With All My Love

Dear Tanner,

Now that Hunter's arriving home tonight you are the lone ghost rider out of our home. You are the first trifecta of an unusual Sunday. I was happy to hear you'd arrived safely. I know that after traveling for two days, and moving into your new apartment, and unpacking, and meeting your co-workers, all tonight, will be very busy. Hence, I chose not to call you tonight. Having gotten this Facebook message from Iris Monson was a tender mercy for this mother heart of mine: "Amy! David, our youngest son pulled into the parking lot of the complex in which he'll be living for the next four months selling for Altera pest control--and who should he see but your son Tanner!! What a wonderful surprise!! I'm so thrilled these two get to spend time together--even if it is working their bahoofas off! LOL." Call me on your lunch break ;-)

The second trifecta of course is your wingman's arrival, still impending. They're probably due to arrive around 10 p.m. CST, with I'm sure many tales and pictures of adventures. The cell service has been spotty at best so honestly I haven't talked to them for more than a few thirty second hastily delivered messages.

And of course the third trifecta of the evening involves all the tornadoes landing near and around us this evening. Your father, because he loves me, bought and installed, in my bedroom, a weather radio for me as he was walking out the door to drive to Utah on Thursday. The constant weather updates have been played all weekend. Tonight the alarm has been beeping constantly, as a tornado touched down in Stephenville, then Glen Rose near Dinosaur State Park, hail has fallen, and we're under warning (not watch) until 1 a.m. It's going to be a long night ;-) I have officially "Liked" the local meteorologist on Facebook and "Followed" him on Twitter as he does a great job updating his page, and posts times the tornado comes through each community. Your brothers aren't handling the alarm sounds so well. Miller runs into his closet in a panic, Sawyer follows, pretending to comfort him. Breyer does a lot of running back and forth, but is loving the excitement. Cooper reads. Along with that awful, awful earthquake in Nepal, and the volcano in Chile, the signs of the times are manifested in fury this week!
 
Dad's rocking chairs arrived. Cooper's scout troop is trying to earn money, and handed out flyers last week advertising "Rent-A-Scout" to earn money for scout camp. So of course I hired him to put together the rocking chairs, not knowing there were only six screws. He also fixed the off-track zipper on the hugglepod, and got it hung back up in the boys' room. Very nice. Next, I think I'll hire him to get my shelf up in the washroom for my laundry baskets. I have sat in those chairs multiple times for multiple days. I'm in love with my view (think Breyer's bluebonnet field).

Cooper and Sawyer also were "rented" Saturday morning at the Hamiltons (think BBQ man), hand picked along with two other boys, to weed his gardens for three hours first thing Saturday morning. They also got to rinse off in his pool, and pocketed $30 each for scout camp. I might need to make him some cinnamon rolls for supporting the scouting program!

One of the things that put a smile on my face, besides the rocking chairs arriving, was our local UPS driver. He was on the driveway long enough for me to notice he drives around the neighborhood with a Milk-Bone box on his dashboard. Must work for I'm sure his all-too-frequent with enemies of the canine variety. If all our problems in life could be solved so simply. But I smiled because he figured out to handle that nuisance in his work day.

Breyer was listening to a CD all about dinosaurs, from her grandmother, and began to cry. "Breyer, what's wrong?" "I'm just so sad all the dinosaurs are dead! I won't ever get to see the long necks! Or the King!" We then had a very logical discussion about their possible demise, including her ideas of the earth, disease, and no food.

All of our baseball and soccer practices and games have been cancelled due to wet fields. Miller was invited to try out for the all star team. He's beyond ecstatic. He lives for this stuff. There are actually two teams, an A and B. I'd be surprised if he's not on the A team ;-)

Hunter and two of his brothers have eight o'clock dentist appointments in the morning. Love it! Nothing like having a driver back home, and an empty house first thing Monday morning.

Hope your week goes smoothly. Go get em'! Have fun storming your castles this week!

Love,

Mom