04 Jan 2026 — SwirlyCone Family

4 January 2026

VOLUME 14 – NUMBER 635

Joanna’s baptism

Joanna

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Children baking with Endia

Troy

These past couple of weeks have been so awesome and fun because of Christmas and the end of 2025 leading into the beginning of 2026. A lot of family was here for Christmas, and having everyone together is always so fun, especially during the holidays. Being surrounded by family made the season feel extra special. I really loved spending so much time together.

I had Quinn for Secret Santa, and I got him a drone. He was so excited and happy, and I was glad I picked the right present for him. I received a Nerf gun and a Nerf target system that automatically resets after the targets are shot down. I also got a weighted blanket, which was awesome because it never got too hot or too cold.

After Christmas, I ended up getting sick, and the weighted blanket helped a lot. It made resting much more comfortable.

Playing new Catan game

New Year’s was also really fun because most of the family came over for New Year’s Eve. We played the new version of Catan that Isaac, Kai, Dad, and I bought for her.

The game took a really long time, but eventually Cougar won. Over the next couple of days, we played PFL (Paper Football League). Ashton created a schedule sheet for all the games so we could decide who would make the playoffs. He also made stat sheets for every game, which I thought was really cool.

Joanna’s baptism was also on Saturday, and it was such a special experience. It marked the beginning of her spiritual journey. I’m so happy she made the decision to make that covenant with God.

Children playing PFL

Kai

The PFL has made yet another comeback! With Ashton improving the stat sheet from last year and more teams entering the season, the league has never been more competitive. Not gonna lie, the Broncos are looking really good, starting the season off 2–0 (that’s me, if you didn’t realize). It’s shaping up to be an exciting year.

I love PFL—it’s so fun. Getting into character and pretending to interview head coaches from other teams is hilarious. It makes the games even more entertaining. The energy and competition just keep getting better.

Going back to Ashton’s stat sheet, he’s made some really cool improvements. He’s added team stats like completion percentages, specific player stats, and league leaders. He also designed a playoff system for after the season ends. That’s a big reason this year feels so competitive, with everyone’s pride on the line.

I’m really excited for the playoffs. I can’t wait to see who’s actually the greatest in the PFL. It’s going to be intense and so much fun.

PFL standings spreadsheet

Gloria

These past couple of weeks, I’ve been wrapping up work. It makes me really sad because I love what I do, and I love the residents and my coworkers. I always look forward to going to work, and thinking about not working there anymore makes me kind of sad. I’ve gotten to know so many people and have made so many new connections and friends.

I’ve also been packing a little bit and getting everything I need ready for my mission. I’m finishing up the portal tasks that I need to complete before I leave. Even though there’s a lot to do, I’m getting very excited. I love new adventures, and this adventure will change my life forever.

Opening presents Christmas morning

On Christmas Day, I always look forward to the Christmas program our family does. It’s so cool to see everyone’s talents, and watching everyone dance and sing is always my favorite part. For New Year’s Eve, we stayed up and watched movies together. It was a simple night, but still really fun.

I also went to the movie theater with Endia, and we watched Wicked: For Good. It was actually a really good movie. I really liked it a lot. The songs were great, and I also loved the humor throughout the movie.

Owen and Gloria

Quinn

This year, we watched the perfect holiday movie during the day instead of at night. We also watched other movies while Isaac was setting up the cots. I tried to help him, but he said he didn’t need help. So I went back upstairs and had some hot chocolate, which was delicious.

We couldn’t watch Elf, so we watched a different show instead. It was really funny. After that, we all fell asleep. In the morning, we went upstairs and had a great time opening gifts and eating together.

Bunkhouse on Christmas morning

Ashton

The break has been so nice. I’ve loved not having to worry about work or school over the last two weeks. I went back to work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, but I was right back home for New Year’s Eve. It was a great balance of productivity and rest.

We got to watch a lot of football with several bowl games going on. We also played more PFL together. We’ve been adding new elements to PFL to make it more exciting when we play. We started tracking player stats, which has made for some great commentary during the games.

I’m excited to start my final semester of college this week. It feels weird to be so close to the finish line and to know I only have to take finals one last time. After that, I’m done! BYU is such a special place, and I’ll definitely miss many aspects of it, but I’m ready to move on to the next phase of life.

Children playing PFL

Veidi

Christmas was really fun. We are going to Disneyland, and it was fun figuring out the riddle with our Disney characters and spelling out the words and dates. We also played Crazy Ball, which was really fun.

For the Christmas program, we did the Fat Elves, and this time we had a lot of people get up and dance, which was super fun and funny.

That night, I went up to Natalie’s to dog-sit for her. When I got there, Natalie quickly grabbed her things and walked me through what I needed to do. She then left for St. George around 11:00 at night. It was a late night, but everything started out fine.

Emmett on Christmas

It was nice to have some time to myself. I was able to get all of the dogs outside, clean up, and relax for a while. Later, when I went to feed one of the puppies, she wasn’t eating, so I told Natalie. She asked me to show her the puppy, and we noticed she wasn’t breathing well.

