Neo the Chicken, Bat, Tootsie!

This is Neo.

He is a cute litte “Min Pin”, short for Miniature Pinscher.

He belongs to my friend Julie. He came to stay at Aunt Joy’s for a week while his mommy went on vacation. When Julie first got Neo, he had his tail docked, but his ears were not cropped. He also has skinny legs, like a chicken. So for years Julie called him a “chicken (because of his legs), bat (because of the ears) dog”. Then he got older and chubby, like a little tootsie roll.

Now he is a “Chicken, Bat, Tootsie!”

One other funny (or not) thing about Neo is that he is a really stinky dog. When I say stinky, I mean gassy. I have never been around a dog like this. When you’re in the same room with him, all of a sudden, the stinkiest most rotten egg smell, enters the room. If you say his name, he gets a sheepish look on his face.

He really should be called, “Chicken, Bat, Tootsie, Stenchy!

The Train Whistle in the Closet.

For some time now, there has been a mysterious whistle sound coming from the closet in our office. Our office is also home to our scrapbooks and school boxes, the mementoes we’ve saved from the growing up years.

In the closet, in one of the boxes (I think) is a toy or something that makes a sound at random times. We would love to locate the sound and see what it is, but the sound is so random and so short, that by the time we race to the closet to hear where it is, it is done. Needless to say, it is still there and may be there until we go through the closet. For now, we just get a kick out of it.

Totally “Fort Worth” It!

Hermana Kelsey 17:1 -email-
Dear family,
How are all of you?!?! This week has been good. It seems to be going by even faster than usual. I honestly don’t know how that is even possible, but that’s the way it seems. Things are still good here in D. I turned 16 months in the mission on Saturday, and to celebrate Sister M. and I bought luchedor masks at the pulga (flea market)! They are pretty legit if I do say so myself! 🙂 🙂 We look like Nacho Libre only cooler! 🙂
Some things that happened this week:
Tuesday: We went to go see a kind of investigator in the hospital. She got walking pneumonia, so we decided to go visit her there. It wasn’t too bad. Normally I have troubles being in hospitals because I just feel sad and weird in there, but it was not so bad this time.
Wednesday: We taught this girl named E. the restoration of the gospel, and she was super cool. She told us she got chills when we said the First Vision. She is actually really involved in her church, but we are thinking her and her family are going to go places. We are super excited for them. We also met Elder K.’s new missionary. He is a native! His name is Elder A. He was born in Guadalajara, but he lives in Georgia. He’s pretty cool. They get along swimmingly, so that is good too.
Sunday: I climbed through a member’s window to unlock the door, because she accidentally locked herself out of her house. It was fun. It reminded me of the time we got locked out of our house, and I was super little, but I climbed through the window and unlocked the door for everyone else. I don’t know if you remember that, but I do. Ha ha. Good times! 🙂
Well, I guess it’s been kind of a boring week, so that is all I have to report.
Mom: Okay so first, WOW!!! Elder H. is going to Chicago!?! Wooo! That is so exciting. I don’t know how he had the self control to wait that long to open it though! Anway, tell him congratulations! He’ll love it. I’ll have to write him some letters and stuff after I get home. That is so awesome. That is also really cool that he read the Book of Mormon.
That is fun you went to a party with Janet. How did she like it? I miss relief society activities. We usually don’t get to go, because we don’t really have very many women investigators right now, and we only get to go if we have an investigator there.
Ha ha. That’s so funny that you did the tooth fairy again, because I remember getting a picture of you as the tooth fairy from last year and you said that it was the last year. 😛 Anyway, that is fun. I’m miss having Founder’s day. That is one my favorite holidays.
Dad: Ha ha. I love trips on a shoe string. 🙂 I bet that will be fun. I’m glad y’all enjoyed founder’s day. That was always one of the things I loved the most growing up. But anyway, I hope everything else is good. Sorry, I took to long writing to mom and now I am out of time almost (and I still have to write to president). :/ But be good, and continue working hard. You’re AWESOME! 🙂
Emmy: I am really going to write you a real letter today, because I still have a little bit of time left for p-day, just not on this computer.
Okay, well, I love you all lots! Do good things and be good people. Yo se que esta iglesia es verdadera! 🙂
besitos y abrazos,
Kelsey
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 24:3 -email-

