Russ with the kids camping at the Joint Base San Antonio Recreation Park at Canyon Lake.
The kids playing around near the campfire.
Lizzie enjoys swinging with Dad.
The boys dig in the sand.
Lizzie playing on the beach of Canyon Lake.
Lizzie watches Dad skip rocks and tries her hand at it.
Ethan building things in the sand.
We went to Sea World on Thursday, Russ' last day with us. Check out Lizzie's face--that is her idea of a smile when requested to do so. She looks upset, though really she wasn't. Who could be, when they know they'll get to ride around in a stroller from place to place and have no need of walking. I assure you, the boys would have gladly traded her places.
Here we are, about to leave Sea World. Everybody good naturedly gives in to another picture request from Mom.
On the way out of Sea World, you are obliged to walk through a gift store, and the kids couldn't resist playing with the swords. Of course I declined to buy them any more swords, as they have an entire arsenal of them at home.
Ethan and Matthew holding Shamu the killer whale!
Ethan and I rode the Steel Eel together. The first drop was more scary to me than it ever has been in the past, and I felt that feeling of helplessness as we neared the top and were without hesitation about to go over. Ethan felt like he was lifting out of his seat. I put my hand across his lap to assure him that he wouldn't fly away. After surviving it the first time, Ethan insisted that we venture to do it again. In fact, those were his first words at the end of ride, before we had fully come to a stop. "Again! Again!"
Here is Ethan exulting after his two rides on the Steel Eel.
Lizzie gives Dad a big kiss as we waited by the play area for the boys to reappear.
Russ and Lizzie playing together.
Here Russ is asking Lizzie to guess which Disney princess he is thinking of. After a great many guesses, she finally hit upon Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog), and he let her escape. Lizzie surely loves the attention paid to her by her daddy. It's sad to think of her missing them for a whole year of her childhood.
Here we are at the airport saying goodbye. This is Friday morning, 16 March.
Everyone wants lots of hugs. Lizzie, as you may notice is eating her cinnamon toast with apparent unawareness of what is about to take place. She doesn't fully realize what it means that Daddy is going away for a
year. I don't think Ethan fully understands either.
Matthew knows what it means, though. He is most needing of hugs.
A kind lady stopped and offered to take our picture as we said our last goodbyes. I did cry, after all. Russ told me that since I was crying I might make him cry too. His eyes were a bit red... Luckily I got it together enough to be able to drive. We left and I took them to Denny's for a late breakfast, and then to Pump It Up (an air bounce place) for a playgroup with some other kids in our ward. I meant to take their minds off of Dad leaving, and it seemed to work. They had fun. I was the most upset of the bunch, though I didn't let them see it.
Now (late Saturday night) I have word from Russ that he has arrived safely in Kyrgyzstan and is exhausted from many long flights (San Antonio to Virginia to Germany to Kyrgyzstan). He is sleeping and trying to readjust his schedule to being on the opposite side of the world.
I have used his absence as an opportunity to get some cleaning done. I cleaned the bathrooms, the garage and the whole front yard, patio and driveway (getting rid of leaves). Keeping busy helps me not to feel so lonely.
