Tennessee - May 7, 2012

To Nick from the Family,

Hi nick.  I'm writing this on my phone so it will probably be short.  No internet at the new place til next week.  Grandma arraneged for jerry and tanner to help move stuff last Saturday and told your dad to be gracious and accept the help.  So he did.  We now have most of the big stuff moved.  Still need the washer dryer and freezer.  Plus have to clean out the kitchen etc.  The old house looks picked over and naked.  Most of the pictures are down and the rooms have trash or di bags and what we don't want left laying about.  Alex had a big week what with prom and all.  Next few weeks will be busy for him also I suppose.  He should get moved over by Saturday.  Hopefully matt can find a place by then.  I have to take a class at the hospital all day and then word two days.  After that I'm off to finish moving for about a week.  Not looking forward to figuring out where to put all our stuff.  I guess diane (gary next doors girlfriend) has terminal cancer.  She's in a hospice and not expected to make it through the month.  She's a good lady.  Tough way to go.  Hard on gary also.  Glad you don't have to eat any possum. Did you like ceviche?  They had that in ecuador and some of my friends ordered it.  Now were partially moved I'm just anxious to get it all over.  Just need to remember change is good.  Keeps us humble.  Love you. Have a good week.  Mom

Good morning beautiful,

I would like to start this letter by saying I watched the 'I like to sit on my pancakes" claymation video. It was both humorous and violent. Well, as violent as claymation can be I suppose. Just be careful if you are walking down the street and see pancakes in the road - they may actually be land mines (which you shouldn't sit on). My day yesterday consisted of lifting heavy things, a nap, making buffalo wings, doing some laundry, some lazy time, and some laundry time. Yes. I do lead a bold life.
I am glad to hear you're learning how to ride a bike. Maybe I'll get you to go mountain biking one of these days. Not a recommended missionary activity by the way. Also not a recommended activity - eating raw fish. It's both gross and unhealthy. Wouldn't want to get any helminths would you?
I was discussing with Mom how you have a strange propensity for botany in your letters. I think Sam is encouraging the habit. Since you enjoy it I'll learn you what a lichen is. It is a combination of both an algae and a fungus. I'm not sure if I got all the specifics down, but it is somewhat of a symbiotic/parasitic relationship where the fungus feeds off the nutrients produced by the algae or something. Might have that backwards, but the idea is still the same. Sometimes the fungus kills the algae, which is pretty dumb when you think about it. It kills its own food source.
I also went to beaver creek recently. Mountain biked in and set up my hammock. It was very nice to get out and be active. I get mighty tired of computers and stuff sometimes. Feels pretty good to go throw big rocks in a creek. I even almost caught a fish barehanded. Towards twilight they come up and sleep right by the creek bank. I think I could have had him, but I thought it might be dead so i poked at it first. I even practiced my throwing knives a bit.
Finals are coming up and I'll be living somewhere else pretty shortly. The old people are already living at the other house now that we got some furniture and whatnot over there. I hope they like it. It think it's a nice little dig. I still think Dad needs a hobby Mom can do quilting and geneology. Maybe Dad could grow mushrooms or start whittling or something.
Anywho, that is the report from the home front. And as an added bonus I relate the success of your suggestion. I now think of you far more commonly as I defecate! So congratulations, I hope you feel special.
- MATT

Dear Nick;
Just a quick note, not much happening this week, Edna and I got on the
little electric golf cart last night and went in search of the
"beautiful night blooming cactus". We never did find it but at least
we were out enjoying the beautiful evening and saw many of the
residents watching the Super Moon. Edna was phoning her son in Texas
to get out and watch the moon. That's our excitement! hope you do
better when you reach our age. Love you, grandma

Hey Nick,
Not much going on here.  My ridiculous cough has still been lingering
and causing many a sleepless night for both Matt and I.  We're
starting to get desperate trying to figure out how to get my allergies
under control at all.  I started my allergy shots yesterday and we're
going to get an air purifier for the bedroom so hopefully we can sleep
better.
We did get the bedframe completely finished and set up in the bedroom.
 It's a bit taller than we'd expected but we're happy with it.  I'm
trying to figure out what to put under it in the storage area.  Matt's
been looking around for another project to start.  I think he'll try
to finish taking out the concrete in the sideyard and possibly start
building an organizer thing in our closet so we don't have to keep the
dresser in the closet.  Hopefully we'll have something more exciting
to share next time.
Matt and Sam

Between internet access....

Move is going on an causing a few of lifes disruptions. Like the internet or where is the toilet plunger??? I suppose we will adjust.  I set up skype for your mom, but haven't tested it. Her userid is "jeri.hansen25" or just call her cell - Call after 1:00 Arizona time. Adios,Dad

Hey Brother! This last week was one of legends. It was fantastic in excess. It was Kevin's birthday so we went and watched the avengers midnight showing which will not disappoint.after watching the other 5 movies on wed and thurs. Friday was senior ditch day and the day activity that i basically spearheaded. it was perfect. We went to bull dog Canyon and did dry ice bombs and hobo dinners and hiked a bit, and watched a projector movie while munching on smores. It just went smoothly. Then Prom's dinner and the dance itself. We went to Anzio's Landing which is expensive but worth it. I asked to shake the chef's hand, and the waiters refilled my glass 6 times! It was delightful. I asked Lexy Wadsworth to prom, and she was quite the date, perhaps the best-looking, and coolest one there. The dance was legit since it was at falcon fields the dance was held inside a hanger next to fighter jets and other plans and stuff. I was just a really good dance, probably my best that i have attended. Then i wake up sunday and see your letter in the announcement-thingy at church that begins with 'raccoons aren't possums. Nope Not really even close.' I gotta hand it to you. You write very entertaining things. Anyway i gotta go to school now. Talk to cha later.

From Nick:

Ah, family.  What is up.  This week was fairly entertaining.  I enjoyed it.  So I'll give you the most exciting news first.  That goal to kick a possum - it was fulfilled.  But my companion didn't tell me the full story right off.  My kick was pretty light, only moved it a little bit.  But apparently if you boot the possum, it'll play dead.  And then if you're willing you can take pictures with it as so.  They're more durable than I thought, however.  So if I get the chance again, I'll be going for 10 feet.  It was just waddling by outside our apartment.  A golden opportunity that I seized.  My companion didn't have the desire, so I was able to take over.  Also cool, that night was the first time I saw fireflies.  They've started coming out here.  They're pretty cool.  Yellow and green ones.  It would be really fun to try and catch one in a completely dark room.  And, of course, to go with a lightning bug, is lightning!  And with lightning, thunder!  I better understand the phrase rolling thunder, however.  There was some yesterday where I was able to count, second by second to 15.  So there's been a bit of rain here.  Nothing very bad.  But yup.  Things continue.  Have a musical devotional this Sunday, where missionaries from the mission, the ones who know how to sing, are in a choir and sing on some Sundays.  And thus, I want to ask a question.  Is it a better, or worse thing to have a devotional on Mother's Day.  Because I would think it would be a good thing.  Otherwise it would just be sitting at home.  Hmm.  Sitting at home, playing board games, is also a very good thing.  That's a tough choice.  Toss-up.

Mom - Good a lot of the big things are moved over.  It'd be interesting to see the house with the stuff more or less removed from it.  Meh.  The end of school isn't so much busy as just weird.  That's the catch-all phrase I'll use to describe it.  An all day class doesn't sound incredibly fun.  But you'll find a way, right?  Sad about Diane.  Didn't know at all.  But Mom, eating possum is just part of the experience.  Ceviche wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite.  Cold, raw fish with lemon juice and some kind of mayo topping with other herbs in just doesn't float my boat.  Even if they had tostada shells to eat with it. 

Matt - Good to know the video was worth it.  I didn't know it was raw until after.  The way I heard it they said they cooked it in lemon juice.  I thought that involved heat.  But it just meant the lemon juice is supposed to cook the fish somehow.  I've vaguely heard that before, so I'm not too worried.  Lichen.  Interesting.  I had no clue.  Dumb fungus.  The word algae is interesting.  That sounds pretty fun.  Especially throwing big rocks in a creek.  There's a few creeks around here, and a river.  We see people fly fishing occasionally and other such things.  And that would have been cool, to catch a fish barehanded.  Finals here in Columbia have finished.  We always email in the library of the college, so it's basically empty now.  Thank you for the thoughts, especially the bathroom ones.

Grandma & Grandpa - Super moon?  Sounds quite exciting!  I would do that every night if I could.

 Sam & Matt - Will you need an iron lung?  That'd be pretty crazy.  Good you two are still puttin' around though.

Dad - Thanks for the info.  But why is a toilet plunger necessary?  I might Skype, but I think the call is more likely.  I don't know which way Arizona time is.  I think it's earlier than here though, so that'll be exciting.  I'll find a way to find out.  Old flight itinerary or something.

Alex - Sounds cool.  All of it sounds very fun.  Anzio's Landing is expensive.  Trying to remember when they went there last.  The Prom was there like five years ago or something, perhaps more. I don't remember.  Oof.  They put that in the church bulletin thing.  Gonna have to review it now and make amends.

Sorry I couldn't talk more.  But we have an appointment and have to go a bit earlier.  Will actually talk to you this Sunday, so then.