Hi Everybody,
One last email!! Now that we’re on our way
home and due to the fact that (I’m) using these letters as my
excuse for being a lousy journal writer, we need to give this a wrap.
How about a top ten of our last week? Or how about that we were so
tired by the time we drove out of Ithaca last Saturday afternoon
(6 hours behind schedule),that we just count what we did from Monday to
Saturday? So that will be good so here it is: Monday: Swan song to Monday morning basketball…..Dad made it through the last 18 months without breaking anything. And I said goodbye to the laundromat! Sad? Not!! Except all of a sudden I realized how much I’ll miss Melanie, our laundromat queen manager who makes things run and who ALWAYS, ALWAYS
had a cheery attitude and a smile every Monday morning. This is after working an 80 hour week and being a soccer and basketball and volleyball Mom to her daughter who is 17 years old. How could I ever complain on Monday mornings about my tough life when greeted by Melanie….and she became my friend. So….Monday night was FHE and it turned out to be an “ask the Jolleys any question you want that isn’t religious.” We hope we didn’t give away any of the family secrets! It was really fun and we all laughed a lot. Tuesday: Oh my gosh! Left Ithaca at 7:00 a.m. and drove Elders and Sisters to Zone Conference in Owego where we had great training which we’ll use even if we’re not missionaries. Then after waiting for same missionaries to have interviews with President Rogers and leaving to go back to Ithaca, we had just enough time to drop them off at their apartments and turn around without even making a you-know-what stop and drive back to where we just came from (Owego….an hour away) for our last CES training. How we will miss these great Seminary teachers and especially, most especially, our amazing Brother Matt Baker. He’s going straight to the Celestial Kingdom for his devotion to the cause!! Wednesday: Tried to read and study for Institute classes…..with numerous interruptions which were all important and necessary. Left early for Owego (again) to pick up Valerie and go to see Hector in Binghamton in the rehab center. He’s doing so much better….we can leave him knowing he’s on the mend. Then we visited Brother Abuja who is also in rehab in another town and not doing so well. He and his wife Olga are the glue that held the Owego Institute together for the last 7 years. We taught Institute that night and there were many goodbyes that made it really difficult to leave these wonderful hope-to-be soon and brand new and members for 75 years Saints that we love sooo much. But before driving home that night, we made a stop at Charlie’s apartment. He and his family were the first members of the Church in that area 72 years ago. He NEVER missed Institute and driving a carload of other attendees there but has been very, very sick the last two weeks. He promised to go the doctor the next day (the next day we found out he ended up in the hospital….but is doing better). So we probably shouldn’t tell you what we did after we got home from Institute that night at 10:30. It has to do with watching (sleeping through) a movie that 3 of the YSA brought over the night before in preparation for a promised promise to attend an informal YSA activity the next night. Let’s just say the evening ended about 12:30 that night. Thursday: Still trying to study for Institute class at Cornell tonight. But no Friday Forum shopping! Made my last chocolate chip cookies!! 5 dozen which all were eaten that night along with 2 lbs of grapes. We’ve loved the challenge of teaching Institute at Cornell. There have been times this last 18 months that the lesson went down the drain and times when the Spirit was strong and great witnesses were given of profound Gospel principles. We also found out this morning that a wonderful couple from the Ithaca Ward have been called to replace us until the new CES couple comes in December. The Millers will be the best!! He’s a former stake president here and they also taught Seminary here for years. She is from Idaho. They met when he was one of those Navy guys that our mothers warned us about that were assigned to the AEC training on submarine simulators. He joined the Church in Idaho. Then after Institute and lots of visiting and goodbyes we went with the YSA to opening night of the release of The Scorch Trials (sequel to The Maze Runner which we sort of watched the night before) which started at 10:30 p.m. Got to bed the next morning. Friday: No packing done….no cleaning done up to this point. So……we pack for a while and then somebody would come to visit. Then repeat, and repeat, and repeat. Also tried to orient the Millers as much as we possibly could in a limited amount of time. We’re so glad they’re taking our place for these few months! We finally quit when we couldn’t face it anymore and went to Friendlys for our last ice cream. Then Dad packed the car. AMAZINGLY it all fit in the car. Fell into bed somewhere that night. Bed? Sofa? Futon? Kitchen chair? Saturday: Finished cleaning, last of the visits and goodbye’s. Dropped off Family Proclamations and thank you notes to our friends in Cornell United Religious Work and then on to Sharon, Vermont. Oh it was a beautiful drive…..and we drove through actual mountains….well sort of….and since we were late getting away, the last 40 minutes was after dark but that’s ok. So that’s IT! On our way home via the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph which was a wonderful experience, then on to Old Orchard Beach, Maine where we are staying in a cottage about 50 feel from the Atlantic Ocean. Today has been walking on the beach, breakfast on the beach, reading on the beach, sitting on the beach, taking pictures on the beach……and wondering what everybody else at home and in our previous last 18 month life is doing. Oh and we drove a short distance to Maine’s most photographed light house…..Portland Light. We added to the photographs and bought a water color of the light house by a local artist. The end! What a ride this has been the last 18 months. This experience will define the rest of our lives. Nothing more to say except we love you and we’re grateful that your lives and our lives have been blessed. Now it’s on to the Adirondacks tomorrow, then Buffalo, then somewhere in Indiana and Minnesota and South Dakota, and Montana, and Idaho and then HOME SWEET HOME. We love you all!!!!!! XOXOX Dad and Mom and Grandpa and Grandma
and for just a few more days Elder and Sister (Elder-ette) Jolley
excuse for being a lousy journal writer, we need to give this a wrap.
