Week 3

Dear Scott,

It was good to hear from you (as always) on Thursday.  I was told that on temple p-days, missionaries don't have much time for emails and calls, so I'm glad we got the pictures and the few minutes with you.  

It made me try to remember more details about my trip to the Mexico City temple.  I looked it up, and it was dedicated in December 1983, just before I turned 8, so we must have gone shortly before that.  My dad took the six of us older kids, and my mom stayed home with Carl, and was due to give birth to Joseph at the end of December.  We didn't need passports; just our birth certificates.  I remember arriving at night, and we took a cab to a hotel (which I don't remember at all).  My oldest sister Patti was a freshman in high school in her first year of Spanish (I think), and at the restaurant in the morning, she ordered us eggs, since she recognized that on the menu.  I think we wandered around for a while seeing the city (I remember lots of chickens), and at some point ended up on a bus that was so very crowded.  I was trying to stay by my brother Steven (who must have been six) and we were separated by some large ladies who squished us apart.  But we all arrived where we were supposed to, and we got to take a tour of the temple.  Of course I really just remember the white booties we wore on our feet and not a lot about the inside of the temple, but I was grateful to be there.  In the airport on the way home, I bought a tiny doll with a Mexican dance costume and sombrero.  I kept that for MANY years, and I'm not sure when or why I got rid of it.

Thursday night was a soccer game for Tessa, and Pack Meeting for Benson and Dad.  I was sorry to miss it-- Benson earned his Bobcat badge.

On Friday evening I took Emma, Gracie, and Caytie to do baptisms.  We had committed to do some family history work and take the names to the temple because of a recent "Come, Follow Me" lesson, and we had to squeeze it in before the temple closes for a month and a half.  They were all able to print off some names themselves.  We're not great at family history, but we can do some things.

On Saturday Dad took all the girls to Go Ape (the ropes course in Plano) with the Venturing crew girls.  They said they had a really good time.  I took Benson to Target.  We had a good time, too. :)   Gracie and Emma went to a stake activity at Breckenridge Park that night.

Sunday was a good day.  Our RS teacher showed up (yay!) and taught a great lesson on Elder Holland's "Behold the Lamb of God."  We were finally proactive and had Family Home Evening that afternoon, since I knew Monday would be busy.  (I often think on Monday that we should have done FHE on Sunday--but it's too late.)  I had a RS visit after that, and my family book club call that evening.  I seem to miss you most on Sundays--probably because I am used to you being gone all week, but we usually had you around on Sundays.  I hope your Sunday was amazing!

I have learned to meal plan.  I never thought I'd be organized enough to do it, but for the last few weeks, I've planned what we will eat that week, then I make a shopping list and go shopping (or order everything on the Walmart grocery app, depending on how much time I have that day), and it has been wonderful!  Why didn't I start sooner?  I don't have to figure out what to make for dinner every day, because I already did earlier in the week--and already have the ingredients!  Monday is now my meal planning and shopping day.  Monday afternoon and evenings are full of piano lessons, soccer practice, and (this week) a parent teacher conference.  Then Tuesday had school for all of us, fixing the nasty clogged sink drain in the girls' bathroom (my efforts did no good; Dad was the hero with a snake and Draino), and then a soccer game (Dad took Tessa--her team finally won!) and a RS game night, for which I picked up some sisters in Josephine to bring.  Today I'll be taking Emma into Dallas to get her brace adjusted.  The new one she got is leaving bad red marks and bruises on her skin so she (understandably) doesn't like to wear it.

I saw on Facebook that your school posted about your Jazz Band from last year, so I screen shot (?) the message for you.  Congratulations!

Gracie has some artwork up on the school library windows.  Forgive the reflective pictures, but here they are:

This is going on too long!  I hope you're doing well, and loving (almost all) of your time there.  I was only in the MTC for three weeks, so I imagine longer is harder in some ways, but use your time well.  We love you!

Love, 

Mom

Week 2

Dear Scott,

Well, after the first week of hearing from you so often, I guess we get a taste of reality with not hearing from you for a whole week.  I'm sure you are keeping busy with learning Spanish and all  that goes along with being a missionary, and having a little fun along the way.

This was a pretty quiet week for us.  On Friday we watched the new Aladdin movie.  We liked it a lot--put that one on your "things to watch when I get home" list.  On Saturday, Dad and Benson went to sell popcorn for Cub Scouts in front of Walmart, and they almost got Benson's whole goal done.  Unfortunately, it was so hot that Benson got a bit sick when they got home, and spent the rest of the day asleep on the couch.  He threw up once that evening, but felt better after that.  Tessa had a hard soccer game against a big aggressive team.  She got knocked down and hit her cast on her knee, which made her finger ache, so she was pretty timid after that--plus (as I mentioned) it was SO HOT!  We're all looking forward to a break in the weather (hopefully coming tomorrow).  The rest of the day was spent rearranging bedrooms.  First Emma moved all her stuff into the game room, and Gracie moved most of her things in with Benson.  Then Tessa and Caytie moved their things into Emma and Gracie's old room, and then we took your bunkbed apart, moved the big bed (and the desk) into Tessa and Caytie's old room for Emma, and took the bunkbed in there apart and then put it back together in your old room for Gracie and Benson.  They did a lot of putting stuff in their new places that day, but there's a lot left to do.  We also need to get a desk for Gracie.

On Sunday I kept looking around for you at church, but then would remember where you were.  We do miss you a lot, but we are so grateful that you are where you are.  They called Sister Harris to be the pianist in Primary.

