Letters to Caleb: It's HALLOWEEN!!!🎃

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

It's November tomorrow! I can't believe it! How are you two doing? I hope you feel like you had a successful week!

Dad & I had a whirlwind of a week, or rather two! We lived on little sleep and it was go, go, GO every single day. If there's anything to do in Thailand or Cambodia, I think we did it! Everything, except for swim or see the beaches. Not every tourist gets to see and experience what we did. The best way to experience another culture is to mingle with the natives. We did everything with them and so they knew the BEST places to get the REAL experience riding elephants, for instance, not the commercial one. Woah! It was the most epic and one of the most risky things we did. (Driving on Cambodian city streets was next in line). Dad and I even ate grilled frog!!! I've seen some pretty humble living conditions in Mexico City but to get to know the members of the church who live in such circumstances was very eye-opening for us. Their living conditions are so backward but they don't know any different. The amazing thing is, they're still happy! They seem to have everything they need. The members in Cambodia were so shocked to hear that we have 6 children and especially that we have two on missions! We're just so grateful to be home. Just like you two are experiencing as you see how other people live in other parts of the world, you never are quite the same. It's good to travel, to have your eyes opened, to feel gratitude for ALL that we have here at home. On our way home, we had an extra LONG layover in Tokyo, Japan so we took a train into the city to experience a little of their culture too. Now we just have to deal with some serious jet lag. It really does make you kind of sick. :(

Sydney handled things very well here at home. Adam & the girls helped out a lot so I think things were the BEST they could be considering they didn't have parents for two weeks. I hope Sydney had time to write you both about her Sky View Idol experience. I'll let her tell you the details but 3rd place is awesome! She blew them away in the audience with her 2nd song "The Last Goodbye" from The Hobbit from what we can hear in the video.

All the kids went to school in their costumes today. Sydney was a Jedi, Adam made his own "Shazam" costume, Samantha was Cinderella and Sariah was Rey. We'll send pictures next week.

We went to Elder Brandon Fluckiger's homecoming report yesterday. He has grown so much! It was so good to see him. He'll be coming up to USU this next January.

Have a wonderful week! We are so proud of you both.

Love you sooo much!

Mom