I LOVE YOU YOU SCRUMPTIOUS AMAZING DELICIOUS LOVE OF MY LIFE AND ALL TIME AND EVERYTHING. 

Seth was going to pay Walker Sorensen $20 to go to the back of the bus, roll his eyes in the back of his head and say "Do you love me?" in a random weird voice.  We told him he couldn't spend $20 on it, probably should have let him. 

Spen and Joseph showed up to Annie's basketball game, just preceding theirs, both with pink headbands in their nasty long dredlock looking hair. Please pray for us. 

Tanner Ayre came over for a wingman to answer a girl for a dance. I taught piano in the kitchen in the middle of a giant mess this week.  Life is fun.  

We have new carpet!  We have NEW CARPET! Our house feels like a brand new house!  We got to hang out with Jeff and Jay for two days, these awesome Nascar fans who donated their time for two whole days and worked so hard to put our carpet in. They were amazing. When we asked them what they wanted for lunch they jokingly said steak and lobster, so we ran to Outback Steakhouse and got it for them.  They were so sweet about that.  Seth went out to lunch with them on the second day and had it all planned to pay for them at Subway and they wouldn't let him. There are such good people in the world.  LIFE IS AWESOME! 

I am reading an amazing book right now that I just love. It is a true story, a story of faith and redemption.  It's the story of a homeless man who had one of the saddest lives ever and was so broken when this Christian woman found him and loved him even though he kept pushing her away.  When someone finally got to know him, there was so much spiritual wealth in his soul.  He was being ministered to and taught, and his wisdom was beyond most. One thing he told her husband was "our limitations are God's opportunity." I LOVE THAT.  I keep thinking about that. If we weren't broken we would not need him nor have a relationship with Him.  It's all beautiful, even our weaknesses and shortcomings. 

I had a sweet answer to prayer this week. I just asked simply "How can I feel the Spirit more?" and heard the words, "Accept President Nelson's challenge".  Here it is, given a few weeks ago to the young adults:

"

How can you increase in your discipleship? I have an invitation for you that will help—it’s an assignment, actually—if you choose to accept it. Commence tonight to consecrate a portion of your time each week to studying everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the Old Testament, for He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Study His laws as recorded in the New Testament, for He is its Christ. Study His doctrine as recorded in the Book of Mormon, for there is no book of scripture in which His mission and His ministry are more clearly revealed. And study His words as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, for He continues to teach His people in this dispensation.This may seem like a large assignment, but I encourage you to accept it. If you proceed to learn all you can about Jesus Christ, I promise you that your love for Him, and for God’s laws, will grow beyond what you currently imagine. I promise you also that your ability to turn away from sin will increase. Your desire to keep the commandments will soar. You will find yourself better able to walk away from the entertainment and entanglements of those who mock the followers of Jesus Christ. To assist you, refer to the Topical Guide for references under the topic “Jesus Christ.”¹⁴

Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means personally for you. For example, He really is your Advocate with the Father. He will take your side. He will stand up for you. He will speak on your behalf, every time, as you choose to be more like Him.¹⁵

Get to know Him by studying all He continues to teach through His living prophets and apostles. Study “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Study “The Living Christ” document. These were both received by revelation. Post them online and where you can see them daily.

Those revealed words are what every true Latter-day Saint believes. Pray for a witness that those truths represent divine law. Learn to articulate those truths in your own words. Practice! Then pray and look for opportunities to speak about what you believe. Your ability to lead and to have righteous influence will increase as you do so.

In a coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior. You will be overwhelmed to the point of tears to be in His holy presence. You will struggle to find words to thank Him for paying for your sins, for forgiving you of any unkindness toward others, for healing you from the injuries and injustices of this life.

You will thank Him for strengthening you to do the impossible, for turning your weaknesses into strengths, and for making it possible for you to live with Him and your family forever. His identity, His Atonement, and His attributes will become personal and real to you.

But you don’t have to wait until then. Choose to be one of His true disciples now. Be one who truly loves Him, who truly wants to serve and lead as He did.¹⁶

We are His people! We are under covenant to carry the message of the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. As we work intentionally to become righteous leaders, we may sing with one heart, “Let us all press on in the work of the Lord.”¹⁷

Now, as one of His Apostles, I invoke those keys to leave a blessing upon each of you. I bless you to learn God’s laws and live by them. I bless you to be a good example, in word and deed, of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I bless you to be free from sin, to radiate goodness and light in a way that will attract others to want to know and feel the source of your light. I bless you with success in your educational and occupational endeavors. I bless you to seek for and care for your virtuous companion. And I bless you each to be a righteous leader in your family, community, country, and in the Church.

I so bless you, and declare that God lives! Jesus is the Christ! This is His Church! I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I'm so excited to draw closer to Him. I also heard a super super cool talk by Elder Nelson about the Chinese language, and how President Kimball at one point asked some group, not sure if it was leadership or lay membership, to learn Chinese.  I am going to send you that talk. 

Coy's job is AWESOME!  We are so blessed. It is the perfect job for him right now.  

A lot of this week was cleaning and organizing around the new carpet, taking Carol Jacobs to work at 5:30 a.m. every day, and trying to keep up with the crazy kids.  We cleaned out the black cabinet and put all your stuff in a box. Your wisdom teeth fell out and everyone was grossing out. It was pretty funny.   

Signing up for housing tomorrow....still feeling good about Campus Plaza?  We have a back up plan at Centennial Apartments.... how does that sound?  I'm so excited for the Chinese Flagship Center opportunities for you....

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.  Here is a quote I just absolutely love:

Teddy Roosevelt said:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

Thanks for being in the ring when it really counts for whom it really matters. I love you buddy!

Love, Mom