Ramblings to our missionary Sept. 29, 2013

Dear joe

How is Germany? We had a bye this week so no exciting tales about Ben the beast. School still sucks. I went to the farmers market with Papa Joe this week. It was good. Jordan’s mom says hi. He is doing well. Do you think I should do basketball or wrestling? Have fun. Do some good.

Ben

Dear Elder Joe,

Well this week was pretty good first of all I had 4 sacks in my game, I haven’t had that many sacks since little league so it felt great. We still lost thought 20-12 so that was the sucky part of this week I start D-end right now and linebacker depending on the formation but 99% of the times in games I have been D-end, we should have won this game and the Rigby game but Talbot quit and Conner Durrant is injured so right now we only have one original starting linebacker (Kyon), but Jesse and Colten Keller are doing alright right now though, right now we run a 4-3 defense right now 4 lineman and 3 linebackers. The Varsity beat Blackfoot 7-3, man I have never seen them so mad, Keaton Wardle the kid I beat from Blackfoot 17-3 in wrestling and he was the Broncos starting D-end and I think Sargent is injured right now because I didn’t see him play but it looks like he will probably be going my weight. Coach Despain was happier than I have ever seen him before; he must really hate Blackfoot because he went wild after the game. We might actually might have a chance at the playoffs this year if we keep up the way we move. Well hope things on your mission turn out great.

Samuel

Dear Joe,

How’s it going in Germany? We tied our game 3-3. I made the first goal with my left foot! And Ramon (Ra-m-oe-n) made a goal on a PK right between the keeper’s legs! And Paton made a goal too! It was 3-1 in the 1^st half and I don’t know what happened in the 2^nd half. If it wasn’t silent Saturday we would have won because our team wasn’t listening in the second half. In the Rec. game on Monday we went against the Jankee’s team and won them 3-2 and boy them were such poor sports because at the end of the game they didn’t give us high 5. And they were trying to trip us.  I went against Coach Reynolds team and we lost to them 2-1. At least we got a goal on the goalie. The goalie had no goals scored on him before so that is pretty good.

From,

David Seamons

P.S. My shoes are orange not red and I got them from the D.I.

P.P.S. Those pictures were of my Rec. soccer team (Neon green is our uniform for Rec.)

P.P.P.S. I wasn’t kicking with my toe I was doing the power kick.

Dear Joseph,

Well it has been a wet week. Jared cut Bishop’s hay last weekend and all it did was rain on it ever since. It is pick the apples off the ground and put them in buckets and then feed them to the cows season. And this year there are quite a few apples on the trees. We haven’t had a deep freeze yet because the garden is still green, but it is producing a lot slower now. But I sure hope that it warms up again for another 3 months it would be nice to have a long Indian summer; it has been awhile since we’ve had one. Sam had a good JV game up at Blackfoot even if on one of his sacks the ref decided that he needed to help Blackfoot’s team by calling a personal foul of 15 yards on Sam because he pitched the ball on an option right after Sam was wrapping around him. I, myself thought it was a pretty sweet play. Anyway the JV lost that game. Then next night Sam got to dress up again for varsity and got to do three plays on special teams when they did the kickoffs and returns. But the varsity won their game so Sam was happy. Today at church Tyson Hall got ordained an Elder. Rico spoke for his farewell talk today also and he did a pretty good job. Tanner Daniels was in the newspaper this week he is getting married in the Logan temple. He has been working at the NAPA auto parts store for the last while. Last week Macy Jepson got her mission call to Cambodia she will be leaving in February. But right now Macy and McKenna are in Italy with BYU study abroad so if you see a bunch of BYU looking people say Hi because you might know someone. Robert Kemsley also got his call this week he is going to Puerto Rico he is leaving the first week of January and will be going to the MTC in the Dominican Republic. Papa Joe’s brother Bob is coming to visit them this week it was just about 6 weeks ago that Bob’s wife Elizabeth passed away from cancer and Papa Joe and grandmother went to Oregon to the funeral. The leaves up on Peaky and South Canyon are starting to turn this week which is about 3-4 weeks later than normal but they aren’t that bright of colors this year. Well I got to get going to a standards night with the boys, so I’ll write to you later you have a great week and take care. Love, Dad Dear Joseph how are you. And my bike crashed. And I crashed on the tip of the handle. It really hurt a lot. So mom gave me medicine but it still hurts a lot but it is getting better and that’s all I did this week. I read about Abinidai and king noah. They burned abinidai. King Noah told them to run away from their families. Then they burned king Noah. And I made a comic book. Called Super Underwear. I will send you a copy. Love, Jonathan

Dear Elder Seamons

So, I want to know if you are okay and if you made it through the month with no money, since you were scraping the bottom of the barrel. Why does it cost to email in Germany? I would be happy to make sure you had more money, if you’re not getting enough, please just let us know, because we want you to keep emailing and we don’t want you to starve!

I’m so sorry to hear about the family that lost their baby. That was really hard, I bet. I’m glad you got to play for them---I’m sure that was comforting. We have kept them in our prayers this week and hope that makes a difference for them. I can’t imagine losing a child. How has it gone with your other investigators this week? Did you finally find the less active person you looked so long for? I hope you have had a successful week. How are you and your companion doing? I hope that you are starting to feel comfortable together. Make sure that he knows that SATURDAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! You are no longer a teenager! How does that feel? You might need a cane or something now if you have to walk too far!

