October 5, 2014

This was the week we have been waiting for a long time.  We have been on our mission 15 months and new that our children were planning on coming to New England to visit us.  The time finally came and all four of our children with their spouses came.  Greg and Heidi brought #19, our little Livy. 
   Lance and Aimee are shown in the first few photos because it took them 2 days to get here due to plane trouble and bad weather.  But they finally got here Thursday night and we had 2 wonderful days with them too.
   The first two pictures are of all of us at the office.  We took them down there to meet all the people we work with.  They wanted to see where we worked and who we worked with.  It was the Pettingill's last week and we also wanted to say goodbye.
  The second picture is us around the dinner table just after they got here.  Miriam fixed a wonderful dinner that we all enjoyed in our little apartment.  Everyone but us stayed at the mission home that's to the hospitality of President Stoker. 
   The pictures to the left are at our visit to Boston.  Casey and Brianne flew into Boston and we picked them up from their hotel and spent the day in Boston.  It was cloudy and cool but luckily there was no rain.  We had so much fun.  We walked the Freedom Trail, rode the trolley to all the sites including Old Ironsides.  There is so much history there.  Our country and its freedom started there. 
  On Friday we went to Vermont and it was the most beautiful day.  The sun was shinning and we really enjoyed the fall season with all its
beauty.  The leaves were changing and color was wonderful.  We went to JSM and spent time touring the beautiful site of the birth of Joseph Smith.
We then went to Quechee and shopped, viewed the gorge and had a blast.  We then went to Woodstock to complete the day. 
   Saturday we went to Maine.  It was cold and it rained all day.  Very typical weather for Maine.  We toured two light houses and topped the day off with a lobster dinner ant the lobster shack.  It was the first time we had lobster like this.  We had to have a lady in the restaurant show us how to eat it.  It was so fun.  We got back in time to watch the Priesthood session.
  Sunday we went for a short hike, where Heidi dropped her I Phone in the water.  It took time to find it but the forest was beautiful and the sun shined.  We then went back to the mission home and watched conference.  After the 2nd session, Miriam had a wonderful dinner ready for us.  We had President Stoker eat with us and it was wonderful
   We took everyone to the airport this morning and Miriam and I were back at work this afternoon.  Our mission has made us even more aware of how blessed we are to have such wonderful children.  We love and miss them so much.  We are so grateful for the Gospel and it eternal blessings.