With All My Love

Dear Elder Schenewark,

Good morning! We love you. We miss you. We see and remember your face and our love for it in many ways throughout the week. 

I love these pictures I found on social media of your cousins. We have the best family ever, and you're such an integral part.

In terms of this week's update, it was pretty normal. Even the A/C unit dripping. I did my usual thing and climbed up into the attic to check on the overflow pan, and add some bleach to the line, as it was clogging a bit, and found little leaks around the PVC pipe elbow joints. I brought up a towel, until we could figure out what was going on, as the kitchen ceiling also showed it was leaking. And in the process of sliding the towel underneath the elbow joints broke off the PVC pipe right where it enters the A/C unit. Thank goodness for the Gammons family. We love them dearly. One brother is in the A/C business, and he came right out.

I immediately started making an apple pie or two, as I knew he would take one for us inconveniencing him and his wife on a Saturday evening. He informed us that codes have changed, and the unit we have should be a hanging unit, and ours is propped up in a drain pan on 2x4s that will eventually rot. The drain pan should be tipped, so the water drains, and ours is not, so it constantly sits in water. As the life of the unit is reaching maximum use, ten years old, we're not going to do anything about it. But when we have to replace the A/C unit, we'll have it hung.

He installed the new pipe, added a more convenient pressure release cap, and was on his way with water, as it's so hot up there in the attic, and a hot apple pie. Your father does cringe when he hears my ,"Oops."

Sawyer was invited to play in his first freshmen golf tournament on Wednesday, an all day event. He left at 6 a.m. with the team and my umbrella as the forecast included rain. I found him on the floor when I got home, exhausted from his golf expedition in driving wind and rain. My umbrella looked like it had tried to survive a hurricane. It's now in the trash. He scored a 99, which isn't great on a par 72, but it was 15 points lower than the nearest teammate. The coach was pleased, but it's unknown if he was pleased enough to include him on a varsity tournament.

Cooper had a home meet, and won again his single and double matches. He's still ranked 2nd in doubles, and he thinks 3rd in singles. I wish he'd tried singles in 9th grade!

Your father has worked all week on his tenure portfolio, and continued through the weekend. He's got to hit the enter button by tonight. He's so ready to move on to other things that have built up. And in the midst of all his angst he still continues to visit those in the hospital, those who need food, and those who need counsel.

Your sister told me Friday morning before school her ear hurt. The way she described her pain I was thinking perhaps a middle ear infection. I told her to remind me after school, if it was still hurting, and I'd take her to the doctor. She reminded me at bedtime. Saturday afternoon, when I was home, I brought her in and she has strep throat, with the inflamed lymph notes and tonsils radiating the pain to her ear. She's doing much better today.

I was sent to Houston for a one day training - Active Shooter. The instructor was from Massachusetts, very obvious from his accent, and knew your grandfather and my pseudo uncle Al Shaw. It was fun chit chatting with him during breaks. He was a retired Uxbridge police chief, which is very close to Sutton, where Shaw served, and because of the close knit police chief organizations, knew your grandfather. The class was great. The traffic to and from, compounded with driving rain, remember the golf tournament, made driving so tedious. I got home at 10:30, in bed by 11:00, and was back up at 4:00 a.m.

I met with attorneys regarding my dentist mishap in August. I won't go into details, but most medical malpractice suits are catastrophic incidents, of which I'm so grateful to have avoided, as it's not practical to otherwise due to expenses associated with a lawsuit. My voice cords have been impacted, whether or not it's permanent remains to be seen, and I'll need to meet with a specialist before we move on. They will be trying to settle out of court for costs associated with the whole incident.

And yesterday, Dad signed me up for the stake NRA class offered to youth. It was a fast paced class ending with seven guns to shoot at an indoor gun range, ranging from .22, .38, .357 and 9 ml. I loved it. You definitely use muscles not normally use while loading, holding and shooting large guns. I wanted to be more comfortable around weapons, especially while working in a secured facility where I have access to weapons, if necessary, but no know how. I have a long way to go, but am not as intimidated.

I was reading Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, by President Russell M. Nelson, who quoted President Lorenzo Snow: “This is the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint … that it is our right to have the manifestations of the Spirit every day of our lives.”

President Nelson then said, "Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will assist us in all our righteous pursuits... In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

I think his thoughts are so applicable to us all, but tonight especially to you. Use your remaining time in the Lord's way. Seek to find out His will. Then your success is His. I love you. I am humbled that my boys are willing to give up two years of their lives, in such as your circumstances have been and will continue to be, and know that you're where you should be.

Love,

Mom