Feeling Fallish

Dear Elder Nielsen,

This past week was crazy busy for me. I had 4 partnerships and corporate tax returns to get out by the 15th of September. I also had my class on Monday and that makes for a long day. I got home around 10 pm. Worked on tax returns on all my free time. I was getting to the panic mode as I could not finish 1 return as I was waiting for a K-1 from a partnership in California. They finally got it to me around 10 am on the 15th. I worked until 8 pm that night and then I finally sent the tax returns, I was tired of looking at them.

I was so tired and exhausted on Thursday night I did not go to YM YW. I stayed home and slept. Tawny, my assistant at work we thought was having a stroke on Wednesday. She was having numbness on the her left side of her face and in her arms. We sent her to the emergency room, and they kept her all day and did some testing. They concluded it was Bells Palsy, which could go away in 3 weeks. But her left side of her face is paralyzed and she can't drink or eat very well. So 2 of us was trying to hold down the office for 3 days.

On Friday, we went to Summer's soccer game. They played Sparks. Elko dominated the entire game and missed a bunch of point blank opportunities. We ended up fouling them in the box and they got a Penalty Kick and made it as we lost 1-0. Elko played Fernley in football and won 20-17 in the last few minutes with a pick 6 by Kyron Allen. 

Saturday, we were suppose to have the YSA sisters teach another student that I had invited to listen to the missionaries in our home, but she said she was too tired and needed the sleep. We keep striking out on our missionary efforts. That other girl we taught still has not been in to talk to me again. I think she is avoiding me like the plague.

Summer had another soccer game against Truckee on Saturday who is one of the better teams in the league. We were up 1-0. And then they scored 3 quick goals. We had a penalty kick and their goalie blocked it. We ended up losing 4-2. They ended up getting a lucky goal late in the game or it should have been 3-3 if we make the PK. Summer still starts and plays almost the entire game, but they will sub her out for about 5-10 minutes a game. She played a lot more physical on Sat. game. Alex Jordan and the Shelley kid came to the soccer game after it was over and visited with all the people. Alex invited Britney Gonzalez and Oceana Morin to hear him talk in church today. Oceana ended up coming and AJ asked her if she wanted to listen to the missionaries and She said not right now. But it was all good. He is really humble now and did a great job speaking and serving as a missionary. He compared keeping the Sabbath day holy to being a missionary. He said as a missionary he had to give up music, friends, social media and dedicate all his time to the Lord. That is similar to how what we should be doing on the Sabbath day, giving up all those things and coming closer to our Savior.  AJ said he met a couple of sister missionaries that were in your zone knew you who were waiting for visas that ended up going to Australia.

I graded papers for my accounting class and watched college football on sat. after the game. BYU played UCLA at home. I stayed up and watched the replay of the game on BYUTV until 2:30am. BYU lost 17-14. But it was a very boring game. And I am very disappointed in BYU's offense. Taysom is not the same. He can't out run any one and stays in the pocket and gets sacked. BYU had like 7 - 3 plays and a punt. I did not think the play calling was that great as well. If Taysom is not going to run, they might as well put Mangum in, he is a better passer. Both defenses looked really good for BYU and UCLA.

We had the sister missionaries over for dinner today. We have 2 polys. Both live in the US, but their families are from Tonga and Samoa.

Have a super week. We love you and are happy you are serving a mission. Have you met Brother and Sister Holmes from Elko over there? They are serving as the mental doctors for all the Philippines. I am not sure where they are living. But you might come in contact with them if any of your missionaries needed counseling.

Work hard and enjoy every minutes. I love the scripture we read in Sunday school today 3 Nephi 5:13 which describes missionaries.  And you are that special representative.

Love,

Dad

I had stake general priesthood meeting tonight and it was great. They challenged us to have family counsels, did family history work, read books to our kids, keep the Sabbath day holy, etc.

Dearest Elder Nielsen,

It is starting to feel like Fall.  I'm so glad the weather held for Amber and Kevin's Open House. It's a bit chilly outdoors when the sun goes down now.  It's typical Fall weather, cold in the mornings and in the evenings, but almost hot in the afternoons when the sun is out.  We had a good week.  It flew by a usual.  Summer had Honor Choir Auditions on tues. night.  She said she felt like she did a good job.  Friday, I helped out in Adelaide's classroom.  I can do that kind of stuff now.  I am going to try and go every friday afternoon for about an hour and a half.  I get to see all the little people she talks about and how she acts in a classroom setting.  She has had a little bit of an adjustment to going to school all day.  I think she liked being able to sleep in and then lounge around in the mornings.  Sorry, kid--Welcome to the real world.  It only gets harder from here.  I hope having me come will help her. She misses her long hair, Hartman, and freedom.   She's doing really well with reading though.  She will be fine.  Adelaide just asked me if you got the letter from her that the primary mailed to you.

Summer is doing well.  She is starting in soccer.  They played Sparks and Truckee over the weekend.  They lost both games. Sparks was 0-1 and Truckee was 2-4.  They have opportunities, but they have a hard time executing.  The players who help the team the most are freshman.  So, they are still gaining Varsity experience. They are now 0-4 in league.  Kind of a rough start, but I think they will get better as the season progresses.

 Elko came back in final quarter to beat Fernley in Football.  Dad wanted to go to the game, but I didn't really feel like sitting there in the cold.  He ended up not going either.

We saw AJ Jordan at the end of the soccer game.  He came to town with Brendan Shelley.  He gave his Homecoming talk in 4th ward today.  He looked really good, and happy.  He said he wants to talk you in to going to Utah State when you get back.  He said you were a good example to him and had read some of your emails that I had forwarded to his Mom and you seemed like you were doing great.  Brittany Gonzales and Oceana Marin were there and he invited them to hear him speak in church.  Oceana came and afterward he invited her to listen to the missionaries and she was kind of hesitant and said now wasn't a good time.  That's Ok, the invitation was made.

We have two Polynesian Sister missionaries serving in our ward.  We had them for dinner and I made a big pan of Lasagna and there wasn't too much left over.  We had some peaches with our dessert and one of them loved them, so I went out and picked her a bunch from our tree and she was sooo happy.  This year's crop is sweet and plentiful!

I hope you have wonderful week, time is flying....  Love you Elder Nielsen!    

Love, Mom