8th Grade Will!

 Will, 

There have been A LOT of changes for you the past few months and you are taking it amazingly! Not only did you enter the 8th grade for this school year; not only was it a new school year where half of your friends stayed at the other middle school and you are at a brand new school, but it is like you have a brand new home life because your big sister is not home anymore, because she went off to Utah State a few weeks ago. 

Will, you are amazing because you have had some tough days where you want to go to the school that has the majority of your friends, and I talk about trying to figure out how to get you back into that old school of yours, but your amazing resilience kicks in and you say to me, " I just need to give it a few more weeks. I have to study anyways. I have to get good grades because some of my classes are high school credit now. " And you are amazing because you are trying really hard with having Spanish class and having a hard enough time with reading and writing English, you are wanting to learn Spanish and work to study with your Grandma Pack and me as you ask me if I know what certain Spanish words mean to practice. 

Speaking of Spanish, it is not a coincidence that you were able to go to Guatemala this summer. It was a blessing from the Lord, Aunt Audrey and Grandma and Grandpa Pack and me, who bought your airline ticket, that you and I could go and meet Aunt Audrey's family there. 

You really loved Guatemala Will, because you love family. Even when some of our trip was sitting with family that spoke the entire time in a language you did not know, you were patient and engaged in the conversation where you could be until Audrey's kids arrived on the trip. Grandma and Grandpa Pack were so giving wanting you and I to stay in a 5 star hotel in Antigua before Aunt Audrey's family arrived. We literally stayed in a Montessori where the nuns from hundreds of years ago lived. On the grounds of the hotel there were priest buried there. It was funny sometimes to be creeped out for you by that and it would be creepy except, it was actually sacred if you asked me, since the early Catholic church was incredibly important for Christianity to spread and exist which was enabled so that when the religious freedom could be in the USA, the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ could arrive and priesthood. I told you that there couldn't have been a better kind of 5 star hotel for me to stay at, because we were surrounded by artifacts with plaques explaining how the nuns used them, and yet it was very beautiful even though old. 

You take after your Grandma Pack and me Will, more so Grandma, but me some, in that even getting to the hotel in Antigua, Santo Domingo , you guys still went to the gym to workout, at past 10pm at night! 

You talked me into going on a zip line with you Will and it was pretty scary but so pretty. The zip line was high in the mountains and the last of many flys was a superman position and the person at the bottom pulls a cord where you jolt to a stop. I would not have done that if you didn't want me to Will. You are not afraid of heights at all, and actually you made me not be afraid either. 

When your cousins Hyrum, Eli, and Lehi ( the boys ) arrived, you had them to disappear with in the market and because Hyrum just came home off his mission and speaks fluent Spanish, I was not worried as much about you. 

You are so intuitive and smart Will. Once when just you and I were shopping at the market, you would always pull me aside before I went to buy something and tell me that I can pay less and you'd go talk to the sales person by putting a number in your phone and showing it to them. You'd play this silent game with zero words, negotiating back and forth on your phone with the calculator, until they said yes. 

Once when the power went out in the entire Air B&B and Grandma and I were figuring out how to finish getting ready, you found some power that worked only in the kitchen and you plugged my straightener in and you went and took the mirror off the bathroom wall and came and got me with a solution none if us even thought of. 

I was very scared to walk onto this hand up in the mountains of Antigua at Alta Mira and I truly almost didn't walk onto it scared, since you and the driver guide we had talked me into it, I overcame my fear of heights which I didn't know I had until being asked to walk onto a high high mountain and a hand like a cliff. After I was not scared, the second time we went there with Audrey's family, I was prepared with a better outfit and carried my heels in a back pack and hiked up in my skirt but changed into my heels before getting on the hand. When we were doing this, you were able to show Grandma how to take better pictures by adjusting her light on her phone, so then you became the photographer too. 

It was really neat to see you meet your family in Guatemala that you had never met and we got to go perform vicarious baptisms in the Guatemala temple which was so special that your cousin Hyrum could perform the baptism. It was special to see these boys faith filled together in a country of their heratige doing work for their ancestors. You told me you felt their spirits and I know I felt the angels around us in a thick presence of the spirit which is faith, love, gentleness, patience and all holiness. 

I wish your Spanish teacher could know how much you actually want to learn Spanish, but I know that she has a lot of kids to teach, but I know how you keep asking to study, and I know that's how it is with Heavenly Father, that He knows how we ask in prayer and in our hearts for things, and I think you will be able to speak Spanish fluently someday because, in all reality Will, you have been asking if you could study Spanish with Grandma even years ago and you downloaded Dulingo to learn Spanish 3 years ago! 

