16 August 2026
VOLUME 14 – NUMBER 651
Mom at TCU graduate program orientation
Dad / Arkin
This spring, Mom was accepted into the developmental trauma graduate program at Texas Christian University (TCU). I am so excited for her! She has wanted to go to graduate school since I met her, and now she’s made it! TCU is globally renowned when it comes to trauma-informed care for children.
On August 6 and 7, she was invited to attend an orientation at TCU, which is in the Dallas/Forth Worth area, so we flew down for three days. While she attended the events, I stayed in the hotel room and worked on getting my BYU classes ready for Fall Semester.
Life will get a little more interesting for the next couple years. Mom will probably stay longer in her office at work, so that she can get homework done without as many interruptions as here at home, so she’ll be gone mostly full time, but she will probably be able to work from home a couple days a week when I am away at BYU.
Congratulations, Jenny! Now you are not only a BYU Cougar, but also a TCU Horned Frog!
Endia and Emmett
Gloria
These past couple of weeks have been pretty good. Quinn had an amazing idea to do a “Hill’s Got Talent,” where we would lip-sync to music and dance around. Veidi, Quinn, Joanna, and I all decided we would participate, so we spent the whole afternoon putting it together. It was really funny to watch everyone’s performances, and we ended up making a 30-minute episode of HGT!
I also went to the temple for the first time since coming home. It was a very good experience because I had been wanting to go back for a while, but life had been very hard at this time, so the experience was also very emotional. Feeling God’s power in His house felt especially strong. I felt His presence and love for me, and I was able to feel the strength I needed to start feeling better.
I’m so grateful to have a place where I can go whenever I need to feel God’s love and support. It was a really special experience for me, and I’m grateful I was able to make it back to the temple. I hope I can continue making time to go regularly.
Gloria and Dad after finished raft shed
Mom and Dad also went out of town for Mom’s school orientation in Texas. The older kids stayed home, and Ashton and Caleb came over for the weekend. We played some fun games, had movie nights, and went to the park to play some bocce ball.
The following week, Caleb and I decided to hang out up in Provo. We had Café Rio for lunch and then decided to hike the Y, which we had been planning to do for a while. We made it about halfway up the trail when I started feeling like I was going to pass out. My vision went completely black and I became very nauseous, so we decided to head back down.
Afterward, we went and watched the new Spider-Man movie. It was actually really good! I got very emotional during the part where Spider-Man almost dies. It was definitely a fun way to finish off our day, even though the hike didn’t go quite as planned.
Caleb and Gloria hiking Y Mountain
On Friday and Saturday, I also went to the YSA conference. It was actually really fun! I went with my friend Ana from the ward and her cousin on Friday, and we were there all day. We did some devotionals and service projects.
Ana and I also went to the Latino dance that night, and, oh boy, was that fun! There was lots of dancing and lots of singing. On Saturday, I drove up with Caleb, and he brought his two roommates. Afterward, we went to a concert.
I stayed late again with Ana, and we went to the dance with one of her friends. It was such a fun weekend, and I’m really glad I decided to go to the conference. There was a lot to do, but spending time with friends and getting to enjoy the music and dancing made it especially memorable.
Gloria and Ana at YSA conference
Quinn
This week, we were building the shed. Gloria left to go to Provo and also came back during our break. Caleb came back with Gloria and took me to a soccer game, but before that, he took me to a field where we played baseball. It was really fun getting to spend some time with Caleb.
Then Caleb took me to the soccer game, and it was amazing! Our team was RSL, so we won 3–0. It was super fun watching them play and getting to experience the game in person. I had a great time hanging out with Caleb.
After the game, we came back and had pizza. Dad and the others were working on the shed, and afterward, they had Panda Express for dinner while we watched Monk. It was a fun week with lots of time together as a family.
River rafts in new shed
Ashton
After four years in the same ward in Provo, I have officially left! I still haven’t moved into my new place, but Sunday was my last day in Provo with the 11th Stake. It was bittersweet leaving. I’ve made so many new friends here, and many of them will continue to be friends, but I’ll miss so many others.
It has been nice being at home for the past few days. Some of the boys came down, and after poker night, they spent the night at my place to help me pack up the next morning. I’m looking forward to my new place and having my own room and bathroom for the first time in my life.
I’m moving with two of my roommates, Brandon and Matt, and we’re all pumped. I’m so glad to have friends like them to move with. Who you live with makes a big difference when you’re single, and since there are no updates on that horizon, I’m glad to have friends like them!
Endia resting while Cougar and Owen play
Veidi
Mom and Dad went to Texas, and Quinn and Joanna stayed with Braden and Brooke, so that meant us five older kids got the house to ourselves. While Mom and Dad were gone, Troy and I had to take care of the dogs. Things went pretty smoothly, and we didn’t have any major problems. Ashton and Caleb also came over, and we played bocce ball at the park, which was so fun.
