Sunday August 16, 2015
Dear Cassidy -

How are you?! Before I give you my update for the week let me just say that I'm really, REALLY looking forward to your email this week - just to see if Lucy got baptized! I'm really praying that she did. It's a blessing that you've been there that long with her! I really hope it worked out.

And I'm also hoping that sometime you get our package that we sent to you like 6 weeks ago!

I'm sending a birthday package this week - but now I'm nervous that you won't get it before your birthday! AHhh!

So - the ranch was great. I/we sure did miss you a bunch though! It's just weird doing stuff like that without you here. Several family members mentioned how much they missed you being there throughout the week. Brent & Michelle asked all about you and said to tell you hello. They read your blog but it was fun to try to answer some of the things they had questions about.

I know Dad gave you the day by day so rather than doing that I'll give you just a few highlights. Then I will go sift through our 700 (literal) pictures and pick a few to send to you!

Those who wanted to ride horses had plenty of opportunity. Without you or Marlee there and Bryton not being able to ride the adults plus Colten, Hadlie, Maycee & River could go on pretty much anything. The ranch was beautiful especially for August. On the horse rides in the canyons it's still really green.

I enjoyed walked each morning (why haven't I always done that?). It is just extra peaceful then. We also had some fun activities. The scavenger hunt was good, the duck race, shooting guns, etc.

One funny/interesting thing is the week before we left Grammy told me that she didn't have a project to take to the ranch this year. I promptly said that she'd "have to come out and play with us." I didn't mean it rude, but I think she was a little upset with me. I tried to help by explaining that the kids would love it if she'd drive them around in the artic cat, like a taxi, or play stuff with them. Sooo, grammy showed up with a sign for her "taxi" and she'd bought all the younger kids things from the dollar store. One day they did bubbles, one day she tossed them taffys into butterfly nets, etc. Anyway - she was pretty awesome.

The food was good as always - especially the big breakfast night. I'd rather have that meal than pretty much anything else.

It was a little weird at a couple of occasions to find myself left at the ranch with Dad and all my kids gone. I'm in a much different situation than all my other siblings. I tried to be helpful to the others by taking a baby or braiding girl's hair, etc. Getting older is weird.

Well - I hope that's enough of a highlight to fill you in, but not make you too homesick. I'm sure this week was a tough one to miss. Just know I love you so much and am so proud of you for where you are and what you're doing!

Love - Mom

PS. I went to the YSA ward today and sat by Abby Lemmon in Ward Council and in Sacrament. Then I went to the Gospel Principles class, which she teaches. She's awesome. She teaches that class, is the Relief Society 1st counselor as well as a Ward Missionary. Anyway - the YSA ward dynamic is changing quite a bit now that the first wave of "young missionaries" are returning. It's really fun to watch. Dad and I always, every single time we're there, say that the meetings and classes are just so good! After Sunday school I came back to our ward for Cheyenne Bushman's farewell. She's leaving Sept. 9th and serving in Lansing, Michigan.