December in Virginia

I absolutely love these natural Christmas trees that grow here.  The little red berries are so festive and fun!  There are trees with red berries everywhere.  Some have leaves, some are just berries, some are trimmed like this into a Christmas tree shape.  I would like to steal one to put in my house.  I wouldn't even have to decorate it!

We said good-bye to one one of our favorite Elders who finished his mission and went home in time for Christmas.  What a joy it was to work with Elder D.

We babysat our "honorary" grandson one evening so that his parents could go to the officer's ball.  He was so much fun and really enjoyed Grandpa Elkins.  His favorite toys were: the bears, the aerobic step, a bucket full of potatoes, a laundry basket, and a phone. We have become good friends with his parents and will miss them when they transfer a month before we do.

At the mission conference it is always fun to see some of our favorite Elders.  Elder S was transferred back to work with us again as a District Leader and Elder R is the Zone Leader in another area now.

We were happy to have permission to spend Christmas with our daughter and her family.

It is so fun to be with family for Christmas.  It was a nice day, even if the kids were wishing for a white Christmas.

Our oldest grandson turned twelve a couple days before Christmas and is ready to be ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.  What a wonderful blessing.

My sister sent these "stockings" for our Christmas.  What fun. 

We stopped by the DC Temple grounds.  Unfortunately the live nativity display is only in the evenings but they left this camel just sitting around so we had to get a picture or two.  We did enjoy seeing the creche displays in the Visitor's Center.

Soldier "Mom" gets a salute from her son at graduation.

She is one of our LDS soldiers who just got transferred to Korea.

A Missionary

The other day someone asked me how long we had been on our mission. My mind went blank and I said, "I know that it's been more than a year, we have 3 1/2 months to go."  Then I realized that after we passed the one year mark I stopped counting how many months we had been out and started counting down how many months till we get to hug our kids and grandkids again.  It's not that we want to leave.  We love every soldier and every moment that we are serving.  We savor every experience.  But we do sometimes long for home and the time is passing by very quickly.

Reasons to give thanks in November

Some friends took us to a real Indian Pow Wow in Richmond.  It was really fun.  There were drums going constantly.  The drummers were getting judged, the dancers for their dancing and costume. It was amazing and memorable. And we bought some yummy Indian Tacos for lunch.

It was wonderful to see these loving people so proud of their heritage.

I call these "Thanksgiving Bushes" because they began blooming in November.  They are planted in rows and look like something that should be lining the walk at a wedding reception.

The trees and leaves are fascinating.  Even the brown ones.  Every color in the world is represented this time of year. 

I call these "glowing trees".  The picture doesn't even do it justice. 

Last winter we made fun of these  "naked trees" because we didn't know what they were. They don't even have bark on the trunks. In the summer they bloomed the most wonderful colors and lasted for months.  They turned out to be Crepe Myrtle trees.  They come in white, red, pink, and lavender.  They are breathtaking all summer and now we don't make fun of them any more.

It is fun when there are many colors on the same tree.  I can stare at them for hours just taking in all of the colors. 

I went for a walk one day to collect leaves.  After a couple days they were all starting to turn brown so I had to photograph them before they all turned.  I love how there are different colors even on one leaf!

It is also fun when the tree is  monochromatic - all one color.  Wonderful.

Even empty trees are beautiful if you remember to notice them.

One more tree picture to show how tall these are around our apartment.  Did I mention that I love the trees here? They are pretty cool unless they fall on your car during a hurricane.

So-- here's how they rake leaves in the East -- leaf blowers.  Oh, and these trees are on the base.       Note the yellow ribbons that are always present to  welcome returning soldiers.

This is how the leaves are  "raked up".  This is a small leaf vacuum.

                           
                                                    And here is a BIG leaf vacuum truck.

Got trees in your way? Call CUT EM DOWN today!  This sign always makes me laugh.  One day we were expressing our sadness about a "forest" being cut down for a housing development. Brother Lord said, "Look around! We have PLENTY of trees." He couldn't understand our sadness.

A good game of Dominoes after Thanksgiving dinner with soldiers and missionaries.

