HAPPY BIrthDAY ALLE-BUG

This is a shout-out to our sweet little ALLEE-BUG. HAPPY HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY!!!!!! POMPA & GRAMMA LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT FUN HAPPY EXCITING DAY!

Fun day with Doug's Parents at the Temple

Rockefeller Center
Subway experience on our way to the temple
30 foot X 8 foot Quilt with 3 inch squares for each of the victums of 9-11 put together in a beautiful mural.
The twin towers
This is in the Folk Art shop right next door to the Manhattan Temple

Doug's Mom and Dad here visiting

Elva and ReVon flew in for a few days to visit. What a craxy week end it has been. Lots going on. We picked them up at the airport on Friday after Mission Conference. Drove thru Manhattan to show them the "CITY", ate at a little place that we enjoyed with another mission couple, Crepes on Columbus. The drive around gave us plenty of time to talk and visit.

Saturday morning we were just heading out to the subway when the Formans, the mission couple replacing us from Sparks Nevada drove up to go to Mission Coorilation meeting. We invited them in to take a look around at their new residence for the next 18 months. Lots of questions and things to see. Then off to the subway to go to the Temple. The subway is always a must when visiting New York. The temple is beautiful. Doug's mom couldn't get enough of it. She just absolutely loved it and thought it was so beautiful. Sister Donn in the temple told us we needed to go next door to a Folk Art Shop and see the huge beautiful amazing quilt on display, a memorial to the victums of 911. It was breath taking. I have include a few pictures. Then we took a Taxi to the Rockefeller Center to take them to the Top of the Rock observation Deck to see all of New York from a different perspective. It was a little cloudy so the visibility wasn't great. Then back on the subway home to fix a dish for the ward Pot-luck dinner. It was a real treat to introduce Elva and ReVon and the Formans to people in the ward. I am really going to miss this ward.

Sunday morning Doug went early to help a new convert, Samuel, learn about blessing the sacrament. This is a great milestone in Samuels life as a member of the church. He is a great man and we have all become great friends. Doug and I had been asked to talk in Sacrament meeting. It was a bitter sweet day as we were able to have Elva and Revon here, talk in Sacrament meeting, and say good bye. After church Doug took Samuel home teaching for the first time and then brought him over for dinner. It is very hard to say good bye to these wonderful people we have been blessed to become friends with. Oh, I will miss them all. I wish you could all meet them. This was a great experience for Elva and ReVon which they really enjoyed too.

Vacations never last long enough. Tomorrow we will be taking Doug's parents back to the airport and then we will have to get serious about moving. We'll rent a U-Haul and will have to go to several different places that the mission has furniture stored so we can get our apartment in Monticello furnished.

Suprise Mission Conference Visit

A subway train full of missionaries, awesome sight!
Olmstead Zone waiting for the subway, heading to Manhattan to Mission Conference.

New 5 floor stake center on 87th street where Mission Conference was.

What an awesome experience we enjoyed. A re-scheduled Mission Conference brought our whole mission together in Down town Manhattan. We usually meet in two groups. The Northern part and the Southern part. This was a first since President Searle has been Mission President. The reason for combining the two was a surprise visit from President Uchtdorf. He was here in New York Vacationing with his wife and his twin grandsons who just received their mission call to Taiwan, two separate different missions. We sat in Zones and our Zone was right up front by the door that he entered. We were right on the front row. We all had the opportunity to shake President and Sister Uchtdorf's hand. It was definately the hi-lite of our mission thus far. A once in a life-time opportunity.

HAPPY 21ST BRAXTIN

This is a SHOUT-OUT to our baby boy BRAX!! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUD, WE LUV YOU TONZ, MISS YOU! Can't wait to see you in August.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXXXXXOOOOO

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO BRANDON AND MALEA - 9 YEARS AND GOING STRONG!!!! WE LOVE YOU TONS

HoG digg-ity doG finD

Today we home taught Beverly Rucker. Interesting way to teach: we picked her up at her Dr. apptmt. and took her to Brunch in the Bronx. While eating we received a phone call from Pres. Searle asking us to go to the Kingsbridge chapel and pick up two Elder's luggage and take it to Stuyvasant Town. It is transfers today. Stuyvasant Town is way down on 14th street in Manhattan. Beverly was up for the adventure so away we went. The Elders had to take the subway down to 14th street and so we just took their luggage & dropped it off at their apartment and then went the chapel on 15th street across Manhattan to drop their keys to the apartment off for them. This is where they get to check their email. The 15th street chapel backs up to the Convent and also houses the Young singel adult lounge in the basement and the employment center for the church their in NYC. Hence, the computers for the elders to check their email. After visiting and checking things out, we headed up Lexington avenue to find a HARLEY DAVIDSON store that our friend Rex told us about. What a find. Huge selection. Of course we need a shirt that said "NEW YORK CITY" on it. Beverly was a trooper and enjoyed the day with us. Traffic was a nightmare getting her home to Brooklyn and us back to the Bronx.

Last Delivery Day for us

Hanging out with the gang in squished quarters.
Bowling with water bottles, waiting for Elder Ellett so we can bless the food.
Serving up lunch. The Elders are always so good to make sure the sisters go first.
Those new front stairs are perfect for taking pictures.
Brother Pina comes to the store house for two bags of food every month. He carries them home on the subway. He always seems to show up at Zone meetings and Mission Conference. He loves going out with the missionaries. He's pretty funny. He wanted us to take a picture of us and send it to him.

Today was our last Delivery Day before our transfer. We are sad to leave our Olmstead Missionary family. The whole Zone was invited over for lunch after unloading and stocking the food in the Storehouse. Transfers will take three of our Elders. Elder Stoddard is being transferred home. His family is here to pick him up tomorrow. Elder Jones and Elder Ferrell will be heading out too. After everyone left we found a keep-sake note from all of them on our bed. We will cherish it along with our memories and missionary family.