Life at our house as written to Elder Seamons on Sept. 15, 2013

Dear Joe

I now have 6 more points than Sam has ever scored. We had a really good game this week. We should have won but we lost in overtime 16-14. I scored the lone touchdown in regular time. We did a lot better this week and I'm excited for next week because we played the cowboys and they've gone to the mini-dome 3 times. So we're going to win this week. On my touchdown we were 5 yards from the goal line and I knew it was my touchdown. We ran a 31 dive, right up the hole right by the center on the left side. The ball snapped and I moved up the hole clapped onto the ball and tucked my head down and plowed right through the linemen knocked down the linebacker and plowed right over the line. I had a bunch of tackles. I was ray Lewis. On one of our punts the kid was running to the outside and I came up to meet him. The kid looked in my eyes and instantly covered up the ball. I hit him so hard he was knocked 5 yards out of bounds. I made a couple of kids cry.  I had some monster blocks. So we're going to win this week. Tyson Hall got his mission call. He's going to Chile. School still sucks.  Have fun. Do some good.

Ben

P.S. I'm so mean I make medicine sick.

Dear Elder Joe,

Well this week was good kind of, the Varsity team lost in overtime to Rigby who are actually #1in 4A right now so it was pretty good they beat Poky. The JV game was heartbreaking because we were up 14-0 at halftime than they came back and won us 20-14 so we were pretty mad after the game but hey we only had 19 kids on our JV team so I thought we were doing pretty good. We head into our Bye week this week so we got to get ready for shelly or Blackfoot were playing one of the two so we got to go win them next week and get back on our winning streak all the teams are 1-2 right now so we got to get back on track. Well keep up the good work and put your shoulder to the wheel. I still start kickoff and kickoff l

Samuel

Dear Joe,

Ok first things first I was center defender on the left side but I might get moved around. We had 7 humongous thunder storms this week. Jonathan finally got some broccoli from the garden. The Rec. reffs is DUM! Because Uncle Randy's team did a bunch of fouls! So see ya!

                                From,

                                     David (a bit distracted today, but he loved the advice you gave him!)

Dear Joseph,

I had a soccer game on Saturday I am midfielder and defender. David helped us do drills before the game. I had pack meeting this week. I got my wolf, religious knot and 3 arrows and 2 belt loops. Here is my story about faith. Nephi and his family needed the scriptures so they tried to get them from Laban but he wouldn't give them to him. Nephi had faith that Heavenly father would help him get the plates. So he went back found Laban drunk and cut off his head. Then he got the plates and went back to show his brothers. It was important for Nephi's family to have the scriptures so Nephi had faith Heavenly father would help him get them. I love you.                            Love Jonathan 

(Jonathan had to write a story about faith for his religious knot and he wasn't sure if he did it, so he wrote his story to you today, now he feels like he legitimately got the religi0

Dear Joseph,

Today in stake conference they read out Tyson Hall's name to be an Elder.  Ben found out he got his mission call to Chile somewhere on the west coast in the central part of the country.  He enters the new MTC in Mexico City on Jan 14.  Yesterday Sam, Ben, Papa Joe and I went to the Utah State vs. Weber State game.  It was USU's home coming and the beat Weber 70-6.  It started raining half way through the 2^nd quarter so Sam and Ben decided that we would leave when USU got to 70 points or when Weber got their 2^nd first down for the game.  So with a couple of minutes left in the 3^rd quarter Utah State got 70 points and we left.  We listened to the rest of the game on our way home.  Weber got their 2^nd first down after Utah State put their 3^rd string in in the fourth quarter.  Ben's game on Saturday went quite well.  They played some great ball but missed the win in overtime.  Ben put the first 6 points on the board when they handed him the ball on the 5 yard line and he just plowed his way into the end zone!  Thursday mom went up to Rigby to watch Sam's game and they came up shy at the end to hold back the Rigby JV.  Then on Friday for the second week in row Sam got to dress up for the varsity game for his special team assignment of kick off and kickoff returns.  But Preston never got in a position for him to see any non-special team time on the field.  Grandma Seamons woke up again with Vertigo just like she had last spring so she is really dizzy.  So please remember her in your prayers so that the dizziness will go away and she can be back to walking well again.  Sam didn't think he needed to take anyone to homecoming this year so some poor girl in the high school missed out on an opportunity to go to the prom this year.  Well let us know more about your new companion.  We hope that all is going well and that your German keeps improving.  So take care and be well.  Love,  Dad

