Hey Nineteen

Oh hello young Joseph,

It’s a big week for you, transfers, birthday, who knows what else. Nineteen huh? I don’t know why nineteen sounds so much older than 18 does.

We’re smack dab in the middle of a holiday weekend. I don’t know why I look so forward to just one day off. You know I don’t like to go anywhere over the busy holiday weekends. Everyone seems a little more relaxed, a little more happy. I’ll bet that works against you as missionary, but then again maybe more people will be around.

Yesterday it was a rare and beautiful thunderstorm on and off during the day. I had spent several evenings this week clearing the thick weeds from the tomato patch area. I filled up a whole trash can. So yesterday ended up being an inside chore day instead of a planting the garden day. Yesterday morning we went to my aunts house to hang her tv on the wall. She had it on a tall dresser and she was afraid it was going to get knocked over. I asked your brothers to come because she had also asked me to help move some couches. When we got there she had changed her mind about the couches, and we got the tv up fairly quickly. I felt like we might have rushed out because Jacob had lunch plans with his mission buddies. The rest of the day I worked on our room and closet. It seemed like I did a lot, but you can’t really see it. We watched a new documentary on The Beach Boys on Disney+. It was good, not Let It Be good but good. 

Bed had field camp this week so he was gone from Saturday to Wednesday. Jake and I went to pick him up at the U Wednesday evening. We got there a little early so we walked around for a while. We went into the Park building where my dad used to work. It looked exactly how it used to 40 years ago when he worked there. That campus always feels like home to me. Ben was happy when he came home.

Today was a normal church day. I canceled our mission huddle for the holiday, I’m not sure any of the ward missionaries were in town. Ben grilled some good chicken for an early dinner, mom made a really good salad, let that sink in, your dad commenting on a salad. And roasted potatoes and veggies. After, we went to grandpa and my family’s graves for memorial day. I guess we usually go on Saturdays because it was really crowded today. Ben and Jacob were in high form in their rants today. We went to go visit grandma on the way home but your uncle’s cars were there so we high tailed it out of there. I think mom felt kinda bad because we rarely get invited to dinner over there these days. I honestly think grandma is doing us a favor because she knows how crazy it gets over there.

I’ve been thinking about you a lot kid. You are having a different experience than any of us did. I think that’s what’s cool about missions though, no two are the same. You’ve been out long enough now that you should be as experienced as anyone else. That makes me wonder what this transfer will bring for you. If you’re ready for anything but not expecting anything you’ll be fine. No matter what you’ll be the expert in your area. Trust yourself as you listen to the Spirit, you be more than fine. I know you can’t call tomorrow which means you probably can’t write either. I look forward to hearing from you when you can though.

That’s I’ll I have kid, love you,

Pops