Letters from Mom: January 2014

January 5, 2014

It's freaky, really, how the time has flown by!  Time marches on regardless of anything.  

So, we're back to school.  Yeah, that was not the favorite day so far! hahahaha  We definitely felt the "hang over" effects of the holidays!  But, we're back to a schedule, so that's good in it's own way.  Janie made it back from California.  She had a fun time with the Gracie and the rest of the Nicholas fam.  Sadly, her first stake dance, down in California, was not a great experience.  Gracie hung with her friends alot and Janie felt a little excluded.  Plus, according to Janie, Gracie's friends are "mean girls."  She said that one of them bragged to the rest of the group how she spilled a glass of water down the front of another "friend's" dress because she thought she was fake crying to get attention from boys.  Yeah.  Not nice.  Janie was not impressed.  Plus, they went as a whole mutual group and watched a movie before the dance, went to the dance, then went to Denny's for  breakfast after the dance.  So Janie, who is our little "I'm tired and going to bed at 9:30" girl stayed out until 3am on New Year's Eve!  hahahahaha

Oh, by the way, in case you haven't heard yet, Tate got his mission call.  I attached the video of him opening it. :D

We had a fun time for New Year's Eve.  We all went to the Prices and ate way too much food and played games and laughed and discussed the problems of the world and came up with all the perfect solutions... so, yeah, pretty much the same old, same old.  One of the funniest moments was after we rang in the new year with all kinds of kissing and shooting rockets from Sam's gun, Katie drew eyebrows onto their dog, Annie, with a Sharpie.  Then they did the same thing to Duke.  We tried to get a picture, but they kept moving.  It was, seriously, super funny!  Or maybe we were just super tired.  Anyway, it's amazing what eyebrows can do to the expression on a canine!  

Auditions for Guys and Dolls start tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday).  It should be an adventure - there are loads of people signed up.  Randy said he'd like to have a medium sized part this time... kind of exciting.  We'll see if that can happen, I'd love to give him one, but if he can't carry a tune in a bucket, then...  Lincoln and Braden are trying out again as well as some new faces: Brecklyn Hobbs, Kira Marlow, Heather Christensen, Brooke Sorensen, and a few "new kids" like "Hot Todd" (that's what Meg calls him).  Anyway, it's always a pot luck.  Lock and load, here we go!  Lynn Williams is going to be the Assistant Director and Janie is going to be the assistant TO the director - my little secretary girl.  Then she can come to rehearsal every day and be part of this process.  We invited her to come to rehearsals for the play, but she chose to stay home.  I'm glad that she didn't love that and wants to be with us.  Dad is going to be Technical Director again, and I think he's planning to be more involved in auditions and everything.  It should be good - I hope (and pray)!

Meg's ankle is better.   She's playing ball again, anyway.  It's still sore after she works it, but that's to be expected, I think.  There is only three weeks left of basketball season.  That will be good, I think.  hahahaha  We've done alot of bleacher sitting this year, but, we wouldn't have it any other way!  Sam is excited to try out for the play.  Its great to see him excited about it.  It's wild to think about where we were at this time last year.  Sometimes it makes me shudder to think and fills me with dread that the same thing could happen again!  But, faith not fear.... faith not fear.  :D

I can't really think of any other news.  I mean, Tom Bird will fill you in on all the details about the community.  (winky face)  Maybe I'll send another short letter if anything wild and crazy happens at church today (1:00 meetings - makes fasting easier in many ways!).  

You I love.  We're so happy with what you're doing right now.  I hope your sunburn is better!  Oh, and did you get your Christmas gifts yet? hahahahaha

Love from Mom

you guys sound like you had an awesome time! i was thinking about you lots! there with the family, food and snow. so awesome. I didnt know janie went to cali! thats nuts! shes like 10 years old! oh...... thats annoying. what awful girls. Hopefully she can appreciate her friends a little more from that. i know that they are awesome. I miss you guys lots and lots. Good luck with everything! its lots of life! im glad you guys are spending more time as a family! thats something i didnt focus on enough! just being together, doing things together. Have family home evening! make that more real! more focused! you have 5 of 6 in the house so make that more focused. be together. do things together. I love you guys tons and tons, i should be getting the package tomorrow, we have zone meeting. and yes, all the letters from Tom Bird. happy days. life is good

Elder Gold

January 13, 2014

Hello Darling! Today is the first day of the new semester, the first day of rehearsals, and Dad and I are quarantined with Influenza type B. We've been in bed all weekend! Dad seems to be on the mend, but mine has ramped up the last few days and is turning into bronchitis. Grrrrr. So we just left the docs office and are waiting for prescriptions.

How is your companion's foot/ankle? Hopefully you're not bored in the house anymore! How is you're teaching pool now that the Vargas family is moving away? Oh, and how are your poor sunburned legs? That sounds like no fun at all!

