August 26, 2012

From the Family to Nick:

Hey we are still alive and kicking I got a new job starting Sept. 4th
with Charles Schwab. Sam is thinking about starting her own day care
at home. Otherwise not much else going on.
Keep kicking it.
Matt and Sam
Nick,
Nothing has changed. Still trudging along with work and then partying
on the weekends. But everyone one who moved to utah or idaho for byu
is finnally gone. That is a sad sad thing in some cases. Oh well. I
just am going to keep working at perfection. You know. Other than that
there isn't much to say.
Carry on,
-alehandro.
Hey Nick,
So, Dad drug me to a stake high priests fireside.  I felt really old
going to one of those meetings.  Then saw Chris Hale there and if he's
old enough to be there, then I'm really old.  I started at MCC.  Have
an office and a phone number there.  Don't have a computer yet though.
 That will come.  Now I'm trying to decide how to decorate my office.
Any suggestions?  Took Grandma and Grandpa E to the Calder's cabin up
north.  It's about 1/2 hour from Snowflake.  Weather was great.  Old
people don't eat the same as normal people.  Rations were a little
slim.  Won at rummikub though.  Working on typing up Grandpa O's life
history.  Some amusing stories.  I will send you a few eventually.
It's hard getting used to getting up and going to work by 7:30.
Requires preparation the night before.  Have you learned any of that
yet?  I imagine you have.
I have sent 2 packages since you left.  One should have arrived while
you were still in Tennessee.  It had a tie hanger.  The other package
I sent per instructions on the website about 6 weeks ago.  Hopefully
you will still get it.  Music was included.  I will also send some
pics.  Some were taken today.  Some of Dad when we were coming back
from Utah, and a bunch of other random stuff.  Also, since we don't
seem to be very good at answering questions, Ty didn't pass his test.
He was understandably very unhappy and disappointed about it.  Don't
ask again.  He is now studying again for next year.  He's had a lot to
learn with a new job.  It hasn't all been easy.  Yeah, a lot of life
is like that.
I guess I need to now go to bed.  I'm leaving Matt to finish this
letter.  He will even need to copy and paste it into my email.  But
he's probably able to do that.  He needs to finish his book before he
is able to concentrate enough to write.  You know Matt, on Yapese
standard time.
Love you lots Nick,  Be faithful, Be happy!  Mom
P.S. you could also send us some pics in return.
Nick,
Heard a quote that I thought was interesting. I t was in the Sunday
School lesson and goes as follows: "The Prophet Joseph Smith made the
following statement to a man who wondered why those who had left the
Church often fought so fiercely against it: “Before you joined this
Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached good
and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither.
There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you
joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you
left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should
you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve it will be by the
instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be
his servant” (in “Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Juvenile
Instructor, 15 Aug. 1892, 492)."
I do have some other thoughts , but I'll save them for next week. Good
thing you have a mom or you would have very crappy letters from home.
Love, Dad
Nicholas,
Finished my book.  I'm reading the Wheel of Time series.  It started
poorly and slow, but the books are getting better as he goes.  I just
finished reading the fourth one. Anyways, tomorrow is our Monday and I
am going to go get myself a fingerprint card to show I'm not a
criminal, and also find a place to live. I hope to move in towards the
end of the week or beginning of next.
Since I know missionaries don't like to be reminded about all the
awesome meals they miss out on I'll be sure not to tell you about
eating three cheese potatoes,  parmesan garlic chicken, cheesy
biscuits (like Red Lobster), watermelon, corn, etc. for Sunday dinner
today.  We had Tyler and Gina and also Grandma and Grandpa over. We
even played team ticket to ride after and Alex and my own self kinda
dominated. In fact, we had 121 just from routes.  It was particularly
amusing when Gina noted that I used Alex as my napkin after eating one
of the aforementioned cheesy biscuits.  She didn't even know and
agrees Alex is a napkin. Better than toilet paper….
Oh, and an update on the toenail. It is almost fully recovered!  It
tried to pull a quick one and give me an ingrown nail.  I wasn't about
to tolerate any such nonsense and fixed it up with a good soak in some
hot salt water and expert toenail trimming.
Hope you don't have worms - Matt

From Nick to the Family:

Holy cow.  What a good week.  Regretfully, time is already short.  Lots of things this week.  A month ending, a transfer is ending, the temple open house closed, and more.  It's quite possible that my companion or I will be transferred this week.  But the good part regardless is that there is a lot of cool stuff happening this week.  There will be a meeting of all three of the Buenos Aires missions - North, South, West- with President Eyring and others.  Then we'll be in one of the soccer stadiums celebrating the re dedication the next day, then the next day is the rededication.  I'm quite excited.  So woohoo!!!!

Matt and Sam - That is wonderful news.  I believe.  Sounds pretty good.  Her own day care huh.  That'd be pretty crazy, but I'm sure she can figure it out somehow.  I will continue kicking it.

Alex - That is just how it goes.  What ever happened to Kevin?  I'd imagine he's at school, but I don't know which one.  You keep working at that perfection. 

Mom - Sounds like you're going good.  And preparation the night before?  I'm still improving on that part, for sure.  It's a process.  It'd be a good habit to find.  I did get that wonderfully awesome package with the tie hanger in it.  It was very much appreciated and is being well used.  I still have space for a few ties on it.  Like one or two, I think.  It is a wonderful thing.  Sorry I haven't sent many pictures.  I sent some last week, but this week I won't have time.

Dad - That is quite the interesting thought.  I always like hearing thoughts like that.  Makes me think a bit more, and reminds me of President Monson's quote I always remember, that it's easier to be 100 percent obedient than 98 percent.

Matt - Perhaps the series is a little bit long, but I still enjoy it very much regardless.  Just have to read it faster.  Thank you so much for your wonderful food description.  Our funds are running a little low this week as inflation is in effect here - prices have raised since I've came, even.  So we're living on noodles with flavor cubes for our dinners.  Pretty sweet.  We get to go and clean the temple today and they said they'll be feeding us, so I'm excited.  P day is when we pay for our own lunch, which'd be a bit tough this week.


Woohooooo!  That is my shout of exclamation.  Glad to see you're all doing well.  Just keep being happy and laughing and succeeding and doing those good things you do.

Ciao,
Elder Hansen