With All Our Love

Dear Tanner,

I hope you've had a wonderful week! We're not even sure where you are! Last week your companion's mother messaged me, and said: "Hunter (Elder Beaudoin) says Elder Schenewark is going to be his new companion in Bauru. Did you hear the same thing?" I told her, "Yes! He actually sent us a picture of him. My second son's name is Hunter, so this alone will endear him to Tanner. I'm posting his letter on my blog so you can read how excited he is! Great things are to come!!!! P.S. It was our understanding that Tanner was staying in Agudos...what do you think when you read it?" So, the big question all week was, "WHERE ARE YOU?" _________ Otherwise than your confusing transfer paragraph, the rest of the letter was very fun and interesting to read! Thanks for so many details.

Elder Cummings is going to Cascavel in the state of Parana. He had an almost 5-hour bus ride back to Londrina and then an almost 10-hour bus ride to Cascavel, which is the zone closest to Foz do Iguacu (Iguacu Falls) zone (Cascavel means rattlesnake). His mother's comment about your last letter made me laugh. "Oh, SO MUCH to LOVE in that letter! I think I'm going to have to go with "It just goes to show, that it's your best that counts, not the bleeding ears of the American missionary" as my favorite line."

In relation to your sign holding picture in the park, two weeks ago, Elder Havili's mother wrote, "I just saw this pic from last week! Really great to see these handsome boys and to read the eloquent and expressive letter from your blog. I think they are having some fun in there amid all that sweating and hard work. Elder Havili is the one not holding a sign - party pooper!" I love having friendships with these moms who also have sons serving in Brazil.

There are rumors of a new policy change regarding missionaries and emails: ADJUSTED MISSIONARY E-MAIL POLICY: We received the following policy change from the Missionary Department: "Missionaries are to write their families each week and are also authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts. Mission Presidents should allow sufficient time on preparation day for missionaries to write emails and letters. While in the mission field, missionaries should receive authorization from the mission president before entering into communication, including via email, with converts and others of the opposite gender within the mission boundaries (see Missionary Handbook, 36-37)." How would this different policy affect you? __________

As for this week in review, all I remember about Monday night was we sat down grumpily for FHE and finished being glad we were a family. I suppose that's one of the more important reasons we have this program in our lives. Actually, now I remember that Hunter and Dad went to the school board meeting together. Of interest? to you, Carroll stepped down as the football coach...kind of felt like he wasn't wanted any more. Dad has enjoyed going with Hunter. Porter had track and baseball practice so he collapses into bed.

Tuesday I took Breyer, Miller and Sawyer to the doctors for their physicals. Of interest was Breyer's growth: 67% height, 5% weight. Dr. Naegele just said we grow kids tall and skinny. Miller weighed in at 56% height and 55% weight. A little on the shorter side for our family. At cub scouts we had stations again. I mention this only because one of the tables had family tree sheets they had to fill out. It was amazing how many couldn't get past grand parents. Some didn't even know all of their grand parents. A lot of the parents were on their phones trying to find out their family history information. How blessed we are!

Thursday was 3.14, or "pi" day. Cooper had a teacher at the middle school challenge the students to memorize as much of the 3.14 to infinity as they could, and the student who could recite the most correctly, would win a pie. Cooper memorized 100, goofed up around 76 and did not win the pie. I think he said the boy that won had close to 300 of the digits in his head.

Every other day I have about four things I think about all the time. You, your grandparents, my neighbor's son, and seminary. These are the weightier matters in my life at the moment. But Friday, I put it all aside and had a birthday party for Sawyer. It was suppose to be a surprise, but I needed a little help with the invitation list. I got up at 4:45 a.m. and drove to Walmart to get some supplies before seminary. That really helped me get a jump start on what needed to be done. And I finished literally when my timer went off to pick everybody up from school. Miller was a big help with Breyer, and filling Easter eggs with jelly beans. Breyer helped make two cakes, and sampled all the food before it was lifted into the party room. My guilt level was a little high as she and Miller didn't really have a great breakfast or lunch, but knowing they had so much fun eases my conscience. I picked up about six boys after school in the party van, complete with balloons out the window, and came home. Having ten friends, plus a few siblings, made for one big BOY party! We had a new basketball hoop sitting on the driveway, and captured his surprise with a few photos. It was a fun, orange bash! I was toast the rest of the night.

Saturday was the beginning of the baseball season with tryouts for Sawyer and Cooper, although these pictures show Miller and Cooper warming up.

Miller does not have to play tee ball league, and is now trembling with fear at facing the dreaded pitching machine. Sawyer comfortingly told him he'd probably only get pegged once or twice. Porter was gone early in the morning to participate in the Lawrence County trash pick up. He had been invited to go by Mrs. Lovejoy, still adviser to the National Honor Society.

Jarrod took Hunter golfing. Miller, Breyer and I went to a baby shower. Dad had speculated early in the morning about the chairs for today's stake conference, wondering whether or not they had been set up. The cleaning party on Wednesday night all left after they finished cleaning, and no one set up the chairs. Why was it up to us? I don't know. Who else would do it? We heard later a man was sent over at 9 p.m. to see if the chairs were set up, and he found them up. He attributed it to the three Nephites ;-)

I drove Porter, who was tired from trash pick-up, Cooper and Sawyer, who were tired from baseball tryouts, and a huge game of basketball the night before; and Miller and Breyer. We made a stellar chair setting-up crew. Breyer and Miller put the hymnals on the chairs, Sawyer helped hand chairs off the carts, Cooper and Porter took a side, and I had the middle section. We put up 560 chairs, and it took us almost two hours. We all grumbled a bit when we arrived, but were happy by the time we left. That's why I took my children. I feel it is my responsibility to teach them to do hard things, and this qualified.

Sunday was a special stake conference, not to replace our scheduled one, but to accommodate general authorities in the area for a leadership training. Elder Oaks spoke elsewhere, we were assigned Elder Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy. My favorite speaker was President Lim. He talked about Nephi being directed to build a boat, and how the Lord had the heavier burden to bear in getting them across the ocean safely. I appreciated President Lim because he asks us to do hard things. He requires indexing for temple trips, home teaching for temple recommends...he's trying to raise the bar a little higher here in this area, and help people catch an eternal vision.

I thought you would enjoy knowing your father is reading a new type of book. Every night before he goes to bed, he peruses a few pages of Diary of a Wimpy Kid...just for fun. You know how much he loves to laugh...and these movies and books put a silly smile on his face. Bro. McLemore puts a smile on Dad's face, and I've charged Bro. McLemore to make sure Dad laughs every Sunday. He was matched this week, and will be continuing his schooling in Hawaii. In comparison, we've finally found a new way for Miller to be excited about scripture reading. He goes and picks out one of his Book of Mormon figurines, and brings it to me, and we read the corresponding scriptures. I love it when a plan works, and it's not always up to me to remember.

Your cousin Evan and his debating team won the UIL competition for the entire state of Texas! Your cousin Greg received his mission call to Chile Concepcion, leaving July 3rd. Wow!

Finally, I'm sure you've heard a bit about the Pope stepping down, which is most unusual, so this past week the smoke was finally white when the Conclave chose his successor. He's from Argentina, and the church had this so say: "On behalf of the leadership and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we extend our warmest wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis and pray he will feel the peace of the Lord as he serves as pontiff of the Catholic Church. We have been honored and pleased as our two faiths have worked together on issues of faith, morality and service to the poor and needy. We value the relationships that have been formed in these joint efforts and are grateful for the good that has been accomplished. We look forward to pursuing together, as the Apostle Paul wrote, all things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report (see Philippians 4:8)." Maybe this will be helpful to you as you work with so many of the Catholic faith.

In seminary this week we were reading in 1 Timothy 4:12, where it states, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." I love Paul, and his love of missionaries and missionary work. We were also reading in 2 Timothy 2:24 where it states, "And the servant of the Lord must...be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those...that they may receive themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." It is our daily prayer that you will continue to be the type of missionary that Paul describes, and that Heavenly Father desires. You make us proud. We love YOU. Mom and Dad