April 1, 2018

April 1, 2018

Dear Kami and Caden,

It was fun to read your letters last week.  I love the details and the funny things that happen.  Kami, I’ve been laughing and wincing about you whacking your head on the jeeps whenever you get in (your right, it is the kind of thing that would make me cranky) – and about everyone thinking your 16!  And Caden, it is so fun to hear about all the interesting people you meet.  It brings back so many memories of my missionary experience!  So much of life is routine and monotonous, I think much of the joy comes from little moments and unusual and funny experiences!  Please continue to share them and also tell us about the people you are teaching.

The kids were out of school this week, and Mom got to spend more time with them than I did, so she probably has all the funny’s to report.  I was gone before the kids were awake most mornings.  One of the interesting things was Maddie and Isabelle spent three nights at an almost-total stranger’s house.  A woman named Amber Munt approached Mom about possibly getting some help with her kids.  She was in a real bind because she had to be out of town to take care of a family emergency, and her husband works nights, so she needed someone to be with her two boys overnight.  Maddie was nervous, and therefore not excited, so she said she would do it if Belle came with her.  Belle was also not excited, but Amber was in a real bind, so they did it.  I didn’t even freak out when I found out what they were doing, but I did make sure I went and met the Dad before I left the girls there the first night.  He seems like a really nice guy, and I didn’t worry about them a bit -  Surprise, surprise!  It was a pretty exhausting experience for the girls.  Those boys have to stay super quiet all day while their dad sleeps, so they stay up most of the night.  It was pushing even Maddie’s limits for late nights.

On Tuesday, Joleen had a court date for some old shoplifting charges.  She had missed her original court dates, but the police paid her a visit at her house to check on an unfounded complaint and discovered that she had a warrant out on her.  She was pretty scared, so I went with her, and Mom took care of Angelina.  It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen.  The city attorney had offered a plea agreement, and since I had read the police report, I knew they were going to have no trouble prosecuting her, so I told her she should plead guilty, but then to see if they would let her do community service instead of jail time and the fines.  She had to go up by herself, and she reminded me a little kid.  She was so scared!  In a lot of ways, she is like a little kid. She doesn’t really understand what is going on, and she doesn’t have the capacity to sort through the implications of each alternative.  When she plead guilty, the judge asked her, “are you sure you want to do that?  If you do, this agreement the city attorney offered is what I will apply, so you will go to jail.”  The judge kept asking her if she was sure, and asking her if she had already gone to jail, and she said she had, but the judge didn’t know if that would satisfy the requirements of the city attorney.  I was getting really concerned, because I was hoping she (or I) could discuss it with the judge, but that didn’t seem to be an option.  While the judge was asking the court clerk for some information, Joleen looked at me with a look like, “What do I do?”  I mouthed the words, “Take the lawyer!”  So she told the judge she would like a court appointed attorney.  My only hope is that she will be able to avoid any more jail time and have her fines converted to community service.

Isaac Farber came home on Wednesday due to a broken foot.  We talked about driving to Boise to greet him, and I even got off work early, but while I was at the grocery store, Mom texted me and said she was feeling really uneasy about going, so we better stay home.  I went back to work, and then we had a movie night with the kids to try to make up for their disappointment.  Whenever something like this happens – when you get one of those ‘feelings’- I wish I could know what the reason for the ‘feeling’ is!  Oh well, it’s better to not tempt fate.

Thursday night I went with Kelly Brown to give Kathy Shaw a blessing.  She has been sick for a week with a double ear infection and hasn’t been able to get off her couch.  Her daughter went to spend the week with her dad, so Kathy was all alone, and to top it off, Thursday was her birthday.  The blessing was good, and she will recover, but it seemed like a pretty dismal birthday.  Kelly asked her what her favorite milk shake was, and we went and got her one.  We stayed and visited for a little while, and then went on our way.  Friday she wasn’t a whole lot better, but she had slept better Thursday night. 

Friday night we went to Rob and Ruth Pratt’s house for a surprise birthday party in honor of Melanie Contor.  I didn’t know half of the people there, but the food was good, and we had a good time.  Ruth told us about her husband making her do her Woody Woodpecker impersonation for you, Caden.  She said it was really bad, and you laughed all the way to Milton-Freewater.  Hopefully you are chuckling to yourself about it right now.  Mom and I were talking about how in our minds we had the Justus’s and the Pratt’s totally mixed up.  Anyway, they all said they miss you two in the YSA branch.

Saturday was a productive yard-work day in between General Conference Sessions.  It was a highlight for me to get to participate in the Solemn Assembly and sustain Russell M. Nelson as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator.  It was even sweeter to stand with the family, and to picture Caden standing somewhere in Texas, with all of us raising our right hands in a sustaining vote.  (And knowing Kami would soon have the opportunity to do likewise.)  It brought tears to my eyes!

I found some notes I had made to remind myself of things to share:

I was trying to take pictures of Isabelle the other day and she wasn’t very happy with how they turned out.  I was unapologetic as I explained, I just let my thumb shake over the button until it happens to hit, and that is the picture you get!  (My tremor is not getting any better.  I figure if I get so I can’t feed myself, I’ll look into the brain surgery option.  The Sacrament has been a challenge lately.  I finally talked to the guys filling the cups and asked them to dump a little more water out of them.  I had spilled on myself the previous three weeks.)  In the meantime, it’s better that someone else takes the pictures!)

Last Saturday the kids were asking me questions about current events and I got onto a long discussion/lecture about liberals and socialism and communism, etc. – yes, Caden, some things never change – anyway, Maddie was amused at how I ended the discussion.  I told her that the secret to success in school is to think things through and make up your own mind, then hold your nose and write what the teacher wants you to say – just make sure you don’t inhale it!

Monday night we went to the Ware’s and roasted hotdogs.  Nolan was really enjoying his food in typical Nolan fashion, with his mouth wide open, when Emma looked at him and said, “You eat like a pig!”  Aaron was embarrassed that his daughter said it, and I was embarrassed that it was true!

Good luck in your work, I sure love you both!

Love,

Dad