Letter#10--Dear Elder Palmer

I have another nephew on a mission.  Actually I have 4 nephews and a brother-in-law on missions with another waiting to leave in June.  We are very blessed.

But I just wrote an e-mail to my brother's son Eric, Elder Eric Palmer. He is the 2nd handsome guy from the left.

He is serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  In Africa.  Pretty different from Phoenix, or North Salt Lake, or Richmond, or even New York City.  To hear Eric talk (or to read his words) it sounds like he's serving in some crazy place like, I don't know, Boise, Idaho.  This boy can roll with it like no other.  He truly can go with the flow, and be very happy with the flow.  I'm inspired by his letters.  He has to be outside his comfort zone, but that's alright, he's there to serve the Lord, not to be comfortable, so all is well!  What an example he is to me.

Another thing I love about Elder Palmer is...

He loves my kids. 

And my kids love him.  Whenever they are together, which is never enough since his family moved to Virginia, my kids can crawl all over him and tease him and bug him, just like he is their big brother and guess what?  He LOVES them right back.  I've never seen him get tired or annoyed with their loving but sometimes seemingly endless pestering.  I'm not saying he doesn't get bothered, but he never lets my kids think he's bothered.  He loves them.  So his love for my kids makes me love him even more.

As Eric would say, he's the man.

Letter #9--Dear Amelia

Oh we had a doozy of a morning.  I felt so bad sending my sad and upset oldest girl to school today.  And to top it off, even though she had set out her school library books the night before, there they were, still sitting on the ottoman.  Now, bad things were going to be happening for Amelia at school too.  I wanted to be a rescue hero mom and run the books over to her, but we were loaning the truck to a neighbor so Boyd had the van--no car seats.  (Why didn't we all walk over?  I don't remember.)

Then I had a bit of luck.  The neighbor taking the truck ended up running late, so when she called, I asked if she could run the books over to the school.  She said she could, so I tucked an I love you letter into the bag with the books.  This at least made me feel a little better.  I think it made Amelia feel a little better too. 

Letters #3-8 Dear Elders and Sister

In Primary we had a lesson on being good examples/missionaries to those around us in our daily lives.  I teach the 4 and 5 year olds, so lessons are pretty basic.  Their attention spans are not so very long.  Some things they really liked though...

*  Seeing pictures of the missionaries serving from our ward, some of whom are good friends of their families.
*  Marking on a world map where those missionaries are serving.
*  Coloring pictures of themselves as missionaries to send to the "real" missionaries serving in our ward.

Along with the pictures from the Primary children, I included a letter of my own.  Some of these missionaries I have extra fond feelings for as they are some of my last group of students I taught.  These are the kids that performed for some of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.  They are the kids that knew my first baby.  Now those 6th graders are serving missions.  Awesome.  When I find the pictures I have of these boys at the Olympics, I'll add them to the post.

Sister Natalie N., serving in Arizona

Elder Ryan S., serving in Missouri

Elder Bryson R., serving in Singapore

Elder Weston M., one of those loved 6th graders

Elder Will C., another one of those very loved 6th graders

Elder Will C. (not the same Will C. as above!), serving in London

A note to me

     Marcus participates in a little neighborhood playgroup on Fridays.  It is just four boys and we rotate who is hosting.  There is no schedule or anything, just playing.  We recently had a new family move into our neighborhood with a little boy the same age, so my neighbor Jane invited her and her son to join.  Then, last week I was thinking about doing a neighborhood preschool again, and Jane and I talked to her about joining in on that as well.  I had asked her (Kim) to give me her address, phone number, etc. when she came to pick up her son.  Well, rather than giving me a paper with just those basic things on it, she gave me a hand-written note expressing her thanks at being included and that she and her family had felt warmly welcomed to our neighborhood. It made my day!

Letter #2--Dear RaChelle

     Letter number two is not a happy one.  I found out on Facebook that a friend of mine from my Carolyn street years had a 16 year old son pass away.  I wrote to let her know how sorry I am and that she and her family are in my prayers.  I don't know the details, but no matter what happened, my heart breaks for her.  Is there anything more heartwrenching than losing a child?  It has made me love on my children just a little bit more than usual.  A reminder that every day together is a very good day.   

Letter #1--Dear Elder Hutchings,

Well, I barely squeaked out a letter before my first week was over.  But it was written and sealed before midnight last night. 

My first letter goes to my nephew who is serving an LDS mission in West Virginia.  He has been a hard working, enthusiastic missionary and I can't believe he's coming home in May.  I also can't believe I've only written him 3, maybe 4, letters his whole time out.  Bad, bad me. 

A few (very few) events that have happened since he left in April of 2008:  we've had a baby, finished our basement, his little brother has graduated from HS and is waiting to leave for his own mission to Argentina next month.  How can my days sometimes seem so long, when this guy has been gone for almost 2 years in the blink of an eye?

I am grateful to Dave for being a good example to his younger brother and sisters, to my children and to me.  He has demonstrated the joy and blessings that can come from:
          *  Obedience
          *  Having an excellent work ethic
          *  Having faith in God
          *  Loving the Lord
          *  Service
          *  Having a happy and positive attitude
                                                                     and the list goes on.

My sister and her husband raised their son well.  I pray my own sons will follow in many of his footsteps.  That path will bring joy to those who follow.

A Year of Letters

I've been thinking about letters lately. It is so fun to get real letters in the mail, and so rare. I've decided that one of my 2010 goals is to write at least 1 letter a week, hopefully more, to people I love, or admire, or miss, or...you get the idea. I hope the recipients find some delight in receiving something in their mailbox besides junk and bills.

I know that I am getting started late, as it is the last day of January, but this has been my preparatory month. I've been pondering what I want my goal to be and what I can do to make sure I achieve that goal. I've even ordered some nice stationery to help keep me motivated. I hope by December 31st I will have written (and sent) at least 50 letters and that I will have added to the joy I find in my own life, as well as the joy in others'.

This blog will chronicle who I am writing to and why. I won't post the letters themselves, but a bit about the person and hint of what I wrote. Wish me luck!