With All Our Love

Dear Tanner,

What a week! Only three days of school, and it seems like we've never had a summer break. The routine of making lunches and breakfast in the morning is rusty, your brothers willing and able to get up in the morning is worse, and time management after school in getting homework done is nonexistent. Adding in early morning seminary beginning Monday morning will really throw us in the fire!

Your Dad still has no clearance to coach football. He had his background check Monday morning, and is waiting for it to show up as being done on their computer. With the right results, of course. He hasn't minded too much, as he always has work that needs to be done. Monday at family home evening Dad gave everybody a father's blessing. He did a beautiful job, and there were some common themes. As a side note, he would ask each boy their middle name. When Cooper's middle name of Lee was mentioned, Porter said it was interesting that we had a Lee and a Grant for middle names, both generals. Sawyer said, "I'm pretty sure General Lee was a car." Pretty funny! I'll share a line or two from each prayer.

He blessed Miller to be a leader in class, an example, so that others will be interested in knowing more about his family and church. He blessed Sawyer that danger and evil would not find him, and that he would be a servant to those around him. He also blessed Sawyer to be able to develop questions in his mind, and then find the answers. He blessed Cooper to do what is right, and that others would fear to not do so in your presence. He also blessed Cooper to gain greater knowledge of the world, and evil influences would not creep into his life. He blessed Porter to know which talents to develop, and to speak clearly, that his words would have an influence for the good. He also blessed him to grow physically, and become strong. He blessed Hunter to have opportunities to spend time with Porter, to be of good cheer, and an example, and that others would see his good influence and desire to be near him.

Your father began with Miller, and ended with Hunter, and when Hunter got off the chair Breyer jumped in it. She said, "Me too!" So she was given a father's blessing, which is very appropriate as she learns to survive the day without Miller. She was blessed to learn how to say prayers and read scriptures, and that she would hold a special place in her brothers' hearts.

Tuesday evening your father and older brothers were torturing Miller with a countdown to kindergarten and what it will be like by saying such nonsense as, "It's like iRobot except there's no metal!" "Run before you become another cog in the machine!" Hide before you find out who really is big brother!" "Tomorrow you get to meet big brother, he's been waiting to say hi for six long years!" And, "You'll never see potato french fries ever again!"

But Wednesday morning came and he got up ready to go. We sent everybody else off to school, dropped Breyer off at Larry's, and went to orientation for an hour. That was his first day of school. And fifteen minutes into the meeting he was begging for food. He was so hungry! It's a good thing every other day at kindergarten he'll get a snack, just not the first day! He has Mrs. Flynn. He's so lucky! He knows one other boy in his class. Since Hunter wants to drive to school, when possible, we had to work out how to get Miller to and from school, as his school is in the opposite direction of the other three. Dad will take him in the morning, and he will ride the bus to the high school where Hunter will pick him up. Whether or not he drives. It took all week to work out, involving two vice principals, three principals, one bus driver, one teacher and one counselor. Apparently I discovered a little known secret, only made known to teachers with children in school, and no one knew whether or not I should also have access to bus #39.

Wednesday was also the day your Texas cousins arrived for a visit. They were on their way to see Evan graduate from his basic military training. He's officially a cadet! He's been incommunicado until now. He posted a few pictures, which I think you'll enjoy immensely. It's always fun to have family visit. We're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll have time to swing by again on their way home.

Thursday was Breyer and my first day alone. Thank goodness it was a beautiful day! We picked all of the tomatoes out of the garden and she occupied herself while I mowed. This was no easy mow job. In fact, it was a two-tank mow job when usually the yard just takes one tank of gas to mow. There were sections we didn't mow last week, and being extra long and a little wet made for an arduous job. She did a great job entertaining herself though. She taught herself how to stand up and swing. She played with dinosaurs in the sandbox. And at one point she even held onto the van bumper, and jumped up and down on the basketball standard, which is full of water, and soaked herself.

Thursday right after school I took Sawyer, Cooper, Miller and Breyer to the dentist. They all had clean bills of health. Except me. I'm the one that has to go back and have two cavities filled. What? I'm the one who flosses EVERY night! A lot of good that's done. When we got home we took the boys to cross country, Sawyer to soccer, and Hunter to a sport parent meeting. When we were finally all together at 8 p.m., Porter says, "Mom, I forgot to tell you about something that happened to me during my first class today." He was leaning on his hand, while holding his pencil, a mechanical pencil with a wiggly eraser, and the eraser fell into his ear. He tried to get it out with his fingers, then his pencil, and had no luck. So after running six miles remembered it was still there. We ran to the doctor's office, who tried two sizes of alligator clips, and irrigating it out, but nothing worked, and now Porter had an earful of water stuck behind an eraser, and pain.

So he sent us to the emergency room. After many long waits to be triaged, to be put in a room, to be seen in the room, for the "tray" to be sent up, for the doctor to come in, the vacuuming attempts didn't work either. The eraser was in his ear canal, and lodged up. They sent him home with a pain pill, and told him to see an ENT. Long story with short conclusion: The ENT spent 45 minutes digging in the ear canal, using all the previously tried techniques, and was successful. Poor Porter was very brave. Having that kind of pressure against your ear drum is VERY painful, and there wasn't a whole lot anybody could do for him. He didn't scream, but he had bruised legs from squeezing, lots of tears, and a very bloody ear.  He even wrote a poem, The Eraser in His Ear

A Mom took her son to the doctor
To find out why he was in pain.
She had checked all the symptoms
But she looked and searched in vain.

Now in tears she brings him,
to the EMS they zoom.
The child sat down on the bed,
The doctor entered the room.

"He doesn't have a fever, a cold or flu,
Appendicitis, a torsion, or kidney stones.
I am happy to say that his teeth
Are fine, as are his skin and bones.

The mother breathes a sigh of relief
Then the doctor turns to face her.
"I'm afraid it is much worse," he says.
Your son's ear is filled with eraser.

The mother teetered and tottered,
Her eyes go wide with fear...
For every person is taught as a child
The horror of an eraser in the ear.

The doctor turns and leaves the room,
In the hall he starts to shout:
"I need a surgeon, a nurse, and an ENT
To get this eraser out!"

"Amputate!" the nurse then cries,
"Before it goes further in his head.
Sure his friends will call him names
But at least he won't be dead."

"Nonsense, that's no way to do it!"
The surgeon begins to shout.
"Bring me a scalpel and some anesthetic.
I'll get that eraser out!"

The ENT just gives a sigh,
The boy sheds not one tear,
As the ENT uses a pair of forceps
To remove the eraser from the ear.

Hunter's golfing escapades this week include coming in first - overall (nine holes), and fourth on his team. Such a discrepancy in his scores, but he'll get it worked out. When he speaks to Grampy, who reminds him of a few things, he does great. If he goes a few days without guidance, he flounders. Does that remind you of anything? It's a great analogy in the making. Speaking of grandparents, your other Grandfather in California mentioned he got a letter from you. Made his day.

There were a couple of interesting tidbits in the world news this week. From Forbes, "It’s sure to be music to parents’ ears: After nine months of weekly training in piano or voice, new research shows young students’ IQs rose nearly three points more than their untrained peers. The Canadian study lends support to the idea that musical training may do more for kids than simply teach them their scales–it exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits." Hallelujah!

Your cousins' news from France and Mexico? Greg said, "I have the love for and testimony of Joseph Smith that I do because of the one and only Papa Hutchins (of CT), his testimony of Joseph Smith created a desire within my heart to have my own testimony of him and now I do and I am ready to testify of what I know in front of the President of Chile, I just have to find him first!" Naomi has her first non english speaking companion and spent a long time finding an older, inactive branch president.

Dad's favorite news article was of the boy who grew a snail in his knee. "Four year-old Paul in Orange County, was left baffled when the small creature appeared after his mother Rachael decided to squeeze his wounded knee which he had grazed after falling on rocks during a family camping holiday. Paul's father, Ken, believes the little animal made its way into his son's leg after he fell onto a nest of snail's eggs at the beach in Spooner's Cove."

And, last but definitely not least, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hartford, Connecticut temple was held yesterday, and your Uncle Rich was present, participating, and exchanging pleasantries with President Thomas S. Monson. I'm sure his letter will be full of fun details! I emailed you the clip of the groundbreaking ceremony, with Uncle Rich standing and then shoveling next to the prophet. This is the link to Uncle Rich offering the closing prayer:

I really enjoyed your "scary" story last week. Those kind of moments are memorable, for sure! But it will fit in well with my first seminary lesson. We'll be talking about the spirit. These are some of my thoughts on an example of learning to be led by the spirit that are more applicable to you: After going to Jerusalem to get the brass plates, the sons of Lehi consulted, drew lots, left it up to chance. What was the result of their efforts? Nada. Their second idea was to use their wealth to try to buy them, hoping Laban would be interested in their worldly method. Again, what were their results? On their third attempt Nephi relied on the Spirit of the Lord, not knowing...commanded to do hard things. Is tracting leaving it up to chance? Can faith and using the spirit make a difference. Just something to think about. Which I'm sure you do often...everyday.

In the Doctrine and Covenants 100:1-2 two missionaries, having been absent from their families for several days, felt some concern about them. It says, "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power." First, know that you too are a friend of the Lord, because of your service. Second, your family is well. That doesn't necessarily mean we all get the innermost wishes of our hearts, but that Heavenly Father is mindful of what is best for our family. Continuing into verse 7 it says that if "ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, I give unto you this promise that the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say." Think often of those three requirements, and know that when you do your part, Heavenly Father is bound to fulfill His.

That is all for this week! Know we still love you! We eagerly await all morning to hear for a few minutes of your life and how you are doing. We don't care if you have to write about wet socks, moving or other such adventures, we just want as much as we can get! (Here is a picture I thought would put a smile on your face! Lots of love from your grandparents and Aunt Becky.)

Love,

Mom and Dad