Mama,
Colin is going to Chicago!!!! YA BABY!!! wow wow wow that is so legit tell him congrats for me. things are happening holy cow and coming home in the middle of it all. this week has been great we are working hard…. i have to, so my mind doesn’t wander to… home… jk but ya when we are out working i’m super focused but at the boarding its tough. haha well i’m glad to hear all the news we just went to Ushaka Marine world it was super cool we saw sharks and turtles and lots of things like that it was super cool. well today i’m email in the same email shop i used my first pday on mission its kinda nice to remember its been a long time.well not much else to say time is almost up plus i’m a much better speaker than typer so that will be good. love you
Love Elder Flexy
Baba,
your going to vegas!! wow thats so cool. ya that’s too bad Bryce got hurt… well some people just don’t realize they are a old man… just like you with your lumber jacking!! haha jk ya i always brag to the other guys about how my dad is the best and that he is good at every sport. i probably shouldn’t but i do. anyway love you
Love Elder Flexy
M,
my little sister parties???? and she goes to the gym too???? wow my sis is growing up. so are these parties Halo parties or Heroscape parties?? hahahahahahahahaha jk wow thats so good to hear life is good here i’m finishing strong. love you sis
Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

“To dig a straight furrow, the plowman needs to keep his eyes on a fixed point ahead of him.  That keeps him on a true course.  If, however, he happens to look back to see where he has been, his chances of straying are increased.  The results are crooked and irregular furrows. . . . Fix your attention on your . . . goal[s] and never look back on your earlier problems. . . . If our energies are focused not behind us but ahead of us—on eternal life and the joy of salvation—we assuredly will obtain it” (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 66).
Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Two Cents: Why’s?

D. is six.

On a daily basis, D. asks me “Why” about this or that, many times through out the day.

I know he knows the answer most the time, because the things he asks about are obvious, or something we’ve talked about before.

One day D. kept asking “why?” I would say, “why do you think? Think about it.” Then he would give me the answer and I would say, “That’s right! I knew you knew it! Good job!”

I told him,

“Someday when you know the answers to all the ‘why’s’, then you’ll be ‘wise.'”

He just smiled.

Totally “Fort Worth” It!

