Pancake Monday

Good morning mom! How are you doing today?

This has been a, oh my goodness, a truly wonderful week. Oh, and happy pancake Monday!  It’s been kind of nice, I think I’m just making this a routine, every Monday just making pancakes and making voice recordings.  I might switch it up with something else. Cause, I don’t know, this is my third time having pancakes this week.  A member made them for us once this week, I made them for dinner one day, no, it was lunch, during weekly planning when we were in Boulder.

It’s been a crazy week. I’ve only actually slept in my bed here I think 2 out of the 7 nights this week. Honestly last night I slept so well. It was so great to be back in my own bed.

(A lot of banging) Got me the pan, will not forget to heat it up this time, and the mix is already made. I’m using the Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix Buttermilk.  Light and Fluffy of course.  And I’m pretty excited, I made it the other day and it turned out great.  Loved the taste, loved everything about it.  I found a good pancake mix. Now when I get home, or even budget better, I think I’m going to try to make my own pancake mix.  Go with dad’s recipe.  Cause that in my mind is one of the best pancake recipes known to man.  Granted, you have to use like a freaking cup of vanilla extract. Not that much, but you know what I’m saying.

(whistling a hymn) Oh! This week, this week has been so fantastic. Mom, I got to go to the temple this week.  First time in eighteen months. Well, 17 ½ months from yesterday.  I mean, holy cow, last time I went was when I first came into the mission. It brought me to tears. Just, I mean even sitting down in the waiting room.  Just…. Ohhh.  Or sitting in the Celestial room.  I am so thankful to be a member of this church. It has brought me so much peace in my life. It was really cool sitting there in the temple, it was, not that I had any doubt, but just any and all doubt that God was our loving Heavenly Father, My Father, that he KNOWS us, and that we have a plan was just washed from my mind.  I felt like I was literally there talking with God.  It was amazing. I can’t wait to go back to the temple with you guys. That is one thing that I am so thankful about Gilbert, the fact that we live 5 minutes from a temple. 

But yeah, we went to Billings this week, we left Wednesday, around 5:00, pulled into Billings around 10:30. Or that’s when we got to the Assistants house. It’s normally a 3 ½ hour drive but we got pretty lost.  I never must have driven to Billings, I can do it from Powell with my eyes closed, but  to drive from Helena is another story.  Even though I’ve gone from Billings to Helena I was never the one driving, in fact I’m pretty sure I took a nap both times I went there. I wasn’t the driver or the co-pilot, so nap-time!

Exchanges with the assistants was awesome. I went with Elder Pett.  I don’t know if I’ve ever talked about him, he came out with Elder Hendricks, so right before me. Fantastic missionary. So amazing. Such a nerd and so hilarious.  While I was there we talked, had a great time.  It was so cool to be able to walk around a city, just street contact people, just walk around a couple blocks and just offer people the gospel.  It reminded me back of when I did the mini-mission in the San Tan valley. Except, there’s more people.  San Tan valley is just one big neighborhood. This was more people, a little more city-like.  It was kindof like a mini Salt Lake minus the, no, yeah, there’s a temple there, so a mini Salt Lake! We even have an office building! The mission office. It was really exciting.  I loved going around there. 

We then, to finish the exchange, Friday morning went to the temple, which was again Fantastic. And then we went down to Boulder. And spent Friday and Saturday there. Well Friday night, and Saturday night, went to church in Boulder, it’s the branch we cover.  We go attend church there once… ooooh this pancake’s looking good! Perfect flip and nice, it’s my first pancake. Ummm, we attend church there every other week, it was great. Oh, you’ll find this funny, we both got a Valentine’s gift from this 17 year old girl in the ward, the branch.  Yeah, it was an adventure.  She gave me a whole thing of Milky Ways and elder Shumway a whole thing of Snickers.  What? (to companion)  And ties. She got us ties. Elder Shumway proceeded to eat a majority of the Snickers on the way from Boulder to Helena.  It’s a 25 minute drive.

(Elder Shumway) I’m going to send out a voicemail if you’re ok with that. (Nick) Yes. Please send out that voice mail.  So we need to talk about the Book of Mormons goal, tell them the Gospel Sing is cancelled, and I felt like there was a third thing.  (Elder Shumway) What? (Nick) I felt like there was a third thing we need to tell the zone.  Ummm, Obviously keep encouraging them to live the zone plan. (Elder Shumway) Yeah.  (Nick) Gotta love it when you don’t remember stuff cause I know that there’s a third thing.  We talked about it with one of our district leaders the other night… Oh!  Remind them about service on Wednesday!! There we go!  I remembered something!

Oh, I need plates, where are the plates? (whistling) So, lately when I’ve been making pancakes I’ve been putting some butter on the skillet as the first thing and that first pancake that comes off is just full of butter.  Tastes wonderful.  I’m sure sister Wadsworth would probably kill me if she saw me eating this.  Oh my goodness!  We saw the most hilarious thing at Walmart last week!  Deep Fried Twinkies.  They sell deep fried twinkies at Walmart.  Like in the freezer goods section.  They even had a deep fried chocolate filled twinkie.  We’re like “Oh my goodness if sister Wadsworth saw this…”  She’s very big on us living healthy, which is good.  Exercise, eat right… she’s not like “You need to go vegan” or anything, or vegetarian, but just actually think about what you eat. Bless her heart.  I’m sure we as missionaries give them so many heart attacks. Worry them.

I really like this mix cause I feel like, I use as much mix as the other ones, and this box is full of mix too, and the same amount only makes three pancakes, but three pancakes are a little more filling, so I don’t know.  The grill’s gotten a little too hot… There we go, that’s what a good pancake looks like.

Oh, let me think, this week has been, it’s been an adventure. But it’s been wonderful.  Things here have been going well. Oh, all the snow is melting.  We’ve had a nice warm spell this last week.  It’s gotten up in the 40’s. It’s been so nice. I don’t feel like I’m ice skating everywhere and having freaking war flashbacks to ice-skating with the Allen ranch ward.  It’s been pretty good here. Pancakes are looking good.

How have you guys been doing?  Is uh… I don’t even know what to ask.  I love that email you sent me of that picture that Madison posted on Instagram or something? (part muffled conversation about borrowing a charger)  I’m going to pause this recording.  Love you mom! Bye!