I just can’t believe I have a son that is 20!!!!! That’s amazing! How did that happen to me? I can still remember the excitement of having you before you were born. I think Dad and I tried on about 100 different names, and we couldn’t decide what would fit! I think you were supposed to have been named Joseph McPherson Gregory Scott Seamons---good thing we shortened it just a bit! I was thinking of what a rambunctious little boy you were. Eyes always opened wide!----loving to wreck your room if I put you in time out----I remember the one time I left you in there and it got too quiet and too late, I realized that you had taken a jar of Vaseline and smeared it all over the rug and walls---wow, what punishment for me for putting you in time out! Then I remember that you wanted to run away all the time and we lived on 300 W. which was a pretty busy street, so I told you that if you kept running away that the police would come and put you in jail----not really one of those nice sweet things that you’re mother is supposed to say to you----but I think I was a little desperate! I remember telling you long stories before you’d take a nap or go to bed---Peter Pan was a favorite, not that you wanted to be Peter Pan—more like Captain Hook! I was thinking of how we dressed you up as a baseball for Halloween and how appropriate that was, because you were in love with balls from the minute you could hold one in your hand or kick it with your foot. I think every house we have ever lived in has some permanent dents in the sides of it from your eternal kicking. David was asking me if he played like you and I had to say that he’s not knocking the sides of the house down, so he probably has a ways to go still. I loved watching you play soccer. Whenever you played it was like someone turned the light on and pushed the acceleration button and you just went wild. ‘Perpetual Motion’ I think would have been a good term for you! I have loved watching your games and feeling the excitement of each game and also being proud of the way you treated your teammates and the respect you showed them when you played. Well, except for some of the Ref’s during your Avalanche days! But I’m sure they deserved your wrath! (No, actually, I shouldn’t say that!)

I loved how you put your whole heart and soul into everything you did----soccer, wrestling, track, music, school, moving pipe, work, church, etc. I think you can feel proud of the fact that no matter how it ended up you always gave 150%. I know that’s the kind of missionary you are too! Even when things are probably not going the way you’d like, I know that you are still giving it your all. And the blessings will come from that effort, because it is who you are.

Of course, I loved being part of your music also. Today Kerry Christensen was teaching RS/Priesthood combined meeting and he was giving an example of how Jyllian likes to play the violin and some days she likes to practice and some days she doesn’t, but he wanted to know what his responsibility would be as a parent on the days she doesn’t want to play. Of course, someone said, “well, you should just not make her play when she doesn’t want to.” Others said that it was important to make her do it so that she knew she had to keep her commitment, even when she didn’t want to. George Rasmussen asked me afterwards why I didn’t say anything and he wanted to know what you would have said--If you would have been glad that I made you practice or not. And I said that I really didn’t ever feel like I had to make you practice---I reminded you a lot and made you do it sometimes when it could have gotten squeezed out of your busy schedule, but I didn’t feel like I made you do it, but maybe I did. If I did, I’m glad I did, because I love the way that your soul sings through your violin. Today, once again, we had the musical number Savior, Redeemer of my soul---it must be the popular sacrament song, since we’ve had it twice in the last 2 months. Anyway, Tate Bradfield sang and Diane Petty played the violin part and it was okay, I mean, it was good, but the violin just didn’t sing the way you make it sing! Anyway, I’m glad that I got to be a part of that part of your life---going to lessons, ISSI workshops, Suzuki concerts, district and state solo, Lyceum, Bennet Cup, playing for others with your brothers, etc., they are all good memories of time that I got to spend with you and get to know you better and share my love of music with you. So, I guess I’m glad I MADE you do it! I hope that it will be something that enriches the rest of your life.

I think the turning point in your life came as you graduated from high school, made some mistakes and got back on the right track. I don’t think that I have ever loved you more or been as proud of you as I watched you struggle and work through the process of being able to serve a mission. Actually, I didn’t like going through that part of your life with you at the time, but in the end I was able to see the amazing young man that you were to be. Also, through your service in the YM’s presidency I was so impressed with how you ‘went about your Father’s business’ with mature leaders and were not intimidated by them, but contributed your unique talents and gifts to the building up of that program in the Stake. I also remember the amazing talk you gave at the Stake Standards night when the Youth Council presented it your Senior year and the amazing talk you gave at Seminary Graduation and of course, the amazing talk that you gave at your Farewell. I know you felt bad that you could never get through speaking without shedding a few tears, but I think that’s what made your words sink a little deeper and people feel the spirit a little stronger. You do carry a unique gift for helping others feel the spirit---through your words, actions and music.

I have been so blessed to have learned and grown from the many experiences that you have shared and I am grateful that I was chosen to be your mother. I KNOW the choice was made more for my benefit and not necessarily for yours. I can feel in your letters that you are continuing that growth in the mission field and through your service to the people in your mission. As you truly come to love and serve them, you will continue to be blessed to become the man you are meant to be and the servant of the Lord that Heavenly Father needs you to be. I am grateful that you are sharing those experiences with us in your letters. It is a great blessing to our family----especially for your brothers to whom you mean so much.

Anyway, just reminiscing about my little boy that has grown into a man and I’m wondering how so much time could have passed so quickly? Thanks for all the many good memories I have of you----I miss you so much, but I’m grateful to have you where you’re at blessing the lives of many, as well as ours. I hope that you have a wonderful birthday and remember that we are celebrating here for you—along with David and Grandmother! Make sure that you have a real party on your birthday! We want to hear about it!

Love you forever, Mom