Hey Lovey!!! I'm excited to hear how the trip to Tanzania went and how it is different from Kenya. How did you get there? Did you fly or take a bus? Do we still send your packages to the mission home? Tell us about your new companion. Is Mt. Kilimanjaro as impressive as our TIMP? :) Take pictures of your new apartment and the area.
Alana called from Geneva and told me she and Anthony were there in Arusha in October!!! They went on a 7 day safari and took just under 5,ooo photos ---it was their FAVORITE vacation ever and they hope to go back. It made me happy to hear it.

Listen, my hard drive totally failed and I lost ALL of the pictures you sent so DO NOT DELETE THEM...I sent you your card back in a package. Do you need me to send you a new one now?

Larry Miller of the Jazz died this week...we will miss seeing him and hearing of all of his philanthropy.

Why do I LOVE Primary? Let me count the ways...Sabrina needing YOU to see her 5th tooth lost because it will be all grown in when you come back. I told them a few weeks ago I was going to keep my camera on me and needed them to remind me to take pictures so YOU could see what was going on. Thank heavens I had my camera in my bag today....

The snow has mostly melted, and when it does storm it is mostly slush....hope I'm not speaking too soon. Have you hit the rainy season yet?
Jeanne Gardner asked me to send her love and we traded missionary stories. Kiev is quite the place as well!!! I'm so grateful that you're a good writer. It comforts me.

I have been wondering this week if I told you how BRILLANT you are enough growing up. And I mean BRILLANT in the way that you could DO ANYTHING and BE ANYTHING and FIGURE OUT anything that you need to....I was thinking how careful I have tried to be not to let you know after your IQ testings at BYU....maybe I was TOO careful. I know you compare yourself to Megan and Michael and I am glad that you have 2 such different examples as to how equally smart people can function and contribute so differently. And then YOU make a 3rd different way. It is astonishing to me that people from the same family can be so different and so similar at the same time. Jeremy and I were having a converstaion about how we had NO IDEA that we were smart people until we got into the work force. We both felt extremely inadequet compared to others our wholes lives---especially in school---well, we felt it in most areas. You know that I think that being smart is NOTHING in comparison to being KIND and WISE...but we both (Jeremy and I) thought it would have bid us well if someone had let us KNOW ahead of time. We were also talking about the VALUE of feeling like we have something we can give back for all that we have been given. I hope one of the blessings for you in this two years away from me is that you find your brillance, feel it, and embrace it. Don't worry about your weaknesses, just find and focus on your strengths in helping others. So, Honey...YOU ARE SO SMART!!!!! You know I mean this with all my heart.

Okay...now that we are to the HEART stuff....THANK YOU for your letter last week. Can you imagine life without a family? I CANNOT imagine my world without YOU in it....and having you so far away for so long is giving me a taste of something I could NOT bear. I feel such comfort in my knowing that our lives will be shared even after this life. How could anyone keep going when the loves of their lives leave this planet and they think that that is ALL??? God knew I would need the technology of today if I was ever to let any of you go farther than the front door! Your letter made me feel like the mistakes I made mothering must have been made up somehow. My greatest desire is that as you leave my arms, you know past doubting, that YOU are LOVED. YOU are my world. You make my world heaven on earth. I LOVE YOU!!!!!

I don't think I would have given up 2 years of my life at 19 to go help others find more happiness. I know I was too selfish. AND my testimony of Christ was not that founded. For these things alone I am so dang impressed with WHO you are. You came to us this way. You just came here already who you are and have done an amazing job at becoming EVEN more kind and generous and loving and helpful and diligent and SMART!!!!
I don't know how I got so lucky to get you....many philosophies say we PICKED those that we wanted to be with here...buddy...I would have picked you again and again and again. I can even see me bribeing you to come with me :) ---or knocking over women to claim you mine (you know its true!) I think I've probably been possessive through out the eternities... I LOVE YOU!!!! Can't wait to hear about the move and all the new changes. Just a few hours from now...maybe I'll get lucky and get to dream about you tonight.