Email from Mom: Friday, December 30, 2022

From: Mom
To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Friday, December 30, 2022
Subject: Happy New Year!

Hey!
I feel like it has been forever since I have sat down to write an email. I am sorry about this last week. I am finally (I hope) on the mend to being back to 100%.

How was your week? How are things going in this new area? Are you having success with new ami’s? It really is still just crazy for me to realize how new the church is there and I just love that you get to be a part of the massive growth. Where have you seen the hand of the Lord the most in these last couple of weeks?

Around here it is just life and busy. Christmas was good. I think B was happy with what she got and I hope Kaitlyn was happy too. Kaitlyn was a rockstar and has Christmas just about all the way down without my help on Monday because I was still feeling like garbage. It was sure nice to have the help. She ended up picking up Eric from the airport and then headed to her apartment that night too. She also had to be back to work Tuesday morning too.

Brooklyn got her hair extensions in this week too. She is so so happy with them! It was so fun to see her whole self light up with excitement and pure joy. It took almost 3 hours for her but man, her smile was worth it for sure.

I also got my car back! It isn’t done 100% but they wanted to get it to me while they waited for 2 parts to come in. They aren’t huge so not a big deal. It’s weird and it’s so dirty inside that I almost wish I didn’t have to keep it. Just so much work done to it so dust everywhere and then sitting. The insides of my vents are caked with dust that I don’t know how I will get clean, I am still vacuuming up plenty of pieces of glass which just irritates the heck out of me, and I just overall am frustrated. It’s just not how I keep a car. I am clean and after they spent a whole day (their words) detailing it I am disgusted. I am going to have at least 2 full sunshine days to get it cleaned as decently as I can get. I have been on the Amazon looking for tools to get inside the vents but so far it is a no go. When I got to the cabin today I got a text saying the two parts are in so I will stop it in next week for them to hopefully finish it all up and I can be done. I guess time will tell.

We are at the cabin for New Years this weekend. B brought up 4 friends and Kaitlyn and Eric should be arriving here soon too. Brooklyn really wanted to go tubing in the canoe that is up here so Tyler loaded them up and it was hilarious. I will be sure to send some stuff to your messenger for some good laughs.

Fendi is enjoying herself here too. I think the sheer amount of smells that she is sniffing is going to wipe her right out. Ha ha. Teeter of course still enjoys it here and it is funny to watch them both in the deep deep snow.

We have had so much weather here too. I don’t remember a December that we have had as much snow as we have this year. There was one day last week that it warmed up (like 40’) and it rained so the snow all melted and we saw grass for the first time since November! The driveway was clear, the ice on the pool cover was water, and if it wasn’t cold and windy it would have been a great Spring day. But…the next morning we woke up to HEAVY wet snow and a whole lot of it! So much for enjoying the grass. It’s good and I know needed but it’s winter and we all know my feelings there.

I’m looking forward to this new year coming in. I have lofty goals. As I always do. ;) I am excited to start the Book of Mormon again and hope to get through that and the D&C. I am hopeful that adding that piece back into my mornings will make a difference. Not that things are bad but I just know that when I was diligently doing that each morning life was just better. Adding more mail clients and taking more cookie orders are another goal of mine. I’d like to get to where I feel like I am contributing to a household financially rather than just ‘taking’ from it. I don’t know if that makes sense or not but I’m just in this spot where I’d like to feel like I am doing more.

I’m looking forward to having you home. Kaitlyn said maybe you might be home a transfer early? How will you find out if that will be the case? What are your honest thoughts on that? I’m excited for
Summer and the warm. Tyler would like to host some ‘adult date nights’ in the backyard with neighbors and friends. Just try to keep or maybe just start some relationships. Our ward is just still so lame you know? Then the possibility of a wedding and then Lake Powell. Just lots to look forward to. I always love having the chance to shut the door on one year and open up fresh a new one. Even if sometimes the one I am shutting the door on has been good.

I can’t wait to hear from you and hear how things are working for you there. I hope your companionship is going well and that you both are bringing good to one another and that you are working well together. I also hope that as you are out and about that those around are open to talking with you and listening to the good that you have to share. Hopefully soon President Proudfoot will be creating a new branch again! I will keep all of this in my prayers for sure.

I sure love you and am so proud of you. Thanks for being in Africa and for going to work each day to better yourself as well as those around you. I hope you can feel my thoughts and prayers offered on your behalf. I miss you but wouldn’t want you anywhere else than right where you are at this moment.

I love you for forever
Mom