Our 28th Anniversary

Hola Elder Nielsen,

Monday, I had to teach my last accounting class for the semester, so that was a big relief. Wednesday, I had to drive to Winnemucca to put on a FAFSA night at Lowry high school again as they did not get the turn out they would have hoped for the first time we went. So I got home around 9:45 pm. I left around 3:30 pm. We were suppose to have some bad weather coming in, but the roads were good.

Thursday we were suppose to have freezing rain, and Carly had a PAL game in town. They won and Carly is playing well, she just can't make her free throws. She needs mom and I to work on that with her. Summer had practice late again, so we missed mutual. They were going to go caroling for YMYW, but with the weather, they ended up going to the fund raiser bball game, the band vs the cheerleaders.

Friday, Elko played Truckee. So we were able to watch Summer play on the JV team for the 1st time. She did well. She played good defense and was getting on the floor for the loose balls etc. She took 2 shots, and missed them both, but they looked good and were close. We need to teach her to drive to the basket and be more aggressive with the ball on offense. All the Elko teams won that we watched. The mercy rule for the running clock is 35 points this year and the boys hit that, but he still had 4 out of his 5 starters in the game up by 40 with 5 minutes to go and a running clock. It is all about padding their numbers for his kids.

Elko played Sparks on Saturday. Carly had a bball game at 9 am. So we went to half of that. Summer had practice as they sparks team did not have a JV girls team. Then I had to do the books and clock for 4 games from 10 am to after 5. So it was a long day. Elko won all the games on Saturday as well. The boys won by the mercy rule again. We got invited to Bruce Fischer's 50th surprise birthday party, but I had been gone all day, and Carly and Summer were baby sitting for the Hatches. So we decided to just stay home and relax. We watched the BYU bball team beat Colorado. It was cold and raining/snowing all day long on Saturday, so we were glad to just be home.

Today at church we had the Choraliers sing in the churches (Summer's 1st time) so that is always good. Afterwards, Romney Goulding reported to the 3rd ward about her mission. She looks the same and did a good job. She is working to save up money to go to BYUI in January.

We have Carly's coaches daughter Raygon staying with up today through tomorrow. Her coach is a member of the church, a single mom with 4 girls. I told her after the game on Thursday, if she ever needed us to watch the kids, we would love to help her and her family out. It was good timing as the mom is taking one of her daughters to Reno today for a Dr's appointment tomorrow. So she asked mom if we could watch Raygon who is carly's age at the game yesterday. I believe my volunteering could have been inspired and she needed us this weekend. Carly's mom is a good bball player who played bball for Montana State. We had the sister missionaries over for dinner today, and as soon as they left, the YSA sisters stopped in to see if I had heard any thing about the college students they are teaching in our home. I had not heard much from them, but will follow up with them this week. It is finals week, so I am hoping their schedule will slow down a bit.

The choraliers concert is tomorrow night, so we are exited about that. 

Keep working hard. We love you and are very happy you are serving a mission.

Your mom and I celebrated our 28th anniversary yesterday. We did not do any thing special as we counted our Peru trip as our anniversary celebration. 

Love,

DAD

Dearest Elder Nielsen,

Well, another quick week, where do they go?  Summer began her official Choralier singin'-around-the-town schedule.  They sang at the churches today and it was wonderful!  It always is.  The music just fills the chapel and really brings the spirit.  Dad and I thanked Ms. Rogers afterwards and she appreciated that.  She will probably retire when Summer is a senior, so we told her, her successor has to continue the tradition.  She said she has already picked out who she wants to take her place, if she can convince him to move here.

Erin had a birthday this week.  I think she had a pretty mellow day.  I can always remember how long we have been in our house because we moved in 4 days before she was born and I was overdue.  I think Dad and I moved the washer and dryer in together--that was fun.

Carly had her best PAL game ever this past week.  She scored 8 pts!  She had a lay-up and a little jumper in the key, and a couple of put-backs.  They start the tournament this next week.  I think her team is ceded 6th out of 10.  She is still 0-10 on freethrows, but she now can hit the rim instead of getting the "swirly call" after she shoots. Summer had her first home game on friday and she did OK.  she looks a bit timid out there, but she does know how to "push the dribbler to her weak hand".  She did learn that last year in PAL.

Carly went out to dinner and a movie with the Simons  on Friday night.  It was Miley's birthday and she got to pick one friend to go out to dinner with her parents.  She picked Carly.  That kind of surprised me, because it's not like they are besties, but everybody likes Carly.

I substituted a paper route on Sat. morning and that was fun--Ha!  it was raining and I walked part of the route and got really soaked and the other part was some businesses and homes around Court Street.  It took me 2hrs.  Oh, the good ol' paper routes, I can't drive down Bullion Rd. without thinking about that route we substituted down there and you and Dad gunning the Finders out both sides of the van!--Good times.

We are watching a girl that plays on Carly's PAL team tonight while her mom takes her little sister to Reno for a Dr. Appt.  It's Carly's team's coach.  The one I told you that played college ball? She sat by me at Elko's bball games on Sat. night and I got to know her a little better.  She coached JV girls a couple of years ago.  I mentioned to her that you had played with the FAB 5 group.  I kind of described you and she said, "the nice looking one with the bigger build"--yea, that's the one!  Elko played and beat Sparks (mercy rule took affect the last quarter) and will probably cruise through league again this year.

Romney spoke in our ward today, it was great to see her.  She can speak Russian! At least that is what it sounded like when she bore her testimony.  She has your fur hat.  She said she had been in contact with you about it.  Finally, your "Doofers" are starting to come through!  Have a great week.  We love you.  Do your very best, Love Mom

PS  Chica was barking during the night last week and we couldn't figure out why.  She will bark if there are people around the house, but there weren't any.  We think she heard coyotes howling.  Because Dad heard some the next morning when he was doing the paper route.  Chica-poo, she is a good dog.