Friday, 5 December, 2003

Chris comes home today!!!  Wahoo.  We are all excited.  It seemed as though this day would never come, but I am so grateful that it is finally here.  I will take the girls to the airport with me this time as his flight comes in at 5:30 pm.  Amy has been very vocal about missing her dad while he has been gone.  As I sit here and listen to her “write a letter” to grandma, she says “I really love my dad, but please come home.”  A couple of days ago, she said to me “Mom, please can we call daddy?  I’ll be your best friend.”  I passed that info along to Chris and a couple of seconds later, the phone rang.  She was thrilled to have her own phone call.

Amy was just talking to me about Grandma and Grandpa Rice and wanted to call them.  I told her that we couldn’t because they were at the temple today.  “Are they getting married.”  “No, they are already married.  They have been married almost 41 years.”  She responds, “I don’t want to get married.”  I say, “Well someday when you get bigger.”  Amy: “I don’t want to get bigger.  I just want to stay little.  Well, maybe a little bit bigger so that I can go to school.”

Misha hasn’t been nearly so vocal about Chris being gone, but when he came home last week and found him in bed on Tuesday morning, she laid on his chest and enfolded him in a hug that lasted for about a minute.  It was pretty tender to watch.

Three of my brothers came to visit last week.  Brad, Shane, and Dallin and his family.  It was quite a full house, moreso because we hadn’t planned on Chris being here at all.  It was enjoyable but a lot of work.  Endless meals it seemed like and then lots of cleaning up after.