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.

Grandma & Grandpa - Mar 16

Dear Elder Grandson,

Happy Birthday to YOU, Happy Birthday to YOU, Happy Birthday dear GRAHAM, Happy Birthday to YOU. You have just been sang to. We hope you have a GREAT 21ST BIRTHDAY and get everything you want. We'll celebrate more when you get home.

Where has this past week gone? I hope you have a very successful week teaching and contacting investigators. I know you have a lot more to do with being a District Leader and all. Just keep working hard and it will all get done. We think of you a lot and pray for you and the work you are doing.

Well, Ann and Marlene left on Wednesday. We had a great time while they were here except from Sunday through Wednesday. They rode the shuttle to the airport since Grandpa and I have been so sick. They needed to get out of here before they got sick. Grandpa and I went to the doctor on Wednesday and got shots and antibiotics and all kinds of other medicine. Grandpa is a lot better but I am still coughing so much and have no energy.  I must get better before you get home.

Spring has finally arrived and there is so much yard work to do and I can't find anyone to do my flower beds. They may not get done this year - again! At least we have a yard man that mows and picks up all the leaves.

I wish the mission would get your plane ticket. It would be nice to know what time you get home. That is going to be a busy weekend with Myka's birthday, General Conference, Easter and Grandpa has a VA dentist appointment on the Monday morning you get home.

Your Dad mentioned it but the Marine Corps League man called and said he mailed the $1000 check to BYU-Idaho I think it was Tuesday. So glad to help you out with that much. How blessed you are that Nana has left you kids money for college.  She said she would years ago and she did.

Well all for now.  We love you much and 3 weeks can't get here soon enough for us to see you.

Love and Hugs,

Grandpa & Grandma

Mar 16

Dad:
It's almost Wednesday and your birthday!!!  I hope you are having a great P-Day. 21 years old! I can't believe how fast time flies. And home in 3 weeks!  We really miss you and are super excited to see and hug you soon. We sent a package to you. You should have gotten it Saturday by US mail.

Tomorrow morning I will register you for your classes. Grandpa said the $1000 scholarship check was mailed to BYU-I this past week. Your mom's Aunt Tammy is getting your inheritance set up first so you will have money for college. We will need to create a budget for your college years and a safe investment plan to help it last. You and your mom and I can all work together on that if you'd like.

Your car is here in the garage. Chelle and I spent many hours on it yesterday. We washed it and clay barred the entire car.  We started waxing it too. About 1/3rd is done.  It's looking great! I even polished the headlights some. It helped.

Yesterday was Pi day! Here's me at 3/14/15 9:26.

Our elders stopped by last night. We took a pic and sent to their families.

Myka has learned how to shoot straw paper!

It's Spring Break here. Kids started with early release on Friday. They are spending a few days at your mom's this week. This Saturday was beautiful! The sun finally returned after a week of rain.

Keep up the good work and have a fun P-Day too!!
We love you!  Happy Birthday!

Graham:

Family!

I've been so blessed this past week! We have yet to put anyone on date for baptism again. They just aren't ready for it yet, but we had some really great lessons this past week with member involvement and will hopefully see the fruits of our labors soon. Yesterday we had dinner and a lesson with an ex'd member and his less active granddaughter. They baked me a cake and made some delicious toasted nachos. We also have a fireside this Saturday for our mission that will include two members from the seventy and Dallin H. Oaks from the Twelve. We are so excited to bring our investigators to that!

My companion and I have been working at the food bank in town 5 hours every week. We have been able to go in our missionary attire and answer questions non-members have and see some members walk in. After every shift they let us choose some leftovers to take home. This is our treasure.

Our van:

Thanks for the help with registering for classes and getting me set up for school! Also thank you for taking care of my car :)

Love and miss ya'll

Dad: 

Sounds like a great week! Keep up the good work. That's awesome that you will get to see Dallin H Oaks! Your mom and I lived in the house where he was supposedly born in Provo while I was in college. The back of this house.

How exciting to get some extra food!  Did you get your US Mail priority box from us yet?

Graham: No package yet. 

