SNOW!

Aloooha,
 
Well there went another week.  I made it home late Sunday evening from SLC and visiting with mom.  She said she liked it so much, that she wants to have another b-day party with all her family.  There are lots of grand kids expecting babies in the Nielsen clan.  Lindsey and Russell are expecting, Brandon and Ally are expecting a little girl,  Doriann and her husband are expecting and they just got sealed in the SLC temple last Saturday.  I believe it was just a year since he was baptized, so they had to wait that long to get sealed in the temple.  Blake and Amanda Nielsen are expecting their 1st child, and Rachel Campbell is expecting.  (I don't know what her married name is, but they are living in Alaska now).  So that will add to mom and dads prosterity.
 
Monday through Wednesday I was in Las Vegas for a conference.  I had to teach a session for 1.5 hours on verification.  So I was a little nervous about that and trying to get everything prepared.  But it went really well.  I had quit a few people come up to me afterwards and tell me that I did a good job and was a good teacher.  That made me feel better.  I do not claim to be an expert on verification, but I did do a lot of research and homework reading all the regulations, etc.  It was good to get that over though.  It was in the 80's in Vegas.  On the way down, I stopped in to deliver tax returns to one of my clients in McGill and they invited me and Tawny, my co-workers to stay for lunch.  They had bacon and tomato sandwiches and they were the best.  Their 9 year old boy had made home made bread, and they had tomatoes from their dad's garden in Utah and it was very very tasty.  Reminded me of the sandwiches I use to eat growing up with dad's garden.  I loved it.
 
This past week has been beautiful as far as the weather is concerned.  In the mid 60's for late October.  Today it is snowing and the temperatures have dropped to mid 40's.  Addie saw the snow this morning and said, "It is snowing outside.  I love snow".
 
Friday was Nevada day, so I had it off from work and the kids were out of school.  Cody's football team went to Reno to play Wooster High School. Elko won 39-27.  But Cody did not get home until 4:30 am Friday morning and we were leaving at 5:00 am to go deer hunting with Hernold.  So we got a later start than we should have.  Cody cooked some pancakes and we headed to the Ruby Mtns up Krenka Creek.  We hiked up over the top of the Ruby Mtns, where we went with Chelsea that one year.  Chelsea was so hungry and tired when we got to the top that she ate the entire apple, core and all.  She said she had never tasted a better apple before.  I am sure that it was just because she had spent so much energy getting up to the top.  It took Cody and I 3 hours to hike to the top and then we were glassing for deer on the back side of the Rubies.  I believe it is 3.4 or 4.3 miles from the parking place to the top, but straight up with switch backs back and forth.  We ran into some guides up their on the back side on horses, they had come up from Soldier Creek side and that is where they were camped.  Hernold had seen some elk and deer up their the night before, but no big bucks.  And we did not want to pack a little buck out from that high.
 
We hung out up there hiking around and glassing all day.  In the evening, we spotted a little 3 point, but at that point cody and I were ready to end the hunt.  We shot at the 3 point and one of us hit it and it ran down into the thick Quakey Aspen bushes which you can't even walk through.  We could tell he was hit and saw him lay down in there, so Hernold and cody stayed up high and I tried to walk down through there to kick him out.  I got about 5-10 feet from him but did not see him until he jumped up and about ran me over, going down hill but staying in the thick brush which I could not even walk through.  We got back to the truck about 8:30 pm and Cody and I slept in the tent.  But our feet and legs were so tired, they did not want to go back up and look for that buck again.  So I will go out again tomorrow and see if I can track him in the snow now.  The weather was too nice.  We were in short sleeves and sweating badly all day from all the hiking we were doing.  We went to Bald Mtn on Sat. morning to hunt there.  That is where Erin got her big buck.  But we did not see only a couple of does and tons of wild horses.  We saw alot of deer and elk sign, but they were probably just passing throught to get to the water source.
 