Hermana Kelsey 16:4 -email-
Dearest family!
This has been a great week!!! We had been struggling for a while trying to find new investigators. We lost a lot of the people we had been teaching, and no one would sit down and have a lesson with us. But then we prayed and fasted a lot, and worked really hard, and the Lord blessed us with 8 new investigators, and we have set baptismal dates with 4 of them! Wooo! It’s been awesome. We are so thankful for the success we are seeing here, and that our labors are bringing forth good fruits.
So we got transfer calls today. Sister M. and I are staying here in D. together. Elder A., one of the missionaries serving in Denton with us, is getting transferred, and his companion Elder K., is going to be trainging a new missionary. Other than that I don’t really know what is going on with the rest of the zone. But I am excited, because I love when new missionaries come in. They are just so eager and willing to do whatever, even though they don’t really know what is going on. 🙂 Plus, you get to influence them for good in the beginning of their mission. I’m not gonna lie though, I’m a little bit jealous, because I kind of want to train, and now I won’t get to, because they have to train for two transfers now, and I only have two transfers left. 🙁 But I guess it’s not what the Lord wants.
Other than that things are just dandy here.
Monday: We had a p-day activity were we went bowling. I didn’t bowl, but it was still pretty fun. We got to spent time with all the other missionaries in our zone, which we don’t get to do very often. We usually only see them like once a week if that.
Tuesday: We talked to a lady named A., who goes to some Christian church, and she was telling us all these things about the rapture and some chips I guess they are going to start putting in to people (like in their hand or their forehead or something). Have you heard anything about that? I’ve never heard that before, but we don’t have any access to the outside world, so that’s not really surprising. Anyway, so she told us about all this stuff, and then as we were walking away, she yelled to us really loud, “Whatever you do, don’t take the chip!!” It was so funny. I’m not really sure why she felt like she needed to tell us that, but it was just funny that she yelled after us to let us know.
Wednesday: Nothing really to tell you.
Thursday: Sister M. and I went to court, because Sister M. got a speeding ticket at the beginning of last transfer. It was super long and boring. It was crazy the people that were there from all different walks of life, and they all had diffferent stories and different things going on in their lives. It made me miss people watching a little bit. We never have time to do that anymore, and sometimes I feel like I’m too busy to enjoy the small moments I used to. But the thing is as well, that the small moments I used to enjoy have now been replaced by other small moments that bring just as much joy. Like when someone prays for the first time, or when someone keeps their commitments. 🙂 Also, we found and taught 4 of our new investigators! One of them is a girl named E. We found her, because we actually had an appointment with her mom, but her mom was busy so we taught her instead. She is basically golden! And we set a bap. date with her for the 14th of July.
Friday: We had a ward party for Father’s day. It was pretty fun. It was cowboy themed and they had country music playing (which I wasn’t enjoying, but I heard :)), and it reminded me of my daddy, and it made me miss him. But then I was okay. I didn’t really get too sad or anything, I just realized how much I miss seeing my daddy, and hugging him, and that he is a really great guy! 🙂 I have seen a lot of examples of bad fathers on my mission, and I’m glad to say that none of them are anything like my dad. 🙂
Saturday: We found two of our investigators today as well. We are super stoked, because they are a family of 5 (well the parents and their 3 kids). I think only one of them is old enough to get baptized, but that’s what we are looking for now, is families. So we are exctied about that.
Sunday: E. came to church! We just met her this week! It was a miracle. She really liked it a lot. We also taught her later in the evening, and there was all kinds of crazy drama going on at her house, but she told us that she wants a better life for her and her son, and that she doesn’t want to be involved with all the bad stuff of the world.
Mom: Ha ha. Yeah, I’m totally okay with you going to Bear Lake without me. I am in no shape to be going anywhere in a swimsuit, so I’m glad I at least get like 6 months before siwmsuit season comes around again, so I can get myself in shape. 🙂
Ahhhh! Please write me a letter when you find out where Colin is going! Okay!?! 🙂 I’m soooo excited!
I’m glad you got to go the temple in Logan. Sister M. and I are going to see if we can go to the Dallas temple sometime this transfer. 🙂
That’s awesome that Kimi got married. 🙂 Tell her congratulations for me. Oh, weddings! Are you going to be a basket case at my wedding, Ma? Because I think I’m gonna be pretty chill, but then that means that someone else has to be the one freaking out. 🙂
To: Dad
Happy Father’s Day!!!!
(sorry, I forgot to write it last week, so this is late, but I thought about you a lot yesterday)
Everything is good here. I’m glad you get to go and open the trailer in Bear Lake. That sounds like it’ll be fun. I honestly only miss things like that when it is super hot outside, and we see people in the pool swimming, and it looks so refreshing and nice. But other than that I can still wait to do those things for another little while. Anyway, I just want to tell you how much I love you, and how much I appreciate the sacrifices you are making to help me be here as a missionary. You are an AWESOME dad! Take care and enjoy your week. 🙂
Emmysaurus Rex: Have fun at Bear Lake!!!!! Write me a letter int he car ride up!!  🙂 🙂 🙂 Love you!!!
Gotta go now! Be good!
Love, Kelsey XOxXOoXoXOxOXooXOxOXXoXO

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 24:2 -email-

Mama,
wow this week was amazing we worked soooo hard. yes…. i’m a dying missionary but i’m kickin bum and takin names!!!! ya we had six investigators at church and we had some sweet member present lessons i should have some good baptisms my last sunday here its gonna be sweet. i’m glad you got to go to the temple i miss that place…… too much. wow i’m so exited for colins call. well theres not much else going on i just had my second to last interview with president it was nice hes such a great guy!!! anyway love you
Love Elder Flexy

Baba,
wow i miss bear lake too you remmeber that skunk that died under the trailer YO YO YO that was one of the grossest things EVER!!! but i’m looking forward to going to bear lake(swimming). yep i will keep working hard love you
Love Elder Flexy

M,
well if you don’t write a letter fast enough i’ll be home before it gets here. hahahaha anyway have fun sis love you
Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

Logan Temple

******

“The Lord works from the inside out.

The world works from the outside in…The World would mold men by changing their environment.

Christ changes men, who then change their environment.

The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

-Ezra Taft Bensen

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Family History Friday: Rooting out Hindu Family History.

–I love this!!–

We sometimes take for granted the amount of information we can find about our family history, right at our finger tips.

Most of us can go back several generations with a simple search on Ancestry.com or Family Search.com.

In India, in order to find your family history, you have to know they do things a little different.

I found the most fascinating story on BBC News, about how a woman from India did some research on her family history. They have a special person who keeps track of their family history, and a special way of keeping track of it.

I know you will enjoy it too! You will find it here!

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy