March Maddness

Hola Elder Nielsen,

March madness started on Thursday and it has been a little crazy like always.  We had a PAL tournament game on Wednesday. We were the 6th seed playing the 3rd seeded team from Spring Creek. We played them on March 10th and they beat us 37-7. So I was hoping we could give them a better game. We were leading most of the time through the 1st half, and then we had a couple of turnovers late in the 1st half and they went ahead. But we ended up losing 23-18. But I thought our girls played great. We basically have very little talent on our team, but we were able to compete with them. The other coach told me we had them worried. I don't like to lose, but I was very happy with the way our team played. And I am glad it is over now and we can get our evenings back.

On Tuesday night, I had to go to the church to meet with  a guy that was receiving assistance from the church to set him up on a budget. I had another appointment with another couple on Thursday to do the same thing, but they never showed up. I can't image how much of the bishop's time is consumed with welfare issues. None of these people are members of the church.

On Thursday, for YMYW, the youth were playing basketball with the 4th ward youth, and there were about 3-4 players (cole smith and others from 4th ward) on 1 team who played for the high school team. I wasn't dressed to play, in work clothes and work shoes, but finally, I had watched enough as those guys were trying to show off, so I joined the game. I made about 30 3 pointers and was sweating like crazy. My entire shirt was soaked in sweat. My leather suede shoes were even wet with the sweat coming from my feet. I had to show them up.

On Friday, before work, I was eating my breakfast and I am starting to get this acid reflex thing, where I can't swallow and the food gets caught in my throat or tubes. It happened in Wendover a few months ago when I was eating lunch. But I can't get any thing down my throat. I was throwing up 3-4 times for about an hour and finally, I threw it all up and was able to swallow again. I am not sure what it is, but maybe I am like my dad and need to swallow 2 before every bite.

In March madness, Utah won their 1st game and then got beat by Gonzaga by 28 points. I was happy for that. Yale won their 1st game ever in the NCAA tourny. Michigan State a number 2 seed was upset by some team. I love this time of year when the underdogs go in and beat the big schools.

BYU is in the NIT and they are hosting it. They won their 1st 2 games and if they win the next one, will go to Madison Square Garden for the semis in that Tourny.

The Gouldings were in So. Carolina for the week, so we had the 4 youngest Goulding kids over here from Sat afternoon until now, when mom just took them home. The house was very noisy with 7 kids running around here. We all went to church and I loved it with 7 kids. It was like old times taking our entire family to church and we took up the entire bench. I miss having those 7 kids of ours running around the house.

We had our team dinner here last night as well, spaghetti and home made bread sticks. The girls all loved it and thought it was great. Our refrigerator is still out, so we need to get that fixed.

Have a super duper week. Keep working hard. I guess AJ Jordan is an Assistant to the President, so that is good. He comes home in a couple months. Easter is next Sunday and we will be in Weiser Idaho for Amber's reception next week. We love you and pray for you all the time. Keep up the good work.

Love

DAD

Dearest Elder Nielsen,

Thanks for answering my questions!  I have a few more:  Have you ever gotten sick from what you've eaten?  How was the temple?  How are your feet holding up? Did you ever get any of those native sandals?

I'm looking at my calendar of the past week and there is not a whole lot on it.  Dad had his 52nd bday last Wed.  I got him a Big Hunk bar, Adelaide gave him a Twix bar, but totally expected him to share it with her.  He shared it with all of us.  Carly bought him some jerky at the store.  I made him a Creamsicle Tifle for his cake.  It was a really casual day.  March Madness has started so that has kept him entertained.  BYU didn't make it into the big dance, but they are still completing in the NIT tourney.  We had our first PAL game of the tournament and we played the SC team that beat us 33-3.  We played a lot better and competed pretty well, we actually led by a few points in the first half, but they pressed us and we turned the ball over and they got a couple of easy buckets and that pretty much sealed our doom and we never recovered.  We lost 23-18-- a much better showing though!  We had the team over last night for dinner.  We asked the girls who were on the team before, if we should do the same thing we did last year and have spaghetti and breadsticks and they emphatically said "YES!"  I guess they liked it.  That was fun, they are a fun group of girls.  We aren't sure if we will coach this age next year since Summer is moving on to high school, but we may coach Carly's 5th and 6th team, she should "dominate" next year now that she's played with the big girls :)  

We have Alivia, Landrie, Scarlett and Hartman Goulding over here right now.  Their parents went to North Carolina for a week.  Sadie works for the Color Run group that puts on all those  colored chalk throwing 5k runs and they had one in Winston-Salem, NC where Bro. Goulding served his mission, so since he hadn't been back there since his mission she requested that particular color run to go work at.  Bro. Goulding's Dad came out and stayed for most of the week, and then Sophie left with the Coraliers for the Hawaii trip, and so we had them stay with us last night and  today until their folks get home later tonight.  The kids have had fun together.  They got an "unofficial " rare sleepover out of the deal so they were excited.

We leave  the end of this week for Weiser to go to the Idaho open house for Amber and Kevin.  Things are moving forward, and its getting exciting.

Darhl turned 60 on St. Patricks Day and they are having a birthday get together for him tonight in Utah, but we couldn't make it.  He called to tell us that Joe is having a hard time on his mission and is discouraged and is thinking of going home.  But he is going to hang on until the next transfer so we are all going to fast for him on the next fast sunday that he will have a change of heart and will continue on his mission.  You can fast for him too and write him possibly.

I love your letters, and hope you continue to do well.  Love you so much, Mom