Email from Mom: Saturday, February 19, 2022

From: Mom
Date: Saturday, February 19, 2022
Subject: Good morning

Hey. How are you? How has your week been? How is the training coming along for both of the Elders you are working with? Do you know how long your companion will be in Togo before he gets to go to Kenya? Talk to me about your ami's and how they are doing? How are they progressing? Do you have any baptisms that you are looking forward to or that you can see an invitation coming out for to any of them?

How are YOU doing in all things? Have you had a chance to talk with President Proudfoot about the things we have talked about the last two weeks? I want to be sure to check in with him myself and make sure that we are all on the same page and that both he and I are in the same corner to cheer you on and to be able to help you in making this mission of yours the best that it can be. I have been thinking a lot about you as a person this last week and as a missionary as well. Wondering if you can see growth that has taken place in you, in your testimony, and in your faith. Wondering if you can put your finger on key pivotal moments in your life that have helped you to get to where you are right now in this moment. It is crazy for me to look back at 18 years and realize how quick it goes by but also be able to remember key moments for me as a Mom with you too. :)

This week at home was quick. Valentines Day was just another day really. I hate that people make such a big deal about it you know? If you have to have a day on a calendar to remind yourself to tell someone you love them or that they are the best thing to happen to your life...well then perhaps it is time to look into that and maybe move on. :/ Brooklyn's birthday was a ton of fun. Mostly because I love that she took the day off of school and wanted to hang out at home and with me. She had done some assignments at school that made it so she could have gone to the movies on Tuesday but none of her friends did the work so she would have gone by herself. I think that played into why she wanted to stay home too but I will just pretend that it is because she wanted to hang with me. ;) We went to the mall and to Tilly's and she picked out a couple of things but then we came home. She wanted KFC for dinner but then Tyler talked her into Olive Garden. When we got there it was a 40 minute wait and she decided she was unwilling to wait that long and Taco Bell now sounded good. Hilarious right? So...off to Taco Bell we went and came home for dinner. Here's the kicker...not even kidding, and hour and 10 minutes later Tyler got a text saying our table at the Olive Garden was ready for us. :/ So glad we didn't stick around and wait for that!

Bronwyn White made it home safely after her mission on Wednesday. I am not so secretly jealous that Kim go to get her hug. I swear some days it feels like your mission is going fast and others it feels like it is dragging on and on. It is promising for me to see that missionaries do in fact come home and Mom's do in fact get to see their kids and hug them again. I know you are where you should be and that you have work to be done and that the Lord needs you there, but I get selfish and would much prefer that you are here in the United States where I can text or call you or have you over for dinner whenever. :) I know the day will come and for that I count my blessings.

Brooklyn had parent/teacher conferences this week so we had no school yesterday. She slept in and then had plans to go to Classic Skating for her birthday with some friends. They stayed for a bit there and then came to the house and had cake and ice cream and just kind of hung out and played video games on a new game console thing we bought. It has old school Frogger on it and I LOVE it! Ha!! I don't know why yesterday felt so much like Saturday but holy cow...it was weird. I hate days like that other than you get a bonus day sorta when it feels that way.

Today not much on the schedule. The weather is beautiful. Supposed to be like 50 today. We are set for some Winter like weather next week but for now I am going to relish in the sunshine. We have Stake Conference this weekend too so it is a bonus no church weekend too! (Other than logging on of course for the watch party). No school on Monday for the holiday and then before we know it, March is here and it will be Spring in no time. Wahoo!

The state of Utah's Governor held a press conference yesterday addressing the Covid. He pretty much said that moving forward we will treat it like a seasonal virus and we need to get back to what life was before it arrived. He was very clear that the CDC was awful from the beginning and that things put in place (ie: distancing/masks/fear created/etc) were unnecessary in the regards that they put it out. Basically that they created fear and havoc for no reason and this is nothing that we need to worry about if we are healthy and doing our part to basically be courteous to those around us if we aren't feeling well. Which common sense says 'duh' right? Sounds like the Federal Government is due to make some changes here in the next couple of weeks too. I am hopeful it is all the things changed. I would love to get rid of masks on airlines and at airports and federal buildings. I think the Democratic Party is starting to panic about what they look like in terms of voters. Election garbage starts up again in November and with how they have managed this whole thing, numbers have declined on support of them so they are going to do what they can to ramp up support again. Fingers crossed. Tyler and I booked a birthday trip to Cabo in March and I would love nothing more than to not have to wear a mask and not have to worry about testing to come back to the US.

Anyways, I know you are busy and have way more important things to do than to read an email from home but I sure wanted you to know that I love you. I hope you have been able to find the tender mercies of the Lord throughout this week and that as you have gone to work on His behalf, you have been able to feel His sustaining love and mercy He grants. I pray your companions have been a source of testimonial strength this week and that the three of you continue to strive to work hard and rely on one another to do all you can to reach those who have been longing to be in touch with the missionaries. I hope that as you head into the weekend and have church tomorrow to look forward to that you are able to have the words shared touch your spirit and help set the week off on a way that is amplified in greatness. I have you in my prayers and thoughts always. I am so proud of all you are doing and who you are becoming.

Love you,

Mom