25 Nov 2007

Nov. 25, 2007
Dear Elder Sean,
I'm having a bit of the post-turkey blues tonight. All the guests are gone, there are loads and loads of laundry to do (and our machine just broke), and there are piles of things everywhere. I need to muck out before I get in the mood to bring stuff out for Christmas decorating. Dad just took off to work. He's doing 2 night shifts in a row. We were few in numbers in our ward today. So many people still gone for the holiday.

Steve and Carolina left just after the BYU game started yesterday. Kind of like what they did last year. They listened to the game on the radio and we watched it with Danny and Dave Rozsa. It was a boring game until the end when BYU pulled out a win with 1:30 left in the game. I thought for sure they were going to lose to Utah. They won it 17-10. However, the night before BSU actually lost to Hawaii, very sad 39-27. So Hawaii is the WAC champion and are 11/12 in the polls. BSU slipped to number 25.

Thanksgiving was nice. We had the Hugentobler's here too. Lots of food. Carolina and I think we made too much this year. We had tons of leftovers and even sent a bunch home with the Hugentobler's. We also had a rousing game of greed. Dad fried 9 turkeys and 1 pheasant (Bro. Callister brought his little bird over for frying again this year). We're actually thinking of roasting a turkey next year. We'll see.

The weather is really turning cold all of a sudden now. I miss just running out on errands and slipping sandals on. Now my feet are warmly bundled in socks all day. The coat rack is jammed full again. I don't envy Kirk's move to Rexburg at all. Too cold for me.

It was fun having all of Steve's kids here. Isaac and Bethany stayed with us too. They brought a couple new games for us to learn. We love the one called Hand and Foot. We'll teach it to you when you get home. Gio says he has a girlfriend now and it could be serious. Her name is Jen, we'll see.

Jan called me this morning and said Katie's boyfriend proposed to her last night and gave her a ring. Katie really isn't ready to get married yet and either is Greg, her boyfriend. Jan and Jeff are not real thrilled with this news and hope they just stay engaged for years. I'll keep you posted on the news there.

Lindsay Gill got her mission call this week. She's going to Stockholm Sweden. It was fun seeing some of the BYU kids home for the holidays today.

Dad just called and said to say hi. He's anxious to hear from you tomorrow. It's hard for us when you're so far away and we worry about you but can't do much about it. We appreciate it so much that you take the time to write each week. There are so many parents who tell us that their missionaries only write them about once a month because they say they are too busy. That makes me very sad to hear that. I know you guys get busy, but it really does mean so much to hear from you. I have mental pictures of all the people and places you talk about and they become a part of me too. So thank you again, Sean. You're a wonderful son.

We shipped another couple packages off to you this week. This was a group of 3 and we numbered the boxes 1/3, etc. So you'll know how many should be coming to you. Last week we sent some that will hopefully make it to you before Christmas so you can use some of the things in it for your apartment. Let us know as you get them.

Also, Kirk found his battery charger that we had sent to him. Do you use the same voltage plugs down there that we do? This one has a standard 120v.

Also as the time gets closer, let us know how you'll be calling us. There's a website that sells phone cards for missionary families and it has pretty good rates, so we were thinking of purchasing one from them.

How has your week been? I hope you've been able to make some great new contacts. How is the Polacio family? Have they been coming back to church? Ever since I was a young adult, I've had a real soft spot for less active members and it brings me such joy to work with them and talk with them and hear their stories. Sometimes their reasons for leaving are weak, but I also know that their conversion to the gospel was usually also weak. I enjoy answering their questions and bearing testimony of how my life has been shaped by what I know and of the knowledge I have received, the personal revelation and inspiration from Heavenly Father. Conversion is simple yet complex and takes time and a real understanding of faith.

I was happy to hear your MRI report and that there was no serious damage, but I'm so sorry to hear that it was still hurting you. Have you looked into getting a cortasone shot? I also hope you have made a plan for staying off of it for a while so that you can heal. The office can't be that bad....

Alex got called to be on the APC last week. He's really excited about it and I'm excited for him especially knowing what you experienced with that calling. If you have any words of advice for him, send it this way.
Kirk went to the single's ward today and is enjoying all the new technology he's missed out on for the last 2 years.

A quick Nikki story-Uncle Steve saw the girls fighting over this little stuffed dog. Nikki was insisting that it was hers and Leah was making the same powerful argument. Steve finally walked over to them and took the dog away and said he thought the best solution would be to just cut the dog in half and give each girl a half. Nikki immediately replied, "I want the head part." So much for Uncle Steve's big teaching moment. He laughed so hard. He said he was all ready to give a big lecture, and teach the girl's an important lesson, but Nikki trumped him. Typical Nikki!!

We've had the sister missionaries in our home a few times over the past few weeks. They stopped by a couple days ago, just to use the restroom, but I offered them some scrumptuous leftovers and it turned out that one of the sisters hadn't eaten lunch yet, so she was starving. I made her a big plate of food and send them on their way with some flavored water drinks too. They are a 3-some right now and I see them all over Eagle walking around. They were on their way to talk with Mrs. Thomas. I'm going to call Denise Thomas this week and see how it went. I'm also going to check on Leslie. I don't think she's living at home any more. The missionaries are also teaching Alex Erickson's girlfriend. She's already asked to be baptized, but she needs to take the lessons. It's been great, because they have the lessons at the Erickson's and Jill has been listening. Jill missed out on most of the gospel essentials as a young girl and she's been learning so much from the lessons. She calls me with lots of questions. She never went to Primary or church as a young girl, but then married Dirk and jumped right into marriage and child rearing, so she says she feels so dumb in the gospel and is embarrassed to admit how much she doesn't know. She feels comfortable talking with me about things and also with her son Alex. So I'm hoping she truly gets converted.

Tomorrow night I am teaching our FHE lesson from the Ensign conference report from Elder Spencer J. Condie on Sat morning called Claim the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises. I've been reading the talks again (Elder Walker admonished us to read the Sat. talks as he felt they were amazing and life changing) and this one really touched me. It's about the generous promises that the Lord makes to us.
Well, that's about it for around here. I hope you know how much we love you and pray for you. You teach me something with every letter you write. Keep up the faith, the endurance and always make note of the miracles the Lord gives you and give Him thanks. He is our advocate and truly wants us to succeed.

Love you much,
momxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo