Mom, Wow, it was good to talk to you all.  Like you said when we said goodbye it wasn't like the previous calls where it was hard to hang up, I know that the time is short now and its all about just finishing strong like dad said.  President always says something.. if the whole dinner is delicious but the desert is terrible, that is the only thing that you will ever remember.  I could have come this far and had a wonderful experience but its now the last inning or the 4th quarter and i have to finish strong or i'll regret it for the rest of my life! I think we all have to finish strong like that.     I forgot to tell you how cute Karlee was yesterday I said what time did you get up and she said 5.  I said wow thats so early, she said I know i was so tired I couldn't even see! hahaha she is the most precious little thing.  we are baptizing a little 9 year old girl this saturday who every time i look at her I see Karlee and it melts my heart, I can't wait to baptize that little girl.   So i just wanna share something that happened here not too long ago that really touched me.  . . so this woman came to the door and no one knew who she was and she was asking for her child, she was giving us his name but no one knew.  She said he went on mission and its been 2 years.  Im telling you this woman wanted to see her child.  As we talked with her she wanted us to find out where he would be living when he got home, whether with her or with his sister.  I knew deep down in her heart she wanted him to be staying with her.  Well, we told her we would email his mission and find out.  She just had that look in her eye and you could see the love she had for her son.  After she walked out we were all talking and just came to the conclusion that no matter what country, what dialect, what culture or race, mommas just love their boys!  Well we got the chance and opportunity to take this missionary to that mother when he got home and it was neat.  She was clapping and dancing and praising Heavenly Father, she kept saying thank you, thank you! I do believe at that very moment in time she was the happiest woman in the entire world. So what i learned is from this is how much you do love us kids, I don't think we really understand. and if you love us that much, how much does our father in heaven love us?  I think we often underestimate how much love He has for each and every one of His children, but i know that He loves each and every one of us Perfectly and completely, as Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in his talk, The Love Of God. I love you mom! E

lder wood