Email from Mom: September 11, 2021

To: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
From: Mom
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021 (Side note...20 years today)
Subject: The Facebook ring

I’m getting real good at hearing the infamous Facebook ring and being able to panic in a hot second! it’s been a full week of emotions in a few short days. How are YOU feeling today?

This week really has been low key and very little was on the calendar. It was quite lovely to not have stuff scheduled day in and day out. I was supposed to have a couple of chiropractor appointments but the Dr got the Covid and is out until the 20th so all I had really was a scheduled massage (heaven!!) and that was it. Brooklyn of course stayed busy and was on the go most days. She didn’t have school Monday for Labor Day and then Friday was a flex Friday so no school for her then either. Hard week right?

I wanted to go to Oakley on Friday to get laundry done, swap out sheets, get the lawn mowed for the last time this year, and just escape home for a bit. Brooklyn was not at all interested and so I asked Tyler if he wanted to join me. Little did I know he had invited Reed and Lorraine to stop by since they were at Robyn’s 🤦🏻‍♀️ B stayed home and went to the Mtn Ridge football game with Jada. We picked the parentals up and drove them so they didn’t have the address written down anywhere, had dinner at the little sandwich place by the donut gas station, and then took them back to Robyn’s. Hopefully they won’t remember how to get there and don’t let others know about the cabin. That would be the best option in my opinion. We will see.

Today B got up and went to Jadas basketball game and then to the boys football game. We got up and I stripped sheets in the master and went out to eat a bagel outside. The weather is chilly. Like colors are changing and socks are starting yo become normal with each outfit chilly. Well, I was busy watching the blue jays come in and Tyler whispers ‘Jennifer there is a deer’ so I start looking across the river. Nope! All of a sudden a deer head comes from around the bbq and keeps coming towards us! Tyler put a piece of his bagel out, she sniffed it, and then stood there. Tyler was able to pet her, he talked to her, tried to put his cowboy hat on her…she seriously didn’t care one bit. It was wild! Eventually she headed to Annie’s and ate on her plants (which made Annie mad and she started swatting the deers mouth and pushing her - seriously- to get her to leave her yard! I was dying laughing!!) I can’t believe some of the stuff we have seen up there. I got laundry finished up and then we decided to go see what the water level looked like at the reservoir. The rain that we have had has filled it up a LOT!! I was surprised at how full it is. Still not as full as we know it but still..crazy! We drove up to see if there were any salmon swimming and sure enough there were a lot and they are good size which makes it easy to see them. It was fun to see that for sure. We stopped at the cabin to grab the stuff we were bringing home and headed to Park City. I wanted to hit lululemon there before we came home. I grabbed a couple of things and then we were headed down the canyon.

It’s the BYU vs Utah game tonight so I worked on laundry and housework while I finished the Braves game and then flipped to the football game. I swear I am doing stuff here or in Oakley most days. Never ending work that’s for sure. B ended up here with Cutler and Pratt but not after some seriously frustrating text exchanges. She is just living in her own world and wants everyone to cater to her and what she wants and has going at all times. Teenager life…super frustrating but one day at a time.

I don’t have Ward Council in the morning because Rodney is in Lake Powell for the week. That will be lovely to not have to be ready to be anywhere by 8:30am! That makes a day at church and then an evening of low key not much going on. Tyler is heading to Wyoming again on Monday to do some more hunting so I am sure this next week will be low key without having his stuff added to mine. I am thinking that will actually be good. I will need to go to Oakley to get my sleep buds because I left them there but maybe I can make that drive tomorrow after church. Other than that…literally low key.

So…talk to me. What’s the rest of your week been like since you got your email about Brazil ?? How has your heart felt and how have your prayers changed over these days? I seriously wasn’t sure I wanted fo answer the call when you first called. Ha ha! I heard it and just knew what you were calling for. I’m so thrilled for you but I didn’t want it to be real quite yet & figured if I didn’t answer then it wouldn’t be real. Lame sauce Mom right??

I am thrilled beyond words for you though for reals. I keep coming back to how special you are to me and clearly how much you mean to the Lord. He needed you equally in both of your missions and to know that I have been trusted to be a Mom to such a incredible daughter of our Heavenly Father has been humbling these last few days for me. He has the best of the best with you and I know He knows it. I hope you know it too. I didn’t tell Elder Garcia in my email to him but I did tell Brooklyn. Her biggest worry is if she will still get to send you messages on the messenger. I figured this can all be disclosed on your timing and when you are ready to tell.

What can I do for you? What do you need to help ready yourself to fly? You have all your documents together so that when your passport and visa arrive you can keep them all together for travel? I put $1000 on your personal card so you can ship what you need home and so you have extra $ for anything else you might need on the way. I’m hoping you will travel with other missionaries as well.

I hope to be able to talk to you on Monday if you have time. I think of you always and have you in my prayers as well. As much as I miss you I can’t imagine you anywhere else but serving the Lord right now. I am seriously so freaking proud of you and all you are doing! I hope this week has been a good week and that you have been able to see your own lily moments throughout the days.

I love you for forever and for always. To the moon and back,
Mom