Day 12 July 29, 2009

It was exciting to receive your email this week, though I realize that those days are numbered. I have stayed awake wayyyy past my bedtime several nights hoping to catch you on g-chat again. It is very frustrating being out of contact and the time difference is driving me crazy!! I am sure that I will get used to it after a while, but I won't get used to missing you. I loved hearing about your activities and am glad you are avoiding the sharks! You know it is almost time for shark week here ; ).

Big news on reality TV--she chose Ed. Now, I could pretend to care but I do not know any of the characters, but I did promise to let you know.

In family news, Joel has seen at least three bears while in Mammoth Lakes. He and Mike were very excited about that. They will be coming home tomorrow and are very sad that vacation is almost over. I think Joel would like to move out to California if he could-sunshine, girls, and golf can be very addicting.

I was hoping to go to Bald Head in August, but it isn't going to work out and I am very very disappointed!! I miss the ocean and I too am envious of you and your "hammock by the sea!"

I hope all of your boxes get there. I was going to send another today, but I wanted to get a few of the items you requested and stuff them in first. I will send it tomorrow. It will also include your pictures for your host family. Molly sent you a long letter and has been wondering if you got it. She is getting ready to move into her new apartment this weekend and is so excited. She misses you very much.

Dad and I are doing projects again. I am sure you are glad you are missing that! We decide to paint the basement and so we just did it. We are not sure if Joel will like the color, cuz it is melon like- orangish. Sooo, we like it and it made us start cleaning too, so now we hope to feel cozier down there and spend more time enjoying movies and walking on the treadmill. We will be entertained and in good shape by the time you return.

I paid your Comcast bill- I called them because we never received the bill. They said they sent it but I never saw it. So no worries!

Sorry it isn't very exciting here. We are all looking forward to hearing about your adventures and living vicariously through you. You are very special and we are so proud of you. Take care.

Love, Mom

Day 6 July 23, 2009

Ok, so I decided that posting every day was a little extreme! You actually don't need to read about every second of our lives. Ha! The new plan is once a week whether you need it or not! And baby girl you need it today. Tuesday night Whitney was proposed to by her boyfriend Matthew!!! Elisabeth helped arrange a very romantic setting with a bogus photo shoot of Whitney and then she documented the whole thing on film--so not really bogus after all. It looks like something out of a movie. I have been assured that it will be a long engagement, so you won't miss the big shindig. Fun!

We are doing great, adjusting to you being gone, waiting for rain still. I am sure that sounds funny to you in Rainyville. I think I have talked Dad into joining the MRC with me. I was working on some online training and he was asking about it and I remembered that we used to belong to groups like that together and it would be fun to do it again. We will probably be very busy in the Fall with mock disasters and flu vaccinations.

I sent you another box. It is weird not knowing if you are getting any of the items I am sending, including email and blogs at this point. They sent us an email saying everyone got there, and that you would be on the internet this week and we would probably hear from you, so of course I am a little obsessed with the computer this week hoping to get an email from you. It is already very frustrating not being able to talk to you when I want to. Probably a little easier for you since you are doing new stuff with new friends and keeping very busy.

I love and miss you. Mom

Day 2 July 19, 2009

This was an early day for us! Joel was up at 5 am, which means I was up at 4:30, and out the door by 5:30 on his way to the airport with Michael for their 2 week California vacation. They seemed to be very prepared and excited. We talked to you a few times today and you sounded very upbeat and excited, but a little travel weary, especially as you were headed to the airport in LA for the trip to Honolulu. I think the excitement picked up again as you called on the way to the beach in Hawaii, cuz you hinted at how beautiful it was and I was just a little jealous.

We spent the day working on planting and admiring our new front garden. The deer had so decimated the hostas that we just decided to rework that area and it looks fantastic. Dad did most of the work tho and is a little sore--the ground is sooo hard. After dinner with the Pannells (hamburgers on the grill and fresh veggies) we headed home and went to bed early-tired, but happy that our children were safe and enjoying new adventures in far away places. Life is good! Love, Mom

Day 1-July 18, 2009

Wow, this day came fast for me. After months of planning and weeks of gathering and packing, finally everything came together yesterday and we sent Cari off on her new adventure. She seemed full of confidence and excitement and we said goodbye without shedding the dreaded tears she was worried about.(although I did shed a few on the way to the car...sorry Cari) Then we headed to Los Toltecos for a margarita and a late lunch. I am pretending that we just dropped her off for another year at school, but I know that soon we will be out of real-time touch and I must find things to keep me occupied so I don't mope around missing her and talking to her. Last night we heard from her as she made it to LA and then found they had misplaced one of her bags and she had to wait a long time for the shuttle to the hotel. Good news later-she made it to the hotel and will not have to change rooms when her group convenes there today. They will hopefully deliver her other bag today too. I gave Cari a hard time yesterday as she tried to figure out the time difference from here to Majuro and how it didn't seem to match up to the info they had given her about flights, etc. She just could not figure it out and she told me she just had an inquisitive mind--how true! and explains why she is now going to teach for a year in Namdrik, Republic of the Marshall Islands!! Bon Voyage sweet girl! Miss you already! Love, Mom