My heart is in Fiji!! How are your 49 investigators?

How is my son?  How is every tiny thing in your life, and the big stuff, too?  Everything? How is your health? Heart? Spirit?  We live on every word you say! 

I loved what you said about reflecting the peace, light and love of the gospel with everyone you see. I remember a story I taught in seminary of a young man who was converted. He was contacted initially by missionaries and totally rejected them. Later on in his life he listened and was baptized. He said, however, that his "converting missionary" was the first who contacted him, the one he rejected. He never forgot his smile. He could see the light and love of the Lord in his eyes, and it stayed with him as he sought out the answers. He said he doesn't even know his name, but he would hope to find him someday and tell him he has another convert. I love that story. 

How has your week been? Ours has been awesome, but today will be the best! 

IT IS PATRIARCHAL BLESSING DAY FOR JOSEPH!  We have just 45 minutes until the special time!  I will finish my letter afterward.  

• The first week of school! Oh, those kids are so yummies.  Joseph started Tuesday and took a backpack with two new pencils in it. That's it. He wore his same old khaki shorts and his beach shirt and his converse and his hair looked dangus and just like that, he's a senior citizen.
  

  
    Annie went Tuesday to help the little sevies not get swallowed by South Hills.  Seth saw Derek with a collared shirt with whales all over it and when he saw that shirt he just knew that was the shirt he wanted to wear on the first day of school. Can you imagine the pure joy when we found it on Monday at Walmart for $6?  
  
• I spent a day in fasting and prayer this week to receive inspiration about whom the Lord would have serve as counselors in the stake young women presidency, and a few other things like what I should major in, where I should go to school, how I'm going to feed my children because handicap seminary isn't going to work out and how I can be a better mother and wife, just a few details like that. I had a VERY INTERESTING DAY!  It was Wednesday, the first day everyone was in school and I planned to read a chapter, read a conference talk then work for 15 minutes.  I started in and found out that as soon as I held freakin' still for 5 seconds Heavenly Father had a lot of things he wanted to talk to me about.  For nearly the entire day it had nothing to do with money jobs school or young womens at all. He wanted to talk to me about some other things, things he'd like me to repent of, things he'd like me to work on.  He talked to me nearly all day about how I can treat Jeff better and things I can do better at home.  I love when He corrects me because He does it with so very much love.  That is one way I know it is his voice speaking because I feel love instead of discouraged.  The counselor names did not come together until late that night or even the next afternoon.  
• I've had similar experiences like this a lot. I remember going to him saying "I can't pay my bills or feed my children" and feeling  the inspiration "Let's work on your eyebrows." "My eyebrows?"   "Yes, sometimes your eyebrows squish together when you look at your husband in a look of disapproval".  "Did you hear me? I can't pay my bills or feed my children?" "Yes, all things are in my hands. Let's work on eyebrows first."  God's ways are not man's ways. 
• I am so grateful, words can not describe the deep gratitude I feel for the opportunity of prayer. I so often "bundle all my troubles up and go to God in prayer".  I am in constant awe that He loves us so much.  
• Tuesday was back to school night. Seth has MIss Fisher. He is so so excited. He's been training himself to get up super early.  He was so excited to see his little desk and cubby.  
• Mckay spent a lot of time digging a hole in the front yard to fix the hole that caused the flood. It was deep enough that he was completey underground level. Sweet Grandpa Jello came and helped us fix the whole thing. 
• I took four little boys and bikes and rollerblades to the park and sat down in this beautiful world and read my patriarchal blessing, conference and scriptures. WE MUST SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL GOSPEL AND TEACH OTHERS THAT THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE TO TURN! THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE.  I felt the spirit so very strongly reading my patriarchal blessing I sat on the grass and wept. 
• Annie starts SEMINARY! We met her awesome seminary teacher. She is so excited. 
• Mckay was trying to feed his turtles and Seth was so sure that he was going to feed them cat food, so he was chasing Mckay around the house saying "Do you have cat food in your pants?" I love our family. 
• I took Crazy Mooksta to the airport at 4:30 Saturday morning then went to get the bread at about 5:30, and who MET ME AT WINCO AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING? Grandpa Jello! He is so incredible.  That man is pure love.  
• I went down to Provo Tuesday and held baby Ailee (HEAVENLY) and we had a scrumptious lunch at Jeni's and watched the BYU devotional.  It was SO GOOD. Sister Joy Jones talked about being grateful for trials, and reacting to challenges or enticements with PRAYER AND PRAISE. Challenges are GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES!  We are being tutored by the heavens as we struggle and it is how we grow.  The concept of reacting to difficulty with praise is so beautiful. "Thank you for loving me enough to teach me. Thank you for loving me enough to help me experience this."  This is a sin that I've committed a lot, not being grateful for my trials.  I want to learn this.  
• Mckay went sky-diving. We have confirmed that he is still alive. 
• I also was able to work in Jello's family history booth at education week on Saturday. It was pretty slow so I just talked to Coy for two hours. (HEAVENLY). 
• Joseph asked Alee to homecoming last night. He will tell you about that. He is quite busy managing the girl's soccer team :). I think that mostly means dragging cones around, eating stuff and watching Alee play. Oh, youth is wasted on the young. I'm just kidding. 
• Seth just remembered your student body office poster with real cheese stapled on.  

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Spencer, I have no words to describe the beautiful sacred experience we just had as Joseph received his patriarchal blessing.  Heavenly Father knows him, loves him, believes in him.   He has glorious possibilities ahead.  Oh it was so sacred and so sweet.  One of my favorite parts talked about how Satan wants Joseph to destroy his glorious possibilities and make him as miserable as himself, but I SEAL YOU UP AGAINST THE POWER OF THE DESTROYER. It sounds like he may serve a foreign mission and was blessed with the gift of tongues. He also was told that the people he would teach on his mission would be those he had committed to find in the pre-existence and he would have tears in his eyes as he teaches them.  One of the most sacred things is that Grandpa Roger was there and the Patriarch felt him there with him.   The Spirit was so very very strong.  Joseph is in the study playing Nearer My God To Thee. 

I used to think that the greatest triumphs would be books and politics and some great thing someone accomplished while the eyes of the whole world were upon them, but I have completely changed on that in my 46 years.  I think the greatest triumphs happen at home and in the heart. That is also where the greatest battles are fought; kind words, forgiveness, eyebrows.  

I love you with all of my heart and soul.  You're in every thought and every prayer.  

Love, your so blessed to be your Mom.  

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.