With All Our Love

Dear Tanner,

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm counting down the days. I'm not. I just know when you'll be here, and I'm waiting until then. Next week might be a different story! I have a few messages I found on your Facebook this week. From your lovely Spanish high school teacher, "Thought of you this morning when a team of Elders boarded our plane in Panama to head home! Safe travels!" And from Woodmansee, "Exciting! Please tell him I'm proud of his hard work!"

Your last letter was wonderful! The news of your mission breaking its record is fantastic. You're right about it being a great way to leave. You also left me in tears with your last sentence, "There is no good way to leave a mission. It is a death, and painful, but just as death is not the end, and heaven is on the other side, I can't wait. It's the same for us here. You've brought many blessings into our lives by being on a mission, and we know you needed to go, and experience all the amazing things that have happened to you, but it does come to an end, for which we're very grateful.

The official title of your youth conference presentation, following their theme of "Catch the Wave," is "Life Guarding: A Search and Rescue Operation - Important Principles for being an Effective Missionary." I love it! We'll have to come up with some really cool take-away for them. The theme and title will make designing your prezi fun!

Your fireside is official as well. It was announced in church today, We'll be doing a pot-luck type lunch first, then the fireside.

What else is on your calendar? Garage sale on the 19th, proceeds for the "Tanner Needs to go to School Fund." Also, an eye appointment, and two dentist appointments (just in case you need more than just a cleaning!).

Miller finally lost a second game in the all star tournament, and finished fourth in the district, out of 16 teams. Not too shabby! Especially since they had 8 seven year olds, and most teams were almost nine year olds. He's playing in the Ironton tournament this week, starting tomorrow, and then he'll be done. Sawyer won his first all star game, and then lost the next two, so they were bumped out quickly. But, they were the first team to play under the new lights on the Fairland team. They stopped the game when the lights needed to be turned on, and had a quick ceremony to thank those who helped the league get the lights done.

Friday was the ward's annual Fourth of July picnic. We came loaded with potato salad, Boston baked beans with bacon, and a cut-up watermelon. Kind of sad you missed the shing-ding, but perhaps next year ;-) We played lots of silly games, my favorite the three-legged race where I ended up on the ground laughing. Hunter and Dad spent a lot of time at the horse shoe pit, Miller and Sawyer were everywhere, and Breyer was everybody's favorite lap child. She just likes to sit and chat. Enjoy the pictures! The state park had a swimming pool, so we stayed later than most others, and let the boys swim for a while before we came home.

Later, we found out that a local business man puts on a fireworks show at the ball fields (second year) as Huntington was charging him too much money to use their parks. It was a great show! Thirty minutes of continuous fire works! Again, we were only missing you!

(Hunter opening a hand-drawn card from Cooper, Super Hero style ;-)

 Last night Dad lit up the fire pit, and soon Larry's grandkids joined us. We love them dearly. The last few nights have been cool, so sleeping has been enjoyable. Today after church we had them all over to celebrate Hunter's birthday. Can you believe he's 19? I can't. I guess I thought he was turning 18! Can't believe he's such an adult! He wanted apple pie instead of cake. After church we had exactly two hours to get the pies made before the grandkids had to go home, but the boys were motivated. Twelve LARGE apples were peeled quickly, and cut up, and baked to perfection just in time. They brought the ice cream and ice water. We make a good team. Fourteen people make quick work of two pies, but everybody's tummies were happy, and there was a piece left over for Hunter's breakfast.

 

Today in church Dad was released from the bishopric. They actually released the whole bishopric (Mazon and E. Lewis), and called Jamie Wolfe as Bishop (after ten years in the stake), and Frank Kirby as 1st counselor. He'll be wonderful. Wish we were staying so I could work for him! Cooper was also ordained a teacher today. Hunter AND Porter were able to stand in with Dad. I am so looking forward to one Sunday when you're here, having all four of my eligible boys assist with the sacrament ordinance. That's what being a mom is all about.

That's about the week! You'll have to listen to your sister Breyer converse with Siri on Dad's work ipad. (The name is Norwegian, which means beautiful woman ;-) She asks such questions as, "What are you? How old are you? Okay, are you three, or six or seven?" Sometimes she gets a response, such as when Breyer says, "Goodnight" she gets a "Good night" back. Most times Breyer just confuses her. The younger boys go to the two free movies on Tuesday and Wednesday with Nathan Welch. The boys have been watching the World Cup when they can. We're still packing, mostly sorting, now.

I was thinking of you today while playing the closing hymn, "The Star Spangled Banner." The second verse always makes me stop and reflect...

On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
But today I was thinking of an airport, seen through the teeming masses of people, half concealed, half disclosed, now in full glory, my missionary son stepping off the plane. What a glorious thought! It will be good. Love you! Have a wonderful, wonderful, last full week in your mission.

Love,

Mom and Dad