Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Videos
Here are more pics and videos of the raccoons...
You'll have to watch one of those upside down.
You'll have to watch one of those upside down.
Schools out!
Yes, this is the week. 3 1/2 more days till summer vacation!!! Even though it's not me who's getting out of school, I still get excited at the sound of that! I still can't believe it's here. They all get out a little early on Friday.
We had a very productive weekend in our yard. I think we can safely say our landscaping if FINALLY FINISHED!!! We lay down the last landscape fabric and spread the last mulch last night. It is the most satisfying feeling we've had in a long time. Especially because it looks so awesome!! We also celebrated Memorial Day with a picnic lunch. Grandma and Grandpa Winkel and Marlynn and her kids came to eat. The highlight was playing with the baby raccoons that Daelynn rescued in Kaysville. It was a long holiday weekend so she wasn't able to drop them off with animal control until today, Tuesday. So, they've researched on how to make a baby formula for them and feed them through a tiny bottle because their mother was captured already. They needed to feed them every couple hours so they had to bring them with. The were so cute!! I never realized that raccoons make the sound that they do. The little girls topped off their holiday by getting to go swim with cousins at grandma's pool.
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Letter 5 28 17
Wow. Summer is finally trying to arrive in Cache Valley. I love this time of year. The plants are going crazy, the birds are flitting around, the entire world seems happy. On top of that, it's not too hot to enjoy being outside.
Mom is making the most of it. She has purchased an entire outdoor living furniture set and we've been eating and spending a lot of time outside as a family.
Last Sunday was the Cache Valley Gibbons' FHE and we invited Grandpa and Grandma Gibbons and Great-Grandma Amy to join. It was so much fun to be with them.
Yesterday we worked on the garden beds all day and they look pretty great. I'll send pictures.
Friday night I went up Leatham Hollow on a trail maintenance ride. We left at 3 and returned at 8:30. It was a ton of fun and we got a lot done.
I'll try to get some videos to you later today. It Summer, work like you mean it.
I love you,
Dad
Monday, May 22, 2017
Oh what a beautiful morning🎶
I'm sitting outside on our beautiful patio this morning writing you a letter. Our final pieces of furniture for our patio came last week (finally after so much work and wait), so I'm taking advantage of our new "outdoor room" extension.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Letter 5 21 2017
Today was Suzanne's farewell in Highland. We drove down as a family and I was tired so I fell asleep in Sacrament meeting. After we went to the Fluckiger house and ate.
The highlight of the time spent with them was talking to Larry's Dad. He is a great guy. Like Mom and Dad, they have been on several missions for the church and have seen much of the development of the church in the third world countries.
He was on fire about Pathways. According to him, the church is finally zeroing in on effective education for the masses. The problem with BYU and BYU-I from the church's perspective is that they spend so much to benefit so few. That is changing with Pathways. I don't know what you know about it from your service, but basically it's a way for basically everyone in the church to get an education and learn how to speak English at the same time. It's inspired... in fact, it's maybe the most inspired thing the church is doing right now to benefit members in their secular pursuits. I'm a fan.
Anyway, we were talking about things and he made the comment that by reading the Book of Mormon on a daily basis, he is able to make better decisions in his secular life because he has the spirit with him. Wow. Faith and to spare. What an uplifting guy.
Tonight we had FHE here with Denise and Shelli and families. Dad and Mom and Grandma came as well. That was another highlight for us. It was a great day.
I love you two. You are great young men and I'm proud to be your Dad. Keep the faith,
Dad
Monday, May 15, 2017
Everything is awesome! 🎶
It was so awesome to talk to you both live yesterday! It was truly the highlight of my week, no, my whole month!! I was the luckiest Mom yesterday! 😊
We had a great week. Sariah ran the Greenville mile and got 8th in the whole 3rd grade group. Samantha did so GREAT on her talent show audition on Thursday. Especially given that she still didn't know what song she was going to learn and perform even on Monday. Once we found one that would fit her, she worked so hard cramming that song into her brain any extra minute she had. Everyone had their doubts and didn't want her to go through with it for fear that she would fail. But she said "I want to do this with ALL MY HEART" and I guess that she proved it. We'll find out today if she's in or not but she'll be ok if not because she KNOWS that she did her best!
Adam is determined to make his new workout routine stick. I guess having good support of friends who have the same goal helps. Sydneys spirits are up a little more now that the bulk of her AP tests are done. She has worked so hard. Tonight she and I will be heading up to Pocatello together with Daelynn to see our old friend Shauna Moore Williams in the play "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat."
This last weekend I got together with my sisters and sister-in-laws and our mother for a retreat. We went to the musical "Oliver" and then we stayed over at the Fluckiger's and tied 2 quilts the next day. It was so fun to be with them.
Dad seems to spend just about as much time in the hills these day as he does at the office. It makes him happy. He's been super busy but excited about his new Cache Trails non-profit organization that he created. The mountain biking community is all a buzz now.
Good luck with your new transfers and have another GREAT week! We love you both more than we could ever express.
💕Mom
Letter 5 15 2017
Well... You both made our day yesterday. It was great to spend time both of you together and separately. You're both such different young men and yet you're both so wonderful. I hope you reflect on your talents and the things that make you unique and then spend your efforts magnifying those talents.
One of the things that made Mom's day was seeing you talk to each other. I have to say, that was fun for all of us.
The next five years will be the most fun, difficult, and rewarding time in your life as you continue to make decisions that will further set the course of your life while here on earth. I hope you are gaining internal resolve to live the gospel of Christ and be valiant in doing so.
I love you, and I'm proud of the great job you are doing. Stay will it and be optimistic through these next transfers.
Good luck this week.
Dad
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Letter 5 6 2017
It's is so beautiful in Cache Valley this time of year. The last few days it's finally cleared off and the man it's great. Mom and I have planted most of our garden and been working in the yard. Yesterday we cleaned the garage and the cars.
I was thinking about what will be different when Caleb comes home. Then, what will be different when Jacob comes home. My guess is some minor things will be different but not a ton will have changed. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing. i like to think some things will be different for the better and some of the things that needed to be changed will have been.
I guess life is like that, we get ourselves into patterns of living and it's pretty hard once those patterns are established to make huge changes.
I had one of the guys in the YSA ward tell me that he was moving and because he was going to a different ward, things were going to be different, he was going to start dating, he was going to be more social, etc. I wish him luck although I don't believe him.
Mom said our friend, Mason Haycock, was back on Facebook taking before and after pictures of his latest weight-loss scheme. He's done it ever since we were in college and when you view it in the big picture, nothing changes. Every winter he packs on 50 pounds, and every spring he tries to get it off. It's quite a cycle.
All of the above underscores the importance of getting your investigators to feel the spirit. The spirit is the thing that will endure once you are gone. You are doing a lot of things, but one thing you are doing is asking people to make huge, life-altering changes in their living. Change isn't easy and we all need help.
Be thankful for the spirit that endures with you in the missionary work. Learn proper habits and ways of living that will bless your lives forever. I love you both very much. Have a great week. We'll chat next!
Dad
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