That's another reason I know its not coincidence you were able to go to Guatemala this summer, you always asked me, " Mom why don't we have the Spanish culture. " 

Even though you are missing Brooke you are making it a point to call her and you make the best of everything and the new school, etc. That's why I know you are amazing Will! You keep telling me you want to make friends with the boys in your quorum being at a new school where they are and sometimes you have prayed in our dinner prayer that you can be their friend. I know this shows your great faith that you pray for this Will. You know to pray, Heavenly Father will help you. 

We are so grateful for you Will. 

Love, 

Mommy💝

Wise Will is 14 Years Old

 

Dear Will, 

It was your fourteenth birthday a couple weeks ago! I never would have thought the number one thing you'd want to make sure you absolutely did on your birthday, in order to have a good birthday was GO TO THE GYM! I am getting a taste of my own medicine with you because every day I know your entire day is based off when I will be able to take you to the gym. I think I have done that to you when you were little and you and Brooke talk about your core memories including being at kids clubs on the day care at various gyms. You asked for a bench press for your birthday, and just a couple days before it was delivered to the house you actually had a mishap at the gym with the bench press while lifting it, you accidently didn't use the lock and too much weight and it fell on your face. It barely missed your eye, so we said a thank you prayer about that as soon as we got in the car after rushing home to clean up your wound. Even though you were nervous about the exercise you did it the next day again. 

You invited two girls to your big birthday party this year. Actually, I was having to convince you to have a party Will. You are so thoughtful that you said, " I have too many people that have asked me if they could come to my birthday party and that would be too expensive and I don't want to let someone not come and I don't want that many people to destroy our house because last time it was a huge mess after they left and they broke stuff." You were more conscious and responsible than your parents at 14 years old! I literally had to beg you to plan your party because I heard your friends even asking you about it in the car when I was taking them home from events. Your friend Adam told me when we were driving home on the last day of school, " Did you know Will is the most popular kid? Well, that isn't the like snarky popular kids." I was not surprised because I know I am so blessed to be your Mom Will, so I know your peers feel that way about being your friend. 

So Will, you told me these girls asked if they can come to your birthday party and I said, yes invite them because I always think inclusive and friendly with everyone and try to teach you that. 

I was wondering if I made the wrong suggestion when at your birtgday party the entire table if boys scrunched up in one side of the table, just to avoid having to sit by these very sweet girls! I felt like asking, " Wait, do you all know each other?" You boys seemed so shy towards these girls! Haha! 

Everything began to add up when the girls gave you your birthday present which they bought together and it was a very expensive and nice smelling cologne. I was reminded that one of these girls brought you an anime bobble head for a gift on Valentines Day and you were really surprised because you didn't bring anyone anything on vday. 

It was not until after the birthday party that you told me that one of the girls had asked you to be her boyfriend earlier in the school year and I asked you what you said? The wise Will I know used his wisdom without any parental help and you told me that you explained to her that you are only 14 years old and don't think you should have a girlfriend. 

We could all use your wisdom Will! In fact when driving home from fireworks on the 4th of July with Grandma and Grandpa, we were talking about taking care of health and you gave some input. You said to us, " What I would say comes from a quote I heard that said, " The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now." Since we were taking about things we could have done in the past, you reminded us to do those things now. Grandpa said, " You sound like a philosophical guy Will. " 

Actually you are quite philosophically  inclined Will.  You give good advise and you tell me sometimes to stop and look around.          

I say, " Look at what Will? " You say, " You are never going to notice these things if you don't stop and enjoy the small things." I say, again, " Will, what am I supposed to be noticing?" You say, " Look up, look at those clouds and the sunset. " You are right that I need to look at all the small and simple things that are beautiful amd amazing and stop and smell the roses. 

Since you do that Will, you are a grateful and happy person. You bless your families lives in such a way it can't be measured, but I can tell you that you are truly treasured by me and your family daily. 

I know you will stay wise Will! Happy 14th and I love you so much! 

Love, 

Mommy💝

Ps. You asked for homemade banana bread for your birthday at home instead of cake. Maybe that is because we have cake all the time in our house, or maybe its because of you wisdom and healthy minded ways. 😁

Solar eclipse with cousins!

Easter Sunday