Hi Mom!!!

I loveeeeed seeing this email pop up in my inbox and I am SO happy you guys got outside all together! That seriously is such a fun spot. Except the "jump" the cousins and I made looks a lot smaller when Dad stands at the top. All my "gnarly" Gopro videos from that hike are now neatly organized next to my dreams of wanting to be an olympic gymnast.

Seriously though. That hike is so fun and those pics are a crack up. Maggie is such a goof and Lizzy is looks buffer than Michael. She is so toned! You can tell her I said that. Miss that karate kicking girl.

Max is the goodest naughty boy that ever walked the earth and I will never forget how funny it was trying to get him out of the Indian Pools the first time. I think Matt had to dive back in and grab his collar. I'll also never forget the one daddy-daughter campout (the one where Maggie pooped her pants) where we lost Max. Did you know about this??...Maybe I shouldn't bring this up. Anyways, Max was swimming in a little pool above the waterfall we were all playing in. It was so funny because we were all shouting his name, sort of panicking, and he was just chilling like the good boy he his, trying to eat his splashes. hahahaha that dog has been through it all. He deserves whatever he wants.

This week has been better. We are grinding and I feel like such a productive missionary when we are busy. There have been some days where we have had 20 minute lunches (we normally take an hour for our meals) because our schedules have been crammed and it feels sooooo nice. Still haven't found anyone in our area who's interested in the gospel but it's ok. Tuesday we had a "greenie meeting" for hermana Goold. There were so many missionaries because it was all the "greenies" and their comp(s), probably around 100 or more. President stood up and started talking about teaching through social media and out of nowhere he looks at me, we were sitting on the second to past pew, and says, "Hermana McKinlay, will you tell us a little bit about your experience with teaching English classes?" That made me feel good even though I was like uhhhhhh ya I want to cry we just handed my favorite investigator off to elders in Orem sooo...

I told Armando I would find him after the mission and he made me promise. I've done that with a lot of people, one of which was Axel in Argentina so I guess I really have to go back. I remember exactly where he lives. Sweetest kid.

I've REALLY been studying these last few weeks. It sort of started with wanting to understand the Atonement and grace better. That led to studying the Fall. Then I moved to the Abrahamic Covenant and Abraham's role. Now I read the Bible Dictionary for fun haha. It's actually so interesting and I have learned so many things. It's actually really cool because my patriarchal blessing talks a lot about how I can gain knowledge. Temporal and spiritual. It's something I've valued a lot these last few weeks. I think when I got my patriarchal blessing it was one of the first times I was like, "ohh God really DOES know me." I remember walking in to get Patriach Hansen's and having two things I wanted God to specifically address in my blessing. Hahahaha whoops. I didn't get the direction I expected on either of the things and I've learned it's because if God would have straight up said "You will...." I wouldn't really be converted and/or consecrated in my effort. Had my blessing said, "You WILL serve a full-time mission..." I would have gone, because God said so. Hopefully I would have chosen to dedicated myself. But I had to be a big girl and really pray and counsel with the Lord (and everyone else their dog...) about going. Now I look at my blessing and read a whole paragraph that talks about my mission!!! So cool!!!

Hermana Goold and Skinner are awesome. Maybe Heavenly Father told me to go on a mission so I could have dope people at my wedding, like all my fun mission companions. Just kidding.

Hey! Proud of you for working and being the best and nicest nurse! You can perform surgery on my shins when I get home............Anyways, I tell everyone your a nurse haha. "Mi madre es enfermera!" Also, you'd be proud of me. I'm going and getting my flu shot. Sept. 15th, mark your calendar. I'm practically ready to see an OBGYN!

Send me good recipe ideas will you? Things I could make in 30-45 minutes.

I uploaded lots of pics and videos to Google but here are some fun ones

Also, KEEP READING THE LIBRO DE MORMON as a family!!! That is so important and I am so grateful you and Dad instilled that in me...even if I didn't always reciprocate feelings of love haha.

Love you big mamacita muy bonita!!! Thank you for the email!!!

Hermana McKin ❤