Apr. 06 - Jun 06 Kirk letters

April 4, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
Well, we're home again after our big trip to Salt Lake. We had a good time
even though many of us were sick the whole time. I was still a bit sick and
got better each day, Alex was sick almost the whole time, Sean had a sore
throat and lost his voice, and Leah got sick on the last day. Hope we
don't get grandma and grandpa sick.

Anyway, we still managed to have fun. Dad and the boys went to the Young
Men's open house and learned a lot. We went to the Red Lobster for
grandma's 80th birthday dinner. We went to the Joseph Smith Memorial blg to
see the new movie "Joseph". It was really good. Then we had lunch at the
Lion House (Brigham Young's house). We also went to Provo and hung out for
a day. Dad, grandpa and the boys went together to the Priesthood mtg and
then Sunday morning I went to the Conference Center with Sean, Alex and
Kristina and we got to see Conference. We had good seats and it was such a
great experience. We'll send you some pics of our trip. Did you get to
listen to all sessions?

I hope by now you've received our pkg. That's weird that the mission home
kept it so long. Grandma wants to know if you'll use any of the food she
sent in her pkg.

Since we've been home, most of us are healthy again. Leah is the only one
who has suffered and she's had a fever for about 3-4 days now. Kristina
also got a sore throat. But for the most part, we're all getting better.
It feels good to have energy again.

Tonight I went to Battle of the Bands at EHS. Sean performed with a group
and they did great. They sang And So It Goes (Sean even sang a solo as part
of it) and then they played and sang The Piano Man. Sean played the
accordion and harmonica. The rest of the bands were obnoxiously loud and I
had to plug my ears.

Dad has jury duty tomorrow, so he's not too happy about it. We'll have to
see if he gets picked for a jury. I know he'd rather just have the day off.

So it sounds like being in LaVega is a lot more interesting. How are your
investigators? Did you have a baptism over the weekend? Hope things are
going well there and that you're getting LOTS of opportunities to bear your
testimony.

I found a good quote for this week:
"It¹s all right to pull the cow out of the mud on Sunday, provided that you
don¹t push him in on Saturday night."


‹Harold B. Lee, Quoted by Eldred G. Smith, "Opposition in Order to
Strengthen Us," Ensign, Jan. 1974, 62

Exodus 20:8

While I was in Deseret Book I found a book of suggestions and observations
on being a happy and productive missionary that I liked. But instead of
sending it to you, I'm just going to write a few of the ideas each week:
1. Companions are Siamese twins joined at the spirit.
2. Try every "local" food at least once.
3. Excavate the dirt out of the grooves of your name tag on a regular basis.
4. Take photos of the common, everyday scenes from each area (laundromat,
supermarket, apartment)
5. Stand every time you greet the mission president's wife.
6. Get to church early on Sundays.

Kirk, I hope you are well and happy. Remember the easiest way to feel the
spirit and be happy is to lose yourself in the work. That includes even
finding ways to lose yourself by serving your companion. When I'm thinking
of things to do for my companion (dad) like things that will make him happy,
it makes me forget any negative or unhappy feelings I may have had about
anything else. Serving others always smoothes over any rough edges. You
always sound very upbeat, so you must be doing things right. Thanks for
being such a great example to so many of us.

I hope you have a wonderful productive and spirit-filled week. You're
always in my prayers.

I love you,
mom
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo



April 11, 2006

Dear Elder Kirk,
Well, it's the week before Easter and spring is looking good here. Popcorn
is popping on all the trees (pink popcorn and white popcorn). Last night I
gave the family night lesson on the days before Christ's death and
resurrection. Every time I'm reminded of His days preceding his death,
it's very spiritual. He knew His time was near the end and that this was
something He had to do for all of us as painful as it might be, yet He also
knew He'd be back.

This last Sunday night was our Stake's Easter concert. Alex and I sang in
the stake choir and Sean played in the orchestra. It was a great
experience being part of the choir. The songs were so powerful and
beautiful.

Tomorrow there's no school for high school because it's senior project day.
Sean is presenting his project at 11am-it's a power point presentation on
the decline of the arts in schools. He says he's ready for it. Alex will
just spend the day golfing with his buddies. He got all excited about
golfing after watching the Masters last weekend. Phil Mikkleson won again.

I met with Nikki's preschool teacher today and got her report card. She did
really well. Except when they asked her when her birthday was, she said
"Sunday." So we've been working on that. I'm going to register her for
kindergarten Fri and and I'm hoping they let her in even though she misses
the deadline by a few days. She's smart and she's as tall as some of the
2nd graders, so I can't imagine putting her in preschool for another year.
She's very ready to start school and she'll be very disappointed if she
doesn't go to kindergarten.