We also played Fly’s Up. Fly’s Up is a game where we throw a baseball bat in the air to pick the person who gets to throw objects at the other players before they run away. When we got home and took care of the dogs, we had chili for dinner. Then we played M&M Wars, and Caleb won with a full cup of M&Ms by the end.
After M&M Wars, we had ice cream and shrimp, which is the best combination! We ended up watching Monsters University, and then we played on the Switch. I went to bed early while everyone else kept playing.
Veidi sleeping with puppy, Archie
The next day, Saturday, Mom and Dad were coming home, so we cleaned the house. Braden and Brooke also came by that day to drop off Quinn and Joanna. We went to the park and played bocce ball with them, which was a lot of fun.
Later that night, Ashton, Isaac, Kai, and I watched The Haunting of Hill House. I had forgotten about most of the scary scenes, so I got scared a lot! I was sitting on my own couch while the boys were sitting together on the couch across the room. It was definitely a little creepy watching it again!
Me, Gloria, Quinn, and Joanna also did HGT (Hill’s Got Talent), where we had a singing competition. It was so fun, but also really embarrassing when we showed the videos to other people! We’re going to try to make this a weekly thing. It was also Dad’s birthday, so we had pizza and gave him some presents.
Cougar and boys looking at ultrasound
Caleb
Date: I went on a hike with a girl and had fruit dip and “cracker barrel”—not the restaurant, just the crackers, cheese, and ham that we call cracker barrel for some reason as a family.
Moving (SALVATION!!): I packed up all my stuff and officially vacated my apartment at Monson. I’ve been looking forward to this day since the day I moved in last August! I still smile thinking about how I never have to live there again. For a whole year, I definitely didn’t enjoy, and often dreaded, going back to that apartment every day after work, classes, or whatever else I had going on.
My old apartment did not have good AC, so during the summer it was always warm or hot, which was so uncomfortable. It also smelled like dust, and my roommate had a LOT of stuff that cluttered up everything, even when it was “put away.” I absolutely love him as a friend, as well as my other roommate, Kevin, but I am happy to not be rooming with them anymore.
Gloria and Caleb eating out
I moved in with two of my previous Centennial roommates, Mike and Samuel, along with two of their friends whom I’ve gotten to know over the past year as we’ve continued to hang out. My new place is at Campus Way, and it has a much more modern feel. The cleanliness and AC are great, and the apartment is always so cold, which is amazing! Haha.
Hangout with Gloria, Failed Y-Hike, and Spider-Man: On Tuesday the 11th, Gloria took FrontRunner and met me down here in Provo! I love hanging out with her; she’s such a sweet, fun, and amazing sister. We got Café Rio and then drove to the foot of Y Mountain to begin climbing.
I knew it was going to be pretty hot—92 degrees—but we had both been wanting to climb it. We figured there were always going to be excuses not to, so we decided to start climbing anyway. We climbed and crawled up two or three really steep sections and ended up covered in white, dusty dirt.
Gloria and friends at YSA conference
Then, as Gloria got to the top of the third section, she told me she was beginning to feel nauseous, was losing her vision slightly, and was hearing ringing in her ears. I told her to sit down and drink some more water, and we rested there for a little bit. Shortly afterward, we decided it would be best to turn back and head down, saving the summit of the Y for another day.
After being in the air-conditioned car for a little bit, Gloria was feeling better. We realized we still had some time on our hands because of the change of plans, so we decided to go to Cinemark and watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day! I then drove Gloria back home for an appointment she had at 7:00pm.
Hangout with Quinn, Baseball, and the RSL Soccer Game: The same day I hung out with Gloria, Yarima offered me some RSL soccer game tickets! Gloria suggested I take Quinn, and I liked the idea. A little after dropping Gloria off, I asked Quinn if he’d like to join me. He said yes, so we left for Sandy!
Mom with Pope’s in living room
As we drove, Quinn told me he wants to be a professional baseball player and that he wants to join a team. He’s hoping to gain favor with Mom and Dad by waiting until his birthday to ask them. I thought that was a pretty clever strategy!
I decided we could be a little late to the game, so as soon as I saw a big field of grass, I pulled over. We hopped out and pitched and hit some wiffle balls. Quinn was super good! He started off missing a lot, but he quickly made some adjustments and was hitting about six out of ten of the pitches I threw him.
This was probably my favorite thing we did while we were together that night. It was fun to see how excited he was about baseball and how quickly he improved. Afterward, we headed to the RSL game and had a great time together!
