Email from Mom: Sunday, December 11, 2022

From: Mom
To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Sunday, December 11, 2022
Subject: Snow...

Hey! How are you? How has your week been? How are things with your companion and your amis you are working with? How did Wednesday do with the new guy who was at church? Did he have some friends there to listen to the message and lesson you prepared? How did interviews go? What did President Proudfoot have to share and teach in that moment you got with him? What’s the news on transfers? So much for you this week too!

Things here this week have been fine. Super busy but fine. I had a little something every single day that made it so I had to be present and ready rather than just stay in my workout clothes and not get myself ready.

We had two dinner parties this week where we had a good time. I was sure glad that in all of those we invited the Tanners came. They never seemed ‘off’ or that they were trying to hide that Alex was home. Spencer was full of cop stories and Cara is as good of an artist as Tyler so the game Telestrations was a barrel of laughs. I just love that our home is welcoming enough that they knew it was safe to come and have dinner with us.

I went to a cookie class at Natalie’s on Friday with Katherine Chelius, Kim White, and Katie Fisher. It was fun as always but I was so spent with the dinner parties that I was ready for bed an hour into the three hour class. Saturday I took B and two of her friends to City Creek to the gem studio. I wandered around the mall and did a small amount of shopping and then it was time to head home. Their appointment was 3 hours and it took the whole time so we didn’t drop friends until almost 6. Again, I was so ready to be home and in comfy clothes and do nothing. I love that they went and did it and B had a total blast so it was good and worth it. Tyler took his boys to see Reed and Lorraine and he came home later too.

Today we came to church and we are anticipating snow today through end of day Tuesday. And not a small amount but a lot. You can imagine that all the middle school and high school kids are hoping and wishing for a snow day on Tuesday. It real life could happen but we will see. We had a huge storm come in on Wednesday that dumped so much snow. I don’t know if I have it in me to want to shovel anymore but it is what it is.

This week has been a little rough on my soul when it comes to just feeling any of the Christmas spirit. Hard when life throws stones and hard when people who claim to be a ‘friend’ aren’t really that in the end and create unnecessary drama for a teenager who is already struggling. B will be fine but I just want to go and beat the crap out of a few people around here most days. Ha!!

I have decided that in addition to the New Testament for next year that I am going to go back to the Book of Mormon each morning like I did in 2021. It really made such a huge difference in life and I just felt so much more grounded. I don’t know how to explain it but I can recognize the difference in how I felt and how my days went by. I just long for that. So…there you have it. I am already forward thinking with a New Year’s resolution if you will.

Kaitlyn has been in Arizona this weekend with Eric at a wedding. They fly home today and will come to the house for dinner and gingerbread houses. I am excited and hope that this tradition will continue for forever. I think a weekend at the cabin doing gingerbread houses is going to start next year and I hope that you will be excited to join in too.

I have 50 cookies to make between today and Wednesday for Carrie Stroud. They have their family party this next Saturday and since I won’t be home I have just the start of this week to get them done. It shouldn’t be too terrible. I have 2 nail appointments to pepper in but still, will just keep me busy and that is good.

We have decided to get a companion and friend for Teeter. We will pick her up on the 22 or 23. We aren’t sure yet what day will work best. She is in Morgan too so it is a good drive away to get her as well. Weather will play into a pickup too. I will send you a picture of her to your messenger. We don’t have a name yet. I like Pepper but am getting some push back so we will see how it all plays out. Knowing how smart Teeter is and how easy it was to train the basics, it should be fun to have another sweet girl around the house.

I love love the new pictures you added to the drive. The one where the young man is interested in your missionary badge and then the smile on his face wearing your badge? Holy cow..I was a barrel of tears. What a special and prized moment for you I am sure. This young man will never forget the moment of what it felt like to want to be a missionary one day because of you and your example and willingness to be there to serve. I am so proud of you. Thanks for taking the moment and even more, for sharing it with me. It was just the tender mercy I needed in that moment.

I sure love you and hope you have had a great week and that you have had small tender mercies experienced this week as well.

Love you for forever
Mom