April Fool's Package

I wanted to send a fun package to Nathan, so I brought home an empty M&Ms box from the theatre.  I opened it from the side rather than from the top so I could glue it back down and have it look like a case of M&Ms!  My plan was to buy a couple of all the different kinds of M&Ms out there to send so he could share with his companion.

When the other kids saw the box, they were sad that it wasn't full of candy!  When I told them my plan for the box, they thought it would be funny if we sent if full of something other than M&Ms.  So I did!

I was still in a candy mood so I bought some packs of fun sized M&Ms and carefully opened the package and removed the fun sized little bags.  I replaced them with KitKats and Reeces Pieces. I then put the packs of 'mislabeled' candies in the M&Ms box along with some pixie sticks and other candies and sealed it up so it looked like a new box of M&Ms.

 

My next switched involved a couple bags of chips.  I bought a small bag of Bugles and a small bag of Funyuns.  I then carefully opened the bottom of the Funyuns and poured them in a bowl. After that, I carefully opened (pulling apart without tearing!) the bag of Funyuns and poured them into the empty Bugles bag and put the Bugles in the Funyun bag.   Because of the 'grease', I took a wipee and cleaned the bottom of the bags.  After they dried, I used double sided tape to 'seal' the bags back up.

I was in a hurry to mail this, so I ended up forgetting to put an April Fool's note in the box.  Surely he'll get it. 

New Address

Elder Nathan Cockrum

11428  105th ave. sw   apt. p9  

Lakewood WA. 98498

Happy Valentine's Day

 No idea why this picture is posting side ways. But anyway, here is the box I just got mailed off to Nathan.  Since he is on his mission, I thought he needed to focus on his love of the Savior. I found some great ideas on the web and like the one found HERE.  I found the Greater than Us All CD at Deseret book.  I then picked up a picture of the Savior at the temple and printed off a page that said 'I never said it would be easy. I said only that it would be worth it."  I put these in a double frame.  You could also use a pass along card with the picture of the Savior and frame that. Your ward library should have these or they should be able to order the picture of the Savior if you need. They are inexpensive.  I picked up a little easel so Nathan can set the frame up on a table. 
OK, OK, OK. I didn't make candy.  BUT, Dove candy came in tin hearts rather than the cardboard heart shaped boxes. I added that because I thought the tin box might be nice to keep letters from home or other keep sakes in.  I bought some heart die cuts from the teacher store and put scripture references to Love on both sides.  I didn't write them out as my daughter suggested, because I thought it would be a fun thing for his scripture study time to look them up. 
I bought some pink and red old fashioned candy sticks and put them all in a box lined with red tissue papers.

12 Days of Christmas

This is the stack of little gifts I bought for Nathan's 12 days of Christmas.  I did not get elaborate by any means!  Some of the gifts include a bacon flavored chapstick found HERE.  Maybe I'll get crazy and send him a 'bacon package' one of these months! hehe
Another gift (to be opened on New Year's) is the bamboo calendar that was free at the Chinese store. 
Other things included a tie, a toy (to be opened the day after Christmas, since that is his "P" day, and a pair of gloves.  Anyway, I ended up with 12 gifts. I wrapped in (mostly) coordinating fabric and put tags on them.
(I apologize, but once I closed the page where I downloaded the tags, I was NOT able to find it again!!: If I do, I will post it).
I packaged these up and put in the mail today.  If Nathan doesn't cheat, he will have a little gift to open each of the 12 days of Christmas starting Christmas Eve.

Because of upcoming transfers, all Christmas packages and cards for Nathan should be sent to the Mission Office:

Elder Nathan Cockrum

Washington Tacoma Mission

4007 Bridgeport Way W Ste D

University Place, WA 98466-4330

All the gifts will be distributed to the missionaries at a party they are having.  Please write 'For Christmas' on the package if it is for Christmas. Otherwise it will be given to him as a regular package.   

When in the service of others...

Nathan is keeping busy doing all kinds of service.  This member sent pictures of Nathan working on their fence.  I love it when I get random texts from people that Nathan is around.  I need to remember to do the same for the missionaries serving here.

Getting ready for Baptism

This is Nathan and his companion giving a baptismal lesson to a young member.  The boy's parents texted the photo to me. It made my day!