Awesome ICE Storm

Day after the ICE storm. All the ice glistens in the sun like crystal. Click on the pic to see the total effect. You'll love it.
The red berries under the ice and snow make this for a very pretty sight.

This sight is right out our back door off our balcony. For the last couple of nights we have listened to the cracking and breaking of tree limbs, and the clanking of branches brushing against each other when the wind blows. It is a very magical sight. I have never seen anything like this.

I guess the only awesome, amazing, breath-taking thing about an ICE storm is the visual. Pretty darn COOL!!!

Transfer Calls

Elder being transfered in our District: Elder Berganza(the one in the black coat on the left), Elder Gale is right behind Elder Berganza, Elder Miller(sitting on the chair in front) ZL mission done, going home.
Elder Torres, Evans, Speirs, Miller, Raymond, Butler.
District lunch at Chili's with the New Windsor District. We enjoyed an awesome District meeting with these young men. What powerful spirits they are. They are "AMAZING & GLORIOUS".

Monday Night after Mission Conference is always looked forward to or dreaded. We always are sad to see some of our elders go somewhere else, but always excited to become acquainted with others. We were invited to the District meeting in New Windsor and to District Lunch afterwards. We are so sad to say goodbye to Elder Miller. Former AP, he is headed home and on with the rest of his life. I am sure we will get to see him again as he comes to St. George to visit his favorite Aunt who just happens to be the receptionist to our dentist. Small World.

Those in our district being transfered is Elder Gale and Elder Berganza who recooped at our place last month. We love you guys and wish the best for all of you in your new areas.

Baptism in Middletown

Elder Dalton, Kevin, Manuel, their sister and Mother, Elder Berganza. Spanish Elders in Middletown who had a baptism today. The mother is committed to baptism in a couple of weeks as soon as she marries her boys father. Elder Jesson and Wilkinson had a baptism of two people, a couple who got married last Saturday and baptized on Sunday. Today they were confirmed. The chapel in Middletown is going under construction, as they are adding on to it. The ward will have to travel 25 miles away to New Burgh for church. We will have to travel about 55 miles when visiting the ward starting in January.
Elder Berganza and Elder Jesson, invited us to come to Elder Berganza and Dalton's baptism on Sunday. We had a fun visit with them when inspecting their apartment.
New Burgh Elder's apartment inspection. What a fun place to be. There are two "Greenies", one former AP who is now one of the two Zone Leaders, a district leader and his junior companion who are Spanish Elders and the two Elders in the Zion Companionship who travel around the mission. When we arrived they all stood and sang us a hymn. We will be back on Monday to deliver supplies and have been invited to their District meeting and District Lunch. Won't turn that down.

RS Enrichment Activity

This one hangs in our house, Doug is praying for SNOW. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Roxanne Estrada showing her sign we made out of old Christmas Cards, Mogepodged on the wood.
Sister Loretta Thompson showing her Christmas Story Photo Album
Sylvia Roberts and her candy Christmas Tree
Lisa Rivera and son Carlos with her "Merry Kissmas" advent plaque
Reversible sign below, Live Laugh and Love on the back side

We spent several days preparing for our Super Saturday Craft Enrichment Activity. (Now that's a mouthful.) We had to come up with some ideas, (sometimes that is the hardest part.) After deciding what we wanted to do we headed to Home Depot. The young man was nice enough to cut the wood the size that we needed. There was at least 40 pieces of wood 8 inches long. Doug had purchased a sander for our last project of making quilting frames, so we had that on hand. He spent many hours sanding all the wood for the projects. (I think he enjoys the craft projects as much as I do.) The thought processing and making the items to show the sisters was done when Elder Berganza was staying here recooperating. He helped me paint the initial items for show. Then of course when we were down to Middletown for apartment inspections we stopped by JoAnns, Michael's, and AC Moore craft stores to pick up necessary craft items. Sister Becky Murphy, RS Pres. taught everyone how to cover a Christmas Photo Album and build a candy tree. We had 5 kids there who loved the candy tree craft. The day was topped of with Chili & Cheese, bread chips, and Chocolate cream surprise for lunch.

h A P p Y b I r T H d A y c A r I

Happy Happy Birthday to our dear sweet CARI. Cari married our Dusty and they have two darling little boys. We love you so much and hope you have the most awesome day!!!!! Have fun down in Vegas. See you in 20 days, but who is counting?

Seniors Christmas Evening

We had a very enjoyable evening with the other senior couples on our mission. We rode down to the Bronx and parked our car with others under the Kingsbridge chapel and then rode the subway downtown. We ate at Applebee's then......
....We went to Radio City Music Hall and watched the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. If you ever have the chance to see it GO!!!!!!! You'll love it.
We found Santa along the way, perfect picture place. The place down at Rockafeller Center was so crowded due to the lighting of the famous Christmas Tree. It was a mad house, but the decorations are very festive and the electricity in the air was exciting. We were never able to see the lighted tree as we couldn't get close enough and the show ended before it was lit. There was a big program for the lighting at the Rockafeller Center with tons of people. We avoided the huge crowd after the Show.
There was 18 of us for the evening. We had our own room and the food was great.

Mission conference "Giving Service"

Our Mission T-shirts
I've never seen the chapel look quite like this. Tons of suits but no bodies in them. The missionaries come to Mission conference in their suits and all change for the service project. Guys stay in the chapel and the gals used the rest room.
Jack of all trades, Janitorial work suits him fine when needed.
Service activity, clean up along the road ways. Elder Dalton must have been the only stuff along the road he cleaned up.
The Sisters are always so fun to be with, they are just so dang cute!
Elder Miller, thumbs up, done and headed home along with 14 other missionaries. We have really enjoyed him and know his favorite aunt, Ilene who is our Dentists receptionist in St. George. Small world.

Mission Conference was awesome. We had several musical numbers because of it being Christmas time. I am so impressed with the awesome talent these young people are blessed with. They are a fresh breath of air and it is so fun to be among them. Everyone changed into the mission shirt and took off in 7 different groups to clean roadsides in York Town.