Letter from mom- week 36

Hi sweetie,

It was so good to talk to you yesterday and to hear that you had a nice birthday. I am so grateful to Sister Villar and the YSA group for spoiling you and making sure you had a nice birthday. It makes my mom heart so happy.

We have had a nice week. It was fun to celebrate Luke’s 15th birthday. We took the mountain bike in for a new dropper seat for his birthday present. We also went to the mountain biking kick off meeting which means we’re starting another year! Luke also received a tube of building block things and he used them to build a companionship of missionaries and a person being baptized. He is so creative.

Sara has been working hard to create a crochet penguin. She spent hours on it and it wasn’t easy but she did it! I love seeing our kids be creative!

As you saw on our call yesterday, we started flipping the park strip in front of our house to xeriscaping to help save water. It is a lot of work but it’s worth it.

I’ve been missing you this week (especially cause it was your birthday), so I took some time to read through past journal entries and look through pictures. I’m including pictures of some of my favorite journal memories. I have thought a lot about how grateful I am to be your mom. It truly has been and continues to be such a joy. I’m so grateful for you and your example to all of us. Keep up the great work. I’m so grateful that you can learn from President Villar. I’ve thought a lot about his council to admit when you make a mistake. That wise counsel of being humble will benefit you throughout your life. 

We are studying the parables of the Prodical Son and the 10 lepers this coming week in come follow me. These lessons of humility, forgiveness and gratitude are so valuable and I am trying to be more like Christ by implementing more of them into my life. I am so grateful for the example the Savior provided for us. He welcomes ALL who will come to Him. He doesn’t judge or discriminate. ALL are valuable. I hope to be more inclusive.

I hope you have a great week. We are praying for you and your friends. Specifically we are praying that you will be able to focus on the work and not worry about office duties when it’s time to teach. We are also praying that your friends will be able to keep their commitments and be able to be baptized on their set dates. We pray that you will feel the Spirit and be led to those who want to come unto Christ.

Love you so much,
Mom

P.S. I included Dad and Mary in my “It’s a great day to be a miner” Be Real.

HaPpY 19th BiRtHdAy!!!!!!

Happy 19th Birthday sweetie!!! We hope your day is amazing as you spend the day in the service of the Lord! What a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday!

For this e-mail I asked everyone what they love about you- just like we would do if you were here for your birthday dinner.

Dad: Ben is a really good kid. He has a lot of talents and abilities. He loves people and is kind to everyone.

Mom: Ben is so fun to be around. He has a gift for helping people feel loved. He is kind and wants to do what is right. I look forward to being able to talk to him every week and his emails are inspiring. I’m reminded of a time in 2011 when Ben was 7 years old. I was feeding baby Sara on the couch and all the other kids were in bed. Benjamin came to me in tears. He had been reading the Old Testament scripture reader and he was heartbroken that “a king had killed all the baby boys.” He cried and buried his head in my shoulder. I almost cried along with him because of Benjamin’s tender heart. What a special, nurturing and thoughtful person! I feel blessed that I have the privilege to be Ben’s mom.

Michael: Ben is a great example of a missionary. He is always happy and enthusiastic and has a very strong sense of what is right and an even stronger desire to follow through with it. He is very funny and has great experiences to share with us.

Mary: (with tears in her eyes cause she misses you) Ben is a really good example. He showed me what it’s like to be a true friend to people and how to love everyone. He’s super funny and has the best energy!

Luke: Ben motivates me to do good in the things I do. Love you bro!

Sara: Ben is a great example to me. He’s super duper funny.

We hope you have a wonderful 19th birthday! We can’t wait to talk to you on your next p-day.
Love,
Mom

Hi Elder Ben!

On behalf of me and Brittany and our family, we want to wish you a very happy birthday!  We hope you have a special day, and that something unique or especially memorable might come your way today.  

We admire you for your faithful diligence in serving the Lord.  No doubt your many gifts have, and will continue to have, a profound impact on your work in Spain.  What we’ve noticed that’s particularly special about you, Elder, is your inclusive nature….no one is left out when Ben is around!  I’m sure your companions, fellow members, and investigators feel this from you!  This is an attribute you share with the Savior - everyone who knew Him felt they belonged.  

Our prayers continue to be with you…that you’re having a positive experience in the office, that your companionships are uplifting to you, and that many will accept the invitation to be baptized!

Have a wonderful birthday!  

(We know you’re busy and that you’ll be inundated with emails and well-wishes.  Don’t take the time to respond…we feel you!)

-Tedd, Brittany, Julia, Nick, Lily Bella

Luke's 15th birthday interview

Favorite school subject- History (it's super interesting & i'm pretty good at it)

Favorite music- country (George Strait)

Favorite past time- basketball and golf

Favorite food- mashed potatoes

Favorite part of 9th grade- AP Human Geography (I get to learn about the world)

Favorite vacation- cruise (all-you-can-eat and the pools)

Thoughts about your family- coolest people ever- they love me and I love them

What do you want to do when you grow up? Law and politics or an engineer

Something interesting about yourself- I am good at learning

Favorite time of day? night-time (it is when I get most stuff done)

What are you good at? Mountain biking

What makes you laugh? Funny movies (Kung Fu Panda, Cars, Toy Story)

What makes you happy? My family (playing games together)

Who is your hero? Jesus

What is important to you? The Gospel

I you had one wish, what would it be? To be able to go wherever/whenever

What have you been thinking about lately? High School and getting my patriarchal blessing

Favorite book? The Book of Mormon

What is the best part about being you? I have a good sense of humor

Favorite movie? Cars

What are you looking forward to this year? Being a class officer

Best part about being 15? Learning to drive

Comments from mom-

Luke is amazing. He is patient with having 3 moms (me and his 2 sisters), especially now that both of his older brothers have moved away.

Luke is a great example of balance between keeping busy and being still. He is funny, athletic and active, but he is also good to sit still, ponder and pray. 

Comments from Ben-

I love how Luke works hard and is motivated to do hard things. I love that Luke is good at things in a humble way. Luke is like the Savior because he works hard to make others feel welcome even when they might be left out. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have him in our family and the things I can learn from Luke each day. The memories we share together are the best.

Letter from mom- week 35

Hi Ben,

Thanks for taking a picture in front of your church with that elderly gentleman. It made me cry! It makes my heart so happy to know that you are happy serving the Lord. I am so grateful that you are magnifying your calling and that you find joy in it. I love hearing about how the work of the Lord is growing in Barcelona Spain, and I am so grateful that you are helping it move forward. Dad and I are so grateful for your decision to serve. We feel the blessings of your service.

Things are going well here at home. Mary and Sara had their checkups with Dr. Valentine and they are both healthy. They both got shots and they didn’t pass out or vomit so that was awesome!!! The shots did make Sara feel kind of sick for a couple of days so she stayed home from school but other than that, we’re all good.

The kids were out of school on Friday so we went to the Draper temple to do baptisms. It was amazing. It wasn’t very crowded so they let Luke and Sara each be baptized for 8 people.  We learned how to reserve family names on Family Search and have them printed at the temple which is awesome! I was able to attend the Jordan River temple later that day. We feel so blessed that we have three temples so close to us. What a blessing!

Luke drove Dad’s truck home from church today. He’s starting to study for his permit test since he will be 15 on Tuesday. I can hardly believe it!

I love you dearly and hope you have a wonderful week. We are praying for you and your friends (especially the 3 that committed to baptism last week).
Also, I will write you again for your birthday but I want to say now too that I hope you have a wonderful 19th birthday!!!
All my love,
Mom

Letter from mom- week 34

Hi sweetie,

Our best news this week is that Luke was elected as a Sophomore class officer. He campaigned so hard. There were 9 students running for 2 spots so it was a tough race. We are so excited for him. He will be working with a great group of kids next year. 

Mary went to prom yesterday with MaGrath Gibbons. She had a great time. He is such a nice kid and we are glad they were able to go. The dance was shut down early due to crazy behavior. I feel bad for administration. It’s too bad that some kids have to ruin it for everyone.

I had a lovely Stake Relief Society meeting yesterday. I went to two classes; one on mental health and the other on having a gospel centered home. After our classes, we had a nice lunch. It was nice to take time out on a Saturday to feel the Spirit and be with some of my friends in the Stake.

I’m sad that our p-day call had to be short yesterday. However, I’m just so grateful whenever we get to see your face and talk to you. I look forward to your calls more than you know. I’m so glad to know that you are happy and enjoying your mission. I’m so grateful for your decision to serve the Lord. We feel the blessings that come from your service.

Michael brought his roommates to dinner after church today. Of course you know Joe. The other roommate is named Ryker and he’s a great kid too. We are so grateful that Michael has good roommates. Ryker is from Spanish Fork- he served his mission in Panama and St. George, Utah. He teaches seminary and coaches soccer at one of the middle schools near Provo. It was fun to talk with those three college students who are preparing for finals week.

This week I completed my 1200th day on Duolingo. I started studying Italian on Christmas Day 2019. I’m studying Spanish everyday now. I love it. Hopefully I’ll be able to speak a little Spanish with you by the time you get home.

I am on Chapter 3 of Jesus the Christ. I love reading it and I have learned a lot already. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and his willingness to allow us our agency and give all the glory to our Father. I love Jesus Christ and I am so thankful for his sacrifice for me. The Book of Mormon and conference talks also are great study material too. My scripture study time is precious to me.

Have a great week sweetie. I love you dearly and you are always in our thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Mom

Letter from mom- week 33- Happy Easter!

Happy Easter sweetie! I am so grateful for the joy and hope that Jesus Christ brings to my life. Easter is a beautiful occasion to celebrate the resurrection that makes it possible for all of us to be resurrected. What an amazing gift so freely given. I started reading Jesus the Christ this week. I’ve read parts of it before but I’ve never read the whole book. It will take me a while but I’m excited to learn more about my Savior so I can increase my relationship with Him.

This has been an emotional week. Mary was very sad to learn she wasn’t chosen for SBO of Art or Tech. She worked really hard on her portfolios so it was disappointing to not be chosen. However, we know that there is a reason for everything and we’re sure she will find a way to get involved and make her Senior year a great one.

Luke goes to school early tomorrow morning to hang his posters and turn in his video. Say your prayers that all will go well for him this week.

We had a crazy weather week. We got a foot of snow on Monday night so the kids had a virtual learning day on Tuesday. We have had record breaking amounts of snowfall this winter. Flooding is a big concern as the snow begins to melt. We are supposed to warm up to 72 degrees by this Tuesday so we’ll see if the rivers are able to handle all the runoff from the mountains.

Dad had a good birthday this week. The highlight was being able to talk to you. I made him a chocolate mousse cake which is always a favorite too. 

We are so excited to hear about your new opportunity to serve in the office with President and Sister Villar. Keep up the great work son. We love you and miss you like crazy!

Can’t wait till we can talk to you again next Saturday.
With love,
Mom

Disneyworld

Hello ben sorry I haven’t emailed you in a hot second! I hope that your 2 weeks have been awesome! Last week was the best week I have ever had in my whole life! Tron was amazing it is faster than anything I have gone on before, I felt like I was going to fall off on the turns to the left but it was also very fun and scary at the same time! It was kinda confusing because I haven’t seen the movie before but it was still very fun! (it definitely goes faster than incredicoaster as Disneyland) I had to close my eyes because there was so much air going in them at the very beginning because you SHOOT off like the world is going to stop spinning!!!! Gardiens of the Galaxy ride is SOOO fun too at the begging they turn your cars and you wait there while they speak to you and I thought that we were going to shoot forward but you definitely shoot backwards like it is no tomorrow! That one is also very speedy and fast! My birthday was amazing! I got to go on the Barnstormer! Magic Kingdom was open until 1:00 AM in the morning (we didn’t stay that long) for DVC members only and the Barnstormer was 40 to 50 minuets all day that day so we waited 15 minuets right after the firework show for the Barnstormer and it was really fun me and Michael could not fit in the car together so it hurt really bad but it is a good thing that it is only 25 second ride HAHA! It was really sad to see splash mountain being ruined with Tiana ride or what ever it is called I am really sad about it but it will be good! Dad got me a Mickey birthday cake as a surprise and it was the best cake I have ever had in my whole entire life!!!! For my birthday I got the Mickey and Minnies runaway railway backpack and it is my favorite!! They barely had any cute backpacks so I am glad that I found that one.  I hope you have a good rest of your week!! 
Love:Sara

Letter from mom- week 32

Hi sweetie,

Conference was awesome! As always, I’m so sad it’s over. However, I’m so grateful to have the next six months to study the words we’ve heard. President Nelson’s talk about charity was legendary. I will be striving to implement the prophets instructions in that talk. We were so excited about the temples announced. It’s wonderful that Matt and Wendy will get a temple in San Jose. They have been traveling to Oakland for years. What a blessing to have a temple closer!

We had a great vacation. Michael described it best as similar to a military boot camp. We slept 5 hours each night and walked 10 miles every day. We were up at 5:45 to catch the bus a few minutes before 6:30 to line up for 7:30 early entry to the parks. Then, because it was crowded and we wanted to maximize our time in the parks, we stayed late and we were in bed at midnight every night. It was exhausting and my feet still hurt. It was fun though. We missed you like crazy. It will be awesome when we can take you back to go on guardians of the galaxy and Tron! 

Sara had a great 12th birthday. We ate at Liberty Tavern in Magic Kingdom and Dad ordered a Mickey cake for her birthday. Hopefully it will be a birthday to remember. 

Michael missed a week of school for our trip. He has 16 1/2 credit hours this semester so we are saying our prayers that taking time off for this trip won’t hurt his grades too much. He did some of his homework while we waited in lines for rides. One lady behind us in line asked if he was studying to be a doctor because no one else would study in line at Disneyworld. 😀

I don’t know if you remember grandma Millers sister- Aunt Kathleen? She passed away on March 26. Sadly we didn’t make it to the funeral because we were flying home from Orlando. My family used to visit them every summer in California. I have fond memories of her. She is a wonderful woman and I’m sure she had a great reunion with her husband who died over 20 years ago. 

Please say your prayers for Mary and Luke. Mary finds out if she was chosen for SBO of Art or Tech on Friday. Luke is doing his video this week and will campaign for Sophomore class officer next week. There are 9 students running for 2 positions! The competition is so tough so please say your prayers that both Mary and Luke will be at peace with whatever happens. 

Hope you are doing well. We love and miss you and as always we can’t wait to talk to you tomorrow.
Love you so much!
Mom