Counting Down to China

Four more days! We leave for Beijing in four more days! I have no time to blog, so I'm pasting part of a letter I wrote to Braeden (who is in Latvia) last night. I need to get back to the to-do list, but I wanted to give you all an update! Love to all!

"Dear Be-Bop Doo Wah,

How are you? I hope you're staying warm. For FHE tonight we assembled your Christmas box. Tomorrow I take it to the post office where it will be weighed, it will be measured, and it will be found wanting. BECAUSE I WISH MORE WAS IN IT. But I think it's a fun package and some of it you will get to use before Christmas and some you get to save for Christmas morning. And some is for your companion. To split.

This week has flown by. Like a jet. *makes jet noise* 

We attacked more of our to-do list, including the laundry room, which has pretty much looked the same since you left, and now IT SPARKLES. I still need to paint it and modify the storage, but it is simply clean and I like going in there now. Dad installed a new toilet in our master bath. It's the porcelainiest Christmas present I've ever gotten. I love it. No really, I LOVE IT. It works. And it's taller than 13". YAY.

I thought to send Dad some cheer at work so I sent him a copy of my letter I wrote to you last week. When he came home and I mentioned it, he got a strange look on his face and I thought I was in trouble. I asked him what I'd done wrong. He shook his head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong, the letter was awesome, but now I know how bad my letters to Braeden SUCK." HAHAHA. That was a relief, and funny. But I told him his letters to you were perfect because you can hear his voice as you read them and you miss that, so it's good he's not trying to sound like something different. That made him feel better, especially the part of you hearing his voice as you read. :) He cheered up a little and said, "I do quote Ron Swanson sometimes." So that was adorbs.

But I'm writing now, so hear my voice.

So really the only things I have left on my to-do list are clean our bathroom, the floors, and the bedding for mom and dad when they come, put the garden stuff away in the garage, dust everything really well, take Brodie to the groomers, gather all the documents we bring with us to China, pack pack pack, and hopefully get the upstairs toilet replaced. So grateful for family coming to help while we're gone. Oh! And I need to get down the high chair from the attic and bring out some baby toys for Carly when they come. :) I'm so excited. And nervous. And excited. 

Trevor and Shelli and the cousins came to dinner tonight. They had been at the cabin and decided to come through Yakima on their way home, so I asked them for dinner. It was fun. It's been a while since we've gotten together with them. They had to leave Cots and Jasper in their car because Brodie is too spazzy. I felt bad. But they played lots with Brodie. :)

Jacob was awarded Defensive Player of the Year for football. That was kind of awesome. The team banquet was really emotional. The coach got choked up a few times talking about the hard season and the kids sticking it out. Pretty sweet. I'm so proud of him.

That's all the interesting news I can think of. I didn't teach a lesson today in YW because we had a stake presentation for everyone on service. It was nice to have a little break, but then I realized I won't be teaching them again for several weeks! I can't believe it's time to go get Sara/Sofie Liu XinQin Jensen! What if she doesn't like any of those other names! Yikes! We'll see!

Anyway, it's late. I love you and I hope with all of my heart that you have a good week. We leave for Seattle on Wednesday afternoon, then on Thursday we get in the air and fly to China. I will be praying lots about that. Our lives will be changing again. But I was thinking today as we sang "All Creatures of Our God and King" how I love to sing the alto part of that song, even though it's difficult. I see that we're singing that song and I get excited because it's hard, but interesting and challenging. There are easier alto parts with other hymns, and sometimes you sing 'D' almost the whole way through a song. Even though those kinds of hymns are easier, I don't get very excited about singing them. So I guess that's just how I'm built, maybe. So, I'm gearing up for a challenge.

Giddyup.

Hugs and kisses from your mom. xoxoo