Back to School

Hello Sister Nielsen,

Well last week was kind of a let down after the previous 3 weeks with Whitney and the discussions and the baptism.  Mom and Erin went to BYU education week on Tuesday which left Cody and the 3 youngest girls home with me.  So I had to go the the open houses for Carly and Summer's schools to meet their teachers.  Also we had the parent meeting for Choraliers and Cody's football. So I was gone every night of the week.  Cody had 2 a days football practice and Summer had to take care of Carly and Adelaide while we were gone.  Friday we had our 3rd ward back to school BBQ.  It was a very nice evening.  We had hot dogs and hamburgers.  

Saturday I had to work and talk at the student orientation.  So it was a very busy and fast week.  Mom and Erin were going to come home on Friday for the BBQ, but they found out the the BYU girls soccer team was playing and home in Provo, so they decided to stay and go watch the soccer game and came home on Sat.  Mom was substituting a paper route around southside school, so Cody and I got up at 4:30 am every morning to go do that paper route come home and do his route and then be at football at 7 am.  We were very busy.  Cody and I did our home teaching Sunday evening.  I gave the kids their father's blessings last night as well.  Whitney face timed us so she could be apart of the blessings.  She had never seen that before, but really liked it.  Her and the other members on her softball team went over to that nice family's house for dinner after church. So that was good.  Today the kids started back in school.  I have my accounting class tonight, but I'm not ready for it yet.

The fair is this weekend.  We went to Jessica Shumway's home coming yesterday.  It was nice.  It is hard to believe she is home already.  Erin can turn in her mission papers this week if she gets all her interviews done.

Mom also bought Whitney a leather Quad of scriptures with her name on it, so we will send those to her this week.  She only has a book of mormon right now.

Well, it was 1 year ago yesterday that dad died. I sure he is enjoying your mission as much as we are.

I can't think of anything else to report this week.

We love you and pray for you daily.  Have a super week.

Love Dad

Dearest Sis. Nielsen,

Well, structure has returned to the Nielsen Household.  School started today.  I didn't feel totally prepared, since I was gone at Education Week all last week. Things at home were obviously unstructured all last week and I am trying to catch up on all that.  But, I am just grateful that everyone was OK and Adelaide didn't end up picked up by animal control, for running at large.

We had a fabulous time at BYU ed week.  I went to so many classes that I loved and learned so much.  I went to one class that was taught by Marvin Goldstein and Janice Kapp Perry.  She is the composer of the EFY medley "As Sisters in Zion".  Well, she has composed a new song with the same melody, just different words that talk about the Sister Missionaries of the church.  It's called  "The Sisters of Zion"  It is Awesome!  She said she was asked to speak at the MTC on Mothers' Day and she introduced this song to the sister missionaries and they sang it and she said " It was electrifying" and that that was one of the most amazing musical experiences she had ever had. They put the words up on a screen and the whole class which was in the biggest theatre on campus sang this song.  I couldn't get through it; the spirit was so strong.  Erin had a good time too.  She met up with Matt Johnson and they went to a lot of youth classes together.  I joined them for the John Bytheway class.  He is always excellent.

We stayed with my roommate from my freshman year.  She lives near Provo Temple.  We went to the temple together on Thurs. morn.  She made the comment that 30 years ago she would have never guessed sitting beside me on a school bus on a  basketball trip that we would one day be sitting next to each other in the temple one day.  She is a convert and joined the church her Jr. year in HS.  Her husband, who was then her boyfriend baptized her, then went on his mission when we went off to college.  We saw the new film.  It's really good.  I liked it a lot.  You may recognize the actor who plays Satan, He's been in other LDS films.

Erin and I went to the Girls' BYU soccer game.  That was fun, Matt went with us and we also so Casey Tanner- he was their with his girlfriend.

I got Whitney her own scriptures at he Bookstore and had her name engraved on the cover..  I will mail them to her tomorrow.

Did you get rid of the lice?  Hope you are doing wonderful.

I love you so much,

Mom