Sunday, July 6, 2014

oh wow look at all those pictures!!  Sheesh make me CRY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING LIBRARY!!!!
But you guys all look so good and mom you are not even fat.  And Drew and Mason both look like they got hipster haircuts. WOW.  Haden looks like he's taller than dad and mason now hahah FINALLY!
Sounds like you guys had a blast this weekend.  How great.  Fun times in good ol STG and cole swaggin on the soccer field... what a dream.
SO FUNNY YOU RAN INTO LAKYN AND WIL AT THEIR WEDDING MOM HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  Jordyn freaking went to the wedding and all my friends emailed me about how weird it was.  Also mason brought amber home?!  I know amber.  Is he in love with her?  Because he always said he thought she was pretty cute.  WOW mason you can't get married until next july.
Glad to hear the blessed 65th anniversary party went smoothly.  And gramps got grandma a ring.  Classic.  
WELL in case you were wondering about me.
I will tell you this week was mos def somethin else.
I mean I knew it was coming haha I have had 2 peaches of companions to begin with.  So my new comp is Sister Stilson- she was in my MTC district.
I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER saying to myself "oh boy.... if ever am comps with her...."  If i could compare her to anyone it would be Stephanie Snow.  Mom, you know what i mean!!!!
Low and behold.  I totally saw it coming.
So this week has been very different than the other weeks of my mission.
Really...difficult.
She's been with a companion for the past three transfers who was sick apparently so they slept..... a lot a lot a lot of their time away.
I don't know how to handle this at alllllll.
You know I really am trying to be loving and charitable.  I mean... I just need to let go of all the things that annoyed me in the MTC and just love and be christ-like BUT SOMETIMES there are just those people who rub ya not so right.  Like your personalities just don't click.  This is one of those times.
Ya feel me?
But she will get up and run with me and she has really sweet music on her ipod and she's good in lessons.  So there's some positives for all my negative nancy.  
BLAH I can't even do missionary work either.  I have literally hit rock bottom.  I just feel like I can't doooo ittt.  I try and try and NO ONE progresses and I mean it's because I am just not really cut out for this DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?
I just haven't caught that drift that pretty much every other missionary has caught where they are just rockstar teachers and studiers and explainers and spirit bringers and all their investigators progress and the problem is, I DON'T FREAKING KNOW HOW TO CATCH THAT DRIFT!!!
I must have left the pills at home that the first presidency sends out with your call letter that help you be the best missionary ever.
Needless to say my week was just blehg.  If i could throw-up all over my week i would.
I'm sorry that i'm bumming so hard in this letter but i really don't know what to say.
heh you shouldn't put this letter on the blog or let anyone read it cause that's embarrassing.
Anyway.
We had a really good week visiting less actives though.  We got in with a lot of families that i've been trying to get with for a while.  And some of them even came to church so that was just sweet.  We also found some more new investigators so that was such a blessing.  And I'm driving full time now so watch out.
We taught sharing time in primary yesterday and that was really fun.  This past week i've been able to realize how much I love the ward i'm serving in and i'm so grateful for these people who i really have grown to love.
I have been thinking a lot lately about losing yourself in the work and how that really is the thing i need to do BUT I feel like I have been trying to do that for the past 5 months and I really don't know how.  
But on a good note, I started reading Jesus the Christ hahhahaha I cannot understand a word of that book i think it's written in a different language.
Also along the lines of studies- i read this ensign article the other day that talks about the differences of reading, studying, pondering, and feasting.  Feasting upon the scriptures is what brings the fullness of what the scriptures have to offer.  I often feel like i merely read/ponder when in reality i need to be focusing so much more.  Not worrying about how much i read but how much i get out of what i read.
WELP, this is where the line ends.  I will love my comp if mason sends me an email.  
done deal.
i love you guys a lot.  I also love the lord.  Maybe i'll be a better freakin missionary by next weeks email.  HAHAHA SERIOUSLY


