Feb 19--Dear Elder: Coming Home

Dear Matt,
Now I am on my way back home.  Leaving Casandra, Emerson, and Lily was harder than it has ever been.  The nice shuttle driver tried to talk to me as we made our way out of Tyler and I had to choke back the tears and answer in a rational manner.  I am so glad that we will be seeing them again in the summer.

When I got to the airport, I had three hours till my departure, so Grandpa and Grandma Haws came to visit with me while I waited.  It was really nice to visit with them!  I know I got to see them Friday at the wedding and that I will see them next month at Celeste’s wedding, but it was nice to visit with them one on one.  When is the last time I have been able to do that?

It will be good to get back home even though it is still all torn up in the kitchen.  I miss Dad and the kids, and I’m excited to give them the souvenirs I bought for them.  It’s hard to by for Thomas, and now that Dad doesn’t eat junk, its hard to buy for him, too, but I think I got some good stuff.  I bought Thomas a mini etch a sketch.  I know I know, but etch-a-sketches are pretty darn fun.

On the way to Cassandem's I bought a sandwich at the airport that cost me $10, so I made sure to bring a sandwich from Cassandra’s house for the way back, ha ha.  I wonder if anyone else in the world besides me eats cheese and mustard sandwiches.  At Cassandra’s, I introduced Lily to the joys of yogurt and we ate it together just about every day.  We also enjoyed playing with the monkey puppet I brought from home.  It’s the puppet I would use to entertain her on Skype, so she recognized it right away and had fun playing with it.  I am taking it back home with me so that we will have that connection when we Skype.

Dad said the new cabinets are really nice, and I can’t wait to see them.  They won’t all be in for quite awhile since they have to remake three of them; two because they arrived damaged and one because they measured wrong.  None of that should cost us any money.  It is going to be quite a job getting the house all put back together.  I also need to squeeze in three more days of substitute teaching this month or they kick me off the list.