We looked at each other the beginning of this week and said, "This is going to be a slow week."  Boy, were we wrong.  Things picked up quickly.  Dan went to Rotary on Monday night and turned in the essays we had judged for family week.  Tuesday I needed to do apartment checks on the sister in Kent and Ravenna.  Turned out they were both free so we took them out to lunch.  Sister Rasmussen will be going home this week and Sister Maynard, next transfer so we got both of them.  They wanted to go to Mike's.  Well this guy has collected lots and lots of junk and really made an interesting place of it.  We sat in a bus (inside of the restaurant) for our lunch.  We could have been in the boat or who knows where else.  The food was really good.  It is not a place that I would have gone to but now that we have been there, we are going back.  Really a fun place.
Wednesday we met Elder and Sister Miles, the FM missionaries.  They are the ones that take care of most of the maintenance and whatever.  They are really a fun couple and since we both had p-day on Wednesday we went to lunch at the Welshfield Inn.  It is a really nice but old restaurant.  We sat at a little table in front of the fireplace and our lunch was very good.  After lunch we drove to Warren and went through the Packard Museum.  It was really neat to see all of those old cars and how they evolved.  The Packard family were quite well to do, they developed the Packard cars beginning in Warren and then later in Detroit.  They also developed lights, motors and lots of other things.  They also had a motorcycle exhibit there right now and it was interesting as well.  Things really do change. Here are some photos of the museum.  Notice our new gas station and the price of gas....not bad, huh.

They did an ocean to ocean drive with their car and this is a photo of
where they got stuck on the Price River by Woodside

Looks good don't you think?


We also went to the Sutliff Museum.  This family were very wealthy but were highly involved with the Underground Railroad and the freeing of the slaves.  Their home was being torn down and so she saved all of the furnishings and gave them money to make a museum of her parlor and special things.  Quite a sight and lot of history there in one room.

This next picture is Elder Miles showing the iron bands they put on the slaves legs.  One slave tied it up with a rope around his neck and was able to escape.  When Mr Sutliff found him he cut it off and it was clear into the bone.

 

Was a fun, special day with special friends. 

 

Thursday we were all day at the Johnson Home because it was Holtry's p-day.  We had a non member come into the home and we did were able to give him the tour and bear testimony.  He had lost his wife 2 years ago and so we shared about being sealed and being with our families again.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would read it.  Friday the Holtry's cooked up their turkey left over from Christmas and had the Hiram sisters over so we had a Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings.  Yummmmmmmyyyy.  After the sisters left we cleaned up and played games for a while. 

Came home and called Allison.  They just found out that their baby is a girl.  So we are excited for that.  One of the young sisters in the Rootstown ward is also expecting and I asked her when....July 16 and they found out Friday it is a boy.  So I told her I would watch her and know what was happening with Allison.   Today, Sunday, when we got to the Home, the Holtry's had just started a tour so we took over so they could go home.  It was a couple just released from their mission in I think the Boston Mission heading back to Boise Idaho.  They were full of questions and wanted to know everything about everything.  It was a fun tour to be able to share not only things of Kirtland and Hiram but to share mission experiences. 

Well, do you think that was a slow one, well I hope this next one is a tad bit slower.  Things are really hopping up in Kirtland this week as it is transfers and all those new missionaries are coming in.  We are glad to be down here out of all the traffic.  We are feeling good, keeping busy and happy as can be.  Life is good.