15 June 2025
VOLUME 13 – NUMBER 612
Endia and Emmett in the NICU
On Wednesday this week, Endia's water broke as we were on our way to go swimming with family. We quickly dropped Owen off with my sister and then headed to the hospital.
The nurses explained that the baby wasn’t responding very well to Endia having contractions. If things didn’t improve, it was likely going to be a C-section. Endia was given medication to stop labor for a few hours and give the baby a break.
Mom also came and helped Endia to be able to relax and calm down a little so that she could rest and sleep. After the break, Endia started having contractions again—and this time, the baby responded well. So, it was time to start pushing.
Cougar, Endia, and Emmett in NCIU
On June 13th at 4:54 AM, we welcomed Emmett Vere Pope into our family. He is a big baby, weighing in at 9 lbs 9 oz.
In a very similar fashion to his older brother, Emmett had a hard time breathing on his own. So after a short hug with his mom, he and I went over to the NICU to help strengthen his lungs.
Emmett has been in the NICU for two days and is showing great improvement. It looks like he’ll be ready to come home sometime this week.
We are so grateful for the miracle of childbirth and the joy that comes with it. This is one of those unforgettable times in life for our family. Having a new baby for Father’s Day was a great gift. Thanks, Endia!
Emmett in NICU at hospital
On Thursday evening, I got a call from Endia. She was at the hospital, and it was looking like she was going to need another C-section. I could tell that she was really worried. I jumped in the car and headed down to Utah Valley Hospital. I got there a little after 11:30pm.
Several weeks before Endia went into labor, I told her that I would be on call to help in whatever capacity she and Cougar felt was needed. When Owen was born, Endia had a negative reaction to some of the medication she was given, and it was not pleasant at all. Then, because Owen had to go to the NICU, she was left all alone to deal with no baby and all the crazy things going on with her body.
She asked if I could be on call again in case it looked like the baby would need to come via C-section. Well, she had a similar reaction this time—shaking, anxiety, and a lot of adrenaline—as they tried to stop her contractions because Emmett was in distress.
I felt honored to be there and to help her to be able to calm down so that she could rest and sleep. I am thankful for the tender mercies and miracles that occurred that night and into the morning. Emmett Vere Pope is such a beautiful and wonderful little treasure.
Mom holding Emmett in the NICU
This Thursday, Isaac and I went to Sophie’s house to hang out. We ate chicken nachos and tacos before heading out to play some pickleball. We played with Marcus, Carter, and Ruby (her cousins).
I’ve realized I’m nowhere near as good as I thought I was—Isaac and I got smoked by Marcus and Carter, 11–3 or something like that. It was a great humbling experience. After pickleball, we went back to Sophie’s for dessert: ice cream and brownies.
We talked for a while about a few different things, and then someone brought up spikeball. We all wanted to play, but it was getting dark. So we decided to play at the church since they had plenty of lights.
I will say—I’m way better at spikeball than I am at pickleball. Marcus and I played really well together. We played a few matches before deciding to call it a night. At that point, it was mine and Isaac’s curfew, so we headed home.
Kai, Veidi, and Troy
Father’s Day was this Sunday. During sacrament meeting, the Primary children came up to sing for all the fathers. It was really cute! After church, Mom and Dad left for Provo to see baby Emmett.
Right after they left, Ashton and Caleb came over. We ate Pop-Tarts like we usually do whenever Ashton visits on Sunday. Then we played Jackbox for a bit. After a few hours, Mom and Dad got back.
The rest of the day was pretty relaxing. Gloria got Dad a few presents, including some cologne. That gift sparked a bunch of different conversations.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you so much. Thank you for all that you do to provide for and care for this family!
Monte at the Mexico CCM (MTC)
Thursday the 5th was super crazy. Getting to the airport was bittersweet. I checked in my bags without a problem, but several missionaries stopped me and asked if I was the missionary whose brother taught the really cool workshop—so I guess I'm famous now!
Once I said goodbye to the fam, all of my worries went away and the excitement kicked in. At my gate, I chatted with a few of the hermanas from my district, as well as some of the other Elders. Meeting my companion in person was so cool!
Now there's a pretty funny story. Across from our gate was a Lego store, so we decided to get gifts for Hermano Pérez and Hermana Castillo. We got a little Wall-E for Hermano Pérez and some little Lego plants with smiley faces for Hermana Castillo.
The flight was chill, and when we landed, everything went smoothly. Once we got outside to the bus, the heat hit us—but I genuinely love it. Then we met Élder Carter. We call him Élder Bicípulo. He’s a disciple of Christ—discípulo—and he has massive biceps, so we combined the words.
