SINCE YOU"VE BEEN GONE

In some ways it seems like my parents have been gone for years and years,


And in other ways it seemed like just yesterday we were crying our little eyes out as they walked away from us at the airport. My brothers are such babies.

For the last eighteen months my parents have been serving a mission in Sierra Leone Africa. But you already knew that.

Jumping ahead eighteen months, time has flown by and now they are almost home.

In just a few short days my missionary parents will be returning back home to their motherland,

the good 'ol US of A.

In order to prepare my parents for their grand return back to civilian life I feel I need to point out a few things that have changed since they left eighteen months ago.

Dear Mom and Dad
Since you've been gone...

You have missed out on a few things.
You missed out on Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan "WINNING,"

Good news though, you can still catch all the "winners"
                                         in the whole Occupy Wall Street movement.

You missed the debut of the iPad


 ...and the untimely exit of Steve Jobs.

And although you were right there when South Africa hosted the World Cup,
you still missed out on the biggest hype in sports news ever...
JIMMERMANIA!

You missed all the good news of Osama Bin Laden and Gaddafi's demise, and the rescue of the Chilean Miners and the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and the final Space Shuttle launch, and Kim Kardashian's wedding and Oprah's retirement, and Kim Kardashian's divorce and Oprah's new show,
and four seasons of American Idol and I bet when someone sings;
"Friday, Friday gotta get down on Friday."
             you won't even know what they are talking about.

That's how much you have missed.

However, none of those world events compare to what you have missed in the lives of those whom you call family.

You missed the birth of three new Grandsons.

You missed all the first smiles, the first steps, the first words. 

You missed two first days of school.

You missed the FULL MOON rising over Maple mountain 19 times.


You missed out on the young little monsters turning ONE.

And you missed the older ones turning into little monsters,
                                                                ...er, I mean teenagers.


You missed your three oldest grandsons going through their
                                              Justin Bieber hair phase... 

And you missed it when these same oldest three grandsons turned 16 
                                                                                                  and got their licences!

(They can't wait to drive you around town.)

You missed a few remodeling projects.
(Yeah, thanks a lot...look who I had to turn to for help.)

You missed some epic snow storms.

                   (you were probably sitting at the beach fanning yourself when I took this picture)

You missed out on some good times... 

And some sad times.

  

There have been silly times...


and times we just couldn't wait to email you about.

          You missed out on building a new house.
                                 Don't worry it only blocks your view slightly.

You missed out on a few dozen family get-togethers.

You missed saying goodbye to a son as he left for Military training. 

You missed watching a son become an Officer Candidate.

And You missed a son becoming a solider.

You missed a baptism and three baby blessings.

 

 You missed a big move back East for school and then even further East for school and then back home and then now just a little bit North for school.

Luckily you missed eighteen months worth of road construction on I-15

You missed a few things happening around town. A new North Park!

A new local Favorite!


And a new car wash and a new Wendy's. They are all ready for you mom!


You missed them tearing down the old 16th ward building on 4th North.
And at the risk of getting arrested, I ran over and grabbed you a brick. 

You missed two Memorial days, two Fourth of July's, two Halloweens,

 two Thanksgivings, two Father's Days, one Mother's day,

one New Year and one Easter.  

You missed a couple hundred baseball and basketball and football games.

A few dozen track meets, and dance performances, and school plays and concerts.

You missed two pageants.

Actually you probably didn't "miss them" now did you??

But we do know that you missed the Spring branding.

Your beloved cows missed you too.

You also missed this...

And you also missed this...

Yes, Mom and Dad, you missed out on a lot.

You were a world away.   

But somehow it appears

that we are the ones that missed out.

Oh, and one more thing!

                   we missed you as much as you missed us, and remember...

And as they say; the more things change, the more they remain the same.

(Hallie, Indy and Lauren just before you left May 2010.)

 

So don't worry Mom and Dad.

 Your granddaughters haven't changed that much  since you've been gone....

They will be waiting for you at the airport.

By the way, you should see their boyfriends...