I tried to suction out her mouth and nose, but not much came out. Natalie did some research and found out the puppy had a virus that can kill puppies within 24 hours of showing symptoms. I was really sad because there was nothing I could do. The next morning, she was gone, and it was really hard to watch her struggle knowing I couldn’t help.

After I told Mom, she called and talked with me for a while. That really helped. I spent the rest of the time trying to distract myself by painting, cleaning, watching TV, and spending time with the animals.

Fat elves dance

Caleb

Christmas was full of regular family competition in the church gym, board games, a few movies, some video games, and sleeping together in the bunkhouse. There was also plenty of delicious cereal and treats. It was busy, loud, and so much fun. Those are the moments that make Christmas special.

I love our family Christmas devotional every year. This year, I played a simple Christmas song on the piano. Boogieing with the fat elves was fun too. Endia and others were really creative with their musical nativity performance and props.

Mom and Dad also announced a Disneyland trip later in January. That was definitely exciting news for everyone. It gave us all something fun to look forward to after the holidays.

Volunteering at Utah Food Bank

The days after Christmas were a lot of fun as well. We did many of the things you would expect us to do. Gloria, Veidi, Kai, and I bagged pinto beans for service at the Utah Food Bank. Emma Ashton invited several of us to participate, which made it even better.

On New Year’s Eve, Troy and I made cookies. At midnight on New Year’s, Ashton proposed that we run a shirtless mile. Cougar and I decided to join him. It was cold, ridiculous, and pretty memorable.

Joanna’s baptism was so sweet. I loved how Endia asked us to share what baptism means to each of us. Gloria’s talk about the promises we make at baptism was especially meaningful. I also loved the experience she shared about following promptings while visiting the elderly people she works with at the care center.

Christmas morning

Monte

Merry Christmas, everyone! Wow, what a week. My first Christmas on the mission was something else, that’s for sure. It was different from past years, but still incredibly special. I’ll definitely never forget it.

On Christmas Eve, we worked like normal and had to be in the house by 8:00 unless we were having dinner with members. At first, we didn’t have any plans, but we stopped by Bryan’s house to wish them a Merry Christmas, and they invited us in. It turned into one of the most humbling experiences of my life. They brought out two plates with spaghetti, two wrapped chicken-and-mayonnaise sandwiches, and two cups of Pepsi—the perfect Christmas Eve dinner.

They hadn’t even planned on eating with us, but they willingly gave us a portion of their meal so we wouldn’t be alone this Christmas. Afterward, we sang Christmas hymns together until it was time to head home. Singing about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was truly beautiful. It was a moment I’ll always treasure.

Christmas Day was great as well. I called my family in the morning and watched as they opened their presents and enjoyed being together. It felt different not being there in person, but it still felt good to see everyone smiling. I also found out they’re going to Disneyland next month—bruh!

It’s all good, though, because I’m in México serving a mission, and I truly wouldn’t change a thing. After the call, we spent time with the zone at the church and did another white elephant gift exchange. I ended up with a little penguin bin and a Tinker Toy for stress. Honestly, pretty great, not gonna lie.

We then played games, ate pizza, and enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the day. We had a full P-day for Christmas, which was such a blessing. I know a lot of missionaries might hate me for this, but we had Monday P-day, Thursday Christmas P-day, and today as P-day too. Most missionaries only get the Christmas P-day, so I feel very blessed to be in the best mission in the world.

Now for a little update on our friends. Lili came to church again this week and even participated in the sacrament. She is amazing. We also met her “husband” this week, and he was so nice and excited to meet us.

They invited us over for dinner, and they made some pretty amazing pizza. We talked with Lili about eternal families and how we can live together forever in a state of never-ending happiness. She seemed to really like that message, so we’ll see where things go. They are such awesome people.

Other than that, we’ve been struggling a bit with finding new people to teach. We’re going to increase our efforts and work harder to find those who want to learn about Jesus Christ. Man, I love what I do.

THIS WEEK…

Wow, another amazing week! It was actually really good.

Lately we've been having a little trouble finding new people, and I was completely out of ideas, but then we had intercambios with the Zone Leaders. Wow, it was a much needed intercambio that's for sure. We learned so much, and now have a new plan of action... to talk to literally everyone that we see! It's actually been working for us really well!

Also, Lili is married! Yeah, she was just talking to us about her life, and then casually drops that she got married by law, but not in a church! I literally almost cried tears of joy when I heard this. Getting people married is one of the hardest things to do on the mission (if you remember Jesús and Laura at all you already know). Miracles exist everyone, remember that.

Also, we may or may not have been chased home by a drunk man on Sunday night, so that was pretty fun/absolutely terrifying! And while we were running, I almost ran straight through a massive spider web, with a massive spider in the dead center. Miracles exist... again, remember that!

Well, I love you all, and remember how great and merciful our loving Heavenly Father really is!