Ty's food > Blake's food

Hello Elders! It was great to talk to you on Sunday. I’m sorry the conversation as so chaotic. There was a lot of noise happening and I was trying to help Tate with the pumpkin carving. I’ve been enjoying looking at the photos you share on your google drive. Blake, I have to admit that most of the food you have posted looks really terrible. Between the egg with the chicken inside, the fermented fish paste, the tiny octopus, the grasshoppers, and the fried bananas—I’m not sure which of those things would be more revolting. I’m so glad you became a more adventurous eater over the las few years, because otherwise that could be a major trial on your mission! Ty, the food you post looks amazing. 100% I’d rather eat your food! Ty, It sounds like you’ve got some cool travel opportunities. And it also sounds like you are still able to contact and do regular missionary work. I hope this new responsibility as AP is great experience for you. Blake it seems like you are having a lot of teaching opportunities, and it looks like you always have a pack of adorable kids following you around! Hope you are back to feeling 100%.

This is what we were up to last week:

1. Monday the kids had early out from school for some reason. So I was able to take them to meet dad and go cheer on Nolan Rawson in his state championship soccer game at RSL stadium. Nolan’s team lost in over time, but they played well! It was absolutely freezing at the stadium, but I think we all had a good time. 
2. Dad drove my car home from the soccer match and noticed the check engine light on, so my car spent the rest of the week in the shop. Luckily I had the Avalon to drive! And luckily the repair was still under warranty. Hopefully this is not a portent of things to come. Dad’s hoping I will drive that car until I die.
3. Michael took a date out rock climbing and managed to drop his phone and crash the screen. He was due for a new phone anyway, but it was a pain to transfer data to a new phone without his screen working. Actually, I believe the phone self-destructed when he tried to charge it. Seems he was able to transfer all of his stuff except maybe his contact list. Ah. What a pain. Did you like the color of his new phone? Mike also took a date to the symphony and went to his first ballet with a group a friends. He enjoyed the ballet more than he thought he would!
4. Ethan went with a friend to his first concert on Saturday night. They went to see The Moss. That’s all I know.
5. Jett apparently is still being overseen by his taskmaster—Juliana—in class. I might need to go in and talk to Mr. Bullard about it. I took him in to a specialist to look at his finger and get him a “customized” brace for it (what a joke). He will be in the brace for at least 6 weeks (what a pain). Ty—I asked the doc about your finger as well.  He asked me if you had gone back in to have it x-rayed to confirm it had healed properly. I think you did not. Were you transferred before your follow-up appointment? I wonder if you need to go back in and have it x-rayed again. 
6. Tate started basketball this week and got to go on a spooky trail walk with Gavin. He hates doing his homework. And therefore I hate sitting with him while he does his homework. Sigh. 
7. I spent my time doing exciting things like fixing the waffle maker, hanging a new light fixture, and calling the insurance company. Saturday dad and I did more exciting things like cleaning up the garage and defrosting the freezer. Luckily I’ve been very much enjoying my audiobooks while doing all of those other exciting activities.
8. We attended several sessions of Stake Conference this weekend. Seems like they just keep adding more meetings! We enjoyed the meetings just the same. And also enjoyed ice cream at the Blacksmith Co in Bountiful with friends after the Saturday night session. 
9. Michael and Schlenny came to dinner Sunday night, and the kids carved pumpkins. I managed to dirty just about every dish in the kitchen and it was pure chaos. I’ve been trying to recover all day! But Tate has been begging to carve pumpkins for three weeks now, so I’m kinda glad to have that all behind us.  
10. It’s been another wild week in the news. The government has been shutdown for 3 weeks now, and nobody is talking to anybody about reopening it. Everyone is just pointing fingers at each other. Trump isn’t even in the country. (Ty—did you spot him in KL? Blake—apparently he got Cambodia and Thailand to sign another agreement about their border dispute?) BUT—somehow he managed to completely demolish the east wing of the White House. Amazing. Also—they have arrested 2 of the 4 robbers from the Louvre jewelry heist, but still no sign of the actual jewels. And one more news item you might be interested in—34 people were arrested in a sports gambling scheme that involved the NBA and the Mafia. Absolutely wild. Ah. There is always something interesting happening in the world!

It took me a few days to actually complete this email. It seems every time I sit down to the computer I get interrupted by something! But know that I am thinking of you and praying for you both.

Love, Mom