Dear Husband, week 10:

Or is it week 11? Maybe 12? I don't know, it could be week 25. All I know is you haven't been home in a long time.
And we miss you.
I  missed you on our family vacation to Bear Lake.
I missed you while I packed the car,



Cause that job sucks.

And I missed  while I drove. (I don't do maps, but I am a phenominal follower.)

I missed you when I saw what Caleb packed from home, and wanted to laugh about it with you.



(Caleb packed his baby scrapbook and an easel to display it so it would "feel like home")


I missed you when I saw the view from the deck, knowing how much you would have loved it.

No offense, but I don't think the kids missed you all that much.

Not when there were rooms like these:

And cousins like these:

and big brothers to tickle you like this:

 And games like these:

and multiple slides like these:

And nooks and crannies like these:

I think they had a hard time thinking about anything other than the fun they were having, and believe me, they had a lot of that.

If it's any consolation, on the drive home, we discussed it,
and we have all decided to take you back there,
out of the goodness of our hearts.

the boy

That's what Caleb is lovingly referred to around these parts.

He is Boy.
Cars.
Trucks.
Trains.
Superheros.

Starwars.
Dirt.
Bugs.
These things make up his life.

I love that


But there is another side of Caleb that I love even more.
He is so loving.
I love that he is a little cuddler.
I love that he tries very hard to make things fair and happy for everyone.
I love his deep and abiding love for his "Grandma friends".

He loves women over the age of 70. The whiter the hair, the more love in his heart.

I love his ability to make people laugh. His personality has always commanded attention.

I love that he is so understanding.
At the third child, a lot of things don't happen when and how he wants them but he has a awesome ability to roll with the punches.

I love that Caleb has passions. I love that they mean EVERYTHING to him until the next big thing comes along.

 We seem to measure time in our family by what Caleb was passionate about at the time.

 I love that he tells me that he has 11 girlfriends, cause he can't narrow it down.

I just love his smile. I love that he lets me see it pretty much all day long.
We have often talked in our family about this kid, and we have come to a realization.
We need him.
His love, his trust, his sillyness, his humor, his goodness...everything that makes Caleb who Caleb is,
is the glue that holds our little family together.
And everyday we are so thankful for it.

the daughter

I love Hailey's natural desire to obey. (don't you wish every child came with that chip installed?)

I love how Hailey has 100% focus on the task at hand. I think her teachers enjoy this quality as well.

I love Hailey's dedication to teaching.

Hailey has this deep desire to nurture. It is so awesome as a mom, to watch my daughter mother her little brothers.

I love how to most of the world, she is serious and shy but at home her shell disappears, and the crazy comes out.

I love her desire to create. From Nature journals to self illustrated novels, to plays, to invented games, she is always creating.

I love having Hailey in my family.
She is a strength in my life,
An example to me,
And one of the brightest lights this earth has ever seen.

Our home is a better place with her there.