Howzit-Elder Flexy!

 Elder Flexy 17:1 -email-

Dear darling sweet wonderful missionaries, 

I am so sorry, I didn’t get a letter off to the two of you this week. This darling and fairly dumb dog has just about put me over the edge. She is so cute, but she came with pooing and peeing problems. So between the daycare kids and her, I have had it, with poo and pee. OK now I have complained, I will tell you she has had about 4 baths this week and is very cute and fluffy right now. I am determined to help her to be a good pet. I will not give up. 

——————————————

Mama,

sorry about the poo and pee. this week has been pretty good. we are working hard so this place is still hotter than heck out here its crazy. but the work is going well we are trying for some baptisms coming right up. but your not old mom!!! anyway happy birth day this week. anyway life is cool. love you

Love Elder Flexy

Baba,

wow dad your emails sound like the same from last year didn’t you just winterize the swamp cooler….lol i’m jk but you seem to have been doing the same things its kinda funny but i’m sure i sound the same way…. i just don’t like typing it kinda sucks but oh well. anyway glad your staying busy. Love you

Love Elder Flexy

M,

Wow your friend thinks he is a prophet wow thats interesting…. well i think he needs a check up…. just kiddin but i would love to have a little sit down with him we will just let him bask in his false gift till i get home i would be more than happy to talk to him but it sounds like all is going well i hope you have a great week. Love you

Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

“If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

“Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most.”

-Thomas S. Monson

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Family History Friday: Collectables-#3 Baskets!

All of these beautiful baskets

were made by my sister-in-laws.

They have been gifts throughout the years.

I love baskets! I love decorating my home with them, even when it’s not in fashion.

I just do my own thing, because I like to surround myself with things that mean something to me. I have native american ancestry. My 5th great grandmother came from the Ojibwa tribe, I know they used baskets and I’m sure many of my other ancestors used baskets.

There was a time in history when everyone used them for something.

Collecting eggs, carrying things, collecting maple syrup, holding a precious newborn baby, going on a picnic, etc.

I love the idea that they hold things, that you can carry something valuable in them, because someone took some strips of reed and weaved them together and put a handle on it. To me they are a work of art and will always be displayed in my home.

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

The Boutique!

At one time, I worked at a boutique.

It was one of my favorite jobs!

The boutique sold various crafts, hand made, as well as items brought in by vendors. Almost everyday was an exercise in self discipline,

“Remember you are working here to earn money, not to spend money.”

I occasionally would spend money, but I couldn’t do it very often. When you are in this situation, you have to figure out how to make it work. How to have fun at work without defeating the purpose of being there.  I would think to myself, “How can I come to work every day, and rarely take anything home?”  

Then one day it came to me.

I was there almost everyday anyway, so I would say to myself, “You don’t need to take it home, you will see it again tomorrow!”

It totally worked!! 

I really don’t have much in my home from working at that job. And guess what? I don’t even remember those things I thought I needed!

Gymnastics!

 
I love gymnastics!

Growing up I did gymnastics everyday. I had so much fun!! I loved the stretching and flexibility and strength, that I learned. In junior high school, I was able to take a gymnastics class instead of the regular P.E. class, which was awesome considering that I ate, drank, and slept gymnastics. I also went to a gymnastics class twice a week at a gym. I think I knew deep down that it was not going to happen, but I wanted to be in the Olympics so bad.

One of my heroes during this time in my life was Nadia.

What an amazing gymnast! It was so amazing to see her do her routines. The skill and dedication it took to be as amazing as she was, is what I admired the most. I was never really great at gymnastics, I could do some fun tricks, back hand springs and flips and such, but I was very in touch with my body and how my muscles worked. I knew what my abilities were and what I could do physically. I was blessed to have only one fairly serious injury, and that was a broken ankle in 9th grade. It didn’t stop me though. I used to jump on the trampoline and tumble with my cast on. Even though my dream of going to the Olympics never happened, I was blessed with a fun and beneficial way to stay healthy and in very good shape for most of my youth.

Totally “Fort Worth” It!

Hermana Kelsey 9:2 -email-

Dear familia!

What?!?! You got a new dog?! Wow that is crazy. Hey Mom, remember how you said you weren’t going to get another dog for a really long time, if ever? I guess that didn’t work out like you thought it would. 🙂 Ha ha ha. That’s awesome though. She is very cute. I really like the name Esther for her too. I just read that story very recently in the Bible and I really love it. It is definitely one of my favorites. 🙂

Wow! So this week flew by. The weeks lately have been going way too fast. In about 3 weeks Sister Q. will be going home. I will be letting you all know about my new companion the Monday before, because that is when we get transfer calls. I have a feeling that President might have me train this next transfer. I’m super nervous. I don’t feel like I’m ready for that kind of responsibility yet. But soon I am going to be one of the oldest sisters out. At the end of this transfer, there will be 3 spanish sisters going home (Sister S., [my companion before Sister Q.] Sister O., and Sister Q.). There are only 3 other sisters that have been out longer than me (Sister W., Sister S., and Sister V.). Sister V. has already trained once, and Sister S. is really sick (she is allergic to basically every kind of food. She can only eat fruit, some vegetables and fish.), so she might even go home. So basically it is between me and Sister W. But who knows. Everything will happen the way it is supposed to.

