Happy Groundhog Day!

Hola hermana Nielsen,

This was an exciting week for the Goulding family.  They moved out of our ward and into the 1st ward on Wednesday and then Romney got her mission call on Friday.  We all went over there after Cody's game but she had just opened it.  She is going to Russia, the same mission as Preston Coppinger is in.  She is really excited and nervous all at the same time.  Her parents feel the same way.

We had PAL bball practice Monday through Wednesday and then a game on Thursday.  But on Wednesday evening I had to go to Spring Creek high school for their FAFSA night.  So mom had to run practice on Wednesday.  On Thursday, I had to go to Jackpot High school and Wells high school for FAFSA day and nights.  Mom and Summer had New Beginnings so we all missed the game. I heard later that we lost.  

On Friday, Cody played South Tahoe and they won by 20 or 30 and Cody did not have any points, but he only shot twice.  They played Dayton and beat them by 50 and mercy ruled them.  Cody had 9 points on Friday.  So there are 4 regular season games left and then Regionals in Fallon and state in Las Vegas.  The girls won both of their games as well.  We are planning on going to Reno this weekend as Cody plays Sparks and Truckee.  Cody will re-take the ACT test on Sat. at Reed high school and then we will go to the game and drive over the hill to see Grandma and grandpa Croft.

The Super bowl was yesterday and new england Patriots beat the Seattle seahawks.  I was hoping Seattle would have won, and they should have but made a bad coaching decision with less than a minute to go in the game and they were on the 1 yard line and they threw a pass instead of running it in and the pass was intercepted.

Yesterday was a good day at church, and we spent the day here at home eating soup for super bowl sunday.  Please tell Hermana Bott that we appreciate receiving her emails as we get 2 perspectives on your week. We love her like we love Sister Wright. 

We love you and hope you two have a super week.  Keep working hard, the time is flying by very quickly.  We need to schedule an appointment for Cody to get his wisdom teeth out in Utah.

I enjoyed your family history memories.  They were funny, but we will need to do some editing on them.  It is funny to hear what you liked and remembered... little things that I thought were no big deal. What do you need us to send you with Hermana Bott's father in a package?  Is there any thing you are craving or need?

Love

Dad

Dearest Hermanita Nielsen,

Romney got her mission call...to Russia!  It came friday, and so after the boys basketball game they had an opening call gathering at their (new) house.  Raegan dashed out of their after it was over and we waited for Cody to come out of the locker room and then he grabbed Jacob Conklin and we all met over their and she had just opened it.  They were all still in major shock.  I watched the video of it later and she was hyper ventilating when she was pulling it out. Then she could hardly talk for crying when she started to read it.  She later told me "Russia" was the first word she saw when she looked at it.  Its the Ekateringberg, Russia Mission.  I think Preston Coppinger is in that mission and he gets home the beginning of May and she goes into the MTC May 20 (on her requested date), so she can talk with him and find out things.  They had a globe they were looking at and her Dad pointed out, that she is literally on the other side of the world from where we live.  And it's super cold there, the temp. was 1 degree when she googled it that night, and I think that was in their daytime.  Her information packet said to get her gear:  heavy coat, boots, hat (fur-lined, I imagine) in the field.  Russia? crazy! No one guessed Russia. Her parents are a little worried about her learning to speak Russian.  Cody thinks it will be good for her to kind of toughen her up a bit.  Megan Ackerman was there that night, and she had gone into the MTC a week or two prior, Dad asked her when she goes in, and she said she had already, but was home because of medical reasons.  He asked if she will be able to go back and she said, "Hopefully, but it may be a while". ??

It will be so fun to see where Cody gets sent.  He thinks he would be perfect for a place like Russia and he's a little worried, that since you and Amber have gone to "cool" places that  he will  be sent somewhere like Arkansas, but he knows he will be happy to serve wherever. 

We are going to the basketball games at Sparks and Truckee this weekend.  The ACT is being offered this weekend since we are on the road, Cody has signed up to take it at Reid HS. on Sat. morning.  He as been practicing his time management on the practice exam, since he never has had time to finish.  Then after the game at Truckee on Sat. we will go down and spend the rest of the weekend at Gram's house.  The Sat. games are at 2:30 now instead of 5:30.  It is sooo much better, because teams can get the games over sooner and get back on the road and actually be home before midnight.

The Elko boys won easily this past week, we beat So. Tahoe by 20 or 30, Cody had 9 pts.  and we Mercy Ruled Dayton in the 4th quarter.  The Bench boys were in and Benton made a three, which put them over 40 ahead and then its a running clock.  I was hoping they wouldn't go over 40, so those boys could play longer.  The quarter goes by fast when the clock doesn't stop.

Everyone else is doing great.  Adelaide is taking swimming lessons once a week right now and she is doing well.  She will put her face in the water and glide out to her teacher.  She wasn't too excited when I told her she was going to take swimming lessons, I found out she thought it was going to be outside in the cold.  I told her "No, its in the inside pool", then she said she wanted to swim in the baby pool, and I said, "No, that's outside".  She's a funny little duck.

I think you and Hermana Bott are so cute together.  I am so glad you have a companion that you will actually be able to see again after your mission.  I know you two will be life long friends.

Have a wonderful week,

Love, Mom      P.S. Cody went with Roselynn Eardley to a Footloose dance on Sat.  He asked her by using the lines from the phone call Kirby's character used to ask the girl out on the RM.  They had fun and topped it off with a flour fight at MV park, in clear "Erin- fun fashion".