HI MOM.
Wellllll how was the week.  I am depressed that freaking Sister Pew is up and leaving me.  How rude of her.  Isn't it funny how I didn't even know her a couple months ago and now she is like my best pal.  Funny stuff.. companionships bring ya pretty close.
So yes I get a new little companion tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.  Hopefully she's not psycho.  We had this meeting on Wednesday where all the sisters in the mission get together and we go through a bunch of training's and it's pretty fun... I am becoming not so new so I actually have friends and know people when we go to meetings so that is pretty sweet.  I got to see Sister Ketchum (my MTC comp) and that was just a delight.
Also big news: today I drove for the first time since I have left on my mission.  Sister Pew called some dude and I got permission to drive so I definitely feel like a freaking BOSS.
MOM AHHHH I can't believe you saw The Fault In Our Stars hgdkla;hg;abva;bioh this laurel that always goes out with us saw it and she told me about it blahhhh I am so JEALOUS.  You have to buy it when it comes out so I can watch it when I come home in five thousand years.
Well my week was a little bit of a whirlwind I just feel like it was some kind of weird dream.  On Tuesday we drove to Buckingham which is like an hour and a half away to do a blitz to help the elders in our zone find new investigators.  That was sweet because literally every house sister pew and I knocked on let us chat with them for a while about the gospel.  THAT does not ever really happen here in Virginia.  So that was really just a treat.  One of the single elderly missionaries drove us up in a member's mini van.  It was hilarious.  
Anyway the rest of the week was weird because on Saturday we found out Sister Pew was leaving so it's just been a whirlwind of her crying and other people crying and saying goodbye and me just being an awkward soul standing there and saying I'm still staying.  
That's my life.
We also have like fifty dinners tonight because everyone wanted to have us over to say goodbye to sister pew.  That means I will be gaining 20 pounds.  ouch.
I am going to the zoo today with our whole zone so that will just be a TREAT.  
hmmmm i don't have any super swaggy stories like last week.  I mean we see miracle everyday but ya know. 
Have a fun times in St. George this week!  It'll be a fun week for you guys with the big party coming up and stuff.  Tell gramps and grams that I love them so much and I can't believe they've been married 65 years!  THAT IS CRAZY.  they are my inspiration.  Give Grandma Della and Grandpa Ross big hugs for me.  I miss them.
I don't really have much else to say... I am going to teach teach teach this week!  Me and the new gurl will light it uppp.
I have been reading the book of mormon lately (duh), and I am in the middle of alma.  Which is dope because it's the fastest i've ever read the book of mormon ever and I am getting so much out of it.  Holy FREAK i love the book of mormon so much.  I can really relate to Alma and Ammon stories and they are just studs.  I wanna be a missionary like they were.  I really am trying but sometimes I feel soooo in over my head when it comes to this.  I really don't know what I'm doing but one thing I do know is that Heavenly Father has got this under control and so long as i do everything in my power- he's gonna make up the difference.  I think that's my new motto- Heavenly Father truly makes up the difference. 
I have grown to love so much baring my testimony.  It's crazy cause when I was younger i thought baring my testimony was the biggest deal.  Now i like bare my testimony to dogs it's such a common thing.  It's so cool.  So cool.

