Haha aw man! I wanted to surprise you with a big Happy Birthday thing at the end of my letter today to make you think I had forgotten about it! I totally have "Dad's Birthday!" Written in big letters in my planner on the 14th! You 44 year old fart you! So I feel better now... I think?... about not sending you some cool stolen artifact - I thought about stealing one of the books in the library back in Coimbra, but I wasn't in the mood to get, you know, arrested that day. You are traveling so much! Do you enjoy it? Is it hard to be away from home so much? I know how ya feel! Haha just kidding I don't even think about you guys that much. In the best way possible! I would LOVE it if you guys could come and pick me up - it is not like a super realistic thing probably, but it would be cool! I shared some stories about Valentine Valentinsen with a lady we met and showed her my booklet, and it was way harder than it should have been in Portuguese, but she said she wanted to look into it! We are going to visit her this week and see if we can help her out. I didn't see a link for the video, but I'll look for it on lds.org or something! I will try and write a letter for Lansen - I will work on it this week and next and hopefully send it to you next week! I have less time today than I would like, but I'll get it going. I just wrote in my planner to yell "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD YOU 44 YEAR OLD FART!” on the 14th. :) Love ya dad!
Dear Elder Son,
So this week is sort of a big deal. I mean, it should be the focus of all of your thinking and energies. You should have spent weeks—no, months!—planning and worrying and obsessing about it. You know exactly what I’m talking about here . . . MY BIRTHDAY!
Yes, it’s my 44th birthday on Thursday. So . . . you’re showing up for my party, right? You’ll be there to give me your present in person. Oh, no, wait a minute. You’re in PORTUGAL! Okay, no problem. So you’re sending me like some amazing historical artifact, right? Something you “borrowed” out of one of the art museums?? NO? REALLY? You’re sending me nothing!!??
Okay, hold on, stop feeling guilty. Just because you’re like 3,000 miles away or whatever gives you a SMALL excuse for not being at my party. And I suppose since you have no money because your cheapskate parents keep forgetting to add money into your bank account gives you the EXCUSE again to avoid sending me a present! So I’ll guess you’ll have to make it up to me when I get home by going to see Star Wars Episode 8 like four or five times. Deal? That’s the birthday present I want, so I’m making a rain check!
I’ve had a busy weekend doing yard work. Aren’t you jealous? Don’t you wish you were here to dig trampoline pits and weed the garden and plant shrubs? Liar. But I’m making some good progress. I’m hoping to get a big swing set next Saturday. On Friday I planted nine shrubs and a tree. I spent like $250 on it. Expensive stuff. See, that’s why I don’t have the money to put in YOUR bank account so you can buy ME and birthday present! Stupid yard anyway! Where’s my priorities?
Work is super crazy, but that’s not new. Oh, I just learned I’ll be going to London and Israel again this year, this time in October. I’m going to Florida in about three weeks (yes, it’s a sacrifice, but someone has to do it!). Maybe I’ll earn up enough frequent flier miles to fly over to Portugal and see you in July of 2017. That would be cool, right?
Were you able to try sharing a message about family history? There’s a really cool video that was produced at our RootsTech conference. Here is the link below. It’s about 6 minutes. Hopefully you have time and the ability to watch it. This teaches why family history, missionary, and temple work all fit together. You should share it with your mission president! I’d be happy to answer any questions he may have, or help in any way.
I’m helping Lanson Lappin get himself ready to submit his papers. He’s a good young man. He’ll make a powerful missionary, just like you! If you get a chance, send him an email. You can just send it to me and I’ll print it and give it to him. I know he’d appreciate it, and it would help him prepare to submit his papers and become fully worthy to serve.
I expect you to honor me on Thursday with a moment of silence in my behalf. Or, even better, scream “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD YOU 44 YEAR OLD FART!” at the top of your lungs, and maybe I’ll hear it (by the way, can you imagine what a 44 year old fart would smell like?? Yikes!)
Okay, I gotta go. Have a wonderful week! Can’t wait to hear from you tomorrow. Love you!
Dad
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