Email from Mom: Saturday, October 2, 2021

To: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021
Subject: Where to start?

Okay...I am fearful this could be a long week so I will do my best to contain myself and all my thoughts. :)

How are you? I saw some pictures of your District Conference on the Facebook and will get them uploaded to your drive when I am done. It looks like it went well and I especially love the one that is just you with two McDonalds burgers and what looks like a pizza box? I hope that means they are taking good care of you. How is Brazil? Are you feeling a little more like you are caught up on your sleep? Are you feeling at 100% yet? I don't think you will be able to sell to me no matter how hard you try that there are any issues with the language. I saw your Facebook post and I bawled the whole time I watched it. And the other times after that. I even sent it to Tyler while he is hunting in Wyoming so he could see how amazing you are! What's it like street contacting and having that as an option? Have you had meals inside members homes or??? I can't wait to learn what I can from you and where you are for your new normal each day.

Things here have been pretty uneventful. I had a lip plump Monday afternoon with Shannon. Tyler joined me so you know that was a good time. I finally just closed my eyes. He was SO chatty! Like his mouth did not stop the entire time we were there! It was hilarious. B had an ortho on Wednesday. The girl is so ready to have the braces gone. She got them at the tail end of 5th grade!!! She has been in them FOREVER! Hoping at our next appt we can find a day to get them gone. Fingers crossed. :)

Tyler was supposed to leave to go to Wyoming on Wednesday morning with Banning but as he was just about to pull up to get Banning he got a call that apparently Banning was on mandatory OT at the station. Needless to say, Tyler was pretty upset. So...Thursday morning Banning arrived to get Tyler and they headed up. When they got to Wyoming though Banning failed to call the guy who rents the horses so there were no horses available. :/ Again...more than ticked Tyler...so, Tyler calls the horse guy and arranges a horse pickup at 8pm. One more full day of no hunting, scouting, setting up camp, etc. Since they had to wait to get horses until late they sure couldn't hike in the dark so they rented a hotel room and decided to head up on Friday morning. Here's where the frustration turns into funny...you ready? While getting dinner and settled in the hotel Banning gets a call from Jaime. Cowboy has bitten another kid (that makes 5 now) and the parents are furious. They are calling Herriman City and reporting it and by the way going to make sure they know the names of the other 4 kids he has bitten. Herriman City arrives and they give Jaime the option to have the dog put down immediately for $250 or let the City quarantine it for 10 days and then she has to pay a boarding fee plus the fee to put him down that the County charges of $65. Well true to Jaime...she is sure she can find it cheaper to put him down so she is having Cowboy boarded and will take care of the putting him down in 10 days! They never should have gotten the dog to begin with. Well today when I talked with Tyler it seems that Jaime and Banning were served legal papers from this new parent who is suing them for medical costs and emotional issues that their child is having because now this kid won't go outside for fear of any dog. Wowza!!! Tyler made Banning feel like a total loser with the OT and then not calling about horses so instead of coming home tonight they won't be home now until Monday. I guess Banning will just have to call in sick? I am not going to worry about it. I am staying out of all of it.

I joined a Pilates gym over at the District and went to my first class on Thursday. It was actually really good and I am excited to see what will happen moving forward. Pilates is such low impact that I think it will be good. Teesa Riley showed up on the porch on Thursday in tears. She hates her Mom, hates going to church, hates the pressure her parents put on her, etc. I feel horrible for her. She is working through a ton and I promised her that I would always have my door open for her...well, last night at 10pm I got a call from Amy (on speaker so Fred could hear too). I heard the parent side and she finally asked if Teesa came over this week. I told her she did but that there wasn't really a red flag anywhere so I didn't feel like I needed to reach out. I hoped she was good with that and that I was just trying to be there as a friend for Teesa and she seemed good. We were on the phone until just after midnight though! SO LATE!!!

I got a yummy smelling handout made for the RS sisters for Conference and hand delivered each of them, took B to the Fizz to get her new favorite drink (frozen hot chocolate), and then her and Cutler hung out all night Friday while I assembled Relief Society Birthday gifts for 2022. 120 of those suckers...but I am glad they are done and I am happy with how they turned out. I also talked via text with Kevin a little this week. They have not released him as of yet and are trying to see if he will be willing to do a service mission instead. He isn't sure but I guess time will tell what he chooses to do.

Now...Conference was amazing but I have the same question for you that I did Christian. How does it work with the time zone difference? It's 10am here which means it is 1pm there which means the 6pm session starts at 9pm there for you. Do you stay up? How are you watching/listening? Do you go to the church? To a members home? I am so confused on all of it! :)

I loved all the talks but my most favorite was Elder Rasband and the 'things' that he brought up. I haven't ever been bothered by that word like he says it bothers him but then for him to say that the word is used 2,354 times is awesome. I love that he made me wonder what things in my life are of heavy importance and more importantly, what things are on my soul? Did you have a favorite talk?

Also....I know you said you were working on a goal to read the Book of Mormon by your birthday and I decided to take the challenge myself. I have so loved these last couple of weeks. I don't know why things are coming together the way they are this time or why I am getting different things out of it like never before but I wanted to tell you thank you for the nudge. You are an amazing example and You continue to want me to be better for you. Thanks for all you are and for being YOU. I am so dang proud of you and I love you. I miss you and am thrilled to know that the people of Brazil finally have you there among them. I love you for forever. To the moon and back.

Mom

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