Another Chance of a State title down the Drain

Hola Hermana Nielsen,
 
How was your week.  I hope your weeks are getting better and better and that you are becoming a pro of the spanish language.
 
Last week went by quit quickly.  Summer had a softball game on Monday or Tuesday and her team won.  They are still undefeated.  And she is learning and doing better each game.
 
The big news of the week is Cody's team went to South Tahoe on Thrusday to play in the regional Tourney.  They did not start playing until Friday.  So we go up on Friday at 3:00 am to do the papers and get ready to go by 4:30 am.  We did not actually get away until 5:30 am so we were running a little late.  The game started at 10 am.  We got there after the 1st inning and it was 3-2.  South Tahoe was winning.  Elko ended up taking the number 1 seed and were playing the number 4 seed.  I guess Elko had an error in the 1st inning to let them score the 3 runs.  But we ended up losing 8-6.  So those 3 runs were big.  So now Elko was in the losing bracket and we played the loser of the 2nd game between Spring Creek and Fallon.  Fallon won that game.  So we played Spring creek at 3:30 pm with the losing team done for the season.  We did not play too well.  Everyone seemed to be misjudging balls in the outfield and not doing too well in the infield.  We lost 8-2 or something like that.  Cody misjudged a ball in the outfield and let it go over his head and they scored a few runs.  Then in the 6th inning, he got up with 2 outs and the bases were loaded and popped up to the 1st baseman.  So he had some opportunities to change the results and did not step up.  Spring Creek ended up losing on Sat. and so they are done as well.  Fallon and So. Tahoe will go to state representing the north. 
 
But perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.  That allowed us to take Cody with us to go to Grandma and Grandpa Crofts for the weekend to visit.  Amber had not seen them in over 3 years.  The pool was cold but the 4 younger kids still went swimming.
 
Mom, Amber and I went to the Sacramento Temple on Sat. morning.  Then we went out to lunch with Kimico and JP with grandma and pa to a sushi restaurant for all you can eat.  Me grandpa, and summer and carly would had preferred a hamburger place.  But it cost grandpa $194.  Cody and Amber really liked it.  Adelaide tried all of it and did not complain a bit.
 
We could not find someone to watch Chica, so we just left her in the back yard.  I think she sat on the front porch waiting for us the entire weekend.  We got back around 9 pm on Sunday and she was sitting on the front porch.
 
We went to a sacrament meeting in Granite Bay to an earlier ward so we could get back sooner.  Amber had to work at the gym at 3:00 am today.  But that ward all came up to us and wanted to know if we were ward shopping or moving into the ward.  They wanted us pretty badly in their ward, but we told them we were just visiting.
 
Well, we love you and are happy you are serving a mission.  Serve him with all you heart, might, mind and strength and he will bless you eternally.
 
Have a super week.
 
Love
DAD

Dearest Hermana Nielsen,

Well, we had quite a weekend!  We left early fri. morning for Cody's baseball game in So. Lake Tahoe, (Regional Playoffs).  I even called our bundle hauler and asked her if she could drop our papers off first, so we could get them out pronto and leave by 4:30 am.  We had to scramble at the last minute to find someone to do our papers on Sat. (thank you Romney), and the Simons were going out of town so they couldn't watch Chica, so we tried to secure the backyard and leave her enough food and water for 3 days, and hope she would just stay in.  (More to that story later)  We got away at about 5:15am and so missed the first 2 innings, and we were already down 3 runs against So. Tahoe.  We struggled offensively, and made some errors in the field and So. Tahoe played amazing.. they were making diving catches and we just couldn't find the holes in the field, they caught everything.  We lost that one 6-8.  Dad stayed and watched Fallon and Spring Creek play and I took Amber and the little girls to check out the lake.  We parked and walked down to the beach, and we just took off our shoes and put our feet in the water.  It was cold, but not that bad, Adelaide didn't seem to mind.  I told her to not go in deeper than her knees... sure, Mom :)  She loved the water, she was running up and down the surf splashing and getting her clothes totally soaked.   When I told Dad the story he said, it sounded like a waterdog having a good time.  That was exactly what she like.  We took pics and I'm sure you will be getting them.  We did the pose and post--we thought you would be proud.

We went back for Cody's second game and it was Spring Creek, since they had lost to Fallon and we continued to struggle.   The bases were loaded at one point and Cody was up and there were 2 outs and everyone was hoping for a big slammer from Code.  It was the perfect set up, and he popped out.  That's how the games went, we just couldn't get what we needed done.  It was a shocker that we were 2 and done, since we were the #1 seed going in.  Cody took it in stride,  so since he was done we got to take him and go to Calif. and he got to spend more time with us and we didn't need to go back up to Tahoe for games on Sat.

We were able to go to the Sac. Temple on sat. morning with Amber and then we went to a Sushi place with Gram, Gramp , JP and KImiko and had all you can eat sushi.  We would just pick off the menu and they would prepare the roll and bring it to you.  We tried alot of different kinds, it was fun.  Grandpa said he would rather have had a hamburger.

Cody and the girls swam even though it was a bit chilly.  They loved that.  We all watched Frozen that night, since they hadn't seen it. Amber got a call from our neighbor Lindsey that Chica was out on our front porch, they tried to get her back in the yard, but she ran from them.  I was worried about her the rest of the trip, but when we returned she was there waiting for us on the front porch.  Silly dog.  We went  sac mtg CA and then headed home after dinner and got back about 9 pm.

The spring Choralier concert was another show stopper.  Cody was fun to watch in the show choir, he's a great performer, but he got his dancing skills from Dad I think.  Afterwards they all gave Miss Rogers a big group hug.  Miriam Shumway was there and when she saw that she said,  "who is that lady?"  she couldn't believe how different Miss Rogers was.  What a contrast to last spring concert.

Well, I need to wrap up to get this to you.  I love you my dear, and pray for you everyday, Love Mom