Randomness

While we anxiously await Elder Reid to arrive in Mexico on Monday I've been thinking about what fun times we've had with him. Derek was born with a nutty mischievous side that always kept us laughing. In the pic on the left he had just found his dad’s old snakeskin cowboy boots in a closet and thought it was a good time to make fun of them (ya gotta click on the picture to fully appreciate!). You never knew what to expect with this kid. When the kids were younger and my mom would call to chat she would often say, “wow, sounds like you have a house full” – and often I would reply with, “no, that’s just Derek.” When Derek played, he played hard! And when he was younger he was loud with an endless imagination for adventure. He could make up an adventurous story that would go on and on and on (which later made him a great writer)… When we first got active in church in Layton, Blythe was six and Derek was four. They LOVED primary and their primary teachers were a blast. Shortly after we started to attend church it was time for the annual primary program. Excited, we invited Grandma & Grandpa Reid to come watch the program with us. They both looked so cute up there and were so excited. However, we quickly started to giggle as Derek was singing at the TOP of his lungs and it was obvious he didn’t know the words at all! I felt my face flush. We just watched and giggled. So I think with some of our posts I just might have to include a fun tid-bit about our son that you might not have known about him (as you know he protrays a quiet side too). One of his favorite things to do was tweak his sister. Like when he catapulted her Barbies across the room with home made devices, made up his own lyrics to songs she loved to sing, and then succeeded in busting her out in uncontrollable giggles when she’d tried to get mad at him!

As for his current status, his e-mail was short and sweet this week. He sounds super busy getting ready and pumped up for Monday. Besides learning and studying he's weighing his suitcases and getting packed. He flies out at 6:15 a.m.! Makes connections in Dallas and Mexico City (with a five hour layover there!) and finally arrives Culiacan at 9pm… He has to get up at 3am on Monday to get to the airport on time (yikes!) – that’s going to be a looooong day! He’s quite excited and ready to get there and get started.

Word of the day... Fantastic!

Or in Spanish... "fantástico"

In Derek's last e-mail we noticed he used the word "fantastic" several times. In an update we gave him on family and friends he responded with a simple "that's fantastic!" To all those who sent him valentines treats, thank you!...they were all "fantastic!" He said he spent his V day in class and studying but loved all the treats and well wishes. Included in this e-mail he wrote: "I know having the gospel in your life really puts meaning into it and helps guide you and helps direct you. And yeah, it's weird to think how close it is coming til I will be in Mexico and doing the work and trying to learn the language even more! Ha, it will be fantastic! The time is just flying by and I am just chugging along. Last night in our devotional we had M. Russell Ballard speak. He spoke about having a good attitude and having a smile on your face and how that simple thing can really show how much happiness this gospel brings. Love you tons and tons mom and dad and hope all is well there in the home front, and talk to you later. P.S., I am not praying for the snow!... Love Elder Reid" --- (since Derek loves snow and cold I have been teasing him that he needs to stop praying for the cold white stuff -- thinking this is sort of his 'ideal exit' to the heat, sun and palm trees he will soon be experiencing!) I sent another home work assignment to him, and we are anxiously waiting to hear when he will be flying out. We’ll keep you posted on what his new mailing address will be when he gets there and gets settled. TTFN!

Valentines Day

Derek arranged for us to order a little Valentines suprise for a pretty little friend of his -- unfortunately we got her out of bed when we delivered it! She was embarassed a bit, but cute as ever! In return I told Derek he had to write us a mushy letter for V day. We got the letter yesterday and it made me cry! Very nice, we are so blessed! He's counting the days until he leaves for Mexico now, just two more weeks! Yesterday I gathered a bunch of pictures of Derek and some of my favorite memories of him and the gang... before I knew it there were a TON of pics! A few from his early days, but most from the past few years - we love you all! Enjoy!

Here's to Derek - Happy Valentines!

What does a missionary do on “P” days?

