Hi Tyson!
We hope you are happy, healthy, and enjoying life. We hope
your faith and love of learning are growing.
We went on a trip not too long ago and stayed
in the cutest little cottage ever. Ever since I was a girl of nine, I wanted to
build a tiny cottage. When I was nine, my friend’s older cousin and his two
children moved in with her family. My friend and her other little roomy
evacuated their bedroom so the cousin, his wife, and baby could occupy it. In
the back yard, her father and cousin built a little cottage for the now three
little girls with a tiny table and chairs, cute curtains, two little side
tables, and three beds. Pretending all the while we were Anne Shirley and her
chums, we pretended we were old enough to live on our own. Now that it’s just
Papa and I at home, I want a cozy cottage that’s a bit bigger than my friends
backyard bedroom. Our trip confirmed this desire. So, maybe someday I’ll get to
build a cottage of my own.
In the past, I told you about eagles, hawks, and owls I've seen. Well a couple
days ago, I had a similarly amazing experience. Each morning and evening I walk
my little Yorkie, Dash, about 2 miles. Just before dawn on morning, a great
horned owl swooped and landed on a tree not ten feet in front of us. As we
inched closer, I observed it carefully. Finally, it flew away, when we were
about a yard away. God’s creation awes me. Sure, there have been billions of
people on the earth and I am as a grain of sand on the beach. However, I know
God created all this beauty and variety to bring me joy. Because He loves you,
He did it for you, too.
Dash is the sweetest little dog ever. Of course each time I
get a dog it is the sweetest dog ever. Well, I’ve had a few that didn’t work
out for one reason or another, but usually I like dogs. Even so, I want them
trained for basic obedience. Since June I have kept Dash by my side, so she
would learn exactly what I want from her. She comes when called, potties
outside, walks nicely, submits to grooming, chews only her toys, and rarely
barks. If a dog can’t or won’t learn these things, they can’t stay.
I think that’s the way it is with the atonement and our life
on earth. Heavenly Father teaches us what we should do and gives us time to
learn. In the end, if we won’t humble ourselves and submit to His will, we have
to go to the other place. I sure don’t want that for you or for me. It’s easy
to know what He wants, because we have the scriptures and modern prophets. We
don’t have to guess. We’re told to be kind, read the scriptures, follow the
prophets, pray, forgive, repent, and serve others. Yes, there other little bits
and pieces, but all in all they pretty much fit in those categories. Will we
mess up? Of course we will, but Heavenly Father gave us Jesus atonement for
that. So, we’re set. Just do your best every day. I will, too.
We wonder what you do these days. Are you still a karate
kid? What is your favorite subject in school? Do you enjoy team sports or do
you like legos and reading more? Do you still ride your bike a lot? Don’t
forget to wear your helmet!!!! Brains don’t fix. Whatever you choose to do with
your time, make sure to be a good sport, have fun, and be safe.
I volunteer teach reading and writing at a local school and
love it. Today, I worked with a large, kind of clumsy, but wonderfully
sweet, five-year-old boy. The head teacher said he is ready for four-digit
addition, but can’t write his numbers. I discovered he doesn’t hold a pencil
correctly. Because of this, this bright, little boy fell behind. I’m so glad we
caught this problem early. I’ll work with him every day for a week or so to right the
issue. Because we work with manipulatives until this point, the problem wasn’t
caught earlier. Anyway, helping children excel is quite a rewarding service.
We hope you
enjoy Stuart Little. Uncle Spencer and I read it together, when he was seven or
eight, enjoying it very much. It's kind of different. I think he liked it
because the boy/mouse is different or handicapped. Spencer has some physical
handicaps that are frustrating and painful. As a child, he couldn't do a lot of
the things other children could do like running and walking long distances.
Over time he learned to accept the pain and adapt his life so that he can
function pretty close to normal. Stuart and his family learned to accept his
limitations and adapt the environment similarly. It's important to be accepting
and understanding of others. Many limitations aren't visible. People get upset
when seemingly normal people act odd. Sometimes they are in chronic pain, have
physical limitations, or see the world a bit differently. Patience with all
people is a good thing, because we just don't know if someone is
differently-abled. Of course Stuart's problem is quite obvious.
Do you know
anyone with physical or mental differences that you might choose to treat with
kindness instead of impatience? Perhaps, you get frustrated with your own
shortcomings even though you are practically perfect in every way. Please,
remember, there has only been one perfect person on the earth and look what
they did to Him.
We love you,
Tyson, so do Jesus, Heavenly Father, your parents, and, believe it or not, your
sister. With so many people that love you, you always have someone to turn to
in troubled times. Don't forget this.
