Erie Canal Ride

Monday evening for FHE we took an Erie Canal boat ride through Locke 30. It was a beautiful evening and we were out on the water for two hours. I wish I could put all the pictures of going through the Locke on but it takes too long to get them downloaded. This is Sister Siebach and Paul.

We had a nice buffet luncheon on the boat trip.

We are entering into the Locke. The metal doors will close when we get inside and it will fill up with 16 feet of water and then the other end will open and we will go out.

We have dropped 16 feet and are on our way out of the Locke.

We are headed back now and it is rising 16 feet to get us up to the right hand.

Wednesday evening Paul and I went over to Gonongadan Historical Site where we listened to a lecture on the Seneca Indian longhouse. In the late 1600's and early 1700's there was a large tribe of Seneca Indians who were the keepers of the back door. These Indians controlled the Niagara River and all the beaver fur trade. The French wanted it and came down into their village with 3200 soldiers. The 1000 Indian braves were away in Ohio fighting when the French came in. The few young boys and old men and women were able to ambush them and stall them until the rest of the women and children could get to safety with some of their neighboring tribes. The French came in and burned down two large villages and 2 satellite villages, over 4500 people lived in this particular area and had over 45 longhouses. They destroyed all their crops and burned all their corn silos. It was very interesting and they have tried to preserve this history. For us to enjoy.

Thursday morning six missionary couples went over to the Bishop's Storehouse to help unload the large semi which comes in once a month with canning and food orders. With so much help we were done in an hour. We miss serving there on Friday mornings. We have Sister Gehrig, Crookston and Archibald and Elder Crookston and Elder Archibald in this picture.

Tuesday Paul spent the afternoon mowing for the Amsdens. They have a big field (10 acres) in the back that he mows. He did it last year also.

Friday between temple shifts the Gehrigs, Crookstons and I drove over to Rochester to see the Ellwanger House. It was part of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra fundraiser. Designers came in and designed each of the rooms. It was very interesting and we enjoyed it. The home was built in 1830's and was enlarged in 1860's. It is in a beautiful part of the city.

The Perkins were lounging outside their fifth wheel. They are our coordinators on Wednesday morning and are from the St. George.

Friday night Sister Siebach called to see if we had played a trick on them because they found a turtle in their window well. Remember about a month ago they found a skunk in the window well.

I wanted you to see how deep the window well is.

There was also a frog down there with the turtle. Sister Sieback says the turtle ate him.

Today after choir we went to visit Bruce Armour on Yellow Mills Rd. He purchased this home built in 1860's and is doing some major remodeling. It is going to be beautiful when he is finished.

It has turned off hot and humid this week. It has been in the 90's. But if you are serving in the temple you don't notice it until you come out. Have a great week. We love you.

What a marvelous weekend. David Haws and his mother, Carol, came to visit us for a few days. They are from Thousand Oaks, & Fresno,CA. We had a wonderful time seeing the sites here in Palmyra with them. David is a great Church history enthusiast and we learned a lot from his many questions. We were in the Sacred Grove this afternoon after Sacrament meeting and our other meetings. We were virtually alone and wondered around finding the "witness trees". This is one of them. It would be over 200 years old. We had fun measuring them and most were 9' or more in circumference.

We always love to see the "Apostle tree". It is an ironwood tree and is dead but still stands strong. It gets its name from all the branches it has. It is deep in the forest and protected from the wind and elements and so may stand for many years to come.

Saturday I worked in the temple office in the morning and Paul spent the morning with the Haws seeing some of the sites and then we were all in the temple in the afternoon. Paul and I helped with abaptismal group. I think we had about 25 people and they were made up of four families and a branch. We did family file names and did about 270 baptisms and 290 confirmations. It was a great afternoon. That evening the four of us went to the Hill Cumorah for a VIP open house for the Dead Sea Scrolls. Tomorrow the exhibit will be taken down. It has been a wonderful draw for people in the area to come to the visitor center.

This has been a beautiful week. You see us lounging on the porch waiting for the Crookstons to pick us up to go to Wards for a cheesburger (buy one get one free). Good thing we took a moment to sit down because we found a wasp's nest there on the porch.

Whose having the most fun?

Last Sunday we had a quick get-together at Zions Camp. The Single Adult conference had some food left over and gave it to us so we all came for Sunday dinner.

We checked out the fence mending project and decided it looked pretty straight.

This is the crooked stream which runs behind the Smith log house and frame house. It was along here that they dammed up the water and had a baptismal font for some of the Willard Bean family.

For our FHE President Siebach presented his "Come To The Temple and Claim Your Blessings" presentation which he gives to all the Church units in the temple District. In summary:

Pres. Hinckley says; "every time you come you will be better"

Pres. Kimball says: you need to schedule and plan or calendar coming to the temple

Pres. Benson says: come frequently; stay close

Pres. Hunter says: Temple covenants are essential. We cannot return to presence of Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ without them

Temple Blessings: Initiatory--great promises, Endowment--knowledge, sealings--power & glory.

Have a great week and get yourself to the temple and take someone with you. Love you

Today Sunday we were invited to lunch at the Walton home. A couple who moved to Palmyra from Northern California. They have bought a beautiful old home in Palmyra on Main Street. Later in the day we went to Zion's Camp had some left overs from the Singles Conference. Many of them camped in Zions for the weekend.

On Thursday for our group outing we went to Lechworth Park. It is called the Grand Canyon of the East. There are three falls, the upper falls, the middle falls and the lower falls. Real original names huh? It was very beautiful and lots of water coming over the falls. We saw a group of sixth graders who were on a river raft trip and they were out swimming in the water, burr.

