Knudson - Firth Team Up

So here is the Knudson update for you. Got home from the mission at the end of April. My entire family was living in Washington at that time, which was so amazing. We took a family trip to Mexico and it was one of the better vacations I've ever been on. Not long after that I got a job selling cell phones. I was doing that for a few months when an interesting opportunity opened up. Back in 2006 my parents had built a house in Provo with the intention of selling it. Unfortunately the housing market kinda crashed, and so they weren't able to do that. They've been renting it ever since. But in September of last year the renters who had been there for awhile had moved out. The plan was to again try and sell the house. So I decided that, well I could either live at home for free or move to a college town in Utah for free. The option seemed obvious. Midway through October I moved out here and I'm still living to Provo dream. I'm basically going to live here until the house sells, which could be anywhere between 3 to 6 more months. In the mean time I transferred my cell phone sales to the Costco in Orem and I'm selling phones there now. I also have 4 roommates who are all more or less random. Life is good here.

But when I'm not working I have some other things that take up my time. I recently started a website and brought along Elder Firth as my second in command. Technically the site isn't officially up yet, but in about a month you will be able to go to www.PlayItHow.com . Basically I realized that I have a lot of connections in the gaming industry and so I decided to capitalize on that. Both of my brothers make board games for a living and my sister-in-law's father is the CFO of Toys R Us. The website is simple. I take the rules of games and I put them in video format. Basically how to play any game you can think of. I've also created a solid plan for monetizing it and its looking to be fairly promising. I'll be sure to keep you updated.

No long-term girlfriends at the moment, no life changing experiences per say. I keep in contact with a good handful of mission friends, and I run into someone from the mission just about every other week (working at Costco you see looottss of people). Elder Pace and I still talk every so often and has commissioned me to finalize the Daniel Dissertation. I'm probably not as proactive as I could be, but it is a fairly daunting task (especially working full time and starting a website and girls and life and whatever else).

Erdman Heaven

Life for us here in Oregon has been overwhelmingly busy since our mission, as we found much work needed on our home and yard. Every room has been painted and has new carpet or tile on the floors. This required much sorting and eliminating, and now our attic is even empty. We are including a before and after picture of the back yard and also of the inside the house where we removed the wood stove and wall.Although there will always be things we can do everything is now under control and we are living a "normal" life once again.

Kim has resumed drawing and also has begun to work on his writing projects. He walks every day, and I often go with him part of the way. We do a session or two at the temple each week, I'm continuing indexing--It has been a good rest activity between periods of housework. Of course we have Ward responsibilities, and are enjoying renewing old friendships with people we've missed these last 6 years. I'm looking forward to some sewing and craft projects, and when weather dries out a bit Kim will be very busy in the yard again.

Two grandchildren have come to our family since we left our mission, so we now have 30. Needless to say we are enjoying the one family that lives near us, and I even get to teach two of them piano as well as another adult who wants to learn. I think I may try to get 2 or 3 more students.

It is really nice to be home again, but we miss the mission atmosphere, attending the zone meetings with our energetic elders, and seeing their growth as well as the growth of folks in our little Gulfport Branch. We would love to go on another mission if I can get my back in better shape again. We're still trying to find as good help as I had in Florida.

May the Lord bless you as you continue His work throughout life. "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing one another."--Crescenzo

Love,
Kim & Dorothy Erdman

Another BYU Couple

Hello FTM from the Crafton's

I just got married one month ago December 28th 2010 to Allie Rammell now Crafton from Rexburg Idaho. We are currently attending BYU and she is studying English and I'm studying Exercise Science. We are loving provo although we are more busy than both of us ever have been. Life is good and we couldn't be better. Its good to hear from everybody.

Love,

Jordan and Allie Crafton

Former Missionaries Meet in January 2011

Hello President & Sister Colton,

Today, the Rippons were in Salt Lake City visiting family, so Carters, Sumps and Harts got together with them for lunch at a local restaurant. Of course we enjoyed our visit and reminiscing about the FTM! It was such a great experience for all of us.

Sending our love,

Nancy & Richard Hart

Shauna with Students

Graduation is coming up quickly for me and I'm looking forward to the changes it will bring. I'm at BYU and I finish my undergraduate work in April with a BA in Humanities. I'm also completing a minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It has a been a wonderful choice of study for me and I've had some great opportunities with the things I'm learning. Last April I began working with Provo School District in their Adult Community Education program as an ESL teacher for evening classes. Although it was a little daunting at first, I quickly came to love teaching my classes and most of all, I love getting to know my students. It's funny how after years of never wanting to be a teacher, that is exactly what I'm doing and what's more, I'm loving it! We have a lot of fun in the classes and they definitely keep me laughing. In addition to teaching, I also work on campus as a TA for a Humanities professor. I love this opportunity too as I get to learn more about the world of art, literature, history, and human values. I'm currently the mission prep/PMG teacher in my ward and I think it's one of my favorite callings I've ever had. The next few months will surely bring many new changes as I leave Provo, but I'm looking forward to whatever comes next!

Shauna Stewart

News From Western Wyoming Community College

Dear President and Sister Colton,

It's so wonderful to hear from both of you! I'm so glad things are going well since you've returned home. I was able to return to visit the mission in August this last year and it brought back so many wonderful memories. So an update on me. I'm living in Rock Springs, Wyoming while attending Western Wyoming Community College. I will be finished with my associate of fine arts degree in Musical Theatre this spring. I am looking at which schools to attend next and it looks like the University of Northern Iowa is the leading candidate. Right now I am attending a wonderful college branch which averages anywhere from 60 to 100 people a week. The spirit is always wonderful and everyone is so friendly. Right now I am serving as a Sunday School teacher and a Home Teacher. I love being able to serve in any way possible. I hope you enjoy Stake Conference and I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Elder Oswald

News From the Pearsons

Hello friends!

Well, I’ve been meaning to send the Coltons something for the blog for a few weeks now to update everyone on my life. Since getting home I returned to BYU hoping to study Media Arts. After the application process my first semester back I was admitted into the program emphasizing in Critical Studies and New Media. Pretty much that means that I am studying how the Internet and Social Media affect society and how people represent themselves using these media. I’m a big nerd, but you all know that.

Soon after getting accepted into the program I met the most wonderful women in the world and married her six months later. Jamie is studying Family and Consumer Science at BYU and we are living in Provo. She works at the bakery on BYU campus and loves it there. I am currently working as a film editor a BYU funded program called Hallow Ground, Sacred Journeys working on documentaries about church history sites.

We graduate in about a year and a half and I plan on attending graduate school somewhere… we’re still looking into where that will be. It’s been a great year and we love life.

Proverbs 17:17

David and Jamie Pearson