Moapa 40 - Elko 7 :(

Querida Hermana Nielsen,
 
Well as mom told you we lost the big semi finals game in football.  I was so pumped up for the big game, I could hardly sleep Friday night.  I really liked our chances as I thought we matched up really well with them on paper size wise.  But they executed their offense alot better than we did.  They were very precise and did everything well.  Our offensive play calling has to change and mix things up if we every want to win it all.  We can't run the same plays over and over.  We needed Jason Wilson's dad out there calling the plays with misdirection, etc.  But it was a good season and a great year for Cody and the team.  Cody played really well.  He was fired up as well, but had nothing to give in the 4th quarter.  He was spent.  I felt the game was alot closer than the score indicated.  We lost 40-7.  But we were inside their 20 yard line, 3 times and came away with no points.  Near the end of the first half, they were up 14-0 and we were inside the 10 yard line ready to score.  If we score and go into half 14-7, I liked our chances.  But we turned the ball over on downs and they threw an 80 yard pass with less than a minute left and scored a touch down right at the end of the 1st half.  So instead of it being 14-7, it was 21-0.  And that took the wind out of our sails.  Our defense was on the field almost the entire game and the offense was 3 plays and out.
 
One of Cody's coaches asked him if he was going to go play at the next level.  But we do not do a very good job of exposing our players.  I think a BYU option after his mission is the best option.
 
Adelaide was funny this morning.  She does everything she sees her mom do.  This morning she was "getting ready for the day" combing her hair, etc. and I asked her, guess who's birthday is this Saturday?  And she did not know, so I told her it was Cody's.  She asked how old is was going to be and I said 18.   And she said, "Cody has not found the girl he is going to marry yet.  But I have, but we are just going to be friends since we are so young.  That's what you want us to do, huh?"  I guess she thinks she has found the person she is going to marry.  It snowed earlier this week and Addie was out building a snow man and could not get the head on top of the snow man.  So she told mom, "mom, can you help me, I'm struggling trying to get the head on" my snow man.  She talks so grown up.
 
These past few days, it has gotten very cold.  Coming home from Ely, yesterday, it was -7 degrees.  The highs are barely above freezing and it is getting down around 0 at night.
 
We also went to Carly's and Summer's parent teacher's conference this past week.  Summer is getting all A's except 1 B.  And Carly is getting good grades and her teacher, Mrs. Powers said Carly is the perfect student.  So they are all doing well.  Cody is really putting in the effort on his grades as well and getting good grades.
 
Well we had stake conference yesterday and it was really good.  We hope you have a great week.  Keep learning that Argentinian spanish.  Tell your argentine companion, "Che vos, que te pasa?"  They call everyone che.
 
Keep working hard, the days are going by too fast.  We love you and pray for you every day.  That was a neat little tender mercy with the dress and Grandma Nielsen.  I am sure those 2 are watching over you and cheering you on every day.  They were always so very interested in their missionaries.
 
Have a super week.
 
Love,
 
Dad

Dearest Hermanita Nielsen,

We had a good week, despite our loss at the Semi-finals in football.  We left early on Sat. morning, luckily the papers were here by 4am so Dad and I whipped them out quick.  Dad's become quite the little paper boy.  He knows all the routes now and does them quite regularly, except when he goes to play basketball.  He got a FitBit from our health insurance co. It is a little wrist band thing that records your steps like a pedometer, and they have a monthly challenge to get so many steps a day and you know how competitive Dad is.  I told Cody this morning that he has benefited from that little FitBit,  because Dad does his paper route.  Cody is still pretty sore from the game, so it's good for him to rest since basketball tryouts begin today.  I wore it last week and averaged 16,000 steps a day.  The goal is 10,000.  Cody gets to wear it this week.  O.K., back to the weekend... We left at 5:30 am and got to Moapa Valley HS at about noon.  Moapa is down by Vegas, but closer to the Utah border, it is really deserty down there!  The game kicked off at 1pm, and it was really warm.  I wore a sweatshirt, but that came off, it was 70 degrees.  They were a good team and passed the ball really well, which exposed our weakness.  (we don't defend as well in that department)  They tried running the ball, but that was where we stopped them and then at 4th down and 4 yards to go they would execute a successful pass play, and gain 15 yards.  It was like that all through the game, we would almost force them to punt then, they would come up with a big play.   It was really frustrating.  Cody played his little heart out.  He only came off the field for only about 10 plays. He sacked the quarterback once, ran the ball once for 5 yrds, and put a lot of pressure on everyone.  I saw him throw one guy off to the side that was supposed to be blocking him.   After 3 hrs in the heat and giving 100% he was so spent.  I went to give him a hug after the game and his whole jersey was soaked.  They did their best.  Our defense stopped their running game, but that passing attack was too much.  Their quarterback had only been sacked 3 times all year and we clobbered him 5 times in that game, our offence just kind of sputtered.  Jason Wilson had one good run, but really could never get that many yards on any given play.  Oh, well..on to basketball.  I think one big motivator for winning was that he and the other FB players wouldn't have to go to basketball tryouts today. He said a lot of the guys were crying after the game, I was surprised, I thought only girls did that, but he like you didn't have any tears.

We headed back home after that and stopped in Ely to visit Hernold.  He got married you know and his wife is expecting.  She is really nice and quite a talker--totally the opposite of Hernold.  She chatted away with us for hours, and we ended up crashing on their couch/floor for the night and then got up at 6am and went the rest of the way home.  Chica stayed with one of the Adelaides preschool friend's family.  They have a dog too, so we are hoping they will get along and then we can exchange with them.  I guess things went OK, she stayed in her crate most of the first day, kind of sulking and then she was more social and happy by the next day.  Silly dog.

Chelsea and Brian are coming Sat. for  Thanksgiving, they are staying a week!  Amber will be coming home, it will be great.

Maddie McCleary had a baby boy.

We saw the Talbots at Stk Conf. yesterday, they said their house on Sage just sold.  Clancy is really grown up.

We are so happy you are on a mission, and so pleased to hear you say, It's the best decision you have ever made.
I love you, Mom

PS  Rudy at Wells Fargo said that you should call the international number on your debit card and explain that you are in Peru and that you need to them to acknowledge that it is you trying to use your card.  They think its someone else not you. They will ask you some security questions to confirm your identity.  I can't fix it, because its your name on the card.  So, try and do that.