March 30, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Well we made it home. Got here about 5:10. Had some heavy rain in the western part of Wyoming. At times it was hard to see and all we could do was stay within sight of the big truck in front of us.
Well our 23 month adventure is now officially at an end. It has been a wonderful adventure. We loved the opportunity to work with the Saints, new friends and missionaries in the Canada Toronto Mission. We hope can see them in the years to come. They are so dear to our hearts.
We stopped for a short rest at the Bitter Creek rest stop in Wyoming. It is about mile marker 143 or 144. As we were walking around the stop we spotted the antelope pictured below. He was spooked by us and backed off some, but he just couldn't leave the grass he was eating.
Well this is the end of the blog for our mission. Maybe someday we'll do a 2nd edition. We really don't know what's in the future. We do know that spending every day with each other the last 23 months has caused us to appreciate and love each other more than before the mission. That fact alone has made our mission a success.
It's time for bed. For the last time, love to all. Good night brothers and may you accept the gospel!!
Dad/Bob
Mom/Bonnie

Antelope at Bitter Creek Rest Stop

March 29, 2017

 Bob and Bonnie: Left Kansas City about 9:00 this morning heading for Sidney, NE. We had a light rain about half the total drive. It didn't quit till 100 miles or so into Nebraska. When we got to the motel in Sidney the temperature was about 45°. The last time we stayed here on the way home from Canada the temperature was 0°F. It feels much better now.
We got here just after 4:00 local time. After we rested for a while we went to Perkins for supper. Afterwards we went to Cabela's and looked at their exhibits and the fishing gear. Then we walked around Walmart for a while to get a little more exercise.
Well it's time for bed. We hope you had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob
Mom/Bonnie

Wolves at Cabelas

Polar Bear at Cabelas

Moose at Cabelas

Brown Bear at Cabelas

Elk at Cabelas

Bighorn Sheep at Cabelas

March 28, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Wow! Four weeks ago we were in Fort Erie, Ontario thinking about the next 4 weeks of travel, etc. We only have one more night and then we'll be home. It has been loads of fun and happy times visiting family, etc.
Left Shannon and Michelle's this morning. Sad to say good bye, but happy memories were made. There are many more to make down the road.
The drive to Kansas City went well. I'm glad we had my phone to get instructions on which routes to take. It didn't agree with our GPS so we went with the phone directions. Did not have any problems. There was a huge back up on I-70 Eastbound at a bridge that had one lane closed. That line of traffic went on for miles and miles. So glad we weren't stuck in that mess. It took us 9 hours to get to the motel as we made 3 stops. We didn't have to burn up the roads to get here. We ate lunch at a Dairy Queen in O'Fallen, Missouri about 1:00. When we got to Kansas City 4 hours later neither of us was very hungry. Because we were in Walmart getting some water we picked up some things from the deli to eat. Bonnie said it was her most satisfying cheap meal yet!!
Well we had better close and get to bed. Hope everyone has had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob
Mom/Bonnie

March 27, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Been a good day with the Martins. Spent some time shopping and then at Culvers for ice cream treats. And as you see below, dinner at the Longhorn. We have had a good time today. Even found time for a few rounds of Mexican Train!!
Well tomorrow we pack up and head for Utah. At the beginning of March we looked forward to being with family, travelling, etc. Now we are very, very, anxious to get home and get unpacked. We left home on April 20, 2015 and should be back on March 30, 2017. It is hard to believe that almost 2 years have elapsed.
Well it is time for bed. Hope everyone has had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob
Mom/Bonnie

At Longhorn with Shannon and family

March 26, 2017

Bonnie: It's Sunday evening and we are enjoying snacks before we play some games together. We had a wonderful day at church in Charlestown Ward in Indiana. It is Spring Break and Christian has taken the day off tomorrow. We will be doing some fun stuff after Cooper works on his college class online. More tomorrow about that.
We hope everyone has had a wonderful, satisfying Sabbath.
Love,
Mom/Bonnie