Our kids have always loved reading, ever since they were just tiny tots. Years ago Blythe & Derek got into those Calvin & Hobbs cartoons… so we purchased a big book of C&H for them from one of those scholastic book fairs. They would both read and laugh at them for hours! I got an e-mail forwarded to me a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of Calvin & Hobbs winter jokes so I printed it and sent it in one of Derek’s packages.
We’ve all started to bug him for pictures, he said he couldn’t send any because he didn’t have any big enough envelopes. So last week I sent him BIGGER envelopes. Imagine our surprise when we received a letter with photos yesterday! We laughed… only one of him and his companion! You’ll notice from the pictures that he obviously had fun with the Calvin & Hobbs cartoons. What a nut!
This letter is mostly a bunch of thank you’s to some packages that he received from us and his sister. He also congratulates Grandma Reid on her retirement party and says "wow… she worked there a long time!" He’s sending her a letter as well. About Michelle’s baby he writes "And wow… Michelle’s baby is a big baby – is it cute or no?" Congratulations Michelle! (Yes, he’s absolutely adorable – we’ll let him know that!) He then goes on to thank his dad for eating seafood for him while we were in Mesquite "I miss that taste… I can taste it now – almost!"
He finishes with "the MTC is good, now officially speaking Spanish but slowing speaking it. Really rough still… we taught for the first time in Spanish on Wednesday, it went OK for the first time." He always ends his letters with "I know this is where I’m supposed to be. I love you all and hope to hear from you soon." Love, Elder Reid
Blythe – thank you for making this awesome blog site for us! I used to be talented on the computer, but technology has surpassed my intellect and patience level! Looks awesome doesn’t it? Steven helped her pick a design that wasn’t "girly" – love it!

My feet are busy!!

When Derek was little, he had two favorite things. His Red Ryder bee bee gun... and his Radio Flyer wagon! When we lived in Layton we loved to go on walks in our neighborhood with beautiful rolling hills. He would always insist on riding in that wagon! If we went anywhere in fact, that was going to require any amount of walking he would stomp his little feet and snort... "my feet are busy!" Isn't it ironic that he would get called to a mission that requires only walking??? In great amounts of heat I might add?! :-) When Blythe was going to Dixie she bought Derek a large gift for Christmas... he always joked that he wanted to serve a mission where it's really cold (like Russia) so he could come back with a humongous fur coat! Imagine his surprise when he opened up his this present from his sister, and in this box was the most hideous fur coat you've ever seen in your life! She found it at the D.I. in St. George... very awesome! In one of Derek's last letters he writes about an awesome talk by Jeffrey R. Holland of the twelve where he talked to the missionaries about giving it their all, he says in his letter... "he talked about so much cool stuff, like, my favorite was about how we should work so hard and give everything we possibly have... like, we can't walk anymore because we gave it our all until we have no strength left and we have to be put on a stretcher. So that's what I will do... give it all I can, even if I collapse and can't even walk because of dehydration... then that's what will have to be done. The meeting hall was so packed, their were so many missionaries there it was crazy!!! Now... we laugh remembering those little busy feet years ago! ha ha -- His next line goes on to say "and also the icecream is really good here!!! It is true!" ha ha... another of his favorite things in life! In this letter he bares his testimony in Spanish -- very awesome!

Club Blog

So I thought I would get with the times and start a "blog" to post some things about our Missionary and his experiences. First off -- taking him to the MTC on New Year's Eve was the hardest thing I've ever done! TORTURE! I can see why they say to just drop them off at the curb and drive away! However, Derek's letters since have inspired and warmed our hearts. It's amazing how fast he's taken in the whole spirit of it all! He said "I've never prayed so much in my life! We pray for everything here!" He then goes on to give us a math figure on how many prayers are said at the MTC in one day and it was around 40,000! He said he really does feel those prayers in action... "they waste no time here, I've learned more Spanish in two days than I did the years I took it in school!" He also loves his companion, "a potato picker from Idaho, who also loves snowboarding and has a great sense of humor." We can tell from his letters that he's loving life, learning a TON and he's even writing in his journal daily! Who is this kid, and what's he done with our son?!! OK... I'll have to grab his letters and write some more of the fun stuff... Later, gotta get some shut eye! :-)

Empty Nester's Club

Wow!... after 24 years of marriage and family fun, we have become empty nesters! Luckily we still enjoy each other's company after all these years. But the house has become unusally QUIET! No X-box yeilding boys pounding it out downstairs! Or blasting the surround sound movies at all hours of the night. No more energy drink belching boys coming and going (we miss you boys!) Yes, Derek has at last entered the mission field -- and is frantically studying Spanish as I type. He's do to leave the MTC on March 2nd, and will be heading to Culiacan Mexico! We are quite excited! First in the Reid Family to serve! Woot Woot! Go Elder Reid!