With All My Love

Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 8:31 AM
Subject: howdy!

Hello my number one son!

I can't believe it has been a week since we've heard from you! It seems like forever! My new nightmare is not getting my letter off before you get online! We will print off and mail you our letters, not a problem. Even if it's not free ;-) Read ours quickly, then spend more time writing, if you please! We got your international driver license from AAA, and have dropped that in the mail. We've also printed off a few of the blog posts so you can see pictorially what your brothers have been up to you, and are mailing them in small batches. And, your father chose some of the best pictures from this summer's adventures and we're mailing those, in addition to copies of our letters, to you as well. So your mailbox will no longer be in drought from your immediate family. We're grateful for all your aunts, uncles and grandparents who support you by writing letters. We love reading them, and we're not even in Brazil!

The big news came yesterday from Grampy. He got a call from Mitt Romney, asking him to say the prayer before he gives his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention next week in Tampa, Florida. Can you believe we'll get to see Grampy on television praying? What an honor. How exciting! Actually, Mitt's son Tagg called Uncle Aaron, and that's really how it began. He said his father was looking for a good, old-fashioned Mormon prayer, as all week those of other faiths would be praying. Grampy still has ups and downs with his chemotherapy, especially during the first 15-20 days after his infusion, so his back-up plan, in case he doesn't feel well enough to go, is Uncle Rich. Your father was reading me newspaper accounts, speculating whether or not it would be this congress woman, or that politician, who would say the prayer. Imagine their surprise when they find out it's a Ken Hutchins. They were quick to report, however, that it was Mitt's "longtime friend."

Seminary has begun in earnest. My door is very busy between 6 and 6:05 a.m. I have nine attending in person, and one on Skype. I'll share with you one favorite moment thus far. We were reading in Luke 15:11 and on, about the Prodigal son. I asked them, "Why did the son return home?" There was a famine in the land, he was hungry, he was tired of living with the pigs...he remembered his father, and how merciful he was, even to the servants. Statistically speaking one or two of those present might not be interested in church at a later time in their life. We talked about how it was my hope that if they were ever "living with pigs" and hungry, they would remember being filled with the spirit and the good things of the scriptures and "return home."

School began last Friday, and this is the first full week. The boys seem to be adjusting well to all their new schools. Miller and I try to incorporate "school" into our life and jargon. When we walk the dog, we're doing "gym." When he plays with Breyer on the back deck, we're having "recess." When he paints, he's in art. He definitely wasn't ready during kindergarten testing in March, but he's come a long way since then, and is expressing more interest in going NOW. I won't second guess my decision to keep him home one more year, now, but he sure has grown up over the summer!

We love you more. We pray for you more. We miss you more.

Mom