We drank all the water we had and had eaten all the food we took.  We were hot, hungry and thristy and tired by time we got home Sat. night.  I watched the world series game sat night.  The St Louis Cardinals and Boston Red socks are playing and it is now 2 games a piece. 
 
Sunday was very busy as well.  The bug had quit on Erin at costa vida, so at 5:30 am mom and I went over there to tow it home as the traffic on sunday morning is alot less.  We did that without any incident.  Then, Erin and I have our mission corelation meeting at 8:30 am and it seemed like we were busy all day long.  Came home, got the family and went to church.  President Shumway was there and wanted to talk to mom and I.  He said that when he was interviewing Erin for her mission, she said something that has just stuck with him ever since.  She told him that she could not remember the last time we had a Sunday dinner where we did not have the missionaries, or investigators or someone over for Sunday dinner to fellowship.  So Elder Gay from the Quorum of seventy had a very specific agenda for the stake conference coming up on Nov. 10th.  and he had all the meeting down to the minute of how he wanted it organized.  He wanted a Sister from the stake to talk about how she could use her home to make missionary work a family affair or something like that.  Mom will give you the exact language.  And President Shumway said he immediately thought of mom as that is what she has been doing for the past many years.  So mom gets to talk on Saturday night in the adult session for 9 minutes like 7:49 to 7:58 pm.  That is how to the minute Elder Gay had things.
 
Then President Shumway asked me to fill out a form with all kinds of information about me and my family and wife and what callings I have had etc.  President Shumway is going to be released and I am on the list of people they want to interview for the stake president position.  I guess they will interview all the current bishops and high councelors and 3 others and I am in the list of the 3 others.   I have been a little nervous about that for a few months now.  But who knows what the Lord has in his plans.
 
Nursery yesterday was a zoo again.  I was literally sweating after it was done, chasing kids around and trying to protect the innocent bystanders in there.  Mom left the 2nd hour to go to Relief Society and I was in there with 3 other moms who were trying to help, but I think mom and I are a better tag team than the others.  The one lady was trying to talk to the samoan boy and saying that is not how we act, but that did not work for a second.  He is like a bull in the china cabinet. The one little samoan boy is like a tank and hurts and runs over everyone.  I might be a little relieved when we get released from nursery as it has been a challenge lately.  But I am sure they are having a hard time trying to find a replacement.
 
We were cleaning the house yesterday as Erin had invited a family that we wanted to have over for dinner and we found out they are moving to California.  So we were straightening things up and postponed dinner until 6 pm but they never got back to us.  Cody and I went home teaching and came home, ate dinner and then they asked our family to sing in a family chior for stake conference.  So we went to the stake house to practice for that chior.  I believe there are 2 families from each ward respresented.  Afterwards, Jacob Conklin asked cody to stay and help him with the sacrement for the 8:30 pm late sacret meeting for the miners.  He did not get home until after 9 pm.  We were all very tired.
 
Well have a super week.  We love you and pray for you daily.  We are so pleased that you are serving a mission.  2 of the baseball players in the world series are from Hawaii.  One from Hilo, which I believe is where you served.
 
Love Dad
 
 

Going good

Hello Sister Nielsen,

Another week has come and gone.  On Monday and Tuesday I was extremely busy trying to finish up all the tax returns.  And I finished them on Tuesday the 15th, all except for Robert Taylor and his son's tax returns.  So I was extremely relieved to get those out of my hair.

On Thursday, I took the day off and went hunting with Hernold Kinsel.  We went up Krenka creek and we left the truck at 5:30am and did not get back to the trucks until 8:00 at night.  We hiked to the top of the Ruby Mtns and back on the back side and then back down.  We probably saw 50-60 deer but only 4 bucks and the biggest was a 3 point, so I did not feel like packing them down in the dark from the top of the mtns.  It was fun to be with Hernold. I have been hunting with him for a long time.  He said he has a girl friend.  He has been dating her for a couple months and really likes her.  He is 48 and she is 39 and never married.  I told him he is not getting any younger, if he likes her he should ask her to marry him.  I thought a marriage before year end would be good. She served a mission in Guatemala.  I am happy for him.

