Morgantown, West Virginia YSA conference

Well, Friday we were on the road a gain, this time to our Young Single Adult conference in Morgantown, West Virginia. It was a beautiful day and we made good time on the road. These next two pictures are pictures of the area.
Houses on hillsides. If you think Pa is hilly, just go over the border into West Virginia. And are their roads narrow?? Dad prefers to call them alleys, so if that answers your question!

This is part of our group from Meadville, Kaitlin, Kim and Liz in the back row the girl in the front came with them but she is from Fredonia branch in New York (same Jamestown stake)

This is Kevin and Harry, from Meadville, too!!

One of the speakers showed this map. It is of the American continent Book of Mormon locations

This is the speaker, Wayne May and it was a very interesting time listening to his comments The boy on the right is Isaac, one of Erie 1 YSA

Let the activities begin!! Over the three days, I think there were over 120 who came from various places--Columbus, Ohio, West Virginia, Pa, and Kentucky and tennessee. There were at least two who will soon be leaving for missions and a number of them recently returning. It was interesting to hear their testimonies and interesting conversions and missions.

These were the leaders (The DeLauders) from Morgantown They were there last year so it was good working with them again!

This is the mother and father of Julie, on the right above The Hobdays. We stayed with them and found them delightful. We had a little while on Saturday night to visit with them.

There was a "drive In" movie on Saturday night and the kids were divided into groups to make their "vehicles" This is our Meadville group making their van

Then back to classes. This one was on manners and ettiquette.

Here's our group sitting in their van and watching the movie "UP"

Another shot. There were hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, rootbeer floats, and lots of other "drive in" food. They all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Another group in their car!!

Sunday we went down town to the Institute building for breakfast, sacrament meeting and testimony meeting Then made sack lunches for the trip home.

The food was put on the ping pong table on the left and we found seats in the classroom in the background

This is the parking lot entrance to the institute building

Another picture of the town as we made our way back to Erie

This is the Eckerts. They extended their mission, too, so we are all a little nutty when we get out here. They spent their CES mission there in Morgantown. They are from Utah and leave in 6 weeks. We worked with them last year and they are the ones who got Dad into the kitchen preparing the meals again! You know how he likes to do that kind of thing!!

On the left is sister Foster. She and her husband are also CES teaching in another part of West Virginia. They have only been out 4 months. This is their second mission

March zone conference in franklin, Pa

We went to zone conference in Franklin for this transfer. We finished early and were on our way to Meadville, just about 25 miles down the road. We had told the missionaries that we would meet them there so we could inspect their apartment. After we did that we still had time left so we decided we would go get a hamburger at this place that the missionaries all talked about. You can look it up on line if you want. There are some listed in Arizona. It is kind of like Fuddruckers
Our truck in front, just to prove we were there

The menue and our sales receipt

The famous decor

Dad getting a refill of soda

Pretty snazzy, huh?? We thought the food was pretty good and will probably go back again sometime, some where.

Now, this is Elder DeYoung who is going home at the next transfer. He gave his closing testimony at zone conference. Elder DeYoung served here in Erie over 9 months and was here for Christmas in "08 with all the other goofy elders. He is 26 years old and has a"story" to tell like all the other elders who are out here. A very nice young man and a good missionary.

We will miss you Elder DeYoung!!

Senior couple conference

This was what it was like about the first hour of our trip to Pittsburgh on Saturday morning for the Senior Couples conference. I was not sure if all the fog would copy or not, but it was worth a try. When we left Erie it was about 8 degrees And we had to wait in the car for about 10 minutes to get the frost off the windows and the car heated up. Then "on the road again"

You can see it a little better here??

And almost to the mission home. This is the kind of neighborhood it is in. Quite nice, huh?

Here we are!! According to the mailbox.

And finally!! The familiar sight of the Presidents residence!!

more mission pics

Where is a good samaratin when you need one? Well, we wanted to get this group of elders and us in a picture to let everyone see that we took them to Golden Corral for lunch. So did someone offer?? Was anyone there to do it?? NO!!
So Elder Morales set up his camera and he got the group, but I did not, so this is what we did get. See handsome Dad, with his new haircut. And you ask, is he really that gray?? YES

When we went to Jamestown today to inspect apartments, we stopped here at this rest area to get some books for you kids to look at to see if there is anything you want to visit along the way!! That is Lake Chautauqua in the white there, it is frozen over with lots of snow on top of it. It was such a beautiful day and we enjoyed being together and seeing the sights. I did not get a picture of the three deer at the side of the road and many other neat things, but keep in mind I am taking a lot of these while we are moving along the road!

See how much it snowed in the area. Her is an outside chair--who would want to sit there now?

I just marvel at the blue blue sky!! And I have a fixation for silos and barns

This is the rest stop we got pictures at

Again, Lake Chautauqua

Another one . . . . .

Did I mention my fixation for barns and silos??

And I love to look at the water with the Canadian geese on it and the snow. It is another fixation

I wonder if I can pain any of these pictures??

Our latest snowfall

This first picture is taken up at the church, the back parking lot where our ward bishop's office and entry is. I love to look at the snow on the trees
This is the road on the way to the church

This is at the intersection of 38th and Peach, I think. We had to take the long way to church so that we had better travelled roads. You can see at the side of the road just how much snow we have gotten in the past week As you can see, the road here has been salted and we breathe a sigh of relief when the roads have been this clear

As you can see, this road to the church has not been as well travelled, or the township clearing team has not yet gotten to it. But keeping in mind how fast the snow was coming down, the accumulation happened faster than the roads could be cleared in some areas.

I told you before, I love the pine trees covered with snow

You have seen our parking lot before, but I don't think it was this snowy You can see by the cars just how much snow came overnight

Now, I took these next couple, because, on the right, peeking out of the snow is a window. That is where the elders apartment is, so they have no view until this snow melts!!

This is thier entrance and as you can see, the snow is almost up to the handrail at the side of the walkway.

This is the front window before it was cleaned off

This is out the windshield, I wanted to get the pretty snow covered branches of the tree in front of our apartment building.

More of that same tree

Another picture of the windows of the elders apartment, which you can not see except for this little bit on the lower right hand side of the picture