Small Town Couple: Letter Home

Dear Mom and Dad,

We’re anxious to hear what your heart rate is this week . . . here’s hoping for 80 beats per minute!! We hope you’ve had a good week. I’m sure it was fun playing marbles with Ty & Kelli and I’m sure the best team won :). Wish we lived closer so we could challenge you to some games as well. Thank you for the letters to the girls. They were beyond thrilled to receive them on Tuesday. There is something extra special about getting a letter in the mail from your grandma & grandpa and they have all hidden them away somewhere safe.

Laurel and Mary and I were on our own this week as Jacob was at scout camp and Charlotte was at horse camp. So of course we went to lunch! Mary eagerly told her swim teacher she was going to ABC after swim lessons. He queried to me, “Where are you guys going?” “OCB – old country buffet of course,” was my reply. The girls loved it. I think Mary drank more than she actually ate. She had an icie on the right and chocolate milk on the left and nursed both drinks the whole time we were there while taking a few bites of corn dog and Jell-O. Laurel and I were a bit more balanced in what we ate but also enjoyed ourselves. Gotta love a buffet . . . pick what you want and as much as you want. Unfortunately David doesn’t care for OCB all that much so the kids and I sneak it in about once a year while he’s at work.

Mary finished swim lessons this week and passed a level! We are so proud of her. She is now learning the butterfly and breaststroke. I had considered signing her up for another camp, but with school quickly approaching, we decided to use the next two weeks for fun so she’ll take two swim camps again next summer.

The girls and I also took a painting class on Wednesday from a friend in the ward who teaches classes in her garage. We imitated the artists from the turn of the century that used bright colors and broad brush strokes. I attempted to paint a quilt since the night before we’d had a quilting class at church for our weeknight Relief Society meeting. The girls finished before I did, so they helped me finish my masterpiece and I must say our combined work looked pretty good.

Charlotte spent every day, all day at horse camp. Last year it rained every day which limited the activities she could participate in. This year the weather was lovely so Charlotte was able to ride every day, swim in the lake, slide down the black hole (large black rubber tube in the woods that kids slide down on sleds), sing songs, and play games. She made a friend who lives in Maple Grove, but attends another school, so an all around huge success. Friday afternoon we were able to visit camp, meet her councilor, and do some of the activities. I remember feeling disappointed at the end of camp last year because of the rain even though I know they can’t control that, but this year, the money seemed more than worth it.

Jacob arrived back from scout camp Saturday afternoon at 3:30 tired, dirty, and happy. Last year David went with him to scout camp so I got a text every day or so, but this year the week seemed LONG with no communication. Jacob was able to complete the following merit badges: rock climbing, archery, and camping (except for one more over night). Not bad while also fitting in the Huck Finn where they hiked somewhere and slept on a raft all night and then hiked back (sometimes I’m glad I don’t know about these things until after they happen). He missed the first official week of cross country so tomorrow’s the real deal. Unfortunately, he’s still fighting a cold so hopefully it won’t be too bad.

After we picked up Jacob on Saturday we met David’s siblings at Dennis & Lori’s for one last hurray before Maggie & Zach (Dennis’ second; Mike’s first) goes off the college. Since all of the girls had a birthday party that day and Jacob had just returned from scout camp, we didn’t make it a late night but had fun while we were there.

Well we’d better run. Have a wonderful week. We love you.

David, Ella, Jacob, Charlotte, Laurel, & Mary

Charlotte's in front of her horse (the one in back)