Email from Mom, Saturday, February 25, 2023

From: ME!
To: YOU!
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023
Subject: 100 days

I woke up today and as I opened up my phone it says you are officially 100 days from being home! CRAZY! For us here at home your mission has flown by. I remember when I was sending Kaitlyn knowing that you would follow, I was certain that time would stop and it would feel like an eternity before I had all my kids on American soil and could talk to them whenever I wanted to or whenever they needed to. Then, Kaitlyn came home and her mission was like a blip in life and now you are at the spot where time is going to just zoom by and you will be home before we all know it. Such an exciting time and yet I am sure many feelings going on inside for you as well. What are some of your thoughts at this point and what are some of your goals as you round this corner to an end?  You have been on a mission now for 88 weeks! I stick to weeks because if I go days then that is when I am certain it will mess with my heart and brain. :)

This week has been good here. We mostly dreaded the snow that was slated to come. The tricky part was on Tuesday I was out in the morning and if you weren't from Utah and didn't know the phrase "the warm before the storm", you would think that the meteorologists are downright dumb! The temps were in the low 50's, the wind wasn't blowing, a small storm had come in and cleared out the little inversion that we had, and the grass was still showing. No sign of snow at all. Even for me for a bit I was sure nothing would come from it. In fact, all day on Tuesday for the most part it would like sprinkle some rain here and there and then maybe a snow flurry. Anyways, I was down in the nail area and Tyler came down and said he didn't really feel like going to Young Mens and driving over the snow in the driveway. Wait, what? So I headed up to look and sure enough...holy crap! And it wasn't like little snow flurries either it was huge flakes and the WIND. Holy cow the wind. Kids were hearing rumors of a virtual learning day for Wednesday and so of course B was on her phone checking religiously. We climbed into bed and got the email that sure enough, virtual learning day. Which really just means a snow day but they can't call it that without having a plan to make it up. So dumb.

The snow that came in was so much. I got up thinking I would go get a Starbucks but when the dogs tried to go out the dog door, it was 'stuck'? So I stepped out and the wind blew so hard all night that snow drifts were everywhere, including in front of their door. So, I shoveled that so they could get out and then opened up my garage to see about a warm drink. Well, that ended quick because snow was at my knees in front of my garage and it was so freaking heavy! When it died down that afternoon and Tyler and I headed out to shovel, I took the walkway and stairs to the door and it was killing my arms. My forearms just started feeling better yesterday! I had to take snow off in layers to get to the bottom layer and then when you got there it was the heavy wet, but not slushy, snow. It took the snow blower, the 4 wheeler, and a shovel for our driveway and sidewalks. It didn't matter though because the wind just kept coming and sending snow from everywhere to your driveways all over again.

We didn't see a plow until almost 4pm that day. We are the very last on a list of their route because we are in a cul-de-sac so we just sat and waited. I have never wanted a fizz or Starbucks so bad in my life! I didn't dare venture out because the roads were so terrible. One friend said it took her 3 hours to get from Herriman to the airport. Once the plows came through the road started to appear some and I made it to the fizz. Yay for a Brass Monkey! When the plows do come through they shove all of the snow into the entry of the driveway and any business as well. It makes for a hard come back home when you have to all wheel drive your vehicle over it and then carefully maneuver to make it safely in the garage. Plows couldn't keep up with the wind and snow that kept falling so Thursday turned into another virtual learning day. They had no time or even equipment to get buses plowed out and parking lots and sidewalks at the schools taken care of. To put into perspective of just how much, the hill at Rosecrest Park where the kids always sled and the grass shows up quickly because they have sledded so much? Yeah...still has snow on it today from this storm! And get this...we aren't done. We are expecting more snow Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this next week. :/ KSL did a recent story talking about Winter Fatigue this year. They hit on all the points about how we have been dealing with more weather this year than in too many years. We are currently at the highest average snowfall (58") in a year than ever before and we still have a month and a half really left. Everyone is tired of shoveling, the dreary darkness of the skies makes for Seasonal Depression to rear its ugly head, the anxiety kicks in of when will Spring ever arrive? All the things Tyler and I have ironically been talking about for the last 2 months. And not being able to be in Hawaii this last week was just the icing on the cake really. The weather there continues to be miserable so I am glad in the end that we didn't go.

Yesterday was a late start day and since we didn't have school Wednesday or Thursday, it was an all 7 classes day. That makes the day go by so fast and Brooklyn loves that. She also got her baby for Child Development. She is actually very sweet and tender with him. His name is Niger and he does cry. I am glad Kaitlyn is just getting married and not having a baby because I am certain if Brooklyn was asked to babysit after this, the answer would be a resounding NO! Her friend Lily came with her baby and they have the 'teen mom zone' upstairs. I went up about 9:45pm last night because Lily's baby would not be settled. She was told he was an older baby so it might be tricky and then when she got home she found the bottle was broken on the nipple. The magnet is there but she wasn't sure it was working. Anyways, she changed his diaper, tried to feed using her bottle and B's bottle, and he still would not settle. So, I sat in Brooklyn's egg chair, took baby Nigeria and just rocked him. All of a sudden he settled and Lily was like "Oh my gosh don't stop! Thank you!" and had tears in her eyes! This was a good lesson right off the bat for her for sure! Her Mom kept texting me saying she was worried about us here and that were we sure it was ok. It was cute. Tyler is at the overnight Stake freezing cold camp so it won't bother him until tonight and Sunday so it worked out just fine. I climbed into bed but didn't take my night meds to sleep good just to be safe if either of them needed me. I didn't hear a baby all night and I haven't heard one this morning yet either. I hope they will sleep some so they aren't cranky teenagers here all weekend.

Spring Training games start today for the Braves and I am STOKED! We play at 11:05am so I only have a couple of hours to get my workouts in, run to the tanning bed, come home and feed the Mom's upstairs and get them situated for the day, shower, and then ready myself to finally be watching baseball again! Seriously the best day. And it has been so fun to watch the live interviews with Ozzie and Acuna. Even our new guys, Michael Harris II and Vaughn Grissom (Harris won rookie of the year last year and Grissom has a potential to be our new SS since Swanson is gone) have been fun to see. They are both young. Straight out of High School called to the big leagues last year and made a HUGE mark. I have a hat with both of their signatures on it too! I think it might be my new favorite. :) I just don't know if I dare wear it....

Tyler and I booked a quick trip for our 10 year temple anniversary next month to Mexico. Quick trip that I think he is slightly annoyed at but I need to be home for a few appointments with Brooklyn and wedding stuff with Kaitlyn. Needless to say, once you get home and the wedding is done, Tyler and I are going to need to find a full week to go away together. It is not like us to not have that and it is so vital for a healthy marriage. Thankfully he understands that being a Mom is my #1 but I look forward to our time away too. We have a small weekend in Nashville after Lake Powell for George Strait but I think a full week is what we will really need to get on the calendar. I just don't know when! Seriously, it is filling up so much and so fast.

Well, I am anxious and hopeful we will get a minute to talk on Monday. I am sure Kaitlyn has filled you in on her phone call with your Dad in regards to the wedding. He tells her you don't and haven't talked to him in some time? Have you shared your travel home details with him? If you haven't, are you planning to? Kaitlyn did not and so when he reached out to me and asked, I told him I would pass his request to her. I can do the same for you if he reaches out here if you'd like? I just don't know where he stands in life for you and what part of things you want him involved in. I am always open to talk to you about any of what you have going on in all aspects of your life, I hope you know that. I just want the happiest and most fulfilled for you that you deserve. I also want you to know that as an adult, nobody owns you, nobody is entitled to being a part of life with you in any regard because they are 'family', and you get to choose who you allow into your life and space. You get to be the dictator and set your life up for whatever it is you want it to look like. And if those in life cannot respect you as an adult as you make these choices, that makes your choice even more black and white to have them or not in life. This includes even me and Tyler, Kaitlyn and Eric, and Brooklyn too. Your life is up to you.

I love you and hope you have had a great week. I hope you have had tiny miracles that you have been witness to the hand of the Lord in all things. I hope you have had prayers answered and that you have felt of our love and support from home. I hope you have a journal that you have been writing in and that you can record your impressions and feelings as well as goals and aspirations as you near the end of these two years. I hope you will never look back at this time and regret not doing something or being a missionary differently. These years have flown by and these next 100 days will go even quicker. As anxious as I am for your return, I know you need these days and I know the Lord needs you there for them as well. Do your best, work harder than you have yet, and leave nothing on the table at the end of each day. Your blessings will come and you will see firsthand the fruits of that hard work and you will know that the Lord can trust you as His vessel right now, right there in Dassa. Happy weekend to you!

I love you to the moon and back,

Mom