Elda Spenaroo the Elderly Fijinarian!!! WE LOOOOOVVVEEEEE YYYYOOOUUUUUU!!! Kay, My questions are right here. These are the questions I'm hoping you will answer. They are large, and in red writing, and underlined, highlighted and bolded. How are you? Can you weigh your suitcases with what you are taking to Fiji so we know how much Christmas/hammock/oil/mattress cover space you have? Do you need anything? Do you want anything? What else have you learned about Fiji? So, It's Christmas tomorrow! Hark! Hear the bells and angels sing! Your letter is coming! Hallelujah Chorus! Did you get all my Dear Elders? Oh, that might be because I didn't send them...SHOOT! I'm so sorry. It has been a little in tents round here. I got a fun text from Sister Karen Hyatt in our ward! She said they dropped her daughter off at the MTC and THEY SAW YOU! She said, "he seemed just on fire!" Were you the one to greet her? How fun is that! We just got home from seeing Nick Christensen come home! He came in tonight! It was amazing. He is GLOWING. He looks absolutely fantastic! What a joy to have him home and safe from the most dangerous country in the world. I will send you his last letter. And Mckelle's and Dallin's as well. Caaarazy beans around here. Crazy soup. Crazy sauce. Got a fun call Sunday morning to teach sharing time....YEEHA!!!! Saturday we watched Mckay shoot off his crazy rocket with the BYU Rocketry club. His rocket went 1920 feet. We were out in the west desert, 5 mile pass. You need to know right now that Joseph is an unabashed boy band fan. It's just the truth. That's all. Sunday was Grandma Jan's birthday. Our little pink cadillac, 60 perrin, garden bottlin', gont the bif Grandma is 84!! She got locked out of her house when Grandpa Ruel went to the hospital from church. He was having a hard time breathing. He's fine now. We had Grandma for the afternoon, then had a peach cobbler party for her with the family that night. She wore her green hat to church. I just love that girl. Her spirit never aged. Grandma just thinks night and day about what she can do for others. She has a bug in her bonnet now to make jammie pants for all the little Mexican families Joseph is doing his Eagle for in Mexico. She wants to see if we can make them for ALL OF THE 45 FAMILIES. Bailey also came over and helped Annie with her camera. She was very very sweet. She gave her lots of positive attention for the pictures she has taken. She and Joseph, Annie and Seth went romping in the forest. Monday Seth stayed home to do his super uper animal report on the gila monster. It just took us all day and the next morning :). He is so yummy. He nearly didn't make it through the pre-write, rough draft and final copy, but he DID IT!!! Slichta's FHE. We were kneeling down begging Emmy to come to Mexico,singing her opera songs. She thinks Annie and Joseph will just be together the whole time and she'll be left out and doesn't want to go. Tuesday violin, cello, piano, voice lessons, Glauser and Liz's kids and we rushed to get a flyer for Joseph to deliver to the whole ward about his Eagle project in Mexico. The Bishop gave such an incredible talk at Young Women's in Excellence. He talked about his mom who stopped and were married on the way to Lagoon when she and his Dad were 16 years old. They weren't going to tell anyone but a friend snitched. He served in the war. They had 10 children. It was awesome. I spoke, too, about how Heavenly Father has a beautiful super amazing plan to help us become the best version of ourselves and sometimes suffering is part of that plan, but it's great that he loves us so much! I stayed up late studying and Wednesday I taught seminary at Oquirrh Hills, 2 classes and South Hills 2 classes. The kids were super awesome. Jarom and Omni. We got through alright. Always could do better. Seth got his Bear Wednesday night. Sweet Blaine Parry came and spoke to the boys. He was in Special Forces for 20 years. He joined the military because he just could not stand what Hitler had done and he made a personal vow to never let that happen again. He wore his whole outfit. It was so awesome. I sent you a picture. I can't believe how hard he has worked, how much he has done, how much he knows how to do. He has jumped out of so many airplanes and can build and fix anything. Let's throw away phones and entertainment and go back to doing real stuff like that. I love Jordan Valley Adapted Seminary more than I can express. Today sweet Ethan was having a super hard time, hitting himself in the head and then he just started crying. I put my arm around him and started singing quietly to him, and he stopped crying and put his head on my shoulder. I have only one student that can speak. It is anguish sometimes to try to understand what they need or want. I feel so blessed to be in that little pocket of the Celestial Kingdom. One boy, Andrew, LOVES Called to Serve. The down syndrome missionary plays it for him on his phone and they march down the hall together back to class after seminary. I thought I would melt into love when Noah said the prayer himself today. He's the down syndrome soldier saving us all from everything. After he said the prayer he went over and kissed the teacher right on the face. I'm in heaven. I watched a sweet boy have a 3 minute seizure today. So humbling. I leave with NO PROBLEMS at all. I leave rejoicing that I can eat, talk, walk, drive, use the bathroom myself. I'm so blessed to be there with those celestial people. Seth wants to home school and go to work with me so bad. Cute. Annie has such cute stories to tell about her peer tutoring. Her Zoe loves to lay on the floor and refuses to get up. She can kind of talk but it's all like gruntal form. She sounds mad but she does it on purpose. She's super super short, doesn't even reach Annie's shoulder. She's a little bit chubby. She's a little ball of cuteness. Joseph is so darling darling. He has been holding off on working out because he doesn't want to stunt his growth, but he decided to start tonight. He has been SO GOOD to help. You left and Dad's been on bed rest, and I've been working A LOT, and he is the man of the family right now. He's been super awesome. Seth can tell you if you appreciate boys or girls more with an elastic wrapped around his fingers, choosing one finger to take away at a time. I love elementary. Annie is having Friendsgiving tomorrow night with all her friends. We've got good news on Dad's liver. He is up a few points. The bedrest and the difficult shots that he has to get through his ribs and into his liver are helping. And no strep. We heard you will have an apostle visit for Thanksgiving? How awesome is that? I love you Son. I love the Savior. Eli Sorensen said he wants to go to Gethsemane on his mission. I'm so grateful when the Savior got that mission call, to Bethlehem, Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Calvary and Golgatha's Hill, he accepted His call. Our only way home is through the merits and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah. How I love Him! How I love you! May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. Love, Mom!