How about a top ten of our last week? Or how about that we were so
tired by the time we drove out of Ithaca last Saturday afternoon
(6 hours behind schedule),that we just count what we did from Monday to
Saturday? So that will be good so here it is: Monday: Swan song to Monday morning basketball…..Dad made it through the last 18 months without breaking anything. And I said goodbye to the laundromat! Sad? Not!! Except all of a sudden I realized how much I’ll miss Melanie, our laundromat queen manager who makes things run and who ALWAYS, ALWAYS
had a cheery attitude and a smile every Monday morning. This is after working an 80 hour week and being a soccer and basketball and volleyball Mom to her daughter who is 17 years old. How could I ever complain on Monday mornings about my tough life when greeted by Melanie….and she became my friend. So….Monday night was FHE and it turned out to be an “ask the Jolleys any question you want that isn’t religious.” We hope we didn’t give away any of the family secrets! It was really fun and we all laughed a lot. Tuesday: Oh my gosh! Left Ithaca at 7:00 a.m. and drove Elders and Sisters to Zone Conference in Owego where we had great training which we’ll use even if we’re not missionaries. Then after waiting for same missionaries to have interviews with President Rogers and leaving to go back to Ithaca, we had just enough time to drop them off at their apartments and turn around without even making a you-know-what stop and drive back to where we just came from (Owego….an hour away) for our last CES training. How we will miss these great Seminary teachers and especially, most especially, our amazing Brother Matt Baker. He’s going straight to the Celestial Kingdom for his devotion to the cause!! Wednesday: Tried to read and study for Institute classes…..with numerous interruptions which were all important and necessary. Left early for Owego (again) to pick up Valerie and go to see Hector in Binghamton in the rehab center. He’s doing so much better….we can leave him knowing he’s on the mend. Then we visited Brother Abuja who is also in rehab in another town and not doing so well. He and his wife Olga are the glue that held the Owego Institute together for the last 7 years. We taught Institute that night and there were many goodbyes that made it really difficult to leave these wonderful hope-to-be soon and brand new and members for 75 years Saints that we love sooo much. But before driving home that night, we made a stop at Charlie’s apartment. He and his family were the first members of the Church in that area 72 years ago. He NEVER missed Institute and driving a carload of other attendees there but has been very, very sick the last two weeks. He promised to go the doctor the next day (the next day we found out he ended up in the hospital….but is doing better). So we probably shouldn’t tell you what we did after we got home from Institute that night at 10:30. It has to do with watching (sleeping through) a movie that 3 of the YSA brought over the night before in preparation for a promised promise to attend an informal YSA activity the next night. Let’s just say the evening ended about 12:30 that night. Thursday: Still trying to study for Institute class at Cornell tonight. But no Friday Forum shopping! Made my last chocolate chip cookies!! 5 dozen which all were eaten that night along with 2 lbs of grapes. We’ve loved the challenge of teaching Institute at Cornell. There have been times this last 18 months that the lesson went down the drain and times when the Spirit was strong and great witnesses were given of profound Gospel principles. We also found out this morning that a wonderful couple from the Ithaca Ward have been called to replace us until the new CES couple comes in December. The Millers will be the best!! He’s a former stake president here and they also taught Seminary here for years. She is from Idaho. They met when he was one of those Navy guys that our mothers warned us about that were assigned to the AEC training on submarine simulators. He joined the Church in Idaho. Then after Institute and lots of visiting and goodbyes we went with the YSA to opening night of the release of The Scorch Trials (sequel to The Maze Runner which we sort of watched the night before) which started at 10:30 p.m. Got to bed the next morning. Friday: No packing done….no cleaning done up to this point. So……we pack for a while and then somebody would come to visit. Then repeat, and repeat, and repeat. Also tried to orient the Millers as much as we possibly could in a limited amount of time. We’re so glad they’re taking our place for these few months! We finally quit when we couldn’t face it anymore and went to Friendlys for our last ice cream. Then Dad packed the car. AMAZINGLY it all fit in the car. Fell into bed somewhere that night. Bed? Sofa? Futon? Kitchen chair? Saturday: Finished cleaning, last of the visits and goodbye’s. Dropped off Family Proclamations and thank you notes to our friends in Cornell United Religious Work and then on to Sharon, Vermont. Oh it was a beautiful drive…..and we drove through actual mountains….well sort of….and since we were late getting away, the last 40 minutes was after dark but that’s ok. So that’s IT! On our way home via the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph which was a wonderful experience, then on to Old Orchard Beach, Maine where we are staying in a cottage about 50 feel from the Atlantic Ocean. Today has been walking on the beach, breakfast on the beach, reading on the beach, sitting on the beach, taking pictures on the beach……and wondering what everybody else at home and in our previous last 18 month life is doing. Oh and we drove a short distance to Maine’s most photographed light house…..Portland Light. We added to the photographs and bought a water color of the light house by a local artist. The end! What a ride this has been the last 18 months. This experience will define the rest of our lives. Nothing more to say except we love you and we’re grateful that your lives and our lives have been blessed. Now it’s on to the Adirondacks tomorrow, then Buffalo, then somewhere in Indiana and Minnesota and South Dakota, and Montana, and Idaho and then HOME SWEET HOME. We love you all!!!!!! XOXOX Dad and Mom and Grandpa and Grandma
and for just a few more days Elder and Sister (Elder-ette) Jolley
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| We're headed home! |
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| Goodbye 1 |
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| Goodbye 2 |
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| Memorial 1 |
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| Memorial 2 |
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| Selfie at the beach. Look how good we're getting. You can only see a tiny sliver of a finger and no one's head was cut off. Yay! |
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| Our photo stand ins for the day. We are enjoying the beach in Maine. |
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