Week 17 from The Colony, Texas

Halloween Costume...this picture is good enough to be blackmail haha

these are my best friends- Elder Rowland and Elder Wells

everyone:)

John Cook and his box (see description below)

Byron :)

Hmm I can't even express how great of a month it's been. But first and foremost:

Happy Birthday Grandpa Dalling!! I absolutely love you. More than a million m&ms. You are such an incredible person. Thank you so much for everything you are to me. I miss you a ton, but we both know I'm where I'm meant to be. When I get back though, I owe you a huge birthday hug. Promise! 

And Happy Anniversary to my wonderful Leatham Grandparents. My goodness, I have the best grandparents with the cutest love stories. You're such an inspiration to me. What a legacy you've created simply by falling in love more than 50 years ago. I love you both so much. 

Byron's baptism was on Saturday! It was pretty amazing. The really special thing about this baptism is I practically lived it a year ago. It's strange being in the role of the missionary now with almost the same story. Byron's girlfriend, Michelle, is just incredible! They both have spoiled us so much. They work at Cheesecake Factory, so yes they definitely took us there a couple weeks ago. Byron is so amazing. I feel so honored I've been able to teach him and be apart of this experience for him. He's also an amazing soccer player, so on Wednesday we are going to one of his games. His baptism was so good! I sang "I Know that my Redeemer Lives" and Michelle and her sister spoke. Michelle's brother in law baptized him. I love them! They took US out to lunch after- they really do spoil us. 

Sunday was a little crazy. We got John and Shirlene to church! It was quite the task though. We had to go pick John up from the rehabilitation center- they dressed him up for church, but Shirlene forgot his black socks and suit jacket from home so we had to drive all the way back to her house because he is super classy and refuses to go to church without them. Anyways it took a really long time and we helped him get ready and we were only 20 minutes late for church. He still got the sacrament so that's the important part! He absolutely loved church. And so did Shirlene! She hadn't been in a church since she was a little girl. Earlier that week we went to spend some time with her and listened to my favorite, Sonatra, on her record player. We also looked through John's box of pictures/letters/keepsakes from the 1940s. There's even a picture of Ray Evans! So many incredible things in that box. I'll have to post pictures next week. I love that man. He's my marine! Speaking of marines, keep my friend Jameson Mead in your prayers. He just got shipped off to Afghanistan. :( John says he'll be fine. ;)

We are so super busy so the mission finally put in some elders in Little Elm! So we are officially only covering The Colony again which is good because we are drowning in work. One more fun thing before I have to go to our district Halloween Party. Trunk or Treat was so fun! So I came up with the ridiculous idea of dressing up as elders! We borrowed suits from our district leader and his companion. Everyone absolutely loved it. I have to give credit to this idea to Elizabeth and I (cantalina's for life).

Anyways I have a ton more to update but it will have to wait til next week! I love you all! I love being a missionary. It's going to be weird not having a baptism this week! ;) 

Forever and Always,

Sister Dalling

My Address:

5008 Pemberton Ln. 

The Colony, TX 75056

kristina.dalling@myldsmail.net

Week 15 from The Colony, Texas "Best Week Ever"

Brother John Cook- I sang His Hands at the baptism and John absolutely loved it. He later asked us how many times he could be reborn. We gladly said every single week at sacrament!

Sister Allred & Sister Dalling at the baptism of John Cook

Sister Allred, John Cook, Sister Dalling

P-day trip to Dallas with the district!

The spot where John F Kennedy was assassinated

Trip to Dallas

Daisy gave us a present. Her mom didn't even know she what she was doing. But she drew pictures of The Celestial Kingdom- so cute!

Best Week Ever!

So sorry I have super limited time today because we went to Dallas as a district for Pday. But it was such a great week. John's baptism was amazing. General Conference was incredible. I will write more in detail next week- promise!

But most importantly:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I love you so so much. I miss you tons, but I know I'm making you proud. You make me proud to call you my mom. Elder Christofferson's talk simply nailed who my mom is to me. :) 2 Timothy 4 I believe. I love you. 

I will attach some pics to get yall through til next week.

 My Address:

5008 Pemberton Ln. 

The Colony, TX 75056

kristina.dalling@myldsmail.net

Happy 7th Birthday to my little Sister Emily Joy!

