From Amy July 26th

Hello my Dear,
We just got home from church and finished our leftover pizza for lunch. Kiki's sleeping up here in our bedroom and the other kids are watching Liken the Scriptures movies downstairs. I borrowed the Rittmanics' carpet cleaner and got the living room and hallway done last night at 11:30. It was really nasty in the living room but looks much better now.
I'm almost done deep cleaning our bedroom and going through all of our clothes (in the whole house). I got rid of 5 garbage bags worth of clothes. I'm trying to clean out the whole house this week and then on Friday, I'm going to leave work early (I hope) and go take the kids up to Aaron & Cindy's house for the weekend. I made a reservation at the new Marriott in Provo overnight on Friday. I hope to spend a few hours working on my planning in the afternoon. Then, when Kristen and Christene can get away in the evening, we'll go out to eat and maybe a show. Saturday Christene said she'd help me finish my planning---meal plans, preschool plans, etc.
I have Taye & baby Grayson full time next week on top of all my regular kids. They'll be here the 2 wks before school starts. Then I'll trade all my school-age kis in for preschoolers & 2yr olds without a break, so I need to get ready. We've done summer school off and on, but it's not been regular. It takes a lot of planning to prepare that many activities for this many kids for 11 hrs each day & still get all the cooking/cleaning/shopping done, not to mention the paperwork! Thank goodness the Hoole boys have been mowing the lawn. I need to get out & weed again, though. Anyway, I'm so excited to get a break from all these kids and be able to get some work done.
Church was really nice. I love both Sunday School and R.S. We're studying Elder Hale's talk about debt and provident living this month. In Sunday School, the lesson was on Zion's Camp & Sr. Cheryl Thompson was subbing for Rhonda. Lyle brought up your 1st letter (I've been sharing them with people who love you, hope that's okay?) and talked about how the U.S. military brings you so low so they can build you up again in their way. The Lord does the same thing but in a more perfect way. At the end of the camp, they didn't fight, because the battle wasn't the point, it was the spirit of obedience they developed. Some understood it and were strengthened in their priesthood, and others didn't and became enemies to the Church. I'm glad you're one of the ones who gets it, and am excited to feel your new strength when we're together again. (I'm talking about your priesthood, but I also can't wait to run my hands over your arms & shoulders after all the push ups you're doing, too!:)
Relief Society was really good too, with a lot of comments that made an old subject seem new. We talked about living so there's extra-a reserve of resources to take care of uncertain times ahead. That also refers to spirituality as well. Are we storing up reservoirs of faith and testimony and love to draw upon when times are hard? I know I've been very blessed by the reservoirs of love you've left here for our family. We've done FHE's, because Jonah remembers. We always do family prayer and have to do UNITY every night. Kiki never forgets and is so adorable when he says the prayer.
Today after church, I found him in Bishop Bunker's office sitting on his lap eating candy. He was happy there, so I left him to go stand out in the hallway until he was ready to come, which was 10 min later. I knew he needed lap time from a father figure. When Alan was here on Fri., the kids loved it. He played with them and even kind of yelled at them to help me more. He made them clean up the living room before he left, even though it was like 10:30 pm, and I was so grateful to have someone else help with them. I haven't had a break for a long time, and Thurs./Fri I reached my limit. The new kids this week were hard on me, and I now have kids until 6 instead of 5 each day, which means I'm working 11 hr days MTW, 10 hrs Thurs, and 11 1/2 hrs Fri. I get really tired sometimes, and this weekend I had to rest.
We went to Mom & Dad on Fri. for Pioneer Day in the morning, and then in the afternoon I brought Abby & Kiki back with me to watch Chandler & Garret. Alan brought Jo & Teva down that evening, which is why he was here. It was nice not to take them to Walmart for once, and he did fireworks with them down at the neighbors'. I needed the break.
I told John & Colby about your news from yesterday and John said they didn't get to shoot until later in the training. Colby said that graduation isn't the most free time for me to see you, because you'll get the whole weekend free later during tech school, but he agrees it will be good for the kids & we can steal a moment or two together.
Those 10 min with you on the phone were awesome for me yesterday. I know I was crying, but it really made me happy. I just miss you so much and wish you could hold me and tell me you love me. I wish I could just be weak and rely on your strength for a while. I'm doing it though, and I can make it through this. I just need you to know how much I love you and how happy you make me. I want to be with you forever and I try to make you happy too. I feel like this time apart is going to make us re-invent ourselves and start our marriage over again fresh, and I'm so excited about that chance. More than ever, I feel that you are the best man in the whole world. You are the most loving, funny, handsome, honorable, humble, strong, spiritual, honest, serviable, sexy, exciting, passionate man I've ever met, and I'm so happy to be your wife. As I saw somewhere online, "I'm his Barbie, and he's my G.I. Joe." Super-cheesy, but with my new make up, hair, and clothes, it kind of works this week. I can't wait to take off your uniform for you in our hotel room. I'm working hard every day so we can be together again. I can't wait to get your letters. Don't be afraid to write me a steamy secret one---I always read them to myself before sharing them with the kids or anybody else.
Anyway, I love you a ton and will write more soon. I don't know what else to say right now, and have to hurry if I want to nap before Kiki wakes up. Erika was telling me to watch out because you'll act like our Drill Sargent when you come home & won't be able to tolerate any mess or sloppy behavior. I hope you don't pick up swearing either, eh? Or drinking, girls (except me:) drugs or porn. Stay pure & do your best. "Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all you do" sound good to me! (Air Force motto)
GROS bisous!
Amy