Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with the Plumbs again this year. The food was great. We had to keep wondering if Nick was having turkey or lobster for his meal. Carli was able to go over and play with Cooper. She learns her "mastiff" moves with him and then comes home and practices on Boomer.

Mom's letter

hey mom, The weather here is messed up. it snowed last friday about 3 inches, but now it is all gone. It is 9 degrees this morning and an absolute monsoon!!! like you wouldn't believe how hard it rains here. i would say the rain storms here could hang with a tropical storm. it is amazing. but yeah the snow is gone, and they say it won't be back till january, which is nice. i love snow when i have a use for it, but those couple of days when i had to work in it was a night mare. so i don't mind being here cause it just rains alot, and the snow doesn't come. I'm pretty stoked to get the christmas box, and to talk to you all on christmas day. I'm curious to know what you put in the box. ohwell it will be like christmas day, away from home. i'm excited. the holidays have been a little rough so far, just cause i love this time of year, but i have realized it is because of being with family and that. so i have had to say a few prayers to keep my mind of home, but i'm doing ok. It is pretty crazy how close darbi and i got in like a year and a half. we were enemies before, but i do miss her a lot and always find myself chuckling at things we did together. but i have done that with all the kids, just remember certain things and then i have to try not to laugh cause my comp will think i'm an idiot. lol. i do love them all though.I haven't gotten a letter from nana. but i haven't checked the post today. so maybe today. but i will tell you next week if i get something from her. i hope she is doing ok. that should be fun for her to go to England, she needs to keep busy like taht i guess.I did here about that story in church from aunt cindy. that is funny. that sounds like something bro. woodbrey would do. oh well maybe it was inspired, you never know what some people need to hear on certain days. i can feel myself growing and maturing, which is nice. it is kinda weird to think about the times when i was in sacrament meeting and a missionary would come home, i remember thinking i want to be like them. and now i can feel myself becomeing like them, i think. i just hope that i can be a good missionary and tool in the Lord's hands. well i love you all and i hope you are doing ok. it does sound like you are though. oh the people that are feeding me tomorrow for thanksgiving let me pick all the food. since i'm american and my comp isn't. so i am looking forward to that tomorrow. it should be good. they are "eternal investigators" the husband is dying to be baptized. but the wife said over her dead body, but she still loves us. so Harvey told us if she does die before him he wants to be baptized, and she gave her permission. it is funny but sad at the same time. but we go over every week and have studies with harvery, you should see his scriptures thay are so marked up it is incredible. anyways. i'm doing great keep me in your prayers and i love you all. love,your son,Elder Novakovich

Elder N.

dad-that is excellent that work is going so well. sorry but i have to tell you this story before i forget, i have forgotten in everyone elses letters. so we have this family who we knocked into, they told us they were not interested in the least, but as we got to talkin about what we do and who we are the lady said " if i had two boys away from home i would want them to be feed" so now we get a dinner apointment every tuesday. so last night we went over and she had forgotten we were coming. it is lobster season over here so people are so busy now. so the husband said well give them some lobster. so we got two fresh caught that day lobsters for dinner last night. so i was pretty excited, to see how this worked to prep them and then try them. so we got home and i was peelin this thing, and i was startin to get grossed out, and didn't know if i was as excited as i was before. but we preped them and then it was time to eat them. seeing i was already a little weary becuase of the things i had just seen, i don't know if i like them too much. it was ok, but i just don't know if i am a sea food guy. i would definately take a burger over a lobster. but alteast i tried it. anyways, i heard about most the sports this week. we had a district meeting and we all talked about it cause we have a senior couple who keeps us updated when we see them, it is fun. but i did hear that max hall was a joke, good thing he plays for BYU. it sounds like theBCS championship race is going to come down to the wire. i must admit i do miss bowl season a little bit. i'm curious to see how i'm giong to hold up come march madness. the camping trip sounded like quite the adventure, i remember those days. those were some funny stories you told about the deacons, i can just picture it in my head. lol. i bet bro. bratten and bro. bise did have some good stories to tell. i would have just mixed some sleeping pills in hot chocolate and gave it to them. but i'm sure you had fun listening to them. thanksgiving sounds like the same old, not that that is bad. i did not like not watchin sports that day though. I have heard it will be weird without me there though. i have thought about that, and i agree. but i do hope you all have fun. i'm doing great and loving life, the days are filled with good experiences. some more than others, but such is the life of a missionary. i love bing here and am anxious to find the elect of God. thank you for all of your support and love. i truly do appreciate it. i'm excited to talk to you on christmas.

Dog's life

It's a "ruff" life around the Novakovich house. Just the other day we had to get out of bed. Can you imagine.

Growing into my bowl

My mom thought I should have a big girl bowl but I have a lot of growing to do first.

Camp out

Mike and Jaren went camping this last weekend with the scouts. It rained and snowed that night but all in all it was fun. The daytime activity was shooting shotguns and rifles. The boys had a fun time and nobody was critically injured.

Letter to dad from Elder N.

well the work is going great here. we both think that something big is about to happen, but we don't get ahead of ourselves, we still work hard. it does get hard sometimes, but i'm ready for the hard times, cause i know that good times with out end are on the other side. it is funny how much i have learned about the gospel just being out here. i get answers to prayers all the time. my testimony is so strong now, and no one will ever tell me it isn't true. we have miracles around us everyday, i have really been able to step back and appreciate what the lord has done for me. i have felt his love so much. it is good that i have been seperated from you guys, cause now instead of relying on your love. i have really learned to feel the love of our savior. anyways i don't want to preach to you too much, cause i'm sure you know exactly what i'm talking about. i just am so grateful for the example you set to me of going on a mission, and that you instilled that in my head. missions are someting that you will never get back or replace, as far as grwoth and maturing. i can't even explain what i feel out here. but i love it. and i love you too dad, thanks for all you do.love always,Your son,elder Novakovich

Missionary News

Mom-you are so funny with electronics. it always makes me laugh how proud you get of yourself for stuff like that. lol. anyways, i guess i will start off with what is fresh in my mind about here. transfers were yesterday, and i am staying for another six weeks. the crazy thing was i didn't even realize a transfer had already come and gone. It is so absolutely nuts that i have been out for six weeks already!! but i'm excited to still be in yarmouth, it is a nice place. so we will be here till the new year, and then another possible transfer. It sounds like you are having too much fun with that new puppy. i wish i could be there to see her grow and pick on boomer, that is too funny about those two. That is AWESOME that jaren is going to be captain of the cross country team next year!! I'm so proud of him. he is the man, i admire how good he is with sports. as for his wrestling he should be ok and if he does lose, tell him to just go out and have fun. trust me it isn't worth it to dwell on not being the best, cause then you force it and you get worse, i have done that. sports is all about doing your best and not pushing too hard. Does darbi have any winter sports? i don't think she does, but if she does tell her good luck.that is pretty sweet that zoe got an award at school. she is such a good girl. how is she doing with me gone? she has written me some pretty sad letters. let her know that i get busy and i don't hate her. just explain to her that it takes a while to communicate. i hope she is doing ok. with that school spirit thing, she is going to be just like lori bourgeous and be off the hook all the time with that. lol. she is so funnny.The primary programs are always good and funny. i wish we had one. big tie knots are were its at though, i'm proud of him. lol. you should see some of the knots in the mission. it's pretty funny, but we have big knot competitions at district or zone conferences. it is a no no to wear them proselyting. after all we are reps of the lord. so i understand, and i have put a couple of my ties away, i think the orange and white one, and i don't wear the pink ones too often. I bet you did bawl when they sang called to serve in primary. you should feel the spirit when actual missionaries sing it. i love singing with elders and sisters. singing at the mtc was awesome cause it was so loud and powerful. wow it was amazing.I was curious to hear how that dvd was, they said they were sending something home, but i didn't know the details. sounds like it was pretty good. how often was i in it? any good pics of me? lol.The weather just turned here. we were enjoying life in the 15 -16 range but now the clouds and fog have left so today it is 2. quite that change i would say, but i am so pumped for some snow to fall. i love the snow. anyways, life is going great here, the time is flying which scares me at times. the work is moving forward and we are waiting for it to really pick up. we are workin with the members a lot to get them invloved. cause yarmouth has a bad rap in the missionary world. so we are trying to pick it up a little bit. anyways, i can't think of any cool stories to tell. just that it is amazing what you find in the scriptures, and in answers to prayers. not one day has gone by that i don't get an answer. i just want you to know that i'm doing great and love being here. i would rather be no place else, i would feel disgusted if i was home right now. cause this is where the lord wants and needs me. i love it here and don't want to leave my mission already. i do miss you all though, hang in there mom. keep busy and i will be home before you know it. I love you tons and am so thankful for you and your support. I love you mom.Love always,your sonElder Novakovich

Saturday Fun

"She just bit me!"

Boomer is in trouble, you can see it in his eyes.

Today mostly consists of playing with the puppy out in the yard. She has adjusted quite well and even slept through the night last night. The kids are having an awesome time playing with her and we enjoy having her around.

Jaren is on his way to his friends house to ride horses. We'll let you know if he breaks anything. The kids are all busy doing their individual things. Darbi went to the high school play with one of her friends last night. Jaren went to the football game and Zoe was stuck at home with mom and dad. We did take her to rent movies and so we three stayed home, at candy, drank soda and watched movies.

Email update

dad, That is so cool that you guys got a new puppy. i bet mom is lovin life with all the training she now gets to do. that is pretty intense how big her dad was, i think you should have gotten a boy with carly, that would have been pretty neat, but i'm sure mom put her foot down on three dogs in the house. I bet the drive was pretty nasty, although the good thing is this time you got to bring someone home instead of leave them behind at the MTC. The weather here is pretty odd, I would compare it to somewhere like london, it gets very foggy, muggy, and rainy allllllll the time. they say it doesn't snow until around christmas time, which doesn't bother me in the least, since on my mission i can't use the snow. Well i think that this week i made a break through as far as missing home. i have been able to overcome homesickness. i have really tried hard to work hard, so it goes away. i can now focus on the task at hand, which is a huge relief to my mind. i think the turn around was the other day, i was big time strugglin and i said a prayer, i got the distinct impression, that even though i can't talk to you when i want or see you. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us and he can supply comfort whenever we need it. like no one else can. I really felt his love that day. It is amazing how much he cares for his missionaries and makes sure they are happy.the sports scene looks like i haven't missed much this year, which is good for me. it looks liek i am rootin for Texas tech even though i would rather texas of beat them, but i know how you feel aboutthat. lol. you always root for the underdog. so we shall see how that goes. but no one saw those two teams bein number one and two when the season started. but that is cool for them.Rick really is a good guy. it is neat to hear how much people look up to you when you are just being your regular self and not trying to be someone i'm not. tell them i am thankful for them and there admiration. Your picture did come through and that was fun to see the new pup. I am trying to send you some pics in email, but i hope it works. I will send my card home, since i got the one in the mail the other day. so hopefully you get them soon.Dad, i am so grateful for all that you have taught me in life, and i will always be. i love you so much. Love always,your sonElder Novakovich

New Family Member

We have a new member of the family. Nikki claims she looks a lot like me. She eats like me for sure. Jaren and I drove to Preston Idaho to pick her up yesterday. She is only 8 weeks old and is going to grow like crazy. Her dad weighs 240 and her mom weighs 170.

Missionary Letter

It is pretty funny being in another country during election time. Everyone asks what I think being an american. I just laugh and tell them who i would want and leave it at that. But it sounds like Obama won from what mom told me, oh well. As far as the weather goes we have been really fortunate here. it has been nice and pretty warm, it looks like it is trying to become winter with all the fog and cold nights but the day s are wonderful. that stinks about zoe and her election. just tell her i love her and she will have more fun not being president, cause when you are president all people do is complain to you. lol. i'm sure she will be ok in a few days. that is so cool that jaren did so well in his race, that is amazing. and darbi also she is amazing for just a freshman. i wish i was as good at anything as a freshman. both of them tear it up on the field. it sounds like byu is still lovin to flirt with danger, i think that is why they lose. who knows. as for sports it sounds like it was a good time to leave with all my teams doing so well this year. man, it is just funny when your teams start doing horrible. good ol' wsu. and so much for the seahawks eh? pathetic it is. I have actually lost weight in the field. it is nice cause in the mtc i was havin to pull my pants tight to get them buttoned, but now they are kinda loose, so that is nice.lol. i heard about derrick and that would be interesting to be in the mtc for the holidays. as for the work here, i am actually beginning to become a focused and hard working missinoary. not that i wasn't just more so now. It is pretty cool to be able to feel the Lord working in my life. I can't believe the blessings that come to one, becuase of missionary service. I have always heard of them, but it is so surreal to have them in your own life. I'm so glad that i am out here. and tell mom to quite asking to get released cause if she does that i'm going to pray that she is still the teacher when i get home. we will alwasys be blessed if we magnify our calling and lose ourself in the service of others. I love you so much and will always be grateful for how you raised me dad. i love you.
Love your son
Elder Novakovich