Last Thursday I drove over to Rexburg with Sean, Jared and Monte to see the
show "Blast". It's a broadway show done by a marching band and it was so
entertaining and fun. Then afterwards we drove right back home. Can you
believe it? I was so tired when we got home, because I drove the whole way
there and the whole way back. We got home at about 2:30am. I was tired
the whole next day. If I had to do it again, I'd spend the night there next
time.

Tomorrow dad's going to Leah's class to do his doctor thing and then he goes
right over to Nikki's class and does it there too. The girls are excited to
have him in their class. Leah's tooth is really loose tonight and she's
hoping it will come out tonight. This will be her 3rd or 4th tooth to come
out.

This Thursday I'm flying to Salt Lake to go to my Aunt Jerri and Uncle
Marv's 60th wedding anniverary party. Grandma and Grandpa Trumbo will be
there too and they're picking me up at the airport. I'm only staying one
day and then I'll fly back home on Friday morning. I wish I was going with
someone instead of alone, but it will be fun seeing a lot of my cousins
again.

So how has the work been going? We all enjoyed your picture of the brother
you helped baptize. Do you keep teaching lessons to him afterwards or does
the ward take over? Do you have any others who are close to baptism?
Tell us about some of the people you're teaching and what things you talk
about with them.

I hope by now you've gotten our pkg. The powder is in case you don't feel
like you're getting enough calories during the day, or even if you're not
getting enough protein in your diet. You can add it to anything or just put
it in water.

We are finally all well here. The flu really whipped through our family for
a couple weeks and it feels good to have energy again. It's staying light
late again and I was thinking about you the other night and wishing I could
go on a walk with you. I'll see if Alex will start filling in for you.
Also I need to start teaching Nikki how to ride a 2-wheeler. I bet she
catches on pretty quickly. I'll let you know how that goes. Didn't you
teach Leah?

Here are some more ideas for missionaries from my little missionary booklet:
1. Sing a hymn after companion study.
2. Have a picture of the Savior, the prophet, and a temple on your apartment
walls.
3. Invite companions, converts and others to write short notes in your
journal (I liked that one).
4. Always eat a good breakfast.
5. When your companion gets transferred, make sure you claim the apartment's
best mattress and blankets.
6. Get the home address of each companion and your mission president(s).
They'll expect to receive wedding invitations.
7. The Lord blesses the families of missionaries. (soooo true!)
8. Upon arriving in a new area, find a good bakery.

I hope you are immersing yourself in the work and letting the spirit work
through you. Remember to always be a vessel worthy of the spirit of the
Lord, both your physical vessel and your spiritual vessel. Have a wonderful
week and enjoy Easter Sunday.

I love you,

mom
xoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox


April 18, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
Have you gotten our pkg yet? I sure hope so. Let me know.

Well, let's see. This week went by fast. Last thurs I flew to SLC by
myself. Grandma and Grandpa Trumbo picked me up at the airport and we spent
the day visiting family. We went to Cafe Rio with my mom's sisters and
uncle bill and Nancy. Yum, yum. In the afternoon we went to see my dad's
sister Marr. It's always fun seeing her. Then that night we went to my
Aunt Jerrie and Uncle Marv's 60th wedding anniversary party. They've lived
in the same house and been in the same ward for 60 years, can you believe
it? It was fun seeing a lot of my cousins again. Afterward, Grandpa was
hungry and we ended up at McDonald's because it was so late (Grandpa, of
course, was very happy to be able to eat a Big Mac at 11pm). We stayed in a
hotel in downtown SLC and then in the morning, they took me to the airport
and I flew home. I was on the same flight with Bill and Nancy. I had a
great time.

On Fri I registered Nikki for kindergarten and they said she's more than
ready, but then I found out today the school board won't take her since her
birthday is after the cutoff, even though there's some question about when
her actual birthday is. I can't believe Nikki will have to go to another
year of preschool.

On Sat. we had an impromptu Easter egg hunt in the backyard. Alex and Eli
hid the eggs. The kids loved it. We thought we found them all, but dad
and Alex both found another egg yesterday. Oh well.

Sean went to Prom Sat. His date was Megan Gursten. In the morning they
went on tandem bike rides downtown and had a picnic lunch. We've had a lot
of flooding here lately and part of the greenbelt was flooded, so they
couldn't ride on it. Dad and Sean even had to do sandbagging the other
night in the subdivision below Banbury where Bill and Nancy live. They're
still on alert to be called again. You should see how high the Boise River
is and how fast it's flowing. Kind of scary. A lot of Brookwood
subdivision was under water too. Some of Sean's friends went canoeing
there.

Anyway, that night, Sean got a nice car from Bill to drive and they went to
a Japanese restaurant for dinner and after the dance they went to a place
that had all these individual rooms with projection screen TV's in each
room. Each room was playing a different movie. One of the parents owned
the business and I think they had a lot of fun there.

