Looking Forward to Family

The weather has cooled down a bit, which is awesome. We are no longer in the 100s, but have all happily accepted the 90s as appropriate summer weather. My zinnias are doing much better and the lawn is looking greener. The evenings are perfect for being outside and Gizmo loves being in the yard with me when I work on the flowerbeds.

Our first house guest is coming this week and I am SO excited! Talise is my oldest best friend (not necessarily by age, but by time). We have been friends for almost 10 years and she is basically a sister for me. We have one of those relationships that starts right where it left off even if we haven't talked for weeks or seen each other for months! Every girl needs at least one of those and I am lucky enough to have 2, but Talise shares a part of my life with me that no other friends do: High School. I fully intend to put her to work helping me decorate not only her room, but a few other parts of the house too! Then I will show her a "good time" in Bentonville. I haven't quite figured out what that entails yet, but I still have a few days to figure it out. :-)

After T leaves I will only have a few days before we leave for Utah. It will be good to be back with my family so soon. We are going because Curtis, my little brother, has gotten his mission call to serve in the Carlsbad, California area and he will be speaking one last time in his own ward and throw a going away party of sorts with all his family and friends before he leaves the state at the end of September.

Here is a quick run down of why and what a mission is for those bloggers who are not members of my church: In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all young people are encouraged to donate time to serve the Lord.

Young women may choose to go on an 18 month mission at the age of 21 and are referred to as Sisters, but young men are strongly encouraged to serve a 24 month mission at the age of 19 and are referred to as Elders. During these months the missionaries leave their home, family, friends, belongings, and "worldly" habits like dating and hobbies to devote night and day to the Lord's work on earth. Some are called to distant lands, like my brother Scott who went to Bolivia and Peru, and some are called to places closer but still unknown like Curtis going to California. These young people pay for their mission themselves and often have to learn a new language & culture. Generally they rise at 6:30 each morning to spend an hour or so studying the scriptures and then go out to meet new people, teach gospel principals, and participate in community service projects before returning home by 9:30 and going to bed exhausted, only to start the same routine the next day. They do not watch television, listen to the radio, or spend time pursuing their hobbies. They can communicate with their families and friends via letters and emails, however they will only get to speak on the phone to their families twice a year at Christmas and Mother's Day. When they leave they are young adults, but when they come back they are men and women of valor. Maybe next time you see a set of well dressed Elders or Sisters you can smile at them knowing that they have made a commitment to their beliefs and are making a sacrifice for that belief that is uncommon for other youth their age!

I am so proud of Curtis for choosing to serve an LDS mission and I know that he will be blessed for wanting to help our brothers and sisters in California as Elder DeYoung. I can still remember when Scotty left for his mission 3.5 years ago and even though I missed him very much I can see how he grew and became a better person. I will likewise miss Curtis very much and hope that he has a great experience as well. It is weird thinking of all the things that could change in the next 2 years and knowing Curt won't be with us during those times, but it will be worth it!