Hi, I guess I best take some time to catch you up on what we have been doing lately. Haven't written anything for a long time. We seem to keep really busy. We went through the Metro Parks two weekends ago, to Put-in Bay with Jack and Nancy Zoulek, did a missionary apartment move and this past weekend on our anniversary we went on a train trip down the Cuyahoga Valley on the train, and went to Hale Farm and watched a reenactment of the Civil War. Was a damp but fun day. We went with the Hartmans, Haights, Delastatious, Sister Moore and Gibbs.Was fun to see people in period costumes, encampments, artisans of the period, eat food of that time, and see Abraham Lincoln and General Lee. What a sad but I guess necessary part of our history in order to bring about freedoms that are enjoyed now. But so many lives were lost because of it. Dad and I went to P F Changs for dinner that night.

Our main computer has crashed and we are trying to get it up and running. So I am typing on our laptop and it seems to be slow. We lost the access to the use of our Internet air card. Took two days and about 5 hours on the phone with an Internet "support tech" to get it back up and running.It has been pretty inconvenient especially to send off our weekly reports to Salt Lake City and commute with any of you. Hopefully we can get going I can't get into any of my pictures, recipes, our report forms. I'm not fond of this technology stuff but it seems to be a necessary part of our lives.

This week is a busy one. We are working 10 hour days at the archives so we can get in enough imaging so we can go to Zone Conference this Thursday. It will be even more special than usual as Elder Packer (President Packers son) of the Seventy and his wife will be here for three days and on Friday night we Senior missionaries will meet with them in the auditorium at the visitors center in Kirtland. We have to take a car load to the one Zone Conference in Perrysburg.They are only having two instead of the usual five.

We have two sister missionaries staying with us this week as the members home they usually stay in they can't as the wife is gone for a week. They really only sleep here and then do everything else there after the husband goes to work.

We had a BBQ at the archives today. Was a beautiful day. I sure miss not being able to grill every day or at least once and a while. It really has been a mild summer here. The "natives" are complaining how dry it is and how cool it is.We have really only had one week that was hot and humid and that wasn't to bad as long as you were in where it was air conditioned.

We are waiting for everyone to get here after their church meetings for dinner. I was hungry for ham and scalloped potatoes and that's to hard just for two of us and any way company is fun to have. So I will work on this a little more. What an awesome Zone Conference we had with Elder Packer and his wife. They and President and Sister Sorenson had lots of council for us. One thing that struck me was when Elder Packer said we pray for the work to spread to all the corners of the earth and for the missionaries to find those who are ready to be taught, he said maybe we have received that answer in the form of what is happening in the world today with all the calamities, unemployment, illnesses,etc. It takes people to become humble to be receptive and to listen to the spirit and to become closer to our Heavenly Father. President Sorenson talked on how important it is to keep those who have been taught and baptised active. I think all of us could do better in this area. Some of the quotes I wrote down were 'Heavenly Father doesn't just see us here and now, but into the future", "It's easier to keep Satan out than it is to get rid of him", "The 4 C's" No Comparing, Complaining,Criticizing,Condeming" ( President Sorenson is a real stickler on these).

We are so looking forward to General Conference in October and to be able to listen to the Prophet and the other General Authorities. This is one of my favorite times of the year.

Yesterday we went on a ride with Sisters Moore and Gibbs. We went to see Marblehead Lighthouse and had a picnic. Then we stopped in Vermillion at an old fashioned ice cream parlor and had sundaes. It was a nice afternoon.

Saturday, September 5,2009 Well maybe I will finish this today. Ha! We went on a move yesterday with the Hartmens. They closed down an area in the mission so we moved two sisters to a members home, then had to go to Kirtland to take two beds up to a couple of sisters, then bring all the excess back to either storage or the church dumpster. Takes most of the day to do this. We were tired when we got home, Then went to Costco and Sam's club to get stuff for the Zone Out the next two Monday's. We will leave after church tomorrow and go to Bowling Green Ohio and stay overnight as we have to pick up the missionaries at 6:15 am in order to get to Hiriam and the John Johnson farm by 9:00 am have a fireside, activities and Lunch then head back at 3pm and bring them back and get back home around 10 pm that night. Then the next Monday do the same. Should be fun for the missionaries.

We are going to the hospital this afternoon to visit a sister that I go Visiting Teaching to that just had cancer surgery. Then this afternoon we will just do household things like laundry cleaning, etc. Then maybe go out for ice cream and go see the sunset out over lake Erie. We haven.t done that yet. Weather has been just perfect this past week.75 was the high and down to 35 at night one day. Usually in 50's at night, though.

Glad the kids are all liking school and doing good. Sure anxious to see Brett, Andrea, Greg and Jaron in just a little over a month. We will be home in just 4 1/2 months. Have mixed feelings. Miss everyone but love our mission and the friends we have made here. Will finish this and try to write sooner so it's not such a long one We love you all Mom and Dad