For Easter Sunday, we had dinner at the Stafford's. We always try to find
another family that doesn't have any extended family around. What did you
do for Easter? Do they do anything special there?

Alex is now mowing lawns for 2 families in our subdivision. He's adding up
how much he's going to make this summer. I keep bugging Sean about getting
a job. My cousin Travis is looking for some guys to work at Pro Image, so
I hope that's where he works. Kristina will be getting her lower braces
this week, so she'll finally have a full mouthful. Leah says she's the
fastest runner in her class. I guess they've been having races lately.
Nikki is still crazy as ever. She can't seem to stop talking. I think her
thoughts just go straight to her mouth and she says whatever's in her brain.
She likes trying to spell words now, so I think she should be able to start
reading this summer. I'll work with her, maybe make her a word bank like I
did for you...

I can't remember if I told you that Jonathan Loosle got his mission call to
Lima Peru. He's leaving in July.

So is the celebration overwith there? Hopefully, everyone's back home and
walking the streets so you can meet with them. My cousin Ryan told me a
good idea that he did on his mission in Italy. He said they spent a lot of
time on the streets like you and he and his companion made a "street board"
that they would take with them. It was a 3-sided board that they could
stand up on a street corner and on each side of the board they put words and
pictures of a discussion. He said lots of people came up and asked
questions about what was on the board and that way he got to teach lots of
discussions.

Here are some more ideas for missionaries:
1. Read to and talk with all children --in homes, on the street and at
church.
2. Find an answer for Revelatoin 22:18-19.
3. Cook bacon weekly, just for the smell of it.
4. Remember to fill the font for baptisms.
5. Take a copy of an old talk to sacraent meetings; if the bishop calls on
you without warning, you'll be prepared.
6. Get to know the missionary couples well.
7. Read the Book of Mormon every day of your mission.
8. Write a letter to your companion's parents, grandparents, or family.

We're definitely warming up here, so you must be too. Can't wait to hear
your report from this week. You just don't know how much we look forward to
your letters. It's the highlight of my week. Keep up the great work, share
your testimony often--it's a sure way to make it grow.

I love you,
mom
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo


April 25, 2006

Dear Elder Kirk,
It's always fun to think about writing you and getting to hear from you. I
hope you are well and finding much success. Have you been able to teach
again the families you found last week? We had our elders over for dinner
this past Thurs night. Dad had to work so he missed out, but we got a bit
silly. Nikki in her usual style managed to spill 2 whole glasses of water.
No one in our family even looked shocked about it since it happens almost
every meal. Then when one of the elders was talking, he was describing
something with his hands and then he knocked over a whole glass of water.
We couldn't believe what a mess we were making on the table. One elder is
from North Carolina, so it was fun to talk with him about the South. He
even loves eating at CiCi's. The other elder is from California. They're
the only 2 elders in our area and are over all 7 Eagle wards.

Dad is at a mtg for the ma's and pa's going on the trek this summer. He
has to speak to them about first aid. Looks like dad and I will just be
the medical people on the trek (don't ask me what I'll be doing, maybe
opening the bandages or something). They have enough ma's and pa's so they
don't need us to do that. That would have been a lot more fun.

Now that it's warming up, we're having to mow the lawn again and Alex
already is mowing for 2 other people in our neighborhood. He's always
showing me his money in his wallet and how rich he is. He's good at saving
money. I think Sean wants to work at Hollywood Video, but he has to wait
for his 18th birthday which is in 2 weeks.

Leah will be starting soccer this Saturday. She got new soccer shoes and
is really excited about it. She says she's the strongest and fastest
person in her kindergarten. I guess they've been having some contests, so
we'll see how she does at soccer. I know she'll love it.

Nikki is signed up for a kindergarten program at the Seventh day Adventist
church right down the street from our blg. She's nervous about going
somewhere new. She's always shy on the first day, but after that, watch
out.

Kristina has to do a report on JR Simplot for school. She has to make a
poster board presentation so I think we'll get some french fries and make
the board a 3-D presentation. Only one more month of school, can you believe
it?

Sean is recording some music with choir tonight. Try-outs for choir is this
week, so Alex is trying out tomorrow. You just can't believe how much they
both love singing. You started something great in the family. Maybe
someday all 3 of you can sing something together (oh, how that would warm a
mother's heart!)

I'm still plucking away at the banjo. I wish I could learn it quicker. I'm
so anxious to play the cool songs. I need to get better at practicing.

Dad is still working on the waterfall in the backyard. It's going to take a
lot of work. Hopefully grandpa Trumbo will help when they come next month.

