Random pics and memories

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.  And of course Ken.  (I was in the restroom)

 I don't know the elder on the left, but the one on the right has basically been our trainer--Elder Ellsworth.  He is our Zone Leader and he is a really good missionary.  He works so hard.  I think I have a special affinity to him because he is also diabetic.  Watching him check his blood sugars reminds me of someone else I love so very much.  I've grown to love him and his companion Elder Edstrom.

And there is Elder Ellsworth again and Elder Edstrom (on the right).

Left to right: Sister and President Beck, Elder and Sister Haynie, Sister and Elder Coleman (first counselor to president Beck)

On the left is Sister Smith and her companion Sister Hendricks.  They serve in Burlington and share and vehicle with the Elders there.  So we see them a lot.  Next to sister Smith is Sister Nieprashk.  She is an AMAZING sister who used to be in Burlington with Sister Smith.  She has a BEAUTIFUL singing voice.

I don't know the elder on the far left.  But next to him is Elder Nuttall.  He is our District leader and does an amazing job.  We love him and Elder Stuart.  Elder Stuart is fairly new--Elder Nuttall is his trainer. They are great missionaries.  Elder Nutall is going home the end of this month.  The sisters standing are Sister Harrison and Sister Monson.  They are also in our district.

Ken and I have gained a deep appreciation for the living condition of our own children while on missions by doin apartment inspections.  Oh my.  This is the apartment of Elders Burger and Smith in Lyndonville.  The outside may look friendlier than the inside.  Behind that door is a narrow and rickety staircase going up to their humble abode.  But they never complain.  Ya gotta love the dedication of these young men and women.

The first time we saw this state capital in Montpelier the sun was full out and it about blinded us.  It is gilded in gold. $1.6 million worth of the stuff.  It's really beautiful.  I guess it because sort of a trend out here in New England.

We stopped at the Cabot Cheese factory on our way home from inspecting apartments.  Yum!

Below her are a few of my feeble attempts to capture the beauty of this place with a cell phone from a moving vehicle.  Lame I know.  I've asked Judith to send me my nice camera, which I had planned to bring but forgot.

The road to Cabot.  If we could ever be out on a truly sunny day these pics would be spectacular.

This is the cutest little park and bridge.  It's sole purpose in life was to connect the Martin farm with the rest of the world.  Here in Vermont there are so many bridges because the Winooski River snakes through the whole state until it empties into Lake Champlain.  It's beautiful but I'm amazed at all the places in the state that we cross the Winooski.  And, No, it's not the only river.

This is such a beautiful phenomenon that is so common here.  The clouds hang in the trees like smoke from a forest fire.  Sometimes driving through the back roads we suddenly find ourselves in one of these low hanging clouds.  It's really beautiful.

No. Not a fire.  Beautiful, huh?

On Saturday night I drove home late from our Branch president's home in Hinesburg (Thank goodness for GPS!!!) Where we met for the women's conference meeting.  It was dark and somewhat overcast with a beautiful moon that kept peeking through.  I travel for about 24 miles on small backroads without lights and houses sparsely dotting the path.  It was both eerie and beautiful.  But without GPS it was the makings of a true Halloween haunted movie.  I wasn't at all nervous but it did strike me as so different from Utah where we travel everywhere on an interstate or highway and usually on straight roads.  Here the roads are all winding and forest lined with occasional homes lit up at night.  I hardly even saw another car on the whole trip home.  It's just such a different an beautiful place that it's hard for a Utah born and raised gal to describe it adequately.