06/17/12 Lucky to be mom to such great boys!

6/17/12

Another busy great week behind us.  (I hope you agree!)  

This week I had to write a letter to Dallas and Bryce telling them how much I love them and appreciate them and how the church has influenced our lives.  I also encouraged them to go on missions and marry in the temple.  It is for them to get a camp Helaman next week.  (I gotta remember to get them over to their leaders!)  It was nice to take a few minutes and reminisce about you kids and how special you are to me.  I sent the letters over to Dad and he wanted one too!  So I spent a few more minutes thinking of some of the many great times in our history and why I am so thankful to have him as my eternal companion.  The girls are jealous and ordered a letter too but I haven't had time!  

So I'll take just a minute of this letter and tell you just how blessed I feel to be your mother.  I remember from the time I found out you were coming I was so excited and scared and unsure of what to expect.  You challenged my abilities as I tried to figure out how to make you happy and clean (you were always puking) and get you to sleep etc.  You were pretty fun to have around.  Dad LOVED taking you places and having people come up and say how cute you were and ooohhh and ahhh and stuff.  Kinda funny!  I am glad you two became such good buddies.  I think it was good for both of you to develop such a strong friendship.  As you grew up you became a very smart driven kid.  Remember reading all those Harry Potter books?  I'd read a chapter at night with you and then send you to school.  While you were gone you would read 2, 3 sometimes 4 chapters and then tell me what I missed?!  Katie is busy reading those now and she is all CONSUMED with them!  Course there are more now.  When you were young they stopped at book 4.  Now there are 7 books.  She just finished book 6 and is starting book 7.  I think all that reading really helped you to develop your brain.

I am thankful that you chose to be valiant and keep yourself out of trouble with young women.  I know that is a tough thing to do these days.  I am also thankful that you have been such an amazing example as you prepared and then have gone out and served the Lord.  I still pray regularly that our next two boys will follow in your footsteps, and I think they will...but I think that you will have had a great influence on them taking those steps!  Thank you!  I am thankful for the gospel in our lives to help us know right from and the wisdom (usually) to then do what we know to be right.  

I spent some time with my little sister Ruth this weekend.  We went for a 4 mile walk and during that time she bore her sole to me.  She told me of many of her sorrows and short comings and disappointments in life.  I did not lecture her, just listened.  But on reflecting I can see where so many of her unhappiness in life can be traced back to her falling away from the gospel and not grasping the principles that she was taught as a young girl.  Again...not saying this to her.  I don't think she is ready to hear that and it would probably drive a wedge between us but it makes me ever more grateful for the choices I have made and the results I have.  Enough about that.  

So to conclude me little mini letter in a letter...I love you and am so proud of you and all that you've done with your life so far.  I hope that you will continue to grasp the gospel and follow it in your life.  I hope that as you hit rocky patches in life you will turn toward your heavenly father and not away from him and also come to your parents.  We were given to you to help you through this crazy thing called life!  XOXO

Back to the letter.  So I was blessed with some infrequent quiet time this week and wrote some letters that the kids will be getting next week.  We decided to make the quick trip up to SL this weekend and that was really fun.  I had an extra busy work week and was out of hours at 10 a.m.  Friday morning.  We went over to Golden Corral and had breakfast with the girls (after Dad played basketball and the girls hung out at the rec center).  Then we came home and packed up.  Dad finished some stories for his new job.  We drove up to E&D's house and got to see baby Luke for a minute and Rachel took our girls back to her house for the evening.  They had "girl's night".  It was fun to go out on the town with Dad in the convertible.  Drove through SL with the top down.  The weather was perfect.  Saturday me and Ruth and her boys went for our 4 mile hike.  The boys were really good (surprised me!!!).  In fact they were MUCH better than the last interaction I had with them.  I was ready to write them off last time but this time they were pretty mellow and sweet.  We then went over to Gpas house and had waffles and then 12-2 a swim party.

Intermission on that...we ran to Smith's to get a father's day gift for Gpa Laurito.  When we entered the parking lot a car came flying through the intersection behind some other cars right in front of us.  Dad had to stand on the brakes to stop us and it was pretty close.  Yikes!  I am very thankful for your dad's cat like reflexes and for the little guardian angel that was watching over us!!!!  There were 2 more people in the lot that 'bout backed into us.  We decided we don't like shopping parking lots in SL!!!

The party was fun.  Rachel and fam, Ruth and fam, Suzanne & Dad, Eldon, Johnny, Demas and Luke came over.  Marcus was working and so was Diane so we missed out on them. Gpa had bought us some delicious food and we had a nice BBQ.

Well as you can see we are staying busy and hopefully doing good things! I hope that you will continue to learn and grow and progress in the gospel and enjoy it!  I love you lots!!! XOXO mom.