April 7 - Settling back in... briefly.

Myka and Graham never skipped a beat. For the short time he was here between returning home and heading back to college, she was on him like WHITE on RICE!!

We had a great turn out for Graham's homecoming here at the house. Friends and family near and far came to see him. It was a fun reunion!

Our last dinner before Graham heads off to college. 

April 6 - HE'S HOME!!! Airport fun.

March 18 - Happy Birthday! Coming home sooooooon!

Grandma & Grandpa - Mar 30

Dear Elder Grandson,

Well, that is the last time I will be typing "Elder Grandson".  It has become such a habit of writing to you each Sunday night that is will seem strange not too.  We are all just thinking about you coming home in a week. Where has the time gone??!!  We sure are proud of the mission you have served. Can't believe you are 21 years old too.  Can't wait to see you.  I bet you will be saying goodbye to a lot of people you have grown to love and will miss them.  We will just be happy to say "hello" and give you hugs and kisses when you get here.

We have one missionary going home Wednesday in our ward. I got so emotional telling him good luck, knowing you are doing the same thing there.

We have been working in the yard this past week. All the monkey grass had to be trimmed back and more shrubs trimmed that only get trimmed good once a year. We are getting ready for our family Easter get  together. We are having it this Friday on Good Friday. The only ones getting to do the Easter egg hunt now is Aiden, Andi and Myka. Everyone else is too old. I guess I might hide a golden egg for the older ones.  You will miss it by three days, sorry.  Wish you were here.

The weather has been great for working outside. I still cough a lot and now allergies have set in with all the pollen. Love Spring anyway.

Count down has begun!! Till we see you, work hard your last week. Teach all you can and bear your testimony to everyone.

Love,

Grandpa & Grandma

Mar 30

Dad:

Elder Feidler,

This will be our last chance to email you since next Monday you will be traveling home!  I am so proud of you for your dedication and growth as you have served your mission. Be sure to thank your mission President and his wife for us too. I hope you can make the most of this last week and teach many and make many friends.  I'm sure you will be missed by the whole state of Washington!!

281-702-5205 is my cell #.  Write that down and call if you have any difficulties on the way home or just want to have someone txt us with status updates. 

It's been a great week here other than we are still trying to get over some colds.  We need you home to tackle your brother and help Chelle. Zack is so big and tall we might need your help with him. 

We could also use you to pick your sister up from school. I'm usually there every evening waiting for her to get done with some kind of practice.

This week we had 2 Easter egg hunts. One HOA sponsored with lots of donuts and the other was at our ward social. About 170 attended. We had great food too!

Myka was worn out by the end of Saturday.

She had even helped me finish waxing your car. 

I can't help but find myself constantly thinking you will be home in a week!!  We are about to go get a mattress down for you and wash your sheets. It's fun getting ready for you. 

I checked online at BYU-I and the $1000 scholarship made it there and is in your account ready to apply to tuition. 

Let me know if there is anything you need as soon as you get home or to help you get here/transition.  

We love you and are ready to have you back!!! Your sister awaits to meet you and get to know you. Bye. 1 week!!!!!!!

Graham:

Family!

Just a couple of hours ago we started washing and waxing/buffing the MINI van.

2814856314 is the rewards card I've been using at Safeway lately. If I remember that then I think I can remember your cell phone :) haha This past week I had a bad case of the hiccups! They went for 2 days straight. I finally called the doctor and got some medicine to get rid of them. This week we went to an Easter concert, two baptisms, and my last interview with the mission president.

We had a great week! Sara is on date for baptism again! May 2nd. She has had some very spiritual experiences lately. We hope to put 2 more on date for baptism this week before I'm off.

I'm 99/100 done with my mission. I can't believe it. Love and miss ya'll!

Dad: Awesome week!  Bring it on home. We are ready to see you

Mar 23

Elder Feidler

You are now 21 years old! I hope you had a great birthday. Looks like you got to eat at Dickies BBQ last Monday? It was great to get this picture text to us!

It has been Spring Break here this week. Nice to sleep in! The kids even taught Myka how to spit this week.

I think Myka needs your good influence. I'm not too sure her other brother & sis are much help.

They went to Friendswood Stake Youth Conference this past week. It was in Galveston at a new Boy Scout sea base. 

We also picked strawberries this week at Froberg farms. We picked a bucket & half.

 

My classic Mini developed a huge exhaust leak so I fixed that yesterday. I had to take the whole exhaust off. 

Myka and I are sick with colds and now I think Maddie is getting it too. We must get better before you come home!

