Email from Mom: Saturday, March 5, 2022

To: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Saturday, March 5, 2022
Subject: March?!

Hey hey hey!!! How are you? How has your week been? How did transfers pan out with the trouble companionships? Any changes? Did the whole Instagram issue get addressed? How did it get handled? I have been wondering all week about this and how the pieces all lined out. How are things coming along as an STL? You feeling okay about it and that you can be okay dying as a missionary as an STL? So many thoughts. I can't even begin to process what must go on inside your head and heart on a daily basis.

Things here this week were well, pretty lame. Not much really went on. The weather was lovely (like low 70's lovely) and Brooklyn loved being able to be out and about on the golf cart again. I loved that I could open the screen doors and let the air circulate where it could. My tulips are starting to pop through out front too! Everyone is ready for Spring and Summertime. :) Can you believe it is already MARCH?! Like how did that even happen?

Today is a whole other story when it comes to weather however. :/ I always knew it was too good to last when it is just the 5th of March. It was supposed to rain all night and of course, it didn't. Brooklyn and I were out and about and it tried to sprinkle but hardly. I mean, enough to make a mess of my car but at least I chose not to go through the carwash like I had originally planned. I came home and opened up the screen door again and just went about our day. Tyler and I were meeting his friend Charles and his wife Christie at Fashion Place Mall for dinner and while we were sitting there the skies opened and all I can say is 'wow'. The thunder was roaring, the lightning was lighting up the entire sky like it was 1 in the afternoon, and the hail that was coming down was jumping off the ground so high! The parking lot was covered in hail to look like snow in no time and the nice weather is officially gone yet again. UGH! More snow is due overnight and into the first part of the week but then it is supposed to be high 50's again by the end of the week. Talk about bi-polar weather around here.

Not much going on this week other than getting ready to go to Mexico. I am still apprehensive on this trip but mostly because, well, Mexico. But there is not much time to worry and stress because Thursday will be here before I know it. Also, get this...on the 18th of March the Federal Mask Mandate expires. This is the one that requires masks in airports and on airplanes, etc. Well, it doesn't appear that the Federal Government is going to extend it so we may just FINALLY have relief from masks when traveling! It is 3 days after we get back from Cabo so that is a little annoying but still...that could mean our April trip to Kauai could be without masks! Oh how I am crossing my fingers. Can you imagine not having to wear a mask when you come home?!

I talked with Julie this week. She called while I was out running some errands. She said that her and Chad had a pool bid in their yard and she is worried about just how much it is going to come back at. She asked if she should expect a 6 digit number and I told her absolutely. She was shocked. Said she was hoping to get it done for like $70,000. Chad wants a deep end so I told her good luck. She talked about how the whole family hasn't gotten together for a long while and she is looking forward to this weekend with the babies blessings. Then she talked about how if all works out with you and Brittan how she is worried that there won't be a place for her in your life because you and I have a good relationship. I interrupted and stopped her and basically told her that I am sure there is a spot but that if she is looking to take a spot that a Mom already exists in life, I wanted her to know that I wouldn't be okay with that and I know that you wouldn't be as well. I don't think that is quite what she was hoping to hear but I needed to remind her that you already have a Mom and that you don't need another one. (In that sense anyways). I sure hope that if all works out that you make sure to set your precedence and grounds right from the beginning with her. She was saying that Brooks' wife doesn't seem to really care about always being around and that she misses Brooks. I guess they come to dinner like maybe once a month. I told Julie I thought it was good. They need to create and form their own family and make that foundation solid. She says she agrees but in the next breath tells me that Sierra's Mom (I don't know if that is how you spell it) called Julie and basically told her that Julie needs to stop pushing and trying so hard to have the relationship with Sierra that she is trying to have. Sierra is independant and wants to have a unit with her and Brooks, yada yada yada. It was almost a 2 hour phone call by the time it was all done and I just wasn't sure how to feel in the end about any of it.

I have been working on some new cookie flavors. I found a recipe for an Irish Creme flavored cookie that I dyed green and made some St Patricks Day cookies with. Tyler said he really likes that one and that it is second to the red hot ones. I also have a lemon recipe that I want to try out and think I might give it a go when we get back from Mexico. We are having a luau themed Relief Society activity at the end of the month so maybe I will see what I can pluck out for that. We will see. The cookies take a long time, the mess they make in the kitchen is irritating, and quite frankly I know (because he voices it regularly) that Tyler hates that I spend the time on them. Plus...I always have so many cookies in the end and I don't know what to do with them all!

That is my week in a quick nutshell. How about that huh? :) I always look at the end of the emails and think "wow...lame". Maybe I need to find something more to add to my day to day so that when I fill you in on what is going on here it is actually exciting. We will see. I hope this week has been good and that you are finding a new rhythm in your new responsibilities as an STL. I hope you are able to see the tender mercies/lily moments that the Lord has carved out on your behalf each day as well. I pray you are happy and that you can feel and see the good that you are doing as you devote your time and all of who you are to this mission of yours. You are doing such amazing things and I love being able to watch as they all unfold. I miss you and I love you more than you know. Have the best Sunday!

I love you to the moon and back,

Mom