single sister and her daughters that live in Coxsackie.

This morning while helping Henny do Family History, she told one of the Elders this:

“You are perfectly fine just the way you are.

And if someone tells you otherwise, listen to them and make the changes if they are correct. And then,

You are perfectly fine just the way you are.” Henny

I liked it because I've been a bit discouraged/overwhelmed at what I want to finish before we come home. I have a tendency to think it is my fault or weaknesses that slows the work. This seemed to bring me comfort. 

We all need to try our best and not beat ourselves up. Then when someone tells us what we could be doing to do better, listen and make the change if they are right. 

It takes a real honest person to do that.

Week of August 25th 2014

Achievement Days - Visiting a Vet and then off to a farm

The highlight are the horses. Our primary president's friend, Sally from England, helped the girls to ride her horses. They had a wonderful time.

We just continue to take pictures of flowers and bushes. They are everywhere.

A birthday party we took the girls to. Dad was amazing in even finding the place. He has an internal GPS. I hope you have all inherited it from him.

District meeting - President Wirthlin carries his clippers with him. The Elders got a real kick out of it. Our Elder Neus messed up giving Elder Buck a haircut, but Pres. Wirthlin fixed it up.

Joe and Tesha came on Friday afternoon. So did the ice cream truck! Something I could never do with you children, so that is why it's so fun to be a Grandma.

We went for a hike (walk) in Athens and it went around a pretty pond. It was very pretty.

Tesha and Leah, who has grown so much in the past month. She actually like me this time!

Breakfast with Zach and Ben. We had blueberry muffins and eggs. Joe brought a lot of blueberries from a sister in their ward who has lots of bushes. They were very good.

Down by the Hudson River in Coxsackie

At the playground by the River

Trying to make the Roses from pages of a book. We can't get them to look like the ones Emily sent us. But Tesha got them to look better than I could. Emily, if you have any tips, let us know.

Joe took this picture with our landlords across the street, Dick and Bobsie Roberg.
We have come to love them so much, and we love sitting on their porch every chance we get.
They have asked a lot of questions about Mormons, and she is reading the Book of Mormon, although we really haven't had an 'official' lesson.

Leah on Zach's shourlders with Dad's help.

Monday we went back to Athens. Here they are on an anchor

We went on the same hike, except we turned and went to the Hudson River instead of the pond. It was a longer hike, but well worth it.

Boys never grow up when it comes to skipping rocks. Joe was very impressive. Several skipped 7 or 8 times. He said the rocks were perfect. You can see the water lilies in the River.

Joe's beautiful girls

Sorry, it wouldn't rotate the picture, but it is so cute of the two boys

I love you all. I love my study time in the mornings. More and more I am coming to such a strong testimony of the simple gospel of Jesus Christ and how much Satan has tried in so many ways to keep us from this simple truth: Jesus is the Christ and is our Savior and Redeemer. Through His atonement He offers us the way back to Heavenly Father, life after death, and joy, peace & direction in this life. He has restored this gospel in these last days in preparation of His coming again. He is hastening this work, and it will go forward. Satan knows this and the battle is real. It is real for each one of us.
I love you all