FIRE!

Good Sunday evening my dear Benjamin,

President McMullen attended our ward today. He sat next to me on the stand. After the meeting he asked about you, he told me to send you his best. They also finally got your missionary plaque up on the wall, it looks really good. Brother Hansen put you on the very top, I’ll attach a pic. Church was good today, I feel real comfort it my calling. It’s been a real blessing. I’m getting to meet more and more of the Ward, I enjoy making those relationships.

Yesterday was a fun day. I think your brothers told you about mom’s encounter with fire. She does really well in emergency situations. I was eating and she was talking to me, then said, “I’m on fire!” She was. At that point she went over to the sink to turn on the water. I grabbed a towel to beat it out, she turned on the water to put the fire out, but wasn’t hitting the flame. I grabbed the faucet and turned the spray on and just soaked her till it was out. She burned through a blouse, a T-shirt and charred her sweater. Her garments were not touched. I’m not saying that they saved her, but I’m sure not saying that they didn’t either. Your mom reacted by laughing. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it really unsettled me. I had to go to our bedroom to compose myself. It really could have been bad. I feel so grateful it wasn’t.

After that excitement, she and I ran our normal Saturday errands. Everyday things are a comfort in the time of uncertainty. The Elwood’s invited us to go shooting with them. It was really snowing, that wet, almost rain like spring snow. But we went anyway. It was fun, but my crappy Remington shotgun jammed again, I’m about to give up on that thing. It was still fun, but everything got wet. I had to dry and oil my guns when we got home. They all seemed fine. All except the Remington, which was already forming some rust spots.

On the way home, we listened to the first half of the Utes game vs Colorado. The Utes struggled, and lost. I really couldn’t bear to watch the second half. And Jacob gets pretty surly when the Utes are loosing, so I really did not have the energy. On the other hand, the Jazz had a great game vs the Bucks, who currently have the best record in the NBA. There were several lead changes with some dramatic comebacks by the Jazz. Mitchell had a career high 46 points. He looked incredibly poised and confident in the last run for the lead. You know I hate hyperbole, but that confidence was young Jordanesque like. It was awesome.

Tonight aunt Patti invited us to dinner, it was really fun. Nothing is more comforting than family Ben. Artie made short-ribs. Mom brought baked potatoes. We had salad and Patti made my all-time favorite brownies. Artie was watching a Netflix series about the perspective that the space-station astronauts have on earth. I only saw a minute of it, but he thought you’d love it. It’s a mixture of space, physics, geology, and human perspective. I’ll check it out and fill you in. We can rewatch in 20 months or so. 

Before we left, aunt Patti asked for a blessing. I feel honored to give blessings Ben. Her arbitration is on Tuesday, and she just said she didn’t want to be scared. Before giving her the blessing, I felt I should bear my testimony (right now you checking the sender on this email, yes, it’s me). I’ve just been thinking how everyone that was there tonight is going through a pretty daunting trial, patti with the divorce and her health, Cecily with her health, me with my job, Artie has his own challenges too. As I’ve been praying, it occurs to me that our Father in Heaven is drawing us closer, asking us to be better, getting us ready. So I expressed that. I also expressed how it’s our family that gives us strength, family on both sides of the veil. Aunt patti said she had been feeling the same way. I do want all of these trials to be resolved, but I also want to stay closer to the Lord. So I gave her a blessing, I felt the Spirit pretty strongly. Right after, Artie asked for one too. The Spirit was especially strong for that. He has such goodness in him. Then uncle Aaron gave Cecily a blessing of health (I anointed, we did it by the book). Then Uncle Aaron gave me a blessing. He said the things I was really hoping to hear. Max got caught up in the eve and asked for one too. It was a really neat experience.

Mom’s asleep as I write this, she has a big week coming up with training in Provo, parent-teacher conference. She works so hard, I’m so proud of her.

Well, I Love-YA-I-tell-YA! 

Pops