Hi Ty!
We hope you are happy today! Can you believe it? You will be eight in only six weeks. By the time this card reaches you, it will probably be about five weeks. That means you will soon be baptized. That will be a very special day; are you excited to be baptized, take on the name of Jesus Christ, and always remember Him? I'll never forget my baptism day. Because I am a convert, I wasn't eight but thirteen. Even so, it was the most special day of my life.
Amazon won't let me send the little notes with the books and things anymore without jumping through some hoops, therefore I'll write about them here. Right now I'm reading a wonderful book to Sammy and Quinn called A Nest for Celeste. We thought you might like it as much as we do. We especially love the detailed pencil drawings. Sammy thought you might like the puzzle book, too. I have to cut down on the amount of things I send for awhile. Wah!
It was really hot here but is cooling off now. I lost some of my new plants because of the heat. That's ok, because I don't want any plants that need babying. Because I have tons of basil, I made up a new dinner: World Peace Pasta. It is a vegan version of pesto made with peas instead of oil and cheese. Everyone thinks it's delicious even picky eater Quinn. Maybe you would like it too. I call it World Peace Pasta, because it's made with whirled or blended peas. Funny, right?
Tonight I was reading a scriptures and came across an interesting verse. Of course I've heard it before, but tonight it seemed to speak to me. "If ye love me, keep my commandments," John 14:15. So it seems we are on earth to prove we love Jesus, because this earthly probation is a test to see if we will keep the commandments (and repent when we mess up.) I don't want the adversary to have power over my, which is caused by rebellion. I guess I'm trying to say, keeping the commandments is hard but worth it...especially if I imagine eternity of a very miserable being having power over me. I've experienced some miserable days in my life, which I now try to avoid. I really don't want a whole eternity of misery. No thanks. So...doing the hard thing now, loving Jesus/keeping the commandments, steers me in the direction of eternal joy and peace. Hmmmmm...misery vs. joy and peace...it's no contest; is it?
I was riding my bike every morning, but now it is only cool enough to ride before 7. So, biking is on the back burner for a couple weeks. I miss it, but I can't control when others get out of bed. Riding alone is sort of scary for me. That means, waah, no riding for a bit.
Our little new dog, Dash, is finally eating. She missed her old doggy family and stopped eating. She started out at 4.5 lbs and lost weight to 4 lbs. It's sort of worrisome, but she's starting to feel at home with us. Even in the high heat, I walk her 3 or 4 times a day. AND when I can convince others to go with me, she rides in a basket on the front of the bike. It is so funny to watch. As the wind blows in her face, she smiles and smiles. She's awfully nice to have around,because I don't feel so lonely.
Are you still doing karate? Quinn's sensei left, so he is looking for a new dojo or maybe new activity. I'll never forget how much I loved karate all those years ago. It's too bad that I didn't stick with it. Then I wouldn't be afraid to go on bike trail rides by myself.
I'm volunteering at a local preschool, where I teach little children to read. I've taught many children to read during the last 30ish years and find it fascinating. Some catch on quickly. Some take a long time. No matter how long it takes, I've never run into a child that could not learn the skill. I've also learned quick acquisition of reading skills isn't a sign of intelligence. But, good readers eventually move ahead of their school friends in all areas. If you can read it, you can learn it. So, if you are still working at learning to read, don't worry. You'll get it eventually. If you are a quick reader, seize the opportunity to learn new things by reading as many library books as you can. Either way, get and improve the skill of reading at your own pace without dawdling.
I'm writing this from my bed. Across the room, Papa hung a picture we had on our wall on our mission, Christ in America by John Scott . It's a favorite of mine and appears on the front of this letter. I hope you like it as much as we do. Someday you should go see the original, which I believe is hanging in the Conference Center. I saw the original when I was there in April. It's huge and the detail is amazing.
Well, Ty. We think you're wonderful. Please, oh, please, remember to use your free agency and choose the right. Your life will be much happier for it, and eternity will be nothing short of amazing.
