Email from Mom: Sunday, May 14, 2023

From: Mom
To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Subject: 20's??

Happy Sunday morning,

It has been a week here so I apologize about my late email. I am however feeling good that I have some time to sit and actually get one typed up to you! These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of stuff and so I am sorry. :/

How was your week? How are things progressing in Africa? How are you feeling? Any better? How are things in the apartment and with your companion? Do you have a full Sunday meeting or do you just have a small group?

So, after chatting with you on Monday I had had enough of my ear so I took myself to the Urgent Care and sure enough, double ear infection. Lame but I got the prescription drops and headed for home. I really quite frankly don't have time to deal with one ear bugging me but it turns out it was both of them. And this week has proven to be nothing more than irritation with them. I still don't feel 100% and the wind that we have right now kills them but hopefully they will start to feel better? That is my hope. I am one week into my antibiotic drops tomorrow so if they aren't better I guess I end up back at a Dr which would be annoying.

Kaitlyn and Eric closed on their house on Tuesday and then headed here to empty her room. That was weird. I have been so used to seeing her stuff everytime I go do nails and now it is just an empty room without a bed or dresser. I am stoked for them to have been this responsible in order to buy a house and not have to rent but talk about bittersweet knowing that even her bed is gone! Ugh...this Mom gig is hard on the heart. Anyways, so we went down and got her all moved in and then headed home. She is officially living there now and Eric will follow after the wedding. She loves it and it is such a cute townhome. I am excited to see how she will put together her own home and to watch as new memories are created for the both of them.

Thursday Tyler and I decided it would be a good day to tackle the bark that needed to be put down in the yard. I originally had the yard crew lined up to do it on the day you get home but we have an open house shower for Kaitlyn this coming Saturday and I really would have loved to have it done so ... we did it ourselves. And holy cow. My forearms, my wrists, my biceps, triceps, and legs are so dang sore. We put in 20 cubic yards of mulch throughout the front and back yard!!! I will have to send you a photo of the dump trailer Tyler rented so you can get an idea of how much that is. We loaded that thing twice and then took the wheelbarrows and went to work. I haven't raked and shoveled so much in my life. It looks so good and pretty with the fresh dark mulch but wow...just wow. That is how we spent Thursday and Friday. Yep, two full days of that stuff.

Yesterday we ran up to the cabin to get my wedding ring that I left from when we did sandbags last weekend, we turned the camera back on to keep an eye on the river flow and height, and grabbed the old round table to take to Kaitlyn and Eric. The weather shifted again (go figure) and it is rainy and windy and cold. It says it should be in 70's this coming week so I will keep my fingers crossed. We dropped the table to Kaitlyn and then headed to the nursery to get a few plants for the yard. We dropped in some beautiful wave petunias in the planters around the pool and filled in a couple of spots that needed something too. We have a couple of trees to replace and then I would like to hope we are good. And that we can relax with the nursery stuff. Tyler would like to powerwash the pavers and get some new sod in before the open house on Saturday but we will see. All of a sudden I realize I don't remember what  Wednesday was but we must have been busy. HA HA

We went to dinner last night with Clint and Alisha. You haven't met them but they will be at Lake Powell again this year and you will. They are great. Clints family owns a mechanic shop next to where Tyler worked before we dated and they were friends. His wife Alisha is so low key and normal. I love it. :)

Today we will head to church and then Kaitlyn and Eric are coming to dinner. Nothing big. Hamburgers on the grill, some corn on the cob, and potato salad. Tyler said "I invited Kaitlyn, Eric, and Christian for dinner. Kaitlyn and Eric will be here but Christian needs a couple more weeks before he can make it". I was dying laughing. So funny.

Next week is full but we will make it happen. We have a final site visit with the company doing all the wedding stuff so we can get a layout on the yard for them, we have high water coming to the cabin on Wednesday into Thursday so Tyler will probably head up that way to keep an eye on what it looks like. We have put in sandbags and are at the point where we just have to sit and wait to see what happens. I have a small 'thank you' gift I am working on for those that attend the shower/open house on Saturday I need to get done, tables and chairs will be delivered on Friday evening, I need to pick up the goodies from Harmons on Friday, and then the shower on Saturday. Everything is coming to a head and before we all know it, big life moments on our calendars will be behind us.

Speaking of...you are almost out of the 20's on my countdown. Can you even believe that? I swear the last time I looked it was in the 40's and now it is literally just a moment of days before we get to see you. I hope you are relishing the moments you have left and are creating timeless memories that you will never forget. I also hope you are working super hard and leaving nothing left behind each day. I love you and I am so proud of you. Thanks for choosing me to be your Mom and your friend. Have the best day!

Love,

Mom