Hi scrumptious darling muffin pumpkin puffs!   I miss you so very very much! So much to share.

• Today was your cousin Nick's farewell. It was incredible! So amazing. I wish I could describe it. He gave a 15 minute talk that was so articulate, so powerful. I had never heard him say that many words in his life.  He taught so well, so clearly.  He said something like the Savior saved us, He did that for us, and I couldn't be more excited to dedicate the next two years to the person who did that for all of us. He expressed over and over his gratitude for the Savior and how excited he is to proclaim His word.  He talked about three steps to becoming a disciple. 1. service. 2. love, and he said the way we show that love is working on our relationship with God through prayer and being obedient. 3. Faith, turn ourslves over to Christ, be obedient and then we will be guided and strengthened by Him. He said again "I coudn't be more excited to go".  It was incredible!
• We heard another amazing talk today by a returned missionary. He said a lot of people ask him what his favorite times were in the mission. He said he feels like they are expecting an amazing story or something, but he said his favorite times were on his knees in his apartment begging for forgiveness for the missed opportunities and sins of the day, and feeling the sweet feelings of the spirit and the message, "You are forgiven, and you are enough." 
• I felt the quiet whisperings of the spirit during this young man's talk so much. The Spirit helped me realize that I find a lot of joy in many events of my life, but in large measure I am hanging on to my sins and beating myself up with them.  It is like the Savior would say at the end of the day "I can take all those things that are burdening you, all your sins, regrets, omissions, commissions, those tears that you are crying. I already paid for them and I can take them away from you." and I say, "No, thanks though, these are mine and I feel responsible for them, and I'd rather just sit here and think about what a bad person I am and cry.I'll just keep tromping around with this backpack of burdens. Thanks anyway."  The Spirit helped me realize that I could experience a lot more joy in atoning grace through true, sincere, daily repentance, then as the missionary said believing Christ, believing He meant what He said and acting on it. Do I believe Him that my sins can really be washed away? Then I give them to Him, and I rejoice rejoice rejoice in Christ. He wants to send me on my way rejoicing as he did with the lepers, not crying because I'm so inadequate. He knows I am! I need to get over it, repent with full purpose of heart and let Him receive me more fully, more joyfully!  I am so excited to do better at this.  I get through the sorry part in my prayers, I do the regret and remorse quite well, then often I just get discouraged and go to sleep. I'm missing out! I love church! 
• What do you call a man named Richard trying to make a boat out of a potato? A dictatorship! This is one of the funny things Seth and his friends said on the way to his ice skating birthday party. It was one of my greater ideas, let's take 7 7 year olds to the Olympic oval, and only one really knew how to skate.  I'm pretty awesome. It actually turned out really well.
• Miracle. Debbie Baker gave Scotty's stuffed animals to go to Mexico.  She hasn't been able to let go, and that is amazing. John down the street is sponsoring three people, and a lot of other Christmas miracles. It is so exciting.  We are doing a day in an orphanage down there, Christmas Eve delivering Christmas to 29 families, and then Saturday doing the Celebration on the Family.
• Coy and Haven are dating nearly every day. They really like each other. She is coming with us to Mexico.
• I have a missionary that I love in Taiwan with all my heart!
• We had an awesome NAP Christmas concert, maybe the best one yet. It was super fun. 
• Did you know there is a road over the great lakes in manitoba canada that is frozen so thick half the year they drive giant trucks on it to the diamond mines? i love homeschool. 
• Mckay, any advice you have on parenting, what we should keep, what we should change, what helped the most, what could go, how to help prepare children for missions and for life, 
• Such a spiritual experience this week listening to the patriarch.  Are you enjoying your patriarchal blessing? Do you read it a lot?
• What is our prayer list for the week?
• Seth's brirthday was so so precious. I love that kid.  He was so excited for his new scriptures.  
• It is so great to have faith to move mountains, but it is so great to have faith that stays bright as the noonday sun even if it is God's will that the mountain doesn't move, to accept His will whatever it is. 
• I love you!