On Monday I visited the three ladies who had recently had babies in our ward to give them Relief Society gifts and to make sure they were doing well.  Having a new baby is amazingly exhausting, even when you have a little one who is almost always sleeping him/herself.

This reminds me of last Tuesday, when I had a faith building experience.  After preschool, I had to visit a sister to do a food order, and then as I was about to leave, another sister in Josephine called to see if I could give her a ride to Walmart.  I knew my time was short before Benson got home from school, but if I moved quickly, I'd be able to fit it all in.  I got in the car and found that there was no gas.  The gauge was reading below the red mark, in fact, which I had never seen.  There was not much I could do, so I headed out, debating if I should get gas first or do the food order, which was on my way to the gas station.  I prayed and then heard my brain tell me this-- "You are on your way to do good things.  Everything will work out.  It will all work out."  I knew it wasn't actually from my brain, but that's how it came to me.  So I stopped worrying.  I went and did the food order, which didn't take too much time, and then got back in the car, and it started again!  Hooray!  I headed to the gas station, and then 30 minutes out to Josephine, then 30 minutes back, then I dropped the sister off at Walmart and got home 3 minutes before Benson's bus was due to arrive.  Dad had come home, so it wasn't actually urgent that I be there for the bus, but I didn't know he would be there--and I didn't have to worry about it for an hour driving to Josephine and back, because I knew everything would work out.  I'm grateful for that tender mercy from Heavenly Father that day.  If I look, I can find them every day.

Caytie made some clay hair for wooden people.  Can you guess who they are?

She made another one--and calls this one your girlfriend... :)

She might have sent you this.  She said she sends little emails to you a lot.  Gracie sent a snail mail letter to you on Monday, so be on the lookout for that.

I realized I didn't include any pictures in my last letter, so here are a couple from last week:

 (Does this work?  Would it be better if I send them as an attachment?)

Well, we love you tons.  We look forward to hearing from you tomorrow!

Love,

Mom

Week One

Dear Scott,

I'm still thinking about how great it was to see and talk with you on Saturday and Sunday.  It almost feels like cheating that we've talked twice already, but we will take it, and we're excited for this "new normal."  

I thought I'd fill you in on what has been going on around here.  On the Tuesday you left, we got everyone dropped off at school, and then I had my preschool class, and then I had to take Tessa to an orthopedic doctor to have her had x-rayed.  They found a buckle fracture on her pinkie, which they decided to cast, since "you're ten, and you're around other 10 year olds all day."  She was so excited to get the cast, but by the end of the day, she was tired of it.  It's been on for one week now, and she's super anxious to get it off, but we have until the end of September before that happens.  She is still trying to play the piano with her three fingers that are movable.

Friday was Future Raider Night, so dad took Benson, and they watched Emma sing the national anthem before the game.  (I remember it being so rainy last year!  No rain in sight this year.)  They stayed until halftime, to watch the band, which, according to them, was great.  Wylie East was down, 7 to 20 something...

Saturday was Tessa's first soccer game, which you know, as you called when it started.  She had to wrap bubble wrap on her cast to play, but she didn't mind.  We all did mind the heat, though, as it was 99 degrees, with high humidity.  SO HOT.  The other girls spent a lot of the day doing homework.  They have a lot more than they've had in the past, and they're trying to work out how to balance their time.  For Dad's pre-birthday dinner, we tried out a new sushi place that is next to Little Caesar's.  We got enough for me, dad, and Gracie, and a cheese pizza for everyone else. It turned out to be really good--I'm sure we'll be back there again soon.  I have noticed that since you've left, we have had a lot more leftovers.  I didn't realize what percentage of food you ate around here. :)

Sunday was a really nice day.  I started early with Ward Council.  It was "Invite your Friends to Church" day, and Gracie invited about 5 of her friends, but none of them could come.  She's following your example there!  (I really need to make some more friends so I can have some to invite.)  Our Relief Society teacher didn't show up, so I got to teach the lesson.  Thankfully I had read the talk as I was getting ready that morning, so it was fresh in my mind, and thankfully we have a lot of sisters who were willing to comment!  We talked about David P. Homer's talk "Hearing His Voice."  It's a good one.  Then we came home and Dad had a presidency meeting and I had a new sister visit, but then we spent the rest of the day together.  Gracie made a yellow cake, and I made chocolate frosting and Chicken Broccoli Casserole (of course!).  That's all Dad had requested for his whole birthday, so he was happy--and the fact that you got to call made us all happy!

Monday and Tuesday were filled with doctor visits (for Emma), piano lessons, preschool, Relief Society visits, soccer practice, yearbook club (Tessa), and lots of homework.  Gracie is the pianist in her seminary class, and she said she's used up all the hymns she knows, so she's been working on learning more.  Benson has loved having new friends (Al and another one I can't remember...) live close by.  Caytie has been reading a lot, and is enjoying her tennis class now that we got her some new shoes.  Dad started working on our fence.  He pulled out the leaning poles and replaced them, and cemented them in with much more cement than was there before.  Now to replace the wood.

I was reading in Alma and found a scripture I really liked as a missionary.  It's Alma 29:9-- "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it.  I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."  It's His work, and we're His instruments--but he lets us feel the joy that comes from doing it!

We love you!  Everyone remembers to pray for you in every prayer.  We look forward to hearing about Mexico and the MTC and everything else!

Love,

Mom