So we didn’t have a baptism this week. 🙁 We decided to move it to this coming Friday, because she felt  more comfortable with a little more time to prepare. But now she is missing in action! She was supposed to be at church yesterday to have her interview, but she never showed up. We stopped by her apartment twice to see her, but she wasn’t there, and we called her phone probably 15 times. We’re not really sure where she went. So hopefully we can find her and get everything figured out. But we did have some really cool things happen yesterday at church. So Sister Q and I were sitting the in the chapel as church was about to start, and lo, and behold, guess who walks in?! 3…that’s right, not 1, not 2, but 3! of our investigators that we had dropped a little while ago, come walking into the chapel! It was amazing!!. We didn’t even ask them to come or anything, but their relative who is a member has been working really hard on them and somehow got them to come to church! And they want us to start teaching them again! Hallelujah!! It’s a miracle! 🙂 Ha ha ha. But yeah we were super excited.

One other person that came was Carrie. I don’t remember if I told you about her. She is 14 (well she just had her birthday, so now she is 15), and we were teaching her for quite a while. She had a baptismal date, but when it started getting close, and she told her mom (who is a member), her mom told her she shouldn’t even get baptized, because she swears. So then after that she decided she didn’t want to get baptized anymore. After that she got really cold towards us, and didn’t really pay attention when we taught her. And then she stopped praying, coming to church, and reading her scriptures. So we couldn’t go see her anymore. We were still teaching her dad, and so we would go to her house still, and every time she saw us she was just really cold and borderline rude to us. But we were still nice to her. Anyway, so on Saturday, her mom fed us. So it was all the missionaries in our district (the elders and us), the Hermana, and also Carrie. When we came in the door, like most Hispanic households, the women always kiss each other on the cheek. When we walked in Carrie kissed us, because that is what you are supposed to do, but there wasn’t any feeling behind it. While we were eating dinner, Carrie just came in the room, and started hanging out with us. She didn’t really say much, but she listened a lot to what we were saying. By the end of the evening, she had warmed back up to us and even hugged us both at the end. And then she was at church again! It was awesome. We can tell now that she missed us when we weren’t coming to see her, and now she can tell the difference between the good spirit that we bring into the house, and the bad spirit that her siblings, who are not making good choices, bring into the house. We’re still not sure what is going to happen with her, but now there is at least a little hope for her future. 🙂 🙂 🙂

On Monday, we got our car switched to a different one. I am now driving a brand new 2012 Chevy Malibu! That thing is nice, I’m not gonna lie. When we got it, it only had 50 miles on it. That is how new it is! It is a really smooth ride. 🙂 I kind of think I am going to want to buy a new car when I get home, but I don’t think that is going to happen. Well, I mean I know that is not going to happen. But anyway, I can still dream right? 🙂

Anyway, I better go now. I’ll be safe tonight. 🙂 I love you!!

Dad: Ha ha. Don’t you hate when people just do things even though you said no? 🙂 But hopefully you will get to enjoy the dog, at least a little bit. I still can’t believe mom even went for it. Ha ha ha. I know how you feel about finding new pounds (weight). Ha ha. I really actually haven’t gained too much weight, I’m just really soft, and little bit squishy. But it’s okay. I don’t need to be worrying about that right now. I’ll just work out when I get home and have time. 🙂 Anyway, that’s really all. I hope your week is great! Love you.

Emmysaurus: “I smell cookies.”

Ha ha ha! I was just telling Sister Q. about that movie (Nacho Libre) the other day. It was sad though because I couldn’t remember some of the funny things he says. We will have to watch that movie when I get home, so I can remember the hilariousness of that movie. 🙂 🙂 Anyway, I’m glad you are enjoying your new dog. Once I get home, and get married, and all of that fun stuff, I am definitely going to be getting a dog for sure. Although, being on the mission makes you a little scared of dogs. The little ones always run at you and try to bite you. But you get used to it. After a couple times, you start to take off your backpack, so if they come at you, you can just whack them. 🙂 Ha ha ha. Anyway, I think that’s all. I love you. Bye. Peace and blessings!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 16:4 -email-

Mama,

this week was pretty good on tuesday Elder R. was sick. must have been something he ate but we worked hard after he got better. on saturday we tracted a new area knocked on fifty houses it was good we are just separating the jokers from those who are serious. but life is good companionship is good. we got transfer news and we are staying the same but next transfer Elder R. is out of here. you bought another dog? well thats cool i like her already she looks scruffy enough for me. i don’t like these short fur dogs. we are teaching a family with a sausage(wiener) dog. its pretty funny every time we come it acts all feisty but then he likes us again.

love you

Love Elder Flexy

Baba,

i’m glad things are getting cooler cause its hotter than hades out here!!!!! but its ok i sweat so much i think i lose a pound a day. but the work is going well. We are trying to work with our recent convert named L. and he is getting exited to work with us. so it will be really good for him. well this week we have been meeting lots of people who only speak zulu so my zulu is getting pretty good. we will continue to work hard. love you

Love Elder Flexy

M,

I’m glad your liking the new dog she looks very cute it will be cool to meet her when i get home. well i hope your bein a good girl none of these dumb things that i did. but keep your head up your doing fine.Love You

Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

 

St. George, Utah, Temple. Gorgeous

Mose 1:39 

For behold, this is my work and my glory

to bring to pass the immortality

and eternal life of man.

————–

President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: … ‘In doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord’ (D&C 81:4)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 94; or Ensign, May 1995, 71; see also D&C 81:5–6)

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy