Two weeks down

Well, Rubie has been to the MTC for two weeks.
And survived!

Here's excepts from her email.

-Rubie's Mom

SO.  

Thank you for the packages & letters: 

Margaret Penfield, Dottie Parson, Katy Christiansen, 

Chad Christenson, Shelly Taylor, Bean, 

Kelly Patterson, and I love you all! 

We've had some AWESOME speakers come to the mtc lately.  

Sister sharon UUbank or however you spell her name came 

to relief society and talked about being persistant dilligent 

missionaries.  She said Be Relentless!!  I like that a lot :)  

Then a newly returned mission mom came this week and 

talked about creative ways to share the gospel, she made 

missionary work sound so much fun,  It was sweet. Then 

there was President Allen, from some missionary something 

and he talked all about obedience.  :)  Loved it. he was 

hilarious.  And THEN  the ultimate was last night.  

Elder Holland came and did a freestyle talk.  He yelled at us 

and praised us and challenged us and then he answered 

questions.  It was a really special night.  The spirit is still 

with me today from it.  burning in my chest.  He talked about 

a lot of great things.  About how the gospel needs to burn in 

the marrows of our bones.  About how it's our duty to do this 

work, about how it rests on our shoulders, about how we dont 

have the right to let down all the people who love us, about 

how to invite the spirit, about the best thing we can give christ, 

about how we need to wrestle in prayer, and about just how 

this needs to be somethings we do, forever.  he talked about 

how much he loved his mission and said he saw some of him 

in our faces and said " I hope you see a little of you in me"  

then said because one of us will have to take his place 

someday...  

Anyways.  it was awesome.  

Commitment!

We got Rubie's 1st letter, thru snail-mail yesterday, and it includes her MTC address: Hooray!

So, here it is, for all of you out there who would like to send her a letter.

Sister Rubie (with last name, etc..)

MTC Mailbox #327

RUS-VLA 1031

2005 N. 900 E.

Provo, UT 84604-1793

Her MTC Branch President also wrote a letter to all the missionarie's parents, telling all the rules that we must abide by, when it comes to writing to Rubie.

The main one it listed is that only Parents, Siblings, & Grandparents can email her. She is welcome to recieve snail-mail from everyone else.

Rubie's P-Day is on Wednesday's and that's when she will be able to answer any mail.

I will post her emails that she asks me to do.

Meanwhile, we are so happy and grateful that she is loving the MTC and is as busy as could be.

Hooray, again!

Rubie Hits The MTC

Rubie's Mom here,

Rubie asked me to keep her friends up on how she's doing on her Mission, thru her blog.

Good grief. I am not that hip on blogging lately, but I will try my best.

So, we had a crazy week trying to get her all ready to take to the MTC.

First, on Tuesday, we had to put our dog, 'Spec' of 12 years to sleep. I was hoping to wait until Rubie was gone, before doing this, but it was not to be. Spec has battled Liver problems the last few years, and was getting steadily worse the last 6 months. The vet said there was nothing we could do. Tuesday he woke up moaning, and in a half comatose state, so we had to take him in, rather than have him suffer.

Rubie, the great optimist pointed out that it was much better to take him in now, because we had to, rather than I taking him in on his own power later, and putting him to sleep, when we weren't sure how much longer he might have gone on.

Anyway, we all handled it much better than I thought we would. It helps a lot, knowing months in advance, what to expect and preparing yourself for it.

So, yesterday off we all went to drop Rubie off to the MTC. It went really well.

I'm not going to say much about it, because I am trying to not get melancholy, but here is the 'jist' of it:

We drove to Provo, pulled up, got out, met the 'Host' elder who was standing there waiting to help her with all of her bags.

Gave last hugs, and 'POOF!" she was gone!

Arghh!

That was fast (thank heavens).

We came home to a much quieter house without Rubie's voice, or the dog's bark.

So begins the next 18 months.

What adventures lie in store? Who knows. But we'll take them one day at a time.

"Come what may, and love it" right?

Dos Svetdanya!

I will try to get my mom or sister to throw my family emails up here so you guys can follow along on my adventure to the MTC and then Russia.

If that doesn't happen then I'm sorry! But talk to my mom on facebook or something and we can get an email list going, :)

Thanks for all the Love everybody. I'm ready to be out of here. I feel so so so so blessed.

God be with you till we meet again!

Gourmet

Tonight I had the most delicious of meals, and we didn't even plan for it. My dad decided we needed to go out for dinner since I'm going to be having cafeteria food for 12 weeks starting Tuesday, So we got in the car and started driving, but didn't yet have a destination.

My family likes going out for food, but we often get stuck, as I'm sure most families do, in going to a select few restaurants that we know and love. So I was surprised when my dad suggested two restaurants that I had never been to or even heard of. The choice was between french and italian. I was curious as to how french the french was, so we decided to go with that.

The place itself is called... actually I don't know, there were a couple different names lounging about as if you could pick whichever you wanted and the restaurant wouldn't mind. Ah I found it on the internet. The Paris Bistro and Zinc Bar.

It, is a swanky place. I didn't really realize places like it existed in Salt Lake, I grew up believing the fanciest place in the valley was the Roof Buffet.

I felt uncomfortable at first, The curly lettering on the menu, black vested waiters, the extensive wine list, and the crowd of oxford youth lookalikes in the corner sort of put my back up, along with the just alarming prices of course. At first I thought, "Well, we'll have fun laughing at ourselves, and the whole 'grand piano' aspect of this place".

And then the salads came out. It would probably be a waste to describe the sweet goodness of the two salads we shared. I could list off the ingredients of goat cheese, pecans, pears, bitter lettuce or mozzarella tomatoes and an olive tapenade, but that fails to convey just how delicious. "Why can't I ever make salads at home like this" I thought, And then decided that I'm going to cooking school after my mission.

The main course was amazing as well. A perfect steak, beautiful flavorful mushrooms, a zucchini gratin, I couldn't believe how each bite was so heavenly. And with the food, the whole restaurant seemed to soften.

This post may be silly, but I think the glowing effects of my meal from heaven just hasn't worn off yet. I'm completely content. We all agreed after viewing the check, that it was well worth it.

Opportunity cost, tickets to a jazz game, a new coat, one day at Disneyland.

The Countdown has begun.

I'm having a really great summer. Probably one of the best summers of my life, definitely in the top 2 of my adolescent adult life (I think my kid life summers were pretty grand, but I dont really remember any one in particular). Point is it's been good.

And I've had plenty of opportunities to blog about it all. I've got lots of videos, and pictures, and stories, and thoughts all waiting to be shared. But they probably never will be.

Wanna know why? Because I have 25 days left before I leave this world to go to The Provo MTC and then on to Russia.

I still have so much to do, and I have so much I could blog about. But I doubt I will. Instead I'm going to finally find a pair of good winter boots, go to the temple (as a newly endowed member) as much as I can, and spend every waking moment I can with my family or other people I love. Thank you if any of you read this. I will try to throw something on here every once in a while and I'll definitely have my mom post my letters when I'm out (and I promise I'll write good letters just for you).

Goodnight.

Double Videos today.

1 day, 2 videos on my blog, of the same nightly adventure with my cousins.