Summer = Newport

I took an amazing vacation with my family.

It was one of those vacations where everything went right and you just never want to come home.

Thank you to my work for giving me that entire week off to. . .

Watch my first Angels game,

Go to three days of Disneyland and California Adventure,

Sit on the beach in the sun,

Play with my nieces in the waves,

And ride my bike along to boardwalk.

 

Look how close we were to first base!

The family all the way down starting with mom, dad, Kayla, Mike, and Tammy with baby Jayden. Kylie is hidden behind Mike sitting back in her seat.

Kylie getting ready to ride the boardwalk with us.

Kayla bucklin' up

Three loves in my mother's life include the beach, her grandkids, and her bike.

Kylie chasing the seagulls.

Kayla in the sand.

 

Eating at Ruby's Diner

Some family pictures.

 

 

Time for DISNEYLAND!!

Hey, if the shoe fits. . .

Playing around in Toon Town

Everyday came with a new outfit made by my sister-in-law, Tammy.

 

Finding Nemo ride

Tinkerbell! Finally! After about an hour of waiting!

Teacups!

The Mexican food we ate in Disneyland. It was great!

Chocolate cake! It had sparkles on it!

Peaking through the bushes at Sleeping Beauty.

Two hours of waiting for this moment!

Belle was the best! She was super nice and sat down with Kayla and had a conversation.She talked about how The Beast was so big he had to eat eight times a day. Kayla could've stayed there all day with her. Well worth the wait.

The Merry Go Round was Kayla's favorite ride.

 

Her nose was too small so we put them on upside down.

One of those characters you just have to stand in line for.

I loved my vacation so much with my awesome family that the last thing I wanted to do was go to work today.

But life must go on and next year we go again.

Looking forward to it!

Unexpectly surprised!

I didn't expect another letter for a couple of months! Heck! The last one took 3 1/2 months to get here!

I stopped by the mailbox to pick up what I thought was just going to be junk. I stared as I saw one of the letters.

All I saw was the small corner of the return address and the letters, "Eld. . ." But it was a stamp.

Only Jeff has a stamped return address.

I got another letter!

An unexpected surprise from my Elder!

Written 21 Marzo 2011. Received May 19, 2011.

Can you see my name?And he's using the pens I sent him for his halfway package! All three! Ha ha!

Oh my goodness! I have like a billion letters from you! :D (That's not a bad thing. ;) ) I also got your package(s)!! One had been opened, (the one with all the candy) but everything that was on the papers was in the package. So unless you put something in the box secretly. . . ;) These pens are amazing by the way!!! but. . . I'm going to stick to blue. Oh dear. . . Where to start? ;)

 

