WALKING THE STREETS OF CODY...

So this week was pretty good!

So for P-Day yesterday we just walked the main streets of Cody. Cody is a big tourist town and has lots of cool little shops! We didn't get to email yesterday because it was Memorial Day and the library was closed and we don't know any members well enough to use their computers. Hope you didn't freak out mom!

Dad if you thought you were jealous because of my shed hunt - well sit down for what I am about to tell you! Our ward mission leader in 3rd ward is a videographer for the hunting show "The Best of the West"! He was going out of town and asked us to take a key to a less active member that he works with at best of the west. It turns out that less active member is Brandon Davis!!!! One of the hunters for "The Best of the West". I told him how much I love hunting and all I watch are hunting shows (well used to) and one thing led to another and we were given a tour by Brandon of the whole warehouse. We got to see the editing room. The room where they load all their custom bullets. I also got to see Jim Sessions! We got to see where they make all their custom rifles that cost $7500! Brandon left the next day for a bear hunt in Oregon and showed us the gun he was taking on the hunt. It was some special 7mm! He also showed us a long range shotgun that shoots a slug 400 yards! Needless to say my life is complete haha!

So the last couple of days we have had one of the APs with us, Elder Davis. He served in Cody for 9 months and had to go down to Thermopolis so he went on splits with us for a couple days. Anyway we had to take him down to Thermopolis last night and on the way down we saw tons of Pronghorn and some big bucks but we didn't have time to stop and take pictures :(

I hope you have fun at Scout Camp. It is weird to think of you going without me. It makes me think of when we taught the archery merit badge. I was thinking we should do that again when I get back!

I think I am going to sell the antler sheds. I should get close to $200 dollars for them!!! And I thought I would give that to you to either buy your own pair of binos like mine or put it towards a trail camera for us. As Ted Nudget would say "Whatda Ya Think!" haha.

My companion and I are getting along better but we still aren't where I would like us to be! We have 2 people with a baptism date and are teaching 3 other people as well. We are staying pretty busy for the most part as well. We cover 2 wards Cody 2nd and 3rd. They seem to be pretty good wards but I still don't know much seeing as I have only been to church once since my first week here was stake conference. Both wards seem to be very missionary minded though which is awesome. Both of our Ward Mission Leaders a great too!

 I got to see the "Museum" that has some of Byron Sessions things. We had district meeting there today and got a tour of the place from the Smiley's who are in one of our wards and they run the building. I told Sister Smiley that I was related to Byron Sessions and she told me they had just received 3 new stories from a relative of his that lives in Powell. She told me I could borrow them some time this week which I am looking forward to! 

So I had an experience this week I would like to share with you! Sunday night we had to go to the Stake Center so Elder Davis (the AP who was with us for a couple days this week) could do numbers online. While Elder Griffifth and I were waiting we were playing the piano. He is super good and was playing this awesome version of "Til We Meet Again".  The whole time all I could think about was Zoey. I know that she was listening with me. I know that she is waiting to see us again and that she is happy.

 We might go shed hunting again next P-Day so either be ready at 10 on Monday or  1 on Tuesday for my next email - haha. You guys did a great job painting. The rooms look so much better - Glad Jessica got all moved in!

I love you & I miss you guys so much and don't know if you realize how hard it can be sometimes! I really do love you all so much - more than words can describe. I am so grateful for all that you do for me!!! I seriously never thought I would miss home so much but it is so hard at times, but I know I'm where I should be and I find joy in the work I'm doing.

Love you,

Jake

P.S. -  The pictures are of our shed hunt and all around Cody in town and out. It's beautiful up here!

ROUGH WEEK...BUT FUN SHED HUNTING!

Hey guys!

This week was a pretty rough one for sure. I only had time to say goodbye to 3 families which stunk but we were so busy packing, cleaning, and moving that is all we had time for. I was in a car from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. this wednesday to make the trip from Columbia Falls, Montana to Cody, Wyoming. Cody is not nearly as pretty as Columbia Falls but seems nice. Pretty much everyone here hunts though which is awesome. I can't lie though being transfered to an area where you don't know anyone is very hard. It made me think about home and every thing that was comforting to me which has been hard these last couple of days. 