Dear Joseph

Another week has flown by.  It's been a good one.  It sounds like you ar e liking your new companion, I hope that it continues to be a strong companionship for you.  I know it helps so much to feel that you have someone that you can work well with.  I'm sure as you work together you will see some good success in Rosenheim.  We have been praying for your investigators and less active members and hope that they will be able to take the steps to enjoy all the blessings of the gospel in their lives. 

We had Stake Conference today.  It was really good.  Tyson was made an Elder and apparently got his mission call last Thursday.  He is going to the southern coast of Chile and will report to the Mexico MTC on Jan. 15.  Sis. Hall says they're kind of sad that it will be such a long wait for him, but maybe he's in school and needed to wait until it was out.  Anyway, I knew you'd be excited to hear about him.  I hadn't seen him for awhile, so I didn't realize he was progressing towards his mission so fast.  I'm very happy for him.  I have been trying to find Sowensky's email and found his facebook page, so I messaged him, but I haven't heard back from him yet.  I think he went to the MTC on the 12^th, so I'm guessing his email will be something like sowensky.lumene@ldsmail.net.  Anyway, I'm not sure, but that's my best guess, I thought I'd give it a try and see if he responds. 

The Stake Presidency talked at stake conference.  Pres. Swainston talked about just pushing through sometimes when we hit things that block our path.  He used a football analogy, which I thought was pretty brave of him, since he admitted, he didn't know much about football.  But he talked about how sometimes the guy running the ball just plows through the line and the blockers trying to hold him back, but still he makes some progress towards his goals as opposed to trying to run around the obstacle---like running way out to the side, but not really going forward or gaining any yardage, because of running around the obstacle.  Anyway, it was a good talk and he told us to listen to a talk by Elder Christofferson called trials, or something, I need to look it up, but apparently it's a fireside talk.  So l'm anxious to read it. 

Pres. Rounds talked about how grateful he was for everyone's prayers and referred to a talk given at conference that talked about trusting our youth more and letting them make decisions for themselves.  I have to admit, this is a hard one for me.  I don't know if I just gave suggestions, if anyone would even hear me talking, but I guess that's a weakness I have.  He talked about suggesting to his boys that they take a look at their ipods and see if there was anything on there that they might not be comfortable with and suggested that they might even want to include some hymns on their listening lists.  Anyway, of course, they took his advice and willingly found things they thought they should get rid of and added several conference talks and hymns to their ipods, all voluntarily.  Hmmmm, this is just not something I see happening in my family.  I guess I just need a little more faith! 

Pres. Keller talked about loving one another and loving the Savior and seeing others as the Savior sees them---of course, he always talks about love.  Anyway, it was good and of course, I'm sure anyone might change if they felt the love he shows to everyone so freely.  Elder Porter of the 5^th quorum of the seventy was the concluding speaker.  He talked about revelation, love, following the living prophet and brief prayers.  He told a story of an experience when Pres. Packer visited his ward and suggested that the opening prayer be brief and then told him to come to his office later and he would explain why.  The why was simply that we needed to express thanks more than we should ask for things we need or want.  Anyway, needless to say, the closing prayer was brief! 