The mission office sent your travel itinerary and it had you flying into George Bush airport on the north side of Houston. I called LDS travel and they changed it to fly into Hobby Airport. So make sure you have the updated flight info when you fly home. Your office has the updated info. After arriving we will stop by the house and drop off stuff then head to Sugarland for Stake President Hruska to release you. Then back home, relax and sleep in. 

This is the next to the last email I will send you. We are getting very excited here. We got a new insurance policy on your car with you on it through Geico. It is liability only and starts April 6th. 

I hope your week has been awesome! With just two more to go you have to work super hard and accomplish lots! Pray hard and teach everyone. Write in your journal now. Keep working hard, there's not enough time left but accomplish all you can. We love you lots. 

Graham:

Dad, Chelle, Zack, Maddie, and Myka,

I've written in my journal every single day for the past week straight. Elder Dowd has been sick yesterday and today. He's lost his voice. This past week flew by! We found out one of our investigators is on drugs. She came with us though to a Dallin H. Oaks fireside Saturday night. Afterwards she shook his hand and thanked him. He stopped for a second, looked into her eyes and said, "God will bless you." She's so excited right now. Then one of our other investigators got robbed. She lost her TV, electronics, and they took her kids' childhood memory videos. We gave her a blessing and she's been doing better. The food bank this week was packed! Most of the usual volunteers weren't there, so the place was basically ran by missionaries.

THAT'S A LONG PLANE RIDE! wow, I'm so excited to see ya'll soon! Love and miss ya.

Dad: There is a two hour time difference on the flight home so it will really be two hours shorter. 

Did you get the Birthday package from us? US Priority mail

The LDS Travel said they will pay for your luggage on the flight.  So I hope that is true.

We miss and love you lots! Work hard! Any P-day plans for today?

Graham:

They will pay for luggage?

I got the package! I ate a couple of the cookies and then gave the rest to our investigator who got robbed. They made her day! I'll hold on to the Visa card in case I do need to pay for the luggage.

P-Day plans are to buff the mini van today. We have a less active family that keeps saying they will let us clean, wax and buff our car but they forget to leave the stuff out.Then we are going to play Monopoly with a member and one of his friends that's kinda interested in the church.

Dad: 

I asked the lady at church travel services because the itinerary said "Baggage Allowance 0 PC."

She said they will pay for the luggage.  So hopefully when you check in ask them to bill the church for the luggage. But don't count on it?

Good luck!

Mar 17 - School registration

(Wow Crazy Morning. Took 2 hours to schedule these)

Attached are PDFs of your schedule and a map of where the classes are located.  Note: The schedule calendar shows an option to move Chemistry & Lab to the afternoon if you would like. It's up to you, but the current schedule will allow all afternoons to be free for a job or study.  Note Engineering graphics (ME 172) will require lab time to be arranged it says.  (Let me know if you can't view the PDFs)

The map points out a possible issue you will have with chemistry in the Romney Building and math in the Ricks Building every day!  They are 1/2 mile apart and you have 15 minutes to make it.  On Tuesday you will make the trip twice, down there and back for chem lab.

Your apartment is off the north side so your first class is about 0.4 miles away. I think a bike might be helpful on campus. You will probably keep the car parked and just walk or ride every day.

Just let me know if you want me to try and change any of this.

Note:  The regular Mechanical Engineering plan would have you take Math 210 the first semester but you don't have the prerequisite for it.  So you need to take PreCal first. Not enough qualified college math done in high school or your first semester. (poor planning there).

Graham: Chemistry at 12:45 looks like it would work better.

Dad: What do you mean by work better?

Is that because you don't want to wake up early?  You will miss lunch Mon-Wed and you are likely required a trip back to campus if you try to leave on Thurs or Friday.

Also, that will make you have little chance to get a job if you need it.  Plus you will have to be on campus Friday afternoon.

Up to you, I will make the change now if you want.

Graham: How long would it take to walk from the Romney building to the Ricks building?

Dad: 2377 ft.  or .45 miles (Or 2266 ft the other route.) Should be easy for you. From Answers.com: "depends on how much effort you put into it. The Army soldier's marching pace is 3.5mph (while carrying a load and calling cadence out loud) so if you're able to maintain that pace, you would finish a half mile in 8:32 If you can only maintain 3mph (20min/mile) then it would take you: 10:00 min to walk a half mile At 2.5mph (24min/mile): 12:00 min to walk a half mile at 2.0mph (30min/mile): 15:00 min to walk a half mile, any slower than that and I would have to surmise that you have a physical disability"

Graham: Haha. Sweet! I'll just have to make sure the class gets out on time too! You can leave the class as it is.