That is awesome to hear that we have roots here in Cody! I can't wait to get that info from Grandee about our ancestors.

It seems like we have a lot of investigators which is nice and it keeps us busy. So, my new companion is Elder Griffith. He is from Pleasent Grove Utah and has been out 3 months. Unfortunately we have pretty much nothing in common. He is very strict which is good but he doesn't know how to relax and enjoy his mission. Don't get me wrong I am all for followin the rules but you can have fun and follow the rules at the same time and I don't think he knows that, so we will have to work on that so he can truly enjoy all aspects of being on a mission.

My Jaw is doing a lot better since I have got my mouth gaurd. I wear it every night and I wake up and my jaw isn't locked but it still pops so I hope over time that will go away!

Sounds like you guys had a great time in Cali and stayed pretty busy this last week. You need to burn that stick thing though j/k. (He's talking about our flat Jake)

I got to burn a tie this last Tuesday when everyone stayed the night for transfers and since I hit my 6 month mark. Time has flown!

Sorry I didn't email yesterday but we were gone from 5:30 A.M. TO 5:30 P.M. on a shed hunt. That's right we went shed hunting for 12 hours! I am really sore but man was it worth it. I got to see some of the most beautiful country! We saw close to 500 deer, some elk, and some bighorn sheep! Between Brother Kelley and us 4 Elders who serve in Cody we found 15 or 16 sheds. I found 4 but gave one to Elder Hayes since he didn't find one all day. I will send some pictures of yesterday.

I think that is it for now!

I love and miss you guys more than words can describe!

-Elder Richardson

P.S. - My new address is:

17 Arrow Ave. 

Cody, WY 

82414 

A MOTHER'S DAY SURPRISE!

FROM KENDRA:

I received a box in the mail when I was gone to California last week so I opened it upon my return home. It was from Elder Richardson and was a gift for Mother's Day...just a little late. He had made a hot pad and (2) covered tile trivits for me. He picked out his own fabric and was taught how to sew and make these by a wonderful gal in one of his wards. Who would have known that Jake would learn to sew while on a mission! We have already put the trivits and hot pad to good use and I'll treasure them forever because they were made with love :)

 (2) Trivits and a hot pad

 Great seams and stitching - I'm impressed!

 Tile on the inside so you can set a HOT dish straight out of the oven on them.

 Back of the hotpad

 Sweet card from my boy.

THE ADVENTURES OF FLAT ELDER RICHARDSON...

FROM KENDRA:

So Jessica's graduation from the University of Arizona was the first major event (besides Thanksgiving & Christmas...but I hadn't thought of this idea yet) that Jake would be missing while he's serving his mission in Montana. It just didn't feel right not to have him there with us...so the plotting began. My idea was to have a life size cut out of him made...but by the time I thought about this idea, time was short and we had to do it on a smaller scale...

hence the FLAT JAKE!

He was there with Papa & Grandee as we celebrated Jessica's graduation at the University of Arizona...

 At cousin Delaney's baptism in Queen Creek Arizona...

 At swim lessons with cousin Trey in Huntington Beach California...

In Ruby's as we ate lunch after walking the HB Pier...

At the Bolsa Chica State Beach...

Getting a tan...

Having fun at cousin Cayden's baseball game...

At the McCluskey's in Riverside after Cayden's game.

We hope to have more adventures with FLAT JAKE in the next 18 months!!! 

FAMILY HISTORY IN CODY, WYOMING...

FROM KENDRA:

Our family (on my mom's side) has some history in Cody, Wyoming. My Great Great Grandfather - Byron Sessions, was the constructon superintendent who oversaw the building and constructing of the canal. I have highlighted in yellow the story and facts on him below.