Here are some more missionary reminders:
1. Put fun stickers on the back of your name tag-children love that.
2. Make sure you and your companion each carry a set of keys for the
apartment and car.
3. Prepare a 2 1/2 minute talk on Mosiah 15:1-4.
4. Remember, the harder you work on your mission, the better looking your
spouse will be. (dad loves that one)
5. Sing hymns while you tract, and try to harmonize.
6. Carry a pen.
7. Save one new white shirt for the halfway point of your mission.

Well, I better go get Leah and Nikki out of the bath. They love soaking for
a long time. Thanks for the great pictures. It's so fun seeing you in the
DR. Now we can picture what you're doing. It's exciting to see so much
missionary work going on in the world, all the gathering that is taking
place. Remember, only the elect can find the elect, and it's so important
that you always realize who you are and understand the great importance of
the work the Lord has entrusted to you, his elect.

Say hi to your companion for me. Can't wait to get some of your
handwritten letters, too. Have a great week. I love you.

mom
xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

May 2, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
How are you doing? Hope things aren't warming up too quickly there, or
maybe you still love the heat. It was nice and warm here last week, and
today we had a little cold front move in, just to remind us that it's not
quite summer. There's still snow on Bogus which means we shouldn't plant
most of the garden yet. Dad's going to plant all the cool weather plants
tomorrow, like those yummy sweet peas that we love to pick and eat in the
garden.

I took the girls with me to Enrichment tonight. They had a special
mother/daughter night. They had fun. Leah said the best part was the
treats (of course).

Alex had his choir try-outs today. He said he did well. He's still a tenor
even though he's having a bit of a growth spurt lately. Sean is just trying
to finish everything to graduate. He still has one online course to take a
final for-cycling. We're also trying to order some parts for the Mustang
before Grandpa Trumbo gets here so he can help put them in. Myles McKell
came over tonight to help us figure out what parts we need. It runs really
well now, so now we just need to fix all the cosmetic things (which there
are about a kazillion things to fix). Slowly but surely it will come
together. I'm just so happy it runs well. Also this Sunday is the
fireside here for all the seniors and their parents. That's always a fun
fireside.

I read a paper that said starting 2007 BYU-Idaho is going to only have 3
semesters a year, longer classes. So they won't have those half semesters
during the summer any more.

So how are the families you're teaching coming along? Have you given any
talks in Sacrament since you've been out or taught any Sunday School
lessons, etc? Just wondering.

Grandpa Trumbo was commenting to me on how much he enjoys reading your
letters each week. It's so fun that we can just forward your letters
through email to everyone and that they get to share in your experience too.

This week I had to brown 30lbs of ground beef for Alma Academy. I'm helping
out with the cooking this year. I've heard they have excellent food, so I
hope I don't let them down. I'm also going to be making tons of brownies
for everyone. If you had to choose, would you prefer plain brownies,
brownies with frosting or brownies with a layer of mint frosting then a
layer of chocolate frosting? Just trying to figure out which ones the guys
would like the most.

Well, not much else to report on. Remember Sean's b-day is this Saturday.
He's trying to figure out some fun things to do with his friends. He's
leaning towards a big baseball game. I'll let you know next week, how it
all went and what we ended up doing.

Take care of yourself. Keep the rules of the mission and keep yourself
worthy to have the spirit work through you. Sounds like there are a lot of
strong good people there who are just waiting to hear from you. Have a
great week and remember always you're in our prayers every day.

I love you,
mom
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo


May 9, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
Well, I can't help thinking about the fact that we get to hear from you this
Sunday. I'm so excited. I'll try not to say too many things in this
letter, so we have more to talk about on the phone. I keep meaning to ask
you if you would like me to write handwritten letters to you also. I sure
enjoyed getting your letter with all my questions. It seems so much more
personal. Just let me know.

I tried to teach a FHE on manners last night. I'm not so sure the little
girls got it. I had them practice on the phone, letting Sean open doors
for them (but then after he opened the back door for them and they walked
through, Sean shut and locked the door just to be funny). So now they
probably won't want boys to open the doors for them. I was trying to teach
them to say thank you after they open the door. I had Nikki practice saying
excuse me every time she bumps into someone. You know how she is. She
can't seem to walk a straight line and always runs into people. I told them
I was going to watch them all week and give them rewards for having good
manners. So today I need to think of fun rewards(something that's not
food).

They've asked me to be the music teacher for the nursery kids in Primary
along with playing the piano. So when I'm not playing, I go into both
nursery classes and sing songs with the kids. It's always fun being in the
nursery even for a few minutes.

My other calling, STake 11 yr old scout ldr, is going to get pretty busy
now. I have to plan the Day Camp for this summer. Last year they loved
canoeing and axe throwing so for sure we'll do that again. Do they do
scouts in the wards there?

For Sean's b-day on Saturday I took him shopping so he could pick out what
he wanted. He bought a laptop briefcase to take to school and some
clothes.

