Goodbye February!

Dear boys,

Another week has gone by and we hope to hear you've had a great one. Everything is rolling well here. We just hosted a YSA activity at our house last night for the 25 and older (or 25 and better, as they like to call themselves). They had a cook-off sorts where they brought their food here to be displayed, eaten, and then judged by Dad and Brother Kent Goodrich. It was a lot of fun! We are so glad we've got such a great kitchen for entertaining like that! Then we had our new home teachers come over. It is Brother Karren and he brought along his daughter Daisy as his partner (she says she knows you, Jacob).

We also saw our Hunter cousins from Hawaii yesterday! They said "goodbye" to Hawaii and are here in Utah until June when they will move to Brisbane, Australia! Many adventures await them!

Sydney and I just had her very last PCCR at Sky View to plan for her senior year....can you believe it? It's crazy, it seems just like yesterday when we were in there for you guys! Adam was just called as the Teacher's quorum president in the new ward. This will be good for him. I think he's a little excited. Samantha is turning into a "young lady" in the way that she acts, especially on Sundays. But, half of her heart still wants to keep one foot in the child years and play 8-year old style with Sariah. Sariah, as you know, is stuck in the same pattern but reversed, if you know what I mean. They both still have a lot to learn and are still very competitive with each other and yet the best of friends.

We just got dumped on overnight so we're feeling like it's January all over again. It's weird because I can hear some robins and other familiar sounding Spring birds but it's still a very white winter out there. I guess it's good because some people haven't had their fill of snowboarding or skiing yet.

We are sooo very proud of you two. I don't think you realize how much you are talked about, almost as is you are both here. ;) Keep up the good work and let me know if you need anything!

Love you a ton!
Mom

Letter 2 26 2017

To the greatest young men I know:

Another week has flown by.  I can't believe how fast time marches on.  I'm right in the throws of tax season and spending a lot of time at the office and on the road.  The economy is strong right now and there's a lot of excitement in the business community about the direction of the Trump administration.

Because I'm busy at work, I find that I don't think about you as much as I should and I'm sorry for that.  There are times when I ponder and count my blessing though.

You are great young men.  I hope you believe that about yourselves.  You both have been blessed with gifts and talents that make you unique and individually incredible.

Mom texted me a picture of Caleb that someone posted on Facebook.  I look at him and that wonderful, beautiful smile and wonder how any rational person could not love him from the moment they meet.  So, to Caleb I say, "Smile and spread happiness.  God has given you a great gift of a pleasant personality."

I am busy, it's true, but I have watched Jacob throwing the milk jug from the balcony and into the dumpster across the road way too many times.  Each time I smile and laugh.  First he's excited and then he looks at the other missionary and says, "No big deal."  Almost as if to say, "Hey Bro, you're overreacting..."  Jacob has the unique ability of being his own man.  A different personality than Caleb for sure, but just as great in his own right.

I hope you reflect on your relationship with each other.  You are very different young men but both of you are incredible and talented.  I hope you appreciate each other and develop a love for one another that will last the rest of your life.  

Please pray for each other and when you do, be earnest when you ask that the other be blessed.  Some of the greatest experiences I've had with prayer are when someone other than me (mainly my parents) has earnestly been praying for me.  Prayer will draw you together in spirit even though you are apart.

I love you and even though we are spiritual peers, I'm proud to call myself your father.  Have a great week.

Dad

Barefoot in the snow

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

I hope you both have had a great week. Everything is going well here. The kids have a long weekend for President's day, with both Friday and Monday off. Rain is gradually melting the snow and so Sariah thinks that means it's Spring so she's running around outside in shorts and bare feet, even on the crusted snow. She's crazy!

The faux wood blinds that we ordered came early so Dad's been busy this weekend putting them up. Drilling into the concrete walls was an extra challenge, but they look so good and he realizes that we should've done it a long time ago. Now the girls can finally change their clothes in their room. We'll get ones for your bedrooms and the family room right away and then we'll be done!

Caleb, today in Sacrament meeting yesterday, our speaker with the high councilor was Tanner Tippets! He did such a great job and it was so good to see him. I didn't get a chance to talk to him afterwards though, because I was stuck at the organ playing postlude.

And Jacob, we had a random visit this last week from Jake Lyman. It was so good to see him too. He mentioned that Josh Dixon came home last week and Sydney even saw him at Cameron's house! No picture though this time. I hope he's doing all right.

Well, that's about it for this week's events. Sorry that it's so short...I'd be boring you if I stretched this letter out anymore though because it was a pretty uneventful week. As always, we look forward to reading your letters tonight as a family. Your letters are awesome!

I love you both so much!

Mom

Letter 2 19 2017

My sons:

I've been thinking about Jacob's question on charity and my response. I stand by what I said but I've thought more about it since.

We all have roles and a part to play in carrying out the work of the kingdom. Our roles are defined by our callings. Right now you are called to be missionaries. Your role is defined in D&C 43

15 Again I say, hearken ye elders of my church, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be taught, but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my Spirit;

16 And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.

The spirit has a different role. He is called to testify of the truth to those who will hear and feel his voice and prompting.

Anyway, focus on doing your role really well. The spirit will perform his role perfectly. At times you will not understand why the spirit doesn't seem to testify the way you want but if you trust that he is perfect and rely on that fact, you will have confidence that everything is as it should be when the spirit doesn't move people to change. There are reasons; we simple don't understand them all.

I'm looking forward to your letters tomorrow. I love you,

Dad

Sent from someplace really cool

Letter 02 12 2017

My sons:

I hope everything is going well for you this week.  It has been a wet and wild week here.  As you know, we had a ton of snow this winter and it basically all melted this past week or so.  The water table in the ground is very high.

Grandma Follett's house flooded and I've been done there digging a hole so I can pump the water out and away from the house.  I'm going to spend some time there this summer digging a few more holes so that I can drop sump pumps into the holes every spring.  It's not fun but I really hate being called down to the rental at the worst times when there is a disaster already underway.

I'm under pressure at work now with tax season.  No big deal but it takes time and energy to deal with the business.

Sydney's preference dance was this last week and we fed her friends and their dates, 16 in all a really nice dinner.  It was awesome and Mom did a great job with it.  Sydney has great friends but they are girls.  Girls are all about drama.  It's quite different than having boys around, that's for sure.  But, we love her and her friends.

I hope all is well with you.  You are both the beneficiaries of changes to your daily schedule from the missionary department.  I was sitting with a guy that is in the mission presidency at the MTC and asked him about it.  He said that Elder Bednar was the Apostle who really pushed for the changes.  The reason that he pushed is that the brethren are concerned that youn gmen come home from their missions and begin the process of spiritual regression.  The theory is that there is so much structure on the mission that it's easy to "be obedient" to the letter of the law and miss the point (the spirit of the law).  The idea is that missionaries should order their affairs such that they are required to "think" about what they are doing instead of just going through the motions.

So... think about what you are doing.  Allow the experiences you are having to sink into your souls such that you become resolute in the defense of your testimony.  Guard, love, and develop your testimony, both on your mission and when you come home.

Keep the faith and have a great week.  I love you,

Dad

Notes from the week

Caleb:

I saw Blake Dursteller this week and he had so many good things to say about you.  He says they are hoping Supe will reconsider his mission and they are thankful for the example you are to him.

I hope you've had a great week.  I'm so curious to know how your bible study went and if there were any disrupters present.  I hope there weren't but if there were, it wouldn't surprise me.

Here's some questions for you:

1) How is your companionship?

2) Are you doing well in the new ward?

3) Any thing you're struggling with that you'd like me to ponder about?

4) Do you feel good about yourself?

5) Anything you need from me and Mom?

I love you,

Dad

Letter 2 5 2017

Another week has blown by and I almost can't believe it.  I guess winter doesn't stay around forever and the snow is starting to melt.  I've only been skiing once and I'm feeling bad about that.  I haven't been biking at all this winter and so I'm feeling like I'm way out of shape.  However, I'm going to fix it this week.  By spring I'll be back in shape and feeling good about myself.

I thought this week I'd tell you a quick story from my mission.  It relates to a convert named Lori Kim.  She was an awesome person.  She loved the gospel and everything we taught her.  Unfortunately she was married (and going through a divorce) to an abusive husband.  She was very concerned that her husband wouldn't approve of us and was hoping she could finalize the divorce before he found out.  In fact, one night he did find out and he blew up.

I'll never forget the night she called and asked if we could help move her into the basement of one of her friends.  He had left the house and threatened to kill her if he came back and she hadn't changed her mind.  It was high drama.  In about 2 hours, we packed all of her earthly possessions and moved her into the new location.

It was late at night and we had settled her and were driving back to our apartment.  My companion simply asked if I thought Lori would be fine.  As I started to answer, I was overcome by the spirit to the point where I stopped trying to speak and I let the moment linger.  It was one of the few times in my life that I can point to where there was unquestionably another spirit present.  

Usually for me, I feel emotional and I can never know for sure whether I'm being emotional or whether the spirit is testifying.  I honestly have evaluated the heck out of it and if I'm honest, although I like to think I'm feeling the spirit, I could be feeling emotional because of the situation.  There was no emotion here; only a powerful feeling that overcame my entire being and when the feeling passed, I knew that Lori would be fine.

In fact, she was fine.  She was baptized shortly thereafter and loved her conversion to the gospel.  She eventually got her divorce and was able to move forward with her life.

Such is missionary work.  You do the best you know how, and let the spirit do the rest.  Seek the spirit this week.

I love you and am proud of you,

Dad

It's melting...

Dear Caleb & Jacob,

How was this last week for you both? As always, we can't wait to read your letters tomorrow. We'll be feeding some YSA kids for FHE tomorrow which is always fun! The snow is melting a little, but there is a lot of it. I'm a little worried to see the damage done to some of our shrubs underneath the deep & heavy snow. Already, I can see our small ornamental twisted lavender red bud tree in front of the garage has a major limb broken off...I'm so sad about that. I did hear a familiar Spring bird song this morning outside our window...that is always exciting to me!

We finally ordered some faux wood blinds for some rooms in this house. We'll try them out when they get here at the end of the month and then hopefully get some up in your windows before you arrive back home. I think they'll look sharp, inside and out.

Samantha is sick with the "throw-ups" and fever. She gets so weak when this happens to her because she refuses to eat. So she'll probably miss a few days of school. We're preparing for Sydney's dance dinner which will be here on Saturday night. There will be 8 couples (16 total). They're excited because it's a fun group of guys. Btw, Stephanie Fluckiger opened her mission call today and she is going to Vancouver, Canada.

Dad and I went to the Broadway musical Mama Mia in Salt Lake as part of Dad's partner retreat yesterday. It was awesome because it is full of ABBA's music which I grew up and absolutely LOVE!!

Well, that's about it for this last week's events. We love you guys so much and are so proud to be your parents! Keep up the good work and positive attitudes!

Love forever!
Mom

A few pictures for the week...