DA PLANE! DA PLANE!

YEP - HE'S FINALLY ON ONE!

GO ELDER HILLARY GO!
(Seriously, he's there! April Fool's isn't until tomorrow!)
(Yo momma loves ya)

Top Ten (or so) Reasons Why Serving In the Tuscon Arizona Spanish Speaking Mission kicks butts over serving in the Chihuahua Mexico Mission

10. There is actually a 7-11 there, so as to be able consume Tiger Blood Slurpee's on Hot Hot Arizona Days.

9.45 Having the Kalipoki symbol tatooed on your arm for fertility to help find chicks when he returns home from his mission.

9.35 Actually getting the opportunity of mailing an actual letter with an actual stamp, inside an actual envelope - or sending both new shoes at the same time - and having him actually receiving the items before they are stolen.

9.25 Understanding the person at the drive through at McDonalds because you have been trained in Spanish.

9. The closest people we know are our multimillionaire cousins (Knight Trucking) that love the missionaries like no other - and Sonya (Sonji) Dahl - who makes a mean sandwich.

8.5 Having a million people tell you that the Tuscon Arizona Mission will change your Missionaries life forever because the people there are second to none.

8.25 Not having that matter because you KNOW it is an amazing place with wonderful members.

8.0 New temple going up in Mission area - completion and dedication during his mission - being able to wave the Hankie once again...

7.25 Christmas in 2010 might be spent flying everyone there to then turn around and fly home with him - without passports or visas, if Jet Blue is still in business.

7. Not wasting the years it took to teach our Macaws to say "Holah" when you walk into the room and not be the next meal.

6.5 100% chance of killer farmer tan, 50% chance of being eaten alive by scorpions.

6.25 Not wasting your first stamp on your passport in Mexico - let's hit France eh?

6. Not having the Missionary plaque printed in our ward yet for a reason - now it won't have to be changed... just made.

5. Being able to pass out my 3 X 5 cards with "BITE ME" on them to anyone that says, "Oh what a bummer to have to get a mission reassignment stateside - because we live in a pathetic shallow world of 'foreign mission freaky moms'. (hum, just this side of 4 weeks ago he was fighting to save his lung...... lets keep in perspective as to why this was necessary) (BTW - someone had to accept THEIR call to the SLC Mission or Elder Hillary's dad would have never joined the church!!) (bite me mom's that think that way)

5.5 Freaking being able to leave the blasted MTC. (Dear Elder.com is over-rated, and Same Day Delivery is too) You could have learned 7 different languages since you arrive there! (Well maybe not Finnish AND Mandarin Chinese)

4. Having the illegal aliens running towards you instead of running away from you.

4.25 Having an actual President in the current country serving in vs the MOB or Drug Cartel in charge. (Even the Don's couldn't protect him - they're held up in Mexico City!)

4.35 For Mike's sake - we have bigger guns on our side... Ashley would add, cuter outfits...

4.50 A new Mission President named Westley Walker - because our family loves to say the word 'Westley' with our self induced lisps.

3. Having horse power instead of burro power. Or pedal power - because no one will steal your bike along with your mail.

3.5 Actually being able to drink the water, and eat the food - road kill special delight.

2. Realizing that we don't have to send the weapon or weapon permit, including bullet proof vest and armor for his head and neck. Because in Chihuahua, heads are rollin'.

1.75 If I get really homesick for him, Thelma and Louise (Elaine and I) can pack up our dill pickle sunflower seeds and head south to the border now that his reassignment is 5 miles closer to home than it was before the reassignment. (location, location, location)(jump da boarder baby)

1.50 Because in a matter of weeks or even days, all of his Chihuahua Zone will be relocated into the states because of the violence in the mission anyway - why not get a head start.

1.25 They actually have Medical Doctors (to fix the other lung when it decides to go) instead of VooDoo Butchers with E-Xacto knives.

and the Number One Reason?

God doesn't make mistakes.

Elder Hillary will fly out on Tuesday Morning and actually get to put his antsy foot on the home turf of his mission (actually his 3rd mission area). Thanks to so many people that made sure that he could still serve with his current medical complications. For the doctors that stood up for him in front of 'people that are not doctors' who said no. For President Dean, for having the courage to fight the system for him. For those that shook the snot out of the one particular idiot that thought he was larger than his calling. And for Elaine - who picked up my heart and dusted it off. I see warm weather and sunny skies for the forecast - and a few tacos, chips and salsa - to go please, and, could I get a large coke with that? Ryan you are our hero - you fought the battle - and you won. Go getter done son. Dream Big.

