Feliz Navidad

Elder Blotter, of Vancouver Fame,

Well it sounds like things are happening in Vernon BC.  Which is a good thing.  The sad thing about those good companions, like Elder Baker, is that it is like poof and they are gone.  The difficult ones, like Elder Holtby, put a new meaning to the word time and all eternity.  It is the difficult ones though, that teach you the most and give you the  most life skills.  Hopefully your new arrival will be a great Elder, with an eye single to the Glory of God.  

I have been a little surprised at how much success you seem to be having.  It is a great thing.

We had a great Christmas program today.  One for the ages.  As you know, Chris Corcoran gathered up the testimonies from the missionaries in the ward, and had their Mom's read them.  Yours was a great one, and it was a good experience.  Your mother was a bit of a wreck, but she powered through.  She was crying before she even got up to read the  testimony.  It was a fun thing to do.  I hope you had a great ward program up in good old Vernon.  I never was homesick at Christmas time, due in a large part to the opposite seasons.  It was just weird in Argentina where they celebrate Christmas in the heat of the summer, with fireworks and drunken debauchery.  

When Landon's mom got up I thought, Holy Cow, Landon will be home in just over a month!!  I am quite proud of Landon.  I did not know if he would make it, and he had a tough start with a jerk of a companion who made fun of him and belittled him.  But make it he has, and it will set his life on a great trajectory.  David Nielson is also doing well.  His dad says he is a distict leader and likely keeping at least most of the mission rules.

As for us, we are all doing well.  The Beav opens tomorrow and the fam is headed up.  I have to work, but that is okay.  Someone needs to fund the expedition, and I have learned that funding things is my primary role in life.  Griffin Dubanowich is visiting this week.  He will be attending USU next fall, so that will be fun.  He is a good kid.  Those Dubanowich boys love Utah.  My theory is that deep down it may have something to do with the abundance of lovely, wholesome, LDS girls of European descent.  Like your sister. 

Well, I am off to sleep, because the office has been really rough these days, but I am grateful to be busy and have a lot of work.  Looking forward to Christmas and a little authorized chit chat with out favorite missionary.

Dad.