Bob: I met a guy at the Ward today that worked in Phillipi, WV for about a year in 2012 - 2013, but he didn't remember anyone I knew. He said he spent most of his time at work, but the company finally went belly up. He is now working for Amazon.
Weather has been damp as there has been some rain, but temperatures are nice. I believe it was in the high 60s today.
Well we are about to begin 'Ticket to Ride' so I will sign off. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Looking forward to this week. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 25, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Left Concord at 9:30 headed for Sellersburg. We had a nice drive through Tennessee especially on Route 40 through Cherokee National Forest. It was very beautiful going through those mountains.
Arrived in Sellersburg a little after 7:00, but we stopped 3 times today and ate twice at these stops. Once we got there a storm blew up and it rained pretty hard. Bonnie and Michelle watched the Women's General Conference Session on the computer while Shannon and I watched Kanas get beat by Oregon.
Not much else happened today so we'll sign off. Love to all, enjoy the Sabbath and good night brothers.
Mom/Bonnie
Dad/Bob

March 24, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: It has been a very good day. This morning we went to 'The Depot', a very, very large antique outlet. It is an old deserted textile factory that is quite full of antiques. Bonnie found a copy of a very old cookbook that she still uses, among other interesting things.
We left there and went for lunch at 'The Smoke Pit'. Bonnie and I decided we would only get a salad between us and split it. We didn't want to eat too much as we were planning on going out for dinner. By the time I finished my half and drank some diet cola I was stuffed.
We went home after that and several of us took naps while Bonnie and Bette went for a walk. Then we went to 'The Longhorn' for dinner (see picture on Facebook). Bonnie and I decided to split a 12 oz. ribeye. By the time we finished the steak, salad, bread and hot lava cake for dessert we waddled out of a restaurant for the second time in one day.
We then went home. Steve is presently showing some genealogy on Puzzilla to everyone while I write the blog. Tomorrow we will get up and head to Sellersburg, Indiana our last stop before heading to Utah. Getting anxious to get home. Bette hired some people to deep clean the upstairs for us so we won't have to worry about that when we get there. So it's not going to be as bad as we thought.
Hope everyone has had a good week so far. Looking forward to a great weekend with Shannon, Michelle and the boys. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob
Mom/Bonnie

March 23, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Been a very relaxing day. First it was bacon and eggs for breakfast. Then we went to the store with JoAnne to pick up a few things. Bette and Steve got here at 2:30. After dinner Bonnie, JoAnne, Steve and Bette went to see 'Beauty and the Beast'. Niels and I watched the WV - Gonzaga basketball game. If WV had some scorers they might have won. In my estimation they are not a very good offensive team.
It was great fun visiting with everyone when they got back from the show. Niels showed us how he works out their car. It loves to chase his laser pointer!
Bonnie has a book of JoAnne's that she is enjoying very much. The name of it is 'All the Light We Cannot See'. Author is Anthony Doerr. She says it is very good so far.
Time for bed now. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob
Mom/Bonnie

March 22, 2017

Bob: Left Clermont just before 9 to go to JoAnne and Niels' home in Concord, NC. Scott gave us some directions that would help us avoid all the construction in Orlando. We headed northwest and then headed east. Didn't have any problems except I was a little unsure at the 4th turn. The turn came up much faster than I expected, but I made the right choice.
We were doing fine until we hit route 26. There was an accident that held us up for at least 40 minutes. Then on I-77 there was a stalled vehicle that caused a back up for a few minutes. We eventually got there at about 7:45. Stopped in Rock Hill at exit 77 to get gas again. The price was still 1.889 per gallon. That is the cheapest price I have seen anywhere.
When we got here JoAnne had pork chops, rice, corn and rolls waiting for us. The meal was delicious, and the Klondike bar for dessert was heavenly.
Well it's time to get ready for bed. Hope you had a great day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  We had a wonderful visit with Lori and Scott and their sweet kids. It was hard to leave, especially little Lucas.  But we will have a good time with JoAnne and Niels. And Bette and Steve are coming tomorrow! What a wonderful surprise for us.
I hope we all have a nice surprise of some kind this week!!
Love,
Mom/Bonnie

March 20, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Left for Clermont at 7:00 this morning and got there around 11:30. Stopped once for gas and once to take a break at a rest stop. Drive was fine though.
Had some issues with the motel in Darien however. For one thing there was no hot water this morning. Another issue is that the desk in the room does not have any light near it so you are sitting in the dark working on your computer, etc. And finally, there usually isn't anyone in the lobby at the front desk. Other than that things were fine.
It was good to get back together with my companion again. I surely did miss her. We went with all the Crossleys this afternoon to Disney Springs which is an outdoor mall, restaurants, etc. Had a good time and a great fish dinner.
It is now time for bed. Love to all and good night brothers.
Mom/Bonnie
Dad/Bob

March 19, 2017

Bob: Left Charleston for Beckley at about 8:15. Got to Beckley about 30 minutes before Sacrament Meeting. Talked to 3 different members plus the Bishop, a Counselor and 2 missionaries. People were very friendly. Left right after Sacrament.
The hilltops around Beckly had a slight dusting of snow, but I was soon out of that. The temperature per the car was in the 60s today.
Got to Darien just about 8:00. I made 2 stops on the way here. First stop was in Rock Hill, S.C. to get gas. It was the best price yet, 1.889 per gallon. Then I stopped at a Cracker Barrel for dinner. Bonnie would have been proud of me as I got 2 salads as my sides for the meatloaf dinner. I am sure she will not understand how my appetite changes so often.
Well I have about 189 miles left to Scott and Lori's so I am going to bed early. If I wake up early I can get on the road sooner. Hope you have had a wonderful weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 18, 2017

Bob: Well the tournament is over and I'm heading to Florida tomorrow morning. Planning on stopping in Beckley, WV for Sacrament Meeting at 10. After Sacrament I should arrive in Darien, GA in another 7 hours. Then I'll go onto Clermont Monday. Should be there by 1:00 PM.
Some exciting championship games today. 2 of the teams I was rooting for won. Watching some of these guys play basketball causes me to just shake my head. It's hard to realize how quick they are.
Talked to Bonnie today. She isn't feeling a whole lot better. Lori is back now though. That should keep Bonnie from having to lift Lucas so much.
Well it has been fun watching the basketball games and visiting with Bobby and his boys. I remember doing this with Eddie a few years ago. Those were good times. However, I am anxious to get to Florida and see my companion!! We will be completing the last few stops of our trip home. It has been fun, but it is getting tiresome living out of a suitcase and driving with the car stuffed full.
Well that's it for tonight. Hope your weekend is going well. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 17, 2017

Bob: Some interesting games today. Saw Wheeling Central take it on the chin. Clarksburg Notre Dame beat them by 21. Probably the only time in my life I have rooted for a team named Notre Dame. Other than that most of the teams I rooted for lost!!
Did enjoy some fine Chinese food for dinner though. The hot and spicy chicken was delicious.
Bonnie said her back isn't much better and she is quite busy trying to keep up with Lucas. He gets into everything and loves to play in the toilet!!
It's late and I need to go to bed. Have to pack in the morning and get ready to leave early Sunday morning. Hope you had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 16, 2017

Bob: Another day of basketball. I am getting tired of sitting though. We had one really good game today as a number 2 seed got beat by a number 7 seed. In fact the number 7 seed had a losing record, but made the tournament by winning one of the regions. In WV every team gets in the state tournament. They play a sectional tournament then a regional tournament. The winners of the 8 regions go to Charleston for the state finals.
Talked to Bonnie again. She said it is hard to pick up Lucas as her back is hurting her. I hope she makes it through the next 2 days without hurting her back anymore.
Weather is still on the cool side, but it is supposed to be getting warmer. I wish it would hurry up.
I had to sell my extra tickets for each session. There are 8 sessions of the tournament and I had 2 tickets per session to sell. A guy and his son bought all the tickets I had left today. I wanted to sell them, but would rather have sold them to students that want to sit with there classmates. That way there are extra seats to put our coats in and it's not so crowded. But, I can't complain as the tickets are sold.
Got an email from our health insurance agent. My supplement has been approved, but we still need Bonnie's to be approved.
That's about it for today. Hope you had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 15, 2017

Bob: Not much going on today. Spent all day watching 6 basketball games at the Charleston Civic Center. Wasn't a real big crowd at either the morning or afternoon sessions. Did talk to an old friend that I haven't seen for years. He is retired also and doing very well. We graduated from high school together.
Talked to Bonnie in Florida. She is having a good time with the grandchildren. She will be alone with them starting tomorrow morning. Wishing her good luck.
Weather was a little cool today. It is supposed to warm up a little each of the next few days. I think we could use that.
Well I am going to get ready for bed and watch some of the BYU game. They are trailing 47 - 42 with over 5 minutes left in the first half. No defense tonight.
Hope you had a great day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 14, 2017

Bob: Sorry we didn't get anything written last night. When we finally got to the motel it was almost 10 and we just wanted to get to bed as we were getting up at 7. We wanted to get up early in case the snow storm had an effect on Bonnie's flight and my drive to Charleston.
Yesterday we checked out of the New Martinsville Microtel and they said we didn't owe anything. I had used some reward points to get a reduced rate, but thought I owed about $250. Tammy, a member of the Church, said she billed everything to Wyndham Rewards as per the statement. She said if it isn't correct she'll hear back in about a week. So we'll see how it works out.
During the day we talked to Verizon about a phone, but ended up going to AT&T and putting another phone on Scott & Lori's Family plan. Spent some time at the New Mart. library and then went to visit Alexis Haught and family. Didn't have a lot of time to see them as Alexis had therapy until after 4 and we had the retirees' dinner at Quinet's at 6. Hardly anyone showed up for the dinner however. Gary Church was upset about that as several people had said they were coming. In fact, based on the number he told Quinet's they brought an extra worker in to work our group.
After we left the dinner we stopped at Kroger's in Moundsville to see Gary's wife. Didn't get to say much to her though as her checkout line just never slowed down. After we left Kroger's we had to drive to the Highlands on I-70.
We only got snow flurries today. Got to the airport without any problems. Had about a 2 hour wait for Bonnie's plane to takeoff and then they had a 22 minute delay taking off. She got to Orlando before I got to Charleston. I went to Wendy's for dinner. Will probably have a few meals there this week.
My room at the Red Roof Inn seems okay although it is an older motel.
We have been having trouble getting our medicare reinstated, but yesterday we were told it was reinstated effective March. Then today United Healthcare checked our medicare records and they hadn't been updated. The records still didn't show we had Part B medicare. Finally someone was able to get through the records and find the correct information. Now our supplement will start April 1. We just have to stay well until then.
Got some bad news from Canada today. Sister Donna Craig has passed away. Bonnie and I probably spent more time with her than any other member of the Temiskaming Branch. She was in a nursing home and on 2 liters of oxygen all the time, but no other major problems we were aware of. The sister that posted her death didn't say anything about what happened.
Well it's time to get to bed. Hope you have had a great day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 12, 2017

Bob: We have had a wonderful day. Went to church in New Martinsville. We knew less than half of the people there! So many new faces. It was great fun talking to our old friends once again.
After church we hurried to the motel, ate Bonnie's left over lasagna from last night, changed clothes and headed for Reader to see Lorraine, Jerry and family, Rhonda and her family. We really had a great time reminiscing and nibbling on the appetizers Joyce and Jerry had set out. Went to Lorraine's to look at her new home. It is really nice. Jerry has built a nice deck on the front and is going to put another one on the back of the home.
After that I took Bonnie for a short drive up 8 mile ridge. She had never been up there and she sees pictures taken by Linda Straight all the time from that area. Then we stopped and visited with Linda. Had a good time finding out about her family and where everyone is now.
The weather hasn't warmed up much at all and I hear Monday and Tuesday won't be much better. At least there isn't any snow right now.
Hope your weekend has been as good as ours has been. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  We had a wonderful Sabbath as Bob has written. Everyone has been so kind and hospitable to us. A counselor in the Stake Presidency and his wife spoke in Sacrament meeting. I really enjoyed their talks. Mary Rose gave the RS lesson and it was very good. We stayed until about 2:00, just talking with everyone. We had a good time with the Martin family and visiting with Linda Straight.
Tomorrow we will see Alexis Haught and go to dinner with the former Bayer employees and their spouses who worked with Bob. Then, we drive to Triadelphia for the night, so I can take a plane to Florida on Tuesday. What a wonderful time we are having! I'm so thankful that we can do this. The Lord has really blessed us.
May we all be grateful for the blessings we have received!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

March11,2017

Bonnie and Bob:  We've had wonderful visits today--the first with Vicky Bohrer. It was quite a trip, taking about an hour and a  half to get to East Liverpool. She is temporarily in another room while they paint her assigned room, and she has to downsize. Vicky had a friend visiting who was taking some of her things and Bob was able to help get them into her car. I'm so glad we saw her because Vicky has some health challenges that seem to be getting worse.
We saw Sally Briggs next, who has moved to East Liverpool to be near her oldest daughter. She is in a beautiful condo there. One of her granddaughters was also there. It was really good to catch up on all of her family news. We left about 6:40 and headed for Undo's in Benwood, WV. We had a delicious meal--they make excellent Italian food, some of the best I've ever eaten.
It's getting late, especially because of daylight savings tomorrow, so I will let Bob finish.
Happy Sabbath tomorrow, everyone!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Nothing else to add except we caught up on all the laundry today. Washer, dryer and detergent are free here at the Microtel.  Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

March 10, 2017

Bob: What a shock this morning. Woke up and got up before 7:00! Don't think I will make this a habit. It is not conducive to driving long distances. Went to breakfast at 9:15 with Chris and Suzy. We ate at Caffe 101 in Boiling Springs. They brought our meals to us is styrofoam containers as the hostess mistakenly marked our order as takeout. And the food wasn't top shelf either. However, the pastries were excellent. We finished breakfast and headed for lunch with my sister-in-law Renee at 10:40.
Arrived at the Olive Garden in Washington, PA at about 2:10. We were meeting Renee there at 3:00. She showed up about 2:30 though so we got started early. We didn't leave till almost 5:00. And what made it great was she accepted a Book of Mormon from us.
Then we headed to the Microtel in New Martinsville. Got there a little past 6:00. Most Microtels we have stayed at have a single bed and very little room. However, this room is really quite nice. We have 2 beds, large shelf for computer and many other items, a fridge, microwave, closet and shelves in the bathroom for our toiletries. Bonnie has given this site a passing grade.
Went to visit Flo and Ken Loy once we got settled. Had a good visit with them. They had a couple young boys visiting so it got pretty loud at times. Eventually the parents showed up and took them home.
Stopped and got gas on the way home. Posted the per gallon price and total below.
It's time for bed. We need to get some rest as we are headed to the East Liverpool area tomorrow. Hope you have a great weekend, love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  There was another shock this morning. There was lots of snow that had fallen over-night!
The roads were not too bad thankfully.
It's been great to be back in West Virginia and to see New Martinsville again. Our visit with Loy's was so nice! And I felt strongly that we should give Bob's sister-in-law a  Book of Mormon. He will be sending her some things online, too. I hope she reads it!
Anyway, it's been a wonderful day. I hope all of you have had a wonderful day, as well.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Caffe 101

