Two weeks!

 Oh hi Bakey,

I’m here at my desk trying to figure out how to help you with your passport. I’m reticent to do it for you, because I think they’ll need to contact you directly. I was able to fill out a form with the State department asking for help, I forwarded the reply. I will keep you posted with any progress I make with them. In the meantime, mom put $300 into your account to cover these costs. Also, here are a few links I found to get you started, but I assume that you’ve already found these.

U.S. Embassy & Consulates  In Mexico

• https://mx.usembassy.gov/
• Link to replace form: https://pptform.state.gov/
• Click the checkbox and submit
• Follow the directions

I’ll keep my schedule open tomorrow afternoon to help walk you through if needed.

We had an early morning priesthood meeting this morning. Garrett Blattman was a speaker. He just got his mission call to Merida, Mexico. He says that’s on the Yucatan, and it’s supposed to be safe. He gave a nice talk, he seems happy, he admits cluelessness (boy is he in for it), he doesn’t leave till November 21. His brother comes home tomorrow. Garret didn’t tell Hayden that he had put in his papers, much less received his call. That will be a fun surprise. 

Because we got up early it was a nice long quiet morning. I got a little organization done in my office, although I promise nobody would be able to tell. I want to get my 3D printer going, and maybe set up another. So I made some space on my bench.

Church was fine. I played a dirty trick on Joe after church by introducing him to Brother Larsen, the Mission Prep teacher. Ben went on a rant about the uselessness of Mission Prep, mom and I told him to keep it to himself, I think Joe needs any help, any prep he can get. If if it’s just practice talking and thinking about a mission, and mostly for him, being social. I wish he could be the way he is with you and Ben with other kids his age. You guys are all so great.

Only two weeks till the Florida game, I always miss you a bit more than normal during the season. You make it so much more fun. I send articles to your brothers and they really don’t get excited about them. I miss talking about them with you. The hype is big for the Utes, higher than ever. I kinda hate that. I almost miss the days when a winning season or a trip to a bowl game was awesome. Now, one slip up makes it seem like the season is over. I’m also worried about the flavor of college football. With all the money, realignments, NIL deals, and the transfer portal, it may soon be like the NFL, or worse. So I guess we’ll enjoy it while it lasts. I’m really looking forward to going to the games in the muss, I need to up my shirts and hoodies, mine are pretty ratty. I also bought a small transistor radio. In the old days, I’d listen to the radio during the game, it adds a lot of color for me. I’m sure it will embarrass your brothers,. We’re going to have everyone over for the Florida game, it should be fun, even though we haven’t planned the menu yet.

Yesterday, mom signed us up to volunteer at Bluffdale days, I hate Bluffdale days. It’s been hot and humid with a lot, for Utah, rain. After, my side of the family had a mini family reunion. It was with cousins and second cousins. We were only there for an hour or so, but it’s nice to see them. They had a display of the famous three sister, like the article I sent you. Those ladies were still young when the photos were taken, so the couldn’t have had much money. But they were all dressed in really nice dresses and my grandma had a pretty hat. The thing I never noticed before was that in those portraits, each of those sisters were holding the scriptures. I really impacted me how much the gospel meant to them. I need to do a little better.

Friday night there was a surprise birthday party for aunt Lithia. I didn’t make your brothers go. It was nice enough, but luckily mom didn’t make me stay forever. Mom and I were going to go on a date for dinner, and ben and Joe were going to take care of themselves, but because we weren’t at the party for too long, we met up at this new pizza place in Sandy. They serve Detroit style pizza. It was really good, but still not Pie good.

Friday afternoon I was supposed to help take the young men to do Baptisms. I got all caught up in my work and completely forgot. Luckily there were enough leaders where it didn’t have any adverse affects on the outing. Joe was working too, which probably contributed to my forgetfulness. 

Not much happened Thursday, and Wednesday night mom had tickets to the Bees game. But there was a long rain delay so we ate out $1 hotdogs and left.

We are mostly thinking about you these days. It’s an interesting coincidence that we are studying Job while you are going through these challenges. It’s also comforting that we are reading the Psalms. There is a lot of beauty, faith, and comfort in those. I admire how you are going through this trial Jake, It would shake me too. It may be challenging and frustrating, but you’ll get it figured out. It may be one of those trials that will bring you closer to God. You need to beg him for help on this. It will give you something to look back on as extremely difficult that you overcame through faith and prayer and effort and letting others help and serve you. That experience will strengthen you Jacob. As I’ve been thinking about you and praying and fasting for you, one thing came to me. These trials are forcing you to think of yourself. I feel that as you forget yourself, your frustrations, and your fears, you will find happiness. Look at those you teach, follow the Spirit when it tells you to stop and serve. Meet their needs first, with as much energy and urgency as you want your needs met. It will help you Jake.

We’re going to Grandmas soon, and I have to do the burgers. It’s much less entertaining to go there without you and Jordan. I’ll feel you in and finish this letter tonight.

—————-

Well we’re back. And you’ll be relieved to know that your uncle Steven is okay with Amazon making the new Lord of the Ring tv show that starts in September. I’m sure Jeff bezos will be relieved to hear that. I grilled those fatty burgers for grandma. Uncle Tim turned on the grill and dropped the hotdogs on, I’m not sure how we would have managed without that. After a while I had to go downstairs. In other family news, uncle David is mad at grandma for suggesting that he shouldn’t be spending his meager income on breast implants for some girl in Columbia. Apparently, that’s a requirement for marriage. Holy crap Jake I sometimes can’t figure how your incredibly competent mother came from that.

Our neighbor, Marion Gates, the lady who has that older son that you thought was creepy, has pretty severe breast cancer. She’s under going chemotherapy, and it’s rough. She’s lost her hair already. She needed help with her phone, so mom and I went over when we got home. There was a big spider on her porch, so I killed it for her. Service comes in many forms. Trials do too. As I get older I understand that sometimes you should be grateful for your own trials, because someone, closer than you think, for sure has it worse. We also found out that a couple that built a house across the street, the man has severe and rare cancer. Mom said that we live on the street of death. That gave me a scared feeling, it’s really sad. We live in a time of so much, so much blessings, so much material things, etc. etc. yet there are so many trials.

Well dude, just know I love the living crap out of you.

Pops