This is our group, The Thorsteds, Pestanas, Archibalds, Simons, Hullingers and us.

This is the upper falls. There is a train trellis above it. Anyone remember it from last summer?

Monday for FHE we joined with the site missionaries and moved the fence between the Smith log home and the frame home. It didn't take long with so many hands. Afterwards we met at the Hill Cumorah for a dinner. Fun evening with wonderful friends.

President Siebach, Elder Young the man in charge, and Paul.

It was a great week in the temple. Saturday we had four own endowments on one session. We were able to work with them and also be followers on the session. The temple has been very busy. The weather has turned off warm again and it is really nice. We are in such a special place with a very special spirit. Have a great week. CTR

The Palmyra Temple in May. It has been a beautiful spring. The grounds are exquisite and the temple has been filled with patrons. It has been a wonderful week in the temple.

Today, Sunday, we drove to Pen Yann Branch where Elder Lewis and I spoke in sacrament meeting. It was also the first day for the Perkins and Gehrigs to attend their new Branch for the next six months. We spoke on the Holy Ghost and the temple. There are so many wonderful people in these branches. We have met many of them in the temple either as patrons or ordinance workers. They are very faithful people.

On Thursday, our Preparation Day, we drove with the Crookstons down to Watkins Glen and walked through the gorge. It was so beautiful. It is about a mile long and the paths were built by prisoner of war inmates.

Someone had cut this tree to look like a chair. Paul needed a rest.

Our hike was enhanced by meeting up with these people from Canada. They had been on the trail before and gave us lots of information and got us back to the beginning without getting lost.

Here we are with the Crookstons

The gorge is incredible.

On the way home we came across another garage sale and Paul found himself a "little" bike. He gets the best deals $1.

Monday night for FHE the Brethren made a dutch oven dinner for the ladies. Pres. Jones was at the helm. It was a delicious dinner of BBQ port and chicken, dutch oven potatoes, corn bread and three kinds of cobbler. Yum Yum

This is a shot of the 17 couples who make up the 2008 summer missionaries.

Tuesday morning we went with the Hullingers to Mendon where we found the home of John Young. It was in this town that Samuel Smith took the first Book of Mormon and gave it to Phineas Young. We found John Young's home and several other sites. In the near vicinity is the Ganondagan Historical Site which is the home (600 acres) of the Seneca Indian tribe. They have rebuilt a longhouse and have many artifacts from the era. Saturday they had a reenactment of the "Seneca Encourter with LaSalle". They were trying to wipe out the Seneca Indian tribe because they controlled the waterways through Niagara Falls. We were serving in the temple so missed it.

Saturday morning we were able to participate with the Single Adult conference. Pres. & Sister Jones did a workshop on the temple and family history. It's a really great program if you ever have to do something on family history.

Our thought for the week: develop Holy Habits and Righteous Routines

Summer Temple Schedule Begins

This week we were privileged to have our dear friends Greg & Rhonda Huffaker visit us from Oxnard, CA. They met us at the Genesee Singles Branch where we were speaking on the temple for the RS/Priesthood joint meeting.

They attended the temple with us Monday morning and then we drove out to the Whitmer Farm where Sister Pinegar took us on the tour. This is where the Church was organized on April 6, 1830.

Monday night we met at the Siebach's home but were not sure we were going to be able to have it because if you look really close in the corner of this window well you will see a skunk. He fell into the well and the True Green workers found him. Before FHE the dog catcher came and got him out. They put some polls down earlier hoping he would climb out himself. Blow up the picture and you'll see the skunk in the back.

Coming out of the temple one evening we had this beautiful site. My camera doesn't do it justice but it was beautiful. We have been so very busy at the temple this week. Several wards and branches have been coming and it has been great so see so many people receive their blessings from Heavenly Father here in His house.

Thursday evening we had our last batch of summer missionaries for dinner. We have the Thorsteds from Brigham City and the Gehrigs from Colorado. We had a wonderful evening getting to know each other. Elder Thorsted was a history teacher and Elder Gehrig was a helicopter pilot with the reserves.

Friday we drove to Sodus Point with Elder and Sister Jones. They are from South Jordan just across 13 West from our home in South Jordan. Elder Jones was also in education. Sister Jones got us to climb the 52 steps to the top of the light house. The apple orchards are all in bloom and it is beautiful.

We are on our summer schedule at the temple and are working in the office on Monday morning, Tuesday evening and every other Thursday. Wednesday we work the morning and evening shifts with the missionaries. Friday evening and Saturday day we serve with the local temple workers. We were able to go in and go on a session on Tuesday morning and Saturday morning. We are keeping busy.

Saturday evening we were invited to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with the Site missionaries. We all met at the Palmyra Inn and loaded into vans which took us to the Eastman Theater. It was an "All-Gershwin Night and special performance from Jon Nakamatsu on the piano and Doug LaBrecque, tenor. It was a fun evening.

This is Elder & Sister Blackhurst. They arranged the evening for everyone.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers. We were honored at Church and had some wonderful talks and music. In RS we had a great lesson from Sis. Fuqua on "Mothers Who Know" and then were treated to a nice brunch by the RS Presidency.

For lunch we invited the Temple Presidency. They are wonderful people and we are so blessed to serve with them. Sister Cederlof was not able to attend. She fell at the temple last week and is still recovering.

Be true to the covenants you have made with the Lord. He will bless and direct your every move. We love you.