Pumpkin Carving

So you're curious how I related the law of chastity to "Don't Eat Pete"? I thought the parallel was pretty obvious - It's perfectly OK to eat Pete if you do it in the right order and eat the other M&M’s first - in fact that means you won the game! You get to eat ALL the M&Ms (or get all the blessings) if you just do it in the right way. But, if you try to eat Pete too early in the game, you get yelled at and your turn's over. Make sense?

We did end up singing, but just for Relief Society, so it wasn't bad. And we even got to participate in the Primary Program! We got to lead the kids in as they marched onto the stand singing "Called to Serve". Primary programs are always so amusing.

I'm glad your Family Ball turned out so well! Sounds like it was a huge success. Am I actually going to come home to a social family? Amazing. And that dress is a great Savers find. You know, they really should pay us for advertising. But I don't know, Mom, I don't think you are keeping yourself busy enough, do you think you could fit a little more into your schedule?

I'm trying to keep busy, but it's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning with how cold it's getting! They say it's supposed to snow here today. We also got a new car today - you know how they're always switching them out. This one's a '09 Toyota Corolla with 115 miles on it. Crazy. Newest cars I'll ever drive.

Jamie is still planning on getting baptized but it's moved to Nov. 8th because something came up for the 1st. So if I get transferred on the 5th I won't be here for it. But I don't know if I'm leaving or not. So I didn't scare her off with the “Don't Eat Pete” thing :) And we've started teaching this awesome lady. Maybe I told you about her last week, I don't remember, but she called us and wanted us to teach her so she could be baptized. She's already been reading the Book of Mormon and knows the gospel is true and defends it to people, she just wants to know a little more so she can be an official member. Teaching her is so much fun; she is so excited about what she's learning. She just keeps saying over and over again "Wow, this just makes so much sense!" She has been so prepared to hear the gospel and already knows it's not going to necessarily be easy and is willing to do what she needs to do because it's true. The first time we met her she was basically bearing her testimony to us the whole time. She even called us yesterday because she was doing the little homework assignment we gave her and wasn't clear on something and just wants to soak everything in. She's so hungry for it. It's awesome. So I'm sure we'll have a baptism date soon for her. Now why can't everyone be like that? We're teaching her again tonight. Oh, if you remember the lady from Congo I taught while I was in Christiansburg, Sister Hill told me she finally got baptized! I was so excited about that! I just wished I could have been there. Oh well.

And don't worry; I will have a great Halloween. Our ward is having their ward party right on Halloween, because for some odd reason, the community here changes Halloween and has their trick or treating the week before, so last Saturday. I thought it was funny. And I carved my pumpkin and that made me happy and I even roasted the seeds just for fun even though I don't really eat them. I took pictures so I'll attach one. I thought about being all creative and designing my own pumpkin like I normally do, but for lack of time, I replicated the picture you sent me and I was surprised how well it turned out even though I did it really fast and didn't put as much careful effort into it like usual.

My Mission President, President Thornock and his wife made me laugh the other night. Sunday night I got a call from Sis. Thornock and the only reason she called was because she wanted to see if she'd figured out my riddle. We have to write President letters every week just to let him know how we're doing, and I just don't know what to write sometimes, so I write him riddles or jokes every now and then and this time he just couldn't figure it out (what is at the end of time and the beginning of eternity) so they called me and I had to tell Sis. Thornock the answer (which is so simple you feel stupid) so she could hold it over President Thornock. He said he couldn't go on to the rest of his letters until he figured it out. So funny.

Well gotta go. Love you!

~Melissa