Auditions were as amazing and frustrating as ever.... So much talent and so hard to choose! But we finally got a Cast list... Now we wait to see who stays and who goes - there always seems to be a few who back our in that first week. I'll send you a copy of the cast list later today or next week.

THings seen to be going well...aside from illness. Meg's bball team continues their winning streak; Sam invited friends over for a movie party (one of the big "wow s" of the week... He seems to be improving bit by bit; Janie got mad at us the other night because we came home earlier than she thought and she didn't quite have the dishes done- she'd wanted to surprise us. You'll be amazed at how she's grown up!

My head is super fuzzy so I'm not sure about any other family news...but all seen to be well at this time.

Sorry this is so short...my brain isn't workIng so well...

You I love forever and always! 

Love from Mom

January 20, 2014

Hola mi hijo!  So, Dad and I are doing better - getting healthier.  Dad's influenza subsided around Wednesday of last week, but he still felt a little fatigued and has a lingering little cough.  It was a blessed thing that his boss let him work from home on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  My influenza took a turn for the worse.  The flu part started to get better but then it all sank into my chest.  I had a hard time breathing and when I did it was all crackly and wheezy.  I missed the entire week of school - gah!  Luckily, I had a great substitute - Jake Monahan, who just finished his student teaching, so he did great and my students didn't get too far behind.  A tender mercy for sure.  I went back to the doctor Saturday morning and finally got some drugs for my bronchitis (I was so grateful it wasn't pneumonia!), so today, after two days of antibiotics and respiratory steroids, I'm doing much better - no more wheezy, crackly breathing and just a little tickly cough, which I'll probably have for a few weeks until I'm fully healed.  

I'm grateful that it came on this end of the semester and rehearsals - it was inconvenient, but a true blessing from Father in Heaven that I was able to stay home, able to have a great sub, and that it was able to happen without all the stress that would have been added at the END of the quarter or the last week of rehearsals.  hahaha.  He is truly merciful and loving. 






I'll just keep going down the list - oldest to youngest - I guess.






Sam is doing better.  I told you that he wanted to have a movie party, to which we were all agog.  Then, this week, he was invited to two parties and went to both of them.  It was super great!  He is improving in so many ways.   This week marks the anniversary of The Great Descent Into Darkness.  I will memorialize the week by recognizing all of the ways in which Father in Heaven guided, saved, and preserved us.  When I think of His tender mercy at this time last year and the dark months that followed, I am overwhelmed to tears with an overpowering sense of humility and gratitude.  "I Stand All Amazed..."  especially "that He would descend to to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine."  I am a rebellious and proud soul... and yet He is so merciful... I want to be a better servant.






Meg and Janie are just wonderful, silly, goofy girls.  They are alot of fun, and they have fun together.  Their relationship isn't all sunshine and roses, but for the most part they get along really well, something that I am so grateful for because that was NOT how Cathy and I associated when we were their ages! hahahaha  We'll see if it lasts.  Next year, when they're both in high school, should be pretty interesting, I think.  






I have to go to another meeting.  I love you so much, my darling.  I am grateful for your faithful service.  It requires faith to do what is right when others... aren't.  I'm not saying the other elders aren't being faithful, but I know that it is hard to stand up and be the one sometimes.  I am grateful for your willingness to follow the rules and to do what the Lord wants to you to do.  He will bless your efforts.  






You I love,



Mom 





Im glad you are all feeling better and getting stronger! Thats sweet! Monahan is a great guy! im glad he was able to step in and help you with that! Sam really has gone so far... i know i havent been there, but i can see the difference with his life. its very very nice for me to be able to see. im glad his is progressing.


Mom i am so grateful for our happy family! im so happy! we dont fight!ª no its not perfect... but still! its great! we can be in the car for 20 hours and not hate eachother. i love that.




Love you guys lots. im so grateful for all of my endless blessings. thank you for your help and support with everything. thank you for your faith. thank you for your prayers. i love you mom.

Elder Gold 

Your son








January 27, 2014 ("Missionary Explosion")







Nice tag line, yeah?  hahaha  Well it WAS a missionary explosion in church yesterday!  Aaron Andrews, Brooke Williams, AND Jake Murdoch all spoke/had their farewells yesterday in our ward - it was packed!  We even arrived early and still had to sit in the gym, which was filled almost to the stage!  But they did a good job.  It was interesting to see the differences in the three of them, and it will be fascinating to see their transformations when they return.  Jake was sooooo nervous, read his talk word for word and barely looked up at the congregation - I think he read it almost entirely out of Preach My Gospel.  Brooke, who has this wonderful disarming sense of humor, spoke much more from the heart but forgot most of her talk because she was so nervous, and Aaron - ever the sardonic one - gave the most polished talk of all and even had time to throw in a few jokes about Iowa - even a Music Man reference : I think I'll give Iowa a try.  But they all did well.  It was a boat load of people, so I don't blame a single one of them for being freaked out nervous!  Interestingly, these three were all baptized on the same day, too.  Crazy, isn't it?  There were lots of people who asked about you: Blayze Harker, Kyle Metcalf, and Jesse Pyrah are all attending ISU - they say, "Hey."  Katie Fairbourne asked about you (winky face).  Brooke Lott, who I think I told you is marrying Alex Arzola... yeah.  There were lots and lots of people there.  Aaron leaves Wednesday, Jake leaves a week from Wednesday, and Brooke leaves on the 19th, but we have fast Sunday and then Stake Conference, so yeah.  Oh, and Dalaney Nelson had her farewell yesterday, too!  We didn't make it to hear her talk, but we went over to her house later on and visited with her.  She leaves a week before Brooke.  So, yeah, and EXPLOSION of missionaries leaving Shelley Stake!




