5/12 Letter #117

Hi brother!

Well, it's been an interesting week.

I'm not sure if I let you know, but Sarah's brother-in-law passed away suddenly this last Monday. No one saw it coming. The man, his name was Chris Laguna, is Sarah's oldest sister's husband. He was only 49ish, I think, and he had two teenage kids, Adina and Julius. It definitely is very sad. He was doing his best to live a good life, in the end. I wish I knew him better than I really did. He wasn't the most easy-to-get-to-know person. I know that I love his family very much. Adina is a beautiful girl, talented and happy, and I love spending time with her. And Julius is a helpful boy. Happy as well. Lisa has always been very good to me. And I love her and feel for her so much. It's hard to get over a death. Lisa asked me to help another family member dress him for burial. I am going to help, gladly. I'm happy to be able to extend a semblance of love and care. The funeral is going to be next Friday. Sarah and I are travelling next week. We were unsure if it was going to be this week or next. We are taking the appropriate days off work.

Other than that, I'm happy to have been able to see you today. I honestly can't believe you are almost here. It just seems like just around the corner. For Sarah and I, it will go like that. I can't wait to be with you, and to be able to talk to you as much as I want during the week, and to hear about your life. I'm grateful that you are out doing this. I will also be happy to have you home. I love you brother.

Honestly, it's been one of those weeks that when I look back, I can't really think of what had happened.

A nice thing, though, is we got to go to the Phoenix temple with the Youth to do baptisms. It was definitely very pretty there. It has never been a temple that has caught my eye, but, after this trip, I look forward to going back again, sometime. I was happy to attend with my beautiful wife. We try to go every week, but it seems to have fallen by the wayside these last couple of weeks. We HAVE wanted to go, but it isn't as easy as we would like it to be, even when we set aside time to go. It's easy to make excuses. We aren't perfect people.

Friday's date night was very fun. We had intended to go to a coworker named Aundreia's birthday party set aside by another coworker, Robin. She got sick an hour before the set time, and we didn't get the memo not to go. So, we instead went, and had a great time ourselves. We had pizza and wings and salad. It was super good. The rest of the night was fun.

In fact, we went to Barnes and Noble, because one of my friends (a student) by the name of Teresa is having a birthday this month and I said I would get her a present. I decided, after a lot of contemplation, to get her the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy. I raved about it to Sarah so much, that I asked her if I could read it to her. She was very happy when I asked to share it with her, and now she's pretty hooked onto what is going to happen. We read it at B&N and in the car rides to the other places we went that night. :)

Like I said, I got called in Tuesday late night, to have a meeting with the Stake Presidency, and President Robinson extended the release to me of Branch Clerk. I'm not going to say that I won't miss it. In fact, it is really saddening to me, because I have really, really enjoyed serving as such. But I understand. I am really overburdened by both callings. And then piano or organ. A few callings is much better than several. I am happy to train and welcome the new brother into the secretary/clerk fold. I hope that serving with him will be great and strengthening to both him and us. I do love the brother that they are going to call. His name is Alex Juarez. He is married and has a girl and they are expecting a son. He's pretty busy providing for his family, so I know that if he accepts, it will be a sacrifice of much significance for him. I am praying for him.

Other than that, things are interesting with everything going on. This was teacher appreciation week, so the school catered Rubios on Friday (well, actually the student council did). It was good. Sarah and I also got a free chicken sandwich at Chik-fil-a on Tuesday. Much needed. Definitely counting down the days til we're out. I will miss the kids, but I will be relieved to have that off my plate. In fact, Sarah tells me that I am having very specific dreams about the kid's welfare. Of course, specifically Gavin (and Keenen). They are borderline nightmares. But not that scary. So much drama at work, that I am counting the days. 9 to be exact, but really six, cause Sarah and I are taking off several.


Well, brother, I love you. Pray for us, please.

Love,

John

My Hidden Treasures exercise: Dreams, crazy, written on paper

I want children. I love how beautiful they are. I love teenagers. I want to be friends with all of them. It’s not an easy goal. But it is fun. I want to be able to emphasize as well as reprove with love. I want to be respected, because I respect them. I want to share my likes with all those that I get to know. Starting with my wife, and passed on to my kids and friends. I want to be excited about life, especially in the route I want to take, in music; really in my OWN education of music. I can’t really fathom all the intracasies of music, but I want to FATHOM it someday and then be able to help others understand and love the things I love. I want to be happy. I don’t want to be scared of education in the University. I will love it because I am doing something with which I love and enjoy, and want to be self-actualized by teaching it to others.

I do want kids. I want to create a generation that love and follow the Savior. Who know who he is and are spiritual powerhouses, as well as well accomplished, but of their own volition. That love sports and arts and academia, such as reading and maths.

I want to be connected to my wife. I want to experience the joys and travails of raising kids and understanding those who we lovingly adopt into our lives and those that are our actual offspring. I want girls. Girls are just so passionate and loving. I want to inspire greatness in those of our children, that are to themselves. Help them bring out their personalities and light the world. I want to love them with all my heart.

When I have boys, I want to raise them to be the most charitable and well-mannered little kids and adults, of course of their own volition. I want to love them (both our boys and girls) with all my heart, and support them in all that they have in their lives. I mean, I don’t want to be judgemental hypocrite, if a person that I know comes to me with a real life real world problem, I don’t want to leave them in the dust, never to speak to them again. I want to love them. Invite them to be the best they can be, and, once again, inspire greatness.

I want a nice house. I’m not sure if I want to live in Arizona. I need the temperature to be bearable, and if it isn’t, a place to come to that has the appropriate adjusters, like A/C, pool, and cold showers. Preferably a place where the weather is mild. California is a well-weather place, but I want to live somewhere where I can grow.

That said, I want relationships with my immediate family that fosters love and growth. I love them so much, and will do anything for them if it is a reasonable request. I wanna inspire love in Sarah’s family as well. Happy thoughts, etc. I want to build meaningful relationships with each of my siblings and each of Sarah’s as well. I want Sarah to speak happily and positively of her own family, and spread the love and legacy to our children of hers and mine.

I want to travel to the different places of the world, for fun, for spirituality, and to learn more about the world. I want my family to learn about my Hispanic and White Heritage. Go to Peru. Eat the good food. Grow relationships with my Aunts and Uncles on my Dad’s side, to show them that we care and want the legacy to extend to Us.

Honestly, if I had one word that I want to describe my life, it would be:

LEGACY.

5/5 Letter #116 pages

Dear Jacob,

This is the 116th letter. Unfortunately for you, Sarah wanted to read the manuscript. I told her that only the faithful could. I refused twice. But she insisted. And so on the third attempt, I gave them to her, and now, they are lost. I am in despair and fear I have lost my soul.

Adieu!

John
















































Well, it's been a week. Good one at that.

The last two Mondays, and tomorrow's Monday, we have had FHE with our favorite teenager girls of the Branch. They have been quite fun. We started a series of lessons. We introduced the For the Strength manual to them, and the last two mondays, we have gone over a standard in the book. The first was Sabbath Day Observance and the second was Dress and Appearance. Both lessons were simply grand and full of the spirit. I love teenagers to death.

In fact, I found out this week that I adore children, and because I respect them, they love me. Specifically on Friday, we had our branch's Mother's day activity. I do my best to level myself with them. I met a family of one of our ward member's grandchildren from La Familia Reyna. I specifically made friends with a 7 year old red headed girl in their family named Mckenna. She was the cutest thing and very personable. By the end, she gave me lots of hugs and we took some selfies with their family. I told the parents to invite me to her baptism. I hope they do. In the same family, I met a girl named Jacqueline. It was hard for me to remember her name, so we joked about that a lot. She was aloof from me a lot, but we made friends quite easily.

Also, one of our favorite families with cousins and kids is the Perez family. The oldest girl, Ellena of 11 years, was upset about one of her cousins telling a boy that she liked that very thing. Sarah noticed her crying and did her best to comfort her. She distinctly got the impression to bring Ellena to me. I hugged her, told her that the ball is in his court now. I told her about my first crush, which you will remember was Leslie Stapel. And I did my darndest to help her, and help her I did. I sat at another temple with her and we conversed.

At this party we sang a song to the mothers, one called Gema, and one that has stuck with me called Te Amo Mama. We had some technical difficulties with the first song because the sound quality from a YouTube video was really bad. We chose that specific one because it was a Karaoke version of it. But, after 3 minutes of scrambling, we did it.

A lot of other things happened this week. I will briefly mention stuff.

-One of our children got lost during my lunch, and no one noticed until I came back and did the head count and was the only one to realize. She was super far far away from our actual classroom.
-Another knocked down a glass fish bowl with water and fish in it.
-etc. etc.
-We had the Santos over for dinner tonight.
-I was able to provide Heidi Greathouse with a blessing tonight, as well as Sarah.

We are making plans to come either Thursday night if you come home Friday morning, or Friday morning if you come home in the afternoon. We will be taking the bus home, if you will drive us there. I haven't seen your itinerary.

I love you so much. I hope you are great, and E. Seeley, if he is still your companion.

Goodnight brother,

John