Email Chat with our Awesome Son

April 22, 2013

I was able to have an email chat with Elder Merrill as he had his computer time to write letters. It is a blessing to have technology that allows these opportunities to communicate with him. We miss him so much and these moments are definitely treasured!

Mom: Hey Elder Merrill, I sure love you! What a joy to hear from you today! I hope your P-Day has been going well and thanks for writing another totally awesome letter! You are the best letter writer, that is for sure!Also, can I tell you how sincerely proud of you I am. You are doing such a great job as a missionary and you always seem to be trying to have the best attitude and keeping your eye on making each day a new, fresh start for getting out and getting work done. You are truly impressive to me!

Yep, quilt is done, yeah! Ok, I'll go re-read your letter again to think of more good comments and I'll chat with you some more. Answer other letters as you need to, I'll be here! LOVE YA!

Love Mom

Elder Merrill: Love you too! I´ll send you a letter at the end, but I only have this last one to write, so we actually have a bunch of time to chat today. Love you!

Mom: Hey son. Cool, I love when we get to chat! I was just talking to Jess (she is going to come over later to do laundry) and she says to tell you hi. :)

Yeah, the bombing thing was crazy. These 2 brothers from Chechnya (near Russia) had been living in the states for something like 8 years and the older one turned a bit fanatical and they set off 2 backpack bombs near the end of the race during the Boston Marathon. 3 people were killed and almost 200 were badly injured, it was all very sad. The FBI and other agencies combed through hours of video footage and put out pictures and after a couple of days, found them. The older brother was killed and the younger one wounded. It was all pretty crazy. But what a great job the law officers did in finding them so quickly and solving this.

What else is going on? Kyle has school prom this weekend and then the LDS prom next weekend, so he is looking forward to that. I am working on his picture collage, to get put up on the walls for Project Grad. He is ECSTATIC because the theme is Star Wars, lol.

So your shoes are holding out pretty good huh? I'm glad for that! And glad your dental work seems to be going well. LOVE YOU LOTS still :) Mom

Elder Merrill: Heya, I´m good. Tell Jess I say hi and that I miss her. Brad too.

        That bombing thing is pretty crazy! Well, with a bomb, it´s lucky that there were so few deaths, but over 200 badly injured? That´s pretty nuts. I wonder how people get that far gone. I don´t understand how in their mind hurting and killing solves things. But if they´re psychopaths, there really is no understanding they´re minds.

        I hope that Kyle enjoys his grad night, mine was a blast, but I had this funny feeling afterward, it was kinda like, ¨what now?¨ well, like I say, make a plan and just take it one step at a time.
    

        My shoes are doing pretty good actually. I think it’s possible that both will still be able to be used after the mission. But they probably won´t look pretty. But the point is, I can still wear them. I´m gonna go see the dentist in a week for the final part. 

Mom: I will tell them you said hi :)  I think Kyle will enjoy grad night a lot. It can be a bit of a weird moment, realizing that high school is over and adulthood is beginning. Having a goal or purpose sure helps. Yeah, he is slowly putting out job applications and then is planning on starting at Pima in August. He isn't sure when he wants to put in his missionary papers yet, but if I had to guess I would say not until next year.  Whenever he chooses, we will support him fully.

I am laughing at the part where you say your shoes might not look pretty. That's ok, as long as they continue to support your feet! 

The weather is good. We had some cool temperatures last week which I really liked. It is still nice in the mornings but I think it is supposed to be 90 for most of this week, hot afternoons that is for sure! No rain though.

How was grocery shopping today? What are you making for dinner tonight?? Do you guys take turns making dinner or do you make your own stuff each night?

Love Mom

Elder Merrill: Good good. I hope that they´re doing all good. I really enjoyed grad night, so I know Kyle´ll have fun with that. I didn´t know that he wanted to do college, That´ll be interesting. My younger brother will have had more schooling then me. LOL. I hope he has success finding a job.

       Yeah, my shoes aren´t torn up, but yhey´re a little worn now. One with a hole in the side, but I patched that up with some glue. I don´t mind the heat. The problem is that you can always put on more clothes as a missionary, but you can only take so many off. Walking around in a shirt and tie in summer can be murder. But it’s not so bad. I did do grocery shopping today, and I have lunch but I really don´t have dinner. I know that sounds super weird, but we have kind of a big lunch. I usually make my own stuff, and like I say, I make lunch nothing more. Hey, my time is almost up, I´m gonna stay so you can E-mail me and then I´m gonna reply and go.

Mom: You have a super week son and know that we love you so very very much! Stay safe and healthy and keep on pressing on with the work!!!! You are wonderful son and we keep you in our hearts and prayers all the time. LOVE YA!!!!!!

Elder Merrill:I sure love you mom! I hope that you have an awesome week too and let everyone know that I´m thinking of them! I´m praying for you guys everyday and I hope that you all have success in everything you do! love you lots and see you next week!

Mom: See ya next week son! xoxo Love Mom :)