 Ok, that was fun. . . ;) I hope your interview goes [went] well! I think that's really awesome by the way. So you don't need to "think that [I'm] going to think that [you're] really funny for doing [that]." Ok, I'm jumping all around from letter to letter. . . Letter #1: Ok, I did get your Christmas package (finally) and I loved it! My companion loved his stocking too! Thank you so much! Ha ha! I don't know if you read. . . but now I'm like 11 hours from the mission home, but I may get changed before you get this. Reading my blog you probably get news faster. . . :/ So yes! I did play the cello! And I LOVED it! It was so much fun! Not a ton of people showed up to where we performed. . . but it was still awesome! I want to buy a cello. . . someday. . . but they're just so darn expensive! :(  Oh well. I'm glad you've got your car back! Please don't die. . . ;) Ha ha! Yes, the houses here are made out of brick and concrete. Ha ha! Mexicans don't eat cactus! They eat nopal! Silly! They thought I was crazy when I called it cactus. Ha ha! Prickley Pear Cactus! They eat the prickley pears too! (they're amazing actually I'm totally serious!) Ok, so I got to this area, and there in the first food appointment, there was this 11 year old kid. And I thought, and I though, "I've seen his face before. . ." but I couldn't remember. So the next time that we ate with them, I was thinking the same thing. And then, all of a sudden: ¡CORY! This kid has Cory's face! Only a little younger. . . it kind of freaked me out actually. . . ;) Then I was thinking, "I wonder how he's doing. . ." Then that led me to think, "What about cousin Mike. . . Oh! and Nick!?" Any news on the three would be lovely :) Oh my goodness! I'm so glad that you dream! Ha ha ha ha ha! ¡Ha! ¡¡Ja ja ja!! Your dreams always make me giggle! Where is your husband?! Ha ha! Ok, back to the year mark package(s)! Ha ha! Everyone was so jealous of the Pillow Pet! And all my favorite candy! Oh my goodness! Thand you SO much!!! Oh so where is Tristen going?! As I'm sure you know, Kevin's going to crazyland named country that I can't remember. . . Slovania/Croatia? . . . Something like that. . . So where's he going?! You know what I realized the other day? Out of all my family that've gone on missiones (cousins included) my mission is the closest to home. . . besides maybe my grandparents. Austin's going/gone to China?! Makay Wright also went there. Awesome! I met lots of elder going there in the MTC! last mission. . . So you hiked the "D" the famous "D" I did that once when I was like. . . 7? My grandpa took Kevin and I. Who did you go with? The way you wrote it made it sound like you went alone. Ha ha! (Oh random thought: tell Amber to write me! I haven't gotten one single letter from her since I've been out!) So you've buzzed your head again. . . I thought we'd talked about this. . . ;) Ha ha! I want a library too! In every house that I drew, there was always a library! But you're right I never thought about "stocking up the shelves" part. . . I'll have to work on that. Oh graciousness! It's hot here! I'm sitting at my desk (inside!) and it's 99 degrees F! I'm sweating a lake! I'm tempted to wipe my forehead with this letter just to prove my point. . . nah I won't. ;) but yeah, the heat here is kind of rediculous. There's humidity too. . . :/ (oh, back to Cory for a sec: Is he going to come home later now? Because he was at home? ok that's all. Play button!) I'm turning on the fan! That's a little better. . . I still have stream running down my face, but at least now there's a breeze. ;) Ha ha! Your mom wants to go to Guadalajara? I do too! I don't know if I could be the tour guide, but I could be the translator! I didn't go to the touristy places (or at least not many. . .) while I was in Guadalajara. Why does my brother have TWO phones? He'd better leave me at least ONE! ;) No, I don't think that you realize the beauty of the $0.50 sandstones all around you. I do. . . they're not all around me. . . Hey! it's April! and you're going/went to Disneyland! And yes, I have a new companion since I got your letter. I'll probably have another new companion by the time that whatever you send gets here. . . Back to Miss Utah! AMERICA!! Ha ha! Jk. . . actually come to think of it, no Jk. GO FOR IT! Do your BEST! Don't even worry about it. Just be yourself like you and Kirstie promised yourselves you would be, and don't worry about it! :) The only bad side is that this letter won't get to you until after the interview. . . oh well. ;) My sister competed for Miss Santa Clara and got 4th place (secretary or something. . .) I don't know how Miss Utah works. Ha ha! Your dad calls you beauty queen!? Ha ha! I love your family! Ha ha! I know how you feel with your nieces and nephews growing up. Alaina is going to be. . . 4? when I get home! And remember when she was the background on your phone?! and Garret was just a little round butterball and now, he's walking! He has been for a while now actually. . . Ha ha! You're worrying about the pageant again! DON'T! ;) You'll do fine! Just be yourself! Ha ha, I remember when my sister did the pageant. My mom came home and said, "I don't know how I had a daughter so beautiful. . ." Ha ha! That's about all I remember actually. . . ;) Hey guess what! I have a Mexican Aunt! Remember my cousin Jake? His dad got sealed 3 days ago to a Mexican! I'm so happy! There'll be someone who speaks REALLY good spanish! And I can practice my tu! I think it's going to rain! There's thunder outside! Maybe it will get cooler! ;) Kevin's mission has six countries in it! That's nuts! He says he think he'll be speaking Serbian! That's nuts! (too. . . ;) ) Hmmm. . . I was going to write something. . . but it seems that I've forgotten what it was. . . :/ oh well. . . . . . I'm hungry. . . I think I'll eat a pan, and when I say pan, I mean bread! ;) I don't know if I told you about the pan dulce (sweet bread) here in México. I think I did, but just in case I didn't. . . ¡It's AMAZING! and I love it, and I'm going to miss it! :( Oh, my goodness! Why don't we have it in the states!? I don't even know how to describe it. . . hmmm. . . there're some that are round with this sugary topping on it like this *picture drawn of pan dulce* This ones called a concha (shell) and it's one of my favorites! And it only cost max. $4MXN min. $2MXN. So cheap! Well, I'm going to stop talking about food, it's only making me hungrier. . . ;) Ha ha! This letter is SO random! Ha ha! Oh, well. I'll throw some pictures in it to make it more interesting. How's that? ;) Now I have to find ones that you haven't seen yet. I haven't taken many pics lately. . . There you go! Nine pictures! Enjoy! :) You might have seen some of these actually. . . and I'm also going to send some of these by email. . . So You might end up seeing them before this letter gets to you. . . Oh well! Hard copies are always nice to have, right? ;) Well, I hope all is going just dandily! ;) Sorry that it's taken me soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long to write back. . . sorry. . . :/ I'll try to do better! Well, enjoy the letter, enjoy the pictures, enjoy the money. . .? ;) Hope to hear from you soon! Don't forget to tell me how your interview went, and how Nick, Cory, and cousin Mike are doing (if you know ;) ), and have Amber write me! :D

My ten!!!

Airconditioners

Raid

frozen pudding

my companions

pictures

food

candy!! :D

popsicles

Awesome members!

