Back again, with no excuses for my long absence except that the boys and I have thoroughly enjoyed our summer and early fall, albeit without Chris, and it's hard to find the time or energy at the end of the day to post.
I got to Skype with Chris yesterday and he is looking quite well. He's started growing some sideburns and his hair is too long, but nonetheless he is a handsome devil and my heart will be glad when he finds his way back to us. The boys were uncharacteristically good while we Skyped, playing by themselves and popping in and out to make appearances. As some of you know, this is not the norm. There's usually a great deal of furniture-jumping and brother smacking while I'm trying to carry on some semblance of a normal conversation with my loved ones.
Today is Sunday and I'm so looking forward to church. So blessed to have found a place where both the boys and I feel comfortable and part of a congregation. Lots of military families who understand how hard it is to come in and feel welcome in a tight knit town. Jake will start church school this month and Evan will continue to visit the nursery, with Miss Annie, who tirelessly watches him ride the plastic horse with a look of joy on her face.
What else is new? Jake is truly enjoying his first grade class. We've warmed up to the routine of homework each night and get it done promptly after school, before fatigue sets in and makes concentration difficult. He remains an excellent reader and my favorite thing to hear is his beautiful inflection while he reads aloud. When Chris asked what he was learning, he had the luxury of saying, "Nothing I don't already know..." Not for long, my love. Not for long, I thought.
Evan is as busy as ever, adding more and more words to his vocabulary. His favorite is "dinner" (or "DIN-nah") when he cooks for myself or various stuffed animal friends using his new kitchen and play food. He is a very considerate host and eager to serve second, third, or fourth helpings of our favorites.
We have worked our way up to number three on the on-base housing waiting list and our ears are perked for the sound of a call telling us we've got a house sometime this fall. The move will be an inconvenience, as usual, but will be far outweighed by having so many of our friends and favorite destinations just minutes away.
Where you are the weather is probably turning cooler, signaling the beginning of what I've always thought was the most beautiful season of all -- autumn. While we have much to enjoy here, I am truly missing the season of harvest on the mainland. As I said nearly a year ago in my first post, pumpkin lattes just don't taste the same in the land of aloha.