Is that a hickey on your neck!?*
This is Steve. Probably if you are reading this (SarahDianaAlyssaAliceMomJocelynAngelaPepperCourtney) you already know that. Steve has been in New York City for six days and--HOORAY, HOORAY, HOORAY--he comes home tomorrow. HOORAY!
Here are a few of the things that I missed while he was gone:
--> Him never criticizing me, just pure love, support and encouragement. How did I get so lucky?
--> Him reading The Hobbit to the boys for a long, long time before bed (because he wants to read it as much as they do) and saying, "Remember the rules? No questions, no comments, no interruptions until we're done."
--> Help getting the kids ready for school.
--> His great, clean smell after he showers after riding his bike home from work.
--> Doing "family" things (i.e., dinner, prayer, family home evening) as a complete family unit.
Here are a few things that he missed out on while he was gone:
--> One third of his daughter's life.
--> Aaron, upon being asked where he wants to serve his mission, saying, "Wherever the prophet wants me to go."
--> Numerous barfing episodes and about 1000 dirty diapers/accidents. (Have I mentioned that already?) And lots of laundry. (Thanks for the help, mom.)
--> Elliot's earnest attempts to dig a tunnel in the backyard.
--> Norah's umbilical cord falling off.
--> Norah's first words and first steps. (Seems like he's been gone for a really, really long time!)
--> Hugs and kisses from five adoring family members.
HOORAY for coming home tomorrow and HOORAY for New York being three hours ahead of us, so it seems like he is that much closer to being on his way.
*It's not. . . this time.
Comments
The client would pay for your dinner at any one of the famous restaurants in the city--he's already paying thousands of dollars for you to just be there. But that restaurant sounds depressing, because if you went there, you would look across the table and see no one; because you're beautiful wife and your unruly children are hundreds of miles away, at flag football practice.
So you order food up to the room--a more convenient table for one. Then you go out for a walk in those famous streets, killing time until she gets back home from football, and returns your call.
And you walk for miles, all the way up Broadway to 59th, across Central Park to 5th avenue. And those lights and excitements, those buildings and beautiful monuments, are only the circumstnatial setting for a phone call from home; the most beautiful thing you can think of is her voice on the other end of the line--at least until you get home, and get to hold the rest of her too.