Grandma & Grandpa - Mar 9

Dear Elder Grandson,

How was your week? Hope you had a great one with lots of investigators. Your weather looks better than ours. I keep thinking you can get a lot more done when its not raining and really cold weather.  Go get em Elder Feidler!

Ann and Marlene came last Monday and we have run everyday. Shopping one day, Galveston one day when your Dad and Chelle met us for dinner, then we went to Louisiana and stayed at a Casino overnight. It was close to a mall and a movie theater so we did a lot of shopping and went to two movies. Then Saturday we went to dinner with friends. There were 21 of us.

Then last night I came down with a fever and have been very sick all day. Grandpa has a bad cold so we went to an emergency care place today. They don't know why I am running a fever, don't have the flu but they ran a blood test. Maybe it will show something.  Grandpa's cold has to run its course.

We are going over to your house on Tuesday and spend the day. We have a motel for the night and Ann and Marlene are leaving on Wednesday.  It has been great having them here. I hope to go out to Oregon this summer and see their new house.

Well, we sure do love you lots. Keep working hard. We pray for your work and for you everyday. We look so forward to your emails.

Love and Hugs,

Grandpa & Grandma   

Mar 9

Dad:
Elder Feidler,

It is raining today and suppose to rain all week.  I'm ready for the sun and beautiful weather.


Today in church you were mentioned again!  The stake high council rep spoke and said his daughter Madelynn was in the MTC learning Spanish and was going to the Everett Washington mission where Graham Feidler is.  Pretty cool.

I also found out that we are going to have fast Sunday on the last Sunday of this month so the first Sunday of April will be General Conference and Easter and the second Sunday you will get to speak in Sacrament as that will be the only Sunday you are home. So start putting your talk together now while you have plenty of time to study!

I got you all set up on my work health insurance and dental plan so you will have insurance coverage at BYUI. It starts on April 7th. I may need to pick a primary doctor for you in Rexburg. I will me registering you for classes in about a week too!  I have it on my calendar to do at exactly the time the registration system opens for you.

It has been a fun week here.  Aunt Ann and Marlene are down visiting and we met them and Grandma in Galveston on Wednesday. It was Ann's Birthday!  VOLCANO! And it was delicious.

Grandma gave Myka a monkey too! Myka tripped and busted her lip while at the Rainforest cafe so she has had a fat lip for the week.

Tuesday Zack and Maddie went to eat with your mom at the Mongolian Grill in Town Center for her birthday. Picture below taken from Facebook.

Well that's all the fun that has been happening here. I hope you had a great week and more investigators out at church.  You will be getting old next week. 21 is like a for real adult! Do you feel like a real grown up now?

This Saturday is Pi Day!  I made Zack a shirt because he loves Pi.

Keep working hard and studying hard.  Pray lots and love the people there.  Make sure your journal is up to date too.
We love and miss you lots.

Graham:

Family,

It's been a busy week. I'm working on writing 3 exit essays that are due on my B-day. I went on an exchange with Elder Marshall on Thursday and had a great day! He goes home with me, and is an amazing missionary I have looked up to. We also worked a lot this week with less active members of the church. It was great to see so many more people at church yesterday as a result of it. The members have been coming out with us often but our investigators have been canceling lessons. Sara came to church but since she has anxiety problems she left 15 minutes after she got there because of the babies crying. Yesterday Elder Dowd almost caught our apartment on fire. He was going to fry some fish in a pan on the stove and he thought that some oil had spilt on the bottom of the pan where the burner is so he picked up the pan of hot oil and tilted it to see if there was some on the bottom and FIRE! haha. The oil then came out of the pan and all over the stove top. I was wide awake for church yesterday after that.

Do you know if I have a certain topic for my talk? Also will I be the last speaker?

Looks like ya'll had a fun week! We have a busy day of plans today! Elder Dowd started cutting his hair but his trimmers broke so he has part of one side way short in the very front. Barbershop! Also next p-day I get to go bowling with a recent convert from Mill Creek.

Love and miss ya'll.

Dad: Sounds like a good week!  I only know that you will get to talk that Sunday.  No idea of topic or time.

Be careful with hot grease!  Remember water is not good for grease fires.

Have fun at the barbershop. Get pictures too. Any last minute needs or wants for your birthday?