I love you people.  have a wonderful week!
Hello hello peeps!  
So sounds like Haden had a great day turning six-freakin-teen years old!  Still can't wrap my brain around that but WHATEV.  
So I got to thinking this week and I am PISSED that I can't go to G&G VO's anniversary party cause it's not all too often the freakin VO clan all gets together!  All I have to say about that is that I will write a speech that you can read so I can be there in spirit and word.  hehe kinda like the savior JUST KIDDING that was too far.
Soo school is done for the 2 hooligans.  What a blessed day.  I bet cole and mom are just having the greatest bonding time ever.  How special.  I bet you do a lot of walking to the park and to the good pizza place where cole can get his favorite garlic bread.  WOWWW sounds like a treat.
AND DOUBLE WOW that dad pulled through and got the Lionel Richie tix.  DANG i bet that was sweeeet and I can just see it now mom loosing her mind as he sings dancing on the ceiling.  That is so cool you got to see him!
Haven't heard from Mason since I left on my mission, I was wondering if he was still alive?  Or if they cut out his brain in one of his labs.  I mean we really would never know if mason died or something, he doesn't talk to anyone enough.  Except Kevin.  Maybe Kevin would inform you.  Maybe he ran off and eloped with my MTC teacher sister paravato.  She totally had the hots for him.
My friends are all moving on with their lives without me, Bailee is FREAKING ENGAGED to chase and I am weirded out.  My friends are getting MARRIED. ew.
ANOTHER SOMETHING I NEED TO BRING UP is that DAD is turning 49 this week WOW you guys are getting OLD.  Something else i was thinking about is that i will not be home when mom and dad turn 50!  HALF A CENTURY. how does that feel huh?  hahaha well dad i hope you have a gReAt birthday.  You can take the family out to dinner on you and maybe they'll even buy you some video games for Haden and Cole to play.  JUST KIDDING really have a great birthday dad.  I love you.  And a happy father's day!  Dang just killing two birds with one stone this week!  You guys will be partying like rock starz all week long!
So none of my friends wrote me this week so this email will be long cause I have a lot of time.  Take a deep breath everyone.
My week was REDONK so good.
We hit our all-time high of member present lessons this week so i'm just feelin like a freakin BOSS.  haha but more importantly we had some serious spirit packed lessons and they were just blessed experiences.
Okay so on thursday sister pew and I went on exchanges with the sister training leaders again and this time i stayed in Manchester.  So we go back to our second appointment with this guy who is a pastor from the church of christ.  IDK if i've told you about him.  But our first lesson with him and his wife went really well, he was very respectful and actually quite open.  So we set up a second appointment that happened on thursday after we exchanged so it was me and the STL and our laurel, and HE WAS JUST A (censored) rude dude.  He kept telling us that we don't worship the same god that is in the old and new testament because the book of mormon is so not in conjunction with the bible, so we worship some weird god who doesn't exist blah blah blah!!!  Oh now it makes me heated but at the time i was very calm and we just did the only thing we can do which is testify of the book of mormon and other truths we know.  The craziest thing was he went OFF about how eternal marriage is not real and he looks right at his wife and goes something like, "honey, i love you so much and i would love nothing more than to be with you forever, but that will never happen!  That is not how it goes!"  OH MY GOSH I almost fell out of my chair I felt so bad for his wife!!!!!!!!!  If my husband looked right at me and said that I would just DIE!  He said our doctrines were "nice to hear" but so wrong!  OH WOW it was just something else let me tell you.  What was cool was after we left I just felt so much peace because I know what I know.  And i'm sad for him that he is so closed off to the truth.  Someday pastor danny, someday.
One more COOL story.  So fast forward to Friday.  Me and the STL plan a lesson with Marcellius and ALL FREAKING DAY i am calling the entire ward (which is my worst nightmare.  I hate with a capital HATE talking on the phone with people and I just could crawl into a hole and die all the time because half my job is harrassing people via telephone call) to see if someone could please let us come over for the lesson and FINALLY somebody says yes.  So sister pew gets back at 5 and we met this lady who needed help with her yard so we go over there for an hour or so then we get back to the appt at like 6:20 and wolf down some cereal and change and we rush over to the member's house and I was just a basket case because we didn't even have time to go over the lesson together.  Like the only thing sister pew knew was that the lesson was on the priesthood.  SO I WAS A DISASTER.  Before we left i just said a quick prayer and told heavenly father that we weren't as prepared as we should be, but I asked him to please make up the difference.
*SPOILER ALERT* he did.
The lesson was REDONK ya know when the spirit is so strong you literally feel like you're choking?  That's exactly how it was.  The member's were just throwing down and it was just SO COOL and if that wasn't enough, the guy gives Marcellius the dopest priesthood blessing i've ever heard and OH MY GOSH it was like the coolest night of my mission.
We also had zone conference this week.  Dad i was wondering something.  have your missionaries ever read these things called case studies?  One is about working with members and one is about homework assignments.  Our mission pres gave them to us.  I was wondering if they had them, because they really are so helpful.  If they don't, i can make some copies and send them to you.  They inspire me, so maybe it'd inspire them.
I just had a great week guys ahhhh!  I am actually adjusting to being a missionary finally.  I feel like i finally kinda know what I'm doing.  AND IT IS JUST THE GREATEST FEELING to not feel sooooo weird all the time.
I also had to give the prayer in sacrament meeting yesterday and almost shat myself.  But i did it and survived.  Praise the lord.
Okay well i think that's all.  I don't really know what else to say.  I am alive and breathing most of the time.  Have a great week everyone!


mom are you the master of picture sending or WHAT?  WOW am I impressed.   
So to answer your questions YES I FEEL THE HUMIDITY and YES I sweat so much it is absolutely repulsive.  I haven't felt the brunt of it yet, we have really bad days where it's super humid and 95 degrees but then it'll cool off.  I don't know what I am going to do when It's like that errrrrrryday.  I will just die.  Literally.  Tracting and the heat don't really get along right now but I'll just have to start feeling the love for that stuff.
And Dad yes the bugs are starting to eat me alive.  It's because I have sweet blood from all the dunkin donuts i eat.  the other day we had a horse fly inside our appt and I took on the role of murdering the freaking thing.  We don't have a fly swatter so i put my boots on my hands and just went ape.  It was great.
Yeah I had to LOL in that pic the lady in my ward sent you cause she totally caught me biting my finger hair and I just knew I would not hear the end of it for that one.
That is SWEEEEET that you got to take the boat out.  I am way jealous.  Did dirt marry that girl he kept breaking up with?  That's crazy that dirt and chris are gonna be married men.  Mason needs to pick it up.  He's way cuter than them.
Well my world turned upside down this week when I realized HADEN is turning SIXTEEN years old.  I feel like I'm still 16.  It is just altering my universe.  ANYWAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HADE!  Kiss a girl that night cause now you're home free to do all that crap.  
G&G VO will have been married 65 freaking years?!  WHAT that is so long.  And they are just still little cuties in love.  That'll be a grand old fam damily reunion!  Good ol madea style.
Dang it was like a high school reunion for you guys in stg this weekend!  Isn't that nuts about Hannah!  Oh my gosh I'm so pumped she's going now I won't be the lone wolf out of all my friends.  she has forever and a day to wait though, she said she doesn't leave till the end of october.  
Okay so now I can tell you about my week which won't take very long it's a little mundane in my neck of the woods.  We tracted lots this week and got to teach to a couple new people.  We also had a lesson with one of our investigators, Marcellius, at this old couple in our ward's house.  It was funny. We were talking to Marcellius about what Jesus Christ expects of him and we read 2 Nephi 9.  Out of nowhere brother mccourt goes OFF for about 5 minutes about garments and temple ordinances and the markings on our G's and I was like WOAH dawg back up the truck!  Marcellius was just staring at him like... what?  Oh my gosh me sister pew shared a great laugh about that one.  But the lesson really did go well, I just thought that was so funny.
I know I haven't seen a lot of people with progression on my mish so far and I hope you guys know that while that does make me sad, I do know the Lord is behind our work and that people are going to start progressing.  I have ZERO doubt and know of a surety that if I work as hard as i possibly can Heavenly Father really will help us find those who are prepared and people will progress.
We had a baptism in our district this past week so I mean the work really is hastening!  
Dad when it comes to help the ward being finders i'm at a little bit of blank.  It's hard to motivate people to do missionary work.  On of the missionaries in our mission asked Elder Bednar this exact question and he said to stop hounding them, when they're converted, missionary work will come naturally.
All we as missionaries can do is create deeper and more trusting relationships with the members and hopefully they will do their part.  In the mean time us missionaries just work our butts off doing those things we can do.
One of our members invited us to a BBQ yesterday at her house that was after her son's baptism and there were some investigators there!  It was sweet to have an opportunity like that.  Super casual, we just got to know them and talked with them about the baptism and stuff.  It's cool because now we can work with that member on setting up appts and we're no longer just two creepy 20 yr old girls calling her all the time to try and come by.
Have a great week all you, and Haden have the freakin BEST BIRTHDAY EVVVVVER cause 16 is just a great time.  Don't crash the car.  Love you dude.

Love all you guys!
THOSE ARE SOME GREEEAAAT PICTURES.  Me and sister pew has a grand ol time checkin those out.
DAD you look skinny!  I'm serious I saw those pics and it looks like you are like half the human you were in the save the whales picture!
Sounds like you guys had a fun weekend in STG!  That's cool that cole got to play ball with his friends, glad he dominated as usual.
And you even got to hang out with drew and karls.  what a treat.
I'm glad everyone is alive and breathing and living life!  keep on keepin on!

hmmm my week.  Its was just peachy.  We have FIVE new investigators so I am just feeling like mason at a calculator convention.
It's so FUN to teach people I love it so much more than tracting.  so so much more.  But we found all these people by tracting so we'll just have to keep on doin it.  We had a lesson with a pastor from the church of christ which was interesting.  I was really scared but he was actually very nice and respectful and we even have a return appt so who knows!  You can never say never!
I have been mourning all week because Hannah graduated and that means I have been graduated FOR A YEAR.  That is so long.  Lots of stuff has changed since then.  Like the majority of everything.  So weird.

