Dear Tanner,
To answer your question, "I received a letter this week saying that my package had been sent back due to 'unidentified vegetables.' What did you send?" It might have been cranberries? In your next package I will be sure to include that copy of the Ensign. The only other thing that came back in the package was hot cocoa. Whatever was in the envelope was clearly identified on the mailing slip though, including the hat that was taken! Throw some birthday ideas this way...what's wearing out? What won't last until August?
We enjoyed reading about your fun preparation day. We did get more pictures, and some have been shared back with you in your blog email. We love getting pictures from your President and his wife. Other news about Brazil is from Dad who read that the only place in the world that makes VW bugs, the old-fashioned kind, is in Brazil, and that will be ending the last day of 2013. They cannot refigure their facility to produce the required updates (such as airbags), and will have to close. This is why you see a lot of VW bugs where you are! They're made there!
Other news around the world begins in France from Naomi, funny as ever: "We got drenched. Imagine standing in a shower, fully dressed, for about four hours. I honestly don't know how much umbrellas would have helped at that point. When we got back to the train station, I dumped about a liter of water out of my shoes. I love those shoes. They let all kinds of things in-water, rocks, probably a rabid squirrel if they had the chance-but they don't let anything out! Once it's in there, it's stuck for good. Actually I finally wore through the bottoms this week. Obviously I just put insoles in and am wearing them right now. I have other shoes, but I want to make sure I get the full usage out of these ones. As you can expect, my colleague and I have colds. I'm better at pretending I'm healthy than she is."
All the way from Japan and Julia's letter:"We taught him about prayer. He has never prayed before or been to a church. At the end of the lesson he we asked if he would pray and he did! That was the first prayer he has ever said in his life, it was awesome. We have to do a pass lesson because the Elders need to be the ones teaching him and when we asked him if that was okay he said, "Yes, it doesn't matter who teaches me, I just want to learn''! This story reminds me of Grampy, and the missionaries asking him to pray for the first time. Speaking of Grampy, got a hold of this most awesome picture yesterday, making the rounds on the computer, and just wanted you to see a picture of their cute smiling faces!
Back to Brazil, Elder Cummings had this wonderful thought: "This week, I told the other elders that I had the Young Women’s theme memorized and they were all making fun of me for a few days, but then one day they came back and apologized to me because they were teaching this young woman and they were trying to explain to the mom about what her daughter would learn in the Young Women’s program and they couldn't remember all of the Young Women values!!"
Elder Carroll had a wonderful story that I wanted to share with you. They left the house at 7am to go bring people to church and had about 8 people to bring. They started early because church starts at 9 a.m. but nobody wanted to wake up! Nobody even opened their door! "So we sat down for a minute at a park bench just trying to keep calm (no one ever said this work wasn't frustrating) and a mildly drunk man came and asked to sit by us. He was a ragged thing, his Hawaiian shirt was ripped and dirty, his sandals covered with mud, his toenails rotten, and he had just a hint of whiskey on his breath. He said, "It's annoying when people don't want to go to church, isn't it?" He continued, "You try and try but no one seems to want anything to do with religion." He came out of nowhere and seemed to know exactly what was going on at that moment. Maybe it wasn't the first time he found sad missionaries sitting on a park bench on a Sunday morning! He then stood up and said, "Don't you guys worry! Maybe no one will go with you guys but someone will be waiting for you guys at church!" and then left. And four people showed up at church!"
This week in southern Ohio was just a normal week with me hanging on for the ride. Larry and Sandy went on a little vacation last week, arriving home Monday evening. The first thing he did was walk over three huge boxes of Moonpies: chocolate, banana and vanilla. The more you eat them the better those graham pies are. What I didn't know was the story behind how they were made, which I appreciate more living in coal mine territory. In the early 1900s a Moonpie bakery salesman was visiting a company store that catered to coal miners. The miners told the salesman they wanted something solid and filling. He asked how big. A miner held out his hands, framing the moon, and said, "About that big." When the salesman returned to the bakery and saw workers dipping a graham cookie into marshmallow, he got the idea to add another cookie, and dip it in chocolate, and the rest is history. The moonpie was born.
Monday was also the day Sawyer had his three month MRI scan, to determine if there's been any growth, and with dye contrast to rule out cancer. We haven't gotten the results of the tests. But he was so much happier coming out than going in. He had gotten himself all worked up over the shot that would be given with the dye. I held his hand for forty minutes, as the MRI noise is just plain loud. And on we go. Your cousin Kaleb had a scan as well, and is seeing a doctor down in Boston for a growth in his leg bone by his knee. At first it was thought to be a benign bone tumor and now they're not so sure.
Speaking of the Orton family, in response to Becky receiving another child into her home, a cute as a button three year old boy with cerebral palsy, my twin wrote this, which I absolutely loved: "Becky, I love you. I love that your home is the safe harbor for those little ships who need rescuing. You're the lighthouse in the storm." Absolutely true!
Cooper's still thinking about your request for a spider monkey stuffed animal...he already has made a monkey so he's been stalling. And speaking of Cooper, he'll be having his own medical adventure tomorrow. He caught a football wrong, and hurt his pinky finger on his left hand. We all just thought it was jammed. But a week later, and after the swelling has gone down, it was obvious it was broken. The x-ray on Friday confirmed this, and because it's "angulated," it needs to be fixed. It's the lower bone in his pinky, and it's broken vertically. Speaking of Cooper, these are his last paintings, cars from Cars.
Thursday was the annual Optimist International change of officers dinner. Dad never told us he was put on the Board of Directors for the club...actually he didn't know until he arrived...but it was at the Golden Corral, the boys' favorite buffet! Speaking of Optimist, Dad volunteered to make paper mache corn dogs! What? He said what? He's so in charge of that project. He did buy the ginormous, long balloons, and began to paper mache them, as the Milton Pumpkin Festival kicks off at the end of this week. We'll miss your singing and salesmanship!
Your father coached his first home game this Friday against Athens. This is a team that's ranked 3rd in the state for their division, and has had only 28 points scored against them. Fairland lost 46-55. It was a good game, ultimately they could have won, but they played well. The kicker came through with a long field goal, and kick offs. They even squib kicked it a few times, which has never been done. This is a summary I thought did a good job explaining their record: "I know it may seem strange for people to understand this after we just lost 3 straight games...our team has gotten better each week! We have played 3 teams that will be in the playoffs and 2 of those teams are in larger divisions. Our boys can hold their heads up high going into the upcoming games. No one has put up those kind of points on Wheelersburg or Athens! Go Dragons!"
Saturday while two brothers were running cross country, a Dad at work, Breyer and I got to watch the soccer slaughter. Miller scored 3 of the 4 goals, and Sawyer had 3 out of 5. They are FUN to watch! Their feet literally dance around opponents and the ball. They've worked hard together, practicing in the yard every day. They love to compete against each other, and throw Ranger in as the wildcard.
We also got to go to a birthday party, the daughter of the brain surgeon that's working with Sawyer. Talk about a nice pool! As in heated so we could still swim! I say "we" as I borrowed a suit and joined the kids. It was a BEAUTIFUL fall day! Saturday has become one in which I just want to do nothing. No wash, vacuuming, dishes, cooking, seminary...you get the idea. By the end of the week I'm toast. So to watch the boys play, and then move down the street to watch them swim, all the while soaking up 70ish sunshine was beautiful. Just needed a little more family around me to make it perfect.
To finish off the day, I got your Dad and Sawyer to come with me to a cemetery historical ghost walk. It was awesome! What a great fundraiser for their historical society, or cemetery, or anyone looking to make a little money in the fall. It was held in the city of Ironton, and members of the historical society dressed up in period costumes, representing someone specific that was buried in the cemetery. Wait until I can get those pictures up for you. The history of the area that we learned was very interesting, and we might even have a distant relative (Kingsbury) that ended up out here.
Missionary news of the week? Sawyer's friend has a baptismal date for the 17th! That mother is so excited! Her husband came to church today, listened to the lesson, and ate with the missionaries. They're going back Wednesday. The missionaries are SO excited as well. This mission typically doesn't have a lot, and they're all trying SO hard! They actually asked me to talk today in the combined third hour, as I apparently had a lot to say on the subject. They wanted me to show how it's not the actual conversion or baptism that is our responsibility but the inviting. Our job is to not worry about rejection or a yes answer, but to just invite. Their agency will determine what happens.
My thought of the week comes from the fifth chapter of Second Nephi. "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." What is the manner of happiness? What does Nephi teach us about how to be truly happy? There's some good stuff there! To mention a few, you're warned of the Lord, you have your family with you, you believe in the warnings and revelations of God, you hearken unto the word of the Lord, you observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things; and you bring your scriptures with you. You observe the manner of happiness, except for having your family with you, but you have your missionary family that surrounds you there, and your real family that surrounds you in love and appreciation for your example and love to us. Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mom and Dad
P.S. Seven is the number of points by which your blood pressure will be lowered after hour-long laugh sessions every other week. Not that you have to worry, but that could add up to a 15% reduced risk of death from heart disease or stroke. So, not that hour long sessions are in your schedule, but be sure to laugh!
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