THE COLONIZATION OF THE BIG HORN BASIN IN WYOMING

By 1900 the Latter-day Saints had established over 500 individual communities from Canada to Mexico. Thousands of families were called by Church leaders and sent by assignment to establish these communities. It was a planned, purposeful colonization on a massive scale. It was, in fact, one of the largest and most successful colonization projects ever undertaken. But Brigham Young, the Church's President at the time, refused to take credit for it. He said, "I do not wish men to understand I had anything to do with our being moved here: that was the providence of the all mighty; it was the power of God that wrought out salvation for this people. I never could have devised such a plan." (Journal of Discourses 4: 41.") Portraits of Richards, Chatterton, and President Snow: Knowing of the Latter-day Saints' success in colonization, the Governor of Wyoming, DeForrest Richards, and Secretary of State, Fennimore Chatterton, came to Salt Lake city in January of 1900 and called upon Church President, Lorenzo Snow. The Governor asked that a colony of Latter-day Saints be sent into the northern part of the Big Horn Basin to assist in settling this part of Wyoming. The Governor was assured that a colony would be sent. In February this group, representing the colonizers, investigated the area offered by the Governor and reported the project as feasible, and a group started for Wyoming in April of 1900, just three months after Governor Richards met with President Snow. Over a hundred families responded to the call of the Church, sold their homes, and took only what they could carry in their covered wagons. They were sent under the direction of Apostle Abraham 0. Woodruff. These families regarded their call as the will of their Heavenly Father. Leaders of Big Horn Colonization Company These are the leaders of the original Latter-Day Saint Pioneer Company that came to the Big Horn Basin. All eleven of them were sent to report on the feasibility of the proposed settlement in the Cowley, Byron, and Lovell area along with the construction of a canal. Map of Trail Into Big Horn Basin After they returned, and gave a positive report, it was agreed that the immigrants would meet at Ham's Fork, Wyoming by April 25, 1900, and from there travel together to the Big Horn Basin. Photos of Wagons Camped at Ham's Fork These photographs show two of the pioneer companies camped at Ham's Fork in April of 1900. Several days out from Ham's Fork, the colonizers encountered a blizzard, which continued for three days. The wagons were forced to travel through snow over two feet deep. A two-year-old girl, the daughter of John and Avilda Dickson, was taken seriously ill with pneumonia. Despite efforts to save her, she died one night during the storm. Building Coffin For Little Girl No boards could be found in the camp, so parts of wagon end gates were used to fashion a small coffin, and the little body was sent back to Utah for burial. The company, though saddened by the death, moved on. After nearly a month of travel, they arrived at their destination with only tents to live in. Buffalo Bill Cody The well-known Buffalo Bill Cody met the pioneers at Eagle's Nest and offered them 1and on the South Fork of the Shoshone River. He told them of his project on the South Fork of the Shoshone River and, of course, any development there would help him and his partner. But the group decided on the area around Lovell, Cowley, and Byron where Governor Richards had suggested. Ground Breaking Knowing that irrigation water would be essential to the growing of any crops, on May 28, about 200 of the colonists met at the head of the proposed canal, which was later known as the Sidon Canal. A hymn was sung and then all knelt on the ground while Elder Woodruff dedicated the land and the future canal to the Lord for his people. Elder Woodruff then outlined the task that lay before them. Map of Canal Route The canal, he told them, would be 37 miles long and would irrigate from twelve to fifteen thousand acres. The work was to begin the next day. He told them that it would require a united effort, for they were few in number. Then he said, "As an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I call each of you upon a mission to help build up this country. If you will do this and keep the commandments of God, the Lord will bless you forever." In the group were some who were only visiting family. Feeling that they had been called on a mission, they went home got their affairs in order and returned to help. Ground was then broken for the canal. Byron Sessions, the construction superintendent, drove the team while Elder Woodruff held the plow to make the first furrow. Canal stock Certificates Actual stock certificates were issued to help finance the canal. The certificates were signed by Byron Sessions. As I stated, the families had no homes, but lived in tents and wagons while work progressed on the canal. Rattlesnakes and wood ticks were frequent visitors, while dust storms and flies made housekeeping and cooking extremely challenging. A bowery was built for meetings, Church services, and dances, all of which were needed to maintain their morale under their pioneer hardships. Prayer Rock When the canal had progressed two miles along its surveyed course, an enormous rock, the size of a house, was encountered directly in its path. It was partially buried, and the more the men dug around it to