Wednesday, December 4, 1996 Yesterday had awesome weather, it got to around 51° and sunny all day. Right now it's 32° and 7:35 am, I go to school in ten minutes. It is uphill both ways when I walk to school, the road goes down and then up. I had cereal for breakfast this morning, after seminary, and Lenny picked us up. I can do 111 regular pushups, and 50 Lewis Whitaker pushups, where you have to keep your elbows by your sides. I put new rubber bands on my laser, because someone at school took the old ones off. This morning on our way back from seminary, I saw a Porsche behind us, and it's lights were not light yellow colored like everyone elses, they were light purple. I thought that was interesting. I didn't check the mail at the Post Office yesterday, so I am going to today. Lewis Hatton's birthday is sometime this weekend, and I am going to finish the tape for him, that I request songs for, and send it with Descent to him. I got Spirit in the Sky on the tape yesterday, so I think that makes five or six songs. And I have lots of homework, so I don't know how I am going to fill the tape up. Saturday, December 7, 1996 We just got home from basketball at the church, and it's five. It is raining after a day of snow, and stuff. My maximum number of pushups without stopping is now 130. Now, tonight after we eat dinner of submarine sandwiches, I want to pop come popcorn and put a little butter on it. Then I want to read a book or watch tv or something. Lenny still works until ten, and now the mall is open until ten because of the holiday. I go to Russian class Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and this last day, we had a visitor, even though I am the only one in my class, and she told me about the exchange trip to Russia. It's in the spring, for five weeks. She said if I went it would cost $900 which isn't very much, and I would be famous in the city I went to. We would tour Moscow and St. Petersburg, and stay in Archangel. The group would be pretty small though. Ali right now is trying to get the CD's out of the CD changer for the car, but I don't think it's going to work. I can do 11 pullups too. I don't know what else to say anymore, because I am kind of tired. I call Tammie Emat. So I will leave now. Saturday, December 14, 1996 It is 5:30 and 35° outside, and I am in my gray pajamas, after I took a shower, after Ali and I got back from an over night campin at the church. Yesterday we went to the church with our backpacks and set up our sleeping bags in the nursury room and we ate a little, and played basketball. Then we watched Mission Impossible, but there were only about three good parts that I liked. After that was over, we tried to go to sleep, but we couldn't, so me and Tom and Aaron were walking around the church with the flashlight and we tried to make a swish with the basketball, because everyone was asleep, but it was really noisy and bounced all over. Then we went over to the corner room by the chapel and turned on the light and James and Devin came with us. So there were five of us, and we were going to go back to the gym and we saw a cop outside with his headlights shining in. So we decided to go through the chapel, but we all folded our arms. Then the cop drove around to that other side, and Aaron and Devin kept flashing the lights in rooms back and forth to see if the cop was awake or not. Tom and I kept going back to our sleeping bags every once in a while, but kept getting back up because we wanted to see what was happening, and we couldn't sleep. Then Aaron shined the flashlight at the cop and Devin opened the door to outside, and then we saw the door open, so we ran down the hall to our sleeping bags. We stayed there, and after a couple minutes, we saw they had a spotlight shining all over the windows. Pratt got up and talked to the cop when he came in the church, but then we all went to sleep, at two in the morning. Sunday, December 15, 1996 We had a good day today, it is 7:50pm, and 34° and after church today, Ali went with Seymour to do the sacrament and when they got back, we went home and I talked to Lenny for a while. Then we had lunch, and then Lenny talked to the whole family about stuff and now I am not going to do homework any more on Sunday. Then we all piled in the car and went to the church at four for choir practice. Ali sang with us for a while, then he left with Lenny and Debbie to Bar Harbor to get Tammie. Then after that, we wandered around the church with Tom and Jared and stuff. Then at six, we went back into the chapel for the Christmas First Presidency Devotional, for an hour, and Tom and I were on the front row. That was really neat, then after that, Ari, Daniel, and I got a ride home with the Hekking's. Then I ate two pieces of bread with butter and honey on it and some carrots and cheese, then I wrote in my journal. Ari called people to see who had party lines on their telephones, so we could maybe see how many people we could call lots of people and stuff. I am trying to go to sleep, but I found out I hadn't finished my journal. It is 8:41 and so I am going to sleep, poor Ali, he won't sleep much. Thursday, December 19, 1996 Today it is foggy with light rain and stuff. Last night, the PHS chorus had a concert with the band, orchestra, and jazz band, and we all went to it, except Lenny because he went to a meeting. Ali and I are in the Chorus. Ali is also in band and jazz band, and Tammie is in band too. The jazz band was the best, especially when Ali got up and played a solo. I told him he should have swinged his trumpet all around and walked around the stage, but he didn't. We were really good, and I wore my green suit with my black silk shirt and thin black tie. Then today, I went to school and took my science