24 Aug 2025
VOLUME 13 – NUMBER 623
Family after Gloria’s endowment
This week has been one of the most exciting weeks of my life. A couple of weeks ago, I called the Taylorsville Temple and set up an appointment for my live ordinances for my endowment. It was a really cool experience.
I also invited the Danielsons and the family that could make it. Going to the temple was so special for me because it’s something new in my life, and it’s preparing me for my mission. It also helped me feel like I’m becoming more mature.
Going through for the first time was something different. It was something I never expected, but it was very sacred and very special. After getting my endowment, which took a couple of hours, we went back home and had some root beer floats.
Isaac and Owen
I attended my new ward last Sunday and hung out with my friend Bohin for a bit after church at my future apartment! I’m excited to get to know the people in my ward. It’ll be fun to have a fresh start, and since I’m not working evenings anymore, I’m hoping I can connect with more people and have a better social life, haha.
I’m also excited to room with a friend. The apartment is really small, pretty old, and smells a little musty, but I think it’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to moving in, tidying it up a little, and making it my own.
Owen
I’m proud of Gloria for receiving her endowment. Earlier this week I was actually learning more about the endowment. Something I found special is that when we make those covenants with God, He “endows” or gives us heavenly power.
In Russell M. Nelson’s book Heart of the Matter, he explains—or at least I understood—that the heavenly power we are endowed with is comparable in many ways to the priesthood, which is God’s power and authority. In my mind, heavenly power and God’s power are probably the same thing.
That makes it even more meaningful for Gloria! I’m grateful for heavenly power that allows me to do more good and protects me from the difficult and dangerous things in life. I’m so happy Gloria has made promises that will do the same for her.
Monte, Elder Larson, and dog
Okay, so remember Laura and Jesús? I think you might know where this is going. Yeah, they probably aren’t getting married. That’s all I’m going to say on that because, at this rate, next week they’ll be getting married again! Why can’t things just be straightforward sometimes? Ni modos.
Now it’s time to give a quick update on Pablo. It’s been really difficult to get a hold of him lately. It’s amazing to see how hard Satan works after someone has a fecha set. He’s supposed to get baptized at the end of this week, and if he isn’t able to meet with us before then, we’ll unfortunately have to move on until he can. I have faith, though. All things are possible through Christ.
We’ve also been teaching Estefania and her boyfriend more! They’re potenté, and Estefania even came to church! Now we just need to help them get married as well. Sometimes I feel like that’s all we do on the mission—try to help people get married.
Monte and his waffle iron
I’ve got a good feeling about them, though. They’ve been together for seven years, and they have a six-year-old daughter, so that’s promising. We just need to teach them about the plan of salvation, and ideally, they should get married like that. Of course, I know it usually doesn’t work that simply, but who knows? Maybe this time will be different!
Today I hit three months as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Time has gone by so fast. August is already rounding to an end here, which is crazy because I feel like it just started. Once this amount of time passes again, we’ll be entering December, and I’ll be a quarter of the way through my mission! That’s wild!
Also, for any of you reading this who are thinking about whether or not a mission is for you—the answer is YES! It is the greatest decision I have made in my life. If you are a guy, do it! If you’re a girl, sincerely pray about it.
Mom holding Emmett
This week I had an orthodontist appointment to see when I could get my braces off. They said that I’m ready to be done, so my next appointment will be the final one. I can’t wait!
We also started seminary this week. I like my class; it’s a really good class. Our teacher is really funny.
It was also Quinn’s birthday, and I made his cake. It was fun making it, and Quinn loved it, so that was a bonus.
School has been going really well. I’m ahead in all of my classes, and they are pretty easy.
Joanna dressed up
The past week has been pretty normal. I’m still getting used to my school schedule and everything that comes with it. Seminary started this week, and it was one of the things I had been dreading as the school year got closer.
I love learning about Jesus, but the anti-social part of me doesn’t really like having those awkward interactions with classmates. Thankfully, my class isn’t that bad. My teacher is awesome, and I really like how he runs his class.
I’m excited to come closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ, through seminary this semester. Over the years, I’ve felt my testimony grow because of it. I’m so grateful!
Ellie on her first day of school
This week was Ellie’s first day of kindergarten! She was so excited, and it was such a bittersweet moment for me. It’s a big transition for all of us—especially since she’s never been to preschool and has always been home with me.
Letting her go felt a little sad and even scary, knowing I wouldn’t be there to help her or make sure she was okay.
Ellie did amazing when we dropped her off. She was a little nervous but so brave! Coming home afterward felt strange without her, and I even heard Charlie call out, “Ellie! Where are you?” My heart felt so much better at pickup when she came out all smiles.
Braden and Ellie on first day of school
Seeing how much she’s loving school and having fun has made the whole week so much easier. It’s been a good reminder of how quickly time goes by. It feels like not long ago that Ellie was born, and now she’s already starting school—something that once seemed so far away.
This milestone has encouraged me to slow down, enjoy the little moments, and make the most of the time we have together in this stage of life.
Brooke and Ellie on first day of school
This week is Quinn and London’s birthday, and Quinn is so excited. He has been counting down the days for about a month, and now it’s finally here. For lunch, he got Panda Express, which was delicious.
Veidi also made him a How to Train Your Dragon cake with Toothless in the middle. It turned out really good, and Quinn loved it.
For his present, Mom and Dad decided to give him my Barracuda (Gel Blaster). They said they would buy it from me so that Quinn could have it as his own. He was so excited!
Now I can’t say that if he doesn’t clean the room, then he won’t be able to use my gel blaster. It’s officially his now, and I can’t use it against him anymore!
Renovating laundry room
Gloria got endowed! It was so special to see her go through the temple. I was thinking about how crazy it is that Monte and Gloria—who I still see as so young—are now doing the same things that it feels like I just recently did.
On Friday night, I decided to spend the night up in WJ so I could help with the laundry room project on Saturday. That night we played the “shocking” game, and after a few hours it started to turn into experimenting. We found that placing it on your pinky, thigh, or calf was the most painful.
On Saturday, we got a good start on the laundry room project, but we still have a little ways to go. We failed pretty quickly on our goal to only go to Home Depot once. Looking forward to next week and hopefully finishing it out!
Laundry room ready to paint
I can’t express how happy I am for Gloria and her decision to receive her endowment. As a parent, it’s a long road to try and figure out how to help your children find the true path to happiness, while at the same time trying to give them room to make their own decisions.
Gloria, I am so happy for you! I believe you are making choices that will bless you throughout your life, and will bring countless blessings to our family and your biological family as well.
I am also grateful for the example you are setting for your younger siblings. It was so nice to have so many of our endowed children in the temple with us, and to have others outside the temple supporting Gloria as well!
River trip electronics box
Also, after weeks of tinkering and testing, frustration and redesign, I have finally finished the river trip electronics box. I took the box on the friends river trip, but it was disorganized and did not have a solar panel. Now I finally have a solar panel on the top that will recharge the battery, which will charge all of our radios, camera batteries, and even iPhones.
One of the coolest parts to this project was how we mounted the solar panel on the box. I could not find the right kind of bracket, but then I had a thought. Why not have Troy help me to 3D print a homemade bracket. He taught me how to use the 3D design software, and then showed me how to print off four brackets that worked perfectly!
Wow, Troy! You have self-taught yourself a very valuable skill, and you have done it without any outside help. That is pretty impressive!
River trip electronics box