Exxon price per gallon

Total gasoline purchase

Leaving Boiling Springs

March 9, 2017

Bonnie:  We went on a tour of historic Boiling Springs this morning with Chris and Suzy. It is neat to see the water boiling up in the lake from the hot springs underneath it. We walked around the entire lake, and also saw the furnace where they used to make iron from 1732 to 1895.  It was a pleasant walk. Then we went to visit an art store full of items from local artists. However, we did find something done by an artist from Oakland, Ca. It's a fun store, with some very interesting artwork.
Chris had to go to work, so we headed home. We did some errands in the afternoon. and then I helped Evie make dinner--chicken parmigiana, linguine, marinara sauce and salad. It turned out well. It was ready just in time for Suzy, Jonathan, and Daphne to come back from their horseback riding lessons. It's been another wonderful day. I'm really going to miss my grandkids!
I hope everyone has had an incredible day as well.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Bob: Not much to add. I did find some carved fish in the art store that I want to send pictures of to our friend, Fred Field, in Englehart. I've lost his email address so I am trying to get it back.
Weather was around 60 today, but it's changing tomorrow. Supposed to be in the 40s with snow in the morning and flurries in the afternoon. New Martinsville also predicting flurries. We're supposed to stay there tomorrow night.
Well it's time to go. Enjoy the pictures below. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Boiling Springs

Founder of Boiling Springs

Daniel Kaufman's House is still standing

Iron Furnace used to make iron

My fellow hikers!!

March 8, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Arose a little early today as I was awakened by something. Not sure what it was. After everyone was off to school and Suzy off on errands, Bonnie and I ran a couple of errands ourselves. One thing we did was look for the "boiling springs", after which this place is named. We didn't find them. Will go back with Suzy tomorrow to take pictures of them for the blog.
When we got home this afternoon I think Suzy, Bonnie and I all took a nap. Then for dinner we took Suzy and the kids to Red Robin. Chris couldn't make it because he had an appointment with a graduate student. Afterwards we went to the Ward House where we met up with Chris. The YW were decorating the cultural hall for their Girl's Camp fund raiser dinner on Friday. Suzy is in charge of it. I believe the YW will cook the meal and then desserts are auctioned off to raise money for camp. Chris said they raised over $1000 last year. Bonnie and I left the decorating early and came home. Others arrived shortly afterwards.
The weather is 48 right now, but it got up close to 60 today.
Time for bed. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob and Mom/Bonnie

March 7, 2017

Bob and Bonnie: Bonnie got up early to see Katie, Ammon and Sarah off to school. By the time I awoke Michael was still home. He came down stairs and told us goodbye. We played a few games of Uno with Reni before we left for Chris and Suzy's. Had to stop at Walmart and return the new charger we bought to replace a lost one. We found the lost one! So they took it back no questions asked.
Spent time with Suzy and the kids this evening playing some games. Chris was teaching a late class. He didn't get home till after 10.
Temperature has been wonderful today. It was still 55°F a few minutes ago.
Called and talked with President Jakob this evening. He seems to be doing pretty well. Said he was about to do the dishes so he was glad I called!! This past weekend he said with the wind blowing it was -30°C. Yikes!! He said it was really cold because of the wind. They didn't get any snow though. Schools were cancelled today because of freezing rain.
Well it's time for bed. Hope you have had a great day. Love to all and we'll be seeing you soon. Good night brothers.
Dad/Bob and Mom/Bonnie

March 6, 2017

Bob: A leisurely day for a change. We got up and at about 10:30 we took Misty out for brunch. Went to Eggspectation to eat. It was nice and I had biscuits and gravy, which I haven't had for a long time. Left there feeling like a stuffed turkey. Once we got home Bonnie and I went back to do some shopping for FHE tonight and to mail a package at the post office. Had dinner tonight and then FHE.
So not a whole lot happening today. Going to Chris and Suzy's in the morning.
Hope you had a wonderful day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  I don't have much to add, just that we enjoyed seeing some movies on the computer tonight after Family Home Evening. For our activity we played Werewolves, which was fun. Then, for a treat we had cheese curls, chosen by Michael who had that assignment. Oh, and a little ice cream for everyone else. It's been wonderful to be with Misty and Dan and their children, our very special grandchildren.
And tomorrow, the joy continues with the Keyes household in Pennsylvania!
Love, Mom/Bonnie

