News from Citrus Heights.....

As you all know, Monday is my new favorite day... that is as long as it is Sean's p-day. I look forward to the Monday email from him - I've copied some of today's email below - please note, it seems that in typing emails, Sean has forgotten capital letters and punctuation... but that is okay with me - I'll read it anyway - and I won't send it back to him corrected. He also answers questions I ask - but it seems he just randomly answers them mid-thought... cute... yes, I know, he is my son, so I will allow this haphazard way of communicating with me! Glad I know what he is talking about.

So here it is....

i have been getting mail so i guess its all going through now [this is in response to a question I asked him about receiving mail - when we got home on Sunday, we found that a letter we had mailed him had been returned, so of course I worried that he wasn't getting mail]. we have disrict meetings every tuesday, zone meetings every transfer, 6 weeks is a transfer.

[Now a few comments about people he is teaching]

it still looks like hes planning on it we just got to get him the interview with elder rast. [he is referring to an investigator named Jamal who is getting baptized in early October] me and jones are doing pretty great, we may have 2 new people, right now theyre potentials. we tracted into a kid named blake whos grandma is mormon so that helps us, and a lady named lisa that weve visited twice but havnt gotten in the front door yet. yes were watching it at church [referring to General Conference this weekend], and were getting pizza before the pristhood metting so that wil be nice. actually the lady, delores i may have talked about at one point in time was going to be baptized just was going to wait till she moved to colarado to do it. now shes not moving there and me and jones picked her up as an investigator. as we were talking she says she watches a lot of the byu tv station and always watches conference. so me and jones were surprised at that. hopefully we can get others to watch. ... and thats funny that haidan read three chapters so that you would have to catch up. [he is referring to Haidan reading the Book of Mormon. While at the MTC, Sean challenged us all to read at least 5 verses a day and that by the time he comes home from his mission, we will have read the entire Book of Mormon] 

thats good to hear rhat ill be getting a package this week. just be careful on all the snacks you send. i dont want to get to fat out here. average gain for the mission is 30 lbs, so im gonna try to stay away from that. oh! i got my patriarchal blessing sunday after church, pretty great! jones and brother owens got to sit in on it. patriarch warren is one of the longest running patriarchs in the church to that is pretty cool. today looks to be pretty fun, basketball and scatter ball. thats pretty much every man for himself dodgeball. other than that i look forward to hearing from you guys and getting that package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love and miss you guys!

Always so good to hear from him! Have a great week.... hopefully I'll update with some new pictures soon.  At least I requested new pictures in my email to him today - so hopefully he will send some soon!

News from California

I love sitting at the computer, surfing the internet, and then I hear the email chime sound and see that I have an email from Sean.

He is settled in his first area in California. He is currently in Citrus Heights - and in the Van Maren Ward. His new address is listed on the right hand side - but here it is as well - said he loves mail! So, if anyone feels like writing an old fashion, in the mail, postage stamp letter - here is his address:

Elder Sean Simmons
6430 Verner Ave #240
Citrus Heights, CA 95841

So far he has enjoyed his new area. His companion is from Heber City UT and says he is really cool, they get along well and he also mentioned that his comp is 6' 6". He said his ward mission leader "is great - well awesome" So I think he must have a really good ward mission leader. Right now they are teaching a few people and have a baptism scheduled. Says that in all of the members homes that he has been to, they have all been amazing. He especially liked a dinner appointment that he had earlier this week - the family took him and his comp to Chipolte - which is one of Sean's favorite places to eat!

Earlier in the week while we were enjoying our Labor Day holiday and at a picnic, Sean said that he and his Comp and a ward member were playing golf - so I'm sure, that he LOVED his first p-day in California. Monday's will now be my favorite day to wait patiently by my email to hear from him!

After the mix up with the damaged Jeep bike - Sean received the replacement - and said he loves, loves. loves it! Which is good to hear - because it sounds like he will be on a bike for most of his mission. Lucky Guy - that is if you love bike riding - which I do! So, hopefully, he will enjoy it too. He also loves the weather. Said it has been hot, but not humid hot - so he said it is great. Yes, he has carried on with the positive adjectives: way cool, great, amazing, awesome. Yep, he is a missionary.

Oh... and we also received a picture of him in the mail from his Mission President - but I haven't had a chance to scan it, so I'll add it to the next blog update.

Have a great week all! And yep, I am a geek, but I get so excited to hear from him... for me, one of the hardest parts of him being on a mission is to have to wait for an email or a letter and not have instant communication. Ah... it is so hard having patience!

Pictures!

Sean sent us his memory card today to download his pictures from the MTC... I won't post them all (even though I am a photo freak), here are a few of his past three weeks. It was fun having this in the mail today!

In a letter Sean sent home, he said they found these items in the ceiling of their room. 

Provo Temple on P-day

a Chalk-Board in class - and I quite agree, Elder Simmons = The Best Missionary Ever!

Another drawing.... Elder Healey is one of the Elders in his District.

Smiley Sean and Sleepy comp?
(I don't know if this is a comp or not, but  he is one of the Elders in  Sean's room - there are four of them in the room.

Chow Time

Sean's District

Goofy Pic

Elder-Mafia? 

To add to the items they found in the ceiling, his district made  some "Golden Plates"
to  put back in the ceiling for the next group of missions that have that room.

Class-Room.... of course, these aren't of Sean, since he took all the pics instead of being in them.

Going somewhere???

On the wall in Sean's room.

Sean's Desk with his ELDER SIMMONS tag... so cute... 

The Excitement.... of a phone call.... and the other excitement of another phone call.....

Yesterday morning, Sean was scheduled to leave from SLC to Sacramento at 8:40 am.... (MST). At 8:40 am (CST) I received a call from an 801 area code!! I was psyched! I knew it had to be him... and yes it was, he was calling from the airport to talk for a few minutes before his flight. I was so excited to talk to him and hear about his last 3 weeks. And, I did hog the call... I didn't share with any family.... but that was because I was already at the office and so I didn't have to share with anyone....hahahah. Yes, at times, I can be evil and selfish! So far so good, he really enjoyed his time at the MTC, but he was also very excited to leave the MTC and head to California. He was also excited to see life outside of the MTC as well! Then yesterday afternoon, I received a quick email from him saying that he was at the mission home and that he was waiting to meet his trainer and find out where he would be for the next 3 months (approximately). So all is great.... So happy to talk to him, and so happy to know that he had made it to his destination okay...

Then tonight... I had a 916 area code on my cell (Yes, that is the area code of the mission home) and instantly got all excited, thinking, wow, he got to call me again, but no, it was a Sister Kolditz calling to tell me that Sean had arrived safely yesterday and that he was such a nice young man.... and to tell me that the mountain bike I ordered for him was damaged.... HUH>>>>ARGHHH>.... really not a big deal... but, I had ordered a SWEEET Jeep Renegade mountain bike (see below, pretty sweet huh?), and I had not told him what kind of bike I ordered. He loved his Jeep Wrangler, so I thought he should continue the Jeep tradition with a Jeep Bike. So for the past three weeks, I've teased him in every letter about the sweet bike that would be waiting for him at the mission home... only for him to get there and find a damaged sweet bike.... But all is okay.... I called and the company I ordered from (Amazon) will be sending UPS to pick up the old bike and will be delivering a new bike on Friday of this week. Now, lets all keep our fingers crossed that the new bike will arrive with no damage!!

Mail Call.... yep, love it when the mail-lady delivers a letter from Sean!

We received a letter from Sean today - Yea Letter No 2. And earlier in the week, was able to "chat" with him on email for a few minutes.

He is doing great. Sounds like he is very busy. He listed his daily schedule which is so jammed packed. It is great hearing from him - and hearing him sound so excited. Hard to believe he has already been at the MTC for 10 days. He will leave for California on August 30th.

Said he is going to send his picture memory card home as soon as he receives the other one I sent him so that I can download some of his pictures from the MTC.

Now, I will look forward to Tuesday which is his P-day so that I can get email from him!

The First Letter!

The wait for the first letter has been a loooooonnnnnnnggggg few days. Yes, I know that he only went into the MTC last Wednesday afternoon - but the time between then and now has just been long. I didn't really start looking for a letter until Saturday - thinking if he sent a letter out Thursday morning, that maybe it would be here on Saturday, but no letter. Then I started fearing that when he teased me that he wouldn't write me, that maybe he really meant it, but tis not so....he did write -  our first letter arrived today. (And, yes, I am neurotic!)

In just the few short days that Sean has been at the MTC, his three most frequently used words in a two page letter are "way", "cool" and "awesome". So here is a quick synopsis of his first few days:

1 - His companion is way cool. He's like from Sandy UT and he is way cool. [so I think this means he is getting  along well with his comp]
2 - On day one and two, he already started mock teaching pretend investigators - and yes, this too, was way cool. And on day two, he did way better than day one.
3 - The food is good - but you really pay for it afterwards... hmmmmm.....
4 - He went to bed on time and was way tired the next day. [yes, anyone who knows Sean, knows that going to bed early is not in his schedule - so this will take some getting use to]
5 - Two requests for stuff - pens that don't splatter out so much ink and more letters. [This does surprise me - I thought he would request junk food, but no, he would like pens. So, being a good Mom, I'll send him some good pens tomorrow]

We were so excited to hear from him and know that all is going "way cool". Looking forward to when he has his first p-day so that I can hear from him through the email as well.

It's Official...

So, I said yesterday was the Big Day, Part 1 - today was even Bigger Day, Part II. After having a great night and morning with his cousins, Eric and Kristen & kiddo's accompanied Sean to the MTC. Eric informs me that I am probably very glad I was not there - because it literally was a Drop and Run. Meaning - once they drove in to the drop off section of the MTC, they were greeted by two "Host" missionaries, who took Sean's luggage and then accompanied him inside...... but wait..... Kristen was able to get a few pictures of our missionary before he disappeared into the MTC..... and I am so thankful to Kristen and Eric - and little Miss Cami and Mr Luke for spending time with Sean last night and this morning. I am sure that he loved it! 

And yes.... now it is time for the pictures!

 

Eric being Mr. Chauffeur Man - instead of driving Miss Daisy - we have driving Elder Simmons....

The "Host" Missionaries there to accompany Sean to his first moments inside the MTC... And I'm gonna have to say, wow... they look like vultures, just waiting...... da da da da (insert Jaws music here...)

 At this point, Kristen said this is when they (the vultures, um, I mean Host Missionaries) were pretty much like, "Alright Elder, let's go" and Kristen had to say, "can I take some pictures first!" 

Cousins - hugs goodbye....Awwww,,,,

Ok, let's get serious now... better hugs...

And, now it is the time.... Look out MTC and California Roseville - you are getting a great one! I know, because, he is our son! (Yep, we are soooo proud).