Elders Hill, Lemon, Floyd, McLean
The drive through Mexico City was amazing. I love this city! I will say, though, the traffic here is crazy. The CCM is a literal oasis in the city. It’s so beautiful. We’re surrounded by mountains on three sides, which are stunning—especially at night. Our house is in this little neighborhood. We have about 16 missionaries in a house, but only four per room.
The first few days were mostly us settling in with the usual classes. After that, we started to follow a regular daily schedule. Classes here have been great, and we finally got to meet our teachers in person. It's so much easier to learn in person! We have so much fun in class, especially in Hermana Castillo's.
I will say the first few nights of sleep were rough. I was probably just adjusting to the environment... not to mention the gunshots on the first night. But I'm sleeping pretty well now.
The food here ranges from really good to just okay, but I definitely eat all of it—and a lot of it. My favorite food has been the tacos! The weirdest thing? Chicken nuggets for breakfast.
Mexico City Temple
We get some time every day to exercise, so we rotate between going to the gym and playing volleyball. We play with tons of missionaries at once—like 10 on each side with four touches per side.
Élder Seeley, who’s in our house, is such a funny missionary. Also, Élder Lemon and I found a tree that looks like a massive pineapple. We call it La Piña Grande!
Today, for preparation day, we started with the gym and then ate breakfast. After that, we went to the Mexico City Temple. It was absolutely beautiful. It has a style similar to a Mayan temple—just stunning. I was able to do baptisms for the dead in Spanish, which was super cool. On our way out, we ran into Hermana Castillo, so we took a quick photo with her before getting back on the bus to return to the CCM.
We also experienced a wild rain and thunderstorm. A lightning bolt literally hit right outside the CCM, and the thunder was so loud! It was absolutely awesome. I miss you all!
Next to “El Piña Grande”
It was Father’s Day, and we sang in church. Afterward, we went home, and Ashton and Caleb came over.
Mom and Dad left to see Emmett while Ashton and Caleb stayed with us. We had lots of fun. They played Jackbox while I watched, and we also played other games like Ninja.
When Mom and Dad came home, we had dinner. Ashton bought me a book, which was really nice. Then we let the dogs out and went to bed.
Gloria with Sisters Harcrow and Lane
This week has been pretty busy with work and spending time with friends. On Monday and Wednesday, I worked eight-hour shifts. On Tuesday, I drove to Draper to meet up with some of our company from FSY. We went to the temple and did baptisms.
We only had one priest and four girls, but catching up with them was really nice. On Wednesday, I planned to go to the temple with Elizabeth. I invited Taylor, Riley, and Veidi. When we got to the temple and scanned our recommends, we realized that Taylor’s and Riley’s had expired.
We decided not to do baptisms since Riley was our priest. Instead, we went to Leatherby’s and got ice cream. On Thursday, I went to Lagoon with the Danielsons for Shelly’s work. We rode the FrontRunner and met Adam and Shelly at the park.
Gloria with Danielson family at Lagoon
I had a great time, but during most of it, I started to feel really nauseous. I had to buy motion sickness pills. Still, it was really fun to go to Lagoon after not going for a year.
On Friday, I went to lunch with Sister Lane and Sister Harcrow. I had planned this a week ago, since Sister Harcrow is my ministering sister. Mom had to work, but I still went so I could get to know her better. I had an enjoyable time visiting with them. It was nice getting to know them more.
On Saturday, Isaac, Veidi, and I went to the lake with Yarima and her family. We stayed there for a while and did some paddle boarding, though I barely got in and didn’t get very wet. After spending time at the lake, we went back to Rima’s house. We had dinner and played Jackbox.
Gloria with her mom, Jovita
This week, I’ve been working on War, the game that Caleb, Quinn, and I created. I’ve been trying to learn how to 3D print game pieces and magnetize the board. We’re trying to move away from using paper pieces that get messed up every time someone breathes. So I’m learning to 3D print to improve the way the game is played.
Most of my time has been spent updating and improving the Excel sheets. That way, when we do play, everything will be in order and ready to go.
This week was also Father’s Day on Sunday. Ashton and Caleb came over, which was really exciting because we always have so much fun when they visit. Isaac and Ashton did the tortilla challenge, where they put water in their mouths and slap each other with tortillas.
Children at Utah Foster Care activity
Isaac kept spitting the water out before they even started. But when Ashton slapped Isaac with the tortilla, Isaac spat water all over us. We moved to the sidewalk on the side of the house to keep playing. Then Ashton slapped Isaac again, and Isaac spat water all over Ashton.