Jan just called me. She just had back surgery and she's stuck upstairs at
her house with no one to help her. Heidi is supposed to be there and Heidi
took off for a job interview. I sure wish we lived closer to them so I
could just run over and help her. She's going to call her 80-yr old
neighbor to come over and help her.

Well, every day now we're working in the yard. Dad's hoping to have the
waterfall done by the end of the month. It will look so pretty when it's
done. I'll send you pix.

Here are some more missionary thoughts from my book:
1. Create trivia questions from Church videos.
2. Record the most creative rejections you receive in a separate section of
your journal.
3. Store some water in 2-liter bottles in your apartment for emergencies.
4. Don't be afraid to get your suit dirty.
5. Don't eat food that's been in the fridge longer than you've been in the
area.
6. Make treats for district meetings.
7. Read all the standard works at least once during your mission.
8. Make bookmarks for investigators by writing a favorite scripture, thought
or hymn on a card.
9. Get a good night's rest.
10. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."

So, let me know how and when to expect your call. Remember we still have
church from 9-noon which is 11 -2 your time. Dad is not having any meetings
in the afternoon that day so he should be home the whole time (plus he has
to help cook me my mother's day dinner-ha ha). If we need to call you back,
let me know so I can purchase an international phone card this week.

I'm going to send some pralines from Savannah to my mom. Remember those and
how we'd get testers from the candy store. MMMMmmmm, they were warm and
just melted in our mouths. Ok, now I want some.

Oh, we just found out that Bro and Sister Davis (Steven Lee's parents) just
went to the DR. They didn't even tell us. I wish we had known and we
would have sent something with them to give to you. I can't wait to hear
where they went and what they did.

I better go. It's lunch and Nikki is VERY hungry. Remember, I love you
very much and I know you're growing and learning from all your experiences.
The Lord is always with you, on your side and will prepare the way before
you. You are being refined for what's in store for you in your future. All
of your experiences will help you and help you to help others, but just
remember to look for lessons in life and ask yourself "what am I supposed to
learn from this or that" and then record your thoughts in your journals. I
always ask myself that question and it helps me alot.

I love you,
mom
can't wait til Sunday :)
xoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo



May 16, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
How great was that to get to talk with you!! It was so nice to hear your
voice and to know that you are ok, happy and healthy. It was a great
Mother's Day for me. Thank you.

So, not much has happened since we last spoke. haha I went to a cake
decorating class this morning in our ward. My cake is beautiful, if I must
say so myself. It was fun. I don't know if I'd ever have the patience to
make a really large cake though.

Sean had his economic summit today. I went over there and saw his booth.
Boy, was that a crazy place. It looked like everyone did a lot of work for
that and Sean was totally exhausted when he came home. He's returning all
the plants he borrowed from the Yorgason's right now. His team made a
little Buddha sanctuary. It looked great.

We are totally sweating here. It's been in the 90's all week. It's like
summertime. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 97! Good thing it's still cool in
the mornings and evenings, not like in Hilton Head where it never cooled
down.

Dad took us all on a little hike last week up in the hills of Boise. It
was fun and there are tons of trails there, so we're going to go back and
hike some more. You'd love it. Barkley loved it too.

Well, how was your Monopoly game? Grandpa Trumbo said he and and his
companions always used to play Hearts. Kristina checked out a book at her
library called The Dominican Republic. It has lots of info and pictures, so
I'm excited to look at it.

I hope you're having a good week. Jill said they had a fun talk with Alex.
He said he needs some bowling shoes, because they always go bowling on their
p-days. She said he sounded different, more grown up.

Here are some more missionary reminders for this week:
1. Find something to do on P-day that's not basketball (or baseball :) )
2. Ask yourself, "would I be embarrassed if my mom suddenly arrived at my
apartment and needed to use my bathroom? (I liked that one)
3. Don't chew gum while tracting.
4. Laugh, cry, smile.
5. Do five push-ups a day.
6. Be obedient; but if you slip, forgive yourself--then do better next time.
7. When a big dog chases you, remember you only have to outrun your
companion, not the dog. (I love it!)


Better go. Remember I love you and am so proud of you. Have a great day.
Love,
mom

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

May 23, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
How has your week been? Any new contacts that look promising?

We've been busy as ever here. Sean had Seminary gradation Sunday night.
It was nice, Pres. McCauley gave an excellent talk and he called 4 students
up to speak also, Travis Hugentobler and Jared Gooch were 2 of the 4. I
really enjoy seeing everyone's baby pix, etc.

Also on Sunday, all the seniors spoke in Sacrament mtg. Sean did a good
job. That's one of my favorite Sacrament meetings when the Seniors speak.
Sean spoke on the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

This week we have all the end of the year concerts. I'm looking forward to
all of them. Next week I'll let you know how things went.

