Blaine is the YM President, April 30, 2017

This post is from a letter we wrote to my nephew, Caden White

Dearest Caden (Elder White):

We remember how Heather and Derek loved us to call them by their first names - they said we were the only ones that they felt like remembered their first names! : )

We're going to try to send this to your email, too, but it should also arrive at your door step, at some point.  This site sends it to the mission home, and they forward it to you, or give it to you, when they see you.

Caden, never feel like you have to write back to us.  We know you have limited time to write, and that you are busy.

We are enjoying your letters!  We were thinking that you will come home with several good talents - we are thinking you may become a bike repair expert.  It can't hurt to know how to fix every bike repair, known to man!  We are also thinking you might be the "buffest" you have ever been.  If you're cranking out those bike miles, or walking a ton, you are going to be one mean lean fighting machine.

To give you a few updates on our family - Elizabeth and Carl both broke their own Personal Records in track this week at the Tiger Griz.  Elizabeth runs those long races - the 1 mile and the 2 mile - she PR'd in both!  Carl's middle school team was not going to the Tiger-Griz meet, but he wanted to run the Chocolate Milk Mile.  His coach said he could register, if we took him.  We were already going to watch Lizzie, so we signed him up.  

Carl ran like a champ!  He ran the mile in 6:15, the fastest time he's ever run it.  AND he won the whole thing!  He took first place.  The crowd was cheering like crazy.  He was about 1/4 lap ahead of everyone, but then this girl started catching up, as the announcer cheered her on.  She ended up right behind him, but he won!  It was a fun day.  

It reminds me that it was the ONE warm, sunny day that we've had in ages.  It's been one wet, cold winter.  While you are frying, we are barely starting spring.  You are too hot.  We are too cold.  

Nikole is loving BYU-I.  She got a new calling this semester.  She is a first counsellor in the Relief Society.

Derek and Breanna are starting a new business - it's going to be  a clothing business, that they do online - kind of catered to tall, big ladies and just children.  Derek is doing two internships this semester.  Breanna is taking a full load of classes.

Brandon and Heather are working away in the Cincinnati area.  Their weather is much warmer than Idaho's.  They are busy and involved with their jobs and in their ward.

Blaine just got a new calling, too.  He is our ward's young men's president.  He's very excited.  He gets to be with Carl.  I was proud of Blaine today, because he had to speak in sacrament meeting, and then present a lesson with the YW President, for our combined meeting.  His talk was on President Monson's admonition to have us all read the book of mormon every day.  The lesson was on the document The Living Christ, which was talked about a lot during general conference, too.

He has a gift to teach.  I could see parts of his P. blessing coming true, as he taught today.  He doesn't have to have many notes, he speaks from the heart, he teaches using different teaching methods.  He keeps our attention, but has a pure, caring testimony, and is just going to do a really good job with the youth.  We have a group of young men Carl's age, who are quite rowdy.  I already saw an improvement today, with the new leaders.

I am headed to Boise this week, for two days of hospital meetings.  I have a big Monday, doing an education lunch for our EVS employees.  That stands for Environmental Services, or Housekeeping.  I'll do all that tomorrow, and then head to Boise on Tuesday.  I get to stop and visit Blaine's sister and her husband, on my route, there, and then see his other sister on the way home. 

I will stay at Grandpa and Grandma White's on Thursday evening, because I get to go with a man in  our ward, Gary Henrie, who is 86 years old, to the Rexburg Temple Friday morning!  He has attended church all the time I've lived in this ward. But he never received the Melchizadek Priesthood until now, and he's never been through the temple!

It goes to show that anyone can change, and you never give up on anyone.  His wife passed away about a year ago, and she had never been through the temple, so one of their children will stand in a as proxy of his wife, Carol.  Then their daughter and their son in law both passed away, in their younger years - Sandy was about 45,and her husband, Randy, was about 55.  Bishop Randy was our Bishop for many years.  Blaine and I both got to serve closely with him.  Blaine was his executive secretary and I was the YW President.  Also, we've just known them all our lives and adored them.

So, Gary's other daughter, the only one alive, has been serving a mission with her husband.  They just finished their mission and got home last week.

Gary chose May 6 as the day to do his own temple work, because that is the day his wife passed away, May 6,and it is the day his daughter, Sandy, passed away, quite  while ago.  So, I get to go to the session with him. It's going to be a special day - he and his deceased wife going through the temple for the first time, then he is going to be sealed to her, and then to the one living daughter they have.  Three of Randy's sons live in our ward.  We are close to them, as well.  So excited about it!

Another good, spiritual thing that happened - I will tell it "in a nut shell".   I shared a Book of Mormon, with my testimony written in side, with a non-member man, who worked with us at the hospital, in my very office.  We had had several discussions abut religion, and I had been praying for opportunities to do missionary work.  I also invited him to the Idaho Falls temple open house.

I have to go for now  Have a great week!  We love you.  We pray for you every single day - morning and night.

Love,

Blaine, Nikki, Nikole, Elizabeth and Carl

Brandon and Heather by proxy

Derek and Breanna by proxy