New York vacaton

Mike: Whew, This blogging is a slow process. I can't seem to make the preview look like the compose. Oh, well, it will have to do or you won't get it before e-mail time. We missed you.

Here are a few pics and notes about our trip to NYC. We had a great time! Brad really knew his way around the subways and such. We bought a week's pass and just tried to keep up with him. We rarely had to wait for trains and it only rained while we were having dinner or in the temple. We walked a hundred miles I think. We saw lots of the tourist spots that Brad didn't do as a missionary: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Empire State Building, we watched the rehearsing and set up of the Today show. We saw all the churches; most just a door on the sidewalk that lead to a beautiful building inside. We met a lot of missionaries. The senior couples seemed to be having a lot of fun. One couple was from Preston, another from nearby Lewiston. We went to church in the Bronx, which was Brads favorite area and where he served the longest. Everyone was so excited to see him. They went on and on about what a wonderful missionary he was. "You have no idea!" one lady told us over and over. I loved the ward. Those people are so intense about the gospel it really made me feel like I needed to step it up a notch. We also got to go to Harlem to a baptism. Here we met and talked with the president and his wife. Brad was very close to them after serving so close with them the last 4 months. They are awesome people. We ate in all the missionary favorite spots: dumplings in China Town (Keri wouldn't touch it because China town smelled so bad and the shop was not so nice), huge pizza in the Bronx (again the shop was ?????), and the famous Sylvia's Sole Food in Harlem. We did a session at the temple. Keri hung out with the sister missionaries. (No, she does not want to go on a mission.) The temple was beautiful and so tiny and cute. We did some street shopping; hiding behind alleyways to look at the wares. Keri got pretty good at that. Ground zero looked like a huge construction site. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge also took a buggy ride and did a lot of walking through central park. It's fun to see the places where so many movies are filmed. We went to the stage play 'Hairspray'. The nosise and busyness is just like you see on TV about NY, however it didn't make me think of dirty, stinky and crime. It was really OK. We had a wonderful time!
Wednesday we rented a car and drove to Palmyra. The ride was beautiful. We visited all the church history sites, the Sacred Grove, the Smith Family farm, the visitors center and Hill Cumorah as well as the Whitmer Farm. It was very beautiful and peaceful in Palmyra; big white houses with acres of green all around. I loved the humidity. It was just right. Between the car return and the flight we visited the George Eastman Mansion (Kodak Company) in Rochester. It was just like something out of the game of Clue.

Ellis Island: An immigrant check in point and hospital, now a museum. I guess this is the only picture we got there. It was very interesting place anyway.

Harlem:

China Town: Brad's apartment and Dumplings

Little Italy: Cherie, thought of you when I saw the sign; not because it was bad just that you're the only one I know with an Italian Mother-in-law.







Time Square! Keri loved it all. It was very busy, loud and bright.

Brooklyn Bridge:

KERI got really good at bargining.

Bronx(Olmstead) eating giant pizza slices! Church in the background.

Scenes from Central Park:

New York, New York Temple: It's right on the street and straight up!

Scenes from the church historical sites in Palmayra:






Palmayra Temple: So beautiful!

Niagra Falls:

Fathers Day Week-end

Fathers day was combined with a b-day party for Gpa Kelley at Willow Park on Saturday.
Sunday we had everyone except Elder Mike and the Allens for Fathers day here. I'll try to keep it simple so you, Mike, have time to look at it. Hopefully, I'll get better at blogging.

While most of the men could be found solving the world problems..........

Darron was busy harassing the little kids. Brennon loved it. (I think???)

Baby Landon loves auntie Keri.
Robyn & Grace in the bounce house. They are as sweet as they look.

?????!!!! Baby Caden is 1 on Friday! Everyone enjoyed watching him. He's a very busy boy. He always has something in each hand. He loves the animals.

4 generations of Kelley boys. We're missing Elder Mike and baby Landon in this picture.

The Keri's, or is it the Kylie's? They each anser to either; especially now that they can both be found in matching scrubs and pony tails at the dental office.

Sydney
Ky & Brad

My first blog!

Colin is helping me set up a blog for our family. It seems Mike can look at pictures on a blog, but not on the his lds e-mail. So, Mike, this is for you. Wish me luck!