Dear Elder Alex,
Okay, it's officially cold here now and looks like it's going to get even colder this week. The forecast for Wednesday is 9 degrees as the high. Yes, you read it right, 9 degrees and the low is -4. It was just 70 degrees a couple weeks ago so this is quite the shock to the system. It, of course, doesn't phase the little girls at all as they still come downstairs in baggy shorts and short sleeves ready for school. True Samoans! Here's a snowman Leah made after the first snowfall.
She made it so little and it looks so funny seeing this little thing sitting out in our front yard. But it's so cold I have a feeling he'll be there for quite some time.Kirk is home now, got home yesterday. He's downstairs playing games with the girls. Dad is coming off a night shift so he's asleep in the family room. I can hear him snoring as I type. Roxy and Eddy are laying on the floor next to me. I just got off the phone with Sean. He's coming home tomorrow. He wanted to stay and go to Taryn's homecoming today.
Our choir sang today and it was a pretty song. We are now practicing at Dustin Simpson's house and it has great acoustics probably because it used to be a church. Dustin is having a musical soiree at his house in December, just a big jam session with Christmas music, etc. It sounds fun. Sally wants to play SleighRide with me for it, but I have to wait and see if my finger is better by then. By the way, thank you for your prayers, that meant a lot. I think it's healing well now. It's not a pretty sight, but I can tell there's progress.
Just got Cameron's letter. He's now the finance secretary in the office. He's worried that the mission will be broke in a week with him in there, but he's up to the challenge.
How was your week? I was thinking about you today and hoping your investigators were able to come to church. I've also been praying that Josh's heart would soften and that he'd get strong feelings of wanting to lead his family, be a patriarch in his home. I hope things are progressing well with everyone.
I forwarded your letter to Julie Rasmussen last week. She loved reading about your contact with Elder Grow. She sent the letter on to Dayna too. Also it was so funny to hear your hug joke. I immediately thought, well, I have hugged you so that makes me only four steps away from hugging the prophet.
We are working on memorizing scriptures each week now. Last week Nikki took forever to memorize 2 Nep 2:25 and I thought I had picked a fairly easy scripture. She was getting so frustrated so I decided to put it to song and within 3 minutes she had the whole thing memorized. Not only did she memorize it but she says it several times a day now and today she was showing off how she could say the whole thing including the book and verse in 1 second. Now my only challenge is going to be coming up with a new tune for each scripture that we have. Wish me luck.
We had the Hugentobler's over Friday night to watch the BSU/Fresno game. BSU won 51-0. They're going to come over Wednesday night for pie night but Joel for some reason doesn't want turkey this year, so they are having ham, funeral potatoes and green bean casserole. Jodie is not excited about that, but they're going with it.
I'm going shopping tomorrow to buy all the food for the week. The only thing I'm making that is different for Thanksgiving this year is the jello salad. I'm making the strawberry pretzel salad, yum! I know you're going to have a great Thanksgiving with your Bishop. I had to laugh when you said he signed up a month ago, but that made me feel good to know you were going to be taken care of. Tell them I said thank you so much.
The Purnell's got home this last Wednesday. Their sisters say they are still in a daze but I saw them at church and they look good. They're speaking next Sunday. Kirk warned them that people would be asking them to sub for everything now. Right after he said that, Bro. Anderson walked up and asked if one of them could take his Sunday School class next week.
We had a family night lesson last week on gratitude. We talked about how when we express gratitude that Heavenly Father is more likely to bless you even more and how important it is to have an attitude of gratitude each day. They liked my object lesson of showing a glass with water in it and I asked them if the cup was half full or half empty. Then we talked about what that meant and how we should try to be people who always see the cup half full and how our attitude can make a difference in other people's lives. I never know if the girls are really paying attention but immediately afterward Leah started making a list of 100 things she's grateful for and she wants to send it to you. So you'll see it soon. They've also been catching themselves when they've started to say something negative about something and have turned it into a positive comment, so I know that they really understood. Family night is actually one of the most rewarding things I do and I think it's a combination of following the prophet (being obedient), having the spirit in our home and seeing even just a small glimmer of testimony appear in a child's eyes. I take my calling as mom very seriously and I know that I'm a missionary too. I also feel the hand of the Lord in the things I do especially when they are in tune with the spirit. I am so grateful for this awesome blessing in my life. I know that you will feel that same spirit each day as you trust in the Lord and do His will.
I also would admonish you to write things you are grateful for each day in your journal, or write down miracles (the hand of the Lord) in things you see each day. Writing them down is just another way of expressing your thanks and you'll be amazed at how present the Lord is in your life. Never forget to give due credit to the Heavenly Father.
Well, we are gathering items for your next box. Have you gotten your coat lining yet? Let us know when you get things. Gathering for Christmas will be fun and we'll make sure it's a "Jolley" Christmas (a little side note for the comp).
Keep up the great attitude, Alex. That's truly a gift you've been given and it's something you brought with you straight from heaven into our home.
Love and miss you,
Mom
xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxox
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