Hey, I gotta run for class, but I want/need to write more.  But before I go, I need to know what are some favorite treats of Lexa Hansen.  Do you know?






Talk to you soon!






Love from Mom






(Later that day)  So, hi, how ya doin?  This is the quick little family update portion of the letter in between classes. 






Sam was asked to Sweetheart by Taylor Young.  That kid!  He's been asked to the girls choice dances this year, so it's time for him to start asking girls out on dates, don't you think?  hahahaha  Anyway, he's pretty excited.  His first semi-formal - what now!






Meg has been playing really well in basketball, only two games left (hooray!) - and she's been playing most of the games since they moved the other point guard, Kylee Ball (a sophomore) up to JV.  Kallie Brown has been moved up to Varsity with Jasmin Vega - they are doing a good job up there.  Janie has quit her job as my secretary for the play - too boring for her - so sad.  I wished that she would want to come and hang with us, but... yeah.  She would rather not. Ah well, next year she wants to be IN the play, so that will be fun.  



Dad and I are slowly but surely recovering from our illness.  Gah, that has been a lame deal.  Dad has this niggling cough that causes him to want to curse at times, but he's healthy for the most part.  My energy is finally starting to return.  It's been rough with the play and all. 






So the play is great.  I think we're going to have a fun time, they're really doing a good job!  Randy and Braden play a couple of gangsters, and they will do great.  Randy even gets to sing a solo - one line.  hahahaha  Lincoln has the leading role, Sky Masterson, and he's going to be really good.  He's got the swagger for it... but in a good way, ya know?  Alexis Banks is the leading lady - she has such a great voice, and plays the uptight missionary lady quite well.  hahahaha   The cast is really working well - we're moving along at a really good pace, which makes me happy.  Sometimes we're working too fast and I'm not even prepared because we've moved past the place that I've prepared!  First world problems, right?  My cast is too good... hahaha  I'd better step it up!  It has been a little frustrating that I haven't been at full speed when the cast clearly IS at full speed, but I'm getting there.  The set is coming right along - busy Saturdays at the theater.  We've had a lot of help, and that is super great.  



So, yeah.  I think that's it.  Uncle Brent gets out of prison in 87 days.  That will be quite an adventure, I think.  We'll be prayerful that the transition will be full of love and relatively smooth.  Also, Rex and family are moving back to the area from Boise this summer.  Rex won't return to Shelley High - I'm afraid too many bridges have been burned here - but he's looking at the technical high school in Idaho Falls, and I think he'd do really well there.  Sam and Rex are still pretty connected thanks to XBox Live, and that's good.  I'm glad for that relationship that they have so Rex knows he's still loved and accepted by us in spite of all the shenanigans that have gone on in the past.  Aunt Cindy is expecting again  - due in August.  Cade hopes is a boy so he can name him Spike.  hahahaha  and little Lucy turned one this week.  I surely miss those guys.  If I can swing it, I'm going to TRY to actually save some money and go spend a week in Tennessee during Harvest Break with Cindy and the kiddies.  I think that would be awesome.  Besides, both Meg and Sam will be drivers by then, so if they have jobs or practices, they should be able to manage themselves pretty well by then.  Lynette and Bailey are blessing their little Kyle on Sunday.  We're excited to go down and see them.  We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving, so it will be fun to see their little baby boy. 





Ok.  THAT is it I think.  This is a long one!  hahahaha  YOU I LOVE!  Let me know what you remember about favorite treats for Lexa - I'll tell you what I'm doing in another letter. 





Know that we love you and we know that you are truly being watched and cared for by our Father in Heaven.  I've started reading the Book of Mormon again this year, and I'm all the way in 1 Ne. chapter 2!  I was reading verse 12 when it talks about Laman and Lemuel, "they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them."  I think about times in my own life when I have been most prone to murmur and it is when I have wandered from my Father in Heaven, when I am not close enough to His light to know Him.  I'm so grateful for a constant and immovable Father in Heaven, especially when I recognize my weaknesses and rebellions and humble myself enough to turn to him, to repent, and draw near to Him again. 





You I love.






Mom



wow! that really is a missionary explosion! thats a lot of missionaries from the ward too! where is jake going? im glad they all made it out!