Connecticut Elders - December 11, 2012

One responsibility we have as a senior missionary couple is that we get to inspect missionary apartments.  This picture is the six missionaries that live together in a tiny little apartment in Stamsford, CT.  There is a funny story behind the Santa Clause.  The missionaries were assigned to do service down in New York City after Hurricane Sandy.  While doing their work, there was this Santa Clause buried in sand and water.  The owner of the Santa said to throw the Santa away because he was ruined.  The missionaries asked if they could have him and the owner said "Yes".  They took Santa home, dried him out, fixed his little speaker box, and now he is good as new.  He dances and sings.  It is the funniest thing ever!  Santa is a survivor of Hurricane Sandy.  One of the Elders in this picture lives in our home ward in South Weber, Utah - Elder Golding.  Elder Golding is in the middle on the top row.  We are so lucky that we get to see him from time to time.

Philadelphia - December 8, 2012

We had the opportunity of taking a group of Cadets to Philadelphia for the Army/Navy game.  This game was a requirement for them to attend but a few got a pass and was able to come with us and the rest rode on buses provided by West Point.  On Friday night, we took them to a famous place called "Genos" and "Pats" (across the street) for delicious philly cheese steak sandwiches.  We stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn and then dropped the cadets off at the football stadium for the game early Saturday morning.  We then cooked the rest of the day for a YSA activity that evening.  There were approximately 15 cadets from West Point, 12 midshipman from the Naval Academy and 25 YSA adults from the YSA Philadephia ward who attended this event.  We met at the Elders Quorum Apartment for the party as the church was totally booked that night for Christmas events. We had a great time?

Downtown New York City - December 3, 2012

Rockefeller Christmas Tree

Today we had the wonderful opportunity of going to the Scarsdale Chapel and listening to Elder Paul V. Johnson.  He gave some wonderful advice on how to be a high yield/low maintenance missionary.  After the couples got on a bus and we went to the city to attend the Christmas Show from the Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes.  We went and saw the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree - it was spectacular!  We love our mission.

Inside the Radio City Music Hall
85th anniversary of the Rockettes

Yankee Stadium - The Bronx

Of course while we were downtown New York, we just had to go and see Yankee Stadium.  We got there too late to go on a tour but we were able to walk around the outside.  Eric loved it!  Amy Slaughter went with us.  Ela and Amy put on funny hats inside the Yankee stadium gift shop.

Hike near Fort Montgomery

We decided to go on a "nature walk" after our Thanksgiving dinner.  The girls love to be out in nature.  These are some pictures of our day.

Times Square - November 23, 2012

This is a picture of all of us in New York City at Times Square.  This is such an amazing place!!!

Hard Rock Cafe - New York City style

Leesa, Eric and the girls came for Thanksgiving to West Point.  We took the girls and went into the city on Friday, November 23, 2012.  It was a great day because it wasn't too cold outside.  I was amazed at how "non-crowded" it was.  We saw a Hard Rock Cafe so we decided to eat lunch there.

Trunk or Treat - Branch Activity

The West Point Branch had a trunk or treat activity.  In this picture is Cadet Amy Slaughter.  She is from North Ogden, Utah.  She is an awesome young lady.  We made witches brew (which is root beer with dry ice).  The kids here at West Point didn't know what dry ice was.  It is almost impossible to find dry ice here.  Must be a Utah thing!!!

Hurricane Sandy - October 29, 2012

Hurricane Sandy came in with a roar tonight in the New Jersey, New York and Connecticut areas.  We were so blessed and we didn't have any problems.  It was really windy and it rained but it didn't seem unusally bad here at West Point.  I am going to publish some pictures on our post just to show some of the devastation in the New Jersey and New York areas.  Tonight when we were driving home, the Shell gas station in Highland Falls was so backed up from people trying to buy gas.  There is a bad gas shortage here because the roads and tunnels are so flooded in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that the gas trucks cannot get into the cities.  The airports are just starting to open again on a limited basis.  This is a very sad situation for many people.  Houses burned down in New Jersey and there is so much tragedy.  We are so heart broken for the many people who are suffering tonight without power.  The power company says it could be up to two more weeks before power is back on.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Autumn Leaves

The autumn leaves here are so beautiful.  Everyone has been telling me that I wouldn't believe the leaves here in New York when they start to change color.  I told them "I lived in Utah - the autumn leaves are beautiful there too", but there is a difference.  Here in New York there is a red color that it unbelievable.  I took a picture of some of these red leaves but this picture doesn't do it justice.  The red color is like a neon red. 