March 5, 2017

Bob: Got up and took Ammon to church this morning at 8:15 so he could help prepare the Sacrament. I've been wondering what it looks like outside before 8:00 for quite a while now. Don't want to get used to it however.
Church was very good. Testimonies were great. Stu Finnigan, brother to the Brampton YSA Bishop, taught Sunday School class. We always enjoy his lessons and comments.
Spent most of the day just relaxing with the Ellis'. Misty and Katie attended a 'Personal Finance' class at 5 - 7 this evening. Dan, Michael, Ammon, Bonnie and I played 'Dominion'. Bonnie and I have never seen the game before so we must have had beginners' luck. I ended up winning the game. Don't know how as my only strategy was to end the game after a couple hours!!! I would prefer playing games of chance, such as Mexican Train, Uno, etc. Don't like thinking about how to win a game.
Everyone is getting ready for bed (9:15) right now. Too early for myself so I am doing the blog. Will let Bonnie add some further comments. Hope you had a blessed Sabbath and great weekend. Love to everyone and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  It's been a lovely Sabbath. I like this Branch. And we've had a restful day. The best thing about today is that my back has improved and my energy is coming back.
Tomorrow, Ammon is in charge of the FHE lesson and Michael is in charge of treats. Both may get some help from us!
Hopefully all of us have had a restful, spiritual day.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

March 4, 2017

Bob: Went to the Stake Center today to give blood. They told me since I did not have an appointment that I would have a long wait. Suggested I come back later. So I went to Walmart to see what they offered in phone plans. Didn't see anything that looked promising, but thought I would talk to Verizon when they opened. After that I washed the car and went back to the Stake Center.
Bonnie wasn't feeling well this morning. She stayed in bed while the rest of us were out. I woke her up when I got back about noon. She is feeling a little better now, but really tired.
Got to give blood without much wait at all. In fact, it was one of the fastest times I got in and out. After sitting in their canteen and enjoying some goodies I headed to Verizon. Don't think their options are any better than AT&T's. Haven't checked out Sprint. Will probably try that on Monday.
Ellis' celebrated Katie's birthday (March 5) tonight. Katie wanted home-made pot pies for her meal. Misty made 3 pies with chicken and 1 with turkey. We also had a ceasar salad with ice cream and homemade cookies for dessert. Chris, Suzy and their 3 kids, plus Helen Stanger and her 3 kids joined us for the meal. Had a very good time.
Well it's time for bed. Hope your weekend has been fine so far. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  I am feeling pretty good right now, but we'll see what tomorrow brings. I need to sleep well tonight.
We went to see Katie's high school production of "Seussical". It was quite well done and we enjoyed it. That was followed by Katie's birthday party. It was fun! One thing I especially liked was going around the room twice, the firsts time giving Katie a compliment and the second time time giving her a wish. 
Time for bed. Love to all.
Mom/Bonnie

March 3, 2017

Bob: It felt pretty cold this morning even though the temp was 31. Got the car reloaded and headed to the Philadelphia Temple at 9:00. We got there in about 30 minutes which is what Google predicted. Had to call the temple because we couldn't find parking. There is an underground facility next to the temple that patrons can use and the temple validates your ticket.
The temple inside is very beautiful. Most of the floors are hardwood. The stairs have small risers and wide treads for easy walking up and down. Did not hurt my knees like most stairs do. There is some intricate carving in the doors and other wooden trim. During the endowment you move from one room to another once. The original room had 56 seats for partrons and beautiful wall paintings on the sides. The other room was white and brighter. All in all it is a beautiful temple. Reminded me of the early days of our nation.
Drove to Misty's after the temple session. Stopped to do some shopping, get some gas and have dinner. Got there around 5:00 due to several traffic delays. None of them were major except the transition between I-695 and I-70. Then on I-70 there was another major holdup at exit 87. It's always a problem in the afternoon because a major entrance ramp is there. I-70 remains 2 lanes and when the cars try to enter traffic gets bogged down. Another engineering marvel!! It might have been designed by relatives of the people that designed the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto. It has the same problem.
Well it's time to go to bed. Got to get up in the morning and give blood. Hope you enjoy your weekend. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie:  The temple session was great and the temple is a beautiful place. It is now one of my favorite temples. The chandelier in the celestial room is massive and brilliant and the patterned carpet is elegant. It certainly has an early-American theme, which is appropriate. The temple is built in downtown Philadelphia so the underground parking is a great blessing.
We are settled in at Misty's for the next few days. I hope that I feel better as time goes on. I seem to have had an allergy "attack". Tomorrow will be a busy day so I am going to bed soon. I want to have enough energy to participate in the activities. We'll write about it tomorrow.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

