Prom and Promenading

Aloha Sister Nielsen,
 
We were glad to hear about your new companion and your new area.  That one photo looked like you were a little too close to the beach, (as there were sun bathers in the back ground).  I am sure you and your new companion will do just fine in the new area.  Even is the book is a disaster, the spirit will guide you to those who need to be taught by sisters in that area.  We are all doing fine here.  The weather got cold again these past few days.  It even snowed again 3 days ago. 
 
This week was busy.  Monday night I taught my class so I did not get home until about 9:30 pm, and then cody had his bball awards banquet on Tuesday and Erin had hers on Wednesday.  So they were both late nights as the people like to talk too much.  Erin got voted defensive player of the year by her coaches and I believe she got an academic award for maintaining a 3.5 GPA.  Cody did not get any special recognition.  But is was fun.  It will be sad not watching Erin play any more, but both mom and I are really happy that we do not have to put up with the politics of girls bball for a while.  They were talking about all their summer camps, etc, that they want the girls to go to and we were both thinking, that we were glad that stuff is over for Erin.  We still have it with Cody, but I don't think it is as political with the boys.
 
Then I took vacation days on Thurs. and Friday to watch the NCAA March madness and to work on taxes.  None of the Utah teams made it to the big dance.  BYU is in the NIT tourny, and they won their first game and play again tonight.  Wichita State and Florida Golf Coast are the big cinderalla teams making some noise and getting to the sweet 16 round.
 
Cody had baseball games on Friday and Sat and Erin had a track meet on Friday.  But it was so cold, we did not go to watch Erin.  Cody played in Winnemucca.  His team won both their games and we are yet to watch him play.
 
Then they had the the big prom night Saturday.  Erin looked really nice in her dress and Cody wore won of my Hong Kong suits and my shoes and looked really sharp.  But his date needed to cover up a little more.  She said she could not find a shawl to cover her shoulders and her dress was a little low in front as well.  Cody needs to step up and tell her he can't date her with immodest clothing.
 
But he did get home at about 11:55 pm as he said he remembers when Amber did not get home in time and got yelled at.  Erin got home at about 12:30 as they went and played paint twister at someones house after the dance.  Mom and I went to watch the senior walk.
 
Everyone else is doing fine.  Adelaide said she misses Amber and wanted to give you a big hug when she sees you.  She also said the other day, using your old cell phone, "Do you want to watch a movie on my iphone?"  I  don't know where she has ever heard that before, and then after that she said, "I will text you".  Where is she getting all this techno lingo?  She calls my ipad, my big ipod.  She is cute and still spoiled.  She is getting big, when we pick her up, she is getting heavy.  I think she has lead in her pants.
 
All is well her.  I hope you have a happy easter on Sunday.  We love you and pray for your success daily.  Next month you will be half way done with your mission. Unbelievable.  Brendon Smith got his call to west virginia I believe, spanish speaking.  All these high school kids are getting their mission calls, it is kind of wierd.
 
Well have a great week.
 
Love DAD

Springy

Hello Sister Nielsen,
 
We have been wondering all week where you were going to end up with this transfer.  Where ever it is, I know you will do well and be a great trainer, if you did get your baby.  We are all doing great here.  I am a year older and wiser now.  On Friday, Summer told me in the morning, "Dad, enjoy your last day of being 48 years old".   When she put it that way, I wasn't too excited to complete another years.  Then that evening, she said, well, did you enjoy your last day of being 48?  This week again went by too fast.  I worked on taxes and tried to get caught up with them.  Work has been very busy and we have had to deal with alot of problem children students lately so that has not been too good.  On Wednesday night, they asked me if I would referee the Mid-night basketball here at the college.  I said yes and I was refereeing or shooting from 9:30 pm to 1:30 am.  I was tired, if nothing else of being on my feet that long.  The YSA group had a coed team with the Polish? kids and the one girl that said she was your friend.  A tall girl from Spring Creek, that graduated in 2008.  I believe by the name of Katie.  She said she had been at our house a couple times, and at your farewell.  Then on Thurs. morning, I still went and played bball at the high school.  So I was very tired through out the day. 
 
On Friday, we were going to Utah for my bday and the sportsman expo. in SLC, but we did not get away on time so mom and I went to a BYU alumni association fireside.  It was really good.  The guy who spoke was the 2nd counselor in the General Sunday school presidency.   He did a good job, the subject was living a sacred life in a secular world.  He told some stories of Ephriam Hanks, one of the people that save the martin handcart company.  I guess he had a beard down to his belt buckle and would run his hands through it all the time.  One time at a dance, in 1893, Brigham Young saw him walk in and went up to him and said, "Eff, it is time you get clean shaven".  This is a time when all the 1st presidency and quorum of the 12 all had beards on their faces.  So he went home and shaved off all his beard, but left his mustache, and went back.  Brigham saw him again and went up to him and started rubbing his face with his hands and said, Eff, I said completely clean shaven.  So he went home and shave off his mustache and went back to the dance.  But he was completely obedient.
 
We had fun in Utah.  Mom and I went to the jordan river temple and did an endowment in spanish.  That was the 1st time I have done a complete endowment in spanish.  I had listened to them before, but never did the veil work in spanish.  It was kind of hard being the 1st time.  But it was neat.
 
