From Mom April 26, 2015

April 26, 2015

Dear Riley,

When you read this letter it will be your birthday in Thailand.  Happy birthday!  I would love to celebrate it in your proximity and through my kitchen.  But since you are half a world away, we must celebrate a singular, joyful event separately.  And I do rejoice in the day you came into my life, son.  You are a blessing to me in every way, especially as you are out serving as a missionary. (I hope you got your package so you can eat cake.)

As I sit in the front room, sniffling a little as I miss you, the front room is littered with remnants of multiple projects, there is residue from our first two meals of the day on the table and in the sink, dinner is started, but not completed.  Josie is finally asleep upstairs, Parker as well.  Elise and Aleah are over at Grandma’s with Emily.  Cambry and Dad are at the church.  This is why, amidst all the chaos, I plink out my affection to you for a few minutes.  I have an hour and a half before our home teachers come.

I thought I’d share some highlights of this week with you.

Monday – I came down with this terrible 24 hour flu about 11:00 in the morning.  I felt wonderful minutes before and then suddenly, my back ached and my gut and I was confused what was happening.  I had to go to Savers to get a few last items for our picture (wasn’t it soooo good?), but I really didn’t feel good.  As Josie and I walked into Savers and deposited my old bedding in the donation bin, I saw an opportunity to help someone checking out.  I’ve wanted to do that before, but had let the opportunity slip by.  This time, I acted boldly.  They let me and it wasn’t much.  But the endorphins after helped me find the final few things I needed… and everything I found was the color tag which was 50% off.  I really felt that this was a direct blessing of my willingness to bless someone else.

When I read the Book of Mormon the next morning to the family, I considered on the beauty of Mosiah 18:28 “And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests that stood in need, yea, and to every needy naked soul.”  I thought that it is such a wonder that God’s way blesses both those in need and those who can give. 

Tuesday – Dad’s highlight would be getting his bees.  Parker’s highlight was coming home with MB and A to make sandwiches to take to L’s class.  Luckily I had a full loaf of bread and a cooked turkey.  Cambry’s hightlight would be that Grandma had offered to help her make her dresses to take to Europe tomorrow.  Neither Grandma nor Cambry realized that Cambry doesn’t yet have the skill to accomplish the dress project.  So really Grandma spent a few days (I helped here and there) sewing two dresses for Cambry.  They are sweet!

My highlight was that I felt really good and I was able to spend several hours in the garage and the basement.  The piles are diminishing, slowly.  But, best of all, we had just run out of 2014 peaches and I couldn’t believe it.  As I was moving boxes, organizing from the craft room into the storage room, I found 2 ½ dozen quarts of peaches in boxes in the craft room.  We didn’t have room on the shelves for them, I suppose.

But really, my sweetest moments this day were while I took Josie on a walk down by the river.  We watched a woodpecker hacking in a tall tree stump and I engaged Josie in conversation.

Me: See the river, Josie.  What if you were a fish swimming IN that water?  OR, what if you were a duck swimming ON that water?

Josie:  OR what if I were just some random girl?

Wednesday – Here’s where my week must have fallen apart.  I don’t remember a single thing happening, good or bad, Wednesday.  Just seeing if you’re still reading.  Actually, I spent some time working on dresses with Grandma and Cambry in the evening.  Oh yeah, I mailed the paper picture to you and put a package together for a missionary in the MTC.  I made a busy day for myself.

Thursday – My hightlight is that I survived!  I had to go to work in the morning.  Payroll didn’t come in early enough to complete my work chores, though.  Then the afternoon was brutal.  I had a school community council meeting, piano lessons (where Aleah became hot-headed and wanted to quit and tried to walk home…) dinner, and bookclub in the evening.

Friday – Dad about killed himself this week with his workload.  He got only three hours of sleep Thursday night because he had to go in early to get neutralizations complete and get product in the oven.  When he set the alarm Thursday night, he jumped the clock ahead and hour.  He reset the alarm for me, but I was wasted when it rang and promptly fell back asleep.  I awoke with a start at 6:55 and bolted out of bed, waking Aleah and Parker (Elise was already at the temple.)  You know how Parker wakes up.  But this morning, and my hightlight for the day, was that Parker jumped out of bed and down the stairs, electrified.  Then looking bleary-eyed at the clocks downstairs, we caught the deception my clock had played on us.  He was up and asleep before I could put a pan of water on the stove.

Plus Friday we got paid!  And it only took me an hour at work to complete everything.  I went to the temple and shopped groceries Friday afternoon so my Saturday would be unencumbered.  Dad and I were too worn out to even go on a date.

Saturday – I had a terrible night Friday night.  Dad, exhausted from his work week, was snoring so hard that my earplugs couldn’t block it out and there was nothing to stop the vibration I felt in my back from his reverberation.  So Saturday was just beleaguered trudging.  I shopped underwear with Cambry and shoes with Parker and Aleah.  I deserve a trophy!  But my highlight Saturday was a solitary long walk along the river.  Therapy.

We had such a good singing time today.  I made my life hard this month by teaching so much in only three weeks, but the kids are learning such good things!  Last week we had a primary teacher training.  SS had asked if I would be able to be there and if I would be willing to share some of my ideas for engaging the children as learners.  I was visiting teaching so I arrived late but willing to interject any of my thoughts as moved by the Spirit and as topics allowed.  But then she turned some time over to me to share.  I told her today that I didn’t understand, and apparently what I shared was cohesive enough that no one, including she knew I was unprepared.  I do love this calling.  I told the kids I didn’t want to work today, I wanted to party and they were all for it.  I worked them like crazy, but they thought they were having a party.  It was so fun.

I saw some pics Bro Tan posted of you and Elder T.  He IS tall. 

Tell me how your week has been adjusting to a new companion.  I’m so excited to skype with you in two weeks.  Tell me more so I can enjoy all the anticipation.

I love you like crazy, son.  Have a wonderful – and unique – 19^th birthday.  You’re great.

Love,
Mom