November 30. 2015

"My Gift to Christ"

Dear Mom,

Oh man! I can't believe Katrina and Gordon are going to DC in January!! How exciting!! How long will they be there? I wish they were going to be there in the summer so that I could go and visit them and also go to New York. But they will probably be in their country by then, right? I want to go to New York so bad!! Well, congratulations Gordon!! I am just happy I will get to see them before they leave :)

Here's what my week was:

Tuesday – We had a lesson with N*** and T! It was their anniversary last Sunday so they pulled out their cake from the freezer and we ate some of it! It was really good!! I love them :)

Wednesday – We did some service trying to help one of the Laurels learn how to ride a bike so that she can get a job. It was fun! And I finished MyPlan!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving!! We played Football, volleyball, apples to apples, had thanksgiving lunch and dinner, brought thanksgiving lunch to a foster home for teenage mothers and their babies, and we had a thanksgiving devotional. They asked me to give a thought and so I talked about how grateful I am for the atonement. I cried. It was a lot of fun playing volleyball!

Friday – Early Friday morning, I got up and registered for classes!! It all worked! :D and we had a great lesson with N**** and T. We watched the Hope of God's lights. One of my favorite Mormon Messages, based on one of my favorite Uchtdorf talks.

Saturday – Our first night of Christmas Lights!! I was tired and cold, and my back was aching, but it was beautiful and I felt the spirit. I love being on temple grounds and I love serving the Lord. I'll embrace the cold and the standing around for 2 hours if it means I get to serve the Lord for a few more nights. ...er... Months..... You know... Cause I don't get home till JUNE!!!

Sunday – Church! All of the talks were inspired! Each speaker said so something that I needed to hear. The Lord is SO aware.

I am so glad you had a great Thanksgiving! How fun that you got to be with Tess and Dan!! I am glad they liked my gifts.

Josh's work place sounds like Disneyland. Can I go? I still love my mission more than Disneyland. .... But I also definitely miss Disneyland. It's been 2 years. But seriously, I want to work at Epic. What exactly does he do there besides make $$ and have fun?

Poor Estela!! That sounds like a really cool clock. Too bad her dad broke it :/ hahahaha and poor Dan!! [Sidenote – I told Erica that Estela kept telling everyone that her dad broke her clock . . . he only unplugged it!! And also I told her that the pumpkin pie fell the day after thanksgiving – landed upside down on the saran wrap but looked very unappetizing after that :(.] That actually makes me really sad that he couldn't eat his favorite, ridiculously good looking, pumpkin pie anymore. Hahaha... :(

Okay, I might not need to send a package home. We'll see. When should I send it by? If I don't need to send a full package home, I will just send a large envelope thing. Whatever is cheapest.

The 3 part would be really fun!!!! Let's do it!! I will send it home!! (I will send both versions home :))

I will take a picture with Uncle Keith when I see him!!!! Cross fit is a blast. We should find someone who does it and just do a weeks worth of it so that you can try it. It is AMAZING!!!

I wanted to take an exercise class!! But they conflicted with my other class schedules. Except for the Life Saving one. So maybe I will get some exercise in for that. I need to buy a super modest swimsuit for that class... Where am I going to get a swimsuit in January and February....?

Oh! Being in the right place would have been great to put down on MyPlan!! But, I already turned it in. Eek!! That means I will have my interview with President soon ?

I love how you and Dad met. I love you guys. You guys are perfect.

Wow, thank you for praying for me and Emma to find a temple worthy spouse. I think it would be beautiful to have all of my siblings in temple with me at my wedding. So, Emma needs to get married first. Hahahahah!! The good news is that if she does get married before me, all of her siblings can still be there for her!!! :D Or I can just get married after she gets home from her mission (or in the window where she has been endowed but hasn't left on her mission yet). Cause then she could come to my wedding without needing to be married. #myplan #winning

Oh, yeah, did Dad tell you I got extended? It's definitely June now.

No, only the Mesa temple has an Easter pageant. And only Mesa has Christmas lights. Gilbert might have put a few lights on some trees, but it's got nothing on Mesa's Christmas Lights.

Alaska is nice. I like Hawaiian air too. But the last couple times I went on Hawaiian I got motion sickness because we hit so much turbulence :/

What?!?? Tess and Dan couldn't come see me in Hawaii for Millie, but now they can go to Hawaii?? What's up with that?? I just want to sing with my sister Tess!!!

I know Michelle can't travel because of her pregnancy, but if I can't make it to them in January or February, hopefully I can see them soon!! They should come to Hawaii. :)

Wow, I am just so full of love right now for my family. I love you all so much. I remember really missing you last year on Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving was harder than Christmas last year), but this year I just have this feeling of love. You do so much for me mom and I just wish I could repay you somehow. I wish I could take back every hurtful thing I've ever done to you or to dad or to my siblings. I wish that I could have shown more gratitude and that I could be better at expressing it right now. I am so grateful for your unwavering example in following the gospel. I hope that I can be a mom like you someday. I really, really love you.

I love what Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk "Behold thy Mother" in the last General Conference. He said, "To all mothers in every circumstance... I say, “Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion, and like the Master you follow, your love ‘never faileth.’ ” I can pay no higher tribute to anyone."

I also like this quote from his talk: "How is it that a human being can love a child so deeply that you willingly give up a major portion of your freedom for it? How can mortal love be so strong that you
voluntarily subject yourself to responsibility, vulnerability, anxiety, and heartache and just keep coming back for more of the same? What kind of mortal love can make you feel, once you have a child, that your life is never, ever your own again? Maternal love has to be divine. There is no other explanation for it."

I love you Mom. I love you for loving me.

Love,
Sister Brady

Dear Dad,

Oh wow, you met my future husband! Can you tell me his name? How old is he? You said he returned from his mission "some time ago" but that could mean it was 20 or 30 years ago! That's wonderful that he loves the temple! I am looking for someone who loves the temple.

What's the difference between a heat pump and a gas furnace?

Brrrrr.... 30 degrees. It was 33 degrees this morning when we went to play zone sports. (We play inside, but we have to walk from our car to the building). So cold. The high is supposed to be 60 today. But it is going to get in the 70s again on Thursday and Friday!!!! SO GRATEFUL!!

You do two letters because you love me!! It's exciting for me to open more than 4 emails every week. (2 from mom, 1 from Cherisse, and now 2 from you :)) Oh! And Sister Taylor has written me every week since she left the mission :) i love her!!!!

(Mom, do you remember when Grandpa Brown surprised us at Costco!!)

I love talking all night. And all day. Bahahahahaha!!! Are you excited to hear all the details of all my mission stories!!!?? Hahahahahaha!! (In August.)

So Emily only had school on Tuesday? Lucky duck.

Bahahahahahaha dad!! "I took Emily to the Howerton Smith's for a party, went home, and sat around looking dumb for the rest of the evening" .... That made me laugh out loud!! Dad, you're funny!! I have this mental image of you sitting in a blue chair in the living room , wearing your blue plaid pajama bottoms and your long sleeved pajama top, just staring at nothing with your mouth open a little bit.

I love you Dad :) you make me laugh!

Love,

Sister Brady

Mesa Temple Christmas Lights!