Then Cody, me, Darhl and Joe went to their church and shot hoops for a while, and i did some soft tosses to Cody to hit the baseball behind their church.  Afterwards, all the brothers and sisters and spouses came over and we had cake and ice cream at mom's for mine and Darhls bdays.  It was a good time.  Our family and mom went over to Sharons to eat after church yesterday, pappa murphys pizza and then we came back to Elko.  Erin stayed home for a track meet and take care of the dog.  That was the 1st time in months that mom has gone to all 3 meetings.  Erin got a 66 seconds in the 400 and a 28 in the 200.  The 66 was 2 seconds faster than last week, so that was good.
 
Other than that, things are all going well.  We love you and hope you and your new baby have great success in your new area.  We pray for you daily.
 
Have a super week,
 
Love DAD

Kind of a boring week

Aloha Sister Nielsen,

How has your week been? I am in the middle of tax season and very busy.  We have slowed down from the sports scene.  Cody went to Reno this past weekend for baseball games again and Erin had a track meet in Spring Creek.  She only ran the 4 x 200 relay and the 4 x 400 relay and their team took 1st in both.  She said her ham string was hurting her a little so she did not do any individual events.  Cody said he dove for a ball in the outfield and landed on his left shoulder and hurt it a bit.  So he was moving around the house yesterday not being able to raise his left arm.  I told them with all these accidents, they are just going to have to sit on the bench and not do any thing any more if they keep getting hurt.

I hope it is not too bad. We were still having problems with the fridge and I was working on that all week, as it was leaking water now, but I believe I got it all fixed and now it is working well.

I can't think of any thing else we did last week.  I had my accounting class I teach on Monday night. And during the week I would just stay in my office and work on taxes most of the time.  Friday, mom and I got free tickets to go watch a lady sing that was on America's got talent.  She was a heavy set black lady in her 60's who had a great voice.  Like a Whitney Houston voice.  She sang one of Whitney's songs and did a great job.  Most people do not do Whitney's songs justice unless they have that type of voice.  It was good though.

Well, not much more happening here around the Elko home front.  It is suppose to get up to mid 60's by this weekend.  This next weekend is stake temple day and mom and I are planning on going over and hitting the temple and visiting mom.

 

Can't think of much else happening.  We love you and are happy that you are serving a mission.  I talked to Jacob Lewis' parents and he has been out about 1 year and is serving as a Branch President in Nicaragua.

 

I hope everything is well with the salimeda family.  They need to develop a daily reading scriptures and prayer routine in their lives.

 

Love Dad, 

Prom dress: Mission Accomplished

Aloha Sister Nielsen,

Well, how has your week gone this week.  I'm sorry that we did not get our letter written to you earlier last week to tell you all about the games.  I sent mine like 10 minutes after I got yours, so I was hoping that you would still be there and be able to read it.

Well this past week was a blur as well.  I worked Monday and Tuesday, working on taxes in the evenings until late.  Then on Wednesday, I had to go to San Francisco, for meetings on Wed, Thurs. and Friday for WASFAA.  I was the Nevada President for the Financial Aid Administrators last year and had to go to meetings, and they had a new president this year, but she switched jobs and then was unable to continue as President so the by-laws says it goes back to the past President.  So, I will be President again until May or so.

But San Francisco was fun.  The 1st day we got there, we went to Fisherman Warf, and had lunch.  It cost $6.00 for the cable cars to get back to the hotel and I did not want to pay the $6 so, I told the other I was with, I would walk back.  It was about about 3 plus miles but I was walking up those step hills in San Fran.  I told the group I would be back to the hotel in 1/2 hour and they said there is no way, you wont make it up that hill.  Well the challenge was on and I made it back in 35 minutes.  I was sweating as it was about 63 degrees, but I made it back.  I wanted to watch Lone Peak, a high school in Alpine UT who is the number 1 high school bball team in the nation play.  They are a bunch a white mormon boys.  3 of them have already committed to play with BYU and 2 of them have already received their mission calls.  The Today Show out of New York, did a special report on them last week.  But they were playing in the Utah state tournament and I could watch them through the internet.

I did not leave the hotel the other 2 days as we had meetings the entire time.  I was suppose to get home Friday night, but our plane in SLC, had mechanical problems, so they put us up in a hotel for the night and I did not get home until noon on Sat.  Mom and Erin left for SLC on Sat morning to go shop for prom dresses and left Summer and the 2 younger kids home alone until I got home.  Cody made the JV baseball team.  I thought he should be on varsity but they have 9 seniors on the team, so there was not alot of room on the team.  But I think it is better that he be on JV and play vs on varsity and sit the bench.  But he was in Reno for games on Friday and Sat.  They did not have much time to rest between sports (1 day on sunday).  Erin did the leg of the Triathlon the swimming portion, but she walked in the water the entire time and said she beat most of the ones actually swimming.

Any way, yesterday was fast sunday and in nursery, the kids were all crying and fighting, it was a tough day after missing a week for Stake conference.  Hopefully, they will get better.

I was talking to Sister Daniels, and a girl that likes Trevor Daniels got her call to the Visitor center/PCC.  He does not like her, but they found that interesting that she got her call there and that is where Trevor works, in the PCC.  I can't remember her name, but another sister called to the hawaii mission.

Well I better go get ready for work.  We love you and always pray for your success.  Adelaide always says now, that she is going on a mission.

I hope everything is going well covering the 2 areas.  I would not stress about it, just do what you can do, and the Lord will make up the difference.

Have a super week,

Love ya,

DAD