Top 10, or so, may, no wait, probably will, change over time - so keep posted. Chill out right Eric?!! (yer mom) Any more reasons to rejoice?

EDITS: The great ideas have been coming in on my e-mail.... I guess I'll have to start numbering them going up now:

1. When playing scrabble - you'll get more points from Chihuahua, but in writing the address on a letter it will take less time to write Tuscon, and the possibilities of spelling it correctly will be greater...

2. The temperature is still about 115 but in Chihuahua the wind makes the tumbleweeds hit you at a greater speed.

3. You can actually take your family to visit your mission field 10 years from now and it won't be a new country with a new name.

What a pain in the....

So, the shiny buttons passed by my way and I'm now distracted again. (What a pretty kitty) It's headache day. Alanna has one and since I need to post a new blog because the last one reminded me that I am a dork, I've moved on to happier thoughts. Painkillers. On X96 Radio From Hell, Kerry, Bill and Gina have a segment on drunk callers. I know - you can't post your testimony and then say RFH/Drunk in the next blog but bear with me. Ashley went for a root canal yesterday afternoon and since I knew she would be on Loritab and on it in great doses except for the few (at least 6) she's going to save for me. I called and left her a message first saying, "Lee Lee - leave me a drunk message like X96 on your way home from the dentist" - and if I could just record that call to play on my blog - it would be the post to end all posts. IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD! She could not say any 'p' words at all, she was actually driving (yes, she's almost achieved her Masters Degree, one would think she would know better) to get groceries, she couldn't remember what she was buying, she barely remembered how to get home (but no doubt she had a 'really cute outfit on' l like a...duh - like a...gosh) - yes people, it's bad enough that they've issued my daughter a drivers licence many years ago but I don't think they took into consideration, Loritab. (she kills animals on the road and everything while NOT on Loritab) "Do not drive while taking this perscription" must have skipped her mind. She talked about having a hole in her head and they phylled it wiff thuff. It went on for about 5 minutes - and I could really use some blog savy person to show me how to transfer it from my phone to post here. I would pay good money for that information! (Wait is that your tongue hanging out of the side of your mouth?) She's also a Chemical Engineer at a local Rocket Plant that shall go unnamed - she decided to not mix propellent today.... Live long enough to laugh at your adult children as they start acting exactly like you do. (This has got to be a Star Trek episode somewhere) So Alanna, sorry about the headache of 22 hours, I suggested Coke, (liquid form - please don't mix your lethal drugs), Loritab, a good movie (perhaps a Shakespeare play by the 6th graders?) (really - take the Loritab BEFORE that one), and oh Chinese Food from Chin Wa (MSG kicks). Anyone else have a suggestion? And we're keepin' it clean here folks, I just downloaded my temple pictures.... BTW - The second funniest message(s) can be found on my home message machine - who spawned these children anyway? I've always had, well, a headache! (Thanks for the call Bobby Shew - love you too)

Report Card

Alana posted that she was going from 6th grade to 4th grade - as an educator. (It's more frightening to go from 4th to 6th and have the same kids again later on!) She is amazing in whatever capacity she is in. She continually changes the lives of children by showing them all of the millions of things they can learn if they apply themselves, then she flashes that smile of confidence and they go out and do just that. She is brilliant in everyway and I say to her decision, "Lucky Kids, Lucky Team". Yesterday, I realized that I need to go back to school. To MOM University. Been balancing on the edge of many choices lately and the rocks below are falling out beneath me on the cliff. There has to be classes out there on 'How to keep your nose out of your children's business' courses 101 through 501. 'Getting your heartfelt thoughts across without making them actually cry in Costa Veda' upper level courses with pre-requisites required. And I would need to take multiple courses on, "Surviving the 'wings to fly' because you know that they're going to do just that" acaemic challenges offered in mulitple courses. I had my 12th or so such mid term yesterday out of many more to come and I failed profusely. I'm still trying to find a bookstore that sells the basics in parenting children. I did find however that a course called "Laying Low" was available and I signed up right away. Although I have felt that I have lifted many weights in my weight training courses over the years, I still don't quite know how to lift my heavy heart. Or fix the one I broke.

Wanted

...just a place I can quietly slip into, not have to wear my Halloween costume or Prom dress, be forced to choose between the Jacob/Edward team, enter a contest on how much blood I can donate, stand in line with everyone that thinks they are actually Bella Swan, eat a vampire cookie, and can purchase a non Blue Ray double disc special edition of Twilight on Friday night. Because I had to do all of that when I bought the book. I am concerned for the safety of the first person that says 'bite me' in the check out line. Oh please for heavens sake J.K. Rowling write another Harry Potter book and STOP this madness! See you at midnight...somewhere...

Week of Mornings

My cute blogging friends Erin and Darci challenged each other to post a 'Week of Mornings' where they would post a picture of the first thing they saw everyday for a week. I loved checking in on their blogs and seeing the newest updates. They are young cute moms and have beautiful children. Their pictures were random from cleaning supplies, to pantry pictures of food, to the latest 'a picture of a pile of pom poms that Mason wanted on the blog'. Cute captions and moments to think about. I loved this idea but I had to condense my pictures of my 'Week of Mornings' into this one picture. It's 3:00 am when I get up to go to work - it's dark in my room, it's dark in my kitchen, it's dark in the car, the sky is dark and the walk into work is dark. I always knew I was meant to be a vampire. ENJOY! Hope your 'Week of Mornings' is bright and sunny! Now that you've read this...... you've been tagged. (Sucka!)

Spiritual RX

Been an interesting week of contemplation for me. The cough of death was my constant friend 24/and now 7. Del was also traveling this week so it meant being alone. Alone, sick, and plenty of time to think about things. I'm not really good at being alone. I'm not needy, just always have to have light, and noise. This week was difficult in the fact that on a couple of nights I had to rely on someone that I trust the very most in life - it got that scary for me, being sick and all. I had many conversations with the Lord this week. Realizing how much all that I am is because of him - and feeling his sweet spirit of comfort all around me as the hours ticked on, and the never ending nights of coughing and tears. I thought about how he could have been anywhere - comforting anyone - but he stayed with me. I thought about my son - trying so hard to serve his Master, taking all the blows that he gets with dignity, being grateful to just put on his Missionary name tag each day - and bearing testimony of why he does to those that ask. I thought of the endless hours he was comforted in the hospital, the many prayers offered in his behalf, and of the kind people that helped him - and all the time knowing who had sent them his way. It was a week of 'Standing all Amazed' for me - well lying down actually, but still the same. My mom called - even missing a toe (that will be restored to her in the resurrection I reminded her) she was more concerned about someone else than herself - her Christlike ways are the things that the world needs more of. I certainly find myself noticing it more in people though - being kind, trying to serve one another, being more tolerant of our differences - because we all are different. I have a hard time picking another religions apart, realizing that sacred things to them are just that, sacred. In my neighborhood I have Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Grace Lutherin Church, and Good Shepherd Church - I have never felt anything but great respect and kindness from all of my friends there. Tonight I listened to my Prophet, President Monson in the latest video about our temples in response to the 'Big Love' situation. With great dignity, he brought beautiful Christian opinions together, and without any harsh response talked sweetly about our temples. I love our temples - they are my place of refuge and peace. 3 of my children have been married in our beautiful temples, and Del and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple 25 years ago. Our church just reported that 650,000 people visited our new Draper Temple, opening our doors to anyone so that they could feel of the sweet spirit that's there. After it's dedicated to the Lord, as a 'House of the Lord' , he will walk the halls and when you go there, you know he has. It's comforting to me to know that after all is said and done, that those that mock the Lord, will be delt with, the Lord's way (because he really did have a purpose for creating lightening bolts). We are to keep our spirits strong, and hope that those investigating the church, those that will meet my son, will want to know the truth about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - from a member - instead of that which is not true deplicted in Hollywood. This too shall pass and then the next conflict will come, history has a way of repeating itself, but the church goes on always. We are taught in the Book of Mormon about how the great captains prepared their people for battle by first reminding them of their relationship with Heavenly Father - and about the trust that must first be put in him in all things. When the battles raged, men, women and children stood on the Lord's side time and time again victorious. Many mothers send out their Stripling Warriors, we have sent them out with the same battle plans, and we watch them change the world with love. It's been a long week - I'm looking forward to Sunday where I can take an empty cup to be spiritually filled. To thank my best friend, my Savior for spending the week with me, and to recommitt to him ALL of the sacred covenants I've made willingly to him and keep his spirit with me throughout the week. To thank him for his sacrifices made for me. To humbly, put on my armor - to stand as a witness of him. It's been a week - of just 'what the doctor ordered'. Elder Hillary always writes in his letters to me after a tough week, "Mom, I think I see the sun shining just a little bit". Well my sweet son, I believe it's about to shine brightly.