I really am starting to like being here and it's just a great feeling!!  I really feel blessed to even be ON a mission.  I really don't know what else to tell you about.  Things are just chuggin along for me out here and there are so many bugs and I am being eaten alive by them every minute of the day.  It's just great. I just don't see why anyone would ever choose to live here.  The humidity and the bugs definitely turn me running in the other direction. 

I hit rock bottom this week and forced all the girls in my appt to clean out the fridge with me.  YEP that's right ME.  I instigated it.  and I am making a dish days chart too.  Thought you'd be shocked to know that abby the whorder and abby the messiest human alive is the only one in her whole appt who has a meltdown over it's disgustingness so I am the one doing something about it. I don't even know who i am anymore.

okayyyyy well hope everyone has a blessed week and enjoys it and all dat good stuff!  I love all of you!

Send my love to the grandparents, hope beag's have fun in fish lake and with their fifth wheel.... man.  PARADISE.  hahah.
well hello family!
Sounds like things have been fairly normal this past week, I'M SO HAPPY I WAS IN VIRGINIA INSTEAD OF HOME CLEANING OUT THAT BLASTED CONDO.  Sister Pew and I just shared a nice laugh as I recounted to her of all the conodos you bought and made us fix up.  it's a love/hate relationship with those memories.  hmmm well my week was like way COOL.
Cooler than most weeks i've had here... I was able to teach the lessons a lot more this week than usual.  Which is something I really pray for.  I was thinking this morning about how I decided to come on this mission, and through my obedience and diligence Heavenly Father really will bless me and Sister Pew with MANY opportunities throughout our week to share the message that we left home for 18 months to share.  It's almost like I can expect that.... you know, not in a weird way, but I literally can have so much faith that I can expect Heavenly Father to give me opportunities to do what I am here to do.  
I liked that thought.  I can literally see my faith growing being out here.  It's the weirdest thing.  I don't even know how I considered my testimony strong before I came out here.  I feel like even though I've only been here for (almost) 4 months, I have really come to understand the gospel in a way I NEVER have.  I know what the restoration is and why it happened and why we absolutely needed all these truths to be not reformed, but RESTORED.  And I don't know I just feel like I see the gospel in such a different light and people in general in such a different way and when i look at my mission like that, ya know just noticing the ways i'm changing and the person I am and the people i can truly help and love and all that other crap...it just kinda doesn't make it so hard.
ANYWAY ew i just went off on a missionary tangent.  I am becoming THAT missionary.  hahaha NO I WOULD NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN.
Anyway so yeah this week was cool because while we were tracting PEOPLE ACTUALLY LISTENED A COUPLE TIMES so i was just sooooo happy.  We had 3 other lessons that way so I was just a happy camper.  It's funny to listen to what other people have to say when they see me and sister pew at their door.  Very common thing is they just start bashing and I'm like woah dude #1 I don't know jack squat (so I let sister pew do the talking) #2 I just think bashing IS SO DUMB so i prefer to leave the situation as ASAP as possible but sometimes it kinda leads into good stuff (like teaching opportunities) so I'm trying to be better.  I gotta form myself to they these people need to be taught not the way I like to teach.  Ya feel me?  
Anywee.  Things are picking up here.  Like the members are a lot more involved in the work and it is just peachy.  OUR ZONE NEVER GETS BAPTISMS AND I WANNA CHANGE THAT SOSOSOSOSOOSOSOOS BAD.
One of our lessons was with Marcellius and this crazy old lady we get to drive us around.  We taught the gospel of jesus christ and I literally found myself trying to direct the conversation from ouigi boards (i don't know how to spell that.  like wigi boards ya know) back to baptism.  Its was a so hilariously terrible.  But the lesson actually went really well, just a few moments where it started to drift and when I say drift I mean we were on a whole different continent.
Sister Pew and I taught Gospel Principles class yesterday which is such a delightful experience.  I LOVE THAT CLASS i think i might go to it for the rest of my life.  I never even knew it existed until my mission.
Anways....things are great here and I'm just learning to love life.  It's a different kind of love but IT'S ACTUALLY STARTING TO HAPPEN so there's hope.  
Mom that's cool you talked to Brenda!! Is Aria in Bolivia or where ever she's going yet?  I was thinking about her the other day.  Send her all my luv.
love all you people and have a great week.  I will work my * off and you work yours off too and it'll just be fun.

