Bone Timer.

I have this talent...some of you might know. My bones tell me about whats going on and when things need to happen. Just about 2 weeks ago they told me Kinzie had her baby early, so I wrote her about it before she told me. My bones tell me when I need to go places and find people, or...(I am remembering the first time I used this bone timer)...send people on their way. (Diana, where did this term come from?)

I can tell you one thing right now, in 6 weeks my bone timer will really be going off for Norway. Not because I don't like it here, I'm just so excited to find and talk to people and tell them about Heavenly Father's love. It is hard for me to find an exact instance when I felt Heavenly Father's love for me, but I know I am happier with the gospel in my life. My bone timer says its time to go and tell people; who am I to ignore those bones?

P.S. Apparently, Marilee has some talent too, since I have heard she has taken creative liberty with my blog. I hope you enjoy both of us, then.

END POST

Katie's birthday is coming up April 4th. It would be great for all of us to send her a flood of birthday wishes and warmth. We will miss her on her special day!

By the way, this blog's stats tell me there are about 30-40 of you readers keeping up with Kate on the day of each new post, plus more in the week following. The lack of comments is misleading, but let us know you're here! It would be great if we could all go on missions ourselves and experience the explosion of growth and learning that she has been afforded, but alas, we all experience it only vicariously. So then let’s be a community of vicarious learners, and share our experience of it with one another!

Also, I wanted to share some of my favorite lines from personal and family letters Katie sent this week:

“Tanner, you asked if I had sworn yet, to which I answer, no. Unless of course you count my first morning when I said shisa, (I can't spell right now). The people across the hall are learning German, so I had to kill that habit before I got myself in trouble. Also, I had to laugh out loud when we learned how to say meatloaf. It sounds like shutpudding. Not quite like in shut, more like the actual word. I couldn't help myself and I busted up laughing. I have a sweet district and they put up with me. They started laughing with me...I think they appreciate my humor every once in a while. Plus, how can you not laugh at that?”

“Dad, Yo papa!! How on earth did you stay here for three months?? I love it, but at the same time I start to go a little crazy. This week I wanted to go to Norway and start putting into action all the things that I am learning. This week has been a little repetitive, and I am just like you when it comes to meetings. Isn't there some way we could have just one less meeting a day? I know it is important and I do my best to focus, but it sometimes gets hard.”

“Overall I am still doing really well. This is the first week I missed things. The things I missed where: my nephews and niece, this american life radio, "home," a song by edward sharp - groove shark it, Middlemarch (a book), and a Jamba Juice. Other than that I'm still well adjusted. Scatter brained today, though. Imagine this, a room full of people madly pounding on the keyboard, trying to make contact to the outside world. Also, I think all week of things I will want to write home, and then I forget once I am actually in front of the computer.”

“We started playing games in class to practice Norwegian, and I am just loving it. I sometimes get carried away. The people in the classes next door to us laugh at me and tell me that they can hear me all the time when I get excited. I just asked my companion what she is writing about and she said the time we were playing pictionary and I started SCREAMING relief society over and over again. Everyone thought it was funny because I got so excited, I was out of my chair jumping and dancing. That wasn't the answer, but I did end up getting the point. How was I already supposed to know how to say 'auxilery leaders' in Norwegian?”

“We are trying to think of ways that we know for sure that Heavenly Father loves us. One for me is that I’m okay even though I don’t have a mom here. I miss her this week just because we are talking more about the Plan of Salvation. I wish I could remember more…But I guess feeling even a little connected to her is a good feeling.”