Happy Birthday Emily Joy:D

 It's not very often that a twelve year old girl would have to seriously consider the idea that she might never have another chance to be held by her mother. Hear her mom's sweet voice coax away her daily fears. Smell that familiar Oscar perfume. To know that her mom would be there when she turned sixteen, graduated, went to college, or got married, might not even happen. Such thoughts ran through my head as I waited in an empty hospital room on August 23, 2006.
Today was the day! My family had waited nine whole months and it suddenly came down to these final moments. I had jumped out of bed and got everything I needed nearly an hour before my alarm clock even went off. I didn't have time for sleep- my newest sister was to be born today! Emily Joy was going to be six weeks premature, but we were all so happy that she even made it this far. As the eldest of four, I was given the chance to accompany my mom and dad on this eventful day.
I dragged my mom out of the house at 6am on the dot. My mother had done this before, but I was still amazed at how serene she appeared. We happily drove to the hospital passing only the cars crazy enough to be up this early. Excited as ever, we checked her in and waited while the nurse gave her an overall checkup. I winced only for a moment as a tight rubber band was wound around her arm to check her blood pressure. My mother chuckled at how I thought that was the hard part. I quickly declined at the offer to watch my mom undergo the procedure, knowing that seeing blood was not going to help my already queasy stomach. I watched my mom get wheeled into the surgery room as my dad showed me the way to the waiting room. He told me it would all be over soon and they would come get me in an hour or so. I nodded and found a comfortable seat near a bat cage and a tank of fish.
One hour passed. Two hours. Three hours. Four hours. I suddenly began to feel anxious. The little girl I had met in the waiting room waited for her new baby sister, but left nearly two hours before. I wondered why my mom's surgery didn't end as fast. I focused nervously on the bat in the cage while another half hour passed. Finally, a doctor walked in with my dad. I immediately noticed the nervous way the doctor was holding his clip board and the wrinkle between my dad's eyes that he got when he was worried. Something was wrong.
My dad sat down beside me and put a comforting arm around me. The doctor kneeled down beside me and told me a bunch of medical terms I couldn't hear. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the tick of the clock as each second passed by. He finally said, "We took your mom to another surgery room, so I'll show you and your dad the closest waiting room to her. It shouldn't take too much longer. Sorry for the inconvenience." I don't remember if I nodded or muttered anything in response, but I took my dad's hand and followed the doctor through a maze of halls around the hospital.
The new area of the hospital was no longer the calm, easy-going, environment of the other waiting room. It was totally packed with other patients who had severe medical issues. I eyed the doctor, obviously letting him know that I did not want to wait around all of this chaos. He immediately got the message and led us to an empty room nearby. He left as he soothingly said he'd check up on us in a little. Now the only thing to face was the unknown future and a cold, semi-lit room with two stuffy chairs, and my dad.
He didn't have to say anything. I understood something was off. I climbed into his lap and cried. I just let it all out. All my fears of what was unknown came down in little drops of salt water. I thought of all the times my mom had been hurt by past choices I had made. Every time I had gotten frustrated with her seemed so pointless now. My dad rubbed my back and I suddenly realized I was not the only one crying. That was the first time I'd ever witnessed my dad cry like that.
A different doctor came in and told us how fragile both the baby and my mom's lives were at the moment, but that they both made it through the surgery. My mother was in a surgical recovery room that she would have to wait in for another few hours, while Emily Joy was in the NICU. I immediately requested to go see Emily, so this doctor led my daddy and me to yet another room in the hospital.
The NICU was a bittersweet area that took care of newborns that faced major difficulties. I passed pathetic tiny babies that were hooked to cords and often in a temperature controlled container. I silently prayed that none of the severely sick babies was my Emily. A nurse brought us to a baby bed where the most beautiful little girl lay silently attached to a few cords. I asked if I could touch her and after given permission grazed my hand across her precious head. She was perfect. In that moment, nothing else mattered. I subtly noticed how small she was compared to a normal baby. My hand could entirely caress her entire stomach. She was no longer than the length of my lower arm. My dad put his hand on my shoulder and together we watched the newest life God gave our family.
We stayed in the NICU for hours. I softly sang her lullabies while the nurses gently urged her to eat. Reality hit when the doctor from before told us that we could go see my mom in the ICU now. We slowly made it through the halls of the ICU that reeked of death and sadness. Every room we passed had a curtain or contained an elderly woman or man who appeared as if taking their last breath of life. My mom's room was in the complete back- figures. I walked in and immediately had to fight the urge to run away and cry. I held my dad's hand tightly as we approached her pale, weak body. She looked pitiful. Her lips were bluish silver, and she had a blood pouch attached to her neck that I had to avoid looking at. After I got over the shock, I told my mom all about how great Emily was. We showed her pictures, and she responded with what enthusiasm she had left. She fell back asleep, and we went back to see Emily. Later on we went back to my mom and she didn't remember our last visit at all, so we showed her all the pictures again.
I said my goodbyes, as it was very late and she needed to rest. My dad stayed overnight, while I lay in my bed going through what had all happened that day. I realized that I couldn't live without my mom. Everything she does for me finally came into perspective. In the hospital she said that she had been scared to die, but knew that dying was not an option with as many kids that needed her love. I will never forget this experience. You never realize how precious a mother is to have until you almost lose her. She lives for her family, and I'm so thankful to be her daughter. She taught me what real love is, and I'll keep that with me for as long as I live.