Thomas Jefferson chair - West Point Library

This is a chair and table desk used by Thomas Jefferson which they have on display at the West Point Library.  There is a swivel wooden box on the left side of the chair that is capable of holding four books.  It is said that Thomas Jefferson would put four books on that box and swivel it around.  He would read one book for a half hour or so, then swivel it around and read in the next one and so forth.  The wooden thing on top of the table is a writing pad.  He would write in long hand and there is another pen on the side that would copy what he was writing.  The wooden box on the end of the seat was his traveling box he used that carried his writing utensils.

More WP Tour - Mess Hall

Okay, so this is the coolest Mess Hall ever!  It looks like something out of Harry Potter or something.  If you can imagine fixing meals for 4500 cadets for three meals each day.  That would be pure torture for me! 

West Point Tour for Relief Society - October 10, 2012

Brother Fleek took the West Point Branch Relief Society on a tour of some of the facilties at West Point.  We were able to go into the library and see the "Ring Wall".  This case holds all the class rings of the graduates from 1846 to present.  The pictures doesn't do it justice but it is really spectular to see all the different designs from the past ages.

Football Game - September 29, 2012

Jim and I gave our football tickets away to some other senior missionaries in our area but we were able to walk up the sidewalk near the game and take some pictures.  It's such an awesome sight to see all those Cadets sitting together during the game.  This game they had on their white over gray uniforms.  We invited our Zone Leaders to come along with us to help with a tailgate after the game.  Our awesome Zone Leaders are Elder Hill and Elder Petersen.  This picture is taken across the street from the football stadium.

Transfer Day - September 26, 2012

Every six weeks we have transfer day and everyone in this area meets at the Ossining Chapel.  I took this picture of two suitcases.  One is an Elder's suitcase and one is a Sister's suitcase.  Can you guess who belongs to what suitcase? 

LaCrosse Plaque - Thomas Truxton

Our youngest grandson, Dallin, just loves LaCrosse and here on the West Point Campus they are going to build a new LaCrosse field.  This is the plaque of a solider who also loved LaCrosse.  We took this picture for Dallin so he could read about a young man who was killed during World War II in the Phillippines but loved playing LaCrosse and so they are honoring him by calling the LaCrosse Center after him.

Senior Couple Missionary Get-Together at West Point - September 22, 2012

All the senior missionaries assigned to the New York New York North Mission were invited to West Point on September 22, 2012.  I believe there were only two couples which were unable to come.  The mission doctor and his wife drove up from Boston to attend this event.  Sherman Fleek, the post historian for West Point, who is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, gave the missionaries a tour.  We started at the Old Cadet Chapel, then to the cemetery, and then on to Trophy Point.  The single tombstone in the picture is that of General George Custard.  Afterwards, Jim and I prepared a fantastic luncheon for everyone.  We had polish sausages, sloppy joes, baked beans, potato salads, etc.  We also went to one of our favorite places - Jones Family Farm - in Cornwall.  They have this carrot cake which they call "Deadly".  We also bought some of their bread pudding.  Everyone had a great time and the weather turned out to be great!

Army v. Northern Illinois Football Game - September 15, 2012

This is Army's first home game in Michie Stadium.  President and Sister Morgan came to "The Hut" for breakfast and then attended the game with us.  It was such a beautiful day.  The weather was perfect.  Army lost 40-41 but it was actually a pretty good game.  Jim bought four season ticket seats so we will be having other couple missionaries join us for the next six games.  In the picture you can see the Cadets which sit directly across from our seats.  The Cadets are required to stand during the whole football game!  Everytime Army scores, there are several cannons that go off and the Cadets sing some Army cheer song.

Zone meeting

Elder Head, Elder and Sister Hohosh and Elder Hill

September 10, 2012 - Zone Meeting

This is a funny picture of the Elders who came to zone meeting with suspenders on.  That must be the new thing in missionary attire.  The older gentlemen sitting with his arms folded is Elder Wells.  He is an awesome guy.  Elder and Sister Wells serve in New Paltz which is approximately 45 minutes from "The Hut".  We get together as a zone the first Monday of every month at the Newburgh Stake Center.  The Wells and us take turns each month in preparing a lunch for the Elders after our meeting.  Sister Wells is an excellent cook.  She use to own a bakery in California.  It is really fun to get together with everyone on these days.

1st Zone Conference - August 28, 2012 in Ossining

Today we attended our first Zone Conference.  There were about 60 missionaries there and four couple missionaries.  President Morgan is an awesome leader and we learned more about the mission rules and our purpose here as missionaries.  President and Sister Morgan are with us in the photograph taken in the cultural hall after lunch.

Mission Hut

Our good friend, Julie Miles, did some vinyl lettering for us to put on a wall in our kitchen going into our living area that says "Mission Hut on the Hudson".  We love it!  Our mission president and his family came over for dinner on Sunday, along with the post historian, Sherman Fleek, and four cadets.  They got a kick out of it.

President Morgan at Camp Buckner - August 26, 2012

President Morgan and Elder Hohosh went to Camp Buckner on August 26, 2012 and attended sacrament in the field with the cadets.  This was the first time for President Morgan and he was very excited for the opportunity to be there and share that experience.  Sister Morgan and her two sons went with Sister Hohosh to the branch for meetings.  Afterwards, they came over for dinner.  We had a great day!

Bambi

We were out walking one morning and this deer stopped and looked at us - he wasn't afraid at all.  Then he stood there and posed while Jim took his picture.  Hahahaha!

Club Night - Eisenhower Hall

On August 20, 2012 we attended what they call "Club Night" at Eisenhower Hall.  This is where the cadets come and sign up for any club or clubs they wish to belong to.  There is every kind of club that you can think of ... i.e. the bagpipe club, chess club, debate, and all types of religious clubs.  We attended with Brother Russell May who is the Church Institute teacher for this area.  Our booth was the LDSSA club.  In this picture there is Brother Steve Elgan from our branch, Chaplain Major Pinkie Fischer, Brother Russell May and Elder Hohosh.

Acceptance Day (A-Day) Parade

Summer training for all classes officially culminates with the Acceptance Parade.  It is at this ceremony that the plebes are allowed, for the first time, to wear their white hats, a traditional symbol of having been formally accepted into the Corps of Cadets.  They are no longer “New Cadets.” 

This is one of only two parades that are totally dedicated to a particular class during the entire West Point experience (A-Day and Graduation) and also that include the entire Corps of Cadets.

The New Cadets will march out and line up in front of the bleachers facing Washington Hall or the Plain.  The rest of the Corps of Cadets will march out and face the bleachers.  After the New Cadets are accepted into the Corps, they march to join their academic companies (may be different from their Beast Companies). 

Times Square - August 17, 2012

On Friday night, we went to Manhattan with our branch President and his wife, Rone and Brenda Sparrow.  The temple is really small but it so awesome in downtown Manhattan.  After the temple, we decided to ride the subway and go to Times Square.  We went to a place called "Juniors" and ate cheesecake.  It was so delicious.

Friendly New Yorkers

On our walk one morning, we looked across the street and painted onto the front steps of a house in Highland Falls are the words "Go Away".  Pretty funny!  It makes you kind of want to go and knock on the door.  HAHAHA

Transfer Day - Ossining Stake Center - August 15th

Today was our first experience in going to see how all the transfers work.  Nothing here is close in New York - you drive and drive and drive.  This church building we went to in Ossining was about 40 minutes away from where we are in Highland Falls.  The first picture shows all the luggage and Elders wandering around in the parking lot at the church looking for where they need to go.  It was a great meeting.  President Morgan was there and he gave a great talk about charity and about getting along with your companions.  The second picture is our zone leader Elder Head (Clinton, Utah) on the left, Elder Fragiacomo (Italy) in the middle, and Elder Lartey (Orem, Utah) on the right.  We love these guys.  They have been really good to us.