Oh and MOTHER DEAR thanks for sending the creams!  I got em and my face i already looking better.  praise the lord.

Thursday, May 1, 2014


okaayyyyy well hello!
Notice my emailing time is way earlier the past two weeks because me and sister pew don't have any miles left for the rest of the month so we drive with the other sister missionaries we live with everywhere on p-day.  I can't wait until may 1 because that means we have a fresh stash of miles for the month and this month WE WILL DO A LOT BETTER saving miles.  haha
Dang guys looks like i just have a bunch of missionaries at home!  Mom going out with the elders and you guys having investigators over  for dinner.... DANG YOU ARE JUST ROCKSTARZZZZZZZ!!  missionary life is all awkward so just learn to love it.
And DAD look at you you emailed me LAST WEEK for this week!  wow!  What a pleasure it was to get an email from my DAD!  haaha So the big race is this weekend!  Oh boy I'll be sending my prayers that direction!  you will do great!  Good luck and jus kill it!  I know you will just rock the house and probably take first place like you probably will beat paul bracken dad.  wow.
And Drew and Karls finally graduating HALLELUJAH!  How delightful.
So this week i got to go on my first "exchange" with the "sister training leaders" which was actually fun.  I got to go to downtown Richmond to the VCU campus and work with the YSA ward there for a day!  IT WAS SO FUN!!! They just go to VCU and contact people all day and the kids in that ward are just all stars and help the missionaries so much.  And downtown richmond is SO beautiful!  Oh my gosh i was just in love.  So yeah that was just buckets of fun leaving good ol manchester for a day and seeing what other missionary work is like.
This week we also went to a baptism and Marcellius came along!  Haha it was classic he wore this big old silver chain and it was just so funny but so great because the spirit was so strong and i think he really enjoyed it.  he also came to church yesterday so i may break his neck if he doesn't just bite the bullet and get baptized.  
Also this week we were able to meet with Ginger again and we asked her if she would be open to us teaching her more about the gospel and she said YES so yipee!  She also showed us all around her garden and I was just in heaven i can't wait until one day when i have a garden the size of alaska.  
Also this week I almost went into cardiac arrest when that lady called you mom hahah me and sister pew were just in a panic cause she called our moms.  So funny.  Sister Pew's mom almost had a stroke.  We were dying.
So THIS WEEK david A. bednar comes so I am just stoked outta my mind!  He comes saturday morning and we are supposed to get there at 8 but i think sister pew and i might just camp out the night before HA.  it is gonna be PACKED BEYOND BELIEF cause the whole richmond AND chesapeake missions are coming and an apostle coming to a bunch of missionaries is like channing tatum coming to a bunch of high school girls.
And this week we also got to volunteer at the YMCA which was really fun.  I got the worlds worst tan line and so I am just in a depression about that.  But the volunteering was real fun and a change from our normal routine so yeah, it was just peachy.
I have to give a talk in sacrament meeting on mother's day which is just BRUTAL am i right?!  haha But they told me to be sensitive to the ladies in our ward who haven't had the best experiences with mothers or can't be a mother so I'll have to think of an interesting spin.  Transfers are a week from tuesday but i don't think i'll be leaving which is good.  I'd be sad to leave pew and manchester.
Well peeps that's my report.  It was a good week.  Some days really drag cause we just tract my frickin life away but THAT'S JUST LIFE and this is the work of salvation and i can't complain.
have the funnest week!  Good luck to dad and congrats to drew and karls and hope haden kills it in his tourney!  Lovey you kiddos!  I GET TO SKYPE IN 2 WEEKS YAY!
P.S. mom i'm glad eminem made you think of me.  I still sing it here.  and all the missionaries think i'm apostate.  Just miss music so much!  
P.P.S. dear mason, for your late birthday present to me, would you please send me some C.D.'s.  Josh Groban is approved.  And some people listen to Jack Johnson but I don't think that's too appropriate so I won't give into peer pressure.  Send some good stuffs.  NOT JUST MOTAB I WILL KILL YOU.
P.P.P.S.  Dad what did you give a talk on?  Haden said it went good.  Yeah i heard that from HADEN and not YOU.