Dear Elder,
Hi! How are you today? I hope that your week is going well and that you are hanging in there. I know that with Heavenly Father’s help, you can do everything that you need to do in order to be a wonderful missionary.
Yesterday was a nice day because I got a lot done. Besides getting the kids to and from work, I was able to do finances, yard work, give blood, and take Miriam out driving for awhile. She is a very good driver and is actually taking to the stick shift quite well. She did kill the car many times, etc, but still she is really coming along. Thomas did indeed leave for the Varsity Rendezvous yesterday which leaves us with only two kids home, but since they have totally different work schedules, we will spend a large part of the day driving to and from work. I really need to practice with Miriam more so that she can do some of this driving! I will also be cleaning the downstairs which really needs it, and I suspect that Dad and I will go out for awhile on a date.
I think Cassandra posted something new on her blog. Wait. Let me check it out. Okay, it was a video of Lily! She was “reading” a big binder full of pages. It was very cute. I heard her say “hi,” and I she also waved “bye bye” when her mommy told her to. I left a comment, and Cassandra just saw it so she called me to ask if I want to Skype. Now I am just waiting for her to Skype me.
…Okay. I just finished Skyping with Cassandra and Lily. It was so fun! Cassandra was wearing a Superman S on her shirt and Lily was wearing a hot pink Pepe La Pew shirt that said “Love Stinks.” Lily will look at me on the screen now and smile and interact. I love it! She does lots of waving and noise making. Then Cassandra talked to Miriam for awhile and it was so cute because Lily got quieter and quieter, and then while Cass and I were talking again, she fell asleep. Wow, I’ve never seen her so still. I’m trying to teach her that I am Grandma. Cassandra says that Emerson can make exactly the same faces that Lily makes except the pout. That’s definitely a Dad's-side-of-the-family thing.
Jonathan did indeed email me back as I had hoped. All though he did not say much, it is enough for me to see into his soul. To quote his email exactly, it said, “whos the other one from?” The message is short, indicating his busy life. Instead of using the term “the other letter” he says “the other one,” acknowledging the fact that we two understand one another without the need to spell everything out. He leaves the first letter of the sentence uncapitalized, revealing his humility and reluctance to put on airs of any kind, yet the question mark at the end indicates a healthy self esteem and a desire for me to understand and respect his words. He uses the word “who’s” instead of “who is” showing his desire to connect on a less formal level, and omits the apostrophe, subtly indicating that he is aware of my intelligent ability to grasp vague concepts. I appreciate his email as it solidifies our mutual love and respect and I will cherish it always. Seriously, though, I miss him! I hope things are going well for him and that we can talk soon.
During scripture study today, I did as Preach my Gospel suggested and began a study of Christ’s doctrine starting in 2 Ne. 31:12-21. That scripture is as far as I got because of the things it says on how to endure to the end. There is a lot to read and ponder, there, and it took up all my time. I need to endure more in the sense of pressing forward steadfastly with faith, hope, and charity, and less in the sense of hunkering down till the storm blows over.
Anyway, I love you, son. You are an inspiration to me and to the whole family, and I can see many ways that your being on a mission is blessing our lives. Remember who you are doing this all for, and I don’t me us. Keep you eyes, thoughts, and heart centered on our Savior Jesus Christ, and you will prevail!
Love,
Mom
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