find its base and free it by a powder blast, the further it seemed to extend into the ground. One night the supervisor, Byron Sessions, could not sleep fearing that some of the workers would be crushed beneath the rock, if it unexpectedly broke loose. He arose early in the morning, went to the rock, and knelt in prayer beside it. He asked the Lord for wisdom to know what to do that no accident might occur. Later that day, when the workmen began expressing doubt that the rock would ever be moved into the hole being dug for it, Byron Sessions replied emphatically, "I prophecy, in the name of Israel's God, that rock will be in there tomorrow at this time." One of the workmen, James George quietly said to a companion, "Let's test him out." Looking at his large pocket watch he said, "It's just 4:00 p.m." The next afternoon as Byron Sessions was supervising the construction along the canal; he came to the men working in the hole with picks and shovels. He told them to pick up their tools and to get away from the rock. Quickly they climbed out of the hole. Five minutes had not passed when the rock suddenly split from top to bottom, the larger half rolling over into the hole where the men had been working. James George looked at his watch again, and somewhat dumfounded exclaimed, "Five minutes to four!" Today the canal flows quietly through the two halves of what has become known as "Prayer Rock." Byron and Garland Oil Fields Prophetic happenings occurred numerous times to those pioneers. Elder Woodruff made an interesting prediction as he looked east over the land to be irrigated by the canal, near the Byron town site. "Hold onto your 1and" he said. "Do not 1et it fall into other hands. There are treasures under the ground." Several years later, in this very area, oil was struck as well as natural gas, and has proved to be a source of much revenue to those who owned the land. Hundreds of oil and gas wells now dot the area referred to by Elder Woodruff. Men Working on Canal Work on the canal was hard using the implements of the day, which consisted mostly of hand tools such as shovels, picks, and, horse-drawn, plows, fresnos, and scrapers. It was slow and very discouraging. Pioneer Family Sculpture This project would not have been completed without the determination and dedication of strong, hard-working families. The families supported one another during trying times and had great faith in God. Stan Johnson, of Mapleton, Utah, created this original bronze sculpture showing a fresno pulled by four horses. It depicts a family working together with a fresno to build the canal to carry the life-giving water essential to the very existence of those pioneer families. Burlington Railroad However, in spite of their dedication, it soon became apparent to these hardy settlers that the canal was going to take much longer to complete than originally expected--perhaps years longer. They had no homes, no money, and they were running out of food. Discouragement began to set in. A special prayer was held imploring the Lord to open a way for them to complete the canal. What occurred shortly thereafter was termed "modern manna" by these early settlers. They were suddenly and unexpectedly contacted by the Burlington Railroad officials, who offered them $80,000 to construct 23 miles of railroad grade through this area. The money provided the food, clothing, and capital needed to continue work on the canal. But despite this special aid, work on the canal progressed slowly through the winters of 1901 and 1902. Miles of digging still loomed ahead. The directors of the project wondered if the canal would ever be completed. Elder Woodruff heard of their discouragement and made a special visit to the area. After hearing their doubts about completing the canal, Elder Woodruff said, "If you brethren feel you cannot do it, I will go back to Salt Lake City and ask President Snow to excuse me from my labors for six months as an Apostle, and I will buy some overalls and heavy boots and will come back here; and we will either finish the canal or we will lay down our bones in it together." Inspired by the dedication of this young Apostle, the directors committed to finish the work and were ably supported by those faithful pioneers.

WELCOME TO CODY, WYOMING...

Welcome to Beautiful Cody, Wyoming!

Cody, Wyoming, the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, is a small western town with a friendly attitude.
The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, Wyoming's oldest, was founded at the turn of the 20th Century by George T. Beck, originally as a hunting club, and a group of enterprising Cody businesss leaders, including Col. William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. Today, the Chamber has over 570 members in energy, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, retail and the arts who continue to foster the western spirit epitomized by their namesake, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.

Quick Facts

   Accommodations

• 31 motels
• 10 Bed & Breakfasts
• 19 Guest Houses / Cottages
• 46 Restaurants
• 9 RV parks

   Topography

• Elevation: 5095 feet

   Climate

• Sunshine: Approximately 300 days
• Temperature Average: July - 72 F (High in 90s; low in 60s) | January - 24 F
• Precipitation: Average annual rain 9.4 inches | Average annual snow 24.2 inches

   Population

• 9520

HERE IS A LINK FOR A ONE MINUTE VIDEO SO YOU TO GET A FEEL FOR CODY, WYOMING!