We have worked on getting a better situation for Jacob at school, so tomorrow he starts a half-day of kindergarten on Mondays and Wednesdays and then a half day of Preschool on those days as well.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays he'lll just have a half-day of Preschool in the afternoon.  I had hoped that we could make this Kindergarten/Preschool schedule happen every day, but I don't want to kill him off either, so we'll see how it goes.  We finally got an aide for him to ride the bus to school and be with him during Kindergarten, so cross your fingers and say a prayer for him that everything works out well.  I really want him to try and catch up a little this year so he isn't so far behind, but that will depend on how he does with this schedule, I think.  I am happy with his kindergarten teacher and think he will really like her.

I drove up to Sam's JV game in Rigby on Thursday night.  He told you it was a heartbreaker, and it was.  I'm going to try and post some pics/video from that game, so look for that in your email.  His number is 51 and he has the fancy blue and orange shoes.  Ben had some pics from his game as well.  His number is 31.  Anyway, hopefully you will be able to see some of their highlights, although I've been told recently that I'm not the best videographer!  Oh well.  It's hard to watch the game and the camera at the same time.  I also got a flat tire in Rigby and had to track down Jaden Panter's Dad to come and help me change it and then drive home on the donut tire at 35 mph.  It was a really long night!

The homecoming game was quite thrilling!  I thought Preston played really well, Johnny Iverson played well as well as RJ Harris, Preston Hobbs, Kaden Cole, Austen Smellie, Mckay Dodge, the Coleman kid, etc.  I asked Sam which guy on varsity is playing his position and he sayd it is McKay Dodge and then I guess Owen Sparks backs him up.  Which, prejudiced as I am, I think Sam might be able to back Mckay up just fine, but he seems happy to be on the kick off team right now.  I told Sam I thought the tight end looked like a good alternative position for him, but that is what Johnny I is playing right now, so don't know if he'd have much chance there as well.  Ben was thrilled that his team did better this week and that he scored a touchdown!  Ben and Sam and Dad and Papa Joe went to the Utah State Game last night and had a great time as USU beat Weber 70-6, kinda slaughtered them, I guess.  David had fun playing a rec game on Sat. morning.  Since I already paid for rec, I decided to have him play when he could.  They lost to Josh's team---and David was sure it was the ref's fault.  He did play pretty good though.  The cutest thing was him helping warm up Jonathan's team, he just went out there and lined them up and passed to them and had them then try to kick into the goal, then he tried to play keep away individually with each one of them.  I'll try and send some of those pics also.  He was really good with those little kids.  Jonathan was looking a little winded in the game and not putting much effort in, until I pointed out the fact that Ella was constantly in motion and doing a lot without looking very tired, he seemed to straighten up a little then and quit moaning about being tired.  I think he could be talented, but doesn't have much endurance right now, plus has David's pessimistic streak in that every time they are behind he wants to quit or cry about it.  I'm really not seeing David do that this year, which is nice.  I think he's finally maturing a bit in that area.  I hope David's coach does move him around so he has more chances to play in different positions.  But for now, he seems okay with defender. 

Well, that's about our week.  Sam starts bass lessons again tomorrow night, so we'll add that into the schedule.  When I was reading off the schedule to dad tonight, he said, so is this just a nightmare week or is this normal, I said it was just normal and actually we're lucky that Sam has a bye this week, so we don't have to worry about his games.  It does seem like we are constantly running, but I'm not sure how to change that.  Just one day at a time, take a deep breath, and keep on plowing ahead, I guess!  Anyway, we love you and pray that you are safe and have a wonderful week.  I did send a package off to you on Monday, so hopefully, you will get it soon.  Please let us know when you get it.  We love you and are very proud of your dedication to the Lord and his work.  Hey, I forgot to tell you that Rivkah Steele got married on Friday.  Sis. Steele asked me if Stuttgart is in your mission, because she has a brother that's on a mission there.  I wasn't sure in looking at the map, but it could be.  Anyway, maybe you'll run across them if that area is in your mission.  Take care, be safe, we love you, Mom.