August 18, 2014

I am so excited for Dallen to be in seminary. especially when his senior year will be the Book Of Mormon. I did it my freshmen year and i didnt pay too much attention haha. so senior year will be pretty amazing for him. especially when preparing for a mission. Calvin being a bouncer is pretty funny. i can totally see it. not exactly a great environment but oh well. im pretty sure you thought i was Derrek in that paragraph haha. i can totally see Ashton playing the guitar. And when Derrek gets home they can jam out. haha. 

Mom, thank you for all your patience and love and kindness and the great example you have set for us growing up. its funny to think back over the progression as we grew up. like when we were younger and we would clobber each other and you would freak out and cry. but after a while all you would say is "take it outside, Dont break my house" which happened quite often. then me putting a ton of little holes in the wall. having to fill them and repaint. but then wrestling and putting a huge hole in the wall haha. and then us being boys were always pretty dirty minded haha. after a while you would catch it before we did haha. someone would say something and before we could even think dirty you would say "thats what she said" before any of us could and it would only make us laugh even harder. haha or you would stop us before we could say anything. you knew us so well. knew our thoughts even before we did. it made growing up in our family a wonderful experience. i loved it

I know that i have my rough days. and i know that you probably think that i have a crap work ethic and i cant do hard things and that youre probably expecting me to come home early. but even in my rough days i know that itll get better. i know that i can do hard things. i know the time will fly by and i know that i will finish my mission, and ill give the best homecoming talk youve ever heard haha. then im gonna go to clear creek and go cliff jumping. i wanna go on a camp out with dallen and ashton and dad when i get home. leave for a week. and i want us to read the whole book of Mormon together in a week. i think itll be awesome. im sorry if i disappoint you with some of my choices and mistakes. i wasnt exactly the easiest child to raise. i honestly dont know how you did it. especially with five of us. you get a lot of sympathies from the people here in colorado. I also want to thank dad for all the advice and help he has given me over the course of my life. i honestly wouldnt be where i am today with out him. he is someone i look up to immensely. ill always reach out to him for help and advice. and i know that i havent been the most affectionate child ever but man i cant wait to get home and hug the crap outta you guys. and ill never stop. i havent shown much appreciation for all that youve done so i have a lot of hugs and kisses to make up for. youll be sick of me in no time haha. it makes me so happy that you and Jackee are becoming good friends. i read my patriarchal blessing all the time and i cant believe how much it has helped me and is going to help me in my life. i really love my family alot. my emails are short and for the most part positive. but i wont lie i have some extremely low and hard moments throughout the week. but i keep going. i do my studies but my family is something that really gets me by. and the thought that i need to finish what i started. i guess what dad said about me having to earn her is something that really motivates me to keep going. because its true.. I am going to finish this. as hard as it may be. im doing it. i just hope that ill be strong enough to get through the hard times. but studying really helps. the book of mormon really keeps me going. and prayer. no im not a perfect missionary but im a good one. ive become quite the teacher. ive learned alot. i love it. this is the last week of the transfer. crazy how fast time flies. \

i love you mom

i love you dad

 thanks for all that you do for me in my life. 

Love
Elder Bowler