My legs were very sore the next day.  I was going to go 2 days with him, but we did not see any thing big enough to go back to that same area.

I went back to work to rest on Friday.  Friday was homecoming.  Elko won 47 to 7.  Cody hurt his knee a little bit in the beginning of the game, but played the entire game.  They did well.  They have Wooster next week and spring creek after that, and then the playoffs.

On Sat. I got up early and drove the Camry to SLC to be with mom on her birthday.  All she wanted was her kids to come visit her.  So I got here about 11:30 am and then Sharon, Jedd and DeeRay came by and we went to look at other places for her to stay.  She has to leave this place by Wed.  This is a rehab. place. So she was in her wheel chair and we took her around to look at 4 different places.  Then we took her back to her home to see Spunky the cat.  And we ended up staying their until 8:30 pm at night.  All of Darhls kids and spouses and grandkids were there.  Jedd and his family, DeeRay and Julie and their 2 grandkids.  It was alot of fun. Braiden played the piano and the kids danced.  We had ice cream and cake and pop corn.  Like old times.  Mom said it was so fun that mom said she wants to have another one.  But that was the first time she had been out since Sept. 12th.  She kept saying, " there is no place like home" and they have that picture on the fireplace saying that with the picture of the old barn in the back yard.  I think it was really good for her, but she was very worn out by time I brought her back to the place.  I stayed the night here with her in the recliner.  But she kept calling the nurses about every hour to go to the bathroom.  She might have another UTI infection.  And every time she would get out of bed the alarm would go off on her bed and ring right in my ear, so I would have to wake up and turn the bed alarm off.  Not a restful night.

Today, sunday, I stayed with her all day, went to their church session they have here for her and it has been nice.  It is 6:00 pm and and I am still here with mom, about ready to head back to Elko.  Lindsey, Russell Nielsen's wife's sister is going to the same mission as Erin and goes to the lima MTC in November.  So they will be in the MTC together.  It has been a good visit seeing mom and all my brothers and sisters and their families.

Well, we love you and are happy that you are on a mission.  Keep working as hard as you can as you only have a few more months left.  The gospel is true and it gives meaning and happiness to our earthly mission.  

Adelaide turned 4 on Wed.  She was sooo excited about her birthday and it is a fun age.  On the day of her birthday, I said, "I can't believe you are 4 years old now".  And she said, "I thought when I had my birthday, I would be bigger.  But I am the same".  She thought that she would grow over night I guess on her birthday.  She is so much fun and we enjoy all you kids so much.

Tomorrow, I have to go to Las Vegas for a conference.  I have to teach a session on Verification in federal student aid.  I know what I want to talk about, but I still have to do the power point.  Perhaps I can do it on the way down to Las Vegas.  I will be back on Wed.

Carly finished up her bball season and Summer started hers up now.  Next week their soccer will end.

Have a super week.  We love you.   

Love

Dad

Aloha Sister Trainer!

Here we are again at the beginning of another week.  The weeks are flying by and there is nothing we can do to slow them down.  This week went by super fast.  It seems like Carly and Summer had soccer games or basketball games every night.
 
I know Carly had 2 bball games and in the 1st game, she scored 6 points.  I don't remember what she did in the 2nd.  But she is very unselfish and passes the ball to those who do not score too often, which mom and I really like.  Summer will start pal bball this week.  On Sat. Carly had a soccer game in Spring Creek in the morning and then Summer had a soccer game in Battle Mountain in the afternoon.  So we were on the road basically the entire day.  Cody's football team played South Tahoe on Friday night and they won, pretty easily.  They have a turf field and he has a nice bruise and rasberry on the side of his calf.  It was ozing out fluids most the day on Sat.  I am not sure if we told you, but Cody asked Vivian Neff to homecoming.   A LDS girl which her parents live in Ruby Valley, and she lives in town while going to school.  So he should have fun with his date.  Homecoming is this weekend. 
 
