Although I write to one of the grands each week, I keep forgetting to post these. Because I've been traveling and not in a permanent place the last couple weeks, I'm a bit off kilter as far as posting goes. I hope I get back into the swing of things soon. Life is good but a bit crazy right now.

Hi!

I loved seeing you at the pizza place. You are growing up to be a beautiful young lady. We are praying especially for you as our grandchild-of-the-week. Right now our biggest prayer for you is a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Both of us love what trying to live the gospel has done to help us be better people. We love the peace and hope and joy that come with knowing that families can be together forever in the presence of Heavenly Father. It is so important to gain a testimony of these things for yourself. Personal, daily prayer and scripture study are vital in this quest. But...and this is a big but...God doesn't expect you to be perfect all at once. Line upon line we learn to be kinder, gentler, and more faithful, repenting when we mess up. We pray that you will be happy, healthy, safe, secure, and scholarly.  We pray that you will discover your talents, allowing you to focus you energy on positive activities. Active, engaged children rarely grow into self-absorbed or apathetic adults. Life is too interesting to waste it in rebellion or boredom.

Before our place was ready for us, we stayed at a small cottage overlooking the ocean. It was so beautiful and bright. Watching the ferries go back and forth, watercolor sketching the scenery, and smiling at the sea gulls antics, I didn't have time to get bored. Really, I never do get bored, because there are so many things to do and learn in this life. I wish we could have stayed there the whole tax season, but the tiny house by the river is equally as quaint if not quite so bright. Here, I will get to walk along the river and explore the antique shops in this town, since everything is within walking distance. It will be lots of fun.

Plus, I've always loved tiny houses. When I was 9 or 10, my friend's married cousin moved into her home with his wife and children. Soon she found herself sleeping in the living room with the other children. Her dad and cousin built a tiny house in the backyard, where she, niece, and her cousin's daughter lived for a year and a half. It was darling with its fluffy pillows and tiny table and chairs. We used to pretend we were living in our own house like Anne Shirley in Anne of the Island. Since then I've always loved small cottages. Now I get to try out tiny house or cottage living. Too Fun!!

So I sort of hurt myself a few weeks ago and my silly back wouldn't stop hurting. I got a blessing and began praying to find a solution. Soon, I saw this sort of flow-y, ballet-like, tai chi-ish exercise class on PBS called classic stretch and felt it was the answer to my prayer. I tried the exercises, which really did stop my pain. Yes, Heavenly Father answered this prayer, like He always answers my prayers. It's so much fun and so energizing, I do it twice a day. Do you like to do any movement? When I was your age, jumping rope was fun. My teacher read The Secret Garden, where Mary learns to jump rope and gets stronger. I was never coordinated enough to jump with the girls at recess, but I enjoyed jumping while running around the playground. Do you like jumping rope? Have you read The Secret Garden? Likely, it's a bit difficult for you quite yet, but maybe not.

I wish we had had more time to visit, when I saw you at the pizza place. I would have asked all about your favorite things. Do you like school? I'm glad to hear you are reading like crazy, but I wish I had asked what sorts of books you like. Anyway, I loved watching all y'all enjoy yourselves.

By the way, when I saw you, I noticed that you have a lovely smile. Plus, you were very kind and friendly to Sammy. Please, don't loose your easy, happy smile and friendly ways. Your smile can light up a room and cheer people. Your friendliness helps people feel accepted and loved. Not everyone can smile and be friendly like you. What a wonderful gift God has given you!

Well, we love you very much and want you to always remember this. When you have hard times, it is important to remember all the people that love you. It can give you so much strength. Choose to be a happy girl. Always strive to be good, but don't be too hard on yourself. Remember, only one perfect person has ever lived on this earth. Try to be like Him, of course, but realize you still have a lot to learn. You will make plenty of mistakes, just learn from them and move on. Be kind. Be grateful, Be prayerful, Be loyal. Be smart. Be clean. Be humble. Be loving.

Love Ya Lots!
Papa and Grammy