Peanut Butter Fiasco

We go home teaching for one hour and look what we have to put up with when we get home...! 

(Emma Paskett)

Derek's last letter from the field...

Dear Bodacious, Spectacular and like no other Family:

You are reading my last letter I'll send you from the mission. I'm bittersweet about coming home. I've enjoyed so much of this mission experience. I hope I will be able to express it by who I am.

The Hills will be baptized on the 26th (Saturday) and they are ready for it. They love family night and have applied it very successfully. The spirit in their home was so apparent. We could feel it as we walked into their apartment. They have been really awesome to work with.

I've been shedding a tear here and there the last coupe of days for the people of Washington just like the Hills. I want them all to come unto the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I have no idea what it would be like if I didn't come on the mission. However, I'm grateful I gave up these two years to experience the true joy of following the Savior's example.

Devan, I hope I can teach everything I know so you can be a better missionary than I am. I hope you'll be accepting of what I want to share with you. I hope everyone will still benefit from the service that was rendered. I want you to all meet everyone out here. Side note as well, I've been giving it my bestest out here.

Love you all so much.
I can't wait to see you all again.
Edlere Derek Davidson

President Gordon B. Hinckley 1910 - 2008

I was so sad to hear that President Hinckley had passed away on Sunday. But almost at the same time I started to feel sad I had a thought that I should be happy because now he can be with his sweet wife that he missed so much.

                                        

I was so impressed by the younger generation who decided to honor President Hinckley by wearing their Sunday best on Monday (see Brooke's email below).

~Tanner received a call this morning from a friend saying to wear his Sunday Best to school today in honor of President Hinckley's passing. After he got off the phone I asked him what was up, he told me then followed by telling me that he got over 12 text's last night from friends telling him what the plan was for today. So as Tanner, Bailey and Madison decided to do it, Mike and I also did. Then at noon, I saw this news report (below- link) and thought how GREAT this really was. Then come to find out other schools through out Utah did either do the Sunday Best or dressed in white. Just thought I'd share this with you, if you didn't see it-
Love,
Brooke

You can either read it, or watch it on their video link in the square (tv box) in the right hand corner, and click through the stories until you get to the picture of the boy with the cell phone, then press play. (2 minutes)
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=fcf19936-7591-4414-b37e-c52c51199b6c

Part 2 of Christmas in Fiji

Here are some other pics of my trip. The first one is of us three on this rafting trip that they took us to a huge waterfall, it was really pretty. The second is Christmas day when we gave out presents to the kids in a village. Me eating Christmas dinner on the floor (there is a big fish head in front of me that I actually ate!)

Christmas in Fiji!

Hey everyone!

I have been getting emails from a few family members telling me to get some pictures up from my trip to Fiji, so here are a few of them. It was amazing. I didn't know if I was going to get out there because of all the delays that I had (8 hours in SLC, 24 hours in LAX). I pretty much wanted to die.
Mom and Dad are amazing! They are just the exact same and I kinda had a realization that I had when I was getting home from my mission, just that when you finally see those who are so close to you it seems like it wasn't even that long at all. Then I kinda thought that that is probably how it will be on the other side. I think we will just pick up right where we left off, loving, learning, and growing from each other.
The members were great. We drove about 4 hours to get to the church from the airport, (it would have been about 2 if I would have driven :). The people love mom and dad so much. Mom does a great job of remembering everyones names and does a great job of playing along with their sense of humor. There were a few members who love to tease dad, they would tell him "act your age!", it was pretty funny.
I've never experienced a Christmas like that before. It was an amazing thing to drive around to different villages with all of the toys that the family provided and see the kids be so excited to get anything at all for Christmas. The people were so nice and humble, and I haven't felt that kind of love from people since my mission in Japan. It was touching to see the happiness of the people and I know that mom and dad are influencing a lot more people than they will ever know.
The tourist sites were great as well but it was a lot like Hawaii. If you are looking to go on a good vacation to treat yourself right, go to Hawaii. If you are going on vacation to treat yourself right and have an amazing experience meeting some amazing people then go to Fiji. You won't regret it!!!
Mom and dad love you all so much and I felt like they were always asking about all of you, we are blessed to have such great parents and grandparents.

North Dakota Dance Competition

Demory's JR. High Dance Team just took 4th in State Dance Competition. It was a great day and they were extremely happy because they were the only jr high team in Bismarck (out of 5) to make it into the finals. CONGRATS DEMORY ANN!!!!

Chevaliers win REGION! (Sarah takes 2nd in drill down)

The Chevaliers placed 1st overall, 1st in military, 2nd in dance and 1st in novelty! Sarah placed 2nd in drill down competing against 100+ dancers. With only 3 left in drill down, Sarah kept trying to mess-up because "all those eyes were on her," she said. Fortunately, the other 2 dancers kept missing at the same time. WAY TO GO SARAH!!!

Flat Fiona

Madison, we have had a fun time with Flat Fiona. We took her to the beach and on a river trip. We saw many Fijian people. We took her to eat Fijian food which is really different. And we also gave her some hot spicy Indian Curry and Rice. She liked the rice, but the curry had too many chili peppers in it. She is on an airplane now flying back to Alpine, she should be there in about 10 days.

We both love you Madison, Grandpa and Grandma