Mom turns 87 on this Sat. the 19th, and all she wanted for her birthday was all her kids to come and visit her.  So I will have to make a trip probably solo over there this weekend.  Mom will stay home with the kids and help Cody with his date and cooking, etc.  The camery is making a funny noise, like it has rocks in it rattling around, so we need to get that fixed is I am going to take that car.
 
Chelsea had her 24th b-day on Sat. and Adelaide will turn 4 on Wed.  She is really exited about it.  She said she had a dream about her birthday.  We had the sister missionaries from our ward over for dinner yesterday.  Addie, was talking the entire time.  She would say "hey missionaries, ......" and then proceed to tell them a bunch of stories.  One of the sisters, said I am going to name one of my kids after you, Adelaide.
 
Mom and I got new callings yesterday at church.  Mom got put in as 2nd counselor in the Relief Society presidency with Sister Harris as President.  I got put in as Assistant ward mission leader.  Charlie Myers is the mission leader, but he can't make it every sunday to church with his new job.  So that will be fun and exiting.  Yesterday was a very hard day in nursery.  We had 10 kids, and half of them were crying and fighting and mom and I were trying to play tag team wrestlers going around in that room.  I was tired after that.  We will stay in as nursery leaders until they get someone new called to replace us.  Good luck.  This is a young class and not as easy as the last years class was.  Many 1st children who has parents that baby them alot.  It might be a good time to be getting out of nursery.
 
I have my class tonight and tomorrow is the 15th of october and I have to finish about 5 tax returns still including our own.   So I am going to be very busy over the next couple days.
 
Well, I hope you have a super experience training this new greeny sister missionary.  With your last experience, you got a bad taste of training.  But I hope this companionship will be like you and sister Wright.
 
We love you and are so greatful you are serving a mission.  May the Lord bless you in everyway you desire.  We love you.
 
DAD

Indian Summer

Hello Sister Nielsen,

Well another week has come and gone.  Time continues to blow by so fast.  We had a good busy week.  Summer and Carly had bball and soccer games on Wed. and Thurs.  They both did really well.  We are trying to get Summer to kick with her left foot, but she never tries.  Carly had 14 points in her bball game on thurs.  She is getting better each week.  Carly got your bday card on Sat.

Cody's football team played Lowry on Friday.  Lowry was 4 and 0 and ranked number 1 in the North and 4th in the state.  And Elko put the hurt on them.  Elko won 26-6.  Lowry should never have scored the 1 touchdown, but they got a questionable pass interference call against Elko and the next play their quarterback ran it into the end zone.  The defense looked really good. Cody played solid, no big mistakes nor big play in his favor.  We were happy they won.  Now if Lowry beats Fallon, and Elko wins out, it could be a 3 way tie for 1st.

We spent the last 2 days listening to conference.  It was really good.  I always have to go back and re-listen to all the talks again to retain all the info.  I liked Elder Oaks, Gifford Nielsen, and Ballards as my favorites.  They were all really good.

Mom is sounding a little stronger.  Her voice is sounding stronger and her mind is getting better, but she really can't be by herself any more, so she will be in that assisted living place for another few weeks.

We had Bishop Mulstien from the 1st ward and their 4 kids over for dinner today.  We met them on trek and have been planning on having them over for dinner for a long time and finally did it.  He was the manager at Home Depot and quit his job, so he has been without work for the past 2 months.

Dorianne Nielsen I don't know what her married name is, is pregnant with a girl and mom got an invitation to her baby shower next week. I am not sure if we will go or not.  You also got a refund check from the dental place that pulled your wisdom teeth of little more than $200 last week.  We don't know what it is for, but we will put it in your bank account since it is in your name.  Perhaps, if might be a referral fee since we said we heard about them from you.  Who knows?

I can't think of any other news for this week.  I will save this letter and if I think of more tomorrow, I will include it an mail it then.

Love

Dad