Graham: Baking soda in oil puts out the fire right? B-day needs: $$ for my luggage flying home. Also to get a suit dry cleaned before I return. 

Grandma & Grandpa - Mar 2

Dear Elder Grandson,

It is March already. I don't know where February went and all of the winter months. Time just flies here in Texas.  Not spring yet though. It is raining and hot or raining and very cold.

How has your week been? I hope you were so busy teaching lessons and keeping track of all your missionaries that time has flown for you too.

Yesterday the Spanish Elders, who are not in our ward, called and asked Grandpa to come and start their car again.  The battery keeps going down. They came out here with him to see the garage and came in the house for a while.  We couldn't feed them because they had a baptism and had to be at the church at 5:00 so I just sat a new box of girl scout cookies and Oreos in front of them.  They had all the girl scout cookies gone in about 5 minutes.  We didn't even get to taste them. Grandpa gave them a battery booster to keep till they can go to Larry on Monday and figure out why it is going dead. They went to the church to fill the font and we decided they must really be hungry so we went by Wendy's and got them a couple of big meals so they could eat and watch the font. Then today we find out the baptism didn't go because the man never showed up. Sometimes things don't go as planned.

Well, we are picking Ann and Marlene up at the airport tomorrow night and they will be here for about 10 days.  I have something planned for every day.  It is going to be raining and very cold after Wednesday so I am not sure if we can do all I had planned.  It will be fun to have them here though. 

Do you have an Ihop there in town? What would you like for your birthday? Can't wait to start making plans for your return. I wish they would let your Dad know when your flight will be in.

Well, not much else to talk about. We pray for you daily and hope you are being fed by members. We feed missionaries at least once a week lately. Keep working hard and blessing will come your way.

We love you

Grandpa & Grandma

Mar 2

Elder Feidler,

I can't believe it is March! Your birthday month and you are going to be 21 soon. An old man.

I hope you have had an excellent week. I've been thinking about you and praying for your success in teaching and being a district leader. You are an example to others and one of the most senior elders in the mission now.  Use your knowledge, skill and faith to help others.

This has been a good week here. I saw the dentist again on Friday and got my permanent crown installed on my tooth.  Chelle cooked and sold some more yeast rolls this week. The house smells so yummy when she is baking. I have to eat a few with jam and butter.

Here is Myka completely distracted by an iPhone. She doesn't even know that a psycho is pushing her cart!

I cleaned out the garage yesterday to make room for your car. Your mom will bring it by this next week and we will store it for a month.

Not too much else going on here. It's been cool and rainy. Aunt Ann and Marlene fly here tomorrow.

Social networking sites are all ablaze with this picture. Some people see a white and gold dress and some people see a blue and black dress.  It switches for me depending on the time of day. What color do you see?

Keep up the good work!  We love and miss you lots.

Graham:

Family,

I survived my first week as district leader. My district consists of my companion, me and two Foothill elders. For my district meeting on Wednesday we got started with just the 4 of us and then the assistant to the President decided to drive 45 minutes and join in on my district meeting. We talked about using the restoration pamphlet in street contacts and door approaches more effectively. We also studied chapter 2 in Preach my Gospel on creating spirit guided lesson plans.

Then on Friday we had interviews. I had the opportunity to teach again there and focused on the Christ-like attribute of diligence. We had a lot of our appointments back out on us this week but we had 1 investigator make it to church. Next week we hope to have 6 there.

Other then that, I got a copy of Nana's will in the mail. We had a ward chili cook-off but only 2 chilies showed up.  Those rolls look delicious! And that dress is black and blue. My companion sees it gold and blue.

Love and miss ya'll!

Dad:

Sounds like you made it another week. Not sure if your mom had told you about the will. Your nana left you enough for college. You don't qualifying for a pell grant so this blessing from nana will sure come in handy. 

Is Sarah still on date for baptism?  Did she make it to church?

Graham:

Sara didn't make it to church. We don't know what happened to her. We met with her Saturday and set expectations with her as she works towards her baptism date. We also have 3 others that are on date for baptism but they didn't get to church either and we can't get a hold of them.

Hopefully it will work out better this week