March 2, 2017

Bob: Woke up to 20°F and snow this morning. Thought someone had moved us back to Haileybury. Supposed to quit snowing and get into the mid thirties here. It is in the 40s in Philadelphia where we are headed tonight.
Stopped at the Priesthood Restoration site. A senior Elder took us on a tour of the site. We saw restored homes of Isaac Hale and Joseph Smith and learned many things about the translation of the Book of Mormon done in Harmony, PA (Mosiah to Moroni). Everything prior to Mosiah was translated at the Peter Whitmer farm AFTER the work was done in Harmony.
The weather did warm up this afternoon, but the wind never died down. This kept it cold enough for winter coats. Quite a change from yesterday.
We're in Philadelphia now. Going to attend a 10:00AM session at the temple tomorrow morning.
Well it's time to get ready for bed. Hope you had a great day. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: Bob has explained our day well. One of the best parts was walking down to the Susquehanna River where Joseph and Oliver were baptized. It is a special place. Our visit ended with a hymn sung by four of the sister missionaries, "Abide With Me". It was absolutely beautiful, especially the last verse sung in four part harmony. So well done and so awesome!
We need to retire early tonight so we can be to the temple on time, so good night and sleep tight everyone.
Love, Mom/Bonnie

Liverpool, NY at 8:20AM

Sisters who sang "Abide With Me"

Susquehanna River at the Priesthood Restoration Site

Resotration of the Aaronic Priesthood

March 1, 2017

Bob: Did not wake up very early this morning. But we did make it to breakfast before it closed. Kind of wished we hadn't eaten though as it was very poor. Got out of the motel after 10:30 finally. And I think we left one of the phone chargers there.
The first place we stopped was AT&T. We wanted to activate my phone, but of course the people at the store had no idea what to do to activate my number. The people at the main number for AT&T told me that the outlet stores would have no problem doing this, but then they didn't have a clue. So we called the main number. They said I needed to be transferred to 'Port Activation' and of course they never did answer. Never got one sound after dialing the number they gave us for them. Ended up finding a phone for Bonnie and activated it instead of one for me. And then we got 2 different stories about the phone from 2 different sales people. I can't believe AT&T hires these people and expects them to help people when they don't know what they are doing!!
Our next stop was the temple. We got there early so it was a short nap time. Went up to the main entrance then and found out they were closed for cleaning. I had specifically called them and gave them the date we would be there. No problem they said. Oh well!!
Then we stopped at the Hill Cumorah site and ran into 5 YSAs from the YSA Ward in Brampton! It was good to see them. Left there and arrived at our motel just about dark.
Bonnie has her coat on and is freezing. The thermostat is maxed out now. Hope she makes it through the night.
Better get to bed so we can get up earlier tomorrow. Hope you had a great day and that the flooding isn't too bad in WV. Love to all and good night brothers.
Dad/Bob

Bonnie: I don't have much to add. I was sad at not being able to attend the temple, but we will be going Friday to the Philadelphia Temple! Chris has told me it is beautiful inside. I can't wait. Tomorrow we will be going to the Priesthood Restoration Site and then heading for Philadelphia. I feel odd not having my name tags on, especially when we talk to other Senior Missionaries like we did today at the Hill Cumorah Visitor Center. I suppose that's only natural since we've been wearing them for 23 months! I loved seeing the YSA's, too. One was newly baptized so that was neat.
I hope everyone has had a blessed day today. We love you all.
Love, Mom/Bonnie