test and then went to the Auditorium for the rest of the school day to sing, except we got a lunch break and I went to history class. We sang to a whole ton of grade schoolers and kindergarteners, and then at the end of school, the whole school came in and we sang, but we didn't sing everyone's favorite because Mr. Nordli forgot. Our favorite is The House Of Blue Lights. I want to have a real piano or a grand or baby grand so I can practice songs and get real good, because I can't with the electric keyboard. Tuesday, December 24, 1996 I am happy now. At the mall I bought a silk scarf, in Macy's, it's purple and has flowers all over it, and it was the best one there, which cost $40. It was 25% off, so it cost me $30. I left it in the red box it came in, and drew a card from the leftover paper from copying the Secret Service business cards for Kanosh. I drew a picture on it and everything, then I taped it on, and wrapped the box with a brown paper bag, and taped that with duct tape. Then I addressed it to Mom and stuck those foreign stamps all over it, but left room in the top right corner. Then I went to the post office and weighed it at 4.5oz, and stuck four 32¢ stamps on it and mailed it. Yesterday, we got three boxes in the mail from Mom with presents in it for us three. Then last night, I went with Debbie and we drove all over to get lots of things done. We stopped by AutoLab to see if they could show us how to get the wooden gearshift knob on the Jag, that we got for Lenny for Christmas, so I could run down there and switch it from the old plastic one on Christmas Eve. They showed us, and then I was trying to get it on all the rest of the day. Aaron came over for most of the day and I went shopping with Debbie and to the mall and stuff. Down in the parking lot, I finally got the knob on all the way, by using WD-40, but then I couldn't get it off, so we just left it on. When Debbie and I were out at HQ getting pipes and contact paper to make shepherd staffs, we were by where Lenny works, so we just decided we wouldn't get home and back by 5:30, so we just picked him up then. Right when he touched the knob, he jerked his hand away and looked at it in disbelief. It was good. Then we drove around a little and got fabric to make shepherd costumes for the Night In Bethlehem at the church. When we got home, I typed up the telegram for Lewy, and it looked extremely authentic. Then this morning, I soaked it in vinegar and put it in the oven until it was brown, and it looked like an old telegram. Then I wrote the postmaster in Kanosh a letter and enclosed five dollars and the telegram for them to deliver to Lewis Hatton. Then I sent the letter. This morning I did 150 pushups in a row, because I'm getting a lot better at this. It's 49°, and it's almost Christmas. I think it should be 10°, but if it's not going to be, that's ok with me. Tammie, Ali, Daniel, and I went to the mall on the public transportation and looked at various things. Ali and I were going to get Tammie a gold necklace to hold her Young Women's award, but we were three dollars short. It was very overpriced at $70, but was 60% off, but we still didn't have enough. Sister Shule is coming over with some parcels, Christmas presents, in a couple of minutes. I just barely finished typing the end of my Kanosh journal for this last year, now I will type it and send it with a picture from school with my next letter to Kanosh. It is -20° in Montana without the windchill and it's 70° in Phoenix. That's a 90° difference in just the United States. It it light rain right now, and tomorrow we might get some flurries. We all opened a present, when Lenny got home, and Mom gave me a night sky blue sweater with polar bears on it. I just got my journal perfectly caught up and backed up on a disk, so I am really happy now. Monday, December 30, 1996 Today is Monday and stuff. Lenny and Debbie went to Washington D.C. on Saturday night to see Johnny before he goes to China. I am writing a letter to Kanosh to send in an envelope with some cool pictures, like me and Ali armwrestling. I got a letter from Kanosh in e-mail Sunday morning and Lewis Whitaker wrote some of it. I decided I am going to do 100 Lewis Whitaker pushups for Emat's birthday in May. Daniel bombed the 638 three times already so far today. Lenny told us not to use the big hard drive until he can back it up, so I must copy my journal over. Daniel keeps using it though, and I can't get him to stop. He wants to use all these programs that we haven't used for years and they mess up the computer. I called Chris on Saturday night and he is cool. He said his sister's fish jumped out of the tank and committed suicide. Yesterday I finished typing the synopsis for the whole Bible and now I am happy. Lenny and Debbie are supposed to be home at midnight. Ali and Daniel and I went to the store this morning to get eggs, milk, and bread so we could have waffles for breakfast, and then we dropped off my coat at the dry cleaners while it was 32°. So I almost froze on the way home. This summer when school gets out, we might all go to Nebraska and start there and walk or ride bikes to Utah, and we might live in Kanosh. I think that would be awesome. Emat says Hi. I don't know what I am going to do now, probably homework that's due on Thursday. Thursday, January 2, 1997 Well, on yesterday, Lenny and I and Debbie went to plant the tree, after all of us cleaned our rooms. On our way back from planting it, we stopped at a Land Rover store and Lenny said if it was open, we could test drive one. So we stopped, but Debbie didn't go with us. The guy had an accent and Lenny was asking him all these questions, like he was going to buy one, he even said, "So how soon can you sell me one?" Then we got in three different Range Rovers and finally we drove the last one. It just wouldn't slip, Lenny slammed on the brakes and hit the gas while he was maneuvering and it still wouldn't slip on the snow. It was pretty fancy. It also accelerated pretty quick and the guy said it did 130mph. That was real fun, and so then we went home and today, I had a good time at school, and came home and Daniel was here. It snowed just a little, about .4 inches. Friday, January 3, 1997 This is the morning. We all got up at 5:05 and said a prayer and sang a song and got ready. Then we all jogged up to the end of PHS and back in the freezing rain and an inch or more of snow. That took ten minutes and Daniel was in front so we couldn't pass him, and we were all together. Then when we got back, Ali and I looked at the news to see if school was cancelled, but it wasn't, and I think it probably won't be, because it's not that dangerous. Then I got a shower and wrote in my journal. It's cloudy and 23° outside at six thirty. I check the weather on the weather channel three times a day for my science project, and I record my happiness at those times too. I am going to see how the weather affects my happiness and what the perfect weather for me would be. It's pretty fun too, so now I know a lot about the weather, more than other people anyway. In P.E., I went to the weight room yesterday and bench pressed 130. I did 140 once, because it was the first thing I did when I went in. I military press around 80 I think. Anyway, I have to keep a 96% at least average in Science to have my semester grade in Science to be an A, which is a 93%. I think I have a 97% right now. Mid-term finals are coming up in twelve days. We watched Joe Versus The Volcano on Sunday night, it was kind of funny. I am mostly happy, and school isn't too hard. I still want to move to Kanosh, but since it's kind of dry and stuff, I'd have to get used to it. So, I don't know what else to write. You are probably wishing I would write about some certain thing that you're thinking of, but I don't know what it is, or I would. Lenny and Debbie are on the couch talking and everyone else is on the other side of the suite on my bed reading books. All of a sudden they are reading books, I don't know why either. Friday, January 10, 1996 Today it was snowing when we woke up at 5, and it had about an inch already. It was ten degrees warmer than yesterday, 26°. We didn't have seminary, we found out when we got back from running, and we hoped we didn't have school, but we did. At school I found out that I got a hundred on my Science test, and I have A's in all the classes, except in English that's 92%, and 93% is an A. I took the math test today, and I think I got them all right. Then it kept snowing, with a little freezing rain. In P.E., we ran around the track for 12 minutes, and 16.75 laps is a mile, and I ran 30.5 laps. Then we did situps, I got 44 in one minute, then 39 after waiting a minute. Then we did pushups, and I was the best at them, people were saying, "Slow down Eli", and I did 84 in one minute. Those were regular pushups. Then I had study hall and then English. Then Ali and I walked home, and I fell backwards when we crossed the street, because there was an icy part. Ali slipped and almost fell down, but we were laughing and a guy walked by and he was smiling. Ali and Tammie and I walked over to Shop 'n Save and got a 25lb. bag of white flour, and I carried it on my shoulder until we got to the hill to our apartment, then I gave it to Ali. We got back around 3:30 and I wrote in my journal. I am pretty happy now, and all that jazz, and I need to write Kanosh a letter soon, because they haven't written to me for so long. Thursday, January 16, 1996 Today it rained after we got back from seminary, and so the ice and snow on the sidewalk to school was even more slippery. It got up to about 41° today, and in the middle of January! Two days ago was Jessie Hatton's birthday, she turned sixteen, in Kanosh. Tonight it's supposed to get below 0, and it was -70°F with the wind chill around North Dakota. At the post office, we got a delivery of Lenny's scriptures that he left at Johnny's place when he and Anne went down there, and I got a letter from Jessie. Also, I finished my Science Project to figure out if the weather affects my happiness, and I think it does. I took it all to Kinko's and printed the two graphs that got mutilated by our printer trying to put page numbers on them. Then I cut out a picture from the polar bear book mom sent me, and used it for the front page, then I got it all bound in see through plastic on the front and black on the back. It was pretty neat. I beat Lenny in an armwrestle both arms tonight. I can do 65 Lewis Whitaker pushups, 150 regular, and I can bench press 150lbs. I am fourteen years old, and I weigh 117lbs. and am 5'6" tall. I am happy also. Lenny and Debbie went out last night, and now they are out again tonight, until 10:15, now it is 9:30. Tammie has some pretty bad CD's, and she doesn't want to get rid of them. Ari asked Lenny if she could break a CD that was ours, called Real McCoy, and she did, but I liked it. I am going to save 2 Unlimited and Ace of Base from demolition, even though I don't like them as much as Real McCoy. Now I really should be going to bed, because we wake up every morning at five and go run. I also got a letter from Mom, and she says she is content. I miss her a lot, and I want to go see her sometime. Debbie seems extremely confident that we won't be moving to Arizona again though. I don't think she likes to hear about Mom a lot. I have thought a lot lately, and I have number one on my wish list is to be in the Celestial Kingdom with my whole natural family, Lenny, Risa, Ali, Ari, and me.