“He lived life in crescendo”
Said of the prophet Joseph Smith, I hope to be worthy of those words as well. Ever onward and upward!
My departure from Texas was scheduled early Friday July 20th. The day before, I had taken in the minivan to be state-inspected. It passed, but due to not having insurance until the next day, we were told we had to bring it in the next morning for another inspection. I arrived as soon as they opened, at 7 am, and they started looking at it. After 20 minutes I was getting worried, and sure enough, after 50 whole minutes (whereas the usual car takes 15) I was told the minivan was spurting steering fluid and completely unsafe. The actual diagnosis wasn’t surprising as Mimi had said there was a problem with that, but I asked how did you miss that yesterday if its that bad? They retorted that the employee who conducted the inspection was not in fact certified to do so, which made me even angrier, because the boss who authorized it was before me listening to this. Oh well. That was the angriest I’ve been for a long, long time. Probably two years to be exact. After being inspected the previous day, we packed the car up, made final arrangements, as I needed to be in Utah on Sunday. I drove the apparently dangerous machine back home, ate breakfast, read some mechanic stuff on the internet, checked a couple things on the car, decided it was perfectly fine for now, and took it to another mechanic, who inspected it and deemed it a-ok.
And thus, I was off. Admittedly, I cried saying goodbye. I’ve had a good summer, and its hard knowing that nothing is ever the same. Nothing ever returns to how it was. I had written my route instructions on some sticky notes, I had dozens of cassette tapes, an Elvis CD and plenty of gas money from Mom. I was off.
After taking so many road trips through the years, I’ve developed some ideas on efficiency, and thought now was my turn to test them out. Turned out a lot harder than I thought to plan out stops, but I traveled with hardly any setbacks, besides a few road construction delays and detours. I loved driving through the beautiful countryside. I like going through the small Texas towns dominated by silos and co-ops. I love going through New Mexico with the green carpet stretching out for miles, framed by mountains in the background. And I love Colorado with the pine trees and conspicuous rock formations.
I had lunch packed with lots of snacks, and besides for gas only stopped in Colorado for some chick-fil-a. I made it to Uncle Zach’s house at about 10:30, making the trip in 13 hours. And I was tired! It had been a long day, exhausting mainly because of the uncertainty brought about by the failed inspection.
I enjoyed a beautiful sleep, courtesy of cousin Gabe, and the next morning was filled with lots of games, an inspection of the garden, and some moral support as Uncle Zach built some cupboards. I was impressed with the project and execution thereof. Lincoln won as my favorite for the trip. He was all smiles and giggles with lots of one-liners full of wisdom. And Uncle Zach not only made apple-pie bread pudding which was new to me, but also passed on the recipe. I do plan on returning to Colorado later this year.
By noon I was back on the road, heading up through Wyoming. The eastern half is beautiful, and I love driving through it, but the western half drags on and on and on and doesn’t have that same natural grandeur. I stopped for food at a Wyoming subway, and my scores for efficiency plummeted more, as after filling up, getting food, and returning to the interstate I was down 40 minutes. Unbelievable.
Co-pilot shout-out to Truman Madsen. I listened to hours of his tapes on the Prophet Joseph Smith, and being completely unencumbered by traffic and wanting to remember what I learned, near-perfected the art of note-taking on the steering wheel. I ended up with several pages.
I got some chills crossing the final state border and entering into Utah. Every year holds so much promise and adventure I always love coming back. Originally, I had planned to continue to Salt Lake City to catch the Pioneer Day concert, but I would have waited for tickets, and at this point I was tired and just wanting to arrive. So I meandered through Heber City which left me awestruck, and was incredibly beautiful. The city is set out nicely and the scenery is beyond compare. Utah is a lot greener than I imagined in summer. I arrived at TannMmarie’s apartment just in time to see them off to the temple and stand guard over the sleeping Nora.
They had recently moved to a new, temporary apartment and I had naively imagined, despite Tanner’s claims to the contrary, that it was quite spacious. They graciously hosted me, but within an hour of arriving I knew I would need a different place. Sunday involved lots of meetings and interviews and I was glad to be able to serve, where I am needed.
Monday morning I returned to the Crestwood and was glad to find a room I could spend the next few weeks. I immediately signed and started emptying my belongings into the new place. I have to say, my life seems so luxurious lately. I have records, I have my bathrobe again, slippers, golf clubs, etc.
All I need is a wife and an armchair. Well, and a job, but I am confident I’ll have employment by next week. It’s the other two that leave question marks.
For Family Home Evening we went to the Spring Garden Retirement Home in Lindon and played bingo with the seniors there. That place was oozing money! Indoor waterfall, granite everything and, (my personal favorite) they meet and attend church in huge armchairs. I helped a Congregationalist from Idaho, and although we didn’t win, I had a great time. And I was able to scoot to Uncle Ben’s after and pick up my stuff I had left over the summer.
Tuesday, being pioneer day was filled with recreation and remembering. I ended up playing a little golf (from the black tees!) and was ecstatic to reach the 9th hole, 578 yards in two shots. Even though I three-putted. I helped my roommate, Rory, move a couch and dining room set to his new house in Springville. He’s getting married in August. From there I ran over to a picnic with TannMarie and the Pace’s. We ate well, including Rhubarb pie Annemarie made and played frisbee golf and Kan-Jam (my first time). I bailed that evenings activities deciding to read in my room, and only listen to the fireworks.
I am thankful for all the pioneers in my family, especially my Father and my Grandparents for their decisions to accept the gospel and seek earnestly after the best things in life.
Wednesday and Thursday went by quickly. I was working on job applications and newspaper stuff. Unfortunately, we were turned down by the library for distribution, so that made our plans change slightly. With Annemarie’s assistance at Costco, I was able to take care of all my shopping needs. Over the summer, due to some pondering and the messages of some books, I had decided to cut back extensively on my meat consumption. Not that it is a lot right now anyways. However, the average American ate 4 oz of meat daily in 1970, and now that number has tripled. I think its causing most of our (nation’s) health problems. And of course, the supermarkets all have meat specials as soon as I get here. So there’s 18 pounds of meat in my freezer already. But, all packaged in neat 4 oz bags.
Wednesday night, I received a message at 10:45 pm for someone looking for a blessing. I went over to that apartment and helped, and shortly after returning to my apartment, I received another message from someone else, this one more urgent, requesting another blessing. I didn’t know who could help administer, but as I stood outside thinking about what to do, James, who recently moved in, walked by dressed in a white shirt and tie, and I thought, “that’s the guy!” We were able to go over and help, and we both had a cool experience knowing that the Lord was cognizant of each person’s needs.
Thursday I invited two friends over, John and Maddie, and we ate homemade pasta and spaghetti and sausage. I’ve long wanted to try making pasta, and it turned out okay. I rolled out the dough with a rolling pin, and it was a little thicker than ideal, but still tasty. Earlier, we had our first presidency meeting in a LONG time, and I attended institute class for the first time ever. We went over Moses 6-7.
Friday I cleaned the car from the nearly 4,000 miles its endured the last three weeks, and enjoyed a free car wash. I helped a member of the ward run a few errands and then was interviewed by Northwestern Mutual over the phone. I’ll be going in on Tuesday for the in-person part.
And that evening I went golfing with Lydia. She had never played before, but I’ve decided that in dating I tend to focus only on buying instead of selling, i.e. learning who the other person is, instead of showing who I am and therefore golf would be an ideal activity. We went at 7:15 and the weather had cooled down sufficiently we watch the evening set against the mountains. She took some pictures and the setting was gorgeous. Provo is a big city (for me) but the golf course is on the outskirts of town and silent from city pollution. I had a fantastic time. We took turns hitting shots, catching up on summer activities and discussing what living a meaningful life would involve. And we’ll probably be going out again.
Saturday I had two mission friends over, Lawson Lighten and Kimball Hatch, both from my last area of the mission. I wondered why I was assigned to that area at the time, but its brought so many blessings and good times both while I was still there and now. We had the best Brazilian feast yet, and played Settlers of Cataan. I had told Tanner I would babysit Nora starting at 3, so we packed up the games and played for another two hours at their place before finally calling it a day. Nora slept from 3-4:20, and was the best baby ever until 6:20 when she started getting fussy. So, at 6:40 until 7:00 we walked outside and she was happy and calm again. And at 7 until Tanner came back at 7:15, she cried. And cried. And cried. Every idea I had to help backfired and made her screams even louder. Ah, the joys of unclehood.
Today, I played the organ, cranking out “O my Father,” “Father in Heaven, We do Believe,” “For the Beauty of the Earth,” and “Israel, Israel, God is Calling.” I continue to enjoy conducting interviews in EQ and we are making a lot of progress, both in becoming unified and in our ministering efforts.
I still don’t know why exactly I’m here. I know the Lord wanted me back, and like I told Uncle Zach, I don’t know if it was to help the Elders Quorum, for a relationship, or for a job, but I hope its all three. One week in, and I’m no closer to reaching a conclusion. But that’s okay. Boyd K. Packer related once how he went to Harold B. Lee seeking counsel, and was told “The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.”
I suppose I’m like that. I think it would be nice to know the outcomes before they happen. However, as trying as it can be, I really do know that the joy is most often in the journey. To say nothing of adventure. See here we go, off into the unknown.
Here’s something I do know as a result of this week:
A few years back, I conducted a long and extensive study on charity and concluded that charity is acting with someone’s eternal worth in sight. Regretfully, I used that to rationalize some stingy behavior. I still think charity could involve denying and does involve the long-term view. However, now, I understand that charity is doing for someone what they can’t do for themselves, as the Savior atoned for our sins.
I am so grateful to have a Savior who loved me enough to die for me, and hope that through my actions I can reflect at least a small portion of that love to mankind.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Monday, July 30, 2018
Letter #49
Let's start with the whole black power thing.
Well, here we go
It's like a two white people on the black power barbershop sign.
Killed me
Then, we had interviews with President Marsh, right? So we left, a little late, I'm not thinking we're gonna make it on time. Then, our bus pulls up. It's the short bus. Now, I always wanted to ride in the short bus, because it's the most comfortable, or at least in school it was.
Nope, a fourth of the size, the same number of seats. So, we take off and my boy is straight flooring it, we cruising, passing all the other buses, and we pull into Pouso Alegre 10 minutes before our interviews. I won't say that it was the most comfortable of rides, but hey, the short bus flies.
Interviews were nice, had a nice little chat with President Marsh, we'll see the effects and the changes on around August 14.
I came back, craving cheese. Not as strange as it sounds. Minas Gerais is famous for their cheese, so I went looking for some. And I found it. The 117 real walnut, apricot blue cheese slice.
Oh how I wanted to go for it. BUT, I did find myself a nice 4 real cheese, a 76 cent chocolate, and a nice tonic water. Can I get a yuh??
YUH
We had a branch party, less branch, more investigators. Like out of the 40 people there, 30 were investigators. That's what I call a success.
So, I also received a nice polo from a friend here. The thing is, it has a secret, it's a special polo. But I ain't gonna spill the secret. Not yet
#Suspense
That's it, maybe I'll send the secret to some people
Love,
Elder Sparky Shoe Fly
Well, here we go
It's like a two white people on the black power barbershop sign.
Killed me
Then, we had interviews with President Marsh, right? So we left, a little late, I'm not thinking we're gonna make it on time. Then, our bus pulls up. It's the short bus. Now, I always wanted to ride in the short bus, because it's the most comfortable, or at least in school it was.
Nope, a fourth of the size, the same number of seats. So, we take off and my boy is straight flooring it, we cruising, passing all the other buses, and we pull into Pouso Alegre 10 minutes before our interviews. I won't say that it was the most comfortable of rides, but hey, the short bus flies.
Interviews were nice, had a nice little chat with President Marsh, we'll see the effects and the changes on around August 14.
I came back, craving cheese. Not as strange as it sounds. Minas Gerais is famous for their cheese, so I went looking for some. And I found it. The 117 real walnut, apricot blue cheese slice.
Oh how I wanted to go for it. BUT, I did find myself a nice 4 real cheese, a 76 cent chocolate, and a nice tonic water. Can I get a yuh??
YUH
We had a branch party, less branch, more investigators. Like out of the 40 people there, 30 were investigators. That's what I call a success.
So, I also received a nice polo from a friend here. The thing is, it has a secret, it's a special polo. But I ain't gonna spill the secret. Not yet
#Suspense
That's it, maybe I'll send the secret to some people
Love,
Elder Sparky Shoe Fly
Sunday, July 29, 2018
With All My Love
Good morning Elder Schenewark!
We hope your week was wonderful. We love you. We pray for you. We speak of you. Your name is held with love. Because I love you I’m going to ask that my Porter writes the letters to me.
Sometimes I feel like I’m reading gangsta’ P dude, or all your other flavors of the week. Give me sweet Porter. That’s who I miss. Your love for me was tangible and I’m in withdrawals.
I have spent every night this week playing games. I love it. The smile on my face won't quit. Admittedly I won a surprise match of Settlers, with Breyer, but the Phase 10 (really 5) was a blow out. And winning isn't the reason for my smile. I love my kids. The boys are very funny together, enjoy each other immensely, and bring joy into my life. I am a lucky mother.
One evening I asked Sawyer to sweep the floors and wipe the counters, and Cooper to wash four pans, so I could get in the shower. Cooper said, "Who's going to pull the plug?" I said, "You are. When you're finished." As I was walking away, I heard him mumble, "This is worse than any CIA torture." He's so funny!
Cooper and I finished the weekend out by working on the fire pit. Mostly Cooper. I’m just there for moral support and physical assistance. I moved the unused brick behind the dollhouse to stack. All the benches are finished. We purchased the remaining wood needed for the bench tops, which was cut by hand by Cooper and Sawyer. I’m sure Cooper will be working on them throughout the week. We also purchased stain for the wood, and screws to put the benches together. It’s been a good summer project, but I want it finished before the summer ends. I told Cooper I’d work on getting the grass around the fire pit back in shape. Last, I’ll need to purchase a piece of flat brick or so that will be tapped into triangular pieces to finish of the top ledge.
Watching Cooper work is a piece of art. He’s so methodical in how he approaches his creations. He spends a good amount of time researching. He moves on to sketching, which by themselves are works of art. He then makes a three dimensional visual, the fire pit was done in foam, even the rock pieces on the ground. How else would I feel comfortable in purchasing hundreds of dollars’ worth of supplies? He gained a few new tools for his collection, most notably a rubber mallet and metal hammer with a pick, which he uses to tap bricks firmly into place, or to shape them. When his material didn’t live up to his standards, it was discarded. I watched him pick out the 2x4 boards for the benches, wondering why some were set a side. He told me there were too many knots, or too large of a knot, or damage to the board from cutting, etc. Bricks were also set aside for other reasons known only to him, but as his vision would change, a brick discarded was once again used for his purposes. His physical lay- out included measuring, string placed on spikes, marks with spray paint. It’s been a joy to watch him work up close. He finished last night’s labor needing one brick for the final bench top piece, and was eyeing a few edging the garden Hunter worked on this summer. We still might borrow a piece or two, but we left the piece that cracked at the last moment on the bench for now as it was getting dark.
Speaking of Hunter’s garden, it lost momentum while we were in Boston. There were no showers turned on or dishes washed, so the sprinklers remained off. Besides no watering, the plants were nibbled upon, probably by deer that visit the subdivision at night. But it was a good beginning.
Speaking of Hunter, we’re waiting to hear how his weekend date with Lydia went. It can be tough calling home when your younger brothers salivate over every detail regarding friends of the opposite sex. Tanner survived, so I suppose Hunter will be just fine. He moved out of Tanner’s very small apartment, into his complex, paying just a bit to stay there until his contract began and his apartment opens. He’s actively looking for work, and resuming his presidential duties.
Cooper spent a long, hot week at tennis camp. The start time was moved from 10 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., with try outs beginning this week at an even earlier hour of 7 a.m. The Texas heat is too much, even in the morning.
Sawyer still works every day on his basketball prowess, and began thinking of golf and his upcoming try outs. I took them to the driving range and putting green yesterday morning, and then back to the golf course for a round of golf after lunch. They only played nine holes, but on each drive they would hit two balls and play the best ball. Dad also took them to the driving range, and I think he walked one time.
Miller is working on baseball try outs, his new proclaimed favorite sport, and throws with Sawyer in the evenings. They are a joy to watch, as there is joy in their time together. I wonder if someone who doesn’t know them would be able to see their joy as a mother does. I know our beloved neighbor Larry grew to see the joy as I did. How else would he endure us putting so many holes in his siding!
Breyer spent yesterday shopping. How fun to go to the store with her. Your brothers were there as well, but I can leave them alone for bits of time. Miller needed some socks. Sawyer needed a pair of golf shorts, and we found a teal and a purple pair just for fun. Cooper found a fun shirt with dogs all over, as well as the same golf shorts to use for tennis. Breyer came home with her white tennis shoes. Miller asked why she always has to have white tennis shoes, and I told him because Breyer likes to wear dresses and skirts to school, and needs white to look nice. He rolled his eyes. We found her a cute pair of baggy overalls, one dress, and a shirt/short ensemble. Happy back to school shopping. We’re still not saying the “S” word, as it makes Miller shiver, but we are taking baby steps to get ready.
I turned in the YMCA cancellation notice. I might try it a month in December, but definitely next summer.
We didn’t progress any farther with the cars this week, but have a plan of attack to get Cooper a driver’s license. We’ll be finishing up the necessary paperwork to register the Sienna in Texas, as we received the last document in the mail from Massachusetts. We’ll also be registering the Ford van. All are insured, and Cooper will soon need to be added to the list. So many checks off the to do list, so little time.
I got the blinker bulb replaced in the 4 Runner. Check.
Since Dad had replaced the front door lock this year, I had four copies made so I won’t have to worry about them being locked outside. Dad’s very good at making sure the house is always secure. Check.
We have the Prius loaded with books and clothes for donation. More still yet to be loaded. Check.
Mail Porter's very belated, formerly returned, birthday boxes. Check. I'll be checking back within six weeks! Kevin also got a box. Check.
I was reading “Prepare to Meet God” by Elder Quentin L. Cook, from the last session of General Conference in April, and thought a few comments would be appropriate to share. He spoke of the three keys that were restored, “for the last days and for the last time,” in the Kirtland temple, simplified eloquently by him as “gathering Israel (missionary work), sealing them as families (temple work), and preparing the world for the Lord’s Second Coming and the Kingdom of God (Abrahamic covenant). Then, he quoted Eliza Snow who said, "Each heart was filled with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
He spoke of how home and visiting teaching, now “ministering,” "as taught so eloquently in this session, will prepare Latter-day Saints to meet God."
He spoke of our church leaders "who preside over the divinely appointed purposes of the Church receive divine assistance," and how "this guidance comes from the Spirit and sometimes directly from the Savior."
But my favorite part of his talk was when he said, "With respect to Moses’s restoration of the keys for the gathering of Israel, today almost 70,000 missionaries are spread across the earth preaching His gospel to gather His elect...Missionaries humbly serve where called. They do not attempt to serve based on worldly standards of status or preparation for future careers. They serve with all their heart, might, mind, and strength wherever they are assigned. They do not choose their missionary companions, and they seek diligently to develop Christlike attributes, which are at the heart of the culture of Jesus Christ." Fulfill your calling well. Remain true and strong, and return with honor. We ever wait.
Love,
Mom
Mom
We hope your week was wonderful. We love you. We pray for you. We speak of you. Your name is held with love. Because I love you I’m going to ask that my Porter writes the letters to me.
Sometimes I feel like I’m reading gangsta’ P dude, or all your other flavors of the week. Give me sweet Porter. That’s who I miss. Your love for me was tangible and I’m in withdrawals.
I have spent every night this week playing games. I love it. The smile on my face won't quit. Admittedly I won a surprise match of Settlers, with Breyer, but the Phase 10 (really 5) was a blow out. And winning isn't the reason for my smile. I love my kids. The boys are very funny together, enjoy each other immensely, and bring joy into my life. I am a lucky mother.
One evening I asked Sawyer to sweep the floors and wipe the counters, and Cooper to wash four pans, so I could get in the shower. Cooper said, "Who's going to pull the plug?" I said, "You are. When you're finished." As I was walking away, I heard him mumble, "This is worse than any CIA torture." He's so funny!
Cooper and I finished the weekend out by working on the fire pit. Mostly Cooper. I’m just there for moral support and physical assistance. I moved the unused brick behind the dollhouse to stack. All the benches are finished. We purchased the remaining wood needed for the bench tops, which was cut by hand by Cooper and Sawyer. I’m sure Cooper will be working on them throughout the week. We also purchased stain for the wood, and screws to put the benches together. It’s been a good summer project, but I want it finished before the summer ends. I told Cooper I’d work on getting the grass around the fire pit back in shape. Last, I’ll need to purchase a piece of flat brick or so that will be tapped into triangular pieces to finish of the top ledge.
Watching Cooper work is a piece of art. He’s so methodical in how he approaches his creations. He spends a good amount of time researching. He moves on to sketching, which by themselves are works of art. He then makes a three dimensional visual, the fire pit was done in foam, even the rock pieces on the ground. How else would I feel comfortable in purchasing hundreds of dollars’ worth of supplies? He gained a few new tools for his collection, most notably a rubber mallet and metal hammer with a pick, which he uses to tap bricks firmly into place, or to shape them. When his material didn’t live up to his standards, it was discarded. I watched him pick out the 2x4 boards for the benches, wondering why some were set a side. He told me there were too many knots, or too large of a knot, or damage to the board from cutting, etc. Bricks were also set aside for other reasons known only to him, but as his vision would change, a brick discarded was once again used for his purposes. His physical lay- out included measuring, string placed on spikes, marks with spray paint. It’s been a joy to watch him work up close. He finished last night’s labor needing one brick for the final bench top piece, and was eyeing a few edging the garden Hunter worked on this summer. We still might borrow a piece or two, but we left the piece that cracked at the last moment on the bench for now as it was getting dark.
Speaking of Hunter’s garden, it lost momentum while we were in Boston. There were no showers turned on or dishes washed, so the sprinklers remained off. Besides no watering, the plants were nibbled upon, probably by deer that visit the subdivision at night. But it was a good beginning.
Speaking of Hunter, we’re waiting to hear how his weekend date with Lydia went. It can be tough calling home when your younger brothers salivate over every detail regarding friends of the opposite sex. Tanner survived, so I suppose Hunter will be just fine. He moved out of Tanner’s very small apartment, into his complex, paying just a bit to stay there until his contract began and his apartment opens. He’s actively looking for work, and resuming his presidential duties.
Cooper spent a long, hot week at tennis camp. The start time was moved from 10 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., with try outs beginning this week at an even earlier hour of 7 a.m. The Texas heat is too much, even in the morning.
Sawyer still works every day on his basketball prowess, and began thinking of golf and his upcoming try outs. I took them to the driving range and putting green yesterday morning, and then back to the golf course for a round of golf after lunch. They only played nine holes, but on each drive they would hit two balls and play the best ball. Dad also took them to the driving range, and I think he walked one time.
Miller is working on baseball try outs, his new proclaimed favorite sport, and throws with Sawyer in the evenings. They are a joy to watch, as there is joy in their time together. I wonder if someone who doesn’t know them would be able to see their joy as a mother does. I know our beloved neighbor Larry grew to see the joy as I did. How else would he endure us putting so many holes in his siding!
Breyer spent yesterday shopping. How fun to go to the store with her. Your brothers were there as well, but I can leave them alone for bits of time. Miller needed some socks. Sawyer needed a pair of golf shorts, and we found a teal and a purple pair just for fun. Cooper found a fun shirt with dogs all over, as well as the same golf shorts to use for tennis. Breyer came home with her white tennis shoes. Miller asked why she always has to have white tennis shoes, and I told him because Breyer likes to wear dresses and skirts to school, and needs white to look nice. He rolled his eyes. We found her a cute pair of baggy overalls, one dress, and a shirt/short ensemble. Happy back to school shopping. We’re still not saying the “S” word, as it makes Miller shiver, but we are taking baby steps to get ready.
I turned in the YMCA cancellation notice. I might try it a month in December, but definitely next summer.
We didn’t progress any farther with the cars this week, but have a plan of attack to get Cooper a driver’s license. We’ll be finishing up the necessary paperwork to register the Sienna in Texas, as we received the last document in the mail from Massachusetts. We’ll also be registering the Ford van. All are insured, and Cooper will soon need to be added to the list. So many checks off the to do list, so little time.
I got the blinker bulb replaced in the 4 Runner. Check.
Since Dad had replaced the front door lock this year, I had four copies made so I won’t have to worry about them being locked outside. Dad’s very good at making sure the house is always secure. Check.
We have the Prius loaded with books and clothes for donation. More still yet to be loaded. Check.
Mail Porter's very belated, formerly returned, birthday boxes. Check. I'll be checking back within six weeks! Kevin also got a box. Check.
I was reading “Prepare to Meet God” by Elder Quentin L. Cook, from the last session of General Conference in April, and thought a few comments would be appropriate to share. He spoke of the three keys that were restored, “for the last days and for the last time,” in the Kirtland temple, simplified eloquently by him as “gathering Israel (missionary work), sealing them as families (temple work), and preparing the world for the Lord’s Second Coming and the Kingdom of God (Abrahamic covenant). Then, he quoted Eliza Snow who said, "Each heart was filled with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
He spoke of how home and visiting teaching, now “ministering,” "as taught so eloquently in this session, will prepare Latter-day Saints to meet God."
Love,
Mom
Mom
Monday, July 23, 2018
Letter #48
So, since everyone is pestering me to send pictures of me, I thought I'd oblige.
Be careful what you wish for.
We're gonna start with the haircut.
Maybe what you don't realize (or at least I didn't) is that when you use that same classic but dope comb over day after day, you actually have a whole lot more hair than you realize.
This is me, seven days ago
And then we role up to the barbers, he asks me if I want the expert or the trainee.
Which one's cheaper???
The trainee
So I gave him his choice of clip, and he could choose his price (given that it was under 15).
So I hit that 7 real clippa
Yuh
Than, we went hitting the Sanctuary
I loved the whole part where we rolled up with the ex-padre, and he still has his keys from when he was padre, and he gave us that private tour, the real nice ones.
It was said by a couple of Catholics that I was rolling up the most fire kicks they had even seen.
What else do we have here to use
Got one, this is my boy Gabe, short for Gabriel
He's the less active boy we've been visiting/squad member we roll up with.
He wanted to take a picture so, you're getting it
And that's my life in pictures
Until next week,
Elder Saint Benedito
Be careful what you wish for.
We're gonna start with the haircut.
Maybe what you don't realize (or at least I didn't) is that when you use that same classic but dope comb over day after day, you actually have a whole lot more hair than you realize.
This is me, seven days ago
And then we role up to the barbers, he asks me if I want the expert or the trainee.
Which one's cheaper???
The trainee
So I gave him his choice of clip, and he could choose his price (given that it was under 15).
So I hit that 7 real clippa
Yuh
Than, we went hitting the Sanctuary
I loved the whole part where we rolled up with the ex-padre, and he still has his keys from when he was padre, and he gave us that private tour, the real nice ones.
It was said by a couple of Catholics that I was rolling up the most fire kicks they had even seen.
What else do we have here to use
Got one, this is my boy Gabe, short for Gabriel
He's the less active boy we've been visiting/squad member we roll up with.
He wanted to take a picture so, you're getting it
And that's my life in pictures
Until next week,
Elder Saint Benedito
Sunday, July 22, 2018
With All My Love
Dear Elder Schenewark,
What a week. My emotions have been on a roller coaster. It was wonderful to hear from you. Thank goodness.
I haven't been able to see Nora at all! She's going to forget me! So I might have no cute photos to share. I did read about the new method of toddler rooms taking the motherhood rank and file by storm: Montessori - where everything the child needs is reachable by them. The mattress is on the floor, the light switch down low, no tall dressers, etc. I just want to know what the Montessori method says for kids that don't stay in bed. I needed a few bars around my boys.
Your father took Sawyer and Cooper to youth conference in the San Antonio area early Thursday morning. Of course, with any such trip, packing commences the night before and is still in progress at departure time. Your father was not happy about going, not happy about going in 105 degrees of Texas heat, and not happy to be told to bring equipment for the service project occurring in 105 degrees of said Texas heat. He was happy to have his counselor come with him, and to drive his other counselor’s suburban, especially when said suburban dropped a transmission on the first day after they were leaving their lake activities. My favorite story, which I had him retell just for me, was when Cooper stood and bore his testimony. He had the audience eating out of his hand with his command and humor, and became a legend. Sawyer contributed as well by inspiring his row of 12 to follow him to the pulpit one by one. They arrived home just in time to see the missionaries leave, having had to eat their dinner in their air conditioned vehicle, and to hear that Hunter had arrived back in Utah just in time to babysit Nora while Tanner and AnneMarie went to the temple.
This week was spent mostly working on two vehicles, the Ford van and Toyota Sienna, to make them driveable enough to pass inspection. The Ford, after Hunter took it to GoodYear, got the fuse situation resolved for free, and two new front tires, and the go for registration. We’ll finish it this week. The Toyota was a bit more complicated. The insurance company put the vehicle on, right away, but sent us a policy through email that had the vehicle beginning with our renewal next month. Then when the new email came through, it began the next day. So no inspection until the day Hunter was to leave. Christian Brothers failed it due to a power steering leak, so he brought it back to GoodYear and passed. We’re waiting on one paper from Massachusetts, and that vehicle will be registered in Texas as well, and will be the vehicle available for you boys in Utah to use. Hunter’s worked hard getting both vehicles up and running, and we’re all blessed for his efforts. Having Cooper be able to drive the van to seminary will allow your father two less hours on the road each morning.
Hunter also spent a day going through his belongings and loading most of them in the van, along with a few goodies for Tanner’s and Uncle Zach’s family.
Hunter leaving makes my heart heavy. It should feel lighter, like my house but it's not. I cried all the way home after watching him drive away. He called me all afternoon and evening feeling the same loss as I. It's been a glorious summer having him home, a luxury I never had with Tanner. I love you boys, and am so humbled to be your mother.
The Bible Dictionary defines “angels” as messengers of the Lord, and are spoken of in the epistle to the Hebrews as “ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:14). We learn from latter-day revelation that there are two classes of heavenly beings who minister for the Lord: those who are spirits and those who have bodies of flesh and bone. You are definitely of the flesh and bone class, ministering to those who do not have the gospel of Jesus Christ. As asked in Hebrews, “Are [we] not all ministering [angels]?” ( 1:14) May you continue your good works this week, ministering to those in need.
Love,
Mom
What a week. My emotions have been on a roller coaster. It was wonderful to hear from you. Thank goodness.
I haven't been able to see Nora at all! She's going to forget me! So I might have no cute photos to share. I did read about the new method of toddler rooms taking the motherhood rank and file by storm: Montessori - where everything the child needs is reachable by them. The mattress is on the floor, the light switch down low, no tall dressers, etc. I just want to know what the Montessori method says for kids that don't stay in bed. I needed a few bars around my boys.
This week was spent mostly working on two vehicles, the Ford van and Toyota Sienna, to make them driveable enough to pass inspection. The Ford, after Hunter took it to GoodYear, got the fuse situation resolved for free, and two new front tires, and the go for registration. We’ll finish it this week. The Toyota was a bit more complicated. The insurance company put the vehicle on, right away, but sent us a policy through email that had the vehicle beginning with our renewal next month. Then when the new email came through, it began the next day. So no inspection until the day Hunter was to leave. Christian Brothers failed it due to a power steering leak, so he brought it back to GoodYear and passed. We’re waiting on one paper from Massachusetts, and that vehicle will be registered in Texas as well, and will be the vehicle available for you boys in Utah to use. Hunter’s worked hard getting both vehicles up and running, and we’re all blessed for his efforts. Having Cooper be able to drive the van to seminary will allow your father two less hours on the road each morning.
Hunter also spent a day going through his belongings and loading most of them in the van, along with a few goodies for Tanner’s and Uncle Zach’s family.
Hunter leaving makes my heart heavy. It should feel lighter, like my house but it's not. I cried all the way home after watching him drive away. He called me all afternoon and evening feeling the same loss as I. It's been a glorious summer having him home, a luxury I never had with Tanner. I love you boys, and am so humbled to be your mother.
The Bible Dictionary defines “angels” as messengers of the Lord, and are spoken of in the epistle to the Hebrews as “ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:14). We learn from latter-day revelation that there are two classes of heavenly beings who minister for the Lord: those who are spirits and those who have bodies of flesh and bone. You are definitely of the flesh and bone class, ministering to those who do not have the gospel of Jesus Christ. As asked in Hebrews, “Are [we] not all ministering [angels]?” ( 1:14) May you continue your good works this week, ministering to those in need.
Love,
Mom
Thursday, July 19, 2018
College Correspondent
Avante, Avante Para a Vitoria!
That was my mission's theme,
Brethren, shall we not go forward in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and ON, ON TO THE VICTORY!
And may it ever be our mantra as well! It's said that to be successful, a man needs something to live for and somebody to live. I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ!
This last week has been one of transition- with the ending of old, and the starting of new. It was nice to rest a little from the summer trips and ever increasingly I am realizing I am not a traveler. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy seeing new places and making the occasional vacation. Yet, deep down I look forward to putting roots down and becoming a part of a community. One's outlook does change, knowing that they are tied to a place. I want to feel like the land is mine, I want to feel connected deep down, to help build a town, and I even want to feel invested in every local bond issue that arises.
Bro. Bach suggested we call the white van, "The Great White Hope" for it's death has been exaggerated far beyond Twain's. This week saw it start and run for the first time in over a year. And for me, it's been three years since I was behind the wheel. It sputtered, but stuck, its strength increasing, as I idled and then cautiously took it for a neighborhood tour. White smoke billowed as water or old gasoline burned off and I strained each turn as the power steering was out. The next day I took it in for an inspection knowing it would fail. And fail it did, but with passing colors! For again, there would be no immediate death, as all the problems were fixable. The plastic windows were ok, the bumperless front presented no problem, and the bent side was perfectly fine. However, there is a slight electrical problem, and we currently have no brake lights or blinkers. That's on the menu to fix tomorrow. I've checked all the fuses so it must be a wire or ground problem.
On Thursday, I went with all the kids to visit the Merritt's in Tyler. Amidst brewing clouds we took off, and by the time we made it to Dallas, the rain was absolutely pouring, we had our windshield wipers going at 100% and traffic crawled along at only 35 mph due to our inability to see beyond the brake lights of those in front of us. Thankfully, the weather cleared up for the last hour of our trip and we encountered no difficulties. It was again a weekend filled with lots of games and fun. Although this trip against Aunt Janel my record in ping-pong was 0-4 and it is quite frankly getting embarrassing.
Saturday morning we left the Merritt's and helped at the temple grounds clean-up service activity. From there, Sawyer drew the short straw and while the rest of the family headed to Trader Joe's and then home, he joined me on my excursion to Josey Record Store. Situated in a huge warehouse, they have tens of thousands of records and cds. Running short on time and funds, I picked up 7 old records out of the bargain area (totaling $8) and two cds.
That evening, I worked for Mr. Clark one last time, weedeating for 2 hours. It's such a blessing to be able to do that type of work, and not worry about poison ivy.
Sunday I taught again in Elders Quorum, facilitating the discussion on meekness, based off of Elder Bednar's address from April's conference. Here are two key takeaway's that I had:
In Matthew 11:28-30, the Savior says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
I find it very instructive that the Savior, among all the attributes that he so perfectly emulates, describes himself as meek.
Second, in my mind there was no differentiation between humility and meekness. Elder Bednar helped me understand the difference by saying, "Whereas humility generally denotes dependence upon God and the constant need for His guidance and support, a distinguishing characteristic of meekness is a particular spiritual receptivity to learning both from the Holy Ghost and from people who may seem less capable, experienced, or educated, who may not hold important positions, or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute. " Humility deals more with our relationship to God, while meekness is more about our relationship with our fellow men. Which makes Christ's statement even more powerful. While our Savior, he still displayed incredible meekness listening to weak and fallible people.
Finally, I finished a book by Pres. Nelson and want to share this: In his BYU devotional (given some 30+ years ago) "Obedience and Sacrifice" he talks about how the word sacrifice literally means to "make sacred." He then traces the history of sacrifice in the Bible, talking about animal sacrifices and the Atonement. I really liked this thought,
No longer do we think in terms of shedding blood or sacrificing animals. Rarely should we focus in terms of "giving up" time and means. Instead, we should now revert to the original meaning of the word - that we "make sacred." For us to sacrifice, we should "make sacred" every thought, every action, and our very character.... The giving of our time and means should be the end in itself, but a means to the end of making ourselves sacred. Each, by living a saintly life, can present to the Lord one more sanctified soul to the honor and glory of his Creator.
That was my mission's theme,
Brethren, shall we not go forward in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and ON, ON TO THE VICTORY!
And may it ever be our mantra as well! It's said that to be successful, a man needs something to live for and somebody to live. I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ!
This last week has been one of transition- with the ending of old, and the starting of new. It was nice to rest a little from the summer trips and ever increasingly I am realizing I am not a traveler. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy seeing new places and making the occasional vacation. Yet, deep down I look forward to putting roots down and becoming a part of a community. One's outlook does change, knowing that they are tied to a place. I want to feel like the land is mine, I want to feel connected deep down, to help build a town, and I even want to feel invested in every local bond issue that arises.
Bro. Bach suggested we call the white van, "The Great White Hope" for it's death has been exaggerated far beyond Twain's. This week saw it start and run for the first time in over a year. And for me, it's been three years since I was behind the wheel. It sputtered, but stuck, its strength increasing, as I idled and then cautiously took it for a neighborhood tour. White smoke billowed as water or old gasoline burned off and I strained each turn as the power steering was out. The next day I took it in for an inspection knowing it would fail. And fail it did, but with passing colors! For again, there would be no immediate death, as all the problems were fixable. The plastic windows were ok, the bumperless front presented no problem, and the bent side was perfectly fine. However, there is a slight electrical problem, and we currently have no brake lights or blinkers. That's on the menu to fix tomorrow. I've checked all the fuses so it must be a wire or ground problem.
On Thursday, I went with all the kids to visit the Merritt's in Tyler. Amidst brewing clouds we took off, and by the time we made it to Dallas, the rain was absolutely pouring, we had our windshield wipers going at 100% and traffic crawled along at only 35 mph due to our inability to see beyond the brake lights of those in front of us. Thankfully, the weather cleared up for the last hour of our trip and we encountered no difficulties. It was again a weekend filled with lots of games and fun. Although this trip against Aunt Janel my record in ping-pong was 0-4 and it is quite frankly getting embarrassing.
Saturday morning we left the Merritt's and helped at the temple grounds clean-up service activity. From there, Sawyer drew the short straw and while the rest of the family headed to Trader Joe's and then home, he joined me on my excursion to Josey Record Store. Situated in a huge warehouse, they have tens of thousands of records and cds. Running short on time and funds, I picked up 7 old records out of the bargain area (totaling $8) and two cds.
That evening, I worked for Mr. Clark one last time, weedeating for 2 hours. It's such a blessing to be able to do that type of work, and not worry about poison ivy.
Sunday I taught again in Elders Quorum, facilitating the discussion on meekness, based off of Elder Bednar's address from April's conference. Here are two key takeaway's that I had:
In Matthew 11:28-30, the Savior says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
I find it very instructive that the Savior, among all the attributes that he so perfectly emulates, describes himself as meek.
Second, in my mind there was no differentiation between humility and meekness. Elder Bednar helped me understand the difference by saying, "Whereas humility generally denotes dependence upon God and the constant need for His guidance and support, a distinguishing characteristic of meekness is a particular spiritual receptivity to learning both from the Holy Ghost and from people who may seem less capable, experienced, or educated, who may not hold important positions, or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute. " Humility deals more with our relationship to God, while meekness is more about our relationship with our fellow men. Which makes Christ's statement even more powerful. While our Savior, he still displayed incredible meekness listening to weak and fallible people.
Finally, I finished a book by Pres. Nelson and want to share this: In his BYU devotional (given some 30+ years ago) "Obedience and Sacrifice" he talks about how the word sacrifice literally means to "make sacred." He then traces the history of sacrifice in the Bible, talking about animal sacrifices and the Atonement. I really liked this thought,
No longer do we think in terms of shedding blood or sacrificing animals. Rarely should we focus in terms of "giving up" time and means. Instead, we should now revert to the original meaning of the word - that we "make sacred." For us to sacrifice, we should "make sacred" every thought, every action, and our very character.... The giving of our time and means should be the end in itself, but a means to the end of making ourselves sacred. Each, by living a saintly life, can present to the Lord one more sanctified soul to the honor and glory of his Creator.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Letter 47
So, first off, I did not forget to write an email last week. I just may have forgotten to send it.
But, fear not, fret not, this week will more than make up for it
To start, congratulations France, you earned it. Good try Croatia, next time.
2022 it's Belgium baby
This week, walking in the street, we had a little, let's call it, discussion.
Or, in other words, the local crazy man bombarded us with some real crap. I hate to use such a vulger word but i'm not talking about a verbal assault. This boy was going full monkey on us, snagging and slinging. Thanks to some incredibly agile reflexes, and a name tag that protects, the only thing that didn't wipe off clean was a little skid mark.
Thankfully I was able to find this handy lifesaver to get me out of a smear.
Also, in an effort to teach a young student, we marked to encounter at "the lake." Unbeknownst to me, and apparently the member I hired to bring me there, there are two lakes in this city. One apparently is a lot lot lot farther than the other. About two hours longer. Unfortunately, that was the one that we chose. So, that killed about a whole day in the sun, getting blisters
And now, we're off to make some more news for next letter. Today, we, along with Pedro (our ex-padre recent convert), to visit the santuário de Itajubá. Here is some photos for you real quick.
I love you all,
let us all press on
Elder John Paul III
But, fear not, fret not, this week will more than make up for it
To start, congratulations France, you earned it. Good try Croatia, next time.
2022 it's Belgium baby
This week, walking in the street, we had a little, let's call it, discussion.
Or, in other words, the local crazy man bombarded us with some real crap. I hate to use such a vulger word but i'm not talking about a verbal assault. This boy was going full monkey on us, snagging and slinging. Thanks to some incredibly agile reflexes, and a name tag that protects, the only thing that didn't wipe off clean was a little skid mark.
Thankfully I was able to find this handy lifesaver to get me out of a smear.
Also, in an effort to teach a young student, we marked to encounter at "the lake." Unbeknownst to me, and apparently the member I hired to bring me there, there are two lakes in this city. One apparently is a lot lot lot farther than the other. About two hours longer. Unfortunately, that was the one that we chose. So, that killed about a whole day in the sun, getting blisters
And now, we're off to make some more news for next letter. Today, we, along with Pedro (our ex-padre recent convert), to visit the santuário de Itajubá. Here is some photos for you real quick.
I love you all,
let us all press on
Elder John Paul III
Sunday, July 15, 2018
With All My Love
Good morning, Elder Schenewark,
We missed you last week. Be sure that if we don’t hear from you first thing tomorrow morning we’ll be calling out the calvary. Hunter reassured us you’d be contacted daily so not to worry. Our guesses range from you being transferred to a new policy from your new mission president.
Hunter spent a good portion of his week getting the Ford E350 van in working order. He got confirmation that the old battery was done, and purchased a new one. He made several trips to the auto parts store to determine whether or not a fuse was out, as the turn signals and lights aren’t working. Besides replacing the tires, the reason the van slid in the first place, it needs to be registered. He’ll be working on it again Monday as he’s anxious to drive to Utah and find a job.
He also took the kids to the YMCA to swim and play, helped with lunch and dinner – making our day so much better. This summer has been a delight having him in the house, and library, and refrigerator, and shower! The deer, or something, ate his garden while we were in Boston, but we’ll be moving it a bit towards the house to take advantage of the water.
Cooper built the second of three small rock benches around the fire pit. One more to go, and then I’ll buy the rest of the wood for the rock bench seats. I still need to purchase the flat rock that will finish the top of the fire pit as well. Speaking of Cooper, we got his hospital bill for his appendix. $44,000.00 Ouch. Thank goodness for insurance. I think we'll owe about $2,500.00. And Sawyer's finger? $6,700.00. Another ouch. I think we'll pay about $700.00. Another ouch. And speaking of ouch, Dad's insurance next year goes from a monthly premium of $350 to $1,200.00. This seems to be a national trend, so I'm not that surprised
Hunter took everybody up to Tyler to see family one more time. They were there in time for dinner on Thursday, and pulled up to the service project, a little late, Saturday morning. Our ward was in charge of helping the grounds worker put dirt in two massive cement flower boxes, which involved digging up 17 large rose bushes, and replanting them after the dirt level was higher. Then the beds were mulched, and watered. It’s always wonderful to rub shoulders together this way, but having Bro. Johnson there, who’s not even a member, was sweet. When I thought he needed a break, I’d have him share a recipe, and he’d pause to explain dinner options. I’ll take him on my handcart company any day.
We stopped at Trader Joe's on the way back, while Hunter and Sawyer stopped by Josey Records. Hunter found seven records while I found eight bags full! We enjoyed some time in the Y pool, and then the boys went to a stake dance, and Hunter worked on a weed whipping job in Bentwater. Dad visited the marina that is newly reopened to visit with sellers of boats, and then he went to the church. The rest of us got ready for Sunday.
While the kids were in Tyler, Dad and I were finally able to use gift cards from Christmas to The Cheesecake Factory, in Fort Worth. We meandered through and around Sundance Square finding a yummy chocolate store. Of course we had to sample their wares, and bought half a pound of samples. Our dinner was delicious, my steak and potatoes hitting the spot, and we took our cheesecake to go.
I was walking outside, something I try to do everyday as I sit for so long at work, and love looking at the stars. I was reminded of President Hinckley's talk on the north star, how it's so consistent and steadfast I picture you down on the other side of the continent, so far away from home, living the gospel in exact obedience, also so steadfast and consistent My love for you grows on a daily basis.
Love,
Mom
P.S. I transferred $50 to your Chase account. I don’t want you having to scrape by on finding food
We missed you last week. Be sure that if we don’t hear from you first thing tomorrow morning we’ll be calling out the calvary. Hunter reassured us you’d be contacted daily so not to worry. Our guesses range from you being transferred to a new policy from your new mission president.
Hunter spent a good portion of his week getting the Ford E350 van in working order. He got confirmation that the old battery was done, and purchased a new one. He made several trips to the auto parts store to determine whether or not a fuse was out, as the turn signals and lights aren’t working. Besides replacing the tires, the reason the van slid in the first place, it needs to be registered. He’ll be working on it again Monday as he’s anxious to drive to Utah and find a job.
He also took the kids to the YMCA to swim and play, helped with lunch and dinner – making our day so much better. This summer has been a delight having him in the house, and library, and refrigerator, and shower! The deer, or something, ate his garden while we were in Boston, but we’ll be moving it a bit towards the house to take advantage of the water.
Cooper built the second of three small rock benches around the fire pit. One more to go, and then I’ll buy the rest of the wood for the rock bench seats. I still need to purchase the flat rock that will finish the top of the fire pit as well. Speaking of Cooper, we got his hospital bill for his appendix. $44,000.00 Ouch. Thank goodness for insurance. I think we'll owe about $2,500.00. And Sawyer's finger? $6,700.00. Another ouch. I think we'll pay about $700.00. Another ouch. And speaking of ouch, Dad's insurance next year goes from a monthly premium of $350 to $1,200.00. This seems to be a national trend, so I'm not that surprised
Hunter took everybody up to Tyler to see family one more time. They were there in time for dinner on Thursday, and pulled up to the service project, a little late, Saturday morning. Our ward was in charge of helping the grounds worker put dirt in two massive cement flower boxes, which involved digging up 17 large rose bushes, and replanting them after the dirt level was higher. Then the beds were mulched, and watered. It’s always wonderful to rub shoulders together this way, but having Bro. Johnson there, who’s not even a member, was sweet. When I thought he needed a break, I’d have him share a recipe, and he’d pause to explain dinner options. I’ll take him on my handcart company any day.
We stopped at Trader Joe's on the way back, while Hunter and Sawyer stopped by Josey Records. Hunter found seven records while I found eight bags full! We enjoyed some time in the Y pool, and then the boys went to a stake dance, and Hunter worked on a weed whipping job in Bentwater. Dad visited the marina that is newly reopened to visit with sellers of boats, and then he went to the church. The rest of us got ready for Sunday.
While the kids were in Tyler, Dad and I were finally able to use gift cards from Christmas to The Cheesecake Factory, in Fort Worth. We meandered through and around Sundance Square finding a yummy chocolate store. Of course we had to sample their wares, and bought half a pound of samples. Our dinner was delicious, my steak and potatoes hitting the spot, and we took our cheesecake to go.
I was walking outside, something I try to do everyday as I sit for so long at work, and love looking at the stars. I was reminded of President Hinckley's talk on the north star, how it's so consistent and steadfast I picture you down on the other side of the continent, so far away from home, living the gospel in exact obedience, also so steadfast and consistent My love for you grows on a daily basis.
Love,
Mom
P.S. I transferred $50 to your Chase account. I don’t want you having to scrape by on finding food
Friday, July 13, 2018
College Correspondent
The City of Sleaze
Yep, I'm talking about Seattle. My flight was without incident, and Alaska Airlines left a good impression.
I met up with half the students at the airport, and we took a shuttle 90 minutes to the Seabeck Conference Center where we stayed. It's all the way on the other side of the bay from Seattle, and is located beautifully. Everywhere is green, rainforest-like luscious, except with lots and lots of pine trees. And of course different animals. We were 100 yards from the ocean, and there was also a pond on the property. I went boating almost every day, and saw deer on the shore as well as a majestic bald eagle flying overhead. Lovely.
The scenery was scintillating, but the purpose was politics. Daily, we dived into discussions debating liberalism. "What is liberalism? Has it failed?" That was the theme of the conference, and the professors who presented overwhelmingly declared, "I don't know exactly" and "yes, and no" in response to those questions. Helpful, right? In all honesty, I learned an incredible amount. The topic is so nuanced an actual definition is tough, but I left feeling very comfortable with the opinion that I had formed and my understanding of it. I won't bore with Jules Verne dry details of each day, but here are some key takeaways:
-Liberalism is constantly changing and advancing. (which makes it hard to define, because various groups like liberalism up to a certain point, while others are "progressives".) We heard about 9 waves of liberalism, which showed how each wave is advancing a new freedom, except they are all in tension, and thus each new wave lessons the freedoms of the previous waves.
Freedom from religious persecution
Freedom from foreign domination
Freedom from civil war
Freedom from arbitrary rule/tyranny
Freedom from government interference in the economy
Freedom from rule by another
Freedom from tyranny of the majority
Freedom from exploitation by sub- political groups (both in the economic and social sphere)
Freedom from biological necessities
Freedom from ??????
What will the tenth be? I've an idea, but would love to hear any others. Basically, man has given up building a literal Tower of Babel, and instead is trying to become god, by freeing himself from God. Won't turn out good.
Interestingly, 90% of the group this year (and every year) is Catholic. They have a philosophical tradition which is absent or nearly so in Protestantism.
Shout-out to my friend named Theodore ********, whom I met at this conference. This week he went by Rod. This was his bio he submitted for the conference
"is a rising senior at Villanova university studying literature and oceanography. Hailing from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, he frequents service trips which have taken him all over the globe, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Wilmington, Delaware. At Villanova, he takes great pride in his position as First Mate of the Carpathia Society, dedicated to locating the true wreckage of the RMS Carpathia at her watery grave in Davy Jones' locker."
Hilarious. What other kid would think about showing up at the airport with a sign that read "ISI'S meeting here."
That said, I was disheartened by the lack of creative or original thinking. Everyone, with the exception of a handful of students, was clearly repeating what they've been taught.
Thursday we took the day off from discussion and went into Seattle. Instead of driving around the bay again, this time we drove to a nearby town and took an hour long ferry ride to the city. I stood on the bow and loved every second. On the way back, D+C 61 was hanging around in the mind and made it less enjoyable, but this was still one of the most enjoyable parts of the entire trip.
I visited the Pike's Place Market, famous for its fresh fish but even more impressive with all the fresh produce being sold. Ranier cherries = 10/10. As our the golden peaches. There was so many jams that I taste-tested for an hour. There was also an "eastern medicine" boutique that I walked past and then ran by realizing immediately that this was not a place to buy essential oils. Oh no.
Then, a group of students and I walked into a bookstore. Which happens to be an extreme left-wing bookstore. The general title went something like this "How to start a revolution with no money and Defeat Capitalism." Those two shop encounters in the space of 10 minutes crushed a lot of my American naivete. Add to that more gay pride than I've ever seen and innumerable homeless people, and it felt distinctly different than any city I've ever visited.
We split up, and I went solo, walking along the harbor, visiting the Klondike Gold Rush museum, the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks stadiums, Amtrak train station, a waterfall garden, the original starbucks store, another bookstore (only dealing with architecture thankfully) and some city parks. At 5, we met up at the harbor and enjoyed a group dinner at "The Crab Pot." I ate some salmon, and finished the night off by bringing rhubarb cake and ice cream on the ferry back.
Above everything else, I was amazed that with all the discussions we held at the conference, no solution was available without a nationwide understanding of our identity as sons and daughters of God. We must understand that being "endowed by [our] Creator" is an essential part of being American.
I find it very informative that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in their testimony said,
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."
They testified first of God, and then our relationship to Him. I am thankful to know that we are all children of the Most High God, and draw strength knowing that He loves us and wants the best for us.
Yep, I'm talking about Seattle. My flight was without incident, and Alaska Airlines left a good impression.
I met up with half the students at the airport, and we took a shuttle 90 minutes to the Seabeck Conference Center where we stayed. It's all the way on the other side of the bay from Seattle, and is located beautifully. Everywhere is green, rainforest-like luscious, except with lots and lots of pine trees. And of course different animals. We were 100 yards from the ocean, and there was also a pond on the property. I went boating almost every day, and saw deer on the shore as well as a majestic bald eagle flying overhead. Lovely.
The scenery was scintillating, but the purpose was politics. Daily, we dived into discussions debating liberalism. "What is liberalism? Has it failed?" That was the theme of the conference, and the professors who presented overwhelmingly declared, "I don't know exactly" and "yes, and no" in response to those questions. Helpful, right? In all honesty, I learned an incredible amount. The topic is so nuanced an actual definition is tough, but I left feeling very comfortable with the opinion that I had formed and my understanding of it. I won't bore with Jules Verne dry details of each day, but here are some key takeaways:
-Liberalism is constantly changing and advancing. (which makes it hard to define, because various groups like liberalism up to a certain point, while others are "progressives".) We heard about 9 waves of liberalism, which showed how each wave is advancing a new freedom, except they are all in tension, and thus each new wave lessons the freedoms of the previous waves.
Freedom from religious persecution
Freedom from foreign domination
Freedom from civil war
Freedom from arbitrary rule/tyranny
Freedom from government interference in the economy
Freedom from rule by another
Freedom from tyranny of the majority
Freedom from exploitation by sub- political groups (both in the economic and social sphere)
Freedom from biological necessities
Freedom from ??????
What will the tenth be? I've an idea, but would love to hear any others. Basically, man has given up building a literal Tower of Babel, and instead is trying to become god, by freeing himself from God. Won't turn out good.
Interestingly, 90% of the group this year (and every year) is Catholic. They have a philosophical tradition which is absent or nearly so in Protestantism.
Shout-out to my friend named Theodore ********, whom I met at this conference. This week he went by Rod. This was his bio he submitted for the conference
"is a rising senior at Villanova university studying literature and oceanography. Hailing from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, he frequents service trips which have taken him all over the globe, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Wilmington, Delaware. At Villanova, he takes great pride in his position as First Mate of the Carpathia Society, dedicated to locating the true wreckage of the RMS Carpathia at her watery grave in Davy Jones' locker."
Hilarious. What other kid would think about showing up at the airport with a sign that read "ISI'S meeting here."
That said, I was disheartened by the lack of creative or original thinking. Everyone, with the exception of a handful of students, was clearly repeating what they've been taught.
Thursday we took the day off from discussion and went into Seattle. Instead of driving around the bay again, this time we drove to a nearby town and took an hour long ferry ride to the city. I stood on the bow and loved every second. On the way back, D+C 61 was hanging around in the mind and made it less enjoyable, but this was still one of the most enjoyable parts of the entire trip.
I visited the Pike's Place Market, famous for its fresh fish but even more impressive with all the fresh produce being sold. Ranier cherries = 10/10. As our the golden peaches. There was so many jams that I taste-tested for an hour. There was also an "eastern medicine" boutique that I walked past and then ran by realizing immediately that this was not a place to buy essential oils. Oh no.
Then, a group of students and I walked into a bookstore. Which happens to be an extreme left-wing bookstore. The general title went something like this "How to start a revolution with no money and Defeat Capitalism." Those two shop encounters in the space of 10 minutes crushed a lot of my American naivete. Add to that more gay pride than I've ever seen and innumerable homeless people, and it felt distinctly different than any city I've ever visited.
We split up, and I went solo, walking along the harbor, visiting the Klondike Gold Rush museum, the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks stadiums, Amtrak train station, a waterfall garden, the original starbucks store, another bookstore (only dealing with architecture thankfully) and some city parks. At 5, we met up at the harbor and enjoyed a group dinner at "The Crab Pot." I ate some salmon, and finished the night off by bringing rhubarb cake and ice cream on the ferry back.
Above everything else, I was amazed that with all the discussions we held at the conference, no solution was available without a nationwide understanding of our identity as sons and daughters of God. We must understand that being "endowed by [our] Creator" is an essential part of being American.
I find it very informative that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in their testimony said,
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."
They testified first of God, and then our relationship to Him. I am thankful to know that we are all children of the Most High God, and draw strength knowing that He loves us and wants the best for us.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
With All My Love
Dear Elder Schenewark,
What a week. We’re curious as to how you might have been affected as Brazil lost their World Cup game. And to lose because of an error by a Brazil player – darn!
What a week. We’re home from the vacation in New England, all together again, with the weather twelve degrees cooler upon our return. We brought the Texas weather with us for sure, as their temperature went up fifteen degrees upon our arrival.
Monday morning we drove to Cape Cod – Tanner had to rent a vehicle as your grandparents’ van was getting a cracked windshield repaired. What a lovely day. The beach was very empty, the sun bright, the breeze cool, and the water refreshing. Nora is a mermaid. Breyer and AnneMarie created their own tails out of sand. Sawyer, Miller and Tanner threw a baseball. Hunter swung a club, hitting his balls into the Atlantic ocean. Dad’s catching of a king size horseshoe crab, alive, was the highlight. Cooper found mini crabs, spending most of his time snorkeling. The restrictions on having his appendix removed were lifted just in time for our vacation. Me? I just sat back and soaked it all in. I love my family and love spending time with them.
We also stopped at the Cape Cod potato chip factory for their tour – got a little mini bag of chips for our efforts – and had a snack for the longish drive back home.
Monday evening we had Uncle Ben’s family over to the Bach’s for dinner, and a modified FHE. We played a get-to-know-the-far-away-cousins game, and enjoyed Sis. Bach’s famous Hogwart’s butter beer.
Tuesday afternoon we had a little mini reunion. All of my siblings were there except for Uncle Zach. Grampy checked himself out of the hospital just in time for the barbeque. The pool was the main attraction even though there were other games spread out on the lawn. Uncle Aaron took a few on his boat. You snooze, you lose. We’ll have to catch him on our next visit out.
The fourth of July was probably my favorite day of our vacation. We had access to an empty house off an outlet of Lake Winipesaukee. Former Bishop Varney came with his boat and took us on fast and bumpy rides, pulled us behind on a big yellow pillow, pulled out a kayak and paddle board – so much fun! We had a lovely picnic lunch, and shared apple pie I made for Hunter’s 23rd birthday. Hunter and I rode up with Becky the night before, so I had plenty of time to make potato salad, black bean and corn salsa, and pie.
Your grandparents have given us their old Toyota Sienna van. They’re the proud owners of a new navy Honda CRV. We spent Thursday morning packing the old van with treasures from your grandparents’ and Bach’s basements. One just moved and one will be moving, so we’re the lucky recipients. Your father and siblings were on the road back home by 10 a.m., and TanMarie, Nora and I went to the cliffside mansions in Newport, RI. It was a beautiful summery day with a nice breeze. We sampled the local fare, with Nora inhaling my ice cream cone. We drove up to Aunt Shirley’s on the way home, and she had a chance to meet AnneMarie and Nora for the first time. They dropped me off at your grandparents’ home as I was leaving the next day. They’re in the area until Tuesday, AnneMarie’s 24th birthday.
Friday morning, o’dark o’clock, your grandmother and I worked in the garden for two hours. She asked me to weed in front of the fence, but being a type A personality, felt compelled to clear the whole 5x20 patch. It was not hard. The dirt is moist and dark - weeds slide right out with a little tug. Nothing like getting grounded when you’re in the garden. Your grandfather hopefully will be sliding into a more comfortable routine. His fevers might be caused by running out of a cancer medicine that has now been refilled. His bladder infections might be a side effect of a medicine that is being switched. If those are both handled, he’s left with his neuropathic feet and of immediate concern, pain in his thigh. That could be from a fall while he was moving, or related to the metasticized spots that might be on a nerve.
I had a bumpy ride all the way to Texas, flying through large thunderhead clouds. Lucky me. I picked up some groceries, leaving behind a large bag, unbeknownst to me, that your father had to pick up right after pulling in from a three day drive. Lucky him. I spent the whole day Saturday, all alone, doing those chores I never get to: Polishing kitchen cabinets, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning under Breyer’s bed, changing two beds, doing wash, mopping the kitchen floor – it was a very productive day. They arrived home by 2 p.m., I think, and we were able to unload both vehicles in a short amount of time. Much quicker than putting it in. If we can get the large Ford van to run, we’ll send Hunter to BYU in the Toyota. That’s his project this week, and he’s very motivated.
In Bishop Causse's talk, It's All About People, he said, "...[T]he key to understanding the Church is not to see it through the outward appearance of its buildings or even as a well-organized institution but through its millions of faithful members, who strive each day to follow the example of Jesus Christ...In other words, the Church is all about people. It is all about you, the Lord’s disciples—those who love and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them by covenant."
That's a quick summary. Hopefully I'll get some more pictures up before next week.
You are one of the Lord's "people." You are one who is perfectly striving to follow the Lord's example. It is all about you, one of the Lord's disciples. Be safe. Be healthy. Know of our love for you.
Mom
What a week. We’re curious as to how you might have been affected as Brazil lost their World Cup game. And to lose because of an error by a Brazil player – darn!
What a week. We’re home from the vacation in New England, all together again, with the weather twelve degrees cooler upon our return. We brought the Texas weather with us for sure, as their temperature went up fifteen degrees upon our arrival.
Monday morning we drove to Cape Cod – Tanner had to rent a vehicle as your grandparents’ van was getting a cracked windshield repaired. What a lovely day. The beach was very empty, the sun bright, the breeze cool, and the water refreshing. Nora is a mermaid. Breyer and AnneMarie created their own tails out of sand. Sawyer, Miller and Tanner threw a baseball. Hunter swung a club, hitting his balls into the Atlantic ocean. Dad’s catching of a king size horseshoe crab, alive, was the highlight. Cooper found mini crabs, spending most of his time snorkeling. The restrictions on having his appendix removed were lifted just in time for our vacation. Me? I just sat back and soaked it all in. I love my family and love spending time with them.
We also stopped at the Cape Cod potato chip factory for their tour – got a little mini bag of chips for our efforts – and had a snack for the longish drive back home.
Monday evening we had Uncle Ben’s family over to the Bach’s for dinner, and a modified FHE. We played a get-to-know-the-far-away-cousins game, and enjoyed Sis. Bach’s famous Hogwart’s butter beer.
Tuesday afternoon we had a little mini reunion. All of my siblings were there except for Uncle Zach. Grampy checked himself out of the hospital just in time for the barbeque. The pool was the main attraction even though there were other games spread out on the lawn. Uncle Aaron took a few on his boat. You snooze, you lose. We’ll have to catch him on our next visit out.
The fourth of July was probably my favorite day of our vacation. We had access to an empty house off an outlet of Lake Winipesaukee. Former Bishop Varney came with his boat and took us on fast and bumpy rides, pulled us behind on a big yellow pillow, pulled out a kayak and paddle board – so much fun! We had a lovely picnic lunch, and shared apple pie I made for Hunter’s 23rd birthday. Hunter and I rode up with Becky the night before, so I had plenty of time to make potato salad, black bean and corn salsa, and pie.
Your grandparents have given us their old Toyota Sienna van. They’re the proud owners of a new navy Honda CRV. We spent Thursday morning packing the old van with treasures from your grandparents’ and Bach’s basements. One just moved and one will be moving, so we’re the lucky recipients. Your father and siblings were on the road back home by 10 a.m., and TanMarie, Nora and I went to the cliffside mansions in Newport, RI. It was a beautiful summery day with a nice breeze. We sampled the local fare, with Nora inhaling my ice cream cone. We drove up to Aunt Shirley’s on the way home, and she had a chance to meet AnneMarie and Nora for the first time. They dropped me off at your grandparents’ home as I was leaving the next day. They’re in the area until Tuesday, AnneMarie’s 24th birthday.
Friday morning, o’dark o’clock, your grandmother and I worked in the garden for two hours. She asked me to weed in front of the fence, but being a type A personality, felt compelled to clear the whole 5x20 patch. It was not hard. The dirt is moist and dark - weeds slide right out with a little tug. Nothing like getting grounded when you’re in the garden. Your grandfather hopefully will be sliding into a more comfortable routine. His fevers might be caused by running out of a cancer medicine that has now been refilled. His bladder infections might be a side effect of a medicine that is being switched. If those are both handled, he’s left with his neuropathic feet and of immediate concern, pain in his thigh. That could be from a fall while he was moving, or related to the metasticized spots that might be on a nerve.
I had a bumpy ride all the way to Texas, flying through large thunderhead clouds. Lucky me. I picked up some groceries, leaving behind a large bag, unbeknownst to me, that your father had to pick up right after pulling in from a three day drive. Lucky him. I spent the whole day Saturday, all alone, doing those chores I never get to: Polishing kitchen cabinets, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning under Breyer’s bed, changing two beds, doing wash, mopping the kitchen floor – it was a very productive day. They arrived home by 2 p.m., I think, and we were able to unload both vehicles in a short amount of time. Much quicker than putting it in. If we can get the large Ford van to run, we’ll send Hunter to BYU in the Toyota. That’s his project this week, and he’s very motivated.
In Bishop Causse's talk, It's All About People, he said, "...[T]he key to understanding the Church is not to see it through the outward appearance of its buildings or even as a well-organized institution but through its millions of faithful members, who strive each day to follow the example of Jesus Christ...In other words, the Church is all about people. It is all about you, the Lord’s disciples—those who love and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them by covenant."
That's a quick summary. Hopefully I'll get some more pictures up before next week.
You are one of the Lord's "people." You are one who is perfectly striving to follow the Lord's example. It is all about you, one of the Lord's disciples. Be safe. Be healthy. Know of our love for you.
Mom
Saturday, July 7, 2018
A Caterpillars Life
One spring day I was in an egg. I hatched!
I started to eat and eat and eat. I felt bad. I curled up and turned into a chrysalis.
On day 11 I couldn't get out!
On day 2 and 3 and and 5 it was harder!
On day 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 it was looser.
On day 10 I opened up. I crashed with my wing.
Aaah! I had leopard wings. I flew to an orange flower.
I am having a wonderful life.
I started to eat and eat and eat. I felt bad. I curled up and turned into a chrysalis.
On day 11 I couldn't get out!
On day 2 and 3 and and 5 it was harder!
On day 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 it was looser.
On day 10 I opened up. I crashed with my wing.
Aaah! I had leopard wings. I flew to an orange flower.
I am having a wonderful life.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Letter #45
Weeeellllll, transfers have come and gone
We, in our seven hour trip, ran out of money about half way through, stranding us
To make matters worse, my new companions bus decided to not stop in the city we were stranded in.
So, I had to send one companion one way and chase the other one back to my area, getting back at midnight.
Total tripage, three and a half days.
But we made it
Brazil won, the people are happy
Elder Leopoldo Alardin IV is now in the wild wild extremes of Mission Brazil Campinas.
The new President has arrived.
That's it,
Brazil loses to Belgium on Friday, calling it
Love,
Elder Hazard ;)
We, in our seven hour trip, ran out of money about half way through, stranding us
To make matters worse, my new companions bus decided to not stop in the city we were stranded in.
So, I had to send one companion one way and chase the other one back to my area, getting back at midnight.
Total tripage, three and a half days.
But we made it
Brazil won, the people are happy
Elder Leopoldo Alardin IV is now in the wild wild extremes of Mission Brazil Campinas.
The new President has arrived.
That's it,
Brazil loses to Belgium on Friday, calling it
Love,
Elder Hazard ;)
Sunday, July 1, 2018
With All My Loves
Dear Elder Schenewark,
This will be long. Buckle your seat belt, put your seat back in the upright position, ensure your table top is up and secured, and hang on for the ride. My flight into Boston was smooth and uneventful once I was on the plane. Getting to the airport was the adventure. Getting off work, at the beginning of rush hour traffic is bad enough. Finding out in time I was leaving from DFW airport, not Love Field, was a miracle. Picking the right route to the airport was essential. But using the expressway - not such a good idea. I sped right past my exit. Getting turned around off the expressway, and back into the poor man's lane was painful, but I was okay until I got to the airport. There's a south and north remote parking areas. I was rudely prevented from exiting to the south, and had to drive miles to get to the north lot, wait for the bus to pick me up, endure all the other stops ahead of mine, and wait in security with one TSA agent manning the ID check point, and others manning ONE entry X- ray machine. Seriously. I walked up to my gate while they were boarding. So much for getting there two hours ahead of my flight.
Dad picked me up around 11 p.m., and found Grampy and Hunter up on the porch waiting for my arrival, on the new front porch. I had been up since 4 a.m., and didn't have the foresight to think about snapping a photo. It is a wonderful thing to see loved ones waiting for your return, gives you a glimpse into heaven. Such love had to be shared, and I snuggled into bed to say hello to your grandmother.
I haven't had a chance to ask Hunter what he did for the three days before we all arrived, but I do know he went to the new Hartford Connecticut temple with the Bachs.
We spent Thursday morning in bed with Grampy playing Scrabble. Since only four could fit around the board, the rest of us were cracking the jokes, braiding your sister's hair, and painting Grampy's toe nails.
Because it was heavily raining, we gave AnneMarie the Tanner tour of Northborough, visited Baby Ben's grave, welcomed Uncle Ben's family back from their week in Boston, and rolled into Sawyer's Bowladrome for a game of candle pin bowling. Uncle Ben and Sawyer, after five turns, led the pack with 36. I think AnneMarie held second with her 34, and Josh and I tied for third with 33. The owner agreed to give Dad, after hearing him talk about his sport history class and the three balls bequeathed to Jarrod from Uncle David, an actual pin. What a treasure! Tarleton has no idea how lucky they are. We all drove to Aunt Jenny's for Hawaiian haystacks, and of course, Kimball's ice cream. Leaving Dallas at 101, it was wicked strange to be standing in line wearing jeans and a sweat shirt. Such is the weather in New England.
Friday we took AnneMarie to the Concord / Lexington area. Whenever I go, it always makes my July 4th more meaningful. Listening to your father explain things, again, reminds me, again, of the treasure I found. It was hot. Too hot, but we made good time back to Brigahm St. pool, pizza from Emma's Northborough House of Pizza, and a minor league game at Lowell's Spinners.
Highlights include Miller getting three balls, Breyer and Hunter getting their picture together in caricature, the Boston policeman bobblehead giveaway depicting the moment the curse was broken, watching the team win with the two last at bats, and baby Nora blinking her baby blues at all who turned her way. It was hot. Too hot, but we sat in somebody else's seats, in the shade, and had a ball.
Upon our return I found Grampy in an incoherent enough state to make me think he had a fever. He did. Grammy and I loaded him up and had him inside the emergency room in Framingham before 11 p.m. We found out he'd be admitted and had your grandmother out the door by 1 a.m. I stayed the night with him, crawling into a bed the nurses brought me by 3:30 a.m. There was no place I'd rather be. His bladder infection required IV antibiotics, so he'll stay in for them. His leg that's in pain is either a muscle tear, a nerve injury from lifting too much when they moved, or his metasticized cancer spot on his spine might be affecting the nerve to his leg. Either way, he's in good hands and I'll be going back later today.
LauraBeth pulled into town from Canada and brought me home when your grandmother came back to the hospital. Everyone else ventured into Boston for the Freedom Trail. Again, it was too hot. So the two mile walk turned into mini drives, from Bunker Hill to the USS Constitution to the USS Cassin Young.
Today after church a small contingency went to Sharon, VT to show AnneMarie the birthplace of Joseph Smith. More on their adventures at a later time.
The week is just beginning, the schedule full, and your letter will be large next week as well.
Know how much we miss you. How proud we are to call you son. How excited we are as you near the first year mark.
Love,
Mom
This will be long. Buckle your seat belt, put your seat back in the upright position, ensure your table top is up and secured, and hang on for the ride. My flight into Boston was smooth and uneventful once I was on the plane. Getting to the airport was the adventure. Getting off work, at the beginning of rush hour traffic is bad enough. Finding out in time I was leaving from DFW airport, not Love Field, was a miracle. Picking the right route to the airport was essential. But using the expressway - not such a good idea. I sped right past my exit. Getting turned around off the expressway, and back into the poor man's lane was painful, but I was okay until I got to the airport. There's a south and north remote parking areas. I was rudely prevented from exiting to the south, and had to drive miles to get to the north lot, wait for the bus to pick me up, endure all the other stops ahead of mine, and wait in security with one TSA agent manning the ID check point, and others manning ONE entry X- ray machine. Seriously. I walked up to my gate while they were boarding. So much for getting there two hours ahead of my flight.
Dad picked me up around 11 p.m., and found Grampy and Hunter up on the porch waiting for my arrival, on the new front porch. I had been up since 4 a.m., and didn't have the foresight to think about snapping a photo. It is a wonderful thing to see loved ones waiting for your return, gives you a glimpse into heaven. Such love had to be shared, and I snuggled into bed to say hello to your grandmother.
I haven't had a chance to ask Hunter what he did for the three days before we all arrived, but I do know he went to the new Hartford Connecticut temple with the Bachs.
We spent Thursday morning in bed with Grampy playing Scrabble. Since only four could fit around the board, the rest of us were cracking the jokes, braiding your sister's hair, and painting Grampy's toe nails.
(Missing you - see your spot?)
Friday we took AnneMarie to the Concord / Lexington area. Whenever I go, it always makes my July 4th more meaningful. Listening to your father explain things, again, reminds me, again, of the treasure I found. It was hot. Too hot, but we made good time back to Brigahm St. pool, pizza from Emma's Northborough House of Pizza, and a minor league game at Lowell's Spinners.
Highlights include Miller getting three balls, Breyer and Hunter getting their picture together in caricature, the Boston policeman bobblehead giveaway depicting the moment the curse was broken, watching the team win with the two last at bats, and baby Nora blinking her baby blues at all who turned her way. It was hot. Too hot, but we sat in somebody else's seats, in the shade, and had a ball.
Upon our return I found Grampy in an incoherent enough state to make me think he had a fever. He did. Grammy and I loaded him up and had him inside the emergency room in Framingham before 11 p.m. We found out he'd be admitted and had your grandmother out the door by 1 a.m. I stayed the night with him, crawling into a bed the nurses brought me by 3:30 a.m. There was no place I'd rather be. His bladder infection required IV antibiotics, so he'll stay in for them. His leg that's in pain is either a muscle tear, a nerve injury from lifting too much when they moved, or his metasticized cancer spot on his spine might be affecting the nerve to his leg. Either way, he's in good hands and I'll be going back later today.
LauraBeth pulled into town from Canada and brought me home when your grandmother came back to the hospital. Everyone else ventured into Boston for the Freedom Trail. Again, it was too hot. So the two mile walk turned into mini drives, from Bunker Hill to the USS Constitution to the USS Cassin Young.
Today after church a small contingency went to Sharon, VT to show AnneMarie the birthplace of Joseph Smith. More on their adventures at a later time.
The week is just beginning, the schedule full, and your letter will be large next week as well.
Know how much we miss you. How proud we are to call you son. How excited we are as you near the first year mark.
Love,
Mom
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