(Craig just got back last night from a 17 day! work trip to India. Between work, sleep and his still sleepy haze, I feel like we still haven't fully caught up)
Dear Craig-
we missed you so much while you were gone. And even though we stayed in touch a little with skype- when it worked out with the time difference- and emails, you missed a lot, mostly the small things that make up our life.
-the boys and i drove to Phoenix for stephen and Jarelle's wedding reception. We got there Sat. at 5pm, got pretty and went right to the reception, then sunday, we watched them open their wedding gifts, went to church, met Julia's 2 day old baby, had a big family sunday dinner and drove home sunday evening. Bekah and kat came with us to spend the week. Miles and parker loved the photo booth at the wedding. this is one of seven times they went in....
5 of the 7 case kids. can you spot Miles, shoeless, playing on an Iphone? he must have been taking a break from the photo booth.
-It was so nice to have bekah and kat here for 6 days. They helped with the boys, cleaned my house and we went on adventures.... to the beach twice (they went boogie boarding for 4 hrs), to see "the lorax", to disneyland, and lots of pool and craft time.
-parker, miles and I all had the flu during the week bex was here. It lasted for 24 hrs for each of us, it was all on different days and somehow, no one threw up. thankfully.
- parker learned to swallow pills. I had him taking probiotics, I just did powder, but one day, he tried to swallow the pill and did it on his first try.
-parker lost his second tooth. this happened while he was at laurie's and i was at costco and he lost the tooth in her house. He wanted me to make him a paper replacement tooth for the tooth fairy just "like the one that Papa made for Mia in Hawaii...it's kinda thick like a real tooth." well....I evidently did it wrong because the tooth fairy didn't come that night, not sure where her mind was, and he came down with the saddest face ever the next morning. Thankfully, papa and mamie were in town that weekend and parker asked papa to make the tooth. Your dad spent probably ten minutes folding up the tiny paper and wrapping scotch tape all around, and making 2, "just in case" i lost one. we put it under his pillow and it worked! He got $3.65 in change.
-Miles missed A LOT of preschool. he was always just busy playing and i just never felt like spending the extra effort to get him there.
- Miles happily took over your spot in bed most nights. he was definitely torn on some nights on whether he wanted you to come home or to stay away so he keep sleeping in your bed.
-Parker was not torn. that little guy missed you SOOOO much. One night he came into my room, crying, about an hour after he went to bed. I said, "what's wrong Parker?" he said, "i just hurt" i said, "what hurts?" and he replied, "it's just cause i miss dad so much." :(
- I finished both bathroom renovations...man, that's a process. and SO much dust. I'm really glad they are done-well, mostly done. I still need your help in picking wall paper for the powder room. i have it down to 5.
.JPG)
(this is the bathroom where we had the flood. Two days before the flood, i saw pictures of a bathroom on a blog and thought... I would love to copy that bathroom if i ever get to gut one of my bathrooms. It was the best accident ever. I'll post real "after" pictures soon.)
-your parents were in town. the boys were so happy to see them. we swam at matt's, had family dinner, and went to see Hunger Games. I loved it! My seat was next to the Secret service because you weren't there as my date. what a crazy life we are in the middle of. they also came to our house when your dad came over. All our neighbors were gawking at all there cars parked up and down our street. My fan club was over hanging out with bakah and kat and thought it was all so cool. Parker and I also went to your dad's fundraiser downtown last Monday. Parker is getting pretty good at those things. he shakes everyone's hand who says hi to him and hugs any lady that looks over 50. all with his fake smile on and all without any prompts from me. remind me to get video of this.
your dad reading to us from a book just given to him by Laurie for his birthday. She made it on shutterfly and is a short biography of his dad, grandpa, great grandpa and great-great grandpa. I have got to order one for us. really cool.
-we watched general conference (all 4 sessions...the boys earned a candy bar), all while playing legos, blocks, and building marble mazes. on sat evening we went to a horse show with your mom in OC. I think parker liked the McFlurry from McD's he got after the best. and he liked watching the young kids in the jumping competition.
-we watched sunday conference at the beach house, then went on a beach walk. I already told you about this....but this is when Miles' near drowning experience happened. (there was the strongest waves I've ever seen and the tide was too high to walk through the tide pools, but the kids didn't notice. they took off running towards the left as i tried to yell, we need to go right! Miles was pretty far ahead of me out the gate, so i took off running, knowing as soon as a big wave came he was in trouble. he was right in the middle of the rocks, between a wall and the ocean when a HUGE wave came and knocked him rolling him in the wave. I was still 50 yds out and couldnt see where he went. Chloe was right there and jumped in to try to get him but couldn't see him and got knocked down as well. I was sprinting and so scared, scanning the water as a ran. I got there and spotted him15 feet south of where he went down in about 2 feet of rushing water headed back into the ocean about to hit another wave. I scooped him up and jumped up on a huge rock just in time. His hat had gone out to sea. So scary. he was really brave and we ended up going on an hour walk to see the seals, playing along the way. Parker gave him his sweatshirt.)
after the incident...still smiling
-which brings us to yesterday...first day of spring break and dad is home. What a great day!
we are so glad you are back with us were you belong. we all miss you too much when you are gone. I can't wait to look at all your pictures with you and hear more about your own adventures in India. When you wake up sometime. :)
Love, Mary