After that, we played Jackbox, which was really fun. Later, we had a great discussion about our family and how we could do better at bringing more joy into the home. We all set personal goals and picked a key word—“hmmm”—to help remind us of our goal.
Then we had German pancakes, which were delicious. Afterward, we looked at some old pictures from when we were at Darbie’s house.
Endia holding Emmett
Saturday was our last long run before the half marathon! It was 12 miles, and honestly, it was brutal—haha. I haven’t been consistent with running for the past two and a half weeks because I got sick and then we went on our North Carolina trip.
While on vacation, we were eating out a lot and having way more soda and sweets than usual. So, poorly fueling our bodies for the past 11 days—on top of not running—made this run really hard.
London visiting Pope’s in hospital
It was super frustrating for me because it felt like all the training I had done beforehand went down the drain. I had to walk about 5 of the 12 miles, and I was feeling really discouraged. My only goal for the race was to run (or slowly jog—haha) the whole thing and not walk.
I have to remind myself that even if I do end up walking some of the race, that’s still something I should be proud of. Training has been very challenging, but it’s been really cool for Braden and me to push ourselves and see what we’re capable of!
Veidi giving Mable a bath
This week, Gloria and I went to the temple with our friends from FSY. It was a really fun experience. Gloria drove, and we went to Panda Express for lunch. Then we headed to the Draper Temple.
Afterwards, we stopped at a gas station and got some ice cream, which we ate at the church field. Then we went home. I really enjoyed our little reunion with the friends who were able to come.
I also babysat Ellie, Charlie, and Ava so Braden and Brook could go on a 12-mile run. It was fun babysitting them. When Braden and Brook came back, they took me home.
Later, Isaac, Gloria, and I took the FrontRunner to meet up with Rima so we could go to the lake. I really liked the lake. Isaac and Itsel pushed me off the paddleboard so many times! I tried to push Gloria and Yaretzie off, but I failed.
Paddle boarding with Yarima
We had sandwiches and a bunch of treats. After a few hours at the lake, we went to Yarima’s house and played Jackbox while the food was cooking. I had a fun time with my older siblings, swimming in the lake and eating delicious food.
On Sunday, after greeting, I went to the bench and sat down. It felt so weird that Monte wasn’t there, because I usually sit by him. It felt different with him gone.
It was also Father’s Day, and Mom and Dad went to the hospital to see Emmett. Ashton and Caleb came over. We talked, played some Jackbox, and had dinner. Then we went to bed. I had a great week!
Eating dinner at Yarima’s house
Lots of school this week, since it’s the last week of classes. In one of my classes, my professor lets us take each of the exams up to five times and keeps our highest score. So on Saturday, I spent the day bouncing between studying and actually taking two exams.
I got a 99% on the first one that morning and rewarded myself with a visit to Endia and Emmett in the hospital. Every time I see a newborn, it amazes me that birth is even possible—and that it happens so regularly all over the world.
Baby Emmett
After the visit, I studied for a little while longer and then went back to the testing lab to take my second exam. When I got there, the girl at the desk said, “We close in 10 minutes…” I told her, “I’ll be so fast!” She let me log in, and I’m pretty sure she panicked when she saw my monitored screen had 75 questions.
It was just me and one other person in the lab. I finished in 9 minutes and walked out before the last person. My score? 91%! I was pumped!
One of the highlights of the week was playing in our intramural softball tournament game. Our opponent? The BYU Football team! It was honestly one of the most fun sporting events I’ve ever been part of, and we had a blast competing against them.
Intramural softball vs BYU football team
We ended up losing, with the final score being 5–4. Both of our teams usually average 15–20 runs a game, so it was a defensive battle—and we took a lot of pride in that.
We even caught Jake Retzlaff in a pickle between third and home, and one of our guys dove to tag him out. There were probably over 60 fans cheering for us and about 30 for them, so the crowd was going crazy!
Right after that, we hit an in-the-park home run to score two runs, but we couldn’t pull off the last two we needed to win. All in all, it was an incredible experience—one I’ll never forget.
Children at Utah Foster Care activity
I played Stratego with Caleb, and they played Jackbox. Isaac and Ashton played a tortilla game where you fill your mouth with water and then smack each other in the face. Quinn and Ashton also played Ninja.
Mom and Dad went to see Emmitt, Endia, and Cougar. When Dad came home, he was very tired. I gave him a hug and said, “Happy Father’s Day.”
Monte saying goodbye to Caleb at airport