Happy New Year 2012

Hi everyone. Here is Scott's latest letter. Always fun to read. When he mentions the "New Year's Grapes" -- for those who have never spent New Year's with our family, it is a tradition from Spain that Steve did as a little boy living there. We have continued to do it every year. You have to eat 12 grapes before the clock strikes 12 times -- and if you complete that -- you will have good luck throughout the year. It's not as easy as it sounds. Well -- hopefully 2012 will be a year of good luck for all of you! .......Carolann

Hi Fam. I would like to start off by giving a shout out to Elise Chilton for her birthday on friday!! Sorry this is a little late but i want you to know that i was thinking about you and i hope that all went well.

So the new year was fun and it was just a tad bit different being down here in mexico! haha. Let's just say that they party a little bit harder than we do up there! I went to bed on saturday night and put in my earplugs and everything, but was woken up a couple times in the middle of the night with extremely loud fireworks. I woke up to one that had actually been launched through one of our windows! I think i peed my pants a little on that one! haha. We spent the evening with the Castillo family again and we ate dinner and did the traditions of the grapes. I will send you some fun pictures. Let's just say that i didn't eat all of the grapes though, so i hope that doesn't affect my good fortune in this next year! Thanks so much for the pictures that you sent me about the new year's party there in the house. It sure looked like fun, and that is so fun that Chrissy, Corey and their mom was there with you guys.

So as for this week it was a little bit tough, but things are still looking up! One of the positives is a guy named Salvador! He is the dad of the family we took the dinner to the other night. I have been meeting with the guy forever. He has always liked the church but just never accepted a fecha for baptism! I have probably challenged him with about 5 dates and never been successful! Well this week we had a great talk with him and we put a fecha for this coming saturday. He accepted and is really excited and so am I! I was talking to him and i said "Well Salvador, I was thinking that Bishop could baptize you!" and he said "Well it is my baptism, right? And i get to choose?" And i told him of course you can have whoever you want. He then said that "I guess you should probably do it then!" I got a little nervous at this because the guy is way big!!! haha. That is why i recomended bishop, because our bishop is also a bigger guy, but he insisted! SO i will let you know how that goes in my next letter! Hopefully I dont like throw out my back. Oh yeah, and this week we have to actually go to make pants for him! I love the guy to death and i am so happy for him!!

The other positive is a young kid named Allan and his mom Sara. We are teaching their whole familly but Allan has really been the one who has just loves church. He is 18 years old and he tells me how he is going to go on a mission next year and everything and he will be getting baptized as well this week. The catch about the mom is that she still isn't married with her husband, so we will try to figure all of that out to be able to baptize her with her son.

Well the new year is here and I sure have been receiving the blessings! I hope that everything is great there as well! Today we went to what is called the peña de bernal which is the third biggest rock in the world! We climbed up some of it and it was really fun so i will send you some pics of that as well! Oh and I forgot to tell you this! I Owned my pants! haha. I was playing a game with Rodrigo Castillo and I went down really fast and as you can imagine with the 20 pounds I have put on, my butt is pretty big, and i just ripped right through those bad boys! haha (Mom you need to put this in the email!)

The pics here are one of me with the New Year's grapes smashed in my mouth. My comp was eating them all slow, but you know me! haha. The other is me and my district leader! Love the guy! He is my best friend here I think.

As always, thanks for all the support! Love you lots!

Elder Holmes