New Outlook

I'm afraid I may have come across as depressed and pessimistic or maybe in need of pitying because of the scanty conditions that I have portrayed. At least, that's the feeling I get judging by the response of your letters. 

Though I am just painting an accurate depiction of life here, I probably haven't been highlighting the silver lining as much as I should. It's much easier than camping (Grandpa Cutler). There really are good things about island life. In fact, one of my friends here had a shirt that reads, "We live where you vacation." True dat. 

The wonderful things about living in St. Kitts:

- My gum is EXTREMELY soft. What I brought from Utah has been re-hydrated and tastes fresh off the shelf.

- None of us need lotion here because of the humidity. I'm postponing wrinkles!

- I am already 5 shades tanner than when we came. I could care less, but Austin likes it. 

- Eden will probably learn how to swim younger than most

- I am developing the gift of tongues, not to speak another language, but to decipher those speaking "English." (I guess that would be called the interpretation of tongues. 

- The island schedule means no schedule which means I have all the time in the world to spend with Eden and do whatever we please... within walking distance and our budget

- We get to walk everywhere! Even though it can be difficult here, I do love walking and get plenty of that. 

- No TV! Yes, that is a blessing. The spirit is much stronger without it in the home and we have better priorities as a result. 

- I can leave things out on the counter to defrost and it's thawed in an hour. 

- It's okay if we forget our towel when showering because it's so warm when you get out.

In all honesty, we are very blessed in being here. I feel like the the woman in the Widow's Mite where the last bites of food were prolonged. One of the blessings we enjoy is prolonged and preserved food storage. Don't get me wrong, we have to go shopping, but I feel like Heavenly Father is blessing what we have to last twice as long. 

Living here makes me very grateful for what we are spoiled to have in America, both because of living in the States and because of our parents. Out of all things, most of the moms miss Walmart the most. Our branch had a movie night on Friday in which they showed Meet the Mormons.I was surprised by just how good that documentary was and would recommend it to anyone. The last story told is about a mom sending her son on a mission; the family the story is about lives in Draper. The movie shows their house, inside and out. You should have heard it. Our branch was quiet for the entire movie with the exception of a gasp and awing at the house. To them, it was a mansion. I doubt anyone had seen a neighborhood so pristine, clean, and fit for royalty. Yep, that's where we live.  Well, that's where we lived. We are so lucky. 

The other reason I am utterly grateful to be here is because I am learning how to be a missionary. It is driving me crazy and frustrating as could be, but I love it. I have a new passion for the gospel because of a new perspective that has been given through talking to people of other faiths. I have had new reason to study the scriptures with purpose. I appreciate the gospel for the simple truths that are so foreign to others. And I am SO CONFUSED why it's so hard for others to believe. That's why I'm frustrated. I spend half the day having conversations with myself, practicing what I'm going to say then never get the chance to. The other half of the day is spent wanting to yell from the roof tops and wanting to grab my friend and shake her violently until she gets her head on straight. I now understand Elder Bednar and his story about band-aids. 

It's now 12:30 am and Eden is still up. This is now her favorite almost bedtime. She is completely wired. I must be feeding her some strong milk! She learned how to roll over this week... just one way and she doesn't know what to do once she gets there. 

Oh, we (Eden and I) went to the beach this week and had lots of fun. She loves the water and kicking and staying cool. Silly mom that I am, quickly learned that I have to be careful with what I let Eden do. Thinking she would like to play in the sand, I let her put her feet in the sand. Then... you guessed it, her feet went straight to her mouth. We weren't there long before she had a mouthful of sand. Oops. 

The beach that is closest to our house is called SeaGlass Beach. Appropriately named, it's called that because the shore is full of colorful rocks, or "sea glass." This sea glass covers the black sand and makes for a fun rainbow beach. Rumor is that the sea glass is there because there used to be a bar on the shore and people would throw broken bottles into the ocean. God has an amazing way of beautifying and cleaning his earth. Instead of shards of glass, the bottles have turned into these pretty, soft, and polished rocks. It's really cool. 

There are lots of wonderful things happening in our families. Too much. almost, to keep track of. Brandon got home from his mission this week and looks great. It doesn't seem like we are too far from home when we can skype whenever. 

To Grandpa's and Grandma's: thank you for including me on your emails and for writing back! I love staying connected and we LOVE you!

To everyone: Be safe, be healthy, and love life. We are so blessed. (Now I understand more fully why Grandma Jack always says that.)