30 Oct 2007

Oct 30, 2007

Dear Elder Sean,
Happy Halloween eve. I flew home this morning from Houston and am glad to be back home. I need the rest. It was a lot of work as usual at the quilt market. Jan had a harder time physically so I really needed to be there for her and she was even in a wheel chair most of the time, so I was the official chair pusher too. The market is so huge. It's hard to even put into words what a large space it takes place in. The convention center was an amazing place for it and enormous. We stayed at a luxurious hotel where they waited on us hand and foot. If we had to go anywhere, they took us in this little black London Taxi car. Very classy. I would definitely stay there again. My driver this morning that took me to the airport was originally from El Salvador. He came here a few years ago and learned English, then started a chauffuer business and has a small fleet of 4 cars right now. It was fun talking with him and I told him all about you being in Argentina. He said he always hears how beautiful ARgentina is. He asked about what a mission is and he remembers seeing missionaries in his own country. I told him if they ever come to his door that he should let them in and remember what we talked about. He told me that last week he drove Ricky Martin around. He was in town for a concert.

Jan made a lot of good contacts at this market and I think she's going to start taking her apron line in a new direction pretty soon. The big pattern companies McCall and Vogue want her to be a licensed pattern maker and make patterns for them. Also the owner of Alexander Henry fabrics want her to collaborate with him on designing a line of aprons to sell in the store Anthropology, which is a really fun, popular store. It will be fun to see where all of this takes her. I'm really pushing her to set up a website though. I think it's imperative at this point and I may even have to take a crash course to learn how to do it so I can help out.

I also picked up a couple little things from Houston that I'll slip into your next pkg.

How are you feeling this week? We got your hand written letter and I enjoyed reading the more intimate details of what you're doing. Kirk said he has never heard of some of the foods you were mentioning that you really like, must be native to your area. What are kioscos? I love hearing anything about the culture, the people, etc. Over the next years I will develop an allegiance to Argentina just because you are there. It's amazing how that happened with Kirk being in the DR. I have a love for a group of people I don't even know. But now even more after having visited the DR. Today the DR was in the news because of a tropical storm/hurricane hitting the country. So much flooding and rains and mudslides and I can picture now the streets and the people and care deeply for them and their well being. As you write about different people and situations there, I am starting to have those same feelings for Argentina and I love it.

The ward here is doing well. I missed the primary program last Sunday which I was sick about. The girls told me their parts over the phone each time I called. I also went to their practice last Sunday so I could see them. Kristina wasn't in it this year since she's in YW now and I think she missed it. Mary Jane Ramsey had to have her appendix taken out suddenly a couple days ago so dad has been dropping in on her. He said she's still pretty sick and dad's not happy that the doctors let her go home so soon.

Tonight dad went to Thomas Gulbrandsen's setting apart. He's entering the MTC tomorrow. It will be interesting to hear some reports about his mission to SLC south. We'll have to tell grandma and grandpa Thompson to look out for him.

When dad came home tonight, he tells me that Pres. Stafford wants to talk with me. So I get nervous trying to think about what calling it might be, then dad says it's not a calling. It took me about 20 seconds before I realized he was going to ask me to speak in Stake Conference. Now I'm really nervous. I'd much rather serve the Lord through callings and helping people in their homes, with their families the rest of my life, etc than have to speak. I don't know what the subject is yet or why he wants me to speak, so not knowing is even worse. I'll keep you posted on that.

Alex is busy as ever. It sometimes seems he's with friends much more than with us any more and that makes me a little sad, but I take solace in knowing that he has such great friends. They are so supportive of each other,much like yours are. Alex took the ACT over the weekend. He said the science part was really hard, things he hadn't learned yet. So we'll see how that goes. Kirk goes to work each day now, so he's home at night with us. He isn't much into dating yet, but there aren't too many girls here right now so I understand. Kristina is sometimes my steadying buoy in a tossing sea. The little girls demand so much of me sometimes that it leaves me with little energy. Kristina is the ying to their yang, so we have a nice balance. Nikki is still the little actress/comedian. You never know what's going to come out of her mouth, but it's usually very intuitive or funny. Ku is a thinker and a pleaser, but she needs a lot of reassuring. The older she gets, the more I can see what a devastating effect it must be on her to be given up at age 4. She simply wants and needs to belong and I desperately want her to feel that.

I am so proud of you Sean and I love telling people I meet what you are doing. You are a wonderful example to me and to our family and many more that you are probably not aware of. Let me know how your knee is doing and what you're doing about it. My prayers are always with you. Next week we will get some pix to you. Do you have any to share yet? We'd love to see anything you have.

I'm sending another email with a short essay by Dr. Beckham, a retired BYU professor. Use it as a little inspiration. I love you very much. Take care and tell Elder Richards hello if he is still with you after this transfer.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxomom