Mushroom Hunting Season

Hello,                                                                              5-2-11

This week's been pretty busy, and rainy. April was a record month for
rainfall in Indiana. It's rained almost every day for the past two
weeks. I've given two blessings this week, and we've got a couple more
baptisms hopefully coming up soon. We've got an investigator named
Bob, and he's progressing so well. He's kept all the commitments we've
given him, and he's at church every week. Hopefully he'll take the
Word of Wisdom lesson well when we teach it this Friday. He's a
smoker, like everybody else in Indiana. Hopefully quitting that won't
be a struggle for him.

We had a meeting at the mission home in Carmel last week, and I
learned that Elder Moore and I will be together for at least another
transfer. I'm pretty happy to be staying in Plainfield. I love this
place. They've got bike trails going through forrest woods everywhere.
There are always people on the trails, and it's a great place to talk
to people. Especially right now during mushroom hunting season. There
are people looking for them all day. Some people have told us that
some of the mushrooms around here are worth $25-60 a pound. Pretty
crazy stuff.

Well, I've got to go.

Love,

Jared

PS If you could send me some of that prescription exzima cream, that'd
be great. Regular lotion's not working well. I'm starting to look like
a leper.





Dear Jared,                                                                        

Another week has flown by. I can't believe that it is already May.

Tuesday was a landmark day here at our house. Taylor got his Drivers
License. What a happy kid. It's pretty sweet for me. Now he can help run my
errands. He and Mikayla took Hallie to Girl Scouts in Farmington the very
night he was legal. Sweet action!

This week, my mom came out to spend some time with her girls. We had a lot
of fun. Thursday, we went to see Annie at the new Centerville theatre. She
took me, Nichole and all of our girls. It was fun to watch Gracie and Oakley
watch the play. When it was over, they all wanted to be little actresses. It
was pretty cute. Taylor stayed home to tend Dash and Bransen.

Friday night we went to a Theatre up at the U. We saw Sunset Boulivard. It
was a good show too. After ward, Nichole, my mom and I went to Hollywood
connection where we had dropped off Mikayla, Hallie and Mariah. We got there
around 11:00 pm. The girls were having such a fun time, we decided to stay
and join them.  We had pizza and soda at 11:30, rode the rollercoaster and
crashed into each other on the bumper cars. We went to a movie that started
at 1:00am. We watched "Soul Surfer", which is a true story about a girl who
gets her arm bitten off by a shark. It was really good. I loved how
optimistic the girl was and she went on to become a professional surfer.
Anyway, we drove home at 3:00 am in a snow storm. I slept for a couple of
hours and then I had to get up to meet Laura and Sherisse to run ten miles.

Saturday evening was the best. We went to see Yanni in concert. It was
really neat. He is an amazing musician and very charming. It's so fun to see
them perform live. I see why you love it so much. I though of you the whole
time knowing how much you would have enjoyed it. Each member of the
orchestra got to have their moment of fame when they did a solo. The drummer
went on for five or six minutes,  and the crowd went wild. The harpist
picked up the harp and went to town.  The violinist and cellist both did
awesome. It was all quite entertaining.

Sunday is never really a day of rest. Three hours of church, choir practice,
fixing dinner for the masses and a 7pm girls camp meeting. I am exhausted.
It's amazing how missing a night of sleep can really throw off your
schedule.

My dad used to tell me, "busy people are happy people". I believe it.

Dad and Taylor spent Friday and Saturday at the Larry Miller Sports Park
watching races. They had a really good time. You know how much Taylor loves
cars.

World news: Last night the United States found and killed Osama Bin Laden.
Finally! After a decade of trying.

Here's your quote for the week :
"This cause will roll on in majesty and power to fill the earth. Doors now
closed to the preaching of the gospel will be opened. The Almighty, if
necessary, may have to shake the nations to humble them and cause them to
listen to the servants of the living God. Whatever is needed will come to
pass."
- Gordon B. Hinckley

Jared, I love you so much. I really look forward to your letters to hear how
you are doing. Keep up the good work. Don't waste a minute of your precious
time there.

I'm excited to talk with you on Sunday.

Love,

Mom