Education week

I have loved attending education week. The most amazing experience was hearing Michael Ballam speak. He testified of the reality of Satan. He testified that one way to protect your home and family from Satan is to always play good music. Satan does not like to be in an environment where the Spirit is present and music invites the Spirit. I know this is true.

So far Tina loves it.

I talked to Tina last night and she was still missing me, but she was having fun. Then she went to the Institiute dance last night and to church today and I doubt she is missing me at all anymore. That makes me happy.

I loved what a friend said about Tina living in the same apartment Beckie lived it. She said it is "good karma." Of course I don't believe in karma, but it still just feels right.

I abandoned my baby today:(

I left Christina at Snow College today. She moved into the same apartment in the dorm that Beckie lived in when she was there. It was like dejavu all over again. We had a fun day getting her settled and then "pushed her out of the nest" at about 4pm. She cried a little when we left, but quickly made friends with her roommates. She seems to have really nice roommates and they seem to be good girls. Snow College is a wonderful place.

I will miss my baby, but it is time for her to go.

57 things

My girls tell me I have to list 57 things I love about Frank before I can read their blogs. So here they are:
1. He loves me.
2. He loved me enough to marry me 29 years ago.
3. He married me in the Temple.
4. He still takes me to the Temple.
5. We have 4 wonderful daughters.
6. He is a loving father.
7. He let me live in San Antonio after we were married.
8. He let me move to Provo last year.
9. He let us spend a lot of time in Manti every summer when the girls were growing up.
10. He is a good money manager.
11. He has always been a good provider.
12. He honors and magnifies his Priesthood.
13. He can answer any gospel question I ask and he knows exactly where the reference is.
14. We went to Germany and Switzerland last year and plan to go again next year.
15. He has a wonderful mother. She is the best mother-in-law and granny.
16. He has a wonderful sister and she really loves my daughters.
17. He is a great professor and his students really like him.
18. He likes Kitty.
19. He likes leftovers and will eat the same thing everyday until it is all gone.
20. He will eat cereal for dinner if I don't want to cook.
21. I like his hair so much.
22. He always thinks I am beautiful-even now as I get older.
23. He likes the old TV show The Paper Chase.
24. He likes I Love Lucy.
25. He likes the old TV show Mission Impossible.
26. He introduced me to the movie Casablanca.
27. He likes the move National Treasure.
28. He is a really good teacher and speaker at church. When he was Stake President everyone like his talks because he could say so much without taking a long time.
29. He likes to shop at Walmart-I figure if I can't buy it at Walmart I don't need it.
30. He likes to watch Perry Mason at night, but he almost always falls asleep just before the end so he doesn't know what happened.
31. He fixes the computer for me whenever something goes wrong.
32. He loved me when I had bad eyes, but then he let me get them fixed.
33. He is letting me get a new bathroom.
34. He always drove the girls to seminary so I didn't have to get up and do it.
35. We never fight.
36. We have never fought.
37. We have always talked about moving to St George, but probably never will.
38. He likes planning for things like vacations.
39. He has the ablility to really listen to people.
40. He never brags about himself.
41. When I look at him I feel all fluttery inside-I love him so much more now than I did when we were first married.
42. During the first year of our marriage he always could figure out exactly how many minutes we had been married.
43. I am more likely to forget our anniversary than he is.
44. He loves my cooking.
45. It is fun to go for walks with him.
46. It is fun to sit at home with him and be quiet.
47. It is fun to go to church with him and have everyone tell me how much they admire him.
48. He joined the church because of a rattlesnake.
49. He was a percussionist in High School and played in the Longhorn Band at UT.
50. He is tall.
51. He plays the piano and the organ.
52. Sometimes he says funny things and I laugh.
53. He took me to Uruguay.
54. We are so similar in every way.
55. My hand fits perfectly in his.
56. I love holding his hand.
57. I am convinced that there is no one else I could be so perfectly happy and content with.

This is a picture of Frank's parents on their wedding day. In honor of Frank's father, I want to write a little about them. They met at a skating rink when Betty was 15. Junior was 4 year older than Betty. They got married 4 years later.

Junior was not a man to express his emotions much. Towards the end of his life his was an invalid. Betty took care of even his most basic needs. She did this for many years. One day she walked into his bedroom. It was shortly before his last serious setback. As she walked into his room, he opened his eyes and said. "Betty, I have always loved you."

This simple statement meant so much to her and made everything she did for him worth it. She does not regret one minute of the care she gave him.

I think this is a beautiful story and I hope we all remember to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us.

I am thankful my husband had a good father. I am thankful he is a good father. And I am thankful for my wonderful father.

Our Day in Minas (by Julianna)

Wow we had quite a day. We went and saw a zillion people and did some great sightseeing. Daddy is the best driver in the whole world. First we drove down to Punta del Este just to see it. Thats where that picture of just daddy and me is from. Then we went to Minas to the Crums house. It was wonderful. We had a good lunch and then we talked for awhile. I sure love them. Then we started visiting people. I sure love all these wonderful Uruguayans that I have met. They are so special, so humble. It was wonderful to see that the people I left 3 months ago are still strong in the faith. Alejandra, one of the people baptized while I was there is still strong and going. That makes me so happy! Blanquita is a very dear friend. She is 22 years old and in a wheel chair, very disabled. She lives with her mother and they are very poor, they hardly live from day to day. They have no electricity in their house. When we got to their house she had a present for me. She had crocheted a doily for me. It was so sweet and kind and a big sacrifice for them. We saw many other people. We also went out to the statue of General Artigas. He is like the George Washington of Uruguay. When we got there the bugs were so thick and hitting us. We had to like swim through them. It gave mommy and daddy good experience. :) We took some pictures and then got on our way. We stopped and got gas and I totally could speak Spanish with the guy. That was my first time ever filling a car with gas in Spanish! Then we drove a long way and finally got back. It was a really good day. I love being a missionary. It really was a good day. I cant believe I only have one more whole day in this beautiful country. I feel so blessed that the Lord called me to serve Him here in Uruguay. I have been so happy here. I love you all!!!

Soy la Hermana Dittmar (from Julianna)

Marianne and Marianne

Anita and Julianna

Buen Dia! Como estan todos? Mommy and daddy and I are sitting in our hotel room in beautiful Montevideo. Its called Montevideo because a long time ago a man in a ship was lost and he saw the mountain of Montevideo and in old old Spanish he said Monte veo yo but it came out because it was old Spanish sounding like Monte vid eo and for that they named it Montevideo. We are going to go to Punta del Este today and then to Minas. I am so excited to see the Crums again.

Last night mommy and daddy attended my last baptism as a missionary. It was beautiful. Gaston was so funny, he tried to share his testimony but it didnt work very well. Daddy gave him a tie and showed him how to tie it which was really cute. Hna Blocker, Richard and I did a duet, them singing and me playing the piano. It went over well. Afterwards there was a big dinner where we ate asado. Anita couldnt stand that I didnt have any meat on my plate so she cut off half of hers. The branch gave mommy and daddy a picture of the branch and that was sweet. It was a really great night.

My life feels very surreal right now. I cant describe how I feel. One minute I am crying and the next I am jumping up and down. I love being a missionary. It has been so hard, but so wonderful. Alma 26 perfectly describes my mission. I am thankful for the mercy the Lord has poured out on me. I am so thankful for the baptisms I have seen and the joy I have felt. I am especially thankful to see how the gospel has changed my own life.

I love you all.

Love Hna Dittmar