Awesome Investigators

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I killed it! Bwah ha ha! doesn't this just remind you of home. . . Well maybe not your home, but it reminds me of my house! ;) but I won!" - Elder Gibson

"Welcome to Huetamo! They say that in the mountain, is a sideview of the head of Christ. Can you see it? If not, hold this up to a light." - Elder Gibson

"This is where we have our church services! On the second floor. I've never been on the roof. . . I wonder what the view's like up there. . .?" - Elder Gibson

"A river in Heietamo! There are always pigs in the rivers! We walk on the banks of a river to get to one food appointment. . . and the pigs make me nervous. . . they're big. . . ;)" - Elder Gibson

"A typical Mexican Park. They have a cement. . . Ground. . . and trees or garden area along the outsides." - Elder Gibson

"a few of the elders in my zone in the national park in Uruapan" - Elder Gibson

"Just chillin' by the river. . ." - Elder Gibson

He's wearing the tie I sent him for his halfway package! :D

"More national park! This is Élder Cuevas by the way. This was in his first change/transfer (however you want to say it) in the mission field we lived in the same house and got along great! he's a awesome elder!" - Elder Gibson

"Later that day after our weekly planning. . . The one falling on everyone else is Élder Sargent. . . ;) (Don't mind the weird facial expressions. . . E' Sargent caught us by surprise. . .) The Zone! (minus the Zone Leaders)" - Elder Gibson

I finally got it!! Written January 31, 2011 Recieved April 27, 2011

At this rate I will only get about three more letters from my Elder. It took three and a half months to get. All well!

Once again I will post that I have the solid and un negotiable right to take out some to whole parts of letters and packages to protect Elder Gibson's privacy as well as mine. I also ask NO evaluating and analyzing of his letters. Take them how they are. Any typos are not of my making, but simply the Elder's English going out. ;)

January 31, 2011
Nicole:
I've made up my mind, and I'm going to do it this time. I'm going to write this letter in a formal manner. (Or at least this page. . . ;) ) I recieved your Christmas package. It gave me great delight to recieve it all in good order. My companion was pleased to know that one of the stockings was his. Answering your question, ". . . if any of my recently sent packages have gotten to you." Since I arrived in México, I have recieved packages on: my birthday/Halloween, Thanksgiving, and now Christmas as well. If you have sent three, then I have recieved them all. I send my gratitude for each one. I am doing quite well here in my new area. My brother informed you well, and you inform everyone else very well. I am still expecting a letter from Élder Barton, as well as a letter from our dear friend Amber Schwan. I was ever so pleased to recieve the news that Élder Barton is once again Élder Barton, and not only Cory. I'm sure he's doing splendedly in Texas. Hhmnufmiffia. . . um yeah. Not what I meant. . . ha ha! ok that's enough for now. Don't freak out too much. Mike IS going to be back in a year, and I will be in a little more than a year. ( of course by the time you get this it will probably be less than a year. ;) ) I did call my family. I was going to use skype, but the family's computer where we were couldn't download it. . . darn errors! We were told that we could use Skype if we wanted to, and I WANTED TO!! but oh well it'll have to be for the next time. . . Oh! Christmas in México! Yeah the guy who hits people with a stick is in Germany. . . ;) Here, every holiday is Americanized in one way or another (the holiday that we both have) For example: Christmas: They have Santa Clause and/or El Niño Dios (the god child) who brings them presents (Santa is the Americanization) Then on the 6th of January they have the day of the Three Wise Men, who also give them presents. New Years: everyone gave us turkey, and during the whole holiday season, ¡¡Ponche!! this fruity punch stuff that's REALLY good! There's probably a bunch more, but I don't remember at the moment. My current companion is Élder Lopez. He's from Veracruz. Oh, I did get my memory card fixed. . . but. . . um. . . it's just that I take a lot of pictures. . . and um. . . I'm kind of running out of room. . . so. . . maybe. . . if you wanted to. . . maybe. . . you could send one anyway. . . maybe just slip it into a package. . . ;) SD or USB. . . either is fine. . . ha ha! I feel so lame asking you for one. . . ha ha! oh well. . . Oh! Élder Shelley wasn't my companion, we just lived in the same house, but he says the wedding's off because you don't like guns. ;) KayCee's married now too then? ". . . and then there were 8." Two down, I don't even remember who everyone else is that's left. . . You went to a random party!? with random people?!? in some random club!?!?! (Jk about the club. . .) Ha ha! I hope it was fun, fun new years! Ha ha! and you even went to denny's! Oh, please don't die in your car. . . you said your mom was with you. How did she react? she didn't have a heart-attack did she? ha ha, it's only funny because its over and nothing bad happened. I love the ward that I'm in! I'm glad you are (were) working hard at your job! More hours = bigger paycheck ;) And why are you stalking my mother. . . ? that's kind of weird. . . ;) Well that's going to be all for now if I want to get this off today so talk write to ya later!
10 things:
1. Blankets
2. Pizzas that are close to American pizzas
3. Watches
4. Clean water
5. pictures
6. running water
7. Electricity
8. chap stick
9. Mexicans
 10. Finger nail clippers ;)

 

 

My favorite stamps so far!