Letters to Elder Robison

SAM!

Thank you so much for your awesome letter and fun gifts for the boys! We have been playing hide and seek with the dinosaur erasers this evening, and the boys were pretty excited when they realized that the erasers actually erased! Who knew? Erasers erasing? Crazy talk. They loved the bone too, what is the story with that? 

OH! I am not sure if I told you that Angus took that Australian Lizard roadkill as his first day of Preschool show and tell! IT was awesome. I think the teacher and some of the kids were grossed out, which was fantastic. Grossing people out is surprisingly fun to do, for the most part.

I know this may sound cheesy, but I really really want you to know how much I am impressed by your decision to go on this mission and to stay on your mission.  Sometimes I look back at occasions in my life when I quit too early, or took the easier way out with things (i.e.,college, piano, soccer, applying myself to numerous things), and I can see now that what I missed out on by not finishing those activities to the best of my ability, was not in the activity itself, but rather the principle of sticking to a decision and seeing it through. "Stick-to-itive-ness", if you will. I gypped myself of gaining a deeply rooted ability to stick with something even when it gets tough, and even when I really don't want too. My tendency to quit, complain, and take the easy way is a stronger option for me, than the willingness to continue on with something because I said I would. I do not like that about myself, and am working now to make up for what I did not learn then. It is not easy, and I wish I started learning it years ago. 

Sorry for my soapbox. I just wanted to tell you that by sticking with what you are doing, even though I imagine it is difficult and not always do you want to be doing it, you will be a happier and stronger person 10 years from now than if you were to not stick with it. I know that, and am trying to take the stronger road now. Sorry for the rambles.

I love you, you are super awesome, and funny, and handsome, and kind, and genuine. All of those qualities will serve you well.

Hope your spirits are up and that your companions are not annoying you too much, but just enough to keep life interesting.