Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

Dear Ja,
The strep is gone from the house.  The kids have stabled out acting more like their child-like selves.  I have been not been feeling as anxious lately.  I've been feeling good, calm and not so self cousciencious about the weight on my shoulders.  I feel God is making up for the 99.9% that I lack and so I feel very much at ease, relaxed and enjoying the days with the kids.  If like Isaiah says, "He (God of the universe that can never lie) trusts in me, why shouldn't I believe Him?  Would it be fair to say I end up trusting in myself as a byproduct of trusting in the Lord first?  If I recieve my strength from the Lord, then wouldn't that conculde me to trust His source in myself?  What a blessing to be able to recieve the difference from God's grace that completes me as a person.  That would make a complete cycle as my trust in Him comes right back down to me.  No wonder we are always in His debt!  God is good to us.  Are you feeling His goodness to you?
Love, Shan

"to suffer in both body and spirit"

Dear Ja,
After 2 bouts of step throat cycling through the family, violent allergic reaction in the bathroom to pennicillin, drawn-out stress over taking 2 weeks for you just to get there, not to mention the load of thought with your fire burning all your possessions, unstability in emotions being manifested by the children all in different ways, all I can sincerly declare is: "It's been a hellava first week."
We all suffered in both body and spirit as we adjusted to the change.  Please understand the difference as it wasn't a week from hell.  To say so would be to imply that God wasn't there.  But he was there.  Very close.  In your absence, He was there sustaining all of us in our hellava week.  As I like to say, "That was fun but now we're done."  I think statistically speaking, it can only go up from here.
Love, Shan

My Priesthood Blessing

Dear Ja,
Thank you for the blessing you gave me before you left.  I will draw strength from it I'm sure.

-Remember that your family is bound by an eternal link
-Keep temple covenants and you will be blessed.
-Do personal scripture study and prayer
-God loves you
-Be aware of Satan trying to destoy your temple covenants
-This will be a time of growht and a stepping stone for you
-The Holy Ghost will help you
-Bless you with saftey
-Bless you with wisdom to take care of things and strength to HomeSchool Ben.
-You will not be alone.  Feel spirits helping you.

Genesis 12:6 God has made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

Today is Fast Sunday so the kids and I were fasting for your deployment coming up in a month.  I was trying to explain to you why you were going to Ben 6.  “So what do the people, who got hurt, need?”  You shrugged.  I suggested, “A doctor?” and you agreed with a. . .”yeah, and ice.” 

I was asking around the table what we should do that lasts days or weeks to help us not miss you as much with suggestions like visiting Nana. . . camping at the beach and such. Your suggestion was an adamant PLAY RISK!  SO . . .we are going to play Risk while you go to Afghanistan and give the soldiers ice. :)  We can do this.  6 more weeks, we say see you later.  Easy as a long board game. Sometimes you wanna poke your eyes out but when it ends, it's very satisfying.