Elder Esplin is HOME!

Have I talked about my SON?? I don't think I have, at least lately, but he has just returned from his two years spent in San Diego, California on a mission for the church. He had to learn Spanish and mostly preached the gospel to Spanish speaking people who lived there, and in close by surrounding areas. He arrived home last Tuesday, at 4:15 and many of you were there and saw this silly reaction from me when I saw him get off the plane. If you weren't there, you should get a good laugh out of this, I couldn't hide my emotions.
This is the video that Tara's husband took of all of us at the airport. I was SO EXCITED!!! Not just because Eric was coming home;
but because of what's happened while he's been gone, it was a moment that I wondered if I would get to see.

It was a little over a year ago that I was faced with the dilemma of how to tell Eric that I had breast cancer.



My own mother died with breast cancer that had spread to her liver about 12 years ago, and Eric was all too aware of that. Telling him was not something I wanted to do. I did not want him to worry, or be interrupted in any way while he was serving. I did not want him to feel like he needed to come home. At first I told everyone, "Don't let Eric know, I will be all better when he gets home and I will tell him then". That idea lasted a few days, until everyone convinced me that sooner or later, someone was going to leak it to him, and he would be hurt to think I didn't tell him. I realized all of a sudden that I NEEDED his spiritual strength and PRAYERS. Who better is the Lord going to listen to than someone who is giving his full time attention to serving HIM......... yes, Eric needed to know...



Dale came up with the idea to call the Mission President and let him tell Eric. That's what we did, and it went pretty well. Eric did tell us later that his heart sunk to his toes, and of course he first thought of my mom and a dear friend of mine, Kim Judd, that had passed away from breast cancer that spread to the rest of her body in 2004. He remembered all of that and did feel some fear. He said he started to fast immediately, and then felt peace, that all would be well.




I felt that it was the right thing to do when I told him in a letter, "Elder Esplin, this is what I need you to do, I need you to stay on your mission , be very obedient, and work extra hard, and pray for me, and I know that by the time you get home, I will be 'as good as new', I promise you that I will be here when you get back." I have thought about that statement so many times over the last year. I hoped and prayed that my feelings and thoughts were inspired, not just wishes. I couldn't sleep the last few days before Eric came home, overwhelmed with what has happened over the last year or so. I worried that I wasn't as good as new because I am so not cute anymore. (is that vain to think I was ever cute?).
(This is just a nice way of saying I feel like I am ugly, but my breast cancer support group teaches us that "berating ourselves is more damaging to our health than almost anything else", so I know I shouldn't think things like this)
I know the truth is that I am "as good as new", or even better on the inside, even if my outside is not what I would like it to be. I heard Elder David Bednar speak Sunday night, and he cautioned everyone to NOT diminish our bodies. God made them and doesn't like it when we don't like ourselves, or abuse ourselves. I never thought about it that way. I will do better.



Thank you all for coming to Elder Eric Esplin's homecoming party, whether you were at the airport, or at the pizza factory, or even if you were there in spirit. It was such an uplift to me to see so many of you rejoicing with me that I am still alive and well, and got to enjoy the sweet gift of seeing my son Return with Honor. When Eric left, I had long blonde hair, so he has a little adjusting to do just when he looks at me, besides adjusting to everything else.
He is doing great. The biggest difference I have noticed is he doesn't seem to like too much noise. I have heard him say several times this week that he would like it if we all would talk and scream (some of the grandkids) just a little bit softer. I hadn't even noticed how loud we were.




Two days later, I was privileged to be invited to witness the birth of my youngest brother's new baby son in Las Vegas. This is little Beckett Charles McKnight. He weighed 6 lb, 8 oz. I love his mother, my sister-in-law, Heather McKnight. (Some of you might remember that I went to their wedding in between chemo sessions.) In case you think my skin looks good here, Eric is very good on the computer and showed me how he can "touch up" pictures, so he erased my wrinkles..................ooohh, if we could only do that in real life. :)

It is great to have him home, and I am back home now too.
Today we spent some time in the temple together. We had some family names that needed to be baptized, so Eric baptized Kimberlee and I in behalf of 7 of our ancestors, it was a great experience. Afterwards, we went to a bank, where he applied for a job as a teller, and then on to the Spectrum to put his announcement in about his homecoming.

If you are anywhere near the St. George area on Sunday, May 10 ( what a nice mother's day present for me :) ), he will be speaking in Sacrament meeting at 1222 East Brigham Road in Bloomington Hills at 1:30, and we are having a dinner buffet at 3:00 at our house afterwards. You are all invited, and if you really want to , you could bring a side dish to go along with shredded seasoned beef that I will make in the crock pot for the entree. We will see what else I can cook up besides that too.

Thank you all for you loving support. Hope to see you all soon. Love, Karen