Isaac and Kai at young mens activity
Kai
Mom and Dad left for Fort Worth, Texas, for Mom’s orientation at TCU. While they were gone, Caleb and Ashton came up to hang out. We played bocce ball at the nearby park, and I’m unfortunately way worse at it than I thought I’d be! We had a lot of fun hanging out together.
One night for dinner, we had chili and made a reward that whoever got the whole smoky (miniature sausages) would get to choose the movie we watched. I ended up getting the smoky, and after spinning a wheel, I decided to watch Monsters University. We stayed up playing M&M Wars and some video games. It was a fun way to spend the night together.
School has finally started back up this week. It’s been a little difficult trying to balance work and school at the same time, but hopefully I can find a good balance and stay caught up. Maybe I can even get ahead if I really try!
Joanna and Troy in Bunkhouse closet
Joanna
On the first day of school, I got a new setup in the closet in the basement. We call it the Bunkhouse closet because it has all the things from the old Bunkhouse closet.
Dad’s old desk is in that big closet, so Mom set up a computer for Troy and one for me in the closet. Mom also got us all new office chairs that are more comfortable than the old folding ones.
Mom also got me a Bluey backpack for school that lights up! This year, I am studying math and language arts. These are the only two classes I have this year. Mom says that is so we can keep things simple and I can succeed at school.
Family Sunday dinner
Since Mom and Dad had to go to Texas, Quinn and I stayed at Braden and Brooke’s house for three days. On the first day, we went to the park, and Ellie and I had to go to the bathroom, so Braden drove us back home. Then we watched The Road to El Dorado and played with Ellie’s dolls in the playroom.
The next day, we went to IPOP (IHOP). After IPOP, we went to a museum that had a little aquarium with cool fish and mini sharks. Because it was Brooke’s birthday, we had lunch from Costa Vida. Then there was a little earthquake, and Ellie and Charlie were scared.
While Dad was helping me write this, he didn’t believe me when I told him there was an earthquake. But he looked it up and saw that there was a 2.9 earthquake in Saratoga Springs, so I was right!
Joanna with Misha and Mable
Troy
Mom and Dad went to Texas for about three days, and Quinn and Joanna went to Braden and Brooke’s house. That left me, Kai, Veidi, Gloria, and Isaac at home. Taking care of the dogs went smoothly, and it was never too crazy. Mom and Dad left early on Thursday, so we were alone until Friday, when Ashton came over.
We just hung out until Caleb came over. Then we went to the park and played games in the field, such as Fly’s Up and bocce ball. We had dinner and watched Monsters University, which is such a funny movie! Afterward, we played M&M Wars and had shrimp and ice cream.
Caleb won the M&M Wars and got a full glass cup of M&Ms. I got second place and had about half a cup. Then we went to the basement and played on the Switch for a while. It was a lot of fun!
New dog room
On Saturday, Mom and Dad came home, and Quinn and Joanna came back as well. We played bocce ball with Braden and Brooke, which was very fun but also very hot! It was a great way to finish off the weekend.
School has just barely started, and I really like my classes for the semester. They all look pretty easy, and I’ve started off great in all of them. My goal for this year is to never fall behind in any of my classes and to always stay either on pace or ahead.
Monte spots Herbie in Urbi
Monte
Last week, we called and talked to an hermana named Leyzli, a referral from Facebook who is having issues in her marriage. She was looking for a marriage counselor, and instead, she got two white 20-year-old boys showing up at her door! We gave her and her husband, Angel, the best marriage advice we could—bettering their relationship with God first through baptism.
Well, Angel just looked at us and said, "I will do whatever it takes to be a better father and husband." They then came to an activity at the church where we played board games as a ward. It was pretty awesome and a lot of fun. They're so awesome!
On Sunday, our friend Elisa, who is a Jehovah's Witness, came to church with us! She's pretty awesome as well. She has a lot of questions, and they're not just the mundane, bashing questions that most Jehovah's Witnesses ask. It takes her a bit to understand things like the the Plan of Salvation, but she's coming along!
Monte at multi-zone conference
This week, we had our Multi-Zone Conference. Like usual, they had a theme, and this time it was Spider-Man-related! Let’s go! I will say, though, that it made me start having some major feelings because it reminded me that the new movie is out, and I can’t go and see it. Oh well, it’ll be there when I get back.
The revelation that I’m able to receive during multi-zonas is just awesome. President Witt is truly a man called of God to guide this mission. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn from him and the other missionaries during these conferences. They always seem to come at exactly the right time.
Remember that God loves you. You are a beloved child of His, and you are the most important thing in His eyes. He sent you here to see you grow into the person that you were meant to be. You have a divine destiny, and you can get there.
You are so much stronger than you think, and nothing is impossible when God is by your side. And God will always be by your side. Just stay with Him and keep pushing forward. You can do it. I love you all, and I hope you enjoy your week!
Monte and little girl