A Simple Letter, Brings Much Excitement!

After returning home from a fairly eventful Saturday of play date/birthday party, Isaac raced to check the mail. I was still trying to grab all the bags and get myself out of the car, when he started yelling, "A letter, a letter, we got a letter!" Being that St. Patrick's Day just passed and Easter is just around the corner, one would've assumed that this was a letter from a relative bearing money or gifts. Isaac continued his announcement at the top of his lungs, loud enough for the neighborhood to hear, and I was wondering what could possibly be so exciting? As he came running towards the house he finally added that the letter was a response from Sister Stephanie Campbell.
A few weeks past, we had a Family Home Evening that consisted of writing letters to missionaries in our ward. Both of the kids wrote to Stephanie. For those of you who don't know Stephanie, she was our babysitter. And the kids love her very much. She has even returned from college on breaks and still come to watch the kids. Some babysitters just can't be replaced!
Recently, she was called to serve a mission in Mesa Arizona, in the Mesa Temple Visitor Center. (This is where Danny & I were sealed..look back to previous post @ our anniversary). Therefore, part of our Family Home Evening was also to plan a family trip to visit the Mesa Temple, extended family, and Stephanie in AZ. Needless to say, the kids are very excited and we are all working to save $ in a jar for the trip this fall. So excited that, as I write this post, you must know that both kids have been writing their next letter to Stephanie. They couldn't wait to answer her questions and ask her more.
So, sometimes while $ and gifts in the mail are exciting, the good old fashioned handwritten letter from a loved one still carries special meaning.
I am so thankful for Stephanie's example and for the love she has for my children. As a parent, you can only hope for special people to come along in your kids lives to show them and share with them their love of the gospel. Sometimes it is so much more memorable and powerful than just hearing it and learning it from your parents.