Looks Like We Made It!

We really couldn't ask for a more beautiful fall!  I'm still trying to take pictures from a moving car but they aren't turning out too good.  I just can't get over how beautiful everything is.  Even the leaves on the ground are pretty and when the breeze is blowing is just all so, so, fall!  Ken played golf again yesterday.  And tomorrow (Halloween) is supposed to be 67 degrees--in spite of rain.  When I hear about 11 degree temps in Utah I wonder why I was worried about Vermont😁.   This seriously is the colors.  It was slightly cloudy but the sun peaked under the clouds from the west illuminating the fall colors in that warm sunlight.  It was magnificent.  (blurry but magnificent) We have stayed really busy this past week.  We had another baptism on Saturday (and I forgot to take pictures) and I took chicken tortilla soup and pumpkin muffins.   The branch is starting to get organized.  We now have a secon...

  AND they were all wonderful!!  The meetings, that is.  It has been a really special weekend here in New England.  We have been blessed to have been a part of a wonderful regional conference.  It started on Friday for us.  The Young Adult branch was one of 4 wards that was invited to the Joseph Smith Birthplace memorial for a special meeting with President M Russell Ballard (acting president of the quorum of the twelve apostles) and Elder D Todd Christofferson (an apostle) along with the North America Northeast Area President Elder Randall K Bennett of the Seventy.  It was a small gathering in the chapel and we had GREAT seats.  In fact, we were lucky enough to be able to shake hands and speak with both of them and their wives as they were leaving the building.  Elder Christofferson commented on how rare and unusual it is to have two apostles at one time for a regional meeting, because they usually go with a companion from the Seventy....

Life is getting really busy here in Vermont!  It's exciting to be part of the YSA Branch.  It's reminding me of the time we spent at BYU with the young married student stake.  I forget how much I love and learn from the amazing young adults in this church.  And you are going to see lot's of leaf photos cause I can't seem to quit taking pictures from the car.   This is the picture from my kitchen window.    The Institute crowd is getting smaller with all the kids going to school.  There are three different institute classes taught in the stake because the travel distance is so far.  After the lesson and the dinner the kids like to hang out and play games.  They needed an extra player so Ken joined the games.  They were playing Codenames.  It was a lot of fun Ken and Lucy. A nna and Ashley.  Ashley is a master knitter.  I need to take a picture of the sweater she is knitting right now.  ...

I know Ken just posted but I have a few pictures and things that I want to add.  Some pictures are from Zone conference and while they will be boring to readers, they are things I want to preserve for myself so bear with me.  The couple right in the center are the Matkins.  We have grown to love them.  They work in Manchester in the office.  I think they do a lot of what Chris and Carol do in Arkansas.  When they started the process of filling out mission papers and getting physicals,etc. it was discovered that Elder Matkin had thyroid cancer.  He had to have surgery and because of the size and location of the cancer his voice is very quiet now.  We help them by doing apartment inspections and helping to find apartments for the Elders and Sisters. The two sisters in the middle of the four sisters are the STLs: Sister Foote and Sister Warburton.  The Elders standing are Elder Smith (and yes his name is Joseph) and Elder Burger.  ...