Soldiers and missionaries have similar hair cuts and like to relax with pie after dinner.

This soldier is very quiet and that's why this hat is so funny.  He is happy to be getting married next week when he graduates.

Why do you suppose this soldier, PFC "C", is wearing a a shirt we borrowed from a missionary and Elder Elkins' tie?  Because we got to take his picture for his online mission application!!!  He will be gettting his call before he graduates from Ft. Eustis.  That way he can leave on his mission quickly and serve his 2 years before his National Guard unit gets deployed.  We are so thrilled to be involved in helping him with the online process along with this picture.  He is from Middleton, Idaho.

Here we are at our noon FHE.  We invited the full time Elders to help teach the lessons to Private "F" (third from left) who will be getting baptized when he goes home for Christmas.  He had to certify that he had been taught the lessons before he could be baptized. His wife is a member.  His battle buddy is PFC "C" in the previous picture.  He is getting some experience by helping to teach his friend.

This is a sight that we see during FTX week. (Field Training Exercises) This is their gear with a helmet on top.  I call it "the praying backpacks" because it looks like a bunch of soldiers all kneeling in prayer out on the field.  It always makes me giggle. The soldiers are nearby getting some training.

Those are a few of my favorite things....

Torture or Transformation?

On Mondays we go to a place where the new soldiers (fresh from 8 weeks of Basic Training) attend "In-Processing".  They are given briefs on medical, dental, legal, financial, and spiritual information (to name a few).  These soldiers are weary from travel, less sleep, army food, listening to too many presenters and army life in general.  They are told not to fall asleep, but that is impossible for some. When they do, the sergeant in charge yells at them to go in the back and do push ups.  They can choose to do a few push ups on their own, or just stand, to keep themselves awake or they can be yelled at and told how many push ups to do when they nod off. 

I used to think this was kind of mean and that they were being punished for going to sleep when they are SOOO tired.

I've changed my mind.

We have watched boys and men turn into "lean mean machines" in the few months they are here.  Some of them love the challenges presented and do what they are told because they know it is for their own good. (Even if some of it does seem ridiculous and extra picky).  Some fight the system, constantly trying to outwit the system, break the rules, and see how much they can get away with. Either way, they become stronger, leaner, and smarter.  Some appreciate what they have become, some are unaware of the growth.  They are being taught to fight for their country, for freedom, to save lives, and to save their own lives.  We have learned that the sergeants really do care about their soldiers. They aren't just being mean.  They know how important it is for them to have the discipline and strength to be ready for what will be required of them in their future assignments.

Some of our "boys" will be deployed to Afghanistan soon.  How would it be if they fell asleep when they were weary because they hadn't learned to stay awake when it is important?  How would it be if they couldn't pass their physical training tests here and when they are in a tougher situation couldn't get where they needed to be (or away from where they didn't want to be!)?

Yes, this is tough.  Yes, they chose it.  No, they probably didn't know how tough it would be. Yes, they become real soldiers as they pass the tests.

Didn't we do the same when we chose to come to this earth?  Did we know how tough it would be?  Don't we need to be awake and ready to meet the challenges?  Don't we grow stronger as we accept assignments and follow the rules?  Our Father in Heaven does care about us and that's why gives us the challenges we need to grow.  It is for our own safety and happiness.  Do we realize and appreciate the strong soldiers that we have become?

I wasn't sure if it was OK to take pictures of the soldiers when they were being "disciplined". I asked Elder Elkins to snap a few quick pictures when he got the chance and hope we weren't kicked out of the room.  We always have a camera because we take individual pictures of the new LDS soldiers. This one was funny because this sergeant saw us take a picture, then said, "Wait I wasn't ready!" So he posed for better picture.  Ha ha.  So we printed this one and gave him a copy.  He looked at it and said, "Oh, I look mean, don't I?"  He seems like a really good man.

Sometimes the whole group gets in trouble, like this group.  They had to do a few "exercises" before they were allowed to sit down and finish the presentations.

The reflectors they are wearing over their shoulders are worn by all AIT (Advanced Individual Training) students.  They hate that thing.  (Kind of like the "dork dot" that a new missionary wears in the MTC)  They are required to wear it all times they are outside.  When they are in a PT outfit doing exercises they wear it as a belt.

