HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELDER PETERSON!!!!

February 26 marks an important day in the life of Elder Peterson!  He is another year younger!  Yes, instead of having gone over the hill to the downside, he has rolled backwards and is increasingly more youthful every year.  He even had just nine candles on his birthday cake which was kindly donated by a fellow missionary, Elder Bishop, who had received a "REAL" Pillsbury cake mix and canned frosting from home at Christmastime but did not have a functioning oven to bake it in.  So we frosted it up with the pink strawberry frosting, used matches for candles, and sang a rousing happy birthday at our missionary district meeting.  Indeed, it tasted pretty darn fabulous!  On his actual birthday, he will be speaking in church and is feverishly memorizing some of his talk in Russian, which is a classic example of his obsessive nature to achieve great heights and continuously improve himself.  He is an inspiration to all of us and helps us to achieve things in our own lives that we most likely would not have done otherwise.  He is a caring and loving marriage companion and a supportive and fabulous missionary companion, as well.  He provides acts of service every day like grocery shopping, drying dishes, and even visiting "babushkas."  Even though he might have a few more gray hairs than he did last year:), he also has more patience, more strength, greater influence, and marches to a greater purpose every day.  Happy birthday!  I love you more!!!