Going Home

These are the Senior couples that attend our Zone Conferences. Elder & Sister Reeder went home last week. They served in Pauls Valley and we saw them at all the conferences and Zone meetings.  Sister Reeder texted me and said it was sure great to hug all the grandkids!  Elder & Sister Gatchell, our housing missionaries, live at home in Oklahoma. They are so sweet and always ask if we need anything for our apartment. We mentioned a kitchen rug and we had it within an hour. They are so awesome and both converts to the Church.

 Elder & Sister Gatchell (our housing missionaries), Elder & Sister Lemmert (Ada), and Sister  Elder Reed (Pauls Valley)

Sister Englebrecht is now in our Zone, but she has changed since being in my 6th grade class in Woodinville, Washington!

Another moving day in Ada, OK

 The Elders trying to get a sofa out of the doorway

 Elder Lemmert --anything else to throw into that truck?

Elder Lemmert and Brother and Sister Starnes. Funny how the old people get the moving jobs.

A Saturday Morning in Ada, OK

While driving home from the gym Saturday morning, we passed some interesting, very usual sites within two blocks of our home.  We thought we'd share them with you. 

 When someone moves out of a house here, they often leave items in the house (probably because they skip out on their rent or are arrested for something like drugs). So the landlord throws everything to the curb and the "stuff" sits there until the grabber dump truck comes by and picks it all up.

Someone was tired of their mattress, so out to the curb it goes.

                                     

 If you are tired of your sofa, just put in in your front year. It will eventually disappear (usually after it gets rained on). It is not unusual to drive down any street and see sofas, chairs, bed, mattresses, you name it, on the curb waiting for a new owner or the grabber truck.

 This is the clutter behind the fire station. But the station is so small, I guess they need to put their stuff somewhere!

 This is the itty bitty Farmer's Market that dwindles down to minimal in October.

 A fire truck zooming down the street.

 On most building doors in Oklahoma, you will see a similar sign. I think we're the only people in the State of Oklahoma that don't carry a weapon.

Advertising for a rodeo. The truck is parked on the Fire Station lot.

Eclipse of the Moon, September 27, 2015

We sat in the parking lot next to our duplex and watched much of the eclipse last night. It was surely beautiful!  These rare occurrences in nature are quite phenomenol to us.  We did not get a good picture on our only camera (our I-phone), but we found the top and bottom pictures online and Tamara sent us the beautiful temple picture.

This photo was taken in Kansas, but it reminds us of Oklahoma, with the John Deere tractors and the landscape. The moon didn't appear this large to us, but we have driven in the country at night where the moon was huge and beautiful, just like this!

 Tamara sent us this picture of the moon behind the Gilbert, AZ Temple

This beautiful picture looks the most like what we saw last night. What a beautiful sight!

Ada Water Tower -- New Paint Job!

This water tower has a history! We understand that it was used as a water tower during the Panama Canal construction, then loaded onto a train in pieces and shipped to Ada.

 The tower is now blue and there is a worker on the top working on the roof.

 New clean look!  You can see it from quite a distance as you approach Ada. It looks much cleaner and spiffier! 

Amish Fair, Clarita, OK, September 12, 2015

Every year in the Spring and in the Fall, the Amish have a huge fundraiser for their schools all over the area. We were able to participate for a few hours Saturday morning and really enjoyed ourselves. They have numerous booths, pounds of homemade baked goods, homemake ice cream, burger, fries, and auctions.  These are just a few pictures of the numerous tents set up for the various fund raising activities. 

It is common to see a John Deere tractor anywhere.

Auction items set up on tables. Different auction begin at different times, including the livestock and handmade quilts.

Pies are on the left and other baked goods on the tables.

Amish lady selling breads.

Amish men heating up the fryers.  If the men are married, they have beards. If not married, they are clean shaven.

Auctioning off household goods. We purchased a couple of crocks and a "cafe" sign for our kitchen at home.

They make ice cream by hooking up the ice cream freezers to pulleys and running them off the motor of the tractor. Quick ice cream without much effort!

Ada Churches

These Churches are a block from our home in any direction!

This is the Episcopal Church, one of my favorite structures architecturally.

 Ada First Baptist Church, and some of their transportation vans that pick up people for church.

Our alley view of the Ada Baptist Church. Our little duplex is on the left. As you can see, it takes the whole block. There is another building across from this one.

Walk out our back door and 30 steps, you're inside the Baptist Church!

 United First Methodist Church and van. The Church takes up a whole block.

 There is also a First Christian Church that but I didn't snap the picture

This is our Church building. It is located 4 or 5 from us. It was purchased from another church and remodeled inside. There are stairs that many of the elderly people cannot manage, and the handicap restrooms are upstairs! Other than that and all the hallway congestion, it works!