We have a fun tradition that we started in our family. The missionary gets to announce pregnancies. Mark and I figured that since they were usually the last to know anything going on with the family, we could let them have the excitement of being the only one to know something, and then spread the word however they see fit. With all of our kids so far, the delivery date has almost exactly coincided with the announcing missionaries homecoming - and since my parents go to pick up the missionaries, they missed/postponed visiting for Shelly, got to see Jason in the hospital for about a hours before heading home to pack and catch a flight, and only saw Emily for a few days before leaving. This one they get lots more time. Almost a whole year! We timed this one poorly, apparently. But the good news is that Doug also got to announce Rob & Jenny's baby - sorta.
Doug decided a fun way to announce this baby of ours by writing a letter to be read just before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure he realized that Mom and Dad would have invited several of their singles ward members over and that they would get to hear the news as well... That part was a bit embarrassing, but it was worth the look on Dad's face when he got to the last sentence or two and had read about 1/2 of it before it processed what he was reading. He looked up at me shocked, and no one else quite knew what was going on. I had been feeling super icky that whole week leading up to Thanksgiving that we spent down with family, and I was super proud of myself for hiding it well enough that no body asked me if I was pregnant (that way I didn't have to lie). No one else was impressed though... Mark was, but he doesn't count.
Well, here's the letter from Doug to be read at Thanksgiving:
Having lived outside of the United States, especially outside of Irvine, Ca, I have come to be thankful for a lot of things we take for granted in the States. Among many, the main three are: my house, my religion, and my family.
1. My house. I have seen all sorts of houses here. Most of them are just cement and brick. Many of them are literally smaller than my front room. They share a kitchen and a bathroom with other ´houses´ that are close by. The people here don´t have the ability to go to their room to be alone, to have a nice table where they eat, couches are almost non-existent, a lot of people don´t even have chairs, just stools. There are also people who don´t even have that much, all they have is the clothes on their back. It is so hard to walk by people sleeping on the street and not just want to cry. To have my own bedroom with my own bed, a fridge, a kitchen, a couch, a tv, a computer, carpet. All of these things I am so grateful for.
2. My religion. There are so many people who don´t know why they are on the earth. Who have no purpose, no foundation. When something bad happens in their live they have no where to turn for comfort or guidance. That is why we have the gospel. That is why we have Christ. So that no matter what happens we know who we are and we know why we are here. It gives meaning to live and a reason to get going enough when life is tough, which it always is.
3. My family. There are tons of broken families here. Girls that got pregnant as teenagers, dads who left, kids who live on the street. The strength and protection that a family gives is invaluable. To have parents who love me and will do anything for me. Siblings that care about me and are always available to give advice or hang out with. It is a great blessing to have a strong large family that loves eachother. Even though there will be at least one more nephew that I don´t know when I get back, I love him too. Though there will actually be at least one more neice/nephew, because Rachel is pregnant.
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. I love you all. May God be with you till we meet again.
Les quiero mucho,
Elder Gardner
P.S. I'm due in early June. And Doug gets home in July of the next year.
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