A Gift from Curtis

This weekend was a lot of fun for us! I will start with today.

Curtis has been telling us in his emails about his new sister missionary friend, Sister Asay. She is from Draper Utah. She got home from her mission about a week ago. Curtis sent her home with some things from the MTC, and gifts for all of us. He told me that she was going to be my new best friend and that I had no say in it. She got a hold of me last night and we got acquainted. She knew all about me. It was so funny. She invited us to her homecoming talk today. She gave the best talk ever. We can see why they are such good friends. She is witty and down to earth like Curtis. It was so nice to be able to get a glimpse of what Curtis is doing. Korea is such a hard mission, and Korean is such a hard language to learn. She spoke some in her talk and it sounded like jiBeRisH to us!

Sister Asay & Me (Her name is Jentille or "Tilleee")

This is the gift that he gave Shawn. haha. He has made a little tradition of giving Shawn random gifts. He cracks us up.

So he sent me a late birthday present. It was so thoughtful and so sweet. Reading it after feeling the spirit so strong in Sister Asay's talk made it very emotional for me. I will just write what the card said.
Hey MIssymooo cow pie. How are ya? So inside of Sister Asay's suitcase are some stupid things I wanted to send home. I've got weird cheap Korean socks, some movies in Korean, a big weird Korean hat, people in rice fields where these, some mtc crap (I dunno why I'll never look back at mtc again) a teddy bear that i won at an amusement park. And tons of other junk. Oh and I just got word that sister Asay got trampolines banned for the entire mission because she rolled her ankle last P day. tell her i hate her. . . the only way she can make up for what she's done is to get her hot friends/cousins to write me (:

So this letter is attached to a greenish package. This is your birthday present. So this is how I got the idea of what to get you.

So It was a cool summer's day. My companion and I were proselyting by a beautiful bridge that went over a pond. In the very center of this bridge was an old Man. His back was all bent with age and his beard was full of wisdom. We went up and talked to him. He was staring out at the water as the sunset approached. I asked this man what he was doing. He said he was watching the animal life in the water. I asked which was his favorite. It took him a second and then he replied, "the ducks". I asked why. He then told me a story "Ducks are the only animals on the planet that when they mate, they stay with each other. Other animals, like dogs or cats, leave their kids with the mother. Ducks are the most similar to humans in that they stay with one companion and raise the children together. Through trials and adversities the 2 ducks stay together. . . if the other dies the partner most likely doesn't find another mate."

These two ducks reminded me of you and Shawn. Although you are only at the beginning path of marriage there's a lot in store for you. There is a Chinese proverb about these 2 wooden ducks I've gotten you. Put them somewhere in your home where you and Shawn can see. Set the 2 ducks side by side facing the same directions. When they are faced the same direction they are unified and working together. If you don't feel unified or are mad at each other for some stupid reason, then turn the duck sideways or to be facing a direction the other isn't. This shows the other later on in the day when they see it that you are upset or mad. Always strive to keep the ducks facing the same direction. If the ducks are facing the same direction then you're working together. Shawn if my sister is being a butt face you can turn your duck's butt to her face if you want. ya know I just think this can help out relationships. You can't push forward if you don't resolve your issues ya know? Always strive to be a team. Happy late Birthday

Here are the 2 ducks.

I just thought that it was so cute and sweet of him to be thinking about our marriage while he is on his mission. He is such a cute kid and we love and miss him so much!

Okay on to yesterday. Well actually let's start with Friday. Friday night, after a 3 hour round trip of traffic from Hell, Ashley and I went to the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale. We have been looking forward to this for a while now. I had to pick up Ashley down in Provo, and then she came and spent the night with us. It was a lot of fun and we will have to do it more often. Please bless the traffic will not be as bad next time!!! Most of the night was spent at Nordstroms. No, most of the night was spent dreaming about the money we wished we had! We both were good girls and didn't go over our budget!

Yesterday, Saturday, we slept in and then drove up to Midway to go to my cousin Dallin's baptism. Funny thing happened on the way up there. Shawn was driving in the fast lane and there was this car that was going a lot slower in the same lane as us. Shawn got up on his butt to have him switch to the slow lane. . . but the car wouldn't. When we got like 2 feet away from the car I saw Idaho plates and I was like "oh CRAP! IT'S my uncle Mark!" Now let me just tell you he is not my biggest fan. As we passed him he shook his finger at us and then they just waved and laughed. It was so horrible. . . but we couldn't stop laughing.

Anyways the baptism was great and my gramma gave a cute little talk on the Holy Ghost. After having lunch at the Westra's we headed up to Ogden to watch Shawn's mom jump out of an airplane!!! She just turned 50 and she wanted to do something crazy. I think skydiving counts as crazy.

I didn't take a picture of Dallin! I'm horrible! This is a picture of Ashley and my Mom with baby Justin

After the baptism we changed into our street clothes. . . we looked at each other and laughed. We did not plan on matching, I promise!!!

We got to the jumping place just as Stacey headed up in the airplane. This is Preslie and me waiting. . .

Rick, Brandyn, Shawn & Matt (Brandyn's Dad, his mom Sam jumped with Stace)

Sam (Brandyn's Mom) & Stacey
I told Payson last week at Stacey's birthday, that both of his gramma's could die in one day! Okay that was probably not something I should have said to a 7 year old, but it's true! They both survived and LOVED it! Stacey can't stop talking about it.