I guess too many soldiers were getting hit by cars since they are in camouflage clothing! Admittedly, it does make them easier to see. 

This soldier turned around and gave us a dirty look when this picture was snapped.

This is the warm weather PT outfit.

Here is the cold weather PT outfit.

Those soldiers who choose to have a balanced army life remember how important it is to have spiritual growth along with the physical activity.  The battalion commander is on the left with a hand on his son's shoulder. The rest of his family is at the far end of the table.  He is the boss over our soldiers and a faithful Latter-day Saint.  He comes to our church services occasionally to speak in Sacrament Meeting.   When I told them he was coming on this day, our biggest soldier said, "Oh great!  He scares me!"  But when he listened to the testimony of this faithful man and visited with him over lunch, he got the true picture.  A soldier CAN be a strong man, have a strong testimony, and have a faithful family at the same time.

That which makes us stronger could be that which makes us happier.

DC Trip in November

First stop, McDonald's for breakfast.

We had a wonderful time at the DC Temple.  Of the 30 soldiers, 16 were non-members.  They all got to watch videos and displays in the visitor's center.

Some good friends who wanted to go on a 2nd trip with us since they attended the last one.

We watch "How to Train Your Dragon", "Night at the Museum (Smithsonian)", and "Megamind" on the trip. There were 4 children with us as well.  One fell asleep on Sister Elkins' lap on the way home. (Kinda like having grandchildren near)

Reminds me of Moses' burning bush when I see trees like this.  Autumn in the East is so beautiful.

My daughter, her husband, and their four children met us in DC.  The children got to meet the soldiers and ask them questions. Here is one of the soldiers they met.  It was a great visit.

We took enough food to feed the army - so we did! We eat in a church parking lot near the temple. 

Just a little fun with the soldiers.  These boys are like our own kids.  We love them so much.

Not the most comfortable eating arrangement but these soldiers adapt very well.

Changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  A very impressive and respectful ceremony. 

Arlington National Cemetery.

Washington Monument.  The earthquake in September made a crack in the monument so for now nobody is allowed inside.

The new Martin Luther King Memorial.  I took this picture from the bus while we were driving by.

I visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.  It was kind of fun to see the some of the animals and the set of the movie we watched on the bus "Night at the Museum - Battle of the Smithsonian".

As usual we stopped at Golden Corral on the way home.  Then the soldiers take a good nap on the bus!

These trips are stressful and overwhelming to prepare for.  We wonder if we will have enough soldiers to make the trip worthwhile, then we wonder if we will have enough seats to accommodate all who want to go.  Somehow it always works out.  Since we take food for lunch, that is a lot to prepare for, and know how much to take.  Soldiers can eat a lot, but they sure enjoy anything they are offered. After we ate lunch and got back on the bus I asked if everyone was full.  They gave me a "hooah" which meant that they were satisfied.  One soldier held up his hand and said, "Thank you for the cookies!"  They loved the homemade chocolate chip and oatmeal scotchies that I baked.

One incident that is worth noting:  We knew of two soldiers who had signed up to go on the trip (non-members) who we thought wouldn't be going because they had gotten into some trouble a few days before.  We were surprised when they showed up at 5:30am to board the bus.  Then another soldier told them that they were wanted by their sergeant back at the company so they hopped off the bus and went to check it out.  They came back a few minutes later and said that they wouldn't be going with us because the sergeant said they couldn't go.  They had a UCMJ hearing coming up so did not have the privilege of going on a trip. One soldier had his wife along who was going to go with us also.  The three of them left. Later in the day we got a call from the chaplain asking if that married soldier was on the bus with us, but we said that he was not.  It turned out that he and his wife decided to take off since they couldn't go on the trip.  So he was AWOL for the weekend and showed up again on Monday. We were actually quite happy that they weren't allowed to go on the trip because we didn't need trouble makers, or those who couldn't follow rules.  On the other hand, one of our soldiers was sad they didn't get to go since the trip "would have been good for them". (Certainly a different point of view)

It was another good trip.  Worth the stress.