2025-12-28_email_i-like-hugs

From: kristi.heywood@gmail.com To: kaitlynn.heywood@missionary.org, kaitlynn.heywood@gmail.com Date: 2025-12-28 Subject: I Like Hugs

Dear Herman,

Now we have been spoiled to talk to you twice a week now we always want to talk to you that much!

I hope you had the best Christmas. Was it weird to have it summer style? It was weird for us to not have you!

Today was my last day with my current primary class. I will lose three of them and get one new one. Don't worry all my favorites are staying!

Alexa spoke in church and did a great job. It was crazy how confident she was. She has grown so much this last year. I will attach her talk.

I tried to get Bryson to come to primary with me, but he stayed in Elders Quorum so he could hang out with Colin instead. They talked in their class how women only talk about hugs. And then the first thing I said to them when I saw them in the hall was that our lesson was on hugs. Lol. It was a very good lesson.

I taught my primary kids about what Jesus has given us and what gifts we could give Him: We could give hugs to people for comfort and to show love, we could give a compliment or we could bear our testimony. Then we played musical gift (like musical chairs) and kids got to choose which one they wanted to do. It was darling. Declan used the game as a chance to hug Ruby Crook over and over again, because he has a crush on her!

I love you. I'm proud of you. Heavenly Father and Jesus love you!

Love,

Mom

Attached: Alexa's sacrament talk

(Kristi forwarded Alexa's talk on her favorite spiritual experience of the year.)

Alexa opened with Galatians 5:22 ("the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith"). Her favorite spiritual experience was FSY in August: she felt the Spirit strongly all week and got close to her company in just a few days, seeing the Lord's hand in being able to learn and remember everyone's names. During morning scripture study, reading in the Doctrine and Covenants, the thought came into her head, "I have no doubt in my mind and in my heart that this is true," and she was overwhelmed with peace and joy. Touring the MTC and seeing the missionaries helped her see people through God's eyes. At the closing testimony meeting her counselor's testimony brought the Spirit powerfully. She concluded that these experiences brought her closer to the Savior, strengthened her testimony, and helped her gain confidence, and that she is grateful to trust the Lord and let Him guide her through hard times.

Attachments: IMG_5747.jpeg, IMG_8454.jpeg, IMG_5797.jpeg, IMG_5814.jpeg, IMG_0402.jpeg (photos, not downloaded)