Dear family and friends,

Cheerio!  It has been a great week, and a very emotional one for me!

 Monday night for FHE we had our closing social with all the BYU students as well as our local YSAs.  We held it in the “cultural hall” of the Methodist church!  We had a Costa Vida menu and a great night of visiting and laughing together.  It was a hard evening as we said goodbye to a lot of our BYU friends.  We are amazed at how, in such a short time, we were able to grow so attached to these 24 students!  After most of them left, we had the greatest amount of fun with those who stayed and did the dishes!  We all crowded into our kitchen!  I watched while 6 of them did the dishes and found places to put stuff!  I’ve had to find some things, but they were so amazing to help and not want to leave any mess for us to clean up!  (This is a fun side note!—one of our students, Ben Jacobs, father is the OB-GYN who delivered Asher and Avery!—I didn’t find that out until I asked Heather about the doctor who delivered Asher!  I should have known as I was at his side when Asher made his appearance!)  Amazing how the world becomes so small!!!

We were able to visit a lot of our friends this week to invite them to come to the ward summer party.  We enjoyed our district meeting with our missionaries.  It’s always fun to have them stay for lunch and enjoy their personalities and allow them to let their hair down a bit!  We sure love these missionaries!

Well, Brad and I enjoyed our 40^th Wedding Anniversary this week on the 17^th.  I can’t think of a better place to celebrate than on a mission together!  We had several friends in the ward tell us it is a ruby anniversary.  Heavens, I didn’t know that!  In honor of the day, Brad purchased two candy ruby rings for a total of £2.00!  The mission has conditioned us to be frugal!!!  We spent the day visiting dear friends, counseling with a troubled young man, I did yoga with a friend, we attended a missionary correlation meeting and ward council, came home late and had a bowl of cold cereal for dinner!  Sounds romantic huh!!!!!   We have scheduled a two day trip to London next week to go in to see Les Miserables.  So it will be a belated anniversary getaway.  I must say, I have grown to appreciate Brad so much as I have watched him rise to the calling of missionary.  He is amazing!  He loves the people and they love him.  British people are not so much a demonstrative group, but Brad’s ready smile and open arms have made a real impact on the reserved British here!  He has made an impact on the leadership here and they look to him for counsel and direction on a lot of issues.   The YSA’s and the young missionaries adore him.  I’m so proud of him and grateful that he is my companion!!  How quickly 40 years has gone.  As I look back on those wonderful years, I don’t remember so much the negative things.  I just remember so much of the good.  I have a picture of our children on our bedroom dresser, so it is usually the first thing I see in the morning.  As I was looking at all of them this week, my heart swelled with gratitude.  We are far from perfect, and we have made lots of mistakes, but I am so filled with love and gratitude for all of you and the impact for good you have made in my life!  I think of the fun, the laughter, the hugs, the late night talks, and just the time together!  Thank you to a fabulous husband who is so good to me, 12 beautiful children who are more precious than life itself, and 18 magnificent grandchildren who are the light of my life and my favorite blessings!  I am truly blessed.  40 years has been a fleeting moment in the eye of eternity!  I hope you know how grateful I am for all of you!

Sunday, we said goodbye to one of our YSA’s, John Ablett, who is leaving tomorrow for the MTC in Provo before he goes to Nova Scotia, Canada.  I hugged him and the tears just streamed down my face.  Then later we said goodbye to Madeleine Ary, one of our Cambridge students.  She got her master’s degree and is now heading to Washington DC to intern in the White House.  (If you are so inclined to write a letter to President Obama, do it now, because she will be the one to read them and respond!!!)  I cried as I hugged her.  I can see why service is a purifying doctrine!  As we serve, we forget ourselves and truly learn how to love as the Savior loves! 

I can’t express well enough how much I have grown to love our Heavenly Father and His Son and the Holy Ghost.  They are magnificent and so involved in so many of the details of our lives.  You are all great!  We love you and miss you all!  Have a great week!

With all our love,

Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Elder and Sister Jackman