Leah made a lot of money over the weekend. She lost both her 2 front teeth
and one tooth on the bottom. I'll attach a picture so you can see her.

I talked with Carolina today. They're getting pretty excited for the twins
to get home. I'm really excited to have them living in Provo. I hope we
get to see them a lot more often now. Grandpa asked Susan and Mike if they
wanted to move into the big house. They haven't decided yet but that would
give them a lot more room.

Dad's outside riding on the Yorgason's super fast lawn mower, testing it
out. It can really go fast, dad said he felt like he needed a seat belt,
haha.

Here's a few more missionary tips:
1. Don't let your neck get sunburned on P-day. You'll be wearing a tie in a
few hours.
2. Buy a state/national flag from your mission.
3. Make a copy of your favorite poem or Ensign article for an investigator
or member, just to tell him/her thanks.
4. Find one vegetable you like--and eat it occasionally.
5. Study your patriarchal blessing often.

I hope you're staying cool and drinking plenty of fluids during the day. (my
mom advice) The forecasters here say this is going to be a very busy
hurricane season, so we'll definitely be watching the weather channel for
you.

It's walking season again and I think of you often and miss our walks
together. I know you're doing a lot of walking though, so keep up the good
work. Remember miracles happen after we do our work, so work hard, study
often and pray for help. Have a miraculous week!!
I love you,
mom
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo


May 29, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
The photos I attached are our waterfall and Alex, Jay Smack, Jake Jensen at
the choir awards banquet. Every table had a different theme (I think they
were going for the 70's/80's theme-kind of scary, huh?) Alex dressed that
same way at the next stake dance. He said he danced a lot that night and
got a lot of good attention, haha.

Everyone's home from school today. Sean is off playing basketball with a
bunch of his friends and we just got home from eating at China One Buffet
and going to the dollar store. Leah had a lot of tooth money to spend and
Nikki got a dollar for good behavior at church (she just barely got that
one!) Now we're waiting for Grandma and Grandpa Thompson to arrive.
They'll be here for a week for graduation.

Last week was pretty busy here. Sean and Alex had their big end of the year
concert. It was really nice. Alex got Rookie of the Year award and Mr.
McMullen gave Sean the last award of the night and said really nice things
about him, how much he's helped the choir, his music knowledge, etc and he
said Sean was someone he wished he had many more of in choir. It was a
really great honor. Then Sean conducted the final song of the night that
the seniors and alumni sing together.

Sunday was Brittney Stafford's farewell. Dad and I went to it. She's very
excited to go to New York City south mission. Also Travis Hugentobler got
his call to Jamaica. I'm sure I'll be talking with Jodie a lot about what
he needs since his mission will be very similar to yours. His is English
speaking though. Dustin Hadfield is going to Ecuardor.

I'm also trying to get ready for Alma Academy. I have to leave at 6 in the
morning with the other 2 cooks-Sister Shaw and Sister McCauley. Dad and I
will be sleeping in the white van which should be interesting. I know dad
can sleep anywhere, but I'm not so sure how it will be for me. I'll let
you know.

Carolina just called me and said they got a letter from you. She said she
was so impressed and it meant a lot to them that they got to hear from you
personally. She can't believe how good your Spanish is.

We were supposed to be going to Leslie Thomas' baptism this week, but she's
decided not to get baptized, again. She and Nate Carter broke up and
somehow Leslie's family took it very personally and don't want anything to
do with the church. Mrs. Thomas won't even return my phone calls which
makes me very sad. If I could just talk with her I feel like things would
be better. I'm going to have to watch for her out in her yard or something.
Val McCauley said she knows Leslie has a testimony, but she may have to be
out living on her own before she commits.

Here are this week's missionary tips:
1.Have district/zone breakfasts on P-day.
2. For at least one day each week, refrain from thinking about home.
3. Encourage young people to serve missions.
4. Encourage older couples to serve missions.
5. Pay your bills promptly.
6. Using natural foods and food coloring, create a green meal for your
"greenie"-green salad, vegetables, rolls, drink, etc.
7. When you have one year left, serve like you have only one month left.
When you have one month left, live it like you still have a year. (I like
that one.)


So how was your week. Your last letter was so exciting, thank you so much
for sharing everything with us. I hope you're still teaching that one
family you found. I'm also very excited for you to get to hear Elder Oaks.
What a great blessing. Be sure to go up to him afterwards and look into
his eyes and shake his hand, wow, an apostle of the Lord speaking to you.

Well, I better get making my brownies for the Academy and help dad with some
more work on the waterfall. It looks so good and it's fun to hear running
water outside our window. Have a miraculous week and take lots of notes
from Elder Oaks. You're always in my thoughts and prayers.

Love you,
mom
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox




June 6, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
Wow, what a busy week we've had. I've been on the go ever since I wrote you
last. I guess if you've read dad's email already, he let you know about
our sad news of Michele passing away last weekend. I'm so anxious to get
down to see Allen and his kids so I can put my arms around them all. Most
of the family will be there and lots of his friends are coming also. That
will mean a lot to Allen. I'll fill you in on everything next week. I
spoke with Allen tonight and he sounded good. We all fasted for him this
past Sunday and he said it really has helped. He said he and the children
are doing remarkably well.

I thoroughly enjoyed going to Alma Academy and cooking. It was so fun
getting to see what happens there. What great youth leaders we have.
Grandma and Grandpa Thompson really pitched in and helped us out while we
were gone. I felt so badly that Sean couldn't participate in many of the
activities because of his knee after he'd done all that planning as Alma
president, but he said he still had a lot of fun and he did an excellent
job.

Friday night I invited some of Sean's friend's parents over for a bbq. The
weather turned bad-very cold and very windy and then very rainy. We had a
big inflatable slip n slide and the kids still wanted to use it, so they
just shivered and had lots of fun. There were around 20 of Sean's friends
who showed up here during the night. We had lots of food, thank goodness,
since so many people showed up. Graduation was the next day and it went
smoothly. Last night he signed up for his classes at BYU. Now all he has
to do is get a job--which I hope happens quickly.

Last week I went to Nikki's graduation party and yesterday I went to Leah's
kindergarten graduation and today I went to Kristina's track and field day.
Tomorrow we're supposed to go to a picnic with Leah and do a tug-o-war too.
I need a summer break!

So how was your week? I hope your hard work is still continuing to pay off
with lots of investigators. Tyler Durham has said he wants to take the
lessons here. He went to Alma Academy and felt the spirit strongly there.
His mom and step dad are moving to Utah this week, but he's staying here to
work and live with his father in Nampa. I'm hoping he'll go to the singles
ward with Sean this summer. He's going to Utah State in the fall. I'll
let you know how things go for him.

Here's your missionary tips for the week:
1. Never refuse a dinner appointment.
2. A new red sweatshirt shouldn't be washed with white shirts.
3. Put a sign on the inside of your front door, reminding you to pray every
time you leave your apartment.
4. Let your junior companion be senior once in a while for practice.
5. Call your DL if you're going to be late getting home.
6. Read Nephi's Psalm in 2 Nephi 4:15-35.

It's getting late, so I better sign off. We think about you and pray for
you every day. Lately Leah has been praying about how you'll be coming home
when she's almost 8 and ready to get baptized. The little girls love you
and look up to you so much. It was a true blessing that you were home with
us for 8 straight months before leaving on your mission. Leah and Nikki got
to know you so well during that time. Take care and stay true to the
covenants you've made.

I love you,
mom
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

June 13, 2006
Dear Elder Kirk,
It's raining outside, in fact we had a huge storm today. Reminded us all
of the south. Power outages, lightning and a tornado warning. Fun, fun,
fun. Of course, dad and I sat out on the front porch until we got too cold
(not something we felt very often in the South).

The attached pix are
1. At the Pine Valley campground after the funeral
2. Jessie, Kristina and baby Maggie
3. At the Iceberg getting shakes

Well, we had quite an eventful week. Your letter last week was wonderful
and very powerful. When we were at Allen's, he said he had read your letter
and really appreciated it. We went to Salt Lake the first night and stayed
with G & G Thompson, then drove the rest of the way to St. George. There
was a viewing on Thursday night and dad and I went to that since I didn't
think the kids needed to be at the viewing. Sean and Alex took the girls
swimming. After the viewing Allen had us all meet at a place called The
Iceberg for shakes afterwards. It was a great place and plenty of room for
our huge family and friends. The funeral services for Michele were very
nice. All the neices and nephews sang "A Child's Prayer" and it really
brought the spirit into the meeting. Grandpa Trumbo gave the family prayer
before they closed the casket before the funeral. It was a beautiful
prayer, but it was so sad to see the sadness on Allen's face and his
children as they said their final good-byes. A lot of Allen and Michele's
friends showed up for the funeral. I couldn't believe how far some had
traveled. Wonderful friends are priceless.

That night after the funeral, all the Trumbo relatives and Michele's
brothers and sisters and their kids went up the canyon for dinner. It was
so peaceful and beautiful there, big pine trees and a cool creek running
through the place. We ate, talked and played games. The next morning we
all helped Allen clean out and organize his garage, then we headed home.
Right now I'm planning on going to Allen's again the first week of July with
Kristina and stay there with him and help him with his kids, etc. He's got
a lot of work and decisions ahead of him.

It was so fun seeing everybody last weekend. Allen said just having
everyone around him made things so much better. That's what families are
for.

Tomorrow is mine and dad's 21st wedding anniversary. We're going to the
temple in the morning, then work around the yard, then out for the evening.
Grandma and grandpa Trumbo are coming this Thursday for a long weekend.
Grandpa and Sean are going to work on the Mustang.

Brandon has been staying with us a lot. His mom has moved to Arizona for a
while and he'll be moving down with her the end of the month. For now, I
think he really likes hanging out here. He's always been one of the family.

Sean is still looking for a job and can't seem to find one yet. Hopefully
this week something will come up. Kristina is starting tennis lessons next
week and Leah and Nikki will be taking a ballet class from Sister Purnell
next week. I taught Kristina and her friends how to embroider today.

We're keeping busy. Sean has had his friends over here a lot for different
things and they always look at your pix and want to know about your mission.
I hope things are going well for you, that you're enjoying the work even the
struggles.

Cameron Dumas just got his mission call and is going to Portugal.

Here's this week's missionary tips:
1. Challenge your companion to a "righteous" day--see if the two of you can
keep both the letter and spirit of every mission rule.
2. Check pockets before washing.
3. Tell converts to bring a change of underwear for baptisms, and remember
to bring a change of garments for yourself if you're performing the baptism.
4. Write your family week, not weakly.
5. Return calls to your mission president immediately.
6. It's OK for elders to use an iron once in a while.
7. Have new members write a letter to your family.
8. Pray together with your companion.

We've been going on walks a bit more lately and I sure think about you when
we do. The work you're doing is so important in the Lord's plan and in
helping prepare the earth for His return. I'm so grateful that you and so
many others can dedicate every day for 2 whole years to this great work. I
love serving in any capacity I can, any calling I receive and definitely
look forward to serving with dad some day in the mission field.


Love you much,
mom

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

June 27, 2006

Dear Elder Kirk, I just got back from mailing a little package to you and
it's so hot out there. We could really use an afternoon thunderstorm, but
that doesn't happen around here. It feels so good to be back in the air
conditioning. We're really spoiled here. Leah and Nikki have been out
back for hours playing on the slip and slide with Billy and Fisher. Nikki
just came in and told me Billy is trying to hit her, but Leah says Nikki is
just being a whiner.

So let us know when you get the package.

Wel, let's see what happened this week. Sunday night Sean decided to have
his Young Adult friends over for a cookie night. About 20 showed up and
they all sat on our back porch and ate cookies and fudge. Dad had his
medical committee here putting together packets for the trek, so there were
cars parked up and down the street and lots of people in and out of our
house.

On Saturday dad went with the youth to the temple to do baptisms and that
night we had a ward party out in back of the church. The little kids had a
lot of fun playing tug of war. Nikki is a work horse-she pulled so hard.
You should have seen her. She loved it.

So how is La Vega? How's your ward? Have you gotten a chance to speak in
this ward yet? I hope you went ahead and bought the razor that you needed.
I'll make sure you have money in the account.

Isaac is coming home this Friday. Wish we could be there to greet him at
the airport with everyone. Giovanni comes home in a couple weeks. In just
a couple months, Axel should be putting in his mission papers. We'll keep
you posted.

Kristina and I are going to Allen's next week to stay with him and help take
care of the babies and cook and clean. He's still having quite a hard time
without Michele. He's really excited for me to come and stay with him for a
little bit.

Sister McCauley is out of town picking up Scott from his mission, so she
asked me to take her place as chorister in the Primary. I'm much more
comfortable playing the piano! Next week we're going to play a fun game
like hot potato with a potato that is wrapped in lots of foil. When you
peel off each layer of foil, there is a name of a song that we'll sing.
Hopefully, they'll enjoy it.

Here's some missionary tips for the week:
1.Garments make great gifts from home for birthdays--ask for them. (Let me
know if you want them when the time comes)
2. Don't backbite your mission president or any other missionary leaders.
3. Develop a scripture marking system that's personal to you and not too
messy.
4. Include childhood memories in your letters to your parents.
5. If you disagree with your companion, remember it's not who's right but
what's right.
6. Make sure there is propler ventilation for all gas appliances.

Hey, have you done anything more with teaching piano there? Also I was
wondering if you do service each week and if so, what do you do? I hope
you're continuing to enjoy your mission and that your testimony is growing
stronger with your experiences. You have a great attitude and it sounds
like you truly love the people of the Dominican Republic and care about
their welfare. Keep up the wonderful work and remember always that you are
a beloved son of our Heavenly Father, and He knows you by name and is
watching over you. Stay true to your covenants that you've made and He'll
bless you continually. I know these things are true because of how I've
been blessed in my own life when I give my very best in the callings I've
had and when I try my best to keep all the commandments.

Take care of yourself and can't wait to hear from you.

I love you.

mom
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxoooo