So, this is the new year. I don't feel any different.

December 27, 2010

There's always this kind of awkward space at the end of the year where it's too late to wish people a Merry Christmas, but too early to wish them a Happy New Year. I guess that's why Mom and Dad got married during this bizarro, meta-holiday week, exactly one thousand years ago. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Guys, it was so nice to talk to you on Christmas. I know we get to communicate each week through emails, but there's something special about hearing everyone's voices. Speaking of which, Mom mentioned that my voice sounded deeper -- is that true? I just read an email from Brady saying that you guys apparently had the bass turned up really loud on the laptop speakers or something, so maybe my deep voice was just a technical problem, and not a sign of manliness at all. Anyway, I loved talking to you all. I just wish we could have had more time para conversar because that hour went by waaaaay too fast. I guess that's what happens when you have such an insanely big family. It was a fun time to hear how (and what) everyone is doing, to listen to your funny mouse stories, and to hear the little nieces and nephews talk or make noises. Honestly, that was probably the weirdest thing about the phone call home: stuff is changing, and time is passing. I still can't believe how much Katelyn sounds like a real person instead of a little toddler-zinha or how Collin can already talk. Shoot, Sam even has an extra deep voice now. Everyone's growing up!

Christmas Day was only unique because it was so underwhelming and ordinary. We ate an early lunch with a nice family who has no Christmas traditions, looked for an open LAN house for awhile and never found one, made the phone call home, and then ate dinner with the LZs at a member family's house from their ward. It was a nice day, but it wasn't especially memorable. I did have a satisfying buildup to Christmas, though. Starting with the rebroadcast of the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional, the few weeks leading up to Christmas had their share of holiday cheer.

This week, we had a mission Christmas conference in Ribeirão Preto. For the first (and probably the last) time in my whole mission, all the missionaries had a conference in the same chapel. We had a special Christmas program that was actually really good, President spoke to us, and we got to watch the Grinch (the Jim Carrey one)! It would have been better if we got to watch it in English (dubbed movies are the worst thing in the world), and if it wasn't a pretty crappy movie in the first place. I couldn't believe how obnoxious it was.

For the last three weeks our mission has been engaged in a competition between the zones. Each zone can get points based on the cleanliness of the missionaries' houses (we have been sending weekly photos of the houses to the office), whether or not we achieve the standard of excellence each week (5 people at church, 160 contacts, etc.), and if we baptize. Each dupla that gets two baptisms for the month, which is the mission goal, gets a ton of points for their zone. Anyway, my comp and I baptized two this month, as have most of the other duplas in our zone, so we won! I found out this morning. That means that tonight we are going to have a pizza party and watch flippin' Toy Story 3!! And there's no way I'm going to watch that movie in Portuguese. I'm so dang excited.

Of course, I'll only get to watch the movie if I survive the rest of the day. In just over two hours, I'm going to go to a little health clinic, and someone is going to cut, rip out, or maybe even burn my ingrown toenail out / off. I don't really know how it's going to work, but I guess they just cut a vertical line down the nail and take out the part that's growing under the carne. I don't know if I'll be allowed to walk this week, or when I'll be able to use shoes again, or even if it's going to hurt. I just hope they use anesthesia.

Anyway, é isso aí. I want to personally wish you guys a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Maybe we'll get to see each other during the holiday season next year. Happy thousandth Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love all of you so much, and I hope you're having fun with everyone back at the house together!

luv

booooga

ps I'm attaching some photos. The first is my list of the things to talk about on the phone call, the second is my companion and me wishing you a Very-Berry-Merry Christmas, and the third is me on Christmas Eve. [Editor's note: Sorry! Photos won't copy]