The Jolley's in Upstate New York

 There are things that can define your week and some things you just have to shake your head and say, "Really?" Sometimes you laugh and sometimes you just have to wonder! This week has been a week of wonder! As we have driven on these beautiful country roads, Mother Nature keeps us (me) so intrigued with her artistry.  The last couple of weeks it's been yellow lining the roads. Add in some dashes of daisies and the look is complete!  And don't you just love a country road? The weather has been beautiful and now it is starting to warm up more.  Everyone tells us that July will be hot and humid and a little unbearable.  So far-not too bad so we'll see what July has to offer. Our morning walk on Tuesday had a fun little twist.  We were walking on a side road that we have not walked before.  We were just walking along, talking, when a little kid-arms stretched out like an airplane, backpack on his back-ran right by us. (He is maybe 6 or 7 years old.) Well ...

 If you could follow the yellow brick road, where would it take you? If you think about it, the yellow brick road leads to endless possibilities-but in the end, it leads us home-and we all know "There's No Place Like Home".  We're talking about HOME!  The place that awaits each of us when we pass through this life.  Home to loving Heavenly Parents who, I am sure, are waiting with excitement for that day, cheering us on along the way, and pleading for us to do what is necessary to make it safely.   We are so very thankful for a beautiful path that leads us home. We have had a wonderful week-full of lessons, a class, a party, a meeting or two, and a waterfall. We'll start with the waterfall. We decided that we would head out to Chittenango Falls.  I have been wanting to learn how to get those photos where the water is blurry and milky. Well, you have to have a tripod for the camera and I have three-all of them back in Utah.  We ran to Walmart and bought ...

 Our week always starts out with our P Day.  We look forward to this day because we try to get a little adventurous.  This past week we ventured into Utica.  We have heard that Utica is a little sketchy- a little dangerous.  But we went anyway.  We actually started in Whitesboro to go to our first Farmer's Market.  Well, the harvesting season isn't here yet so we were wondering what they would be selling.  It was in the small town square and they had beautiful flowers to buy.  Flowers to enjoy in your home and flowers to plant.  There were fresh eggs, home grown honey and maple syrup, bagels, wine, jewelry, and a few food trucks.  It was fun.  We didn't stay long but had the chance to look around! After the Farmer's Market we drove into Utica.  The train station was our mission.  We had been told that it was like taking a step back in time.  We found a place to park and we headed into the station.  Wow. ...

Memorial Day was fun.  All the little communities around us have a parade on Memorial Day.  The one we went to wasn't super fancy just a basic color guard of Veteran's, a small float with Veterans riding on it, and fire engines. They came down the main road to the cemetery and there they had a short program with a 21 gun salute, a wreath laying, TAPS, and a bagpiper playing Amazing Grace.  It was touching.  They don't decorate graves around here like we do at home.  Look at the grave in the pictures that has flowers planted around the base of the headstone.  We saw that in the cemeteries all over Norway and fell in love with it.  Not all graves have gardens around them but lots did. After the parade and ceremony we drove around the countryside and took some pictures of, what else is there?, farms and barns. On our way home we decided to go visit the Oriskany Battlefield.  As you remember, New York was a hotspot during the Revolutionary War.  ...