A Baby Grand Piano

{Letter sent to the parents - Friday, Septebmer 17, 2010}

Dear Mom & Dad ... & Jen probably

This is a short letter, but of great importance; so I hope you get it fast.

Well, I'll just cut to the chase. I made great friends witha member family out here. We had dinner with them tonight, and I actually just got back and am writing you now because I am so excited. Anyway, during dinner I really connected with the husband. We talked a lot about the Joseph Smith Papers and history of the Church, and I told him that I bought a volume of the Joseph Smith Papers for Mom. We also connected about sports. He went to the Uof U and ran track for them. He even went to the Olympic trialsin 1984 for the 800 m., but anyway we are great friends now. We helped them move tonight; and after we did all we could that night, they fed us. Since we have limited miles, they drove us back and forth, and when they were taking us back home, they said this -

"Do you know of anyone who has an interest in a free piano?" Elder Shae said "well Elder Chipman does, he plays amazingly." Sister Lastnameleftoutforprivacyreasons said, "Oh yes, that's right. You played all those cool songs for mutual last week." (I played the opening hymn for the beginning exercises; and after they asked me to play more, so I played John Schmidt.)

Anyway, I felt like I was imposing far too much for this, so I said no thanks - since I thought they were joking anyway. But then Sister Sameskippedlastnameasbefore said, "No, seriously, we want you to have it Elder. We have 2 as you can see; and neither of them gets played very much, and we don't have the room. If youdon't take it, we were just going to throw it out. At least this way, we knowit will get played."

So basically I am getting a piano and need to arrange to ship it ot Utah. That part is easy,but I wanted to know what to do with it there. I know you (Mom & Dad) don't have room for anything to store at the moment, which reminds me, oh yes the piano they are giving me is a baby grand. But then I remembered Jennifer still wants a piano. So Ithought she could have it until I came home. And if needs be, I'll pay for it to be stored in a garage; but they really truly want for me to have this piano, and I thought that there is no way I can pass up this opportunity.

...

{That's the gist of it...SO COOL